Event / Concert Takajo Aki and Nagao Mariya Graduation Concert (16/01/21)

When Mocchi very suddenly graduated her HS was cancelled at once, this has not happen with Akicha nor Mariyagi so I think they will stay for a while. Maybe not so long so they can participate in Takamina's concert.

 

I'm so happy that both Akicha and Mariyagi are given the chance to have a graduation concert I mean they are no longer at their peak right now but management still let them have it I agree with those that said a duet should be included in the 43rd single

 

It would be great if they did get a song on the next single I'd be happy if it also included Karen and Nakkii but that's perhaps hoping for too much!

 

*A* What if they get a special unit song together? an AkichaxMariyagi duet would be sweet.

 

Thank you for being such a party pooper. A graduation concert is not a given upon hitting some pre-determined mile stones in your 48 group career and it should not be. No one deserves a graduation concert. This is about as ridiculous as Takamina fans complaining about Takamina not getting a graduation concert or not getting a big enough graduation concert. If management likes you, you get one. It is a bonus, a gift. It is as simple as that.

 

What other Request Hour is there? So far, I've only seen Request Hour 2016 as 1/16th - 1/18th; this is 3 days later...just wondering if there's an AKB event I'm missing out on

This only sets a weird precedent, because some fans don't think Akicha & Yagi were that important to AKB/48G as the ACES [Acchan, Yuko, Takamina, Rena] or even the media senbatsu [Tomochin, Mariko, Sayaka, Ricchan, etc]; I'll admit, I am absolutely SHOCKED by them getting a grad concert, so it does feel like some AKS ploy to announce something? Not lose public face from all the graduations?

On one hand, I'd kinda like some slack from AKS, because everything they do lately leads to infighting between 48wota over this & that...but at the same time, it's not their problem [the infighting], that's all on us. So I see no problem with an Akicha/Yagi grad concert-- GOOD FOR THEM. I'm just holding my breath for some announcement.

 

There's the AKB-only one, which you've noticed already: http://stage48.net/forum/index.php?...ist-best-100-2016-16-01-16-to-16-01-18.12681/

And then the whole 48G one (1/22 - 1/24): http://stage48.net/forum/index.php?threads/akb48-group-request-hour-setlist-best-100-2016.12682/

 

@CherryBonchan Akicha was media senbatsu for years before being faded out for younger gen

 

Regarding the RH rumors are saying that Akicha has told at HS event that she won't participate. But if it's both or one RH I don't know. It must be hard for her, first on RH, then concert, one more RH and then Kasane stage at 26th.

 

I wouldn't find it strange if it was just an Akicha concert, since they probably know they've treated her a bit unfairly and her being an older gen and all, but why Mariya? That's the strange part to me, I don't see how she's a lot more popular or important than say Karen or some other girls who's graduation was pretty much ignored.

 

Yagi would be like "you had the potential but we ignored you and then you bombed".

But then again the same could be said about Nakky.

 

I like to see this concert as a management's 'mea culpa'.
Why? Well, even though Akicha is still popular, management pretty much treated her as a theater girl, not even giving her an opportunity of "come back". Buy everyone seems to understand that because she was once a senbatsu member.
So why Mariyagi? If you followed her during 2012-2013 you would see that she was ascending. She belongs to the 9th gen (which management used to treat as the "golden gen"), beeing one of the most popular one. She had good SSK and HS results. She was leading (alongside Tomu) the new gen in Oshima Team K. She had everything to work out but, when Yuko announced her graduation, management didn't think that she and Tomu could lead the team (but it seems that no one in the new gen could, given how Team K turned into Team Kennin) and cut out her mojo. And here she is now, in a position where people asking if she's popular enough for it. Her tragetory in the group is frustating so it's like management saying "I'm sorry?".
I get why people question: why not Karen? Why not Nakky? Well I don't understand either. Although Mariyagi is indeed more popular than Karen, at least in a way we can measure (SSK and HS), Nakky beats Yagi in both ways. But maybe she isn't seasoned enough? I also don't know but comparing them to Mariyagi and questioning if she even deserves it isn't going to answer why both of them don't get a graduation concert as well.

I also can't understand why some people are getting upset with this. This is very good for both of these girls fans but it's not like a big meaningfull concert or whatever. It seems to only be possible because they had this empety spot between the two AKB's RH. It's rushed and all of the sudden. It's in the middle of the week. And if it opens a possibility for more girls who aren't in senbatsu level to have some sorta of ceremony (even if it's small), isn't that good?

 

^I can agree with this, I feel like with Mariya, they could have easily pushed her, but literally once Yuko graduated, they stopped that push and focused on the new generation. Had they pushed Mariya more into the spotlight of Team K (along with Tano and Mako at the time) instead of pushing Kennins into the team, both Mariya and Team K would have been in a good position. From what I can see, and maybe i'm being biased but, them including Mariya in this graduation concert seems like management saying "sorry" to her by giving her a good send off.

If by "Momusu" you mean Morning Musume, they don't do that lol. When someone graduates, they usually announce it at the start of the tour and graduate at the end of the tour. If not, they graduate at a H!P concert. This "new era" of MM has only had 2/3 graduations. Reina and Sayumi (remnants of the Platinum era) graduated at the end of their spring and autumn tour, and Riho who graduated 10 days ago at the H!P end of year show (she's the only MM member to graduate at the countdown show).

Whatever happens to Kanakichi and Ripopo is probably up to management in Yoshimoto to decide. If they want to spend money on their concerts (which they probably will), we'll see an announcement regarding that from them.

 

I dont think feeling sorry is the main reason tho. I still think the main reason is the already booked TDCH for those dates since its between the RHs and think hey they can bank on these quite popular members' graduation with little cost since the stages are already done. What I dont get is why not do it on 2 separate days, both Akicha and Mariyagi are quite popular which they probably could fill 3000 seats on their own for their final concert. Or just squeeze in a Tentouchu/Dendenmou or whater concert just to fill the gap

 

This is more than I could have ever anticipated for Akicha, so I'm really happy. I won't even be salty about her not getting a grad song at this point. KimiSuki is a must, hopefully Enjou Rosen and center of Kuroi Tenshi? Maybe AkiYagi will be top 2 for Heavy Rotation as well, which should be interesting.

I too don't really understand Mariyagi being tagged on, because as much as some try to downplay it Akicha was important to the group at a time and held management's favor for a long period. I suppose that's the issue with constantly adding new members. Yagi could have been something, but management brought in girls that they simply liked more. It's not and never will be really up to the fans.

 

Interesting to read that so many now think that Akicha has been treated bad my management. I've said that for over two years but very few has agreed with me. Maybe a good name for the concert is Concert of Bad Conscience. But we leave that. Why some members are getting a graduation concert is a bit hard to understand, but maybe the cause have been changed during the years. Already Ricchan was a question and now Mariyagi. Regarding her it can be a hint to Akicha. Ok, you get a concert but don't think you are special, you have to share it with Mariyagi. My hopes for the songs is quite similar to @Neon.

When I read about how many members who's been treated bad by management and some other who have got everything I'm wondering if management need some PR consult who can tell them when they do wrong decisions.

 

The thing is that Akicha wasn't the only one getting that treatment.

Kitarie's last 16nin senbatsu was So Long! Then she got into a couple of big summer ones and got lucky in one janken, but it wasn't until she made her comeback during last year's election that management decided to use her more, IMO.

Same goes for Kasai, who after ranking in senbatsu was dropped for UZA. She announced her graduation in December, but she could have had a spot in So Long! too had management wanted to give her a farewell gift.

I think Akicha's case looks worse because she stayed so long after it was obvious that management had no plans for her.
And her comment during her grad announcement about the reason for it NOT being that she's disappointed in her current position clearly tells me that she is and came to terms with it.

Ohwell.

 

I could see it as an apology to akicha and yagi's case she was the 3rd fastest hs seller in 9th at one point but her activity was always significantly below the others...I'm not sure they would bother apologizing at this point. I think they're both going to graduate happily though.

Wouldn't be surprised if they asked akicha if she'd be ok with sharing the concert or that she could have had one by herself. Or they could have just given it to them because they are already pretty good friends and in the same team. 9th gen is also important in that it was the start of the new gen that we're still saying is coming 5+ years later. A lot of the 9th members are role players in their own way and they have a very strong bond which would make for a good event. Sharing a concert seems like a good idea too since it's probably going to be less predictable(drawn-out?) than the usual send-off the super members get.

 

Management favors the 9th gen and it may be just as simple as that, you know. Of all the generational bonds between girls, the 9th has gotten the most 'official' support in terms of push and finding room for their narrative, concert units, etc.

It might not make sense to some why Mariyagi is getting put on the same level, but to me, it's not surprising. And it's not going to be Akicha's concert with Mariyagi thrown in out of convenience.

Paruru says 9th gen fans are in for a treat.

 

Few will disagree that Akicha didn't get the best treatment, but the thing is that you could say the same about hundreds of other girls and people just don't like to hear the same complaint over and over.

Her being shafted is part of PR, whether you agree with their decision or not. I don't think it's necessary to explain again that they're a business and not a charity. We all have our own ideas about how things could and should be, but they went with the strategy that they thought was best and that's that.