With 2018 coming to a close. It's time to do the yearly tradition for Stage48 (which I also put for other groups as well for stuff that you want to only happen with that group). So what are your Hopes, Fears, and Predictions for 2019 for NGT48? Last 3 Years 2018 - 2017 - 2016
Rika in senbatsu for ssk 3 singles (one centered by rika, the other one by Ogiyuka and surprise center maybe Okappa)
Hopes Noepii centers a B-Side song (Make it happen management) Katomina FINALLY centers a Single. Tour (I mean come on people, HKT48 and STU48 have freaking tours and that, it couldn't kill you management to do same thing for NGT48) More Exposures for other members Okappa rebounds from her bad 2018. 2nd TV Show Fears Same old crap (0 Exposure for other members + More Drama from a certain someone + No Concerts/Tour) Predictions The Usual 2 Singles Noepii Centers a B-Side (and it becomes awesome!) NGT48 Tour in the Summer Niigata Domination in the SSK (3-5 Members make Senbatsu for the SSK) Predictions on Centers 5th: Katomina 6th: OgiYuka (Figure we might as well set OgiYuka for the Even Single Centers lol).
Well mate, you wanted a heavy dance single then how about another Yuka center also another Sekai bla bla bla but with dytopian/post-apocalyptic MV themed like AKB48's Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai. Sekai wa Doko Made Aozora Na No Ka = Radiohead Sekai no Hito e = Coldplay Sekai ?????? = Muse
YAY i love this time of year Hopes Katomina centers a single (my biggest one since the group started LKASJDSÇG) Noepii gets a b-side center More girls rank on SSK (including 2nd gen and/or Draftees!!) Studio TV Show Sales increase Fears The only top 5 members get exposure More scandals Sales drop again Predictions 4 members make it too senbatsu on ssk (Yuka, Hinata, Gatanee, Minami or Miharu) Hinatan a-side center
Hopes: Mst solo appearance Yuka's solo photobook. Hinata's agency transfer. NGT48 performing aboard with Yuka & Hinata to join. I've attempted to invite Yuka, Hinata, & NGT48 to Indonesia & Yuka approves. I remind you that she doesn't tap like at random posts. Fears: Yuka ranks on sousenkyo dropped as Naachan & even Mikurin have potential to overlap her but I don't really mind it as long as she's still in kami 7. I just target 5th place for her. Even she only targeted 10th place this year tho she ranked 5th.
Hopes: All NGT48 songs get into Request hour set list again! Sales go up because of increasing number of fans all around the globe snapping up the CDs or Itune. Another acting show from NGT48 More NGT48 members in SSK At least one 2nd gen member (2ki!) in SSK More members to take bikini photos! Less anti towards NGT48 members (Not specific to any member) Fears: A member says or does something stupid on social media or showroom or live interviews. Harmless actions on social media or showroom or live interviews that got interpreted negatively. Another graduation
Hopes: 3 singles Summer tour 3 or more members make senbatsu in ssk new gen on senbatsu sales grow music station apperance Hinnatan on AKB senbatsu instead of Rika Fears: Rika top 3,2nd stable member in senbatsu no new centers sales drop Predictions: Katomina senbatsu in ssk Okappa rises from the dead 2nd gen member centers a single
Another wild dream of mine for NGT48 is that if only there's an event which all of NGT48, Silent Siren, Kinoko Teikoku, & Roselia in a same stage. Well, NGT48 is an idol group, Saisai is an all female band, Kinotei is a female fronted band but not all female which vocalist signs to same agency as Yuka, Roselia an all female is 2.5D band which the seiyuus perform the songs on their own. Yeah, anyone can dream.
Hopes More and further-reaching media exposure, more specifically in the form of a second dedicated show, to better accommodate for the fact that the group has basically doubled in number for over a year already and new members deserve a better introduction, possibly more respectable than what 1st gen was granted back in the day. Something gets done about the 2nd generation other than "Uuh, let's just make them perform an outdated theater stage from 10 years ago over and over...". Possibly an online studio-based show of sorts, and I mean something less like NekoJita and more like YNN specials -- watching their 24h specials always makes me wonder if it would hurt for the management of other lesser exposed groups to try doing the same at the same expenses. Let this be clear: nothing with strings or other conditions attached, like it was with KimiDare and how viewers were made to jump through the hoops all the time, throwing in points to reach the goal for the show's survival only for them to see the show cancelled in the end. "Outside" (or rather, individual) jobs getting awarded to more members, and more importantly while also taking into account the single member's interests, background and expertise, rather than it all being just a poorly-veiled ploy for external agencies to promote and validate their "assests", with some thin excuses tacked on just to justify it. Renapon being the go-to pick for baseball opening ceremonies, Ayutaro and the Ramen Club's promotional activities (albeit on a local level), as well as Nanako's ongoing streak of appearances on national publications and broadcasts for the annual ekiden games (which is far from over) are all concrete examples of what I hope things should be like. Even so, as things stand now, it's still taking too long for any acceptable standards, and it is still too little than what could be done. Also, a writing/literary-oriented job for Hinatan, if you please, seeing how I noticed her wishing for it in her new year resolutions during a Showroom some days back... A tour already, for crying out loud. It's 3 years and even the members themselves are getting impatient for one. Even at the cost of cutting back on the random appearances at outdoor music festivals, I'd rather want to see Ariola (going by Kitarie's reaction to the news on this old interview, sounds like they were in fact the ones who arranged for them) and -- by extension -- Sony spending less on that regard, and investing more resources into organizing a proper tour instead, however small it may be in scope. You know what, I actually wouldn't dislike even the proposal that is being floated about having a tour focused more northward, which would involve visiting the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions instead. Management of NGT changing hands from AKS to a local firm/consortium (TeNY's spinoff agency, anyone?), with a takeover a la Keyholder now that we have seen it's possible and it has its benefits. I called it a long ago, but what does a few dolts living in Tokyo know about what is good for Niigata and its people there? And it shows, mind you... To quote someone, "If there is a Santa out there, please give us a place where to feel at ease and be able to conduct our idol activities safely". Any other divine intervention is equally welcome. God save us from antis, but especially keep us away from certain idol's fans. Fears Things remain the same as they are now, in other words it all goes downhill with no brakes attached. No need to explain further. The group fails even more to fulfill its intended purposes of representing/valuing the region and ends up losing more Niigata-born members, who find it's more trouble than it's worth to remain in the group and be stuck in dead-end positions, when they can easily find more gratifying opportunities without moving around too far. Spoiler http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/sp/select/entame/084815.html To expand: the interview Niigata Nippo had with MauMau on the occasion of her graduation was pretty enlightening in that regard. Kenkyuusei members being overwhelmed with covering theater poitions for multiple members, to the point Mau herself, who was aiming to get into university, was left with no time for studying except for a little moment back at the hotel and during breaks on the handshake event days. Plus the fact that when regular members were away for events outside the prefecture, they took all dance instructors along with themselves and the Kenkyuusei back in Niigata were left to sort things out all by themselves for their own theater stage, which caused all Kenkyuusei to feel abandoned. I think the management has failed these girls enough already. Out of the misguided belief of "striking iron while it's still hot (and even after it has cooled down)", the center position gets locked or otherwise restricted to just the same usual faces, possibly triggering the above as a result. Despite NGT holding on strong at Sousenkyo and/or Request Hour, the management keeps burying its head under the sand and ignoring the voice of fans. Predictions 2nd generation + Draft into "Team T[Roman numeral here]" before the end of the year but not before the anniversary celebrations anyway. Chikana in a captain position or anything close to it. Runchan back and well. For that matter, 2nd generation + Draft getting a separate treatment in single lineup, rather than being mixed in with 1st gen. Hopefully single subunits to remain thematic-based and somewhat creative in the selection. NGT holding on strong at Sousenkyo and/or Request Hour nonetheless. Individual PVs never return as CD bonus, we get short dramas or mini documentaries instead. Oh well... ┐(´ｰ｀)┌ Global warming continues.
