【next center】the war comes to an end; Winner: Mayuyu!

Discussion in 'General AKB48 Discussion' started by Mano Haruka, Dec 30, 2012.

  1. jell_o_jello

    jell_o_jello Kenkyuusei

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    I'm not too sure about that. For me, there's still quite a gap between Mayu and Yuko. Mayu is still not known by the mainstream public as much as Yuko and the rest of Gen1, really. If she can manage to get more recognised by the mainstream public this year, then I'd say there's a chance that she can win the election. I can see that she's being pushed more when appearing with Gen1 and Yuko (e.g. she got to talk at the Japan Records Awards), compared to before when she'd just stand there and the rest would do the talk. It's also up to OgiPro to get solo jobs that would put Mayu in the mainstream public eye. If Kojiharu managed a Getsu9, they should be able to get a primetime drama job for Mayu too (though there were rumours that KimuTaku specifically requested Kojiharu to appear).
     
  2. PoIyrhythm

    PoIyrhythm Kenkyuusei

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    While I love Acchan, she wasn't exactly an AMAZING dancer at all. I don't think that's the ultimate criteria for centering...neither do I think Yuko was that amazing in UZA (Jurina, yes and I don't even like her but she was amazing). I think they just chose Jurina/Yuko as a post-Acchan test...both have centered AKB48 singles in the past. So perhaps they want to see if people still want them as long term center members. Maybe they'll put Mayu in the center for the next single....and see which single does better leading to a more long-term decision on center...whether or not people would rather have a new center....in a way they're already doing that by placing Mayuyu in Acchan's old spots.
     
  3. MrMojo

    MrMojo Kenkyuusei

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    If Yuko decides to leave, she should do what Acchan did and sit out the next election.

    This would then redistribute the votes that people would have voted for Yuko to other girls which will change the whole dynamics of the members' selection in the next election and it'll be a winner takes all free for all. :XD:

    I would prefer a switching center with different girls switching the role between performances but that's not going to happen so... I'm hoping that Paruru gives Mayuyu a good run for the #1 spot.

    Who knows... maybe Paruru has enough supporters that she'll be #1. :hehe:
    Going to love to see the butt-hurt reactions if that happens. :awesome:
     
  4. Zippy

    Zippy Kenkyuusei

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    The top 10 would still consist of same names with the change maybe with Tomochin and Sasshi rank down, and Milky has big opportunity for Top 10 this year. Paruru would be around 13th-16th I guess, and Kawaei to undergirls. Top 3 would still be the same old, same old :awesome:
     
  5. SugarYumYum

    SugarYumYum Kenkyuusei

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    LOL the shitstorm that would occur should Paruru rank #1... or even in the Top Ten. Epic. :awesome:

    I'm personally all for a "free for all" rotating center. Why not? AKB48 are at their peak now, they can pretty release a single with the absolute most unpopular girl in all the 48's and it'll still sell like hotcakes. A stable center is not going to stop their decline either. Why not give those in the "Kami" positions, a shot at center? An Itano/Shinoda center could heightened the interest of those causal fans that know them best and bring the annual "cool" single to new levels of... well, cool. A Kojiharu/Yukirin center could be a delectable treat for the discerning wota palettes. Takamina blowing her heart out as a lone center would (temporarily) shut up the "lul akb2000 is so talentless~" haters. Come on, mgmt. Let's have some fun with the post-Acchan era. :awesome:
     
  6. Trinu

    Trinu Under Girls

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    ^ That's what I'm praying for. They don't need a permanent center/ace/face/whatever. Whoever it is, they'll find some gimmicks to promote the single.

    If only Yuko graduated/decided to graduate before the election (and didn't run for it), we could see something different. If she doesn't, she'll still get the crown *again*.
     
  7. putripww

    putripww Kenkyuusei

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    ^
    ^
    right, I think Yuko would own the crown as long as she still in AKB48,
    who knows many people who vote for the election are dont really care or dont really know about AKB, and they only know Yuko because she was the center for many times [sweat]

    but I wish Mayu on the #1, she deserve it, and anyways she's my kami-oshi [hehe]
     
  8. Weezon

    Weezon Member Stage48 Donor

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    Acchan won 2 times in the senbatsu, if she didnt graduate it could have been 3x,,

    -----------
    right now Yuko, still own the center position, and last election, fans votes proved how superior Yuko is,,
    but im sure Mayuyu fans will double their effort and surely, mayu gained lot of fans after the election..
    in the end, imo Mayu have closen the gap on Yuko,, but Yuko still has the triumph card.. :p

    btw,, Aki-p should let a rotation of members style instead of a center(again).. [speechless]
     
  9. seiryu

    seiryu Kenkyuusei

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    It seems many people want rotational center :D :D .

    However, I think AKB needs one or a few core centers (so called "face of AKB"). For us fan, we follow AKB, know many members and hope our non-center oshi can get more push. That's why we don't need centers. However, for the non-fans, they will feel confused and intimidated if AKB's faces keep changing. Indeed, most people around me are not AKB fans and most of them still think Acchan is still in the group and center for all songs :( .

    Just my 2cent :)
     
  10. Silenka

    Silenka Future Girls Retired Staff

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    ^Seiryu is right. As much as rotational center would be nice, AKB as a huge group needs a face that everyone can recognize so at least they know who ONE girl is. Accordingly, that girl will get a lot of work promoting AKB. Acchan was put into the position she was out of necessity, not simply out of Aki-P wanting a center for the group.

    Right now Yuuko is the most recognizable to the most people and it makes sense for her to be the center. But with her potential graduation imminent and the need to move away from early gen girls to more recent additions, I'm not surprised that center is under heavy contention.

    Ideally, the new center will be someone young who isn't going to graduate because of having something else on the table like school or ambition to be anything but AKB's center. Those are probably the minimum requirements, and there are a ton of girls who fit them, Mayu included. But then you get to optional requirements like being of a newer gen, having star power, being the kind of person who lets others around them shine and being relatively competent (but not TOO competent). Mayu doesn't fit many of those as she is old gen, very competent and pulls attention towards herself, just like Yuuko does (although perhaps not to quite the same degree).

    Mileage on Paru varies, she fits all the ideal requirements except peoples' opinions of her star power and abilities in the group. Kawaei Rina would be a better fit for all those categories imo. Can we just make her center and be done with it? She's obviously been pushed recently, to the point where she's in videos like First Rabbit and getting prominent positions in Team A.
     
  11. icehism

    icehism Kenkyuusei

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    You're crazy if you don't think Acchan pulled attention to herself

    There's a reason why the public knew Acchan more than they knew anybody else in the group.
    Her outperforming or underperforming anybody else has almost nothing to do with it.
    And if Aki-p wants it based on age, new or old gen doesn't matter.
     
  12. mieniem

    mieniem Member Stage48 Donor

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    Yeah, but Kawaei has no real acknowledgement of popularity yet, if she doesn't rank in the next election, not much point to make her center.
     
  13. gotbild

    gotbild Member

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    I have already expressed my opinion that for me no center is needed, but I agree that it still can be an advantage. To replace Acchan is difficult, however, as a 1 gen she has grown into the role. To just insert someone else becomes more difficult.

    I do not care much of who it is but I doubt if Mayuyu is the right person, but since I do not know much about the other candidates I have no better suggestion. I just hope it does not get that with Acchan, all the cameras focused on her. There are usually more girls on stage simultaneously.
     
  14. Trinu

    Trinu Under Girls

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    Well, it's not like Aki-P asked the fans if they liked Paruru before putting her into E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G lol

    I'm all for the idea of rotating center. Yeah, maybe the casual fan needs a face to recognize it, so why not give him 5 or 6?

    I actually see a hint of Acchan in her attitude (and a resemblance to MoMusu's Kamei :inlove: ), so she'd be just perfect. :awesome:
     
  15. Akira Hitoshi

    Akira Hitoshi Kenkyuusei

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    ^ I agree, I think the idea of rotating centers is pretty good and it's what they need right now, but some fans or original fans that liked the image of the old AKB (with Acchan) might like it better to have only one member represent AKB, so the image leaves a lasting impression on the fans [shock]
     
  16. Starshard

    Starshard Kenkyuusei

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    While I don't dislike rotating center system while they are in the transition period (now), I wouldn't like it to last forever. Besides the lasting impression factor, doing that would pretty much kill the risks and rewards of being center as we know now. A story about girl A, working hard while taking tons of stress, shouldering majority of the burden of presenting the group, finally grabbed the honor of being called the face is much more dramatic (and salable to the public, hi documentary movies) than girl A, B, C, D and E sharing the works and burden, dividing their rewards into 5.
     
  17. Silenka

    Silenka Future Girls Retired Staff

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    I meant she had star power (or X-factor or whatever) after she was shoved into the role of center which drew the public eye to her, but she still wasn't necessarily amazingly skilled at any one thing like Yuuko is with dancing, which causes Yuuko to outshine the people around her during a performance. Acchan was definitely noticeable in other aspects though, just not really performance as much as certain others.
     
  18. seiryu

    seiryu Kenkyuusei

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    It is a very interesting view, that'd make their annual documentary more interesting [hehe] [hehe]. However, I think the story of Acchan is not appealing as the story of Mariko (gen 1.5 :D), Oba, Ayarin or Sasshi. :)

    Back to the center discussion, I think we can be sure that the center of AKB shall be the center of her team (it'd be ironic otherwise). Currently, the three centers are Mayuyu, Yuko and Payuyu. With Yuko graduating, Jurina probably replaces Yuko. I guess in near future, AKB centers are just chosen among those names.

    I think the management knows that they are in a critical moment. Among the top 30 AKB members (excluding sister groups), only 5 members are below 21 (so-called the peak period of idols): Mayuyu, Jurina, Miichan, Yui and Paruru. Miichan, the most experienced among all, seems to demonstrate no desire to be center (she keeps asking for more screentime though [hehe]). Most people say Yui has no center material. So, only the three remain and AkiP put them as centers of their teams.

    In long term, I think the management needs to find some successors for centers in each team, assuming we shall not have a team shuffle in foreseeable future. For Team A, Kawaei is being pushed (I like Ayarin though :hehe: ). In Team B, probably Miyuki or an ex-team 4 member (Oba or Ranran, I guess). However, for team K, probably Mariyagi or Tomu.
     
  19. gotbild

    gotbild Member

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    Because so many popular girls are over 21 that limit does not work here. AKB blow yet another boundary. :lol: The most important thing I think is that if there must be a center there shall not be only one girl in it. A top duo or trio in each team might be better, so that there are reserves in sudden cases. Sleeping in the wrong bed, for example. :D
     
  20. Mano Haruka

    Mano Haruka Kenkyuusei

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    ...hhhhhhhhhhhh..................
    :^O^:
    after maeda's graduation announcement, almost everybody forgot the fact that the rationality of maeda being center had been constantly questioned among fans.

    the role of center is precisely a position full of controversy and criticism.
     

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