AKB48: Hopes, Fears, and Predictions for 2021

Here comes this time near the year end, with it's anual thread.

Post your's

 

Hopes:
A clear plan of activity in spite of the pandemic rather than the wishiwashi approach of 2020. Because it was the first year of the pandemic I could forgive all the wishiwashiness of this year by the management, but if they just repeat this approach next year I'm not going to be the only fan who moves on from the 48 groups for a while.
Bearing the above in mind:
-A Release Schedule that Looks Something Like This at the Minimum-
February 2021 - SKE48's upcoming single.
March 2021 - HKT48 single.
April 2021 - AKB48 album.
May 2021 - STU48 single.
June 2021 - NMB48 single.
July 2021 - NGT48 single.
August 2021 - SKE48 single.
September 2021 - HKT48 single.
October 2021 - AKB48 album.
November 2021 - STU48 single.
December 2021 - NMB48 & NGT48 singles.

Ideally I'd want 3 singles per sister group next year, but I'd settle for 2. Naturally I have little confidence in management's ability to actually maintain a schedule where we get a release from at least one 48 groups per month, but one can hope right?

Fears:
Pandemic will get worse and thus releases by anyone including the 48s will get harder to launch and more sparse.
Management will continue to have no real plan for continuing activities in the midst of the pandemic and 2021 will be worse than 2020 for the 48s as a result.
The big names who've announced graduation will still be waiting for their last hurrah in the second half of 2021.

Predictions:
The most graduation announcements and/or graduations we've had yet across the board. While I don't believe the members themselves necessarily want to lose whatever base salary being in the 48 groups offers them I'd imagine they'll see some pressure from family members to graduate if they continue to lack chances to work to increase that base salary. Particularly girls whom's families are not well off who would no doubt start looking into more immediate and assured income sources for them or want them to double down on focusing on their education (potentially even redirect to something that would be profitable for them in an ongoing or post covid pandemic world such as anything pertaining to the medical field if they weren't already on that track).

 

Hopes:
- 2 singles at least (will take improvements of any kind)
- SSK comes back
- Team shuffle (they don't necessarily need it, but it would be a fresh air)
- Big concert (all-Japan 48G)

Fears:
Nothing to fear, it surely won't get any worse from the disaster that is this year. The only thing that can make it worse is the end of AKB itself, which will be an absolute nightmare.

Predictions:
- Back in the kouhaku line up
- All new singles keep its million sales

 

Hopes:
-> 2 singles, maybe 3

Fears:
-> AKB continues in its current status and sinks (read: disband) sometime in 2022

Predictions:
-> the group remains idle for the first six months and then goes back to normal during the rest of the year

 

Hopes

• Yuiri solo center please
  
• Yuiyui and Berin move permanently to AKB (so we have Nagi-Miu-Hii-Yuka as new Eito center )
  
• The rest of AKB's new units get pushed by management
• Management send other girls (non-staple senbatsu) to group TV appearance

Fears

• Management is too busy pushing IxR and ignores rest of the units (and members)
• KFC, Hebirote and 365nichi TV performance for 1-billionth times
• Management keep sending staple senbatsu and when most of staple senbatsu went absent the management went panicked *cough*FNS*cough*

Predictions

• 3 singles for 2021
• AKB keep maintaining its 1-million sales but still lost popularity to 46G
  
• Miichan's grad concert is happening
• Minagawa Yuka gets gravure PB
• Hiichan gets first AKB solo center... if she backs to AKB of course
• Virtual SSK -or similar like 2017 SSK

 

Hopes:
AKB48 sending a member to Team SH or Team TP
SKE48 keeps on releasing very original sounding bops
NMB48 Collabing with other Yoshimoto group
Mizuki center, yeah...
Hello project and 48G collab
NiziU x 48G collab (LOL, What am I even sayin'?)

Fears:
No SSK and Subsequent backlash
STU48 or NGT48 Disbanding (LOL)

Predictions:

STU48 releasing a Chinese single, They already sung in one of their stages in Mandarin so...I hope they can make the jump.

AKB48/HKT48 trying something in Korea, Given they will have 3 new lyricist that will be able to do the job for VERNALOSSOM.

New kpopish styled songs that help 48G Chart overseas (Similar to Teacher Teacher)

 

Hopes:

• At least 3 singles, I won't be satisfied with just 2... in fact my real hope is at least 4 releases for AKB, either 4 singles or 3 singles and 1 album. At this point it doesn't matter if the singles have like 3 songs in total (like their very early singles). I just want them to have new releases to promote...
• New center to make things exciting after a long break.
• New surprises in senbatsu line-up, I think they should go for a 24 members line-up, sister groups will still be included so I hope it's 2 by sister group which means for 24, 10 = sister groups and 14 = AKB. I think this would be a good mix and I hope they pick some new girls. I started to like HKT's Nappi so I hope that she can be in AKB senbatsu for once.
• Return of elections, we really need it, we need an event that makes everyone talk and everyone excited...
• Return of other events, they can make new ones. Anything!
• New shows, even if they can't get a TV show anymore, they can still produce their own show, I'm sure it wouldn't cost that much? They also need to make Nemousu more fun like before... things like training camp (for singing or dancing), challenges (like the ones about staying up as long as possible), going overseas and playing games or trying food (I know this one might be difficult due to pandemic but yes) they can produce their own shows and make it fun.
• Better promotions for all the girls, it's sad that for many AKB girls or sister groups (even the pushed ones) all you can find from them most of the time is Showrooms.
• Someone from AKB or 48G gets popular outside of the fandom and helps the group (AKB or any of the sister groups) as a whole especially when it comes to TV appearances.
• Back to Kouhaku.

Fears:

• AKB gets another year like 2020, barely any single, wasting opportunities, weak promotions, no plans, slow, nothing exciting happening, etc. This would be the worst...

Predictions:

• 2021 will be better than 2020 and we will get at least 2 singles.
• The return of Sakura/Nako/Hitomi will be a help for AKB and HKT in terms of fandom size and activity. The fandom (especially internationally but also in Japan) has been decreasing even faster in recent years so having these 3 back to 48G might bring more people into 48G. Hopefully management makes good use of it (not turning AKB into Kpop though)
• New generation for AKB (17th gen) since there are no more kenkyuusei now.
• Lots of graduation announcements maybe...

 

hopes:

• at least 2-3 singles
• i'm biased but more zukky + yuiyui centers and maybe yuunaa wcenter? idk they need new faces of the group
• more 16ki push
• more events, even if it isn't ssk or what they had before they just need more things happening T_T this year was so bleak for the group
• stronger focus on akb and moving away from the heavy reliance on sgs, with the group's dying relevance i feel like they need to focus on themselves more and the members they have instead of older/sg members

fears:

• similar year to 2020, with little to no releases and events. i don't want things to get worse for the group, not expecting a huge comeback but i just wanna see them more active :'(

predictions:

• 1-2 singles
• jurina center maybe before her graduation? also probably a sakura center when she's back from iz*one
• iz*one j-line becoming really prominent members once they return to 48g
• idk the usual stuff except maybe some more things going on since hopefully covid will be more under control
• a ton of graduations ;_;

 

Hope:
- reduce the member with held ssk ala mnl48. Each team only has 10 member and 6 kenkyusei. so that management can be more focused to push member.
-HS senbatsu. push the member base on hs. So that fans are even more
enthusiastic about supporting their
idols because every girl can enter
Senbatsu if their hs is good. No more golden girl
-No more sister group member in akb single
-No more recruit new member
-proper vocal training for member
-3 songs in 2021

Fear:
-akb condition worse than2020


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Hopes:

• Pretty much anything. nothing can be worse than this catastrophic year 2020
• 1 single with an original kind of creative competition without forgetting the entertaining value. /point Last Idol, /point Team 8 not that long ago
  
• at least 2 singles
  
• Bring back events with fans participation, at least RH
  
• /dream on: K7, B6, 41, 81, record and release the corresponding studio albums, (record and release A7 too). /dream off
• Release Team Surprise 3, re recorded with a more actual line up.
  
• Give something to the new units, not just IxR and HaniHamo. and fill the holes when girls leave
• Bring Teams identity back
• 47 eitos again
• New real TV show
• Collab with Sasshi-p or other Aki-p groups, but not Sakamichi
  
• Pachinko lady leaves or is fired, she doesn't bring anyhing good.

Fears:

• Produce trio comes back only to anounce graduation
• Produce trio doesn't really bring "new fans"
• Popularity keeps declining
• Current situation worsen
• Lots of graduations
• No auditions
  
• Nothing change

Predictions:

• 58th single anounced during TDC hall concerts
• Concert in summer

 

Hopes
- More then 1-2 Singles
- SSK Returns
- Team Shuffle (Has been passed the usual 3 year mark for how long teams are).
- Returns to NHK Kouhaku
- A Christmas Song returns (Them performing that at Music Station Super Live got me wanting another one)
- AKBINGO Returns (Don't care where, BRING THIS BACK!)

Fears
- More of the same

Predictions
- 3 Singles (March - July - November)
- SSK Returns (Either Virtual or only with member)
- Return to NHK Kouhaku
- Big 48G Concert in the fall at Nippon Budoukan ala AKB48 Group Rinji Soukai from 2013
- New Weekly Show

 

Hopes
At least 2 singles with the first to be announced at the TDC concerts next month
SSK returns in some sort of format
Return to NHK Kouhaku
New variety show (perhaps something more akin to Nogizaka Under Construction?)
Big arena concert, maybe later in the year if social distancing can be relaxed
17th Gen auditions before the end of the year
STU48 builds more of a following both in Setouchi and nationally
(In my first draft of this I thought about hoping that Annin would take part in online HS events but that was already announced yesterday )

Fears
Only one single if normal HS events can't be resumed and online ones prove to be too unpopular
TV appearances are like Groundhog Day with KFC, KFC and KFC again
Team 8 is drastically reduced or even disbanded

Predictions
Only one single with sales resting on SSK voting rather than HS
Naachan wins SSK
Miichan and Jurina gradcons go ahead, maybe in open-air venues when the weather is warmer
Next HKT48 single in May/June with SakuNako W-center
Next NMB48 single has Suuchan center
Next SKE48 single has Sato Kaho center
A limited number of more 'normal' HS events (but with plastic screens and no actual physical contact, something like SKE48 has trialled already)

 

Hopes:

• Oonishi replacing Okabe Rin in next single (not to attack her fans)
• AKB48 58th Single being announced
• STU48 releasing 3 singles
• Hongo Yuzuha, Miyake Yuria and Uno Mizuki to get spots in NMB48 senbatsu
• Kawamata Yuuna centering a B-side and being picked for STU48's 7th single senbatsu
• Live theatre performances to start
• Umeyama Cocona to have a smaller push, instead focus on Jonishi Rei & Yokono Sumire who have got a bigger fan base
• Noepii being fully forgiven for her laughter about the Maho assault joke
• A dating scandal or two

Fears:

• The IZ*ONE girls graduating shortly after return
• Yumirin announcing graduation
• Noepii announcing graduation
• Oonishi announcing graduation
• Yamashita Emiri announcing graduation
• Sato Kaho loosing her senbatsu spot & being replaced by Sugawara Maya
• AKB48, HKT48 & NGT48 not releasing any single
• 48G dying by loosing all the fans to BNK48 groups
• HKT48 & NGT48 disbandment

Predictions:

• Yukirin announcing graduation
• Oya Shizuka announcing graduation
• Annin announcing graduation
• Minegishi Minami still not being able to graduate due to pandemic
• AKB48 releasing exactly one single at the end of the year
• Many new girls entering NMB48's 25th single senbatsu
• Sato Kaho loosing her senbatsu spot & being replaced by Sugawara Maya
• The singles' sales will be less than the year before
• The MV's won't receive many views on YT
• Profile pic updates won't air in time (May the 1st) - most in October/November and some won't air (SKE48 made this honor)
• NGT48 members: Noepii, Nakai Rika, Ogiyuka & Nishigata Marina being bullied by fans until they all leave