Muto Tomu (Tomu) / 12th Generation

I've always liked Tomu(Especially after seeing her in Show Fight and learning more about her personality) and would love to see her center a single one day, but if you don't mind me asking why does she have (I don't know if it's a lot or just very vocal about it) antis?

 

After following her for quite a while, it's started after her first SSK. Some accused her of being helped by her rich family, and it snowballed from there. These antis can be very vocal in her 2ch thread and matome sites' comments section. They downplay every Tomu's achievement and attributed her successes solely to her family money and old fans with fat wallets, it's never on her own merit.

After all is said and done, she did rank in the Kouhaku voting thing, but of course they said she ranked too low compared to her SSK positions, proving their point. I can't imagine if she actually didn't rank.

All this and Tomu is not even blessed by AKS! I check out other members' threads sometimes. The mega popular ones of course will have vocal antis everyday, but not many members with her level or lesser of popularity have antis as vocal as Tomu. Sahho's threads seem like paradise compared to hers LOL I can see people's point if she is actually pushed to the nose, but she's never gotten that privilege.

Even in Stage48 there are a few members who always downplay Tomu, especially when a comparison has arisen between her and another member, while conveniently ignores the fact that the other members is way more favored by management than her.

The times of many fans who actually support the whole group are gone, most people only support their oshimen and few others now. I have personally not followed AKB48 closely for a while, I haven't seen many TV shows and TV performances of AKB48 lately nor bought their merchandise, unless Tomu is involved.

Watching AKB48 performances on TV used to fire me up, now it's mostly just each member trying to advance their own career and using the group as a vehicle to that. Theater shows are still fun, however.

 

Thank you for explaining it! That seems prettying I crazy that some would think Tomu is helped solely by family and fat wallets, especially over the years(since her rank has continuously improved). Anyways I hope her stage play goes well!

 

There seems to be a distinct archetype that many of these Japanese anti consider the ideal idol. Personally I feel this archetype is quite boring. Take for example, this year's SSK SB16 -- can one actually claim all but 2 of them (Sakura, the neo-traditionalist... and Mayu, the polished, confident ex-Cyborg) conform to this ideal template? This year more than any I feel, the voices of anti claiming Tomu to be 'not idol enough', are hollow and meaningless -- the proof is 'interesting and exotic' outnumber 'perfect idol' 7 to 1 in 2017...

Tomu's appeal to me at first was her looks -- she is amazingly gorgeous at a glance -- but what sealed it was her personality was way, waaay more accessible that her looks would suggest. I've always fallen for idols like that -- stunning, but underneath their feet are firmly rooted on the ground, and don't take themselves so seriously. She also has a very strong aneue side that comes out in her SRs with Orin (and not surprisingly, Orin's cleverness and dare I say, bite-back -- come out with her big sis in SR as naturally as falling rain). Which is cute, because Tomu's an inudoshi and Orin's a ryuudoshi -- Dog and Dragon, mortal enemies of the zodiac. But they really, really love and respect each other when the chips fall.

Well, not being raised in Japan keeps me from understanding the context for why JDM casuals don't take to Tomu, and that's not going to change anytime soon. But she has my support, regardless of what anyone claims to think of her -- or me.

 

@stormy well SSK is mostly a showdown of hardcore fans, so if there's one place unorthodox idols with crazy fans can make a splash, it's there. I think handshake participation reflects more of current interest of the casual fans at large.

But yeah, that gap between her looks and how she actually acts is one of her endearing points I'm not into Orin much, I can't get into super-serious and proper idols that rarely turns off lol Maybe when we get to see more of Orin's fluffier side I'll warm up to her more.

 

^ I was excited to see what Orin was like after hearing she'd made 16期... but like you, I find her idol personality has a few rough edges -- which given the conditions she's under right now, aren't at all inappropriate, if you think about it...

1. She's the (much) younger sis of one of the most-accomplished 12期 -- early on praised by Oshima Yuko, centering Show Fight! 5 days after promotion to Team K, and making a name for herself in a time of more 'hardened' senpai from the Original Teams during AKB's difficult rise to fame, than now. Until her withdrawal this year, she was one of three idols in all of 48G that ranked from first elig. SSK since, and never decreased in rank. That's a helluva legacy to live up to...
   
   
2. Orin herself was an All-Japan karate medalist, so it bears to reason she has a certain way she looks at achieving goals -- but being an idol is probably quite a handful of challenges she's never had to face before...
   
   
3. She's young. Already the first two are enough to frazzle any 16-yo... then she has to contend with SR, too -- that's where I tend to look for traits in my faves that aren't going to come out on Anta Roke-Roke, Niigata Friend or any scripted variety show. In a few SRs you can see her idol omote start to crack, and that's fine in the beginning (at least to me). But she does have a ways to grow.

While Tomu certainly didn't have it easy getting respect in AKB 2012... Orin has to face AKB 2017's demands, plus something that'll never go away -- being compared to her highly-accomplished (despite mgmt indifference) and beautiful big sis. It's not even one year and full-membership's even further... so I tend to give her slack on being wound a bit too tight. I think by full-member time she'll have relaxed into it a bit more.

 

I watched Tomu's stage play shonichi.
I'll be writing about it on my blog, I am not sure whether it will be during this trip or after returning back to Jakarta.
Will send the link here after I finish it.

 

Preview for 7/16 episode of Nemousu filmed in April when they were in Macau for the V-Chart awards.

if the video does not show watch the video here

7/10 Episode of AKB48 no Kimi, Dare?
Members: Tano, Yuami, Ayana, Nana (Team K)
They talk about topics including the state of Team K and comment on their other teammates one by one.
RE: Tomu @ 43:28

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Everyone loves Tomu In AKB48 I think Sahho has been the closest after Karen left, she hangs out a lot with her. Makes sense seeing they're very close in age, time in AKB48, and both went to college (although I think Sahho went for an associate's degree or something on a different college).

She also met up with Nattsun while shopping and planned to go swimming together and Sahho asked to come:

https://twitter.com/nattsun20/status/888351594705637376



@ayaelectro so, how's the stage play?

Also, does anybody have a link to a rip of the last bayfm on8+1 with Mogi and Sayaya? I haven't managed to find one.

 

I'll write a blog post once I reach Jakarta which means on the 25th. Hehe

 

Sorry for the wait.
Here is my blog post
https://ayaelectro.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/black-10-the-pride-of-becoming-muto-tomu-oshi/

I am sorry for not being a good reviewer nor storyteller.
This is the best I could write.

 

Fujita Nana's SHOWROOM the other day. She spends a few minutes talking about Tomu and her stage. Tomu is very lucky to have friends like this.


if the video does not show watch the video here

The Black 10 DVD will be released in December by the way.


Also another Tomu cameo on Orin's SHOWROOM/ The Muto sisters karaoke showroom campaign promise will have to wait until at least September it seems.


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

@ayaelectro Thanks for the play report! And @Raiden thanks for the Showroom updates.

Sorry for the late notice, but Tomu, Naana, and Nao are going to stream together tonight at 21:30
https://www.showroom-live.com/48_Tomu_Mutou


edit:


if the video does not show watch the video here

As was kind of expected, they announced that the Okapers (minus Aamin) will be entering the Janken Unit Tournament together.

 

TomuPon shenanigans have been in full overdrive the past week.

The Neko2 TomuPon is very cute lol
https://twitter.com/tommuto1125/status/894166222970822656

Need to catch up on Nemousu and a couple of theater shows that Tomu were part of (it's been a while)

 

^ Awwww Pon loved our Tomu back this time! (Pon did have a hint of that look as she petted her cheek tho)

I didn't find this most recent or last NM EP very good... but there was lots of my fave's face time on screen, so that helped.

 

Miyupon definitely enjoys being doted on by Tomu.

I remember Miyupon once said that if she were to be Tomu, she'll be happy because she'll be able to talk to and be friendly with just about anyone (I guess Miyupon is sort of shy?). Tomu does just get along with about anyone, even somebody in a different tier in the 48G like Sayanee (of whom Tomu played all the games she recommended as Sayanee mentioned in her SR )

Nemousu has always been like that Great if your oshimen is on, really just okay otherwise.

I wish Karen and Hirari are still around and 12th gen gets the spotlight that 13th gen is getting lately, would have been so awesome. The 12th gen has been such a waste of opportunity, being stuck in a generation change era where AKS focused on a few aces instead of what they're trying to do now.

 

I quite enjoyed the second episode, not just because of the Tomu time. There wasn't as much jumping back and forth.

They went out to eat and talk together on the 5th as well.

Do you happen to know when she said this?

 

Hmmmm, I'll try to dig it up.


Did Tomu just cut her hair?



No comment from her on the tweet aside for "(￣▽￣)"

 

She talked about wanting to get her hair cut earlier in mobame. And yes, she did.

 

Feb 27th 2015 :

Called it.

2 and half years ahead of my time.