Okada Nana (Naachan) / 14th Generation

I just want to say Mion´s tweet have 41k likes, I´ve never seen so many likes in a AKB48 related tweet, at least in the recently past years. Naachan´s yesterday tweet have 16k of likes, and I don´t see a drop in her follower numbers, since yesterday, so I think there are a lot of people that are ok with this, that includes me. I don´t care what AKB48 members do in her personal life, I´m AKB48 fan because I enjoy their personalities, their performances and if they want dating, what´s wrong with that? Hope she stay in the group for a while, because she don´t deserve this end to her career in the group

 

IMHO the way she handles this scandal would determine her prospective career and to certain extent, the akb48 as a group.. i still hope she could use this opportunity to break out of her shell.

Well... many of the commenters are sympathetic towards mion..

Most, however, questions why Naachan never made a public response. Naachan 's choice to clarify through Mobame hqs backfired to a certain extent. Many thought Naachan only respects her fans, yet leaves remaining akb48 fans to dust. Naachan liking Mion's tweet made it even worse.

 

It's not a reliable indicator. Yokono Sumire's number of followers didn't fall, it kept rising even after her scandal.
One doesn't need to be a nerd, otaku, wota, sasaeng to react negatively against Okada Nana's scandal.
In Vietnam, the disappointment with her can be felt even among some non wota female fans.

 

A clip from Naachan's Nov 6 showroom:

if the video does not show watch the video here
with the news out now some of what she said makes more sense:
Rough translation of some points, if I missed something feel free to add :

• She said in the video she recently made a decision that is un-idol like, but human-like.
• She really wants to tell everything but can't do that because she's not working solo but a part of a group (AKB48).
• One day, when she's 30 and not idol anymore she wants to tell everything.
• She doesn't want to add things to be worried for her fans.

Might not be related at all, if you want to see the full version for more context see here:
link (the clip starts from around 21:00)

 

Indeed. And when push came to shove she chose heteronormativity.

 

The question is, what will do the management? Stick to old love ban "rule" or make statement clarifing there is no anymore that rule in the group? The future of Naachan in the group is all about that statement

 

Bisexual means she likes both men and women
That's what bisexual means. Dating men is a bisexual thing to do.
Bisexual people are a part of the LGBTQ community even if they date somebody of the opposite sex. Because doing that is a bisexual thing to do, it's a part of the definition.

Biphobia is stupid

 

yuuka suzuki knnows it best
https://twitter.com/SUZUKIYUUKARIN_/status/1594265451135381507

 

Okabe did it. It's payback time for Team 8's "hiatus".



You think she wouldn't do it?



Berin is Justice! I always thought she would be a far better soukantoku than Mion. Being knowledgeable of the group's history doesn't mean you are the best representative of the members' voices.

As for Okada being bisexual or not... I. Don't. Care. But it's obvious that she's not. I mean, if she's truly bisexual how could she prefer this...



... over this?



Nonsense!

Spoiler

Let the medals of honor come.

 

That's what AKB48 used to sell. That was what made AKB48 huge. Newer fans probably don't have that illusion anymore because AKB48 switched from the "pure idol" image to the "cool k-pop" image so those who get hurt are actually the old ones who grew up with them under that illusion. It's not their fault. There are groups that never actually tried to make you feel as if you were dating someone, like Dempagumi and Momoclo, and you can see their members announcing marriage and giving birth and continuing to be idols without problems. Of course, they aren't as popular but they never sold that illusion as AKB48 and sister groups did. It's not the fans' fault and as someone said, as long as you want AKB48 to be popular you need the ren'ai kinshi rule (or the illusion of it).

 

Oh of course it's not the fans fault for having those feelings, but as the fans are for the most part adults, they should also have the self-awareness to not go off the rails. I totally agree that idol groups sell this illusion, but grown adults throwing hissy fits because a woman has a boyfriend is still absurd.

Like I said, I totally understand not being a fan due to this any longer - that's fair enough - but publicly acting out and demanding some kinds of consequences?

 

But that's the thing, the main man behind the success of AKB48 has already said that this 'ren'ai kinshi' rule doesn't not exist within the group, and the last member to be publicly punished for it was Sasshi, 10 years ago. And look how successful she became despite being subject to the rule. Minor offences like Yukirin's have ended in her still being in the group to this day. When Riripon announced her intention to marry, there was backlash about the audacity of the announcement timing, but she still was not pressured by management to graduate, they wanted her to stay. In more recent years, through social media or variety shows, they continue to make it clear that the love ban is something only entitled fans care about. Miichan talks regularly about her regretting the overreaction she had to her won scandal. And like you mentioned, there are groups who have idols who are mothers and married and it's okay.

So in my eyes, the idea that AKB can only be popular with the love ban rule is ridiculous. After years of management and idols telling us fans that it's not something we should care about anymore, because we have proof that idols who date and get caught can still be successful and respected idols years after a getting caught dating, and even make other groups successful too by association. If the older fans who are stuck in their old ways don't like this change, they can simply support another group who does have a strict ban in place (I'm sure Juice=Juice would welcome you!). The hard truth is that the pandemic allowed AKB to fall gracefully alongside other groups, but they already on a sharp decline into irrelevancy. A open love rule will not make the group fall down further than they already have (and they don't need to tell us if there is a ban in place or not, it's none of our business to be honest!)

Naachan has the luxury of knowing damn well she's the face of the group currently, and the members in prominent positions have either been a victim to bunshun (yukirin) or a close friend who won't make more of an issue of this than necessary (mion). They can help management create a healthy dynamic between fans and idols, so that when a idol feels comfortable enough to talk about the person they love (or if they're unfortunate enough to get bunshun'ed first), they don't feel worried about how many fans they have who apply arbitrary terms and conditions onto them based on bizarre, biblical-esque ideas on idols being chaste = pure idols. She herself has dedicated her whole childhood youth to this group, and I genuinely think the best feeling is seeing your idol grow into her role as one of the groups leaders, be known as the most talented in her group, the most respected by her peers, and able to take on solo concert tours. At this point in her career, the only other things we can congratulate her for (apart from a solo album), is the milestones she makes as she steps more into adulthood. I just can't see how, as someone who only wants the best for your idol, you could frown at the idea of your idol finding love and growing up!

 

You know who the most "bi-phobic" people are? Lesbians.

 

There are several ways of quitting and he chose the most melodramatic one but that's kind of expected with wotas.

Idols are pokemon-like entities for Japanese wotas (there are studies about that). They build a relation, watch them grow in a trust-trust pseudo-relationship. Of course they can find love and grow up, but only after they graduate and that contract is terminated. Young people create a different kind of relationship with their idols, one in which the illusion of ownership isn't as strong as with old fans (and Japan is a very hierarchical place where long standing fans are held in high esteem). Eventually the old fan base will leave its place to a different one with a different mindset and they might applaud them announcing getting married and they might hold their marriages at Budoukan or Zepp but if she halts her activities (just like Ririka had to do) and eventually graduates it will indicate it's still not the time. And sincerely I don't really see Naachan staying in the group much longer.

The ren'ai kinshi rule is still intact because in the idol world it's a moral binding: the custom is that idols can't date. Even after graduating they still take their time to announce they are in a relationship, like AKARIN. And when she announced it she got no hate at all, not even from those who spent millions of yens taking her to senbatsu. No idol can control her heart but each idol knows the group in which they are, their fan base and the kind of behaviour they are expected to have. It's not the same Mirin announcing she's getting married in a concert than Naachan being caught with a boyfriend, their fan base is different. Not even talking about their haters who amplify everything.

 

Ex-STU48 Sano Haruka tweeted about the scandal. She says that as a fan she can't support an idol that can't abide by the rules (if only in appearance) but she also feels sad at people having to conceal such activities, especially because Naachan took the idol industry seriously and has always been very kind with her.

 

And this comment is both biphobic and lesbophobic. Congratulations.

 

Lesbian thisBoyfriend thatHonest or an actI'm just a degenerate in this chat

Edit: "Though I suppose it might be more accurate to say she stood still while the top fell around her." by @wlerin wow, that was actually so true haha, very eloquent

 

This. Its worse than if Bianca Belair beat up Asuka and did a heel turn.

 

This is the most useless post of this entire thread, either you show a good translation or you don't go attacking other members for no reason.

 

755 exists. Besides that, there are likely things she can't say yet, because plans aren't finalised, etc.

No, the most useless post was the one I replied to. An apology is not "acting like she was never involved".