Team 4 has the core of the next gen yet management doesn't feel confident in their popularity to carry the weight of AKB48 so they still rely on an ever shrinking rank of Senpais and top picks from sister acts to keep their singles selling. Comparing the vote difference in the top senpais Vs the next gen, one can see why the management would be skeptical on the ability of next gen to take over, but I believe they are interpreting the vote numbers wrong. I believe todays AKB fan splits his/her votes so that if the next singles relied on next gen, it would still be a million seller. I believe AKB fans will support the next gen as their current oshi veterans graduate off. For example, if Sasshi graduates, her huge voting block will pick other 48G girls to support. The total AKB support will not diminish. Hence, management shouldn't panic and give the next gen their shot at running AKB48.
Takahashi Juri on 755 12/15 https://twitter.com/TeamJuri/status/676802236991729664 Mobame from Okada Nana 12/16 https://twitter.com/Okadananafans/status/677012415842775040
My Oshi Komiharu is in my opinion the next gen Mayuyu. Her smile is great. Cute looking And singing is good (but improvable. Cuz hey? We admire people who try and try again until they get it. That's to me what an Idol is)
This is proof. All the Team 4 girls know they are being skipped by or their worth in doubt. I think this is so unfair and unfounded. I really think managment doesn't know what they are doing because they are basing their actions on vote numbers which don't have a direct relation to AKB sales.
If Management based its actions strictly on votes Tomu would have been a regular by now and would have been picked for the 42nd and 43rd instead of Miion You know, the problem is not relly sister group girls taking over those spaces, it's that Management is not thinking of the new gens as worthy rivals for those girls. I think girls like Sayanee, Sakura, or Jurina that are regulars in AKB Senbatsu, or any old gen for that matter, don't really see the next gen as rivals at their same level because Management is not selling them as posing a threat to the established blood. Like Yuihan said, AKB's biggest rival is AKB. And they should be treated as such by Management. Team 4 is brimming with talent and amazing personalities, but there are just too many girls and I think it's catching up with Management, they don't even know what to do. Having sister group girls to boost sales is ok I guess, but even those sister group aces will be old gen in a couple of years max. Jurina and Sayanee, I'd dare to say they already are. AKB can't rely on them forever. They sorely NEED Team 4 and 12+ gens if they want to survive. And they need to do it before these girls graduate.
If they live in the Acchan era, i guess they not only complain but already announced grad lol. i think now is better than Acchan era for newgen. just compare super KKS like Paruru need 3 years to get in senbatsu. now Naanya only need a few months lol. for team 4, i think they just have to be patient and pray for kennin/sister group not steal their spot in senbatsu
Naanya didn't get in a 16-members senbatsu yet though? Only 32-members senbatsu some months after her debuts. It took 3 years (or so) for Paruru to get in 32-members senbatsu but also 16-members senbatsu right after. Naanya debuted 2,5 years ago, but she didn't get in 16-members senbatsu yet.
Tomu is around from 2012 or before so Mioon show a faster grow in shorter time the MNGMNT of course use all the numbers.
I think Naanya didn't get in a 16-nin because she was not too popular. if she could reach NG/UG, maybe mgmnt will include her in a 16-nin/media senbatsu like Miion.
Lol please let's just christmas and chill. Team 4 girls are deprived off senbatsu spots but at the team is very competitive in the sense of how everyone is getting very good and mostly equal opportunities. They can easily build up a dedicated fanbase in the team which can be very useful for things like sousenkyo and request hour.
Yes that's true, but I was just correcting you since you said that Naanya only need some months while Paruru need 3 years. Actually Paruru took 3 years but then she got in 32-members senbatsu and then 16-members senbatsu the same year. So it isn't that easy for new gens to get in senbatsu either... I wouldn't say that they get in senbatsu faster or easier than during Acchan era. They also take 2 years or more. And it shouldn't take that long since they said since 2012 that this is a "new chapter" of AKB so I expected new gens to get in senbatsu faster... But it's not the case, they tried with Kojimako in Maeshika Mukanee, but they didn't make her regular after that *sadly* :/ I think the latest new "regular" senbatsu from AKB are Renacchi and Yuria.
Not just yuria and renacchi though, it seems like miion is going to be the next big thing (even though she's K now, I think it still applies). Honestly I think 4 has the most potential and excitement around it (followed by a few girls in 8), but they are stuck behind their seniors/kennin all-stars right now. I hate to be that person, but I think they will have a big chance to shine in the next year or two. (Yes, I know this has been said for the last couple of years, but graduations are happening fast now, and I can see maybe the yukirin's/mayuyu's/sasshi's of the group leaving within two years. Who fills their place? Team 4 and 8 girls, I hope). And then we can truly leave this gen behind and move onwards. Although if it was up to me there'd be AKB only senbatsu's and b-sides from now on, but we know that isn't possible... I mean look at the much maligned SKE. How it was all doom and gloom for the last year/year-and-a-half, now it's pretty bright. From their new 7th gen, you can totally see rara, obata, and nojima becoming big players. And they probably will because they will get chances to be in senbatsu. (Even the girl who quit could have done really well, her hs was already one of the best of 7th gen). If only AKB would afford their own young members the same chances...
One day after the announcement of the 43rd single senbatsu at the 5th AKB48 Kouhaku Utagassen, Team 4's Kojima Mako sent this mobame to her fans. Kojima Mako 2015.12.16 subject: This mail is long. And so, there was the announcement of the 43rd single senbatsu. I could not join the senbatsu. My fans who came to the venue probably knew instantly when they saw my face, I was extremely frustrated,,. Rather than was, I am frustrated. Right. But even if I feel that way, I must not let my fans notice. Because I am an idol at all times. This is a huge point where I must do better.. I should take my feelings home calm down there and then relate my feelings, right. At the time of the announcement, I met eyes with Juri-san who stood next to me Ah, Juri-san feels the same way, I noticed naturally. The reason why I was frustrated about this announcement was of course because I felt disappointed that I couldn't join senbatsu, but there was something else as well. As for what that was, if you are my fan, then you probably know what it is. That's why I won't put it in writing on purpose. After the final review gathering was over, I spoke for a little bit with Juri-san. She said to me, 'Frustrating, isn't it'. I am glad that we noticed each other's feelings. Let's talk properly about this next time. She said to me. In the dressing room I met Nana, our eyes met Nana feels the same way, I realized. Then Nana said, I knew you felt the same way too, she said to me. That made me happy. It's not only me and Juri-san and Nana There are probably many more young members who feel the same frustration. I would be happy if there were at least one more member like this. Or rather, I would want for everyone to feel the same way. Even if you cry, what does it do for you? Where has your usual positive self gone? They said things like that to me but It's not something that I can just put easily aside and say: You're right! I'll do my best with a smile tomorrow again~ I need to take this seriously, is what I decided, this is something that I want to share with my fans, so I am wiritng my honest feelings. But I think most people knew already. Reading the comments on my 755, I thought, as to be expected of my fans..lol(｡･･｡) Thank you for always taking care of me We don't know yet how exactly we should go forward but, we know that we must put in more effort and that there are still many many things in which we are lacking. That's why for now, we will keep doing our best at what is in front of our eyes, just as we've done so far! And, it looks like I need the strength of the fans still for a long time to come. I keep apologizing and thanking you,,. My fans are supporting me so much but I keep failing to deliver results this makes you restless, doesn't it. I'm sorry. N? Or feel depressed? Maybe even that... Aa,, in any case, I won't lose heart because of something like this, you can believe it. Not only me, everyone else is probably the same. I still have a long way ahead! I'll do my best. Together with Everyone! Everyone, please continue to support me and Team 4 and AKB48! I wonder if I conveyed my feelings well. This writing is poor, but I hope at least a part got across. Everyone, please enclose this mail softly into your hearts..＊ Everyone, I am really grateful for everything you do for me all the time(′｡･v･｡‵)
how the management works is they need only a few girls that they can push and get popular. they do this because for them it's easier/more predictable to concentrate the fandom around only a few selected members rather than push everybody and have a scattered fandom on top of that. also, you just cannot sell that many girls on the entertainment market (magazines, tv, etc) in the same time. they are not interested in that. from the girls perspective it's not fair because no matter how great idol you are if you are not there in the right time and you don't have the right qualities that the management look for, you won't get really popular because others will have the spotlight not you. i don't want to defend the management because they are money whores, no doubt, but they try at least sometimes to promote non selected members too... if you don't like this, you should boycott the system like i do: i won't buy any AKB related products in the feature, and i won't vote on SSK (having these power voters and stuff, it makes no sense to me). my girls won't benefit from it either way. most probably this will make no difference because for one foreign fan there's an other 1000 more Japanese but at least you've tried. meanwhile, enjoy the non-pushed members while they're in the group.
This. More people should do this when they don't agree with management, the system, their business model, etc. Just like with any other product.
One foreign fan can't influence anything. 99% of the time foreign fans won't go to hs, lives, theatre... You won't even put a dent in the sales numbers, because they aren't counted. All you are doing is taking away a few yen from their profit. When a group is selling almost 1m in japan only (remember these numbers only count japanese sales, not china/rest of the world), that is a drop of water in the ocean.
@kyoto48☀︎☂ sure, it's in my post as well. but still. at least i won't waste my money on something that in reality doesn't even exist. even if i were in Japan, i would rather support some underground idol group than a massive system that i cannot have influence on.
