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Will Akimoto-San ever extend AKB out of Asia?

Discussion in 'General AKB48 Discussion' started by Kuchi-Chan, Nov 27, 2013.

  1. Kuchi-Chan

    Kuchi-Chan Kenkyuusei

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    I know that AKB is not as popular in the West as it is in Asia, but do you think there's any chance of expanding out of Asia?
    I remember back in 2010, AKB held a concert in LA for an anime convention, and that seemed to go down pretty well. What're your thoughts? I'd love to see one personally...the idea of AKB in English sounds great. Or would that just ruin the charm of it all?
     
  2. Gingerninja

    Gingerninja Kenkyuusei

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    This topic pops up from time to time but the answer is nearly always the same. While some elements could be copied in the west successfully (theatre show's based on a music group, events given away with purchases) others, such as the core point of the group ie being idols, would not translate well to a mainstream western audience.
    Record labels always try to change the groups to match their market area, you only have to look at BoA to see how different she is marketed in Japan / Korea / USA. AKB would lose a lot of what makes them AKB if they were ever to try and launch in the west. So yes it is possible they could try and extend, what you'd likely get would be so different from the core group, it would be almost unrecognisable to the current foreign fandom.

    I don't think they could be successful enough for it to be financially viable, and that is really all that matters with this type of thing. While some KPOP acts release stuff in the west, and there is a niche following, Asian music and groups, don't impact the mainstream enough to make it worth their while.
     
  3. Under The Ribbon

    Under The Ribbon Member

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    Before they try to go out of Asia, they need to see how well SNH and JKT do first. Obviously it makes more sense to experiment with countries that are geographically or culturally close first. If after a few years, Aki-p decides SNH and JKT are big successes, he might consider making more overseas groups.

    The two overseas groups are doing pretty well so far, though it's still early to tell how stable they will be. I know SNH is starting to shape up quite well, with its own theater shows, events, and concerts. But they also had a ton of members leave the group for one reason or another, so we don't know if they can keep a strong core group of members.

    And there's also the question of what Akicha/Harugon/Sae/Mariyannu have planned for their futures. Harugon, Sae, and Mariyannu are pretty dedicated to their groups right now, but Akicha seems like she's ready to return to Japan for good, already participating in more Japan-related activities than the other 3 combined. We don't know how well SNH and JKT will do without these AKB members, but certainly they'll need to survive on their own eventually.
     
  4. otoppoi

    otoppoi Kenkyuusei Retired Staff

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    I hope not! :hehe:
     
  5. souchan48

    souchan48 Future Girls

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    easy qestion. No lol.. 99.9% no
     
  6. dracomalfoy

    dracomalfoy Member

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    No. And dont please!

    In the real world or internet realm western people tends to say frontal about something as shit when its shit to them. And to be honest, nobody, no matter asians or westerners like lipsynch performance. Suppose they make it to the western charts, they'd get bullied.
     
  7. Jayden

    Jayden Kenkyuusei

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    No. Please no. Not like it'll ever work, anyways. Japanese and Western cultures are just too different for that. Even if a USA48 or the equivalent is established, I doubt the public would see them as more than a novelty act. Also, you really have to be good at singing and/or dancing to establish yourself in the Western music industry.. There's a certain standard that has to be met, and I doubt most of the girls in the current AKB are able to meet it. While AKB is something about polishing rocks to become gems, the western industry wants the finished product right away. (something like that, don't know how to word it properly :^^;: )





    Also, I'm sick and tired of the same songs being translated to millions of languages over and over again, HebiRote, then RIVER, then whatever single that's been overplayed to death :fp: I doubt that JKT and SNH will ever get original songs of their own at this rate. Hell, he has to come up with the lyrics of every japanese ALL48 team stages except N's, 4's and KIV's. Not counting the singles and coupling tracks.
     
  8. Under The Ribbon

    Under The Ribbon Member

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    They get bullied plenty on 2ch though. Not all Japanese netizens are AKB fans lol. I'm sure every girl in AKB has been called ugly or worse names before on the net.

    Lip-syncing isn't as big a deal as you'd think. PERFUME never performs without lip-syncing to heavily auto-tuned tracks, but people still love them because their appeal is their dance choreography and special effects. As long as you have something appealing to offer, you'll get fans.

    But I agree that idol culture doesn't really fit with other cultures. To be honest, it doesn't even fit well with most Asian countries.
     
  9. dracomalfoy

    dracomalfoy Member

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    Yea, translated songs are bad idea. Im Indonesian but I dont really follow JKT, - age gap aside Lol - cause the translated lyrics make the tune sounds weird :D

    Last week I watched an old episode of PON! with Shinoda as co-host. One of the guest is a female japanese singer. I didnt catch her name. She sing english version of Flying Get... it didnt connect to me at all. [think]
     
  10. polar_star

    polar_star Kenkyuusei

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    Girl groups and boy groups just don't sell well in the West anymore. Kpop has so many fans and they try so hard for a chance to make it in the West and it's simply not happening outside of a niche group or a viral hit like Gangnam Style.

    USA48 just makes me think of predebut Pussycat Dolls, performing dance-based shows in clubs etc with one or two girls carrying the song. Sure they might have a hit or two, but the investment is probably not worth it long term. Even SNH is struggling to expand to the general public in China and keep their 1st gen from disappearing/graduating really.
     
  11. Faint

    Faint Kenkyuusei

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    I'd like to see a PNG48 group in Papua New Guinea :awesome: it's right beside Indonesia which has JKT so why not? lol
     
  12. lionel90

    lionel90 Under Girls

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    I find some irony in this.
    I remember when Mr Akimoto came in Cannes in 2009 to introduce his concept to the world, he said on a french TV that he had the idea after attending a Paris cabaret show. (Moulin rouge or something else).

    So he took his idea in a western country but i don't think the west is ready for something like AKB48 right now.
    simply because idol groups who have a bit of media exposure are immediatly compared to "the spice girls".
    Who at 1st were kinda admired until the music market made an overdose of "girls power", and their terrible movie.

    He tried to sell his concept in Italy, they even anounced an event in Milan. but that did not go anywhere.
     
  13. Trinu

    Trinu Under Girls

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    Sorry, what? Little Mix? One Direction? Groups are as in as any other type of artist. They just need a huge marketing machine behind them.

    But in the case of AKB that wouldn't suffice. We've seen it many times already. Utada. BoA. Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation. Nothing works. The world doens't want music from Asia if it's not to have fun for 5 minutes ala PSY.
     
  14. gotbild

    gotbild Member Stage48 Donor

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    I can't understand why it's impossible to translate japanese musik for example into english. Of course not word by word but to get the meaning of the music. But you must have a person with good knowledge in the language, you can't use Google translate. :D

    I don't see any problems bringing the music into western either, it is so western influenced already. But the idol concept might be stone dead. The idea of having a lot of girls for some years and then force them to leave and replace them with younger girls is wierd. We don't have any age limit here. The love ban rule is also wierd.

    On the contrary I believe that a group of the best girls could make it under some circumstances. The apperance with the dance is a good opportunity. No lipsync, good voices and so on. Aki-p and management far away, the girls more self determinated.
     
  15. Trinu

    Trinu Under Girls

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    It's not about the language, tbh.

    It's the music, their voices, their image... maybe UZA could make people go interesting... [think] , but most of AKB songs are not like that. They're more HebiRote, and that type of music is marketed to children in the west.

    Heck, one time I was listening to So long! and a friend told me the beginning sounded like the opening of this show...
    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkSSPGv0MeI[/yt]

    ... and I understand why. :XD:

    I think we, as fans of AKB/jpop, are used to "obviate" de japanese part of the franchise.
    We stop seeing them so "asian" because that's what we listen to and that's what we like. But to other people that might be hard in order to get into the fandom.

    I'm one of those who answer with a "like you can understand the Nicki Minaj songs you listen to all day long" when people ask me why I listen to them, but... people are lazy, they just want their radio-formula songs that doesn't make them feel stupid when they stutter the lyrics they don't understand.
     
  16. polar_star

    polar_star Kenkyuusei

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    Yeah okay there are still some groups coming out of the UK, but they've always had a strong presence in that market. I'm not so sure if people would be interested in LON48 singing a cover of Heavy Rotation.

    Not to forget that both One Direction and Little Mix was formed through X-Factor so these groups are not really a strong argument when they have an already established and popular TV show behind them. I doubt Aki-P or the hypothetical local management would pick their first generation from X-Factor lol.

    Rather than the theater, I see the idea of being bound to cover songs and having a lot of girls with a graduation system as more of a hindrance to sticking with the public. I don't doubt that the concept can be modified to suit a Western taste, but I think it might lose too much of the AKB48 and idol essence to feel like the same franchise.
     
  17. Trinu

    Trinu Under Girls

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    The theatre thing can be compared to what musicals are like. Same setlist day after day. The thing is that the theatre performances would have tons of MCs in it.

    And well, the draft was something ala X Factor, but without the girls going one by one. And there was the Popstars show (which was about creating a group with the winners), so the idea is there...

    But it wouldn't work with covers of HebiRote. They'd need their own stuff, and that stuff would have to sound "western" to be accepted (and god knows what else to be successful).
     
  18. dracomalfoy

    dracomalfoy Member

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  19. souchan48

    souchan48 Future Girls

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    you misses the point. what for they expand outside of asia?
    japanese music industry is biggest in the world you know
    there is NO NEED.

    btw. most korean groups, other japanese idol groups lypsinc
    lol :lol:
     
  20. ame-rin

    ame-rin Member

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    Exactly. And the reason japanese music industry has become so large may well be due to 48&46 themselves
     

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