Our fearless leader announced her graduation today at the first stop of the NMB Summer Tour. Teppen Subs translated the speeches, starting with this first video: https://twitter.com/TeppenSubTeam/status/1023934644020867072 Feel free to throw all your discussion and thoughts in here. Personally I'm a bit shaken. In her speech she's mentioned that she's coming up on 8 years and that really gives me the introspective on how long I've been here since I've followed NMB48 from the beginning. When NMB just started, they were kind of mess, but you could tell Sayaka was more of the Takamina type whereas Milky had the typical ace aura. And then you could slowly and steadily see Sayaka gain ground, a following, with amazing songs like Jungle Gym when she first debuted and it became surreal to see her on top of not just NMB but across all of the 48G. To me the graduation was not just her deciding that it's her time, but for me to really think about the 8 years I've been in here and wondering what else is in store for me as an NMB fan.
I'm pretty sure a big decision like this doesn't come on impulse without some framework been made and prepared to both her career and NMB future. Only time will tell if this framework is working or not. But suffice to say, NMB future fandom won't be filled with majority of her fans today. It's a choice they choose on their own.
I've had a night to think about it and I still think we're in big trouble. Sayaka is the heart, soul and everything else of NMB. I have a hard time comprehending how NMB would function without her.
I just saw this on the news: - Graduation period is not yet fixed but will finish within the year - New song early next year - Tour for Sayaka
New song for Sayaka? or for NMB? And tour for Sayaka you mean Sayaka solo tour, or an NMB tour dedicated for Sayaka's grad?
Hoping that tour will be at a period where I can be in Japan. Also hoping all her fans will show up, last year the opening in Hiroshima was not full. Many empty seats upstairs.
Wow. Great news! Yes,hopefully it will be sold out. So Sayanee becomes even more popular and recognised all over the world. *o* Btw how long do you guys think she's been struggling to tell us that she'll graduate?
it'll be interesting to see how this affects the group after she's gone. SKE has several if Jurina leaves (Dasu, Nao, Chuuri and to some extend obamina).. HKT has Haruppi (?) and Sakura if Sasshi leaves. NGT and STU are fine for now... NMB has Miru and Yoshida but neither of them are at Sayanne's level or even Miyuki. So, yeah, it'll be very interesting to see how the group will cope.
Every little moment with her in the group was worth it, that's all I can say at this point. Previous big names graduations were less painful to me because I always ended up thinking "well, we still have sayanee, there's nothing to be afraid of" so this time her graduation just punched me in the face . We all know it's time for her to develop her own career. We all enjoyed one of the most marvelous members not only of nmb but 48 franchise in general. Don't know what's going to happen to nmb now, hope it's time for some changes. To evolve the group to a new a level. This new gen they just showed to us must be a golden gen tbh.
So she'll be gone by NYE? I wonder if she'll make it to Kouhaku one more time. Kyocera is free for almost all of December: MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Apparently she had expressed her intention to graduate back in March. https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20180731-00000038-spnannex-ent
It's really tough. When NMB first debuted they focused a lot on the comedy aspect, that they were idols who could also tell jokes. Sayaka turned that into reality by not only being great at the idol part (amazing dancer and singer) but also capped it off by being extremely funny as well. She carried the ideal image of NMB from the start. You can argue that Maachun was funnier or that Milky was the better idol, but no one was as capable of bringing together all the things that NMB needed like Sayaka did when they first started. It is a bit concerning that that image has been dying off, and that current NMB is gearing itself as the idol group for girls and is less about the comedy. The image concept of NMB has certainly changed, and Sayaka leaving will truly feel like the end of that era as the remaining girls will now struggle to find their identity--and I'm not sure NMB being "the 48G for girls" will really sell.
This. I got into NMB because their image back then was the combination of flirty, sexy, and silly. And SayaMilkyNana (along with other front girls like Ripopo, Maachun, etc, while not as good as those three), helped NMB shaped that image imo.
Well, they were also just bolder in general. I think Nagiichi was the first 48G song performed in bikinis... on a music show. That also reminds me of how Sayaka was actually forced to step up really early. After Zetsumetsu, there was the hotel room scandal that we actually don't know anything about; Milky was kicked off of OMG, and girls like Akarin were threatened with being kicked out but the fans voted for her to remain. Since Milky was the early center candidate, Sayaka had to step up for OMG... and since then she's been de facto number 1.
