Yuasa's comments on graduation & relation with sister groups

source: 2ch ske48 ouen thread

Report from handshake event

Q = fan
A = SKE48 manager Yuasa

Q: "The mass graduation evidently stems from management's neglect and negative attitudes, don't you think so? It turns out that members are nothing more than just workers bent on handshake events. They've no chance to do the job they genuinely desire or which would help them realize their dreams. So they quit?"
A: "We staff are always concerned about members and ske, cherishing the hope to help them realize dreams. But the problem in reality is that : both of time on agenda and the quantity of staff are limited."

Q: "Then please allow the members to be transferred to other agencies. Why can't popular members in SKE get transferred?"
A: "The matter of agency transfers is up to Akimoto-sensei and other senior bosses..."

Q: "What if SKE stopped participating in AKB's handshake events and concerts? It would remove much burden and open up their schedule."
A: "48 groups must support each other."

Q: "Since Kitahara has entered senbatsu in SKE, will you ask AKB to participate in SKE's handshake events?"
A: (unhappy) "The things you mention are two different issues."

Q: "Have you lost motive to release new singles? This time (11th single) again with no CM and tie-up. The release is near Valentine, but the one having CM exposure are HKT with a coupling track from their debut single due in March."
A: "Oh really? (putting on a deliberate innocent expression) The current situation is really hard to alter. I will try to voice the wish to the manager in charge of the disc label."

Q: "How about asking him to join the discussion next time?"
A: "I'll tell him (laugh)."

Q: "The mass graduation seems to have been determined long ago. There's must be some official farewell concert later, won't there? "
A: "I can't say anything about that. We're quite busy at the moment."

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

unreliable rumor in 2ch says next quitting members are Hata Sawako and Matsuii Rena

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

This is baseless. Rena told her fans to wait as Shawako and herself had an announcement to make soon (reported after HS by several fans). Now it could really be anything, but given the current situation of the group I wouldn't be surprised it was a bad news [wonder].

As for Yuasa's answers... He is a nice guy, taking care of a group of young girls he considers as his own daughters, but he is totally, utterly and ultimately useless.
He will always tell you that he cant do a thing, that high ups are running the game and he can only witness & report.

Nor AKS or Avex want to bother with this group. They've allocated so few managers that the girls can't even hope to be given the green light to get outside work. Akimoto refuses to get them into agencies (no time to negotiate their contracts?) and doing so positively slows-down their career.

And the tie-ups... Do I even want to start with that? SKE had had 0 tie-up in ages (if you put aside the fact that ChocoDo is used for 4 weeks for the ending of a late at night talk show lol). HKT 1st single B side is used for Ghana Valentine CM and A side is the opening for a drama. Now that's something. And that's AKS doing too. Simply, they are willing to push HKT but certainly not SKE. Why? Mystery.

Tour? Lives? No way, those girls have handshake events every week-ends for CDs they don't even feature in. "Supporting AKB" is basically making sure they keep selling millions, even if their music is crap, by having all the girls wasting their week-end shaking hands.... Wonderful. Like they really didn't have enough already with their own HS events?

As things stand, the 9 SKE graduates won't have any farewell concert. Except, maybe, one or two days at Zepp Nagoya during week days.

That's freaking ridiculous.

There is a waste of potential with SKE it's depressing. Management is totally mocking members and wotas.
I've said it several times but I doubt Aki-P is seriously willing to keep SKE alive on the long run... There are too many things that don't add up.

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

You support the rumour with your assumptions, then it isn't baseless for you... [aup]

Don't really mind, SKE48 seems to have hit their roof since several singles ago, they can barely break the 500k sales, so it might look like Akimoto decided to focus on NMB and HKT. If indeed SKE hit the roof, it is a good move.

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

So now if you give an opinion on a rumor while making it clear this one has no ground whatsoever you're supporting it? What kind of logic is that?

Everyone knows anything can happen in SKE after 9 members graduated so more graduations won't come as a surprise, however, nothing says it's going to be Rena and Shawako.

Here, clear enough for you?

If you don't mind, why do you even bother posting here?

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

Apparently you are pretty afraid of Rena graduating. Why? Will you be quitting fandom if so? Having a favorite member is more than just using an avatar of a girl and hoping she will never quit SKE.

I'm pretty pragmatic regarding fandom, not as emotional. Many SKE fans complained that NMB has been riding the wave AKB and SKE built. I can understand why they think that. But they don't agree that SKE has been riding AKB's wave too. The last 3 SKE singles have been selling around the same, barely breaking the 500k sales for the last one. If that is their peak, and they are currently there, what would you do as management, continue trying to get their sales higher, or focus on NMB and HKT?

From your last reply, it seems that the only ones allowed to post here are the ones who want to debunk a rumour. If it is a rumour thread, then there will be people pro and against it, just like with Sasshi's thread. There is nothing wrong in stating my position: I like her in SKE, but if she moves on, it is not the end of the world. AKB continues after Acchan, and Rena isn't SKE ace. It might be the end of the path for you, but not for many others.

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

It depends. If I quit the fandom, do I get the assurance I won't have to deal with people like you who think they know better than anyone what a fan should be? And I don't know where you get you're "you're afraid of Rena graduating", but the answer is no. If she leaves soon or whenever that may be, I'll keep supporting her and I don't doubt she will go very far. Even more so when she will cease to waste her time solely to bring Aki-P some easy pocket money.

So now can we go back to the topic or should I send you an invitation to the actual Rena thread?

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

If Rena and Jurina quit at once than it'll be a huge blow, we can handle it one of them leaves, but if both go SKE's overall popularity will take dive, it won't just thread along like nothing happened.
As for investing in HKT yeah it might be a good idea, all their members are gaining attention and most likely their popularity is growing, same cannot be said about NMB since they've kinda peaked at 300k and haven't grown with their latest two single though, so it's a sandy pit to invest in NMB at the moment as for SKE, yeah they have peaked, their latest single was their highest seller, so it's still uncertain if they aren't still growing or not.

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

I don't really agree with the comment NMB reached their peak, sure their singles sales didn't grow much but as far as I know KitaKen sold better than Virginity and they have yet to have an original stage, so the progress for them can still go a long way. They're backed up by a pretty strong agency too and have received commercial contracts. If their first album can sell more than 100k then I say yeah they still can grow even bigger.

SKE just had their big break with Kouhaku a few weeks back so we'll see if that will eventually made more people be aware of them despite the lack of exposure they have. As for Rena graduating, it will a big blow but even AKB can still move forward without Acchan so as long as the management put their heads together then I'm sure SKE will be just fine.

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

Ah, okay. I thought either the rumour or me touched a nerve on you, since you were pretty defensive in your replies. Glad to know you are mature enough to know caring too much about these girls is nonsense.

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

the highlight not graduation prediction but the conflict between subbranches and headquarter.
members in Nagoya subbranch have to make bigger efforts in job while receive far less reward than akb members.

NMB has proclaimed the wish to individually attend next year's Kouharuka in the name of NMB.
the individual appearence in Kouharu can be recognized as the sysbol of peak.
ske members choose to graduate now largely bcz they've realized the dream.

 

Re: 湯浅洋's comments on graduation & relation with sister grou

The SKE48 general discussion thread is where stuff like this is supposed to go. Rumours off 2ch don't really warrant creating a new topic each time. The information is unreliable considering the anonymity of the source and there's no guarantee that these questions were actually asked at all or answered in this specific way.

@ Mano Haruka: Please check your spelling a little bit before posting.

I will be moving the posts in a little while.