[NEWS] SDN48 Disband April 2012

[HoneyRoastedPeanuts]

It would defeat the purpose of graduating current members.

You mean auditioning for SDN would defeat the purpose of graduating members out of AKB? Well, yeah, I can see that. Kind of. The thing is...

I'm pretty sure the auditions mentioned are mainly for AKB...which of course would make a lot of sense. Who knows, maybe they'll find two or three more mature girls on the way and put them into SDN, together with the AKB alumni.
Leaving open this option would allow older girls (let's say: 22) to audition and not be shut out of the system by default 'cause they didn't get into AKB when they were 15.

[JedixKnight]

http://ameblo.jp/sdn48official/entry-11050653783.html < from the official blog seems like it's really the end.

[jinbaoyin48]

as the seconds tick along towards 31 march 2012...more and more it seems that it is going to happen...it will take a massive...real massive thing to overturn this done and dusted decision...5 months plus more to seriously enjoy whatever they dish out...my wishlist is of course one more Singapore peformance please...and if possible a big scale one to bring all members here...i can DEMAND that can i? since it is going to end forever...and of course one more single to keep the good memories...and a massive sales figures to shut up the management which is of course unlikely...I love SDN48 and will miss them...

[frblckstr1]

You know... this alomost sounds what H!P did with there 'elders': mass graduation followed some time later by creating DMM (Dream Morming Musume)

(one can hope?)

[Zobii]

^ That really reminds me of Mr Waffle's April fools joke.
But I hope that's the case.

And if that happens, it adds more to my suspicion that Aki-p actually lurks S48 for ideas, I swear...

Okay, fess up, which one of you guys is Aki-P?

[karles48]

You know... this alomost sounds what H!P did with there 'elders': mass graduation followed some time later by creating DMM (Dream Morming Musume)
(one can hope?)

Perhaps they will create DAKB (Dream AKB) with Aki-P as the center...mmm, no, that would be NAKB (Nightmare AKB), instead...

[wilsgun]

Obasan48 anyone? OBA48

[Ian905]

If they killed off the entire line up of SDN JUST to replace them with new faces, I'll be pissed. Gradually adding/graduating members is fine, but something like this is like being thrown in cold water.


As much as I hate, hate, hate this news... if it means the song quality of AKB/SKE/NMB/ETC will go up, I'm willing to accept it. v.v For me, now that my Maa-chan graduated and I've been getting bored of Accchan, it's mainly about their music. Flying Get was pretty crap imo, so if having one less group to worry about means he can work harder on the other groups, fine.

[Atsu-nee]

To me the thing that I really feel sad (for I have not really gotten to know much to SDN) are the girls who were moved from akb, Yukarin, Cindy, Meetan and Noro ... What will happen to them? I really loved Cindy Yukarin and I do not want to be graduated ... should leave a hole in akb again.
Also ... NACHU! I laughed so much with her in the MC of the concert ... will be very sad that is not more.

[Play]

speechless...first i lose maki and now this

[Agito]

Too bad, I never had the chance to see them on stage.

[xinchun]

First off, I know I'm late replying to this news. I barely venture into some parts of the forum... XD

Anyway... I didn't really expect this to happen (given the overall popularity of all the 48 groups...) but I can't say I'm particularly surprised, either. Because idols these days really are young girls, for the most part. In general, I'd say 13-20, of course with many various exceptions. But when I think of idols in general, that's the first age range that comes to mind. Because SDN is made of older girls, instead of your typical age range for an idol group, I guess that's why I'm not so surprised. The ones who succeed are often the ones who are more mainstream, and older idols really aren't. Older singers, sure, but for an idol group, generally it's the younger girls, not the ones in their mid 20s.

If any 48 group were to disband, this would be the one to do so. I don't really know the members well, but I thought their image was unique, it's sad to see they'll be disbanding. I also feel bad for the girls who moved here from AKB, but who knows, it might be better for them to move on. Maybe my views are too neutral, since I'm really not too familiar with the girls themselves. Sorry if they are.

[dagezou]

wilsgun: Why would you WANT the franchise to lose money?

After doing a little reading today, it seems that a lot of Japanese fans are expecting SDN to begin their "second chapter" with a completely new cast in April, made up mainly of older members from AKB, SKE, etc, thus making room in the main group for 1) kenkyusei and girls from SKE to move up and 2) newly auditioned members.
At first this seems like a rather harsh way to go, but I don't know...the more I think about, the more sense it does make to have this kind of hierarchy (Elementary --> Junior High --> High School --> University).

I guarantee this will not happen. Have a look at AKB's roster. All the older girls are also the most popular. They're not going anywhere.

[HoneyRoastedPeanuts]

All the older girls are also the most popular.

And exactly that is one of the reasons why they WOULD do it.

[freezingkiss]

^ SHIT man, I never even thought of that.

I still really don't want this to happen. I keep waiting to see if I will hear something that will happen with all the girls. I love them so much! Especially our ex-AKB girls! ESPECIALLY NORO.

I know Aki-P wants AKB to continually be a rotating roster type of thing but that's not going to work, as the same girls have been in AKB for 6 years. It seems he only wants a rotating roster for the not as popular girls! Do you think Acchan will ever be moved anywhere else?! NO. Neither will Oshima, and she is SDN age. It's really unfair for fans who support these girls to just go 'Yep! Into another group with you!' - if this keeps happening over the years this may be the groups downfall. Although by then Aki-P would have made so much money he'd wouldn't really mind.

I'd like to see some of our SDN girls get seriously into the music business, form an independent group, audition for AVEX, do something and not just fade away!

[Callighan]

This thought has just popped in my head.
The SDN girls are in their mid-late 20s (if I'm not mistaken).
It's also a good age to find suitors.
Given that AKB (and its sister groups) members are prohibited from romance, perhaps SDN members are also looking forward to courtship (aside from other career possibilities)?

Anyhow, I'm only conjecturing.

[freezingkiss]

^ Yeah but I BET a bunch of them would rather perform than get married and all that crap.

They have the rest of their lives to do that. I would love to write a song that says '30 isn't Old' and release it into an idol market. Because the ageism going on there is just ridiculous.

[HoneyRoastedPeanuts]

I guess I should explain what I wrote above as a reply to dagezou.
He mentioned the popularity of some of the older girls. Mariko, Sayaka, Yuko, Kojiharu...no one's gonna argue about them being among the most popular. Consider though: "Among", not "the most popular", as he put it. That would be subjective. Anyways,...

To me, popularity ≠ reason or guaranty to be in AKB. Heck, SDN can be popular too.

You got to admit that until now, SDN has never reached the popularity of the original AKB. But! what if you just graduate a whole chunk of girls into SDN; let's say every member that as of April 1st, 2012 is 21 years or older (13 girls). Not that I seriously think that's gonna happen. But still... You wouldn't have just one, but two stupidly successful groups.
SDN would very probably sell much more than now due to Mariko, Sayaka, Yuko and consorts having such a great name value. And AKB would be able to progress, filling up the empty spaces with younger members from the lower groups (to most members of these lower groups, those members would of course be the older ones).

It's not like Akimoto didn't do it before (Noro, Ohori, Urano, etc...). Granted, these girls might not have been as "high-profile" like the ones mentioned above, still I find it not the least bit hard to imagine that Aki-P is planning something just alone those lines for next year.

Also: SDN's farewell performance is, although they could have waited another year, perfectly timed. March / April is the time when the new school year starts and maybe it's just me, but I find that quite symbolic.

[Callighan]

March / April is the time when the new school year starts and maybe it's just me, but I find that quite symbolic.

And also in time for April fools' day.

[freezingkiss]

^
^ This is a good point, but I really, really hope that it doesn't happen. SDN are perfect the way they are. I don't want to see Mariko, Sayaka and Yuko in a group like this....Also, in this case, I don't think a lot of them would comply.

I could see Kojiharu doing it. I really, really couldn't see Mariko doing it. I would actually respect her more if she didn't, and instead went on to host a TV show or something (and continue her magazine, have a fashion line, etc, she's hell cool)

^ Also yeah, but if this is one big joke. It's not funny. Not even a little bit!!!

[HoneyRoastedPeanuts]

SDN are perfect the way they are.

One could say the same thing about AKB, but they too need to move on to keep the project going. I guess what you're thinking about is SDN the girls rather than SDN the group when you say they are perfect. Unfortunately SDN, like the other groups (and more so, teams) is a place to be, not a fixed assembly of girls. I feel that's what Akimoto is going for.

But yeah, I would have loved to see more of especially Nonti. I hope we will.

[freezingkiss]

^ We COULD do a farewell project for SDN. Loads of signatures and pictures in a big book? Just a thought, we'd have plenty of time to do it and we would be able to pop photo's and messages in there, plus maybe money for a big flower arrangement?

Are any SDN fans up for something like that?

[jinbaoyin48]

maybe all the members can stay together and Universal music can promote them as a new group...or at least some of the members can stay together...leaving the 48 family might be good after all...i was thinking if DiVA audition their dancers at a later date probably some SDN power dancers would fit into that perfectly...

speaking of popular AKB members leaving AKB to form the new SDN...probably the most positive outcome would be singles sales would soar upwards...but the level of vocal and dance standard would fall to nowhere...seriously the likes of yuko or mariko are not in the class of current SDN members in terms of vocal or dance...not even close...but i admit that put their face on the front cover of singles...it will sell very well...regardless of what song is inside...

[sillybob]

I still dont get the point in this whole graduation, I mean the group would still be making money D: ugh I just keep praying its just a reshuffle so now they're in teams to make things easier haha.

[Ian905]

^ I doubt it. They wouldn't announce something so trivial months in advance, and if they did they would call it what it is. They wouldn't throw around the term graduation lightly.

The thing I noticed was that because of their ages and Kpop sound SDN was popular with the mainstream market whereas AKB and friends are more popular with the "wota" market. Could that have something to do with the graduation? The average music listener will download an Mp3 of the song they like, maybe off iTunes but more often than not from a free download site. A wota will buy the CD, and multiple copies of it too. Maybe Aki-P didn't feeling like paying salary to 39 girls who were earning $x amount of dollars, when he had 80+ girls earning him $xxxx amount of dollars. It's understandable.

I doubt it had anything to do with their ages though. The whole concept was an adult idol. He's been in the business for over 30 years, he knew what he was bargaining for when had woman of that age in his group. And if age was such an issue to him, he would have a strict age cut off point (which to my knowledge, he doesn't) and he would fill his line up with prepubescent girls like Tsunku does.