Theater Girls

the Theater Girls (シアターガールズ, or Theatre Girls) are an special group/team of girls that take charge of the some B-side tracks of certain AKB48 and SKE48 Singles.

History

the Theater Girls were formed for the single RIVER, where all the girls that didn't take part of Undergirls or Senbatsu were included in this group.

the name "Theater Girls" is commonly believed to be because their first song was a cover of an Stage Song (Hikoukigumo) and their PV was recorded in the AKB48 Theater, as if it were a normal Theater Performance.

later on from Ponytail to Shushu, the Theater Girls got their first Original Song and as well as their first PV filmed outside the Theater.

Theater Girls on SKE48

for SKE48's 3rd Single Gomen ne, SUMMER, the Theater GIrls concept was implemented with SKE for the first time.

just like AKB48 did in their second Theater Girls Generation, SKE48 also included all their Kenkyusei Members of that time.

"Undergirls" & "Theater Girls" as Popularity level used by the Fandom

The Undergirls are usually given most of the spotlight after the Senbatsu in a single release, making the other Single-exclusive group (the Theater Girls) feel as the "least important" group of girls for the manager.

the Theater Girls were introduced in RIVER, a single that was promoted as "first single ever where all the 48 girls of the group take part". with Senbatsu still being "the most important" selection of girls, the Undergirls were used once again and a new group named the Theater Girls was introduced. (see full article: Theater Girls)

in difference with the Undergirls, the Theater Girls didn't get a new original song and got to cover an AKB48 Stage Song instead. -as well as getting their pv filmed in the AKB48 Theater as a "performance music clip", instead of an "original PV" like the Undergirls and Senbatsu get. (what makes the fans that "the Theater Girls don't get as much budget as the Undergirls")

not only for this, the Fandom sometimes notice how some girls are pushed more than other from the manager. and if those girls aren't popular enough, they mostly end up taking part of Undergirls instead of Theater Girls.

since the Type-A and Type-B releases were included in AKB48 Singles, the Theater Girls started to take part of only one of the editions, compared to the Undergirls that appear in both as the main bside of the single.

other difference between both groups is that the Undergirls are more of an actual regular subgroup, while the Theater girls don't necessarily appear in all the singles (specially in those where the Senbatsu Elections are involved)

in the AKB fandom, you will normally see fans classificating the girls as "Senbatsu" "Undergirl" or "Theater Girl" , referring actually more to popularity-level instead of how much they are pushed by the manager. (always depending on the context, of course)

Theatre Girls Generations (AKB48)

1st Generation

Hikouki Gumo (RIVER) (18 Members)
Team A: Iwasa Misaki · Oya Shizuka · Matsubara Natsumi · Nakata Chisato
Team K: Uchida Mayumi · Umeda Ayaka · Tanabe Miku · Matsui Sakiko · Nakatsuka Tomomi · Nakaya Sayaka · Nonaka Misato . Yonezawa Rumi
Team B: Kobayashi Kana · Sato Natsuki · Suzuki Mariya · Chikano Rina · Hirajima Natsumi · Masuda Yuka

2nd Generation

Boku no YELL (Theatre Girls) (19 Members + 15 Kenkyusei (34 Members) )
Team A: Ooya Shizuka · Nakagawa Haruka · Nakata Chisato · Nakaya Sayaka · Matsubara Natsumi
Team K: Uchida Mayumi · Umeda Ayaka · Tanabe Miku · Nakatsuka Tomomi · Nonaka Misato · Matsui Sakiko · Yonezawa Rumi
Team B: Ishida Haruka · Kobayashi Kana · Sato Natsuki · Suzuki Mariya · Chikano Rina · Hirajima Natsumi · Masuda Yuka
Kenkyusei: Ishiguro Atsuki · Ueki Asaka · Oba Mina · Kinumoto Momoko · Sano Yuriko · Shimazaki Haruka · Shimada Haruka · Takamatsu Eri · Takeuchi Miyu · Nagao Mariya · Nakamura Mariko · Fujimoto Sara · Mori Anna · Yamauchi Suzuran · Yokoyama Yui

Theatre Girls Generations (SKE48)

1st Generation

Pinocchio Gun (Gomen ne, SUMMER) (17 Members)
Team S: Deguchi Aki
Team KII: Akaeda Ririna · Iguchi Shiori · Kato Tomoko · Sato Seira · Sato Mieko · Yamada Reika
SKE48 Kenkyuusei: Abiru Riho · Isohara Kyoka · Imade Mai · Ueno Kasumi · Kato Rumi · Goto Risako · Hata Sawako · Matsumura Kaori · Mano Haruka · Yakata Miki