They're just going to stick that poor woman they forced into the position in there to apologize all damn day.
Manager's room at the handshake event? That's not new. Although I don't remember seeing it at the events last weekend, so maybe they stopped it temporarily? I do recall seeing the manager's room at some of the events earlier this year though.
You are right, the had a Q&A booth with the new theater manager ever since NGT48 members were allowed back into handshake events. In particular, I remember the first one they had back in March allowed visitors to take a smiling commemorative photo with her and the rest of the staff, but after they were bashed over the Internet (like here) because it looked like people came there as if it was a Disneyland attraction rather than to ask important questions, they prohibited taking group photos at any of the ones they held afterwards. I think I translated one of these reports beforehand (this one was from last month, in fact). but it's just weasel words as usual. For one thing the position of theater manager is useless in itself. I hate to bring it up all the time, but in the third-party report, one thing to be clearly revealed (exactly at page 14) regarding the internal organization of AKS is that the theater manager is only granted limited budget rights as long as they don't exceed a certain limit of expenditures per category, but "in matters concerning administration itself, or human resources, is not granted any powers". Pretty much everyone at this point has caught up to it and they all consider these booths nothing more than a way for the management to relieve pressure. This is not the first time after Maho, Riko and Rena announced graduation either, as there was another just a handful days ago. But for those curious, in any case, here's one that was published on 5ch at the time. It came up in the daily news batch and I was wondering if it was worth translating it here at all. You'll know why... http://40298ch.com/test/read.cgi/karakoro/1548413013/392 Well, for a try I went to the theater manager's Q&A booth. I did try to do a voice recording, but it's nearly impossible to listen to it from all the static noise. Q. What happened about those assigments that Matsumura was given? A. I don't know. Q. Didn't you ask anything about it? A. I dare say that currently they are putting priority on communicating with the members, how to handle things as a company, and what aspects need to be improved, most likely. Q. What happened to the plans of starting a civil lawsuit. A. About that, in theory they should be still making preparations for it. Q. What about the details about the graduation stage? Or the theater schedule for the future? A. We haven't decided anything as of yet. About the future, apart from the May 18 theater shows, everything else in the schedule is still pending. Q. Regarding Mahohon's graduation, what dialogue did you have with her for things to result in that? A. The graduation came from the three member's own decision. In ordinary circumstances, I'd have to necessarily establish a communication, but it wasn't possible here, so we ended up having a dialogue with Mahohon with, as an intermediary, a part of the staff which was on good terms with her. I must say that there was a period of time when, for a while, I could get to have a talk with Mahohon, and we did it in more than one occasion. But this doesn't mean I managed to meet directly with her to have a talk. (Following that, to the questions of "Did Mahohon show any intention to talk with the theater manager?", "What's the reason you couldn't talk to her directly?", she became uncomfortable answering) Q. Since all the sponsors have deserted, what are your intentions about stipulating contracts anew? A. First of all, restructuring AKS comes at the top of the list. As AKS, we'll have to improve what aspects need to be improved. Without doing that first, we aren't in in position to put forward a business proposal to the sponsors as well as the Prefecture.
https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/2019/05/03/0012296624.shtml an article that doen't add many things. a fan told Maho that Aki-p is a criminal, but she defends him. She believed he was at the very top of AKS, while he is not anymore though. She also has some words about sasshi caring about her. If anyone wants to do a better sum up / translation, do so.
It's actually quite more puzzling than that, honestly. The mobame from Maho have seemingly gone back to their old, light-hearted content after the graduation announcement, especially in these past days, granted. This is expressedly as a way to graduate in an optimistic way in spite of everything, by also putting fans in a less tense mood. All the same, some people are left wondering what the meaning of this new mail is, how it should be interpeted as, if there's some peace settlement moving behind the scenes for her to speak in defense of Akimoto, if it's done out of request, or otherwise out of genuine concern after a change of mind happened. See it for yourselves. --- A little premise first: this mail picks up from the ending of the previous mail sent earlier on the same day, a more ordinary one about looking for positive topics to share in preparation for Maho's last handshake while inside of the group. The theme was about the recent TV dramas that are being broadcast, one of them being also the mystery drama Anata no Ban desu (the official English of which is apparently "Your Turn to Kill"), which will come up again later in the other mail. For context, this previous mail ended on such a note: "[...] I have always been saying that, but I love dogs and want to keep one as a pet, and since the big white dog that appears in InHand is so cute, it only ended up increasing my desire to own one even more. What breed is that dog, again? If there's anyone who knows, let me know as well." Also, it should be noted that there was another mail before the last, sent on April 30, where Maho simply instructed (once again) anyone not to repost the content of mobame anywhere, since it's meant to express one's thoughts to fans, especially since she was aware that part of it would end up being published on news against her intentions, as it already happened multiple times. Daily News, among others net news outlets, were "guilty" of that more than once in the past, albeit in a good way, but seems like they still didn't read the memo even when it was spelled clearly to them. --- With that said, here's a quick translation of the newest one (And yes, I think that one could be a criticism at Dasu, if you are wondering): Spoiler: 2019-05-02 Mobame 2019-05-02 23:27:00 Subject: Yasusu [note: old nickname for Akimoto] Oh, so that big white dog is called a Samoyed! That's a Russian dog breed, right... I've been looking through the replies both on Twitter and mails. There were barely any people writing about Anata no Ban desu, on the other hand. Too bad, this way I cannot figure out who the true culprit is [in the story]. I personally think it's extremely interesting, so much so that I find myself wondering why it is so. Anyway, there's some people who wrote in the replies "Maybe Akimoto Yasushi is the criminal?" (heh) I was wondering if he was actually meant to make an acting appearance in there, so I went to check and only then did I realize what they wanted to say. (laugh) I too, used to believe that Akimoto-san sat at the very top of the organization, which is why I considered about directly pleading him on social media to do something to help out. But since it turns out that Akimoto-san isn't the boss of AKS, I wouldn't bring myself to go against him, in addition he received no informations about it, nor was he made aware of anything about the details, it seems. All of that left me surprised. Compared to the AKB of the old days, both the organization and the people inside are so different, and going by my own personal experience, this was something I could at least find understandable. So it's apparently for this reason that even, if he even tried to make a comment, he cannot. All the other members from the other groups must also felt the same way, I do believe, so I did not wish for anyone from those other groups to make any kind of statement, nor do I wish for them to make any demand, I am sorry for inconveniencing you, that's what I'm thinking right now. There have been times I have honestly been left astonished, seeing members who, while knowing nothing about me, would take liberties and go on to describe me as being some certain kind of person, but on the other hand, for someone who was requested to make a comment the most, Sashihara-san has acted apprehensive about myself, I am feeling so grateful about it, along with being also sorry for it. (so, when you write up a news article about this part, please stop requesting a comment from Sashihara-san anymore) I kept wondering if, for the sake of his own self-protection, even Akimoto-san, for his part, went around speaking of me in a way favorable for himself, being such a famous person, that'd been the best move for such a person to do. Therefore, I also thought that there was nothing I could do about it, if I was being treated like that, and so I used to think of Akimoto-san too as a wicked person, but then again, he has done absolutely nothing that has hurt me, actually, on the other hand, I heard that he was the only one to feel concerned for me. "Mahohon, you are being deceived!" that's what I am probably going to be told, but anyway, my own judgement is that is the same that Rena and Riko also have, reciprocally [between the three]: I won't forgive anyone who will try hurting Rena and Riko. As long as nothing is done against these two people, I'm free to graduate! -- that's how it basically was. Seeing that Akimoto-san is feeling concerned about Rena and Riko, too, I'd like to express my deepest thanks. And hereby I'll have to excuse myself for having thought of him as such a wicked man, in spite of all that. I've got to wonder if that is the one and only part that even all the sleuths were mistaken about... However, if in the future something really gets done to us, I am going to speak out, most likely... Oh well (laugh) I am writing too much in a honest and straightforward way, that I pray that this won't be made into net news and be circulated there, but... maybe in the eyes of Akimoto-san, I am the wicked person here. (heh) What I want to tell to Akimoto-san is who is the culprit in that drama? Just that. I'm looking forward to seeing how it will continue, you know.
It's fascinating tbh. Akimoto has somehow worked it that he's officially not part of AKS's management structure but is a sort of consultant/creative director and an impotent figurehead like a member of a European royal family. At least that's the image that Akimoto and AKS are strenuous to project and for some reason Maho seems to be playing along with that fiction.** The ownership of AKS is pretty murky though, it started off with Akimoto, Kuboto and Shiba, the latter disappearing from the frame sometime before 2012 and Kuboto getting in severe financial trouble around 2014 (which incidentally brought down Shinoda Mariko's fashion label) and being bought out. I presume Akimoto must have sold his shareholding in the last couple of years? I've posted previously on this thread the rumour that there are factions within AKS, there's people in AKS pushing anti-Maho stories in the press but there also seems to be someone leaking pro-Maho information now and then. Perhaps there is a fight for control within AKS with the Maho scandal being a useful pretext or cover for the factions to make their moves* (*and before the usual suspects get their knickers in a twist I'm just speculating here) ** Perhaps Maho is playing along with the Akimoto story in return for a quid pro quo behind the scenes like placement in an agency or a financial settlement. Hopefully Maho comes out of this with something that makes her happy even if what she wanted most was to be a good idol.
I'm not sure how surprising it is that her mobame have gone back to being more light and upbeat. If you are in a bad situation and you take action to get out of it, and now have an end in sight, then it is a massive weight off your shoulders and you do immediately feel quite a bit better (I had the same, it's my last day working for my current employer today). This doesn't mean she won't have to work to get over the actual trauma but could explain her change in mood here.
Well, Akimoto might figure as the face of AKS, but he is NOT AKS and he is not the president. If Maho is defending him so vehemently she must have very good reasons to do so, specially after putting AKS on absolute blast for the past few months.
She is freaking brave in sticking to her standing all this while. It's perplexing to see the management didn't sensor any of her blogs or her speeches. Is this because they're so ignorant, or they knew if they sensor her she could just go towards twitter and that'd be even more difficult for damage control. Talking about twitter, does AKB members personally hold their own accounts? Their manager didn't screen over every tweet, or hold a copy of the credentials? What did she say about Maho?
I thought that members are hold their accounts personally since there are some post blunders in the past like when some members are post something offensive to other member then they have to correct them in another post.
Summary for 5/4 (Saturday) from http://40298ch.com/test/read.cgi/karakoro/1548413013/374- Please let me know if I made a mistake! At a handshake event, Hasegawa Rena was asked if she would continue as an idol and said "No - I don't think I'll be an idol", "But I am deciding what I want to do!" https://i.imgur.com/5pNt77O.jpg https://i.imgur.com/YlZZaXL.jpg In Maho's mobame she says, "Riko is working hard at her rehabilitation" and "Tell me what you would like us to sing for the graduation stage". https://i.imgur.com/bt0615i.jpg In her mobame, Homma Hinata says Murakumo, Yamada, Kusakabe, Kado, Oguma, and Nara went out to eat okonomiyaki. https://i.imgur.com/8gURAPX.jpg Bunshun, which has been negative on Maho, is being pleasant again. "We can't but pray that these women find a way to obtain happiness after graduation" https://i.imgur.com/PyadFHJ.jpg https://i.imgur.com/GqR10JJ.jpg Also from Bunshun: Maeda Atsuko's "Please don't hate AKB" reflects on the "uncertain outlook for groups" of Heisei idols. https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/article?a=20190504-00011819-bunshun-ent&p=1 Every time a stage goes on is it making a convenient new forum for AKS? The changing composition surrounding Maho and the others. https://i.imgur.com/SB0YEDW.jpg https://i.imgur.com/SPlb06r.jpg
I don't know if I need to post it or not, but here's a translation of the mobame that Maho had sent the other day, exactly in reaction to the previous mail about Akimoto making it to the news. The answer to this question is at the beginning, I guess. Spoiler: 2019-05-03 Mobame 2019-05-03 18:53:00 Subject: May 3 Well And here I was thinking, since it is May already, that even the journalists out there would all be unsubscribing from mobame... I believed that this wouldn't make it to the news if only it was on mobame, instead of Twitter, but it was too optimistic of me. At the very least, send back a reply to inform "I'm journalist 〇〇〇! I'm going to republish this!" Well, speaking of the Reiwa era, the same era has finally come even for mobame, as it did for Twitter, Instagram, and the rest... A brand new era it is, isn't it. Anything I write, you can pick it up as it is, but anyway, by looking at the replies, I realize that fans are smart people, they are able to read between the lines about certain elements that I am not expressedly writing, and, in turn, would wonder out loud "Is it so, then?", exactly like sleuths! If we were to have a talk about dramas, they'll likely be capable of correctly guessing the culprit ahead of time As for the handshake event. To all Mahores, you can talk about anything you'd like. You don't need to come here thinking "I must be careful and have a cheerful talk at any costs!" Since this is the last, please talk to me expressing your own true opinions. It's probably the fans who will end up crying out of the two. I didn't even imagine this would be the last, or anything, but, being this the last handshake event, I'd have preferred if reservations would be also available. Anyway, you can exchange all the tickets you had for the No Way Man handshake sessions, so I'd be glad if we can meet. According to the daily news batch in the dedicated thread, the news about the Akimoto mobame was picked up among other things on Daily Sports (with over 3000 comments on Yahoo News), Sponichi, as well as morning wideshows, and several other news outlets. Though if you ask me, rather than the focus on the "thanks", "apologies", and the other "explanations" regarding Akimoto's position in this case, as news articles are placing attention on thus throwing the whole message within the mail out balance, what I find more interesting is the part closer to the ending which goes: "I've got to wonder if that is the one and only part that even all the sleuths were mistaken about..." (emphasis on そこだけ, "the one and only part") Evidently I wasn't the only one to think this same way (I checked and it even was made the subject of matome blog discussions yesterday), and one can't fault people for taking it probably as an another final verification that, about the more widely-accepted theories during these past months, people on Twitter had been mostly correct about what went on behind the scenes, but this one was the only time they guessed in the wrong direction, thus requiring an explicit correction... Well, take is as you like. --- Oh, also I am going to push it out quite fast, but this is a translation of an article from Sponichi covering a talk Sashihara had about said mobame post and something more when she was on Wide na Sho earlier today. You can watch the segment in full over here if you wish: https://twitter.com/cizmjo/status/1124852895415881728 Although staying silent for 4 months already is still no good in my books, if I have to take it all as true, the impression I get is now that there's hints of a power struggle going on between the old company founders and the Kyoraku clique, though I have to wonder why it did take so long for this to come out. Then again, one thing this whole case did was opening up a whole lot of cans of worms one after another, like Chinese boxes. 指原莉乃 NGT問題を秋元氏に相談 会社は「秋元さんに相談も報告もせず」 Sashihara Rino: I have discussed about the NGT issue with Akimoto - The company "Didn't consult with Akimoto, nor did they notify him" Spoiler: Translation HKT48を卒業したタレントの指原莉乃（26）が5日放送のフジテレビ「ワイドナショー」（日曜前10・00）に出演。NGT48山口真帆（23）が昨年12月にファンの男2人に襲撃された事件をめぐる一連の問題に関して、総合プロデューサーの秋元康氏（61）に相談していたことを明かした。 Recently graduated from HKT48, variety show personality Sashihara Rino (26) has made an appearance on Fuji TV's "Wide na Show", aired on the 5th. Here she revealed she had previously consulted with the general producer Akimoto Yasushi (61) over the series of issues surrounding the incident case in which last December NGT48's Yamaguchi Maho (23) was assaulted by two male fans. 指原は自身の卒業コンサート後の囲み会見でも、AKB48の全体の今後について聞かれ、具体的なグループ名を出さないながらも「改善の余地どころか、全て一から作り直さなければいけないと思っている」と話していた。 Even at the on-site interview she had at the end of her own graduation concert, upon being asked about the future of AKB48 as a whole from here on, Sashihara talked about "Forget about just finding room for improvement, I believe everything needs to be redone from the grounds up", although without specifically bringing up what is the group's own name. 指原は運営側から「お祝いの発表場なので」とNGT問題について触れないように言われていたことを明かしつつ「話さなきゃいけないことも何となく感じていたので、お話させていただいた」と自身の判断で言及したことを告白。山口についても「有料メールで、私（指原）に“何も聞かないであげてください”って発言しようとしてくれていたみたいで。なぜか私に申し訳ないという気持ちを持っていてくれていて、すごく優しくて、自分のことだけじゃなくて、周りの事も守りたいという思いがあって、いい子なんだなと」と印象を語った。 Even though she was instructed by the management side to avoid touching upon the subject of the NGT's issue "since this is a place for celebrations", Sashihara confessed that she mentioned it on her own decision: "I anyhow felt that this was something I did need to talk about, and so I took the initiative to do it". Regarding Yamaguchi also: "Looks like that, on her subscribers mail, she went out to state: «please don't ask any questions» to me (Sashihara). Somehow, she feels like a sense of owing an apology to me, that's extremely kind of her -- rather than just herself, her mentality is to protect even those surrounding her. What a good-hearted girl she is." she told describing the impression she left on her. また、公の場でNGT問題について触れていない秋元氏についても言及。指原は「私は“これはどうしようもないな”と思ったので秋元さんに相談した。これは言っていいのかわからないんですけど」と前置きし「会社がすべて勝手に動いてしまっていて、本来相談するべき秋元さんに相談も報告もせずにNGTの今後の動きなどを発表してしまっていた。トップが変わった瞬間から、秋元さんはクリエーティブだけのプロデューサーになっていたので。真帆ちゃんには唯一間に入れる人がいるんですけど、その人づてに秋元さんも真帆ちゃんに声をかけていたという話を聞いています」と明かした。 Moreover, she also commented about the fact Akimoto hasn't said anything yet in public regarding the NGT's issue. "Since I thought to myself «There's no way to get out of this entanglement», I went on to have a consultation with Akimoto. I don't know if I should be saying that, but...", Sashihara prefaced before revealing that "The management company is acting on their own accord about everything. They announced about what actions to take next for NGT without even informing or consulting Akimoto, the one who instead should be consulted with by principle. As soon as the management's top changed, Akimoto was turned into a producer in the creative sense only, which explains why. There's only one person who is able to act as a middleman for Maho herself, and I've learned from word of mouth that, also through this certain man, Akimoto too got to speak up to Maho this way, already." Source: https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2019/05/05/kiji/20190505s00041000139000c.html
Aki-P just being a producer/lyricist for 48G after the change of the top mnmgt wouldn't surprise me. I can't really confirm the other groups but the CEO of Sony Music's Seed & Flower LLC (mngmt of Keyaki and Hinata), Yoshio Konno, brought in Aki-P for last year's Sakamichi Joint Audition as consultant. Konno and Aki-P were interviewed in April after 3rd annila in Osaka about Keyaki as a whole. Aki-P consulted on the choice of 2gen members for Keyaki (Kanji around the time) but when they mentioned other groups it seems he was involved with all three. He seems to be more involved with Sakamichi nowadays than 48G. Aki-P having less creative power over members in 48G than he had in the early days before Nogi got bigger and someone mentioned 2014 which fits the timeline for "New Nogizaka project" in 2015 (Keyakizaka46). Aki-P and the previous higher-ups in AKS are the reason AKB got members with strong personality like Sayaka Akimoto. Current top mnmgt of AKS would reject such member in an audition because she is gloomy and not much of a talkative person. When Aki-P can let a member from Keyaki in the early of 2018 to listen to demo songs that don't fit the group you can tell his relation with members is similar to his relation with 1gen~5gen AKB members. Aki-P has not much to say on this case. He is right now AKS's marionette doll and top mnmgt is basically controlling this.
based on above deductiion, can we say that is why akb song is kinda 50 50 in quality? and that is why he seems to like techi very much? but then, his relationship with sakamichi girls except techi isnt that close like 1st gen of akb. i think he already let go of akb since years ago and now just sit on top without care much what happen to the group because it wont effect his money, commision and others. and with his eyes attach to techi, for now he gonna focus on 46g and i think sony probably has better management anyways as it is a big and popular entertainment company.
