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[NEWS] SDN48 Disband April 2012

Discussion in 'SDN48 News & Discussion' started by JedixKnight, Oct 15, 2011.

  1. ET920

    ET920 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2010
    Location:
    Buenos Aires, Argentina
    That is what this thread is about, isn't it? About disbandment. If it were something else, for example, a phony, we would not be talking about it.

    It is true that someone's failures can be someone else's successes. However, we can only speculate that he is graduating them all because there was something in SDN that didn't quite make sense for him. It greatly depends on what he expected SDN to achieve. Theater activity was restricted to Saturday nights, so it doesn't seem as they were that important in the theater structure. They released three singles aiming at K-pop style, but they were received with low enthusiasm in Japan and indifference in Korea. He certainly doesn't seem nowadays attached to determined girls, enough to try to keep them in his rooster no matter what. SDN was probably an effort to open to new markets (grown ups, Koreans, sexy girls, etc) which didn't quite work. There has never been the demand for their tickets as there was for AKB or SKE (otherwise, DMM would have done their LODs too).

    That is just beautifying reality. Stalinism failed because the society came to understand what Stalin tried to hide: that every individual can be a part of the nation without having to give up his own dreams.

    In the case of SDN, though, this wasn't apparently possible. Don't tell me all 30 girls only dreamed of being singers, and none wanted to be an actress. How many of those girls have had acting training, appeared in doramas or movies, or had otherwise stepped closer to their dreams?

    Why? Did everyone in USSR die? Should capitalism continue this way, there will come a day when the society will claim for more freedom, and eventually the system will be destroyed, but that doesn't imply the whole civilization. We won't be writing with ashes in cave walls nor we will be hitting girls with clubs in the head to make them ours.

    From your point of view, Akimoto is disbanding SDN because of the risks of exhausting a successful model, in order to not get trapped in mediocrity. In this case, shouldn't he disband the main force, AKB48, instead? Disbanding SDN and keeping AKB up makes no sense if what you are trying is to adapt and change for a future, people will just follow the masses and cling to AKB. If you were to disband AKB, you would be opening the market for new groups. Disbanding SDN will leave probably a few thousands fans free for a new proposition, nothing more.

    If it were by him, you would wake up one day having to play rock-scissors-paper in order to get your daily meal :awesome:

    Some see SDN as a place where graduated members would go, like Heaven for those who die. I still remember Meetan's face when it was announced that she was going to SDN, it was plain disappointment. You could also see Mariko's fear in going there too, forced to graduate. The truth is that someone being moved from AKB to SDN wasn't seeing it as an improvement to her situation within the 48 family, quite the contrary I would say, it was a slap in the face that meant to move away and leave room for the newer generations. Of course, they cannot wear school uniforms forever, but I sometimes wondered if there wasn't some pride in these girls left, enough to graduate and go search their own path in life. I can justify the girls because the salary is likely good enough, they get a minimum exposure in TV and radio from time to time, but it won't be helping you launch an actress or a model career. Not even a solo singer career, since chances of one of the non front girls being noticed are rather low.
     
  2. kaseii

    kaseii Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2010
    Oshimen:
    Amina Sato
    I really hope we at least get a stage CD out of this ;-;

    I feel really bad for the 3rd-gen girls who JUST joined and really didn't have a chance to do anything. Hardly any of them were in MIN MIN MIN...

    Here's hoping they reveal some good news about this on Suppon.
     
  3. chewybacca

    chewybacca Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2011
    Location:
    Melbourne, Australia
    Oshimen:
    sudaakari
    Twitter:
    mhcc27
    ET920 posted much of what I was going to say... [hehe]

    I'm guessing the market still has that association of "young, pubecent girls" when it comes to anything that is -48, rather than one of a "mature, sexy woman". SNSD pretty much rules the roost when it comes to the latter, so the hill was already a massively difficult climb up for SDN48 anyway. And the Korean market is not a tolerant bunch, either.

    One might wonder why they opened up to non-18+s later on, too. In retrospective, this might as well be the reason. Without knowing the full financial/business details behind SDN's operations, it could well be a possibility that the AKB48 theater which they were using had an inherently high cost base - one which could only be recouped with other profit-making activities, which AKB48 clearly had with their singles + other number of large-scale promotions etc., but SDN48 did not. 70k sales 1st week might have been reasonable, but maybe not enough justification to recoup theater performance costs?

    I'm starting to think SDN48 was merely a product (or a way, rather) "to keep the vets (veteran wota) happy", in that they'll still be able to see some of their beloved, older girls (e.g. Nontii, Meetan, CinDy, etc.) as part of the -48 family, as a way to keep them relevant in those aforementioned wota's mindsets for a while. I'd suspect it probably makes it easier for girls to graduate out of SDN48 rather than AKB48, which would have a noticeably larger reaction from the fanbase (and media).

    Really, SDN48 could've been (and was) something really interesting. Problem was, Aki-P Inc. likely saw the potential and ROI somewhere else - internationally, perhaps - and with the other -48 groups doing extremely well , going back to his core strengths was probably a more sound decision than to invest a lot more into a market that they were less familiar playing in (i.e. this "sexy, mature idol" territory) and taking a big gamble on it. That is, it might as well all be about profitability and basic ROI, amongst other things.
     
  4. ryandtw

    ryandtw Next Girls

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2010
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    Seattle, WA, USA
    Twitter:
    ryandtw_jpop
    Aww, that's too bad...

    Hopefully the members will have a successful future individually after SDN48.
     
  5. caramujo

    caramujo Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2011
    39 members at the same time, what a record [shock]
    I'm also looking foward to Nontii's Hashira naito on Monday.
    And a CD ofc...


    Articles so far:
    Yucasee, Oricon, Natalie, Daily Sports, Sponichi, Sanspo.

    It's a shame that they had to put like "from Noro's mouth", it's like that everywhere...

    Blog entries so far:


    Pics (I don't know if all are from the last night concert) EDIT: The 39-members photo one isn't from last night:
    (From Marinaru's blog)

    (From Haruchan's blog)

    (From Ne~ne's blog)

    (From Umeko's blog)

    (From Yukkii's blog)
    From Nontii's:
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

  6. newAKB48fanboy

    newAKB48fanboy Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2010
    Location:
    NY
    Oshimen:
    nakadakana
    I'm pretty sad about this :cry:
    they got no real big push & they sell reasonably well for not being heavily promoted like SKE/NMB [boom]
    it's annoying. he should just then graduate everyone from SKE & snatch Jurina & Rena & make them official AKB members (because they already seem to be more of AKB anyway [notme] )
     
  7. Geter92

    Geter92 Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2010
    Location:
    Limbo
    :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
    I'm so depressed now :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: dang this sucks :cry: :cry:
     
  8. blownawayy

    blownawayy Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    May 2, 2011
    i think it may be part of a plan to 'create' or restructure the groups so that there will be a new, matured group (that does not necessarily have to go all out in sexy appeal like the current SDN) to reshift or 'graduate' the slightly older members of current AKB into, whom obviously none really go with the image of SDN. the SDN girls are quite pitiful in anyway, whether it's for the greater good or not, they seem like the scapegoat of poor management planning for them.

    in any case, this just does not seem to be as simple as removing a group, i think other group announcements will soon be thrown out too...
     
  9. Geter92

    Geter92 Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2010
    Location:
    Limbo
    It's gonna be a big April fools day joke ha ha screw us, it will help increase sales for the alleged "final single", more people will go to shows blah blah they where still making him money why would they get rid of it. If it is not a big joke then i will be ready to die, I just hard to believe they would end it....I dont know [boom] [boom] [boom] [boom]


    edit: I mean if this was seriously true why would they make us wait till next week for more information!!!!!!
     
  10. caramujo

    caramujo Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2011
    ^ It's not that they promised more information soon...

    Btw, Nachu said they knew since last month...her entry was pretty touching.

    Many positives entries from the girls (inb4 people say that they had to demonstrate positive feelings etc)

    Lol forgot to write it:
    Basically, they tried to explain the reason for the graduations, since fans were already going crazy: it says that SDN members were pursuing their dreams within a "blessed environment/ circumstances", and that many members were becoming aware of that (that they were gaining chances of promotion, events and participating at concerts due to AKB exposure, "an obvious/natural thing"). So, this wasn't the best circumstances for them to really go after (or even to know) their own dreams. The staff, after thinking a lot about what would be the best for the members, stipulated as one of the marks a final concert (for those members) 6 months ahead as a big goal, and one of the reasons is to see if maybe this would spark this kind of thought on them until there. They don't know, of course, if this will lead them to a closer path to their dreams, but it's a new challenge for them, and until 03/31, each one should think about what is their "own dream". In order to all the members get to say: "it was good to graduate during that time", the management is fully supporting them from now on too.


    (inb4, SKE, NMB, JKT, TPE, 乃木坂46 -__-)

    Ofc, something was not good (profit or whatever, we'll never know and it's useless to conspirate/speculate) to graduate all members even after only 4 months of the 3rd gen admission.

    Well, we don't know if they are dropping the concept once for all, since it was said the "first chapter" ended...The thread title is quite misleading...all members graduating =\= disbandment (end of SDN) =P...ofc, if they even do a second one, it'd tend to be really fail I guess..

    Can we have a title like "[NEWS] All members to graduate on 2012/03/31", poster :^^;: ?

    Btw, KK posted a blog entry about Hana, how she mailed her (KK -> Hana, then Hana called her back) yesterday, and then talked briefly on the phone (in the end, they talked about the old times of Himawarigumi..) (no words about the graduation ^^)
     
  11. Callighan

    Callighan Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2011
    Location:
    Sekolah Dasar Negeri 48, Akihabara
    ^ So, could it be that the girls wanted to graduate en masse?
     
  12. caramujo

    caramujo Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2011
    Did I write something like that @_@?

    It's a little difficult to think like that, don't ya think? And besides, Nachu wrote that she cried a lot, so as Serina during the announcement after the perfomance...
    Nachu also wrote she heard about the graduation decision last month (what is, at least she didn't get to decide nothing I guess)

    Yeah, really really sad for SDN fans...=(
     
  13. Zobii

    Zobii Member

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    Feb 18, 2011
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    no permanent address..
    Oshimen:
    minegishiminami
    This really sucks... I don't know where to begin... :fp:

    YOU ARE TEARING ME APART AKI-P!
     
  14. Mr Waffle

    Mr Waffle Stage48 Admin Staff Member Stage48 Admin

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2008
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    Tokyo, Japan
    Oshimen:
    Aki-P
    Twitter:
    mrwaffle48
    Ok, I have to correct you here, since you've said it a couple of times. They stopped being "Saturday night only" quite a long time ago, my two SDN48 shows were on a Sunday and a Thursday night. They virtually carry the AKB48 theatre, they've probably performed more than all the AKB teams put together recently. Especially when AKB is off on tour, doing handshakes etc.
     
  15. Callighan

    Callighan Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2011
    Location:
    Sekolah Dasar Negeri 48, Akihabara
    Ah, thank you for clarifying. :)

    So indeed it was a management decision.
    I really feel sorry for Serinko. [speechless]
     
  16. wilsgun

    wilsgun Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    I really hope some girls get to stay, and I'm keeping an open mind of them "maybe getting their own place or something". I'm really keeping an open book about that "first chapter" BS. Maybe they'll create teams? who knows, but it's like 99% they're going to fade into oblivion :(

    I really love SDN48... and we just got Hana and Hiichan back too. What a slap to the face. If they're really truly graduating, I really hope this create a big domino effect for all xxx48 franchise to lose $$$. Harsh I know. [flip]
     
  17. HoneyRoastedPeanuts

    HoneyRoastedPeanuts Kenkyuusei Retired Staff

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    Shizuoka, Japan
    Twitter:
    hrp919
    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).
     
  18. chewybacca

    chewybacca Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2011
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    Melbourne, Australia
    Oshimen:
    sudaakari
    Twitter:
    mhcc27
    :fp:

    If true, I guarantee this will be of the same effect, to both the girls and fans alike, as what happened on 2009 Budokan.
     
  19. freezingkiss

    freezingkiss Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2007
    Location:
    Melbourne, AU.
    Oshimen:
    Yuihan
    NO. I don't want this. The elder members of AKB are among the most popular, heck Mariko came in 4TH in this years senbatsu!!! Yuko came 2nd, Haruna came 7th! I wouldn't be so hasty to move over girls like that just yet!
     
  20. HoneyRoastedPeanuts

    HoneyRoastedPeanuts Kenkyuusei Retired Staff

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    Oct 14, 2011
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    Shizuoka, Japan
    Twitter:
    hrp919
    I'm not saying that girls or fans would like it, just that I can't help but feel that Akimoto has a plan.
    Question is: how would you want it to happen? For sooner or later it will. Have AKB's girls graduate to leave the franchise or graduate them into other formations?
     

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