2019 in a nutshell

With 2019 coming to an end, it is this time of the year for the thread that looks into the close past.
Let's try a 1 thread for all the usual questions.

• Your 2019 year in review ?
• Was 2019 a good year for your oshi ?
• Your hopes, fears and predictions for 2020 ?

At your keyboards ladies and gentlemen.

 

Your 2019 year in review?
This is obviously a bad year for the franchise but it's difficult not to blame AKS for it since most of it practically goes back to their actions regarding the Maho incident.

To be fair with the group though, despite the bad year, it sure looks like AKB48G can be a sustainable ^_^" group. Like it may not replicate its past level of success in the near future but it does seem it can survive the worst.

Was 2019 a good year for your oshi ?

Jurina hasn't really made the most out of her win from last year and has not even promoted her album properly. She had to skip and let go of some opportunities like the leadrole in a 48G play. Can't really complain about it since it's for health reasons. Besides, despite all these missed opportunities and lesser visibility from previous year, she is still relatively popular and gets solo activities, so it's still good I guess.

Your hopes, fears and predictions for 2020 ?

Hopes
Return of sousenkyo
At least 4 singles will be released
May they get a hit song next year

Fears
Still no election
Won't get invited to kouhaku
Jurina graduates due to health reasons

Prediction
Return of election
One night only Tokyo Dome concert

 

It has been an absolute mess. The Maho incident, The rigging scandal that IZONE are caught up in, AKBINGO ending suddenly, the Cafe is shutting down and they openly lied about it returning, numerous graduations especially from Team 8 which has basically gone through a generational transition, no general election and still a lot of uncertainty about whether it will even happen in 2020......I dunno, I am inclined to think that when there are this many bad apples, there is something wrong with the Orchard.

 

excellent year, so many SR events! The current one will be like nothing like we have ever seen before.

 

1. Everything is fine, just a normal recession with a bit more fun scandals and graduations
2. Meh
3. Things will bounce back in 2020

 

The only thing that I like in 2019 is the Asia Festival, even though both are kinda messy in a sense...

in Bangkok: the schedule of both BNK members (the 16 chosen) and fans are hectic, BNK's ssk was just a day before the concert...so no money for most of the BNK fans

in Shanghai: I must say that this had a better preparation than the one in Bangkok, but the downsides are the setlist (EDM everyone) and there's no livestream


Well, for the hopes in 2020:
* DEL48 and MUB48 will announce their members and hope that DEL will be able to participate in the first Asia Festival in 2020
* SSK return please! I'm also quite mixed whether it'll be another Sekai SSK since I also want the international members to get recognition from the Japanese wotas plus the experience in performing in the motherland of the 48G (also the mgmt will definitely get a lot of profit form the international fans as well)
* MXC48

 

1. A very bad year for AKS, particulary. Started with Maho saga, then cancellation of most of the shows, then ended with IZ*ONE went into dungeon
Or, let say that this year is really bad year for this guy


2. Considering that one of my oshi is going to graduate (after centered a single and won the singing contest) and the other one was accused as part of rigged group, even I'm confused whenever this year is their bad year or not

3. Since 2020 is NMB's 10th anniversary, I hope there's good news from the Kansai side
Also to make short prediction: entire of 48/46 will not go to Tokyo 2020. They're nothing compared to everyone's favorite oppas

 

Yea, not the best year for sure. Also, supporting NGT is definitely out the window for me personally...which I would have never thought I would say that about a 48 group. It's a shame. I'm glad Maho and Riko (not sure about Rena tbh) are really finding themselves in their new careers tho.

I personally haven't found a new oshi since Kaotan graduated earlier in the year. i don't think I will oshi anyone anymore anyways. I had my run the last like almost 10 years of doing that. But I'm not as invested as I once use to be. Plus, Lemon-sama, is quite active so I just support her.

I don't expect a lot from 2020, but I do expect SSK to return. It's literally the only event that has some excitement in the 48 world and without it, it's just boring as an international fan. Concerts are ok, but not something I anticipate. The theater is boring as shit imo. I only watch certain ones. I think AKB needs to get their shit together. Moeka graduating is really not a good sign when she just centered their latest single and it's not like AKB produces a lot of music these days.

Overall: boring and sad lol. I'm sure showroom is fun, but honestly I don't really care to see an idol just sit in her bedroom and talk about random stuff. I did like that youtube series they were sort of doing where they had games and shit. But then it's sort of like AKBingo, but a cheaper version of it lol. And it's crazy to me because AKB has money and yet they're so complacent in their boring ways. I get handshakes is what draws in the money and fans, but those local fans should be asking for more tbh. AKB is not a small idol group...they can do a lot and have a lot of members with a lot of potential. But, again, they're too complacent and fans don't mind it. They still sell well over a million per single.

Ya'll deserve K-pop packaging with the money u spend to shake hands for 10seconds lol. I will never get over the cheap CD packaging I spend way too much money as a canadian. And I don't even get to shake their hands lol. I want photobooks and cool photocards. They have no excuses when people aren't even really buying versions A-C/D as much. But if they invested in some cool packaging we would have a strong incentive to buy multiple versions and bam more profit. I mean honestly the theater edition should have more in it since that's the one people are spending their hard earn money on. More than a basic photo and normal CD packaging. IDK why I decided to rant, but I guess I'm just too bored of AKB and it was something that I really enjoyed.

 

2019 is the year I watched AKBINGO pretty regularly, and I love the show a lot! I also enjoy seeing more AKB members get spotlight in senbatsu, public appearance and in general. It's been a long time since the last time a team K member gets the center position, yes?
For 2020, I'd like to see some of these:
1. No graduation from any of the current essential AKB senbatsu (Miion, Yuihan, Tomu, Yukirin, YuuNaa, Rinrin, Yuiyui, Naru, Nagi) and some UGs (Komiharu, Zukki, Naamin, Satone, Yokoyui)
2. The return of SSK (yes, it could be breath-taking to see a favorite girl's rank rise/fall, but no one could deny the excitement and sensational feelings it brings)
3. One or two huge concerts (a summer dome tour, maybe?)

 

1. The year the group (visibly) shrinking in fansize. It's predicted years before. What's changing this year is just fans attitude toward it.

2. Most of my oshi are not part of the privileged few in groups activity, stuck in theater, some grad before even tasted senbatsu in single.
No regret, been following that "Oshi picked me" practice for long. Will do it again.

3. Hope:
- Most of current fans will hesitate to pick new oshi unless she is pushed, resulting in most discussion about 48G revolved around old guard semantics, push in singles, and scandals. The 48G latest gen member thread will be mostly deserted unless they are intertwined in 3 things above. Yep, that's my best scenario in 2020.
- Return of old event, such as SSK. But given most local fans reaction when those event announced gone, I doubt I'm the majority here.

Fear:
- 48G activity will favor local fans heavily. Not many foreign fans follow radio show, showroom event, or stage play since those fans think it holds not much significance compared to singles, concert, or SSK to the point I was thinking this forum will be bereft of discussion sooner rather than later.

Prediction:
- The burnout continues to take victim in international side.
- 48G activities still ongoing, but not on direction of what foreign fans want.
- The year where non-akip idol group starting rise to stardom. People will bandwagon from the burnouts.
- Another January 2019.

 

1. Overall, 2019 is a bad year for 48G. AKB had shows cancelled (AKBingo, 48 Show, ANN, etc), didn't have some of their yearly events (SSK, Janken, Kouhaku Taikou), and only had 2 singles this year (the least they had got since like ever). Their cafe will be closed soon as well. Good thing is they are still able to maintain their singles sales above 1 million and they are still in this year's NHK Kouhaku). Sasshi (by far 48G biggest name) graduated this year, but that's the only major graduation from this year, so it's still okay.

2. My top 2 oshimen right now: One is in a certain girl's shadow when she should be centering the group, and that group is rightly being investigated, so not a good year. As for the other one, nothing significant compared to the previous year, but at least she won't graduate until 2 more years.

3. As for 2020,

Hopes:
- The return of SSK
- Tokyo Dome Concerts
- Participation in Olympics 2020
- NGT to fully recover
- Early returns of 48G members from Izone

Fears:
- The yearly events cancellations in 2019 are permanent
- Graduations of key members

Predictions:
- All AKB singles will keep the 1 million sales
- AKB will still be in the Kouhaku
- Definitely gonna be better than 2019

 

1) Excuse my language, but this year fucking sucked for the 48G. Tbh, we should all just use this on ourselves.

Spoiler

2) Well One of them I stopped being her oshi (you know the one). My other top 2 currently (Jurina and Sakura). Jurina had a MUCH better year then she did last year (Though the same thing happened, but at least she wasn't out as long as she was last year). Sakura's year has been good as well (just since November with this crap going on with them (which of course isn't her fault) hasn't been great.

3) Hopes, Fears, Predictions for 2020
Hopes
The SSK Returns
At least more then 2 singles this year
NGT48 disbands (and Ayakani and Gatanee go away FOREVER)

Fears
Still no SSK
More Graduations happen of key members.

Predictions
Only the SSK Returns (Singing Contest takes the Janken Spot with a new event announced happening in December 2020).
Sports Festival Returns (Calling it right now, with the Olympics next year. We are going to see this return in the Spring).
New TV Shows
A MUCH BETTER Year then 2019 (I hope lol).

 

This year SUCKED! I can only hope things go up from now on for all the girls' sake TTATT Maybe Sousenkyo can come back at least... that's the best case scenario.

 

I hardly followed 48G (and 46G) this year. Of course, I was busier with things in real life, but with almost all of my favorites gone, no sousenkyo, and most importantly, not enough releases, with very few songs or MVs I enjoyed (and the weird mixing in many songs in the past 2 years), I began losing interest.

 

After Himetan at stops her career i see my selft that only reason stay least 46G was her good friend...

2019... well... It not bad at world at there are but ...
2020 PLEASE no more terrorist/murder attacks, nice singles...

Well... show must go on...

 

2019 is by far the worst year AKB48 ever had, a year with pretty much no signs of growth from any group except STU48.
- Mahohon assault scandal, and it's not even the worst
- Mass graduation
- Only 2 releases
- end of their iconics TV and radio shows
- janken disapeared, not a big loss IMO, it lost a lot of it's steam, but still an event that disapeared
- AKB's very own kouhaku was axed too, which is really sad, this concert is allways fun.
- IZ*ONE vote manipulation scandal.
All of a sudden, dating scandals have become minors compared to what happened this year.

As for the girls i am (was) looking for, they almost all graduated, so that's it for now. Welcome back in the oshi-less zone.

i can only wish 2020 will be a better year.
with more releases, 3 would be nice but well, for now the reduced voting methods for RH isn't a positive sign.
No more huge scandals, Well, I care less about the "usual" dating ones we see here or there
Return of the sousenkyo, though it's going to be tough to organise it with teh olympics, unless it happens super late in the year
AKB won't see the Tokyo dôme in 2020, because of the olympics, and won't see it any time soon, unless they are able to bring back "their magic", something kibouteki refrain almost did back then. So some concerts in much more modests arenas sounds more reasonable. Nippon Budokan, somewhere after the olympics sounds like a cool dream

My bigest fear : 2019 happens again.

 

Well... summasummarun... it wasn´t greatest at 46 side :I ... Sells... looks like running same...
Well... Aki-sama?

 

Also to add to the list from @lionel90 :
- No album release
- Closure of the AKB48 Cafe & Shop
- Graduation of Moeka, one of the group's biggest future hopes

As for my own oshis, the worst for me was that all three of my top favourite SKE48 members graduated - Ryoha, Yunana and Rara. I also had to 'let go' of a certain person in NGT48 who refused to show any concern for Maho but Yuka is very much history for me now. My current 48 Group kami- and ni-oshis are Komi and Zukkii, and I feel very happy and proud to be able to follow these two very lovely and beautiful members.

So that together with the news that Yukirin won't be leaving for at least another year (plus I've finally just found my first international oshi - Sita from CGM48) means that I do have some good feelings for 2020, at least from a personal point of view. Whatever happens in the coming year can't be worse than what's happened in 2019? Even if they just bring back SSK then surely 2020 will be better. I think my main concern is what will happen at the Olympics ceremonies - will we see a big 48 Group performance with original songs - or will they just sing KFC for the zillionth time while playing second fiddle to the Sakamichis?

(EDIT: I'm spending New Year's Day watching the 2018 AKB48 Kouhaku Taiko Utagassen and even though it's only just over a year ago it feels like it's in a totally different era...)

 

I'm just hoping 2020 is better in any way, but I am concerned like Einhander mentioned that all effort will be put into local fans and events. Bingo and it's wonderful subs is a big loss for me as a non Japanese speaker, but I greatly appreciate everyone who is taking the time to sub other shows and documentaries.

I'm also curious if the incoming Olympics will have a negative or positive effect.

As for my oshi, Noeppi was setting up to be my top favorite after Sayanee graduated, but after everything that happened with NGT I've taken a step back. I don't have a concrete top fave anymore, which feels weird. Perhaps I'll find one in 2020.

 

So, on top of all things happening in Japan, foreign groups also have their issues at well with JKT's Team T disbanding (or "reshuffling") yet again for no reason and BNK having some members participate in their SSK despite some of member's objections (one of which already made a fan promise not to enter again, IIRC).