AKB48 Question & Answer

@dutchie Ok, I proceed in the same thread. I've been wondering about this question for a while myself.

Next question. I'm still in Saitama super arena. What happened to Jurina on day 2? She didn't looked very well at the end. Was the concurrent position in Team K too much for her?

 

She had a panic attack during the announcement. Remember that before this there wasn't a concept of concurrent group membership, she thought it was a full transfer and started hyperventilating. Cue panic from the members and togasaki's "oh shut I dun messed this up" face

 

I've found an English-language article from Tokyo Hive dated 2012/04/04 (a week or so later) which says "On April 4th, SKE48's official blog announced that member Matsui Jurina has been hospitalized to recover from overwork and fatigue" so I think her health wasn't very good at the time and I'd guess that might have contributed to her panic attack.

https://www.tokyohive.com/article/2012/04/ske48s-matsui-jurina-hospitalized-for-fatigue

 

While the top girls from Original Team A had certainly amassed some popularity before 2009 something worth mentioning about AKB's promotions via their songs music videos vs television lives is that they've often had over the years videos with a very story based approach rather than the whole Dance Shots mixed with some Scenic Solo/Duo/Trio Shots that are common for other idol groups. Their music videos pretty much became a matter of if you don't have a major role in the story you're out of luck as a result and it was only quite recently that they began moving away from prioritizing the story being told over giving everyone ample screentime (legit they started doing so circa 2015 and only part of the time).

I've got to admit having seen their music videos over the years that most of the girls who ended up ignored didn't have the acting chops at the time nor have they garnered them since then for me to have made different choices too often if I had any authority. About the only one I do think got too much time based strictly on her acting chops in early years is Maeda Atsuko. She's gotten way better over the years, but particularly in anything from before 2010 her acting in AKB videos is quite a fair bit cringeworthy (I.E Her acting in the Namida Surprise video is very stilted and she even seems uncomfortable at times). Anyway, having some solid pre-existing popularity to springboard off of when the group's boom happened was what elevated those remaining Original Team A girls to the next level.

Girls like Oshima Yuko, Miyazawa Sae, Kasai Tomomi, Watanabe Mayu, and Kashiwagi Yuki saw similar benefits. For girls like Sashihara Rino, Kitahara Rie, Takajo Aki, and so on it was an uphill battle because they had less solid a pre-existing popularity to springboard from. When it comes to television lives the folks at each show they featured on were ultimately the ones to decide who the camera would focus on most and unfortunately the girls on the underbelly of Senbatsu could never win that war either.

Following up on their over-abundant presence in the music videos and camera focus in television lives, also being pushed consistently across as many fields as possible also ultimately ensured those remaining top girls from Original Team A and their contemporaries from Original Team K and Original Team B could never fall by the wayside and truly lose their popularity.

 

@Reveen @David61 @dutchie Thanks, then I was right. My opinion it that management was pushing her too hard. She was only 11 when she debuted in July 2008 and already 3 month later she was center in Oogoe diamond, and this continued. I have nothing against her but the less I see her the better. Sometimes she's everywhere. Let's forget the Janken rig. Regarding Saitama concert she was absent from the whole day 3 except for Soredemo suki da yo. Her place in Baby Blossom Band was taken over by Akimoto Sayaka.

@Dragonkiller12012 True words. There were top girls and there were theater girls, even those in lower senbatsu. Maybe that's the reason for the declining of AKB48, when the top girls started to graduate the girls below couldn't fill the gap and take over because they hadn't been pushed enough.

 

I know. I would say first Yuihan, then Paruru and later on for example Mion, Sayaya and more. They jumped over 4th-7th generation. But the younger girls came in too fast as you are saying.

 

I have another question from Saitama concert. AKB performed 2 songs from the not yet released single Manatsu no sounds good, it come 2 month later. The title song and also Gugutasu no sora. I wonder about the scene clothes for Gugutasu, they were not the same as those on the single MV and all later performances. Why? Here is one example from Saitama and one from the MV.

The answer might only be speculations but is there someone who knows the answer? Is this common?

 

Different outfits for a concert? Yes.

 

It's not that uncommon if you paid enough attention.
They tend to use 2 maybe 3 outfits.

 

Ahem. Every variant of this monstrosity.

 

If we want to make this into a cringeworthy costume thread I raise you with Tokimeki Antique

 

Nothing tops that one time AKB put some of their more attractive members in toilet paper rolls.

Spoiler

Except Sugar Rush.
Got to go to Hakata to out ugly SR's "outfits".