[GENERAL] The AKB48 Thread

That is such a strange argument to make.

First of all, the discussion of Hayakawa Seira is completely related to the previous discussions in the forum: managements' incompetencies. We cannot help to compare in-between groups because historically, they used to be associated with one another. Even if the discussion came to the conclusion "the way ngt48 operates is different to akb", the discussion is still warranted.


The comment is also ahistoric. Till recently, "akb" used to both mean "akb groups (including its sister groups)" and "akb48". The management (even 46 groups) did not exist in vacuum, they exist with another.

(Even management alludes to this part. Remember nogizaka ni kozaremashita?)

In fact, as one pointed out, seigo did (or even still?) works with akb. There is no better place to discuss it than here. And it is even a good starter for further discussion abt management's competencies (or lackthereof)

(It is also naive to think what happens to one 48/46 groups wont affect akb48 as a group. Dont u all remember the NGT incident? Also, if this happens in nogizaka, might as well ponder whether similar things happened to akb)



"please discuss it in the member's thread" disrupts the discussion flows. Okay as i pointed out, it is necessary to create that distinction when the group is alive and crowded. But when the people discussing are always the same people... doing that will turn off the discussion. I bet if u do that, only 1 or 2 people will check out the thread. That is just human, not everyone wants to fish the info themselves.

Some of you might say, "But isnt it their responsibility to get their info themselves?"

Yeah. But at the time where interest of the group is arguably at its lowest, shouldnt stage48 aims to promote awareness and increase one's interest /depth of knowledge towards the group? Especially when they are not interested, should a fanpage/forum aim to make them interested? Very weird that the forum intends to do otherwise.

Turning off the discussion (which I argue is nothing out of topic) will do the opposite.

Rules are important, but being flexible to adapt at its own audience and its needs is also important. This forum seems to be replication of akb management at its peak. It treats forum the same way it was treated when the forum was at its peak. If you read the very old threads (2006-2010), u can see that the forum might not be as tidy but discussions are flowing and noone issues warning for this kind of reason. And trust me the forum today is even more dead than when it was in 2008

It also paints a streak of double standard. How can discussions of kpop whi ch happens at every single continue until 3-4 pages without warning? But why this relevant discussion get stopped after 3-4 posts?

 

Stage48 & Double Standard? Colour me surprised.
I got suppressed by a mod here for defending an ex 48G member from 1 kpop user last year (won't expand on this).
It feels difficult to post anything ever since.

 

But who is hayakawa seira? and what is her relation to akb48?

 

Naturally the most interesting conversation in ages gets shut down

 

Many of the moderators here have been reduced to "people who respond to reports" and nothing else. Naturally this place seems perfectly clean—too clean in fact. Almost in a robotic way. So much that it devoids of souls and "human touch" that it once has. But then most moderators at that time is already inactive so not surprising.

This place is the total opposite of nante / arama japan where the admins didnt bother to clean lol.

Balance is the key.

 

Choreographer Natsu Mayumi passed away due to cancer.

 

Article from Oricon News:
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2286007/full/

This and other news reports today are mentioning her connection with AKB48. I've done a little searching and I found a biography of her here:
https://www.speakers.jp/speaker/natsu-mayumi/

I've run part of it through Google Translate:

EDIT: Takamina has paid tribute to her:
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2286012/full/

 

If I remember correctly, Johnny was once charged with rapes as parents of 2 trainees reported him. There had to be some formal investigation albeit going no where as victims were paid hush money later.

If it were just NGT's members doing then what that had to do with AKB? No AKB's member involved in the incident yet they were penalized for it? Nice logic there.

Did you truly believe AKB had "sold out" or "twitter/yahoo trend" power before the Maho debacle? Someone brought up the case of Hayakawa. Has Nogi been scratched over this controversy? No sponsor withdrawn so far. Did Nogi had that TV appearance banning power of Johnny?

What a fantasy. No big showbiz company needs no sponsor.

You did say Akimoto invested no passion in 48 because he was having fun with new toys. I simply replied that he seemed to enjoy those neither.

I read that to declare there was "serious injury", the company was subjected to official probe.

In my country, there is a certain specified scope of "serious" injury such as, impaired visibility, the loss of olfactory sense, the loss of organs such as finger, arm, toe, many teeth etc. What happened to Kakehashi was the loss of 2 teeth and the paralysis on a side of her face (no broken face bone). The loss of 2 teeth certainly was not serious and, unless the law had especially specified otherwise, the paralysis on the face could be legally listed as "light". What happened there was likely more of exploitation of legal ambiguity avoid a legal hassle. Something you rather expected every single company in the world practice.

But, a more serious issue was in hindsight, the compromised concert safety. How did Kakehashi get injured in the first place? Was there safety leniency? No way Seigo could be lenient alone as the music company must review the stage plan and every safety measures beforehand. If the leniency on music company persists, another serious accident is pending regardless Seigo's withdrawal.

When we say a person is corrupted, it means that person habitually commits something immoral. It can be animal abuse, polyamory etc. So, exploitation of teenage girls is corruption in a broader sense.

Fans may refuse to look deeper for their own comfort. MNLoves (MNL48's fans) were prime example. Parents of members threatened to report HHE, MNL's agency, to Department of Labor for long overdue wages. MNLoves responded with rage against the parents and members, saying they had to be sympathetic, it was difficult to start a showbiz company of these many employees. If MNLoves agreed that HHE was in the wrong, to buy any more goods, to attend any more event, would intentionally support "criminal" thus, bad psychological conflict. On the other hand, they could just shift their support to another member or just wait until new members were added.

Seigo could get his job done within given budget and time frame. Thus, he was competent at his work. However he treated the performer is a different topic of morality. DH hiring a capable outsource in no way was an incompetence.

If that opinion, "what happens to 46 affects AKB" is true, the opposite, "what happens to 48 affects Nogizaka", also is correct but, it isn't. Besides, the effect of Keyakizaka fiasco limited only to its direct successor, Sakurazaka.

So, it has been nothing interesting for ages, huh?

 

Rest in Peace Natsu-sensei.
She was in charge of dance choreography from the very start (Aki-P asked her to help, she was in the first gen audition as one of the judge) up until Yuuhi wo Miteiruka.
I also read that she was the one who picked and pushed Acchan. (from here)

 

Same company at the time.
Very long documented thread below:
http://stage48.net/forum/index.php?threads/ngt48-assault-case.22622/

 

Nikkan Sports has tweeted a photo of Natsu-sensei with Sae at RH 2013 when 'Kiseki wa Ma ni Awanai' (which she performed with Jurina and Micha) came second:
https://twitter.com/nikkan_ohtomo/status/1676883936943960064



(2nd photo is from https://twitter.com/hxHcj9RwnVyA0MO/status/1676928778952671233)

 

Indeed. Also it doesnt matter what we think. Obviously the sponsors thought otherwise. Since then many sponsors distance themselves from akb group. Some did it in more subtle way (the japanese way), but some surprisingly outright said it and even made a statement about it.

Anyway, condolences. For sure , akb wouldnt even exist for these long without her. I bet she has a role in stopping members who want to quit the group at ths time

 

rest in peace, natsu-sensei. thank you for giving us some of akb’s most iconic choreographies. i hope you can rest comfortably now.

 

AKB48 will be at @.JAM Expo 2023 on Aug 26 !

https://twitter.com/at_jam/status/1677150510892322818
While STU48 NMB48 NGT48 will be on Aug 27.
I wonder what lineup they'll send this year? (note : last year's setlist)

https://atjam.jp/expo2023/lineup

Addition: Comments by Goodwill Ambassador/MC, former SKE48 Suda Akari:

if the video does not show watch the video here

EDIT: apologies to user @jam that I inadvertently mentioned while typing the title of the event.

=================
Also AKB48 will be on TBS Ongaku no Hi next week, Jul 15!
https://twitter.com/AKB48_staff/status/1677302256432193536
Lineup and song(s) unknown yet.
The next day is National Fanmeeting in Osaka, so it is speculated that the appearance time won't be late at night.

 

I know this is auto-translated but this is the slogan we talked about on Discord as well: it actually goes "beams from your eyes, power from your hands and aura from your pores."

 

AKB48 will be on TV Asahi's music program 『The MusiQuest』 on Aug 27 !

https://twitter.com/themusiquest/status/1678252706283114504
https://twitter.com/AKB48_staff/status/1678253269452468224
https://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-12811140391.html

It's still more than a month away, but they already have the participating members list? Surprising!
Featuring:

Basically current senbatsu, minus Hiichan and Berin. Instead, Kururun and Shitao are participating!