i became an akb fan about a year and a half ago, around the time the 17th gen kenkyuusei joined. it used to be something that gave me a lot of happiness and comfort, but that’s not been the case recently. across all 48g groups, there have been 111 graduation announcements in total so far this year. 9 of those are from my oshimen. it’s getting harder to enjoy 48g music/content when it feels like there’s a new graduation announcement everyday. i just don’t find it as fun to be a fan anymore. i’m curious to see how other people feel, since i know most of the users on here have probably been fans for longer than i have. is anyone else feeling similarly?
Well, this year is the worst in the AKB history in the field of graduations, beating the previous record by almost the double (currently 41 grad announcements vs the previous record of 21) so I can't blame you for feeling that way. In my case, I reach the point where I don't care about graduations. Of course I feel a little sad when someone announces it, but nothing compared to for example 2022 when an announcement was really really really sad news for me, somehow I become used to it. My recommendation is, try to enjoy the content, like Saikin Kiita, Theater Stages (mainly MC), Youtube and short videos from twitter tiktok and showroom cuts, Nemousu TV, Eizo content, HADO, Ippachi Room, 17ki Iina Kenkyuujo... (there are a lot of great moments in all of them) and the girls while they are in the group and when they decide to leave give them a big farewell for all the joy they have given to us. And accept that all the girls at some point will leave the group, some of them sooner and some of them later. Some years will have more announcements an other years less. It's true that we never see a year like this and probably we will never see this again but that's the fate for all of them.
I think I don't exactly feel burnt out because being an AKB fan is always a rollercoaster of emotions and I started following the group fully aware of that. There are always moments when we think "omg we're so back!" but also lots of "omg it's so over". AKB is probably the idol group with the most changes (some drastic, some moderate) in its structure in history. And it has been like this since Day 1...for example, in the earliest days the teams thing didn't even exist. It was a bit after 2ki came that they established that 1ki was Team A and 2ki Team K. Looking a bit later, if you go through old forum posts, you will see fans acting like their life was over because of the 2009 first shuffle. That said, even though 2023 was probably one of AKB hardest years, with huge changes and loads of painful moments, I try to be optimistic about the future...I absolutely love the new gens and I'm really enthusiastic about the new theater stage that's finally coming. What I feel is kinda bittersweet actually, because current AKB is already completely different from 2022 AKB for example and I don't even imagine how it will be in 6 months or even less. But I try to be positive, especially because of the girls I really love that are still in the group. At the end of the day, what would describe following AKB better than always being in a rollercoaster of emotions?
I think what will mostly determine your enjoyment of AKB as a group has to do with how much you like the girls as a whole. I know that for me when I stopped following the group closely was when I didn't know any of the new gens. But now while yes, it's sad to see oshis graduating (and I'm still not over the fact that Berin is leaving no matter how unsurprising the grad announcement was), at the same time the group makes me so happy as a whole because I love the members so much. I love 17ki and 18ki who will be the future of the group, but all of the other members too. I have a hard time deciding in my head who I like more and I feel like every month there's a new member I turn on notifications for on twitter because I want to make sure I see their posts lol One thing to be aware of is that while this year was so bad graduations-wise, most years aren't going to be this way. And I agree with @lyl, being an AKB fan is also about the rollercoaster of emotions. The group always has a shake up every once in a while. Before you had team shuffles, kennins, different types of shows... and whatever else management decided to come up with. For instance, my kami-oshi was always Miichan (Minegishi Minami) but Suuchan (Sato Sumire) was always my ni-oshi. So it was definitely sad for me when she moved to SKE, since I never followed them (I used to follow AKB and NMB, a bit of HKT, but never SKE). But I just made sure to keep following her regardless. You adapt and learn to enjoy the group in the way that works for you. But it's also okay to find other option that bring you more joy! (I just personally never found an idol group that ever came close to AKB for me, no matter how much I enjoy idols in general)
Same here, even though I've always taken a strong interest in other 48 SGs (in particular SKE) and Sakamichi as well as Sasshi's groups all of them have something that for me is kind of 'missing' unlike with AKB. Of course I'm very disappointed about all the graduation announcements this year (especially Berin and Hiichan) but I'm very grateful that my top 2 oshis Komi and Megu remain for now at least and there's still other members strongly holding my interest such as YuiYui, Naru, Zukkii and Erii. I also love the 17ki and 18ki members, I'm optimistic about the future of the group thanks to them and I can't wait to see what 19ki will bring. I continue to get more of a buzz from new AKB single announcements than I do from those from other groups and with online talks I only ever spend money on those with AKB members. Yes I still miss Mayuyu and the time years ago when she was my kami-oshi but even her graduation didn't make me move away from the group so I really can't see myself 'graduating' from AKB fandom anytime soon.
On the contrary. With the introduction of the 18 gen and the removal of COVID travel restriction and resumption of in-person meetings and the promise if 16 member theater show my interest was revived in 2022 with the release of hisashiburi lip gloss (my most played song of 2023 according to YouTube music recap) If you are feeling burnt out I would suggest a trip to Japan to an in person meeting in March or April. Or at the very least an online meeting and ask your oshimen hagemashite kudasai (encourage me!). Remember in the words of Takamina "your hard currency will be rewarded" or something like that.
Even though I wish it was an option to everyone, it is an option out of reach for many people, and for even more people if possible requires a time to sort out time and money to do it. That being said, I agree 100%. I was and still am in a bit of a limbo, since after Naochan graduated I haven't yet been able to decide on a new oshi. But I did have a chance to go to an in-person event (I don't do online, they never were of interest to me.) and ooh boy it was great. Even though I met all of the girls I spoke to for the first time, I was instantly reminded why HS events are wonderful. Expensive sort of wonderful but still. Word of warning though: if your luck runs out and end up with a fistful of salt for one reason or another, it will instantly change your opinion of a member. (Unless you enjoy salt but that means you are weird. )
I agree 100% too. In-person meetings with idols are amazing experiences which will remain in your memory for many years. I've been going to HS events in Japan since 2016, my first was an NMB one and the first member I met there was Uuka (Kato Yuuka). She shouted "I LOVE YOUUUUUU!!!" and tightly held onto my hand while staff-san was trying to pull me away as time was up. I was hooked! Other nice memories from back then include ex-SKE Azuma Rion almost cutting off the circulation to my hand by squeezing it very tightly after I told her I liked her keyboard playing, HKT's Maichan insisting on continuing to talk with me (in quite good English) even after time was up and a very young Kururun trying to fish me while I was in the next lane speaking with an also very young Erii. Fast forward to last May. OK physical handshakes weren't yet allowed but the post-pandemic measures also meant that there were no screens at any of the booths so you could see what was happening with members on either side of the lane you were in. It was entertaining and it helped pass the time, and in any case there were still very nice moments for me including Orin still firing off questions at me after left her booth. (I've bought 4 tickets for her in April so she can have a more lengthy Q&A session with me. ) I've also got tickets for Yukirin, YuiYui and Yuiri and it's always a very special experience to meet the top members in person even if they're not among your own favourite oshis. But as for my own oshimen Komi I've got 12 tickets for her, 6 each for slots on both days, and it'll be the 7th and 8th times I've met her in person since 2017. I can't properly describe how wonderful it is to meet your favourite member but do it if you can and you'll feel yourself walking on air for months afterwards.
it's okay to feel this way, i understand you, you're a fandom child who arrived at a bad time... i swear, it wasn't always like this! you were unlucky enough to enter at a bad stage in the group, but it will get better! don't give up on AKB48! soon new girls that interest you will appear and show how they can captivate you too, think of it like this, renewal... that's the magic of AKB. when Mayuyu announced her graduation, i thought everything was over for me in akb48, but i didn't die! i swear!
AKB48 was such a joy to be a fan of. SSK was our Super Bowl, so many comments, so much work for our girls. 4 singles a year, many good bsides. Now it is boring being a fan, it is hard to get to know the girls without all the gimmicks, no one with star quality in the newer generations, specially since all the talent goes to Korea now. It is what it is
I know it is your opinion, but it's wrong in every aspects. I've been AKB48 fan since 2009 and I still see many star quality in the newest generations. It depends on how management company handle them.
i might be the minority here, but i sorta/kinda like the mass graduation, of course its sad and depressing situation.but in other side, its giving akb chance to start fresh. it feels like pruning flowers in a garden. the not so pushed girls are tired and they have better things to do outside akb anyways, probably having a family or pursuing another careers. + regeneration is always a thing in 48 groups. might as well do it big time.
The thing is that, if they keep giving the new girls nothing to do... the mass graduation would've been for nothing. Two singles a year is absolutely ridiculous and they just lost one this year to bid farewell to Yukirin. Hopefully we'll get another single by June/July and another by Xmas or so. And with more MVs! But something tells me they'll keep a low profile until the next anniversary. And even then... we'll see if that new stage actually happens.
The current handshake/online sessions go until the end of May, so unless management decides to continue to use the current single for any handshake/online sessions in the Japanese summer, we should be getting a new single announcement some time in May. Hopefully that means we're getting 3 singles this year.
I felt burnt out in 2014/2015. This time I think I'm just done. I mean, not quite yet. But the clock has ticked down from 3 to 2. And so far nothing management has done has made me want to keep going once those last two leave. Maybe even just one, depending on who goes first. It would be fitting, since I became a fan the same month she joined.
