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Generation AKB48 18th Generation

Discussion in 'General AKB48 Discussion' started by Mana, Oct 9, 2022.

  1. Mana

    Mana Under Girls

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2012
    [​IMG] AKB48 18th Generation [​IMG]

    main_visual.jpg

    AKB48's 18th generation auditions were announced at the Budokan concert on 9th October 2022!
    Official website of their auditions: https://www.akb48.co.jp/lp/audition18th/
    General informations:

    Application period: October 9, 2022 (Sun) 20:00 until November 19, 2022 (Sat) 23:59.
    First screening (document): Those who have passed will be contacted by November 20, 2022 (Sun).
    Second screening (online): November 26 (Sat) to November 27 (Sun), 2022.
    Third screening (interview): December 10 (Sat) in Fukuoka, December 11 (Sun) in Osaka, December 17 (Sat) in Sapporo, December 18 (Sun) in Tokyo.
    4th screening (singing and dancing): January 21 (Sat) to January 22 (Sun), 2023.
    Final examination (interview): January 28 (Sat), 2023.

    Qualification requirements:

    - Those residing in Japan.
    - Women who are not affiliated with a production company and who are between the 6th grade of elementary school to 20 years old as of November 19, 2022.
    - Those who can participate in the second and subsequent screenings.
    - Those who can appear on TV, WEB, and various other media during the selection process.
    - Those who can make an affiliate contract at the time of passing this audition.
    - If you live far away, you must be able to move to Tokyo and live in Tokyo immediately after passing this audition.
    - Those who can go to the AKB48 theater on a daily basis after passing this audition.

    Please use this thread to share your opinions and discuss anything about the 18th generation!​
     
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  2. lyl

    lyl Kenkyuusei Studio48 Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2022
    Location:
    Brazil
    Oshimen:
    Omori Maho
    Thank you for creating the thread, @Mana. I'm moving what I've written on the 17ki thread then.
    =================================
    I don't really know what to think about the news of 18ki audition right now. It's really weird given that the group spent more than 5 years without an audition (and almost 4 if we considere the batch of girls who came with D3) and now, 5 months after the reveal of 17ki, they're already announcing another one.
    It should be a small generation then, something like 7 girls at most. Because the group is already in a good size, with 17-19 girls per team, and right now we don't have 16nin theater stages so even if there were less members in each team it wouldn't make a big difference.
    I can only see 2 reasons for them to be already planning for a 18th gen:
    1 - The one that there was already mentioned above - the rise of competition between 17ki and 18ki (which would be really good given that 17th gen came since the beginning with a huge push, and a 18th gen would force them to work harder in order to be pushed)
    2 - They're already thinking about making the stages 16nin again so they want more kenkyuusei in order to make the kks stage 16nin.
    I don't think they would think about making Team 8 a brand new regular team because I mean, what would be the concept of it? Team A is the team of the royal road idols, girls who have that aura of diva, of ace. Team K is the energetic, cool team. Team B, the cute girls one. Team 4, the "fresh", young, seishun team (even though not that fresh after the shuffle). Former Team 8 had the concept of idols who can meet you and stuff, then what would be the vibe of a new Team 8? A team full of newbies? I don't think that would be good at all. The most reasonable choice for me is having both 17ki and 18ki girls as kenkyuusei for a while, with them performing together if we suppose that around 2023 second half the COVID restrictions had already gone and they being able to perform in a 16nin formation, and around the time of the 18th anniversary (or if the teams start to get really small, like with 15 girls) they get promoted to AKB4 teams.
    Thinking about it now, a 18ki would be actually exciting and make things spicier, with competition and girls trying even harder. I think I've changed my mind after writing this post.
    But please God, don't allow teams to be overcrowded again. A limit of 20nin, or even less if the kenkyuusei were allowed to perform as unders on the theater stages like before, would be already good. I almost faint when I remember that a while ago there were teams with around 24 girls.
     
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  3. Mana

    Mana Under Girls

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2012
    I agree with you @lyl, I also have some mixed feelings about this new generation but after thinking about it, I agree that it can be exciting for the group.

    Actually, I don't follow the current teams too closely but I read from some fans that the current teams have a hard time to perform stages even with just 8 members... because senbatsu members are busy + some Team 8 members still live in their hometown, and can't be in Tokyo to perform at the theater. I think the 17th gen also have this issue, so far in a month, they performed their stage only 3 times (2 of them were in a same day) it's probably because they are only 10 members and 8 of them need to be available (and it seems like Kokone/Yukitan aren't ready to perform on stage yet so it's the other 8 who need to be available which is a bit complicated). I guess if a new gen is added, it can help to have more regular performances with the KKS and eventually promote them to other teams when it will be really necessary. But I hope the 17th gens won't get promoted too fast, I like seeing them together and it's too soon... I wouldn't mind to see 17th and 18th gens work together. if they get divided in other teams, they'll be lost among 70 other girls and won't get to stand out or get the spotlight.

    Anyway this is the current count of members in the 4 teams (with Team 8 included in their kennin teams, since that's how it will be starting next year...).

    Team A: 19 members
    Team K: 16 members (not counting Tomu who announced graduation)
    Team B: 18 members
    Team 4: 18 members

    I guess maybe sometime in early 2023, they'll have to promote some kenkyuusei... especially if a lot of these girls announce graduation. I don't really expect Team 8 members to leave before they have their goodbye in April before hiatus though so maybe there won't be too many graduations and 17th gen can still stay together as 10 for a few more months until 18th debuts, and then some of the 17th gens could get promoted. I guess we'll see how it goes!

    To be honest, while I'm not against this new gen since I can see that the group kinda needs it to have regular KKS stage, for their future too, and it can be exciting for the fans, but I still think AKB isn't in the right situation to have so many members when they can't promote them very well, so maybe the solution would be to eventually go back to 3 teams? I think right now Team 8 is the only team that still has a bond/history and original members, and they put them on hiatus... if they did this for Team 8, I don't think it would be impossible to do it for Team 4 (and it's weird to have 4 but not 8, I know it used to be like this back then but that was before 8 existed). But yes they did a shuffle very recently so this won't happen anytime soon lol.

    Also I hope this gen won't be too big, maybe something like 8 members?
     
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  4. Izzy Trinh

    Izzy Trinh Future Girls Studio48 Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2019
    Oshimen:
    AKB48 Yukirin, AKB48 Naamin
    I think they should go back to 3 teams either, it's not I don't like NaruNaru Team 4 but I can't see their concept/image right now. Team4 was the "youth" but now it's not like that anymore. Team A is still the ACE/fashion ones, Team K is energic/talented, Team B is orthodox idol/cute images but Team 4 is not "the future" anymore. If they bring 16-nin stage back, keeping 4 teams will need more than 90 members including KKS and that will be too much. Disband Team 4 and separate them into 3 teams will make each team have 22-24 members which is perfect even after a small wave of graduation from Team 8 starts.

    Can't agree more. I don't think a team should have more than 18 members with 8-nin stage like now. But if they want to bring 16-nin stage back then 20-22 girls will be fine.
     
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  5. donjonnie

    donjonnie Next Girls

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2011
    Oshimen:
    Time's up
    After looking at the months passed since last gen reveal statistic, seems like it's not that fast after all...
    at least not like the golden era.
    Also the March 1, 2023 is just an estimate based on the last day of final examination interview, plus 1 month for initial training.
    (17ki final interview was on March 27, 2022, and they got revealed about 1 month later at May 4, 2022, source)

    [​IMG]

    Now will they get potentially good candidates this time? 17ki was quite a bullseye for the current time.
    Auditions during this time:
    I think Hinatazaka had already revealed their 4th gen, NMB48 is currently at the last stage of their 9th gen audition, and I think Morning Musume is recruiting too?
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2022
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  6. Trinu

    Trinu Under Girls

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2010
    Location:
    Earth-616
    People being surprised at this audition coming too fast... you really weren't around back in the day where we had a new gen every other month. :^^;:

    I hope it's a similar size to the 17th gen (10 or so). I don't think many Eitos will jump ship by next year, but you need a good number of KKS to have a KKS stage and for them to under for the other stages (if they do it right, and not whatever Yuiri was doing).
     
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  7. gvstavvss

    gvstavvss Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2022
    And there's Sakurazaka46 3rd generation to be revealed in December-January (officially they're supposed to debut on November, but Sakamichi Series generations are always postponed a month or two).
     
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  8. lionel90

    lionel90 Under Girls

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2009
    Twitter:
    Lionel_90

    if the video does not show watch the video here
     
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  9. souchan48

    souchan48 Future Girls

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2013
    Location:
    Oshimen: Amami Yuki
    Oshimen:
    takahashiminami
    Watching draft shows make me wonder why they didnt try to do that again.

    Sure it requires more budget but it will create buzz. Drafts are such underrated concepts of akb
     
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  10. Jun-san

    Jun-san Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2019
    Location:
    United states
    Oshimen:
    Satsuki Aika
    at first i thought the 18th generation auditions felt a little too fast, i mean we are just now getting to know the 17th gen members...

    but more auditions mean more idols to follow, so i'm a little more accepting to it, still kinda iffy and conflicted on the idea but, i'm willing to take the chance to see what new girls we get with this batch.

    as for how the 17th gen feels about this, i think it's kinda sad that they haven't had a chance to fully grow yet before becoming senpai already. I felt kinda bad when the members started crying backstage... It must be mentally tolling to feel like you're being idk.. replaced(?)

    Either way, lets accept the next gen members with open arms!
     
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  11. Mimikkyu

    Mimikkyu Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2019
    Oshimen:
    48G itself.
    These days a draft event will have no meaning and serve no purpose because sisters groups are no longer together.
     
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  12. ForrestFuller

    ForrestFuller Senbatsu

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2013
    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
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  13. Mimikkyu

    Mimikkyu Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2019
    Oshimen:
    48G itself.
  14. moomookan

    moomookan Member Wiki48 Editor

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2012
    Oshimen:
    Yamauchi Mizuki, Yagi Toa
    ^Macharin is from Taiwan. Now there’s a can of worms!
     
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  15. lionel90

    lionel90 Under Girls

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2009
    Twitter:
    Lionel_90
    Former SDN48 Chen Qu is the 1st 48 member from China
     
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  16. FlowingColors

    FlowingColors Future Girls

    Joined:
    May 7, 2021
    Location:
    ◢⁴⁶ Headquarters
    Quick Google-search on her:

    -Birth name: Zhāng Xiǎoméi (张小梅)
    -Yoomei (Korean: 유메이; Japanese: ユメイ)
    -Height / Weight: 168cm / 48kg
    -Born: August 5th, 2000
    -She's American-Chinese (Born in Stanford, California)
    -She speaks Mandarin, Korean, English and Japanese
    -She took Japanese and Korean classes (her Korean teacher inspired her to become an idol)
    -Solo singer and componist
    -She acted in commercials before, but she wants to act in a drama in the future
    -She had her Japanese debut on January 7th, 2022 with digital single album “To The Future” (You can listen to it on her Spotify -here-)
    For more -> kprofiles & kpop.fandom
     
  17. Mana

    Mana Under Girls

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2012
    I'm pretty sure she's not going to make it to the group, because she's 22 years old and the age limit is 20... Maybe she passed the first examination because management didn't look at details yet? Also I don't think the candidates are allowed to share their results like this on social medias...

    Btw I don't think AKB ever had a full chinese member in the past but they had a half chinese member, Suzuki Yuka (ex-Team 8 member who graduated last year), her mother is chinese.
     
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  18. sscrla

    sscrla Stage48 Moderator Staff Member Stage48 Moderator

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2015
    Oshimen:
    Takayanagi Akane
    I am confused. Are you saying that 馬嘉伶 is Japanese? Or that people born in Taiwan are not Chinese? While there are Taiwanese natives, Han people came to Taiwan hundreds of years ago.

    "According to governmental statistics, over 95% of Taiwan's 23.4 million people are Han Chinese, of which the majority includes descendants of early Hoklo immigrants who arrived from Fujian in large numbers starting in the 17th century." wikipedia
     
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  19. David61

    David61 Under Girls Stage48 Donor

    Joined:
    May 17, 2015
    Location:
    Reading, England
    Oshimen:
    Komiyama Haruka
    Twitter:
    DavidB13
    Former STU48 member Cho Orie has Chinese parents but she was born in Japan.
     
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  20. jessiejinx

    jessiejinx Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2015
    Location:
    England Coventry
    Oshimen:
    Sakaki Miyu (Cuca)
    Pretty sure there was a Chinese girl who audition a while ago but never made it but i cant fine the fourm post about it now
     

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