if the video does not show watch the video here Application period begins: May 26th to July 7th Website: https://www.akb48.co.jp/lp/audition20th/
The 20ki auditions are already on their third step. From July 20 to August 25 they're intervewing the girls. The final examination is scheduled to September 21. Last examination of 17ki: March 27th, 2022. 17ki reveal: May 4th, 2022. (38 days/1 month and 8 days) Last examination of 18ki: January 28th, 2023. 18ki reveal: April 9th, 2023. (71 days/2 months and 12 days) Last examination of 19ki: January 27, 2024. 19ki reveal: March 17th, 2024. (50 days/1 month and 20 days) The average time between last examination and reveal is 53 days or 1 month and 23 days. So the girls will probably come around November? It's important to remember that from early September until December 7th, the AKB theater will be closed for renovation. So maybe there is a possibility that they're gonna wait until December 8th for revealing the girls? The shonichi of the new stage is scheduled to be that day, but I don't see a problem if there's two theater performances the same day, the birthday one and the shonichi of the new stage. Also found myself wondering how competitive things will get when 20ki arrives...I mean, probably for the next single we'll already have 19ki in senbatsu, and there's still a 18ki super-push who's still never been in senbatsu (Sae)...and I don't see they dropping Yunachan (I don't even mention Azu because she's already undroppable)...but assuming that 20ki will be revealed at the end of the year, for the 67th single maybe we'll already have one of them in senbatsu...with these frequent auditions and the super-push that every single generation is getting, at some point it'll already become difficult for some 17ki to get selected orz
They will go on a national (tour) performance to 20 prefectures across Japan. More info here: http://stage48.net/wiki/index.php/AKB48_Theater_Under_Construction_Performance
This really puts into perspective how long the 17th members have been in the group for. It doesn't feel like much time has passed at all but the AKB of 2022 already looks very different to now. I imagined with all the graduates the past year, we would have enough room for the new stars but it seems like the selection is harder than ever with so many gems in 17th-19th gen. 17ki will now enter the realms of trying to survive without the 'fresh face' tag on their back while also trying to surpass the star power of veterans Yui and Yuiri. It looks like some larger senbatsu's may be in order in the near future.
