Don't you miss AKB's old songs and image ?

So what if a song is well-received or not? If you will feel good if I say it then okay. KFC is REALLY good. KFC sure is a great song. Satisfied? And I DID NOT say that "ALL japanese don't like KFC". I guess you are having trouble in differentiating ALL and SOME. What's your point in stating all those facts? You are really weird. You know I don't even a KFC fan but you still give me a thousand reasons to point out that KFC is a success / really good. It's the same feeling you get when I try really hard to persuade you liking your most disliked/unfavorited songs.

 

like team A MV-Kiss made countdown.. the lyrics are: aaaaaaahaaaa aaaaaahaaaa ahaaaaaaaaa..

Its not that they started to make sloppy songs. Maybe they can't produce good songs anymore. Its not easy to compose a music. About their outfits and MV, i have to agree with you. Its like aki-p is cutting the budget.

 

I stopped following AKB earlier this year. Started following them in 2009.

One of the big problems is that they just don't seem to be getting any better. I remember the early days when I looked forward to Takamina's solo debut, but she made zero progress in singing and her solo debut was lackluster.
My problem with the songs isn't that it's bad musically because they were never really that good to begin with. It's because they haven't really gotten better. "AKB tries... a dance song with UZA!" and it's cool that they're trying new things but they never get to the point of like... expertise. Compared to other musicians and pop groups, they seem far behind. That's okay with their previous image of always getting better, but they just haven't gotten any better.

Then there are people like Oshima Yuuko and Watanabe Mayu. I feel like they've peaked. I love following them as celebrities because Yuuko is fun to watch and Mayuyu has good music, but the "storyline" behind them is nonexistent. They just do work well. It doesn't have the same feeling as it did back then when they had to be bold to stay relevant. While we're at it, I'd include Kojiharu in there too.

With the new girls, sure they have stories, but it's not the same. They don't and never will have the zero-to-hero background, starting from nothing and making the group get big. I don't see what they're adding.

I switched to follow NMB instead, mainly because they have a comedic edge that I like. But even then, I'm starting to get bored because of the same pitfalls. They're not at the top like AKB, but they don't seem to be getting any better at anything.

The whole thing just feels like they're spinning their wheels.



FWIW I actually do like Koi Suru Fortune Cookie. It's catchy and everything... but it feels devoid of the idol sentiment that I usually attach to AKB. It doesn't feel like an AKB song so much as it feels like... a song.

 

With the exception of Uza, I have liked each single so far this year more than its corresponding single last year. And I think my preference for the upcoming single over Eien Pressure is pretty much guaranteed.

The moment I start hating the new releases and pining for the good ole days is when I'll stop posting here. What would be the point? I spent a decade in H!P fandom and endured years of fans whining about their impending doom and how good the group used to be (fans in 2001: "they stopped being good in 1998!" fans in 2003: "they stopped being good in 2001!" fans in 2005: "they stopped being good in 2003" and repeat, endlessly), all while they were releasing music I was loving more than ever. But the moment the music stopped being fun for me, I checked out of the fandom. I will never understand the motivation behind those who cling to their former fandoms even when their love turns to hate. No one cares to hear that kind of whining and negativity, and they'd be much better off focusing their efforts on a new fandom which actually made them happy.

 

^ FYI, I think many people in this forum, including me, no longer consider ourselves AKB fans. More specifically, we love a few girls, not AKB or 48s as the whole group.

Here is a short analysis of why I feel really surprised that some still love AKB as a whole:
- Sometimes here and there I saw people mentioned AKB is a business and use it to support their points (i.e. why AkiP pushes some girls not others). But to be frank, true, AKB is a business and, sorry, I don't care. As I paid money for some AKB products, I am a customer and as a customer, I don't care how profitable AKB is. And AKB as a business, IMO, is neither respectable nor innovative to be admired.
- AKB's music/acting/.... is generally sub-par compared to the whole industry. The most obvious indication of that is how AKB's graduates and members fare in the main stream. Some of AKB's most prominent singers have graduated (i.e. Yuka, WTomomi, etc.) but so far, no one have succeeded in a solo career. Acchan's acting in Asaki Yumemishi, with no disrespect, is nothing short of horrible (it's rating has dropped a lot). Yuko's Ando is a huge flop as well (partially because the script is poor but you can easily go to some drama reviews about her acting).
- As joe has pointed out, most AKB girls do not improve their skills. And it's easy to see why. AKB girls, esp the senbatsu, are immensely busy. Meanwhile, many people dreamed to be an actor or a singer train days and nights for their dream. How can AKB girls be better than those people? Yes, AKB girls work hard but they mostly work hard to increase their popularity and deepen AkiP's pocket, not to train their skills.

Of course, everyone has their preference and their own reasons. But if you love AKB because of their current music, I think it's worth a try to explore how amazing Japanese music is and how AKB music stands among them.

 

Basically, you're stating that one can only enjoy AKB if they're ignorant of all other music? I think you're incredibly misinformed about pop music and its intents. Just because most here are fully aware of the product they're being sold doesn't make their enjoyment of it any less valid or real. I've been an enthusiast of Japanese music for almost twenty years, longer than many of this forum's users have been alive. I could name-drop artists you've never heard of from a multitude of genres...would that somehow legitimize my interest in AKB? Of course not. You're looking at this a bit too seriously, and without, I'm guessing, enough experience in idol fandom to realize idols are not artists.

Otherwise, though, I get it, I do. You're no longer a fan, the appeal the group once held for you has faded, and the longer you stick around, the more annoyed you're going to get by those who still have such fondness for something you've now deemed unworthy. Eventually you'll move on and be much happier for it. But in the meantime, your subjective opinions aren't really going to sway anyone else's feelings.

 

Wow, you have listened to Japanese music for 20 years?? That's awesome. 20 years is nearly my age already . Could you please recommended some good songs (abt 10 I guess, ballad is preferred) about 10-20 years back? ( I am a dorama guy so my music knowledge is limited to the songs from the dramas. And I have no time to explore now. In return, if you need dorama recommendation, I can recommend a list

I am really surprised that you still use the same excuse "Idols are not artists" for that long. How long already? 5 years? 8 years? If some girls like the Super KKS do badly, it is still at least acceptable since they are having their first dramas and singles. But most AKB senbatsu have sang for at least 5 years with more than 20 singles under their belts already and you still use this excuse? Same with their acting, Yuko and Acchan have a very long list of dramas now and if they still acts horribly like this, I doubt the seriousness of their "dream".

With these facts, I treat most what AkiP/AKB management said as marketing cr**. For example, AKB is not a school because its members' skill do not grow; it does not go mainstream because they fail completely in mainstream and can only be an idol group. Some other claims are now very much questionable. For example, are they still a theater group when girls on TV/singles are mostly not seen in theater? And do you still watch your girls grow when, from I can see, the only change is their age and hairstyles. Well, I think you should be aware all of this now. But if you decided to continue paying your time and your money (hopefully ) for this marketing group, it's your choice. For me, such things go far beyond normal marketing practice and borderline cheat other people so I don't think I can support such organization.

Well, I no longer like AKB as a group but I still like my oshi (thankfully, none of my oshi are really part of the so-called "selected" group in AKB). And AKB can still create some needed entertainment for me with minimal time and money spent .

I saw your oshi list: Jurina/Yuko/Yukirin/Yuihan/Annin/Naachan. All AkiP's favorite . I now understand why you love AKB so much as AKB's fate is intrinsically connected to your oshis so that I guess it's difficult to distinguish AKB and your oshi. It seems my philosophy is fundamentally different as HRP has put quite well (in this post viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3712&p=695524#p695524), supporting a senbatsu girl is kind of boring, especially you know she will be forever like this . Anyway, we should not discuss it further.

Again, please recommend some good Japanese songs about 10-20 years back. Thanks in advance

 

I believe you misunderstood something there. I didn't mean to say that supporting a senbatsu member is boring or less respectable than supporting anyone else, but that starting to follow these members now isn't going to be the best idea. AKB grows with its fans and the likes of Yuko and Kojiharu aren't sharing a lane with people joining the fandom in 2013.

Distinguish your oshimen from AKB entirely and she stops being your oshimen. An "oshimen" is someone that you support in a group context, not as a single individual. Acchan, Yuttan or Britney Spears can't be your oshimen. They're separate, stand-alone entities.

I feel that you're generally looking for things you're not really supposed to be looking for. Whether any member's acting is sub-par or not compared to other actual actors or not isn't really something wota are gonna concern themselves with much. Group-internal and group-external are two different things. If you want to see good acting, watch actors act. If you want to hear great voices, listen to someone that makes that his bread and butter. Idols are great at being idols, which is a genre of its own. If what management is selling looks like nonsense to you, you might be in it for the wrong reasons. In general, watching more theater shows should solve most of your qualms. You'll see members improve, no worries. You just need to know how to enjoy idols.

I'm not sure what the issue of mainstream is doing here, since it's never been the group's intention to branch out into that area. An idol group is an idol group.

I doubt this is the right place to try to give a satisfying overview of the past twenty years of Japanese popular music, but if you need something more or less concise on the last - let's make that - 35 years (apart from EXILE, Arashi and Nishino Kana), shoot me a message. I'm pretty fluent when it comes to music, but that doesn't mean I'm unable to appreciate AKB's. On the contrary. There are many songs in their repertoire that I wouldn't appreciate as much if I didn't have some background on the roots. AKB's music is a very respectable example of pop music.

 

Just putting in my two-cents: I like AKB48 because they're idols. I like idols-- Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, even the Western equivalent of it. As shallow as it seems, I like how attractive people pick a character of theirs and amplify it, creating a whole new persona to entertain the mass with songs that make you happy and excited. So long as their singing/dancing/acting/whatever skills aren't let-me-introduce-your-face-with-a-hammer bad, I don't mind, because they make me laugh and cry and occupied, staring dumbly on my computer screen, letting myself be mesmerized by their performances/dramas/whatever.

I'd still follow my oshimen once she graduates ("I want to be an actress!" she says..), but there's literally nothing I can do for her when that time comes, save for maybe watching her dramas/movies (and I'm not a drama kind of person too ) I'm pretty sure when she's out, I'll still be spending most of my times on idol groups than on her, and it's just cause there's less to do when you're not an idol anymore.

A little bit of me is irked that I can't enjoy high notes in AKB48's songs and all, but hey, I get five singles a year (even when their A-sides are SayoKuro in quality these days, the B-sides usually have more soul), various variety shows that I can laugh at, sousenkyos and jankens, and all those "surprises" that's interesting to follow as well. So in a nutshell, I still like and follow AKB48 because they're still able to entertain me, and that's enough for me.

Spoiler

More OT: I think the members do grow. Mayuyu certainly does, as with Suuchan and Haruppi and Lovetan and Miichan. Some explored areas that are not in their comfort zone (Mayu and Suu taking on a more mature role), some gets better at certain skills (JKT48's Team KIII was rubbish at MC-ing; they've gotten increasingly funny now), and some discover a new trait that they can use to market themselves (who was Ricchan again, before the whole BKA48 thing started?).

The ones that get to appear on TV shows and magazines and are too busy to attend the theaters, I think those are the ones that no longer can grow anymore. AKB48 is still a theater-based group though: for every Kojiharu and Yukirin that can't attend daily shows, there's the like of Izurina and Nozarena that have all the free times in the world to perform.

Consequently, I do miss songs like Beginner and Kaze wa Fuiteiru and Oogoe Diamond. The A-sides released these days are not as strong imo, though like I said, the B-sides do not disappoint as much. Every c/w in SayoKuro's gold I think (yes, even the TB one..) Plus, I enjoy the gimmicks that each single offers. So Long! has that dramas from each team and they're original enough; UZA's dance was great, but the PV is what makes it amazing; Gingham Check's PV is a homage to the different genres of Japanese classic movies and that's cool; KFC's "you-can-do-it-too!" dance is infectious; and Ereki features the new T4's first song as a team.

I think (hope) Aki-P's just churning out lame A-sides because he's preparing for the shitload of stages next year.

 

I agree with you I miss the older A-sides,the singles this year are missing something.The only A-side that I really liked was KFC,and I'm enjoying the sister groups' A-sides more.Hopefully,the quality of the new stages will be really great!

 

for me i gotta agree with this one , so many new member , i just gotta keep an eye and know them *actually one of them become my oshi right now * but as for songs i don't mind either , even though i miss the old songs like "BINGO" "oogoe diamond" and "manatsu no sounds good" but overall i like it both the old and new songs and image [rock]

 

I guess I misunderstood you there . For me, I am generally not interested in senbatsu/pushed girls. To me, it seems like getting fed by managements on who you like. By it's just an opinion anyway.

Well, as I am not a Japanese native speaker, I am not really sure about the word "oshi". But for me, to "support" always need a verb, to support someone in doing something. I am not really sure what you mean "in group context" but for me, supporting does not mean competition within AKB. I always love and support Amina but it does not mean I want Amina "wins" Mocchi, Kitarie or Akicha. Instead of that, I support Amina, hope she succeed in life and wish she achieve whatever dream she has. For me, "idols you can meet" is someone you can relate to and wish for her success similar to a "girl next door".

Thus, I think a girl and the whole group are related but fundamentally different. AKB just got another 1 million but does it benefit Amina, Myao, Sakippe, etc.? My answer is very little. Of course, for a senbatsu girl, the benefit can be large and that's why if your oshi is a senbatsu girl, it's different.

Hence, the next question is whether AKB still contribute to its girls' success. I would say absolute none. First, if I remembered correctly, AKB always markets as a place "to watch the girl grow", "to help the girl achieve their dream". But as we now see the "products", it is not true. The investment of AKB on Acchan and Yuko is second to none in AKB and, so far, as a dorama fan, I would say their chance of being true actresses is very slim. Second, the girls' skills do not grow. And I mean hard skills, not handshake skill. Someone say the girls do become more confidence and earn some additional skills. Yes, I agree. For example, I have just discovered that Yuko really knows how to play bass. But, in all honesty, with that skill level, she may struggle to play Heart Ereki live, let alone become a musician. In other words, she does generate some entertainment but it does not prepare her for her future success. Summarily, with all due respect, I feel that AKB seems to prepare its girls to be wifes of some rich guys rather than successful women.

Therefore, it comes to the question whether we should support the girls for this "wife-to-be" training? The question is obvious. Of course, besides supporting, many pay AKB for entertainment (so do I). AKB has many ways to create entertainment to fans and, yes, when I feel entertained, I will pay. But, music does not seem to be one of them. Since I have known AKB since the days of Seifuku ga Jama o Suru, I would say their music is going downhill. The most obvious proof for that is what song AKB performs in their concert. AKB songs are typically sang and marketed intensively for a short period and then everyone seems to forget it (e.g. So Long) but most concerts now are filled with very old songs. I will retract my statement when the day AKB does not sing Hebirote, Aitakatta, Kachiusa, etc. in a concert.

I am glad to get some recommendation . As I am not really a fan of rock so I guess Bz and EXILE are not very interested . Thanks to a friend, I am recently listening to Teresa Teng and I absolutely it . She has some Japanese songs as well. Please PM me

 

I just read the lyrics for Scrap & Build and I like these lines:

It certainly was a good era
The oldsters will be nostalgic for it
But those who are just starting now
Can't live on memories

to be fair, Aki-P might've not've even been thinking about AKB48 as a group when he wrote that song but I feel like it's relevant.

 

I totally agree with whatever you mentioned here. This is how things are meant to be (grad+new blood), but I really don't see how it is heading... eg, kojimako, she's cute and super kenkyuusei and all that... but after all ppl like kojiharu, it takes her years to reach the status she has now... when can kojimako be like her? the timeline is messed up... akb is definitely losing the uniqueness.... is i want to see a bunch of new lolis, i can easily switch to other idol groups...

 

Hi .. Im new member here..
I just wanna ask because im new to akb48 ..I just start liking them last month this year , previously i liked kpop like that ..
just wanna ask questions related to akbingo because i just watched the older ones .. and found the core/initial members of these groups are pretty good and entertaining .. and pretty bad there are 4 of them that already graduated .. too bad i just start liking them and they already left the group ..
I just wanna ask bcause when i take a look at the episodes of akbingo in 2013 , there are so many new girls in akb48 .. So my question is where are all the core members ? they didnt participate in akbingo anymore(like kojiharu,yukirin,yuko,mayuyu and others from initial members )..

thanks

 

Hey, welcome to the fandom though I don't think this is the best place to say this since I would assume that the majority of this thread is filled with bummed out fans who are more hung up on the AKB of the past and just searching for something to love about the current AKB, ready to quit, switch to a sister group or switch to another idol group ^^;

Nevertheless, answer to you below the cut.

Spoiler

Many of those initial members you saw from the old AKBingo belong to the Senbatsu which is just another term for the front-girls of the group. They are the more popular girls within the group and a lot of them are signed to different agencies outside of AKB (AKS) which assigns them solo works like variety shows and dramas etc. Because they are so busy with those, that's the reason they don't appear on AKBingo so much anymore as compared to the past. It's extremely hard to gather all of them together with their varying schedule. There's also another case of members where AKB's management are just not putting them on anymore, but that's a whole different story altogether. Those members you mentioned are all in Senbatsu.

AKB's currently the most prominent idol group in Japan and it's way more phenomenal compared to what it was in the past, so it's hard for all of the popular members' schedule to meet especially. However, it's not to say that they have ditched the show completely, as they do make little cameos once in a while too as you can see from the recent episodes.

While I can empathise with your situation of feeling more attached to those initial girls since my own oshimen belongs there, AKB is currently going through a transitional period to the new gen girls and quite frankly, the AKB of that time would never return. It's hard even for some old fans now to accept that so take it easy.

Don't lose too much hope though. Though the new girls you see recently on AKBingo are not as polished and unique in their charas as those initial members yet, they are working towards it as seen from the increasing quality of the show nowadays (my humble opinions) and you just might find your favourite member among these new gen members. I do recommend watching 'Ariyoshi AKB' (hosted by Kojiharu and Ariyoshi) though, while the concept is entirely different from AKBingo, I find it much more entertaining with its crude humor for my taste, it's my favourite AKB TV program. Who knows, you might like it too Other AKB shows that are running now include Nani mo Soko Made..., AKB Kousagi Dojo, AKB show. Likewise, the Senbatsu members don't appear that much in these shows too but there are regular segments like in AKB show that features Takamina for instance.

These is also the option of watching old AKB shows like Shukan AKB, old AKB to XX eps, old Nemosu TV eps, Naruhodo High School, Gachi Gase and Bimyo though no doubt it can get pretty empty when you finish watching them all to realise many of those members you like aren't around anymore... The pain is also amplified in ten folds when you realise there is really nothing you can watch anymore, lol.

If you only want to follow the initial members, you won't find them together much in variety shows anymore, but you can still watch them in their sub-units (though even this is kinda rare lately) or individually in their solo works e.g. on their radio broadcasts, variety shows or their dramas. Just drop by the respective members' thread and I'm sure the fans there will be happy to enlighten you on the members' schedule. You can also catch the Senbatsu members together on Music Shows like Music Japan, Music Station, CDTV, Music Dragon etc. They are mainly performing in these but some shows like Music Japan and Kayou Kyoku (when it was still running) have these short variety segments sometimes which can be pretty funny too

Otherwise, if you just like the whole idea of a whole idol group participating on a variety show then I would suggest you follow the sister groups' shows - SKE, NMB, HKT or even NGZK (their 'rival' group) instead. Even as an AKB fan, I would have to say that much of their shows are higher in quality than what AKB is producing recently and while it may take a while to grow accustomed to those new faces, it's probably the closest thing to what AKBingo has in their golden days (2008-2010).

Outside of TV, I think the greatest joy in AKB still comes from watching the theatre shows. Like with AKBingo's case, many of those popular members won't be found in these theatre performance most of the time these days, but it's great to just watch the girls MC-ing on their own without any professional talents and give it their all with their performances. There's also following the girls on Google+ too! You can get to know many interesting girls that never make it onto TV this way.

Hope this helps you out ^^ Feel free to drop any of us a PM or ask about anything you're not that sure about since that's what this forum exists for. Here's the proper Q&A thread btw. Hope you find your time in this fandom fulfilling and a member you like to support soon though being a MD or DD (A person who likes all/many different members respectively) is good too

 

Hiii

I'm new to the website and saw this tread, so I thought I should comment to start off my new adventures lol.

I assume by missing AKB's old songs and images, meaning, missing the old members performing them. Then yes, I really really do miss the old AKB. Honestly, ever since Atsuko graduated, I haven't really listened to the new songs except for maybe Uza, but thats it.

It just doesn't feel the same without Atsuko, Mariko, Sayaka, and TomoTomo. I also miss the other older members like Nontii and Meetan. They really cracked me up when I first watch AKBingo, and still do now even after re-watching it many times.

I guess I am stuck in the Atsuko era and don't really wanna get out. That made it sounds like I only care for Atsuko, but not true. Even though Atsuko is my Oshimen, Minami is my Kami-oshi. I even saw Minami first before actually paying attention to Atsuko. It all thanks to Mendol lol, but it wasn't till the anime came out that I actually got hooked into AKB.

Till this day, I still regret not pursuing AKB back in 2008 when I first saw Mendol, because I would have witness and see more things with Minami and Atsuko. I got into AKB too late and Atsuko already graduated *sigh* thats just life...

Anyway, my point is, I do miss the old AKB and I guess I will follow AKB until Minami graduates and even if Minami graduates, it doesn't stop me from buying Minami/Atsuko AKB related stuff cuz I already spent over 1000$ on them... I will still love them (hopefully) and will keep those items as good memories

 

I miss when Aki-P wrote more interesting & risque lyrics for the A-sides tbh

 

yeah maybe i gonna take a look at older akbingo first and watched the new ones and try to find members that i liked also .. do u know where i can get the many shows with eng sub related to akb and sister groups except from gozua dm?

and i just wanna ask did anybody here knew when will be their tour concerts for 2014 ..

 

To keep this thread more relevant to the title, I would place my answer to you under the cut

Spoiler

If you're looking for eng subbed stuff, streaming wise, the best place to start is probably Vid48.

Not all the AKBingo episodes have been subbed in English yet I believe but Aidol is one of the sub groups that's been faithfully subbing 'em. There are plenty of other 48-related shows to watch on Vid48 too. Of course, not every show out there has been eng subbed or even uploaded like my favourite 48-show ever, Yonpara, but it's the place with the most resources I think (with less risks of being removed by copyright) and a great place to start.

There's also Aidol Stream on DM with subbed shows.

Otherwise, you can always drop by the specific show's thread and ask the others there what went on for the recent episodes. E.g.AKBingo's thread if you just need a quick translation.

Not much concert dates has been confirmed for the AKB group next year besides things like RH2014 (Jan & Apr) and several sister groups' nation tour dates, but I think you will find precisely what you need in the news and releases thread. AKB sites like MelosnoMichi release news about those concert dates when they're announced too.