Furuhata Nao (Naochan) / 5th Generation

Nao's PB will be entitled 'Kanjou no kyoukai-sen' ('Emotional Boundaries'):
https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/akb48/news/202205130000284.html

There's 4 different covers - regular, 7-net, Rakuten and HMV:


Nao talked about the PB today in a livestream where she also revealed details of her solo live on 6/22 at Shinjuku ReNY:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Just anounced her graduation
https://twitter.com/s_egg/status/1526521292517961728

She's staying until end of september
https://twitter.com/s_egg/status/1526521483530764288

https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/akb48/news/202205170001011.html
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2235135/

 

I did NOT see that coming

 

11 years into the group.
Wish her a bright future.

 

GODDAMMIT

 

I don't have high hopes, she seems to have gone quite prudish since she started with the blue hair stuff, the covers look quite zzzzzzz

 

I'm upset about medium old members leaving & extremely old members staying. That doesn't make any sense to me.

Do you think she will get a graduation single or even a center position?

 

Hm what do you mean by "extremely old"? Nao is 25 right now, turning 26 in September, I just checked and there are 7 members in SKE who are older than her, one of them is 25 (same age, born in August), 4 are 26, 1 is 27, and 1 is 30. if 25 is "medium old member" then I guess 26-27 too. So only one member is "extremely old" (lol)? Suda is more an exception and it doesn't hurt anyone that she's here. Nao is in the top 8 older members in SKE, and in the top 5 of SKE oldest gens (2nd-3rd-4th gens still have 1 member each, and 5th gen has Ego and Nao). Of course, I understand if fans are sad at Nao graduating because yes, she could have stayed a few more years if she wanted. but what you said about ages doesn't make sense...

About the graduation single, I think it's likely that she might get one as center since she has centered a single in the past, and it seems like SKE give big graduations to popular members.

 

What a shame, I know she has been in the group a long time but I'm not ready for her to leave. She has that cool, sexy aura that none of the other members have. Thank goodness she's releasing a PB before she graduates!

I think she is definitely more of a "ladies" idol now. She's cool and sexy, but doesn't need bikini gravure to express that sexiness. It's all about her expressions, that hair, and her poses--that's where she shines.

EDIT: I should say that she doesn't need to do bikini gravure anymore, since my profile picture is literally her in bikini gravure .

 

I never really followed SKE, but still... when I think of her I have the word "incomplete" in my head, like something is missing. Maybe because she only centered one single, and that one was... meh.
It's sad that she's leaving, but at 25 years (probably 26 by then) and after 11 years of being a member, it's understandable and I wish her all the best for the future. I wonder what she wants to do? Has she said anything about it?

For the graduation single- I hope she doesn't get one. Not because she wouldn't deserve it, but because I'm simply not a fan of it. I would prefer if she centers the B-Side and gets a graduation song.

 

Her PB gets a reprint before the release day.
There's a nice set of photos in the article below, with Aki-p's comments.
I(m loving that part where he says there are 156 Naos in those 156 pages.
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2235415/full/

 

A gradcon for Nao has been announced for 9/24 at Nagoya Civic Hall:
https://twitter.com/alto_nao/status/1531233757906104321

 

Well it is on a Saturday… will have to look at flights.

Also Amazon shipped my copy of the photobook.

 

It's a matter of taste really, I'm sure lots of people will love the PB, however from the previews I don't think one of those people will be me lol. I think she was stunning from around 2014-18 but she presumably changed which demographics she was catering to.

 

Whatever demographics she's appealing to, you'd have to say that this photo she tweeted today is rather attractive…
https://twitter.com/alto_nao/status/1531621527375884289

 

Got my copy of the photobook today. I am rating it "Oh so very nice."

 

5135 copies sold in 1st week
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/obp/w/2022-06-13/