[GENERAL] The Nogizaka46 thread!

I just want the shows where she starred Mahirotti

 

Nogizaka Dorama Participation~~~!!!
Hashimoto Nanami will be playing the female lead in upcoming night time drama Bad Boys J!!!
Nanamin will be playing 由本久美, reported the girlfriend of the protagonist in the manga original. Nakajima Kento (中島健人) from Sezy Zone will be the male lead.
Additionally, several more Nogizaka members will also play roles in this drama! These members include Matsumura Sayuri, Akimoto Manatsu, Ito Marika, Ito Nene, Sakurai Reika, Takayama Kazumi, Wakatsuki Yumi, & Noujou Ami. Additionally, Itano Tomomi will play a role in this drama too!

Bad Boys J will begin airing on Saturday April 6th, 24:50 ~ 25:20 on NTV.

Official web & news article.



Personal thoughts: ...I'm Super Excited~~~!!!!!!! [party]

 

Nogizaka was on Music for All, All for One! All 33 members were presented! [party]
They performed Hashire! Bicycle, Oide Shampoo, & Seifuku no Mannequin.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYHjeD7yA_M[/yt]


umm some sort of Nogizaka confession thingy.
[youku]http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTI3NDIxOTYw.html[/youku]


Also, Nogizaka was on Happy Music (ハッピーMusic)!
[youku]http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTI3NDk1NDIw.html[/youku]

 

Latest mixi rankingu!

Spoiler

[2013/03/16 mixiコミュニティ人数] (01/04比増减数)
白石麻衣　　5,699（+490） Shiraishi Mai
橋本奈々未　2,891（+165） Hashimoto Nanami
松村沙友理　2,379（+144） Matsumura Sayuri
生駒里奈　　2,135（+54） Ikoma Rina
生田絵梨花　1,556（+148） Ikuta Erika
西野七瀬　　1,148（+77） Nishino Nanase
井上小百合　1,045（+23） Inoue Sayuri
高山一実　　　943（+65） Takayama Kazumi
斎藤優里　　　744（+5） Saito Yuri
深川麻衣　　　669（+49） Fukagawa Mai
桜井玲香　　　641（+40）↑1 Sakurai Reika
中田花奈　　　629（+18） Nakada Kana
畠中清罗　　　528（+26） Hatanaka Seira
秋元真夏　　　482（+127）↑4 Akimoto Manatsu
齋藤飛鳥　　　476（+37） Saito Asuka
星野みなみ　　451（+46）↑1 Hoshino Minami
若月佑美　　　429（+15） Wakatsuki Yumi
市來玲奈　　　399（+31） Ichiki Rena
伊藤万理華　　376（+39）↑1 Ito Marika
柏幸奈　　　　346（-3） Kashiwa Yukina
衛藤美彩　　　294（+25） Eto Misa
永島聖羅　　　279（+20） Nagashima Seira
伊藤寧々　　　268（+24）↑1 Ito Nene
大和里菜　　　263（+9） Yamato Rina
能條愛未　　　242（+18）↑1 Nojou Ami
川村真洋　　　235（+7） Kawamura Mahiro
中元日芽香　　199（+8） Nakamoto Himeka
川後陽菜　　　187（+12） Kawago Hina
宮澤成良　　　164（+4） Miyazara Seira
安藤美雲　　　159（+6） Ando Mikumo
斎藤ちはる　　112（+8） Saito Chiharu
樋口日奈　　　102（+7） Higuchi Hina
和田まあや　　 84（+5） Wada Maaya

 

What is a mixi rankingu?

 

^Good day Bushido!
mixi is a Japanese social networking website. To register on it, one requires a Japanese cellphone number, hence users are restricted to Japan. Additionally, it had been said that mixi's demographic have higher female usage than male, of course I cannot verify this theory. Mariko is noted for having very high mixi followers, quite higher than anyone actually. This fact is used by some to argue that mixi's demographic does have more female user. Wiki on mixi.

& I'm just going to cross-post from the Kimi no Na wa Kibou Thread. Umazuki! full show!
http://video.fc2.com/content/20130317KG ... 5UVTJORGc9


Also, words are the meaning of "Akasaka in 70 days" will be revealed on Ngzk's national handshake event on March 20th! Some fans are now also guessing it to be Ngzk's first album. But of course there's no info on what it is yet, so the possibilities are all speculations thus far.


& more words on the role the girls will be playing in Bad Boys J!

Left, rumoured parings for Bad Boys J; right, new Tomochin pic for the drama.

Nanamin will play Nakajima's lover
Tomochin will play Nikaidou Takashi's lover
Triendl Reina will play Hashimoto Ryosuke's lover

 

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSGB4bkTdcQ[/yt]

video summary of the nogizaka girls.
Very well edited.

 

Nogizaka's alternate PV was just released... Also, an upcoming DVD release will feature 25 minutes of audition clips: Nogizaka46 Releases Dance & Lip Version Of “Your Name Is Hope”

Anyone know why the Nogizaka46 channel on youtube is region restricted to Japan while SKE and AKB are not? Seems kinda weird...

 

^ It's very probably Sony Music which block the video :angry:
But fortunaly, someone posts the alternative clip on Dailymotion:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy9rto_yyy46-yyyyyy-dance-lip-ver_music#.UUZLyr9QFu4

 

Damn you, Sony! xD It's really unfair, that we can't follow our faves because of region blockade. But there are few unofficial channels. It's not the same, but helps a bit.

 

Isn't it about time they hold a concert or something? It seems they only perform their songs when they're promoting the singles in TV shows and whatnot.

MomoClo, whose sales swing between 40k and 130k per single, have already performed in all the big places in Japan (except for Tokyo Dome, I think?) and they're going to perform at Nissan Stadium this summer (2nd girlband after AKB)... with Nogizaka's sales, they should be selling out Budokan easily.

 

Announced at today's handshake event, the "70 Days to Akasaka" message means they will have their 16Nin no Principle Pt. ll Show
starting at 5/2 ~ 5/12 it will be at the Akasaka ACT Theater and on 5/31 it will be at the Umeda Arts Theater for 3 days

@NogizakanoUta
http://www.nogizaka46.com/news/2013/03/principal.php

 

Source: http://ameblo.jp/xanadu11/

 

^
Now Tomochin is the AKB member to work with Nogizaka46 members, before was Mayuyu.

 

First Acchan, then Sasshi, then Mayuyu, now Tomochin? These girls seem to be going through the whole "Kami" tier. Wonder who's next: The General Manager, The Airhead, The Expression Queen, or Captain Troll?

And OMFG I JUST NOTICED AMIAMI IS SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO TOMO. SQUEEEEEE~!

 

I written a lengthy analysis on Nogizaka's differences from the 48 groups, & on what I think of their progress so far. Cross-posted from the Kimi no Na wa Kibou thread cause I think it sort of fit into both thread lol. Bear with the typos & mistakes that possibly fill these words plz!
Introduction

Spoiler

Recently a lot have happened & a lot will be happening for Nogizaka. Nogizaka will be having their first DVD product published in Nogizaka Romance, several Nogizaka members will be playing in late night drama Bad Boys J, Maiyan entered into a contract to be official model for fashion magazine Ray, Maiyan along with Naachan are also invited once again to GirlAwards as model, & Nogizaka 2nd stage, 16nin no Principal deux, have been announced. Two recent developments have ignited widespread conversation in the Nogizaka fandom however, these namely are: the conclusion of Kimi no Na wa Kibou's first week sale, & the beginning of HKT's debut single sale. Considering these development, I think this is the perfect time to do an analysis, of what differentiate Nogizaka from the 48 groups, & how's the progress for the groups thus far. HKT will be frequently mentioned, as they are an excellent comparison all things considered.

Fundamental Differences
The 48 family franchise is characterized by a few significant attributes that distinguish it from other idol groups. Nogizaka, however, departs from a few of these fundamental attributes.

1. Lack of Theatre & Regular Stage Performances

Spoiler

Most obvious & significant is without a doubt the lack of a theatre or regular stage performances. For the 48 groups, the theatre provide a constant mean to exposure for members. Newer members & members with less exposure given by management therefore can still build up their popularity in theatre, one example of such I think is AKB's Umechan.

2. Lack of Gravure

Spoiler

Another striking difference is Nogizaka's lack of gravure. Magazine shoot for the 48 groups consist heavily of gravure, one example is the immense amount of gravure for 48 groups or members that are published around the releasing of a single (e.g. HKT's debut, Yuki's solo, etc.) While some Nogizaka fans do appreciate the lack of gravure for Nogizaka, this certainly means Nogizaka is less likely to capture a certain demographic of fans.

3. Singular Agency Placement

Spoiler

A third fundamental difference I think is the agency placement of members. For Nogizaka, all members are under Sony Music Entertainment (SME). In fact, the name Nogizaka stems from the building which Nogizaka members were recruited, a building belonging to none other than Sony. For the 48 groups, members can sign up with different agencies despite being part of the 48 groups; ultimately this means members can receive works from both their agency & from the 48 groups. This also means 48 members can try to establish a career direction post-graduation by signing with agencies that fit their desired directions (e.g. Wasamin to NagaraPro for enka career.) Of course for many members, especially members from sister groups, they have yet to sign up with an outside agency & are mostly under AKS. Once they are signed however, I do believe they will have acquired an advocate for their career (provided the agency cares). For Nogizaka, SME might not be as well-equipped to look out for members individually, as their primary concern will be for the group.

4. Lack of Regional Base

Spoiler

All 48 groups have a regional base, be it Akihabara, Sakae, Namba, or Hakata. This regional base work hand in hand with theatre, allowing local fans to galvanize toward the groups. I guess in the end, most people do have a soft spot for someone from their hometown, & a regional base will make the most use of this. This also allows for more efficient use of resources, as regional groups can input some of their resources into their area of influence (e.g. NMB's advertisements for the Kansai region.) For Nogizaka these benefits are lost.

5. Lack of Cross-Promotional Structure

Spoiler

Lastly, 48-groups are well-connected through one organizational structure, while Nogizaka is mostly excluded from it. By organizational structure, I mean the access to common TV programs & drama (e.g. AKBingo, Majisuka Gakuen), common HS events (AKB singles), common social media (G+), & common concerts & events. This provide 48-groups extensive cross-promotional opportunities, & a myriad of potentials for fans to get to know members. For Nogizaka, there are lesser opportunities for cross-promotion, as they have so far one appearance in AKB concerts (Request Hour 2012) & limited TV programs appearance (some around Oide Shampoo publication, Mayuzaka & Saba Doll), no common HS events & no common social media structure.

Unique Characteristics resulting from Differences?

Spoiler

While these fundamental differences do mean a lack of certain strengths that for me characterize the success of the 48 franchise, I do think the lack of these attributes also provided some unique characters & upside for Nogizaka. In my opinion, Nogizaka's pool of members seems to be quite different from the other groups in general, as it is characterized by members whom are more education-focused & from a more well-off background. The lack of theatre might have attributed to this, as education-focused applicant might have find Nogizaka more fitting to schedule than the 48-groups. A lack of gravure might also contribute to the difference in memberships, as some members might desire idolship but not want to do gravure, of course the opposite might be true too. The lack of a theatre might also means, ironically, that Nogizaka members can actually be more able to pursue their interests or career direction. For the 48-groups, some members have find it difficult to pursue their goals due to the intense schedule of theatre stages plus multiple handshakes, resulting in them graduating is order to pursue their dreams (e.g. Nakayan Sayaka graduating to audition for seiyuu she otherwise couldn't while in AKB, similar circumstances for multiple SKE members.) Additionally, some Nogi-fans seem to be receptive of Nogizaka's lesser participation in 48-groups activities, & is even supportive of Nogizaka's semi-independence from the 48 familly. I think its fair to say, Nogizaka's differences from the 48 franchise provided difficulties but also unique characters that many fans cherish. Ultimately I think what can be done about fundamental differences are very limited, & fans might not want these characteristics altered anyways.

General Attributes
Other than fundamental difference, there's also some other general attributes that are part of Nogizaka's characteristics, but are not defining features. These general attributes are the aspect that I think Nogizaka can improve upon.

1. Distinctive Choreography

Spoiler

Nogizaka have rather unique choreographs for their songs, one that is easily distinguishable from other 48 groups, or all idol groups for that matter. I think its fair to say that this unique style have been rather polarizing, with some liking it, but others can't bear it. Certainly whether one likes it or not is a matter of personal preference. The problem with Nogizaka's choreography tho is not that some people do not like it, but a significant amount of fans don't like it. I also observed that some people whom have expressed interest in Nogizaka, are also hesitant to follow the group because of its choreography. Overall, I think Nogizaka's choreography have been a drag on the group, & I believe that it should be changed.

2. Resource Disparity

Spoiler

Even is we exclude theatre & the 48 groups' cross-promotional structure, Nogizaka is still far behind when it comes to resources. Nogizaka only have one proper full-time show in its flagship Nogizakatte, Doko?, & otherwise have no more group variety program. In fact, even NogiDoko is not completely aired nation-wide in Japan, maybe due to it being an T.V. Aichi production. Other than NogiDoko, Nogizaka as a group only have the now-defunt Nogizaka Romance with its short 5-minutes episodes, & the sparse Nogizakatte, Koko, only available on their official web. Individually, Misamisa host a music show (this I believe she does even before joining Nogizaka, so shouldn't count as Nogzaka's work if so), & Maiyan is a regular in Umazuki, but otherwise Nogizaka have no other variety resources save for guest appearance. What can be done about this problem might be limited unfortunately.

3. Large Amount of Members

Spoiler

While Nogizaka did not inherent the theatre & regular stage performance of the 48 franchise, the did inherent the attributes of having a lot of members. Even tho Nogizaka do have less members than each of the 48 groups, 33 members is still too much for their own good due simply to the lack of theatre. Unable to regularly perform, the only way to receive exposure is to make senbatsu, which is limited to 16 spots. Furthermore, impending 2nd gen members will add to the resource squeeze. The allocation of these limited resources also present Nogizaka with another attribute.

4. Senbatsu & Hachifukujin Allocation

Spoiler

While the initial promise was to have regular changes in the composition of senbatsu, Nogizaka have unfortunately static in its composition changes for  senbatsu. This is especially apparent in the latest two single senbatsu. As of this date, 9 members have as of yet to enter senbatsu. Since Nogizaka lack theate, being able to enter senbatsu is made even more important. Hashifukujin, position whereas resources are heavily allocated, have been even more static in its composition, with only ten members having ever made it. This have caused significant frustration to significant number of fans, as the criteria for selection of senbatsu & K8 have never been clear to them. The selection is not based on merit (I define it as talents & popularity), as there are members with popularity significantly higher than regular senbatsu member never entering senbatsu (e.g. Eto Misa), & there's also members with more experience & talent getting by-passed for Hachifukujin by members seemingly less so. While not based on merit, the allocation is also not based on equalizing the popularity gap between members, otherwise there will not be 9 members having yet to participate even once in senbatsu. I believe the frustration resulting from these development have been detrimental to the group's overall development, & also plays a part in the very unequal popularity of individual members within the group. I believe the concentration of HS blocks sold-out we have seen recently are a good indicator for this.

Concluding Analysis

Spoiler

So considering the above, I guess its not exactly a surprise that HKT is now in a position to sold out more than Nogizaka. The two groups were formed around the same time, with Nogizaka's first gen announced roughly three months earlier than HKT's, therefore have roughly equal developmental length. HKT have a regional base, a theatre for regular performances, a myriad of TV programs (KoreKara, AruAru Terebi, HKT Variety, Odekake, & most importanly, Hyakatten), & cross-promotional structure that allow it members to make regular appearances in 48 common TV programs (e.g. AKBingo) & concerts.

Nonetheless, I do think there exist room for Nogizaka to do better. I think this is mainly possible by making changes to the general attributes I mentioned above. Changing choreography can be rather straight-forward, & not much options might be available regarding resource disparity. I do think however it is within SME's ability to institute major changes to address point 3 & 4, with keeping with the fundamental characters of Nogizaka.

Room for Improvement?

Spoiler

One of Nogizaka's defining characteristic is a lack of theatre & regular stage performances. Previously I mentioned the lack of such might provide flexibility for members to pursue career & educational pursuits. However it is also a fact that there exist way too less opportunities for Nogizaka member, particularly for non-senbatsu members. A possible way to remedy this is to organize 16nin no Principal stages in a higher frequency. To get around educational schedules, such stages can be held three times per year, during the Spring, Summer, & Winter breaks in Japan. With the impending 2nd gen, not all members will need to be presented at these stage all the time, much like the Kami-members in AKB. Like the latest 16nin no Principal deux, the performances need not be concentrated in one city, & should be spread around if possible. I believing adopting this will go a long way in addressing Nogizaka's deficiencies.

Another points to address is the allocation of senbatsu & hachifukujin spots. Preferably, I would rather that there be a mechanism designed to select members for these positions, something like a singing/dancing competition or a vote (which can be done during stage perf as it was done in 16nin no Principal.) I think this is quite unlikely to be adopted however, as I do think management will want to continue to hold power over the selection process. Something I want to see that I think is slightly more realistic is having one single per year be decided on a vote, & for Nogizaka maybe during the above-mentioned Summer stage. For the other singles, I hope they can at least put merit & equity in mind; either quickly allow all members to make senbatsu at least once, or based thing on merit & place members base on their popularity. While there may be technical difficulties in adopting the first suggestion, for the second suggestion I think the question of whether to adopt it or not will be a matter of will. SME can act on this now or long before, but chooses not to.

Conclusion

Spoiler

So based on the above analysis, we can see there exist several fundamental difference that distinguish Nogizaka from the 48 groups. These differences include the lack of theatre & regular stage performances, different style of magazine shoots, different agency structure, lack of regional base, & the lack of cross-promotional structure. Considering these, I think its fair to say Nogizaka have done well thus far.

This is not to say there's no room for improvement however. Some characteristics of Nogizaka, such as their choreography style, lack of performances, & their allocation of senbatu & hachifukujin positions, can be changed for the better. I personally would like to see more stage performances like 16nin no Principal, & would really appreciate a greater emphasis on merit or equity from management. With that in mind, I see a lot of potential for Nogizaka, & hope they can continue to remain a distinct group as they are now, but with their deficiencies overcame.

 

^ Well, you know what, the next thing I would do is to send your analysis to Sony and N46's staff Seeing so many talented artists flopping under Sony's management, I always have bad feeling about Nogizaka46's future.
Anyway that's a great article bro. I have to log in to post my compliment.

 

Thanks rust. You have helped me and probably many others get to know N46 a lot better. The Senbatsu part is the one that annoys me the most. Having no say in who gets showcased makes it aggravating as a fan, let alone what the girls feel.

 

^^^ Good analysis @rust! It was very interesting reading it, thanks for written.

Another point I can add is their "akb48's official rival" label. Even if there's differences between the groups, they will be always linked to the franchise and this itself is already a good promotion.

About the choreography, I think they need to continue this way. This is already a nogizaka's characteristic and it's a good challenge to the girls. But I didn't knew there are people who don't like the group specifically because this.

What need to change now is the senbatsu system. Seems they are just following the akb's model which was successful: an absolute center, senbatsu and undergirls. Dropping some popular girls and making them center the under.. If this continue, it's so predictable what will happen when the 2nd gen comes..

 

by the way, does Nogizaka member have G+ accounts?