Who should be center of NGT48?

I was planning to argue, but...

Given the opening where you feel allergic to how popularity define the pushes, I don't mind if this contradiction was used for Rika case. Or used in separate argument.
My point is, everyone deserve a chance for the former reasoning and less so for the latter reasoning. Especially when non-native went through just same with the natives
(Moving, Living far from parents, etc).

You can always dismiss this as a host club opinion.

 

If instead of Rika some other non-Niigata girl is pushed (Ogiyuka or Maho), would the argument still be about how non-native they are? I think so, because NGT is very very clear on their mission to promote Niigata. The best tool would be then, first and foremost, Niigata-born, and secondly popular.

They could have Okappa center NGT's 1st ever song, Katomina to center 1st single, and Rika to center NGT's song in AKB and I don't think anyone would bat an eye (in fact the issue will be and was about pushing Okappa before Katomina). Right now what the mgmt seems to be doing is to push Rika everywhere they can hoping that her popularity will eventually boost the group overall.

It's ideal to have rotating center, but it won't help to boost the group's recognition. Not even Keyaki dares to experiment with rotating center. It's also ideal to have the most popular Niigata-born member as center. But if they are not pushed, this is even less likely to ever happen.

If the push = the most popular, they may as well hold a ssk for every single. Or whatever they're doing now I guess.

 

@EinhanderX I fully understand your stance, and I have nothing against it. The opening was more like a broad response to Minaeshi's reasoning, since it was the first thing I saw when I re-opened the thread, but to elaborate further...
It's not that I feel allergic to the way popularity influences pushes, it's that I object to people who insist on using the handshake sales argument as if they were the only possible yardstick for judgement (even worse, people who use it as a belated excuse to justify those pushes when they're already underway, thus mixing up cause and effect).
Does anyone think this can be the only factor to keep into consideration when handing out rewards?
Even if we bring it up as an example of hard work, we shouldn't forget that hard work happens in all shapes and forms, not just fishing at handshake events.
To this day Tsugumin still boasts a perfect theater attendance, ever since the theater opened she hasn't missed a single day of performance, which is all the more impressive considering her age. Where is her reward, since theater performances are still the lifeblood of NGT?
Speaking of Showroom, I think Otaki is one of the few AKBG members (along with T8's Onishi iirc) who managed to achieve the Mainichi Idol rank by streaming for hundreds of days in a row. Isn't it also a form of dedication that deserves some sort of reward?
Those are just some examples that popped up in head at the moment, by the way. Keep in mind I'm not partial to the push of any of these members. Also, this is of course a criticism that isn't limited only to the way Rika's push is handled and can be easily extended to all of AKBG.
When people boil everything down to just handshake sales and nothing else, this is what I consider a "hostess club mindset" and this is what I disapprove of.

About the part where I said "pushes should be given according to one's skills", I think I lost track of the argument and should've made myself clearer. What I meant was more along the lines of: if they really feel the need to gori-push someone, they should at least choose jobs and positions that suit the member, otherwise their plan is going to fail and backfire.
If you ask me, yes, I think that in terms of skills and image, Rika is unfit for the jobs she is being awarded at the moment. It makes me wonder if the management really knows how to make the best use of each member's speciality, and if it would've really hurt them to assign some of these jobs to someone more adequate to the role (instead of riding on her "handshake popularity" and concentrate everything on Rika).

This is one of the things that vexes me the most about the push, that it feels so random and out-of-character it's harder to stomach. Jobs are being awarded to her without rhyme or reason just because it's her "turn" to get pushed, without consideration of her true capabilities, so it's no surprise she ended up bungling up half of them.
If they had chosen something more specific to her, I'm sure I wouldn't felt as annoyed, even though it still wouldn't have been my ideal type of push.

 

You should all go and look at the HKT48 documentary (if you haven't done so already) where manager Ozaki-san goes through the criteria they have for why senbatsu is chosen. They take Handshake sales, Mobame subscriptions, G+ followers, 755 followers (it was filmed pre-Showroom so that is probably a criteria now), theater performances, vocal and dance coach opinions, customer surveys and Sousenkyo results. They also consider who is most suited for the image of the song.

Also they showed the management meeting with Ozaki, Akimoto and Universal records representative where senbatsu was discussed. At one point Ozaki suggests leaving Yabuki Nako out of senbatsu and the Universal rep says "It's our opinion that Nako is suited for this single" and Akimoto concurs and Nako duly stayed in that single. So the record company has a strong say in selection too. It's reasonable to concur that NGT/Sony would have a reasonably similar process.

This thread is about single center and I don't see that's she's unqualified for that.

And it's not just that her handshake sales are good, it's because they became so good so quickly. I think it's natural that she put herself into contention for front row and center positions through her handshake sales and showroom results. And I'm just guessing but she's probably got good numbers of mobile mail subscriptions as well?

Also I didn't like the implication earlier in the thread that only Niigata natives should be center, HKT was never "Fukuoka natives only" was it. If a member has moved to Niigata then they should be considered. That implication got a bit too "pureblood vs muggle" for my liking.

 

Rika actually mentioned in an interview that being the center means she can't fish like she usually did before. So even if she is the most popular member, I think she shouldn't center everything unless it fits her image. It's for her sake as well.

Like Tomochin had multiple singles, Kojiharu modeled, Sashi had her show, there are suitable ways to reward members' popularity other than placing them in the center. Which ultilize and highlight a their specialty.

 

I think it makes sense to use Rika as the center for the debut single. As mentioned, the record label has a big say in it. They probably saw that Rika has become very popular and wanted a popular center for the debut single to ensure it'd sell well. Of course, most fans would've bought the single anyway if they've started to like NGT.

I'd like the idea of rotating centers and focusing on NGT born members for the future, however. After the first single I find it too hard to tell who's gonna be NGT's center. It worked for SKE with Jurina, but AKB's original center was Takamina (and not Acchan). NMB's first center was Milky (would it not have been due to her scandal she might have become the ace but that's hard to judge now but I wouldn't consider her the ace at this point). HKT's first center was Meru and now I'd rather say Haruppi or Sakura-tan are the ace (I'm not counting Sasshi despite her SSK rank because she was AKB first, after all).

I'm fairly new to the 48g and there's a lot of members and sister groups I'm not too familiar with so if you disagree with anything I'm saying, please feel free to correct me.

 

The bomb has already hit the ground, so is anyone willing to pick the topic up from the crater? w

 

do you think they'll give ogiyuka a push/center position in the next single regardless of her final ssk ranking?

 

If she'll end up NGT highest ranking girl (not including Rie) so i think they will give her! at least in AKB's bsides

 

I think it will depend on how Hinatan and Okappa do. If one or both make senbatsu Ogiyuka isn't getting anything other than a meaningless trophy.
Her alone in senbatsu and Kami 7, I think she would center the 2nd single.

Her chances for getting picked for the 50th single are nonexistent imo.
Don't think AKS cares for her whatsoever as she doesn't seem to be marketable to a broader audience. She is niche through and through.
Okappa, Hinatan, Rika and Katomina will still be infront of her in the pecking order for AKB senbatsu. Only way she makes it is winning SSK.

 

any one of them can be center at this point and I wouldn't mind

 

Why no one says anything about Mahohon? She is not so young, but Maiyan too... I think she would be a good center

 

(Image removed: size violation)

Image above
she looks very sharp ! nice to be center!
but i don't know what's her name
can you tell me

 

She is Gatanee, or Nishigata Marina. She is a Draft 2, the same as Ogiyuka.
The problem with Gatanee is: 1. Her dancing skill is weak, 2. She is not young (21 years old, similar to Maho).

 

I think Okappa and Hinata will do fairly well in the SSK as well, although I believe most NGT members will drop with the exception of Katomina maybe (hopefully she will rank in)

 

Everyone in NGT should get to be center at least one time damn it

 

i think Katomina,Okappa,Hinatan,Rika and Ogiyuka should be front row members with Katomina and Hinatan as centers
i also think Okappa fits center but solo,maybe double center with Katomina

 

Yeah, I think they will probably get a push now. I really, really hope Katomina won't be left behind now by management and that she considers this whole thing as a challenge to better herself and work hard on becoming a center

 

Anyone but katomina and rika.

Mayo, Okappa, Ogiyuka all three are great choices.

 

I'm not trying to be confrontational, I'm honestly curious. Why don't you want Katomina or Rika to be in the front line?