Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylphic
I've lived in Japan for most of the last 3 years and this is the first time I've heard of the "average girls" concept.
I'm not really a fan but AKB48 has really permeated Japanese culture. If anything, I 'd call them a huge fad. They have a huge demographic from kids all the way to adults. Business men too. Nothing sucks more than being coerced by coworkers into parodying aitakatta for a company party *sob sob*. I don't think I'll ever forgot how sad I was when I had to do that.
They are definitely plasticky. Nothing about them is particularly real, especially their songs. They are incredibly produced and if you pay attention all of the choruses hit the same chords. There seem to be a few ones that stand out because of their weirdness like River and Flying Get? Compare the other ones like Pontail and Shushu and Shojo tachi yo. The break down, the chords, the song length, it's all the same! But somehow it's these chords that are the ones that cause people to like their music.
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Flying Get? I would thought Beginner would be the one that stand out more.
LOL AKB management has always emphasize their whole "normal girls who can be idols" concept. But then again it seem like you're not a fan so it's understandable you haven't heard that.
When it come to idols, most have an image to some extend. But if you follow AKB, the girls are pretty honest. For example, in their documentaries, they say things like... Sashi "I'm not pretty, even my grandmother asked who's that ugly girl next to Acchan and that was me.", Yukirin "I thought idols are suppose to be certain way but I've wondered if I have an image of an "idol"" Mayuyu "IDK what I would do after being an idol," Takamina "We're not good, we know that, we lack things that other performers have." Acchan "IDK about AKB future when the seniors leave". Many of the girls are even so pessimistic said "I thought AKB would drop in popularity this year, I know we're not going to be popular for long" Takamina even said "I hate the adults who are handling the situation," about Akimoto Sayaka's rumor and how the management made her take a break from being Team K captain.
Their openness and insecurities make them seem genuine. And on AKBINGO, the girls are even hooked up to lie detectors and answer personal questions about themselves, some of the girls are even busted for faking things just to be entertaining since that's their job (so yes they do fake things but we fans know that, and we know who are the genuine ones too) Alot of the AKB girls are weirdos who do stupid things tbh..Especially Team K members. They're not as "cutesy" as the first impression people have.
Music wise, yes they aren't innovative..hard for pop music nowaday. But because their music are catchy, and I like their lyrics that I like them. But anyway different opinions *shrug* I can't deny they're not a trend...but the way the management is running, I can see the 48 being an established franchise in the future but then again who know....All that matter is the girls future outside of AKB and many of the popular AKB girls have found quite establish fanbase to move on as solo, Itano Tomomi, Kojima Haruna Shinoda Mariko in the fashion industry and Yuko has been lot of dramas and movie acting offers, and the ones wanting to be voice actress is getting experiences from this anime.