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Originally Posted by Shinji01
"bubble gum" is the least appropriate word for these girls. thats for sure.
When you see the bashing they get on line and pressure to perform plus a killer schedule, i can barely understand how the main members can even be who they are. Let alone many of them seeming obviously socially awkward and probably depressed/ bipolar/ having anxiety attacks etc.
I think they are the toughest batch of girls I have seen lately.
I just wish more people knew that.
Mariko only gets 3 hours sleep if that, and keeps updating twitter, blog and googleplus religiously. She did lose her hair because of the stress and now looks like a stick figure because she is so skinny.
Not to mention acchan...
I think at first glance using AKB for anti-suicide campaigns is a dumb idea, but if the group/ management has the guts to show the vulnerable side of the girls and really reach out to the fans, they could make a difference.
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The problem I have with "bubblegum" is that it's a phrase used for thing that got popular quickly AND disappeared just as quickly. That is not really appropriate IMO for this group.
If AKB is a group that just formed 3 years ago and got popular for last 2 year, fine.
But the problem is that the group was formed over 6 years ago and stayed underground for over 3 years, call that as bubblegum is not really appropriate.
Especially now after they won the Japanese Record Award and all the media is not trying to cover their early years and barrow record/practice tapes that AKB kept themselves, any self-respecting media members that has done some research will know about that and won't use that word to describe the group.
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I sometimes worry about what they will be left with after the boom is over though
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Originally Posted by Miko Miko
Most likely not much.  |
The way I'm looking at is that AKB and related group was also slowing turning themselves into a farm system for idol industry.
Every member in AKB48 used to belong to Office 48, once they got popular they start to transfer those rights to different agencies to the point now that members in 48 projects are really a farm for other digger agencies to scout and bid on. While 48 project provides the training and performance opportunities in their theaters.
Keep in mind that even 3 years ago while they are still in mediocrity they are at least self sufficient. They still have their stage performances, so even if the media craze is over, I can still see the keep going like how Broadway shows are still on. Which is way after AKB started to get hot 2 years ago they opened up more theaters in major cities to form its own show/group such as SKE48 in Nagoya, NMB48 in Osaka, and the new HKT48 in Fukuoka.
The third voting also shows that SKE and NMB are growing in their own popularity even without main AKB members performing showing that 48 project is marketing idol in a way that is more similar to a sport team than just idols which I believe can success in long term.
Besides their stage ticket right now, while hard to get (and requires lottery drawing), are dirt cheap at 3,000 yen or about $36 where front row seat is just 5 feets away from the stage.
Really, It's more interesting that once these curently core member start to leave what would happen. As of right now the core member are excelling in their own territories. Maeda and Oshima are excelling in acting scene. Takamina is great as MC for variety shows and her connection in music industry is growing and with her singing ability is also gaining approval from some top level artists. Mariko/Tomochin/Kojiharu are doing great at fashion and model area. Mayuyu is doing columns in magazines and heading into VA/manga industry.
None of them currently seem overwhelmed by their field or lack ability to stay in the receptive industry.
But Morning Musume is still fairly relevent and this is after their golden year member all left around 04 or 05. AKB right now is hotter and much better prepared due to their stage system so I really think that even once the craze end, they won't really disappear.
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Originally Posted by Miko Miko
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I love that song as well, especially the chorus
BTW, I start to listen to some of their older song and match them up with their time line and history and try to translate them better. After doing that...
I concluded:
Akimoto is a genius lyric writer.
He was not kidding that the songs are either representative of the girls emotional state at time or the challenges they faces and included message he want to tell them. (especially the early members)
A lot of those song might be romance or friendship related but when you break down the lyrics the messages are all there.
No wonder he is widely acknowledged as one of the great writer and cultural personal in Japan
BTW there are also 2 new oversea group that started late last year and this year. JKT48 in Indonesia last year and TPE48 this year in Taiwan. And three official merchandise shops in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei,Taiwan.