Alright...first of all judging
by the title of the blog...you must have already known what this is all
about...this is about the past and present AKB48.
It has been more than 8 years
since the group started...and yes judging by that they have already done a lot
of things...things and awards that they can be proud of. YES...AKB48's name is
something that will be written down in the history of Music Industry...
So which do you prefer...the old
or the new AKB48?
For me I choose the old
AKB48....
WHY?
Because of a lot of things.
1. First of all...they have the
best members...starting with Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko, Takahashi Minami,
Kashiwagi Yuki, Watanabe Mayu, Sashihara Rino, Itano Tomomi, Shinoda
Mariko,Kojima Haruna, Minegishi Minami, Matsui Jurina, Matsui Rena, Takajo Aki,
Akimoto Sayaka, Kitahara Rie, Kasai Tomomi...and etc.. You get the point
right? These members are the main senbatsu members...maybe except Sayaka
because sometimes she's not included...but she is still so awesome.
2. Without the members
above....AKB48 will never be where it is now...yup it is kind of above the
heavens and considered as the queen of all Japanese girl groups.
3. All of them are really
beautiful and awesome in their own way that whenever you see a MV or a live featuring
all of them...you will never take your eyes off them.
4. They all have an incredible
aura. Auras that can really make them stand out even though how simple they
are.
5.Because most of them achieved
their dreams....
And there are a lot more I can
expand because I can't write the many good things the Past AKB48 has.
What I mean in number 5 is
that....the past AKB48 has already achieved their dreams...enough for them to
engrave their name in their own respective fields.
Atsuko Maeda- Singer and Actress
Yuko Oshima- Actress
Takahashi Minami- Singer
Kashiwagi Yuki- Singer
Watanabe Mayu- Singer
Sashihara Rino-Singer and
Variety
Itano Tomomi- Singer
Shinoda Mariko-Model and
Designer
Kojima Haruna- Singer and Model
See...if you only know how busy
they all are and still fulfilling their respective roles as the main senbatsu
members....you will be really amazed. Lots of magazines are featuring their
name and photos...many commercials are featuring them and even one member can
have 19 commercials in just one year. You will see them in a lot of Music
Programs and Variety Shows... Yes…that is how busy the past AKB48 members
are...
Actresses like Acchan and Yuko
busy filming their respective roles in dramas and films...Yes...the past AKB48
already reached and grabbed their own dreams.
In concerts and lives...the
loudest chants are of their names.....in senbatsu elections....they all have
the highest votes and this can be considered a social phenomena. The past AKB48
members as a group and as an individual has really achieved their goals.
Now....................................................let
us compare them to the new AKB48.
First of all...I don't know what
to say....I don't even know their names...only of a few PUSHED ones. 
Okay...when the word of PUSH
come to my mind only one person fits that description...YES ONLY 1....
And that is PARURU.....a member
of the 9th gen who officially became an AKB member in 2010.
I don't know what's so good
about her...well she is kind of cute...but her face...............it's
PRICELESS...it's like she has a lot of salt intake that she can't even show any
real emotion.
She can smile...but it is so
awkward....her face is like she is always in pain...I really don't know.
Anyways what is so good about her...she don't really dance well...she can't
sing well...and she can't even act well…she don’t even have an aura of one
needed to be in front.
I don't know what is so special
about her that she must be pushed to be in front together with MAYUYU AND
JURINA.
I don't see anything special in
her like what I saw in my kami-oshi Maeda Atsuko who's smile really makes my
day complete.
Then there is this cute girl
Kawaei...well she is the dumbest so yeah....
Then there is this Iriyama Anna...she is intelligent...quiet a rich girl aura....but she don't have an amazing aura like that of senbatsu members.
Well then there is this girl
named Miori...FRESH LEMON...she really gets into my nerves. I really like this
scene in Shojiki Shogi where a girl named Takeuchi told her that Humans can
never be lemons...and that really made me laugh..
Well that's the people I kind of
know....the New AKB48 never really get my interest...whenever I see them in an
MV I would pray very hard that I would see a familiar senbatsu face so that I
can at least finish the whole MV.
They are only featured in
commercials featuring AKB48 members….you hardly see them have their own CM’s.
They don’t have shoots as an individual person…they have pictorials because of
the name of AKB48.None of them even have their own single…they only played
roles in few dramas…their names can’t stand alone without the influence of
AKB48/
Yup they still have a long long
long way to go….and that is why they need to be pushed VERY HARD.
NOW...LET'S GO TO THE MV AND
PV's REVIEW...and let us start with 2012 where the new pushed girls are really
pushed and pushed really really hard.
1. MANATSU NO SOUNDS GOOD.
Huhuhuhu...Acchan's last song.So
let me start. The story is okay...about the emergence of the new AKB. I like
their bikinis...it's so simple and yet they make my favorite senbatsu members
so pretty. As you can see at the start of the Dance Version....the senbatsu are
really having a lot of fun....the old members dance moves are almost
perfect...but when the time came for the new members...I can't help but count
all the mistakes they made...and I'm very very disappointed. How dare they make
a lot of mistakes in Acchan's last single!
2. UZA
Ah yes...the No. 1 push girl is
in here. And HAHAHA she is reallly having difficulty in dancing...it shows in
her salty face. I'm laughing so hard when I saw the documentary when Yuko said
that she is kind of happy when she saw Paruru crying. Way to go Yuko! I think
it’s expected for Jurina to replace Mayuyu…I mean Mayuyu can’t really catch up
with such a cool song with amazing dance moves.
3. So Long
Even though Mayuyu is the
center...I never really like the MV of this song...it's so simple and crappy.
MY favorite is the Team K drama though. Team B's drama is okay and I'll make it
my favorite but Paruru is there destroying the drama.Team A’s drama is
okay…they should have more scenes of Takamina seeing that she is the General
Director of AKB..
4. Eien Pressure
I can't comment on this for
sure....this is one of my hatest songs anyway and I shouldn't have watched it
if not for Yukirin, Tomochin, and Mariko-sama. The starting verse is so so
sharp…I can’t help but cover my ears…it’s so slow…just compare it with Chance
and Ue Kara who has a catchy tune.
5. Sayonara Crawl
Well....it is kind of okay…I
don’t really get the idea of making Paruru as one of the centers of this song.
Her salty expression really destroyed the scenes she is in. The flowers are
just too overdesigned. I don’t really like the flower bikinis…it doesn’t really
suit the song.Ah…Yuko and Tomochin in here is so pretty…I don’t get the fact
why the new generation members are
included here…I mean there are members who deserved more than them.
6. Koisuru Fortune Cookie
Sashiko is the center of this
song from winning the Elections…I like Sashiko…but this song is just not
something for a Senbatsu Song. I mean
you can compare it with Iiwake Maybe, Heavy Rotation, Flying Get, and Gingham
Check…it is just so different. Rino just gets a lot of exposure in this video
though…the others should have longer shots too. I don’t really get why Paruru
had a segment in the Special Video for Koisuru…I mean there is Takamina..there
is Haruna…there is Tomochin and Mariko-sama…and there is Rino…they have higher
positions than her…so why aren’t they part of the video?Well that is because
she is a PUSHED girl. I mean she is just hanging in the media senbatsu…
In the 55th Japan
Record Awards where they failed to get the award…I can really say that it is
quite right for them. I mean I know they worked hard for this video…but it
doesn’t really get people in the mood like Flying Get and Manatsu no Sounds
Good did. If you compare it to EXILE’s Pride whose dance moves are really
amazing…they really are bound to lose.
7.Heart Ereki
I’m glad Haruna is the
center…but…I don’t really like the song.And I don’t know why Paruru is
somewhere near the front..curse the management!
8. Suzukake Nanchara....
This is the 2nd
janken single I don’t like…I mean…are they sure the song is portraying Jurina’s
character? I don’t really know most of the members there…
9.Mae Shika Mukanee
Oh God Yuko…you’re leaving
already? No…Takamina is the only pillar left to support AKB48….it’s a matter of
time before it crumbles. I really like the song…it’s very Yuko like…very energetic
and lively. I hate the garbage costumes…it’s Yuko’s last single and you’re
making the MV costume made of trash? The PV is something quite trivial and I
only watch the parts where the members I love shows up…I’m not satisfied
though.
10. Labrador Retriever.
Well…Mayuyu is the center…well
that’s kind of to be expected. But as I watched the MV…I realized that this is
my hatest summer single. I mean honestly..dogs? The bikini is like a lace
underwear…it doesn’t suit other members. The lighting is so bright and most of
the members eyes are almost closing due to brightness.The dance is crap…I can’t
imagine this if they are performing this at Kohaku. I don’t really feel the
energy Summer Singles should have. Just compare it to Ponytail to Shushu,
Everyday Katyusha, and Manatsu. The beat is something like fast and lively. But
this song? It’s like a Sakura Song…it’s slow and makes me want to sleep. The MV
is too full of crap…Seriously…And the pose...so like Manatsu no Sounds Good..at least make something original.I don’t know most of the people here…I would have
been happy if the original are dancing this…just imagine them…they are all so
beautiful now.
Now as you can see…the quality of AKB48 goes
downhill…the happiness it gives to the people goes downhill…
Have you seen the things the old members have to do when
they where at their age? I can’t count how many jobs they have done in many
variety shows…yup..they really worked very hard…OH..HOW I MISS THE OLD DAYS.
Just imagine this thing…when Acchan was still 18..she
already centered in a lot of songs and became the First Place in the First Election...Tomochin
already have a single when she was still 19/20 years old. They won the 53rd
Japan Music Awards…the first female group to win in Japan’s Music History…and
Acchan at that time was still 20.
Now…let us see the present AKB48…most of them are
already twenty…but what did they won? Maybe except having the best five singles
of the year…but individually? If you see Acchan and Yuko…they got individual
awards as an actress…Mariko, Haruna, and Tomochin got awards in modelling and
fashion.
So can you see that? Those old girls who made AKB48 as
what it is now are really amazing…they are really brave and strong to place
AKB48 in the top.
And this year? Nothing…I hope they can at least win this
year’s award because Haruna and maybe Takamina is graduating. But if they can’t
produce something that can really rock Japan…then I think it is over for them.
Because I think…the area known as AKB48 is slowly
crumbling with most of its pillars gone…and having two of its main pillars
gone. The Face and Eternal Ace of AKB48, Maeda Atsuko is already gone. The
Voice and Spokesman of AKB48, Yuko Oshima will be gone. And the remaining
person…the Soul and Captain of AKB48 will be gone soon…without someone who can
be considered an important pillar…AKB48 will surely be destroyed.
The management must be thinking that the people would
want something new…something fresh! But I don’t think it is working. I
mean…look at the songs they are singing now…it’s full of crap and I was quite
surprised why they even rank high in the Request Hour Setlist. Well that’s kind
of to be expected…what I mean is…it will be too difficult for the new members
to dance the legacy songs of the old members. I can’t imagine Iiwake Maybe
without Acchan and Yuko in front…doing the first verse. I can’t imagine Heavy
Rotation without the energetic Yuko in front with Acchan and Mariko at her
side. Flying Get will never be the same with most of its original senbatsu
members gone…
I think the single which really made me amazed is Give
Me Five! Just imagine the hardwork of the senbatsu members to learn to play the
instruments…and even though it isn’t too perfect…it is really something
excellent and amazing…and now they are just dancing the song with those crappy
moves? The HECK?
Now let us move down to Kouhaku Uta Gassen…let’s start
with the 60th Kohaku Uta Gassen where they sang River, Iiwake Maybe,
and Namida Surprise..how cool is that? The 14th Single…River who
made it first in the Oricon charts…the 13th single Iiwake Maybe from
the 1st Senbatsu Election…and the 12th Single Namida
Surprise where they made some campaign of going to different schools just to
promote AKB48. Just look at the hard work the original members have to undergo
in order to make a place for AKB48.
In the 61st Kohaku Uta Gassen…first was
Beginner…the 18th single and the first single to sell more than a
million copies…the 17th single Heavy Rotation who had the most
Youtube views…and the 16th Single Ponytail to Shushu which they
filmed in Guam and the very first Summer Single.
In the 62nd Kouhaku Uta Gassen wherein the
Red Team won…you can say that AKB48 was one of the reasons. First their 23rd
Single…Kaze wa Fuiteiru…which is dedicated to Japan…their 22nd
single Flying Get which won the 53rd Japan Record Awards…and 21st
Single…Everyday Katyusha filmed in Guam. To think they would fill the stage
with 210 members…AKB48 is truly amazing.
In the 63rd Kouhaku Uta Gassen…AKB48’s member
tally decreased…they first performed the 28th single UZA…with those
amazing dark jackets…next is Gingham Check which is the 27th Single
and lastly Manatsu no Sounds Good which is the 26th single. This is
also the single that won in the 54th Japan Record Awards.For most
WOTA they considered Manatsu no Sounds Good award to be the last gift for Maeda
Atsuko…because she is truly the main center of this single though Mayuyu is
also a center.
And if they are still going to be invited in the 65th
Kouhaku Uta Gassen…what would they dance? First there is Labrador Retriever…too
slow for a Summer Single…I don’t know what their Senbatsu Election Single will
be…but if they can’t make a cool song this year…let’s just say their
performance will never be worth watching.
Now let us talk about the Team System…in the first part
Team A are composed of the first generation members, Team K are of second
generation members, and third generation are in Team B…kenkyuuseis are them
promoted to members to complete the 16 members of each team.
The first ever shuffle happened in the Nippon
Budoukan-104 Senbatsu members concert…and I think this is the best teams ever.
The Team A symbolized by the color Pink are what you
call the Perfect Idols…why do you think so? It’s because the key members of
this team comprises the most senbatsu members in singles. First there is their
center and ace of course…Maeda Atsuko.Then there is the captain of Team A and
of AKB48 as a whole, Takahashi Minami. Then there are these four goddesses in
Team A; Shinoda Mariko,Kojima Haruna, Takajo Aki, and Sashihara Rino…so there
are 6 members that are popular.
Team K is represented by the color green and they are
the cool and energetic group. In Team K, there is of course their center,
Oshima Yuko. Then there are the first generation members, Minegishi Minami and
Itano Tomomi. There is also the twin towers, Akimoto Sayaka and Miyazawa Sae.
Sayaka though is sometimes not included in the senbatsu lineup of 16.
Team B is
represented by the color blue and they are the cute and lively group.In Team B,
there is their center, Watanabe Mayu. There is also their captain, Kashiwagi
Yuki. Then there is Kasai Tomomi, and Kitahara Rie.
Well these members comprises the main senbatsu members
line-up and what of Team 4? None…members are just placed in the senbatsu
line-up because they are really pushed hard
Now let us look at the present Teams after Grand
Reformation.
Team A? None…their aura as the Perfect Idols are already
gone. Just look at their new single…the heck! It’s a good song….but it is like
a Team B song.Aren’t Team A songs supposed to be upbeat and dark songs? Just
look at Kurumi to Dialogue and Rinjin wa Kizutsukanai…aren’t their clothes dark
and white?
 |
| Kurumi to Dialogue |
 |
| Rinjin wa Kizutsukanai |
Their song is also dark…that’s a signature Team A song. But now look
at their song…it’s so bright…the essence of the true Team A is gone.
The
remaining essence are just Haruna and Takamina and they are going to be
graduating later. Haruna said she is graduating this 2014 and Takamina said at
her birthday that it will be her last team. I wonder why Paruru is the center
though…she really doesn’t have the aura of being in Team A..well most of them
doesn’t have that aura….their aura will likely be more useful in Team B…because
they are just about cuteness. The original Team A never relies on their
cuteness factor but they got popular because of their individual
personalities…now where are the individual personalities of this so called new
generation?
Team K? Their members are okay…but I wonder if they can
still maintain the Team K spirit of being too energetic and cool on stage. The
members which I think suits the Team K taste are only Jurina and Saya-nee and
they are concurrent members! I wonder what will happen now? I think Yui will be
okay as a captain…because she has been in Team K since 2009. But I wonder if
they are going to be okay…what I mean by this is…are their dance moves going to
be eyecatching like what the original members did?
Team B? No need to worry…Yukirin and Mayuyu are still
there…but it is okay…I wonder if they will be alright though…Ikoma Rina is also
there…I wonder if it is going to be alright.
Now about the present shuffle…before I knew the result…I
have the feeling that Paruru will be placed in Team A. Why? Because she is
pushed to be like Acchan! Excuse me…but Acchan is more superior in every way
than her. No matter what you do…that will never change. So please…at least
promote her in a fair way…because she is just pushed too hard…and I haven’t
really seen a good improvement in her. Let me clarify something I don’t hate her…I
hate why she is just too pushed hard together with members that are part of the
so called New Generation. If she would at least be in the center…can you at
least do something about her expression…because it makes the video bad.
| River PV in USA |
About the current AKB48…I think it’s going
downhill….just look at their CD sales…it’s going down although it still reaches
a million. The only senbatsu single with the highest sales is Flying Get…the
voting singles are expected to be high though…it’s just expected. But just look
at the other singles…later they’re going to be hanging at a million and will
surely go down. The new election single regardless of the winner will surely
sell less than Koisuru Fortune Cookie…like what is happening in the past years. If
they want their sales to sell a million copies…why don’t they go back to the
true AKB48. Because the true AKB48 spirit is the reason why they made it this
far.
True AKB48 songs are songs that can make people
happy..it doesn’t need to be too grand…it doesn’t need lavish promotions. AKB48
songs are just songs that aims to make people smile….not songs that need money.
True AKB48 members are humble…it’s stated in their chant right…
()…calm,careful, and precise…those are true AKB48 members. AKB48
members show what they truly are regardless of any result…they show their real
selves to the public and that’s why they are different from idol groups. It
doesn’t matter if their old pictures are shown…because those are what they
are…those are the faces of them in the past that made AKB48 to what it is now.
True AKB48 members are brave…never backing down in
anything…even camping in the wild and skydiving. Just watch Nemousu TV…how many
hard jobs did the original members did…the Nemousu TV of new members never had
that level of difficulty. Old AKB48 members are what they are now…because of
the sufferings they have undergone…from humiliation to downgrading…they built
the courage to stand…strength to become
the pillars of AKB48.
Just watch at the previous videos of AKB48…for example
Acchan’s Jounetsu Tairiku…popular members like her only have day offs that can
be counted using the fingers. In Acchan’s case only 5 days in a year…and
everyday is down to seconds…because for them…their time is fully packed…it is
packed and yet they still do very well in their performances. They do all of
this…so that AKB48’s name will be known.
Now let is look at the new AKB48…is there something that
really strike our attention? None…is there a particular achievement of a new
generation member we can be proud off? None right? If they can’t do anything
worth praising…then they will surely make the name AKB48 made from none at all
go down. If the new generation members do nothing…they will surely make all the
hardwork done by old members just wasted.
I did tell you at the start right? I love AKB48…I’ve
watched all their concerts, their documentaries, their stages, I’ve watched
dramas, shows,and movies that showcases AKB48 members…my laptop is filled with
nothing but AKB48. But the AKB48 now….is just nothing….nothing to be even proud
of…it’s like it already slowly wilting. Are they going to be only proud of the
decreasing million sales which is the top in the oricon charts? No…winning the
Japan Record Awards is also not too important…but winning that will surely show
that the AKB48 New Generation can survive on its own…for now. Because after the
Japan Record Awards…Takamina will surely graduate from the group. Let us think
that winning the Japan Record Awards for 2014 will be their gift for Takamina
for sacrificing her teenage years in building AKB48.
Winning the Flying Get and
Manatsu no Sounds Good is like Atsuko Maeda’s price of being the center and
eternal ace of the group.
Did you realize that when Flying Get won the award the plaque was given to Acchan who was the center...in Manatsu no Sounds Good...it was given to Takamina when Mayuyu was acting as the center!
 |
| 53th Japan Record Award |
 |
| 54th Japan Record Award |
More than a hundred million views in Youtube for
Heavy Rotation is the gift for the graduating Yuko Oshima…
You might be asking why these three needs a grand gift
and grand graduation…the answer is simple…because these three are the main
pillars of AKB48..these three people are the one that sacrificed the most to
make AKB48 where it is now.
 |
| Maeda Atsuko (Acchan)- The Face of AKB48 |
The Face and the center Maeda Atsuko…the most scrutinized
position in the songs….even though she is still 15 years old…she already has
Anti’s just because she, the most undeservable person to become the center
became one. You can just imagine how much pain she have to undergo because even
though she is the most popular member…she is also the most hated one. She centers in most of the AKB48 singles giving her the title the Eternal Ace of AKB.
 |
| Oshima Yuko (Yuko)- The Voice of AKB48 |
Second…the Voice and Spokesperson in AKB48…Oshima Yuko.
The second generation member who got first place in 2010 and 2012. Why is she
named as the voice of AKB48? It’s not because she sings most of the lines in
the songs as a matter of fact Takamina and Acchan have the most singing lines.
She is said to be the Voice…because she is never afraid to say anything…because
she stands to where she believes is right…even to the extent of defending her
fellow members.
 |
| Takahashi Minami (Takamina)- The Soul of AKB48 |
Third…the Soul and the Captain of AKB48…Takahashi Minami.
Even though she never ranks third to Acchan and Yuko…she is still a very
important member. If you look at MV’s you will always see her in the front…forming
the familiar formation of Acchan in front and Yuko and Takamina on her side.
Takamina is the General Director of the whole 48 family…which means….she
manages them all…Now how come a 14 year old girl who failed in the Horipro
audition become one of the most important member of the most famous and popular
Japanese female group? Takamina…according to Aki-P is AKB48…which means without
her AKB48 is not AKB48.
Now…knowing these three…because of course these three
are very popular…doesn’t it feel weird if the three are not in photoshoots and
shows? It feels blank if even one of them is missing right?
