2chan says

2chan says: When did you start losing your enthusiasm for AKB?

8 Comments

Just as members graduate from their respective groups, wota have been known to “graduate” from their respective fandom. It can happen for a number of reasons, and one 2ch user asks: When did you start losing your enthusiasm for AKB48?

Hi there. Welcome to “2chan says.” I will be attempting to translate selected threads from Japanese message board 2chan (aka, 2ch or 2channel), purely for interest and entertainment purposes (and for translation practice). The opinions expressed here belong to the anonymous Japanese internet at large, and do not necessarily reflect the view of akbzine; plus, this page could be riddled with translation errors anyway. Proceed at your own risk, fine reader!

1: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:16:20.19 ID:/C8dqHQg0.net
I went to the theater for the first time in a long time; there wasn’t any “chanting” at all, and the other wota were totally stiff.

2: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:18:50.93 ID:UTUpRUoxr.net
The live performances are not not interesting, just the handshakes.

3: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:19:22.05 ID:m9zKQnJYd.net
I lost interest when they started making the other sister groups.

4: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:20:30.49 ID:lFSqOItN0.net
When the truly fantastic girls were getting older and leaving.

5: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:21:25.74 ID:VUNoBKznK.net
After Sashihara…

6: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:22:43.23 ID:gesOgpdva.net
When they started repeatedly doing these reformations, and the new theater lineup is always so late.

9: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:24:38.90 ID:VbLeSJgdM.net
All the filthy casuals left, leaving only true wota behind. I don’t really get along with them.

12: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:26:54.46 ID:spp7j7WP0.net
When members who do not even try hard still get elected into the senbatsu…

14: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:28:14.85 ID:ZQUHFxhv0.net
It’s like vegetables and weeds: the weeds have come in and messed up the main product.

16: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:31:18.31 ID:P/IhJXFq0.net
The graduation rush. I think we should all just admit that everything is falling apart now.

17: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:31:23.63 ID:j9iUkIA+0.net

  1. Takahashi Minami’s graduation
  2. The first week million-seller streak broken.
  3. AKB to XX has ended.
  4. The shounen manga series, AKB49, was ended.
  5. Nakagawa Haruka, the prime example of success overseas, is graduating.
  6. The HKT48 theater building is closed, and they didn’t announce plans for reconstruction.
  7. The best “matome” site, AKB Matomenba, has stopped updating.
  8. Anta Dare’s NOTTV is in debt and going out of business.
  9. The tickets to Yoko Star concert didn’t sell out.
  10. Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku is going to end.

19: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:31:50.03 ID:9frD4Eqia.net
>>17
Too many things are over…

39: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:41:30.90 ID:VbLeSJgdM.net
>>17
Do you remember these shows?  Naruhodo Nigh School. Gachi Gase. Shukan AKB. Kousagi Dojo. Ashita made mou chotto. I guess it is time to forget these things.

66: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:55:36.27 ID:j9iUkIA+0.net
>>39
These are just the things that are over in the past 6 months. I guess half of these things are sad news, but this really is a sign of things to come.

21: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:32:30.90 ID:1Ib/5kEd0.net
No matter what my oshimen did, the structure of the system was just against her. I realized that, and if I had done anything more, I would have ruined myself. That’s when I realized…

27: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:35:53.92 ID:spp7j7WP0.net
Unlike Morning Musume, the management does not have enough capital to keep going.

28: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:36:03.40 ID:cEyBnYK20.net
After Minegishi’s scandal. It became worldwide news, and even I was embarrassed as a Japanese.

33: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:38:30.53 ID:lnf/QRLrd.net
Reformation. Reformation. And the grand reformation.

34: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:38:40.27 ID:P/IhJXFq0.net
You should try analyzing how motivated the members are. There’s just something fishy… it can’t just be lack of trying hard…

35: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:39:12.98 ID:xWrRI7E4p.net
I got bored of them. I really like the smaller scale idols because when I want to watch their performance, I can actually just get up and do that.

37: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:40:18.85 ID:7uIss20u0.net
You are probably bored because you have done too many hand shake trips!  Nogizaka46 isn’t that bad yet…

But honestly, I got sick of things because there is no way to counter those wota who buy up things to create a false sense of things being sold out.

40: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:41:40.19 ID:50W5xYhWd.net
The number of members I recognized was getting lower and lower. I could not really get attached to the younger members that everyone was focusing on, so I lost interest.

41: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:41:40.16 ID:eeSyZflcp.net
I think things will break up in the near future. There are not that many profits, but the number of employees and maintenance is still there. I really wish they would restructure and cut costs.

42: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:41:58.98 ID:rnMfXv/tM.net
There have been way too many scandals.

46: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:43:01.79 ID:gUtrqLki0.net
After the reformation, and the new theaters, which I don’t go to.

54: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:45:44.44 ID:5DMrExrUM.net
When Oota Promotions became such a joke

63: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:53:11.88 ID:e9fGizR60.net
I got sick of things after that controversy during 24 Jikan TV’s Sashiko name change incident.

65: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:54:04.53 ID:QfFHWHTh0.net
After Oshima Yuko graduated.

67: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:56:06.14 ID:dJSlYcNi0.net
I lost interest after the main character of Majisuka went from Maeda Atsuko to HKT’s Miyawaki. They keep pushing her toward the center, and it feels like they have no desire to use the other younger members.

68: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:56:28.62 ID:Sfw5GCPS0.net
I think they’ve already had a good run. There are not many artists who are still in the news after such a long time.

70: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 15:56:54.34 ID:RAu1+98W0.net
When a certain member starting being “sold” for her salty reactions…

78: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 16:00:27.98 ID:XE87wfpx0.net
There was a real push toward the younger members during 2013 and 2014, and I was really interested then. But during that time, the “next generation ace”, Miyawaki came from Fukuoka; suddenly there was so much controversy. I started losing interest, because there was just nothing but hatred all around.

79: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 16:00:29.48 ID:btPQaY+U0.net
The reformations.  Also, the handshake events are just pure hell.

85: 名無しさん＠実況は禁止です＠＼(^o^)／ 2016/03/06(日) 16:06:21.69 ID:6MiRyOPEd.net
It’s not that my passion has diminished; just my money.

More entries in the “2chan says” series:

Author: yuki

  • Derek Vasconi

    This is truly sad to see, especially considering that AKB is still going strong and still have plenty of great girls to discover and get behind. I mean, just last year, we got Katomina from NGT, and she’s a rising star, and SKE’s up and coming wunder child, Goto Rara. I could go on, but AKB has a lot of younger girls who in a few years, are going to blossom into the next Yuko and Acchan and Mariko and Tomochin. I think AKB can always do more to freshen things up, but at the same time, AKB still is a bright, bright star for us all to look up to and smile at. If you are waning with your enthusiasm, then perhaps it might be okay to say you were never really a true fan to begin with. EVERY musical group has its ups and downs, and you can’t define a group based on just the downs or just the ups. AKB has been around for 10 years, which is really rare in the music world if you think about it. They will be around another 10 at least, mark my words. YOSHHHH IKUSHOOO!!!

  • Payuyu Fortyeight

    What @derekvasconi:disqus said, lol that one 2ch comment abt the “salty” idol tho wtf lol anyways. I think people who mostly say these are the fans who has been an AKB fan for 4-7 yrs. Im not surprised they think that way, those ppl are getting older just like their idols (i dont mean this in a bad way) and ofc it’s not easy to move on and love someone new, those ppl seemed stuck to the OG era.

    And the only thing that’s constant is change, AKB has to innovate too you know, new changes like “sakura” is expected, i mean pushing new faces is to be expected. If those fans leave, a new breed of fans will definitely come and join the fandom. I’m confident to say this cos i know a lot of young AKB fans that has known AKB like 6 mos. ago, a year ago etc. and some of them are slowly turning into hardcore wotas tbh lol. So what the heck, there will always be ppl like us who will look after the new generation even if the “OG wotas” leave :)) oh and lastly, they srsly gotta fix whatever needs fixing tbh, like the theater or those unpaid debts

    • Derek Vasconi

      You said it beautifully my friend. I have followed AKB since right after Acchan graduated, like literally, the day after, and I’ve never wanted my enthusiasm for AKB all these years. It’s only got stronger, being that there’s always some new girl I find that blows my mind. And when I discovered Tani, my current oshi, I think it sealed me in for life, even if she graduates. It’s just the fact that AKB can even produce somebody like Tani for me to enjoy that keeps me hopeful to discover a hundred new Tanis in the years to come.
      At the same time, I am with Jerry, in that I do have a lot of nostalgia feelings about the Golden Era of AKB, i.e., the period of time around AKB’s first trip to the Tokyo Dome and when the Kami 7 were ruling the senbatsu for a few years straight. But I wasn’t a fan really at that time, and so anything I view in the past before I became a fan would be done so with nostalgia glasses, right? And that’s okay, because AKB has a long, rich history for both new fans and us older fans to just hold onto and appreciate and share with others. The people on 2Chan I hope will realize what a gift we have in AKB, even with the problems, the money issues, the scandals, the repetition of songs and ideas…it’s all part of believing in a group and riding with them until the end, for better or for worse.

      • Payuyu Fortyeight

        Hahaha i laughed so much in the “hundred new tanis” part lol. Nice, I totally agree, yea i hope that these veteran wotas would give the new generation a chance too.

      • HDreamer

        100 Tanis is a scary though, if you think about them being on stage st the same time 😀

        • Derek Vasconi

          lol, when I thought about it after reading your comment, I realized that 100 tanis is not nearly enough for me. I think I should increase the amount to 200 Tanis running around going absolutely insane! I mean, the amount of Helium from their voices would fill the room and make us all high, you know? I love Tani way too much. I’ve been in Tokyo now looking around the AKB Cafe for any Tani gear, and I can’t find any. I might be making a trip to Nagoya soon….

          • HDreamer

            I do understand, which is why I’ll be in Tokyo tomorrow and go to see Tani during 2-shot on Monday. 😀

  • I’m with the last guy on this one: I’m still enthusiastic, I think, I’ve just got no time these days 🙁

    But I will admit that part of my nostalgia for the old days is because I miss the original members. I was DD back then because i couldn’t decide who I liked more, but I think I’m DD now because no one catches my eye in quite the same way. Don’t get me wrong, I think there are a lot of great up-and-coming young members. It’s…. just not the same, I guess?