The AKB48 Appreciation Thread ^_^v

That song was awful. So much auto tune. I really can't stand auto tune.
 
I'm particularly in love with Itano Tomomi. She's so adorable. The first time I saw her was on some show called DERO! (absolutely hilarious game show, by the way) and there was just something special about her. I'm not sure if it's just a general Japanese woman quality, but she seems so quiet and timid, yet happy. Plus, that face! Yeah, you know that face. :3

ItanoTomomiAKB48itano_tomomi-1.webp
 
This group intrigues me. I think most of their songs are atrociously bad, yet foreign pop culture interests me. What really interests me about this group in particular is the argument between those that think they are trashy, and those who believe their lyrics are culturally relevant and meaningful. I think that there is truth to both arguments, but it varies by song. I can see some of the relevancy, but I think there are better mediums than selling sex to hormonal teenagers and creepy old men. What do you guys think of this? Which side are you on and why?

What intrigues me is how anyone can think that AKB is selling sex. I know very little about the group and their videos, but geez, they are everywhere. I did see one, ONE video, where they were in their underwear. But you saw less than if they were in bikinis. Pick an MTV video out of a hat if you want a sexual kick, with flapping boobs and shaking butts and close-ups. Most of the time I see AKB they are in school uniforms or similar, with skirts no shorter than what you see every single day on the street.

So why do people see this as selling sex? The only answer I can come up with is that wherever they see an underage girl singing and dancing with some skin visible, they see sex. Now multiply that by 48. In fact its the observer making the comment who has a problem in their own head. This is fairly easy to see when you try to explain to them that the overwhelming majority of the girls are NOT underage. But they act like the one 14 year old defines the entire group of 48. They are pathological in seeing underage girls that are not there, flaunting body parts that are not visible.

What can you conclude about someone who sees underage girls selling sex when they have to stretch so far to make the claim? Denial. That is what you conclude. Plain old frustrated denial.

I actually cobbled together a list to prove to some people that nearly all were over 16 and most still over 18. One guy went on with his pontifications as if it never happened. His name is SmithinJapan and you can read his posts on JapanToday. If there is a guy in desperate need of sex with a young teen girl, I think its him. He is tearing himself apart with denial.

Even with everyone making all this fuss over middle-aged men being fans, no one knows what their motives are for having any interest in what is just one of the most fabulously popular bands in this country. But the western observer INSTANTLY jumps at sexual interest in teen girls. I think that says more about the observer. And the near universal agreement in that attempt at mind reading says a lot about western culture, especially American.

If one is hot for teens, AKB48 has got to be the most piss poor outlet available, seriously. And if the first thing you see is sex, you need to check your head.
 
What ... head.

I agree with you totally~

Although, even with my little understanding of a lot of Japanese culture, wouldn't it be safe to say that "cuteness" is an incredibly important theme? Obviously having watched a bunch of anime, read manga, and been into groups like AKB48 isn't conclusive enough to say that "Japan is obsessed with cuteness", but this overloaded theme in Japanese media is usually just about the first thing someone from the outside looking in would perceive, whether it's an actual theme in what they're seeing or not. I think that this is mistaken for "selling sex" way too often, since I don't see it that way at all.
 
Well, I cannot deny that cuteness is everywhere. You should see the anime mascots for the police and business! Its hard to find a character you might take seriously, like Mr. Clean or something. Its all cute.

But to say "obsessed" is saying way, Way, WAY too much. Cuteness is a trend and I will admit it is more than a fad. But anyone using the word "obsessed" is selling something, like the mistaken belief that their own culture is superior, or that they are so unbelievably mature, or that Japan should be scapegoated for some problem in America or some other schlock like that.

In fact, whenever people gripe about lolicon I like to point out that the word is a corruption of an English term, lolita complex. And neither the term nor the phenomenon originated in Japan, nor did the clothing etc. associated with it.

Its yet another case of where you could easily say "Doctor, heal thyself!".

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 16:10 ----------

And if the first thing you see is sex, you need to check your head.

I take that back...a little bit. It needs a caveat.

If the first thing you see is sex, and you feel tingles of self-loathing or hatred over it, you need to check your own head.

There is nothing wrong with finding AKB48 members attractive. There is something wrong with going all rage and self-righteous about the attraction through.
 
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You might not like them, but they sure are selling!

AKB48's new single becomes 10th straight million-seller
Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japanese idol group AKB48's new single "So long!" became its 10th consecutive first-week million-seller CD, a music market research company said Tuesday.
The all-girl pop group sold 1,036,000 CDs of the new song in a week since its release on Wednesday, Oricon Inc. said. It was the 12th million-seller single for AKB48.

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[video=youtube;gsDgc9NzFwk]
 
Konnbanwa minnasan.. My name is Bhagus Arif Prayogo my you can call me Arif my years old is 18 and i'm from Jakarta,Indonesia (JKT48 sister from AKB48 country's) in this forum i wanna search people who become my friend especially japanese people to sharing about japan and AKB48 family.thank you.. Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu..^_^
 
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