Why was Maeda Atsuko the Center?

The following exchange between Tahara and AkiP about Maeda Atsuko is an excerpt from their recent book about AKB48's business strategy.

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- Auditions are for filtering out the "already made" girls

T: Here I want to hear about members.  About Maeda Atsuko, who was center and graduated.  Why was she center?  There were girls who sang and danced better, but why did you pick her?

A: Because I thought she was the least suitable for center.  Fans are looking for Cinderella stories, where an unfortunate, often bullied girl with only rags to wear turn into a princess.

We want fans to experience and see for themselves how a girl with absolutely nothing can become something because of their support.  This is why we can't start with beautiful girls or princesses.

It is quite unfortunate, but the type that I eliminate the most from auditions is the "already made" type.

T: Ah I see, so you drop those that are "already made".

A: It's not hard to imagine how girls with production experiences will turn out here.  Not just me, but even the fans would think that the girls are talented and can improve without their support.  For my production, I think it's boring and we don't need that in AKB48.

And then you have Maeda Atsuko, who screamed "No!" and cried when I told her that she will sing as the center of AKB48.  Everyone else wanted to be the center and perform solo songs.  If I produce those girls and let them be complacent at the center position, there would be no drama.  That's why we had to have Maeda Atsuko.

T: But the audience didn't know that she didn't want it and cried, right?

A: That's not true, fans always notice these minor nuances.  This is why we have stage performances every day at the theater.

Fans that come every day might notice something and think, "Seemed like Acchan was in a bad mood today.  That was kind of weird and maybe something happened."  They would blog about it and forums would be abuzz with discussions.  After a week, maybe someone would catch something about how she cried when we told her about being center and recording songs.  This would then spread and fuel more discussions.  Fans are somehow able to cross the line between the stage and the seats.  They are very sensitive to information that is not directly divulged on stage.

- Maeda Atsuko has an aura of genius

T: She was not a talker.  Not suitable for center, right?

A: She couldn't talk at all.  But we made her center anyway because we think she has an aura of genius.

T: What exactly is an aura?

A: Aura.  I don't think I can explain it very well.  Maybe it's like amino acids.  When you go have a bowl of ramen at a street stall or a cart, you think "Why is this ramen so good?"  But you don't feel that way when you go to a 5-star hotel and have the ramen that's on the menu there.  I don't know if it's amino acids or inosonic acid, but it sure has something special.

Maeda Atsuko has that "something special".  No one told her what to say, but she came up with "I only have one wish.  You may hate me, but please don't hate AKB".  She has that kind of stroke of genius.

T: "You may hate me", that was what she said when her antis started chanting her name during the announcement of second place.  She said that even though she was pretty much told that she should just be in second place.  It reminds me of Nagashima Shigeo when I said "Giants are Forever".  Did you teach her to say tha?

A: No way (laughs).  If I were to write a script, it wouldn't have been that realistic.  When members ask me what they should say, I usually just say, "Don't think too much and decide on one thing.  Thank the fans, or say you're not satisfied with your place, just say one thing that's on your mind.".  I never tell them "say exactly this."

And the members caught this, too.  Like Shinoda Mariko's "Younger members, please come at me."  Just wow, I mean, you can't make this stuff up, it's realistic and very interesting.  As for Maeda's aura, the "plus alpha" that only she has, it's not so different from what the celebrities say when they describe someone with an unique aura.

AkiP's G+ Post About Sashihara

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/MMk84e6DgUW

Let's talk about Sashihara Rino's move to HKT48.

We talked to her about the magazine article.
Her response was "Not everything in there is true, but there's nothing I can do about it if people want to believe everything."
This happened 3-4 years ago, when she was still a kenkyuusei.  As an AKB48 member, she is ashamed and deeply regrets these irresponsible actions.
She has been given a "yellow card" and disciplined accordingly.

Her mental strength and "never give up" attitude are exemplary among AKB members.
I would like for her to pass this strength to junior members, so she is moved to the recently formed HKT48.
Those who say that she was "demoted" is insulting HKT48 members, as well as the fans and staff who support them.
We reached the conclusions after a long meeting that we want to present Sashihara with a new challenge, as well as motivate the young HKT48 members.

How clumsy can she be, despite having reached 4th place as voted by fans?
This is an important time...
But this is Sashihara.
Maybe she will come back as the leader HKT48, the strongest group among this franchise.
Or she will blend in as part of HKT48, the strongest group among this franchise.

Please keep supporting the AKB member that is "most likely to not perform according to expectations".

AkiP: Hard Work Will Pay Off Someday

This is most likely a response to Yamamoto Sayaka's long post, which itself is a response to a long post from Hara Mizuki (recently graduated kks).

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/auqZa1iqdbB

For those who think their hard work have not paid off.

The only thing you can do is keep up the hard work.
Work hard, and wait for your chance, that's really about it.

AkiP and Kobayashi Kana

Kobayashi Kana posted about a conversation with her father:

https://plus.google.com/111171583195412578810/posts/EpH4N1PieHv

Dad called and yelled at me -
He told me to work harder
and that I'm not understanding the order of chance is different for everyone
Comparing me with others
He must be worried.
I understand
I do understand, but...
and now I'm writing this because I'm feeling down
I'm sorry.
Goodnight.

AkiP shared this and responded:

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/3bcHWjYmJ5b

Everyone is working pretty hard.
So is Kana.
You don't know when the order of chance is coming to you.
Maybe it won't.
But you can only do your best and wait.
But didn't "Kurukupaa" rank pretty high this year during Reqhest Hour?
It's because you were sitting there with the green onion.
You're waiting for your chance.
I can only tell you to keep doing your best.
But, someone will surely see your worth down the road.

Oh and sorry about the lack of formatting in the past few entries - too many things going on and had to translate as fast as possible, so formatting had to take the backseat.

AkiP Posts More About Maeda Graduation

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/9nRvwTaMEJq


Sponsors, advertisement agencies and record company were surprised by Maeda Atsuko's graduation announcement.
Usually I'm supposed to be the one making all the arrangements, 
but it turned out like this because I let Maeda make the final decision.


I think she was able to do it without hesitation and confusion because I told her, "Don't think about anything else and decide for yourself."


I would like to apologize to all the staff.
I will take full responsibility.


But her smile was so refreshing - wasn't it great?


I am writing this because I've been getting an earful at meetings about commercials and CD releases, after the graduation announcement hype calmed down a bit.

AkiP On Maeda Atsuko Graduation Announcement

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/9jSYghm9jms

Maeda Atsuko announced her graduation.
We discussed this quite a few times, and of course I tried to stop her, but I told her "please decide for yourself".
I also said that if she decides to announce it, then do it on the last day of SSA concert.
Probably during the MC of "Dareka no Tameni".
When her hand was on her chest and she was calming down, I thought, "she's going to do it."

She is a stoic person.
She doesn't like to have casual/meaningless relationships with people so she corners herself.
She is a loner.
She is hard on herself and sometimes people think she's cross.
But it's also difficult for her when she thinks everyone coddles her.
Maybe she is afraid that if she stays in this easy environment longer, she might become an unreasonable, selfish person.
So, she is going to challenge herself by jumping into the cruel real world.

I have asked the ever-so-clumsy Maeda to be the center for 6-1/2 years, so it's time to let her do what she wants.

We haven't decided anything yet, but we would like everyone to send warm wishes to her graduation.

You worked very, very hard.
You did great.

More Afterthoughts from AkiP and Togasaki about Jurina and Miyuki

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/hbTiZtd5gCg

Oops, I meant to post yesterday, but this post didn't go through.
It's difficult to decide whether or not to go ahead with something new,
because of course some people will disagree.
I am the producer of the entire AKB48 group.
I don't think it's a good idea to only focus on making AKB48 better.
SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, JKT48 are also important groups.
I don't know what the time frame is for Jurina and Miyuki's rental transfer,
because we haven't decided the schedule for original performance for Team N of NMB48, new performance for Team S of SKE48, Team K and B of AKB48.
Also because we want to give them more experience.
Of course it will be slow and we will not overwork the members.
We also want Jurina to do well in school.
It's possible that AKB48 members will be "studying abroad" and sent to SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, JKT48.
Let's try some new ideas.

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/Wuew2kD7CRH

Thanks for everyone's passionate comments.
"Please explain this in detail"
It's important to explain everything,
but I am not at liberty to tell you everything.
With regards to Jurina, her health condition is our priority.  She works harder than her body allows because she feels responsible as one of the two centers of SKE48.  In a good way her rivalry with Rena is keeping her up.
To be concurrently in SKE and AKB, I feel that she's not resting if she doesn't perform when she is asked to go on stage.  It's also no good to let Jurina rest when SKE is working very hard out there.  I talked to Yuko and Itano from AKB, and they think that Jurina can grow by learning the group stage songs, and SKE will grow by having to cover Jurina's absence.
With regards to Miyuki - she is always between being confident and being worried.  She always double-checks with the manager about her position for new songs or gravure shoots.  She is the type that cries and comes asking "Why was I not chosen" when we announced that Yamamoto Sayaka was picked for senbatsu for AKB's new song.  As one of the two current centers of NMB, and as future center material, we want her to have more charisma like Kashiwagi or Mayu.
We want Team K to benefit from Jurina's high potential, and Team B to benefit from Miyuki's "magic" - this should give them a good jolt.
I am doing this for SKE and NMB.
If this decision turns out wrong,
I will resign as SKE and NMB's producer.
Of course, if this is also a wrong decision for AKB,
then I will resign as AKB's producer as well.
I will push the entire AKB group forward, even if this means putting myself on the line.

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/KaEHywLF43K

Here's one more thing.
A lot of people are asking, "Why them?"  So here's the answer.
These are "signs".  Like when a flower about to bloom, I feel these girls are on the brink of stardom.
Even if it's just now.
Maybe there will be other "signs" in 6 months, from members that I didn't choose.
The cruel part,
is that blooming has nothing to do with seniority or hard work.
It's not that hard work doesn't pay off, but rather "hard work" is one of the minimum requirements.
But still they won't bloom equally.
I want to make as many members bloom, so I change how I shine the light on them, I choose different fertilizers, I change the amount of water.
Like Iwasa Misaki, the first Enka singer in AKB, and Matsui Sakiko, who is about to release her first solo album.
But what will happen to ones that haven't bloomed?
They get worried, and they become dissatisfied with how they are being brought up.
What kind of advice am I suppose to give them?
It's hard to console them.
"Wait until you bloom"
"Wait until the it's your chance"
Do I focus on a few, or open up the field to everyone and end up not having a lot of flowers blooming?
Maybe one can get into AKB.
But it isn't guaranteed that everyone will become a star.
It's "Can you accept this cruel reality?"
As a producer I always try my hardest to make as many people stars as possible.
But I want them to understand that the road to stardom requires more than this.
"But Akimoto-san decided that I pass the audition"
Exactly.
So even the ones that haven't bloomed will have a chance to bloom.
What if you're still not blooming?
Then that means I have bad eyes.
So please go see someone else who has more talent than me.
I will write referrals.
Until then, please let me know of "seeds" that I haven't noticed.

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/baBdEDm7XdV

Last week, I stayed up all night writing a new NMB song.  Now I'm writing a new SKE song.
I think about these groups more than anyone else, but am I making the wrong decisions?
I've stopped writing.
Hmmmm.
What to do.
It's a shame that SKE and NMB fans don't understand where I'm coming from.

From Togasaki:
https://plus.google.com/103388469578205010447/posts/PnnJvptUpS3

I have received a lot of questions from everyone, regarding the "Concurrent" roles.  We will let you know as soon as we work out the details and adjustments, so please bears with us.
As expected, we acknowledge that there are pros and cons.
Looks like there are a lot of people that want to talk to me in person - please come see me at the Theater CD handshake event on April 7th in the Manager Room.
I would also like to meet SKE and NMB fans to talk about this.
I have talked to the respective managers and will be going to their respective event venues, so please wait patiently.
Anyway - these sudden announcements might be shocking, but the theme for AKB48 group, known for its increasing sister units and sub-units, is "change".
The two members will bring DNA from their time in AKB48 and spread them in SKE/NMB.  By the same token, SKE/NMB DNA will be brought to AKB48.
We would like to think of this as a chemical reaction.
What kind of reaction, though?  I would be glad to wait with everyone and find out.

AkiP: We Are Making A Team 8

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/7XVoticZYJM

We got a lot of worried responses regarding the KKS/trainees that did not get promotions...we were not going to announce this until later, but I'll spill it.

I'm sure some of you already know, but

We will have a Team 8.
That's our target.

AKB, SKE, NMB, HKT, JKT,
they need some sort of challenge.
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Let's hope for some chemical reaction.

I talked to Jurina and Miyuki after the concert.
They talked about their love for SKE and NMB.
Of course I know what they mean.
SKE and NMB will show you what they are made of.

Kashiwagi Yuki's Banana Mayonnaise Sandwich Available at AKB Cafe

Lately the AKB cafe in Akihabara is getting all sorts of new items.  The two that are being discussed on google+ are Paruru's Blueberry Cream Sandwich and Yukirin's Banana Mayonnaise Sandwich.

The former was introduced a while ago and received a lot of good reviews.  It was even pulled off the menu for a while because "the taste was a little bit off from the original", and chefs scrambled to reproduce the taste of Shimazaki Mama.

Then one day Yukirin decided to post one of her favorites - Banana Mayonnaise Sandwich.  The reactions were very polarized but it generated a lot of discussion.

Yesterday AkiP finally got a chance to try out both and this is what he said...

AkiP Posts More About Clubs

An informative g+ post from AkiP today - we finally get a glimpse of what each club is working on.

1:12pm

Art Club, do your best!
We're counting on you, Katayama!

[translation note: it's art club's first day and they're out doing stuff, so Katayama will probably post more later]

Light Music Club, how about composing some songs to practice?
We'll put it in an album.
We're counting on you, Yokoyama!

Cultural Club, see if you can get some sort of weekly/monthly column somewhere.
Also think about new TV programs.
You can even make movies or dramas.
We're counting on you, Kitahara!

Cooking Club - how about making some items for AKB cafe, plan a TV show or publish a recipe collection?
We're counting on you, Nakatsuka!

Drama Club - have you started any workshops?
I would like to see some scripts/scenarios in the theater soon.
Let's discuss this soon.

Looks like there are calls for sports clubs, but we don't really have any place for it at the moment.

AkiP Compares AKB Members to Food

This was pretty funny and I just had to share.

AkiP's response to fan comments at 1am March 2nd:

I've been reading all the comments, and a lot of people were asking that we treat all the members equally when it comes to cutting and editing their time on screen in commercials or music videos - unfortunately that cannot be the case.

"I don't remember ever eating a memorable Makunouchi Bentou" [tl note: a bento box with at least 3-4 different side dishes, sometimes more]
There are too many side dishes, so they're not that memorable.
The Unagi [eel] Bento was very delicious,
The Ikura [salmon roe] Bento was great,
The Gyu-tan [beef tongue] Bento was excellent,
That's because there was only one dish.

If everyone got the same amount of attention in commercials or videos, people won't remember.

Of course, I do want to make sure everyone gets their fair share of screen time.
I'll ask the director to see what he can do.

Now I wonder...did he have any particular members in mind when he mentioned Unagi, Ikura, or Gyu-tan?

Recent G+ Posts from Akimoto Yasushi

Even Akimoto Yasushi needs to vent once in a while.

Ever since joining g+, he has been posting a lot of extra information interjected with personal opinion, and followers almost always immediately hit the comment limit of 500.  Some offer praise, some question his decisions, and some leave rude comments that are uncalled for.