-
AKB48’s final original member, who had to shave her head, is leaving the group
投稿日 2019年12月11日 00:00:31 (ニュース)
-
続・お知らせ。海外セレブゴシップ&ニュース
-
お知らせ
-
We spot the legendary dekotora Aki Kannon, dedicated to actress and singer Aki Yashiro
-
New Pokémon GU collaboration dresses all the family, including babies for the first time
-
How do European Cup Noodles taste to a Japanese palate?
-
We’ve been doing it wrong – Japanese genius shows us how we should all be making sandwiches【Pics】
-
The future is now with full face sunglasses
-
Natto-infused ramen is a thing — we tried it, we love it【Taste test】
-
Jellyfish and Halloween in perfect harmony at Sumida Aquarium event
-
Japanese toilet paper collection opens our minds as we open our butts
-
Aomori police on the lookout for man shouting unsolicited advice at kids about dating and ramen
-
Former Arashi members Sho Sakurai and Masaki Aiba get married… Wait, that didn’t come out right
-
Creator of Japan’s longest-running manga, Golgo 13, passes away, leaves fans one last gift
-
Crazy cheap cosplay at Daiso? How to transform into Dragon Ball’s Vegeta at the discount shop
-
7 Halloween-themed afternoon teas you won’t want to miss this year
-
Krispy Kreme Japan creates doughnut burgers that are a meal and two desserts all in one【Photos】
-
Get in the damn drift car, Shinji? Evangelion Tomika toy brings D1 machine home in miniature form
-
Demon Slayer Nichiren Blades ready for new duty: Slicing through your sweets as dessert knives
-
Man in Japan arrested for breaking into ex-girlfriend’s apartment to steal her Nintendo Switch
-
The Japanese Internet chooses the top too-sexy-for-their-own-good male voices in anime
-
First-ever Studio Ghibli x Russell Athletic range pays homage to My Neighbour Totoro
-
Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan announces first expansion with new Donkey Kong area
-
Cup Noodle pouch satisfies our never-ending need for instant ramen
-
Retro Japanese train is our new favourite office space
-
How do Japanese fans feel about Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop opening sequence?
-
We try Uniqlo coffee at first-ever cafe inside Ginza flagship store
-
The number of elderly people in Japan this year has yet again smashed multiple records
-
Mr. Sato broadens his home drinking horizons at Kaldi【Japan’s Best Home Senbero】
-
We try Japanese Twitter’s newest trend the Penguin Egg, end up hatching something very disturbing
-
Takoyaki makers surprisingly good at grilling meat for yakiniku too
Sponsored Link
Last remaining member of original group of 20 founding idols announces graduation, says she “still loves AKB48.”
There’s a famous logic exercise that goes something like this: If you replace first the head of George Washington’s ax, and then later the handle, is it still George Washington’s ax? Sometimes the substitute subject is a car or other machine that’s gradually had all of its parts replaced, but the fundamental debate is still the same: is the sum of parts still the same sum if none of the original parts remain?
That’s about to become a question that you can apply to Japan’s most popular idol singer group, AKB48. With 48 full-status performers plus a roster of “trainee” junior members who are periodically rotated into the main group, AKB48 is essentially the immortal hydra of the idol industry, but soon it’s going to lose its last original member, 27-year-old Minami Minegishi.
▼ Minami Minegishi
AKB48を卒業することを発表させていただきました。いまだに実感が湧かず不思議な気分です。最後の日まで楽しみ尽くしたいと思います。いっぱい思い出作りましょう。4月2日は横浜アリーナでコンサート!ありがたいなぁ…最後のお願い、絶… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
—
峯岸みなみ (@chan__31) December 08, 2019
Despite the name, AKB48 was initially formed with a core group of 20 idols on December 8, 2005. Following the retirement (or “graduation,” as the industry and fans call it when an idol leaves her group) of fellow original member Haruna Kojima in 2017, Minegishi has been the only first-generation AKB48 idol who’s still part of the unit. However, in a 14th anniversary concert held at the AKB48 Theater in Tokyo’s Akihabara district on Sunday, Minegishi addressed the audience shortly before the end of the performance. “Thank you for standing by me until this day,” she told those in attendance, before going on to announce “I, Minami Minegishi, will be graduating from AKB48.”
Sponsored Link
While it’s customary for Japanese entertainers to always make a point of thanking their fans for their loyalty and support, Minegishi’s idol career has been something of a comeback story. In January of 2013, a tabloid published photos showing that the then 21-year-old Minegishi had spent the night at the apartment of a boy band member. With idols widely prohibited from dating, the incident was treated as a case of Minegishi putting her personal desires ahead of a single-minded dedication to improving her craft for the sake of her AKB48 members and fans. She was demoted to trainee status, and also appeared in a video, posted to AKB48’s official YouTube channel, with her hair shaved down to a buzzcut, a traditional show of contrition in Japanese society. By August of the same year, however, Minegishi was back in the group’s good graces, having been fully reinstated and even designated the captain of one of AKB48’s sub-divisions.
「あさパラ!」生出演。緊張感があり、それでいてアットホームな空気がとてもすきです。また出演できますように。特製QUOカードありがとうございました(ネイルが限界)衣装はCHERIEさんの物です。スケスケの袖が可愛い〜 https://t.co/RqXcDHaEQd
—
峯岸みなみ (@chan__31) November 30, 2019
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and have decided to graduate while I still love AKB48,” Minegishi explained to the audience after announcing her pending graduation. “I will be starting over and trying my best again, and if you will all watch over me, I’ll be happy,” she added, though she has yet to provide any details as to whether she intends to remain in the music industry, transition to acting/media personality work (Minegishi has appeared in multiple movies and TV programs), or plans to leave show business entirely.
For the time being, though, the fans that Minegishi has accumulated over her 14 years with AKB48 will get to see her continue as an idol for just a little longer, as she’s scheduled to formally leave the group following a special farewell concert at Yokohama Arena on April 2.
Source: Nikkan Sports via Yahoo! Japan News via Hachima Kiko via Anime News Network/Kim Morrissy
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Source: SORA NEWS24
Sponsored Link
最新情報