MNL48 Weekly 2/20/2017

It’s been a while since the last blog. There’s still no news regarding MNL48 (apart from the page reaching 1.1 million likes), but another sister group – BNK48 – formally debuted in Japan Expo Thailand 2017 which was graced by AKB48 members themselves. Idol culture has always had a strong following in Thailand and BNK48 was the first of the new sister groups to hold auditions. They already have several projects in the pipe-line including some with AKB48 so we can expect to see them more in the coming months.

Oh and STU48 is also rolling, with auditions in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi getting past the first round.

I’m not at all bothered with the lack of updates because, well, there’s not a lot to update about. We were never given exact dates anyway, so it’s technically not a delay. I do understand that there are fans and hopefuls who are getting restless. But I feel that people should just relax and allow things to naturally roll.

I was thinking of a topic to discuss today. I originally planned to talk about “push” in idol groups, but due to a lack of reliable sources, decided to postpone it for another time. A “push” is what fans call the management’s conscious effort to promote a member. But I found it difficult to define what a push objectively is, and what constitutes a success or failure.

Instead, I’ll discuss my feelings about another topic: should MNL48 tie up with a network or not?

When the audition app went live, it was indicated there that the finalists will be shown in It’s Showtime (which has since been removed). Many fans didn’t like the group having ties to a network, probably opting for the group to be “free” from exclusivity deals.

The problem with that is the fact that the 48 brand has little value in the local entertainment industry. And brands that have little value cannot dictate terms to networks. We all know that local entertainment is dominated by two major networks. It is a fact that – whether we like it or not – will dictate the direction that HHE will be taking with regards to their business.

AKB48 Team 8 didn’t exactly make waves with their first Showtime! appearance (last 2015) a huge part because they were literally unknown at the time. Their second appearance last year fared a little better because the girls were careful this time, and because one member used her english speaking skills to respond directly to the audience.

Pundits will say that bringing in the more popular members like Mayuyu and Yukirin will make for a different result. Maybe, but only if they guest in a show that has wide viewership. The show they’re guesting in has as much impact to casual viewers as to who they actually are. K-pop is big in the country, but not all K-pop groups can command a large viewer ratings.

Having a tie-up with a network will go a long way to putting MNL48 in the public’s consciousness. J-pop has a long way to go if it wants to get past the “anime soundtrack” level of recognition. And as always, the fans will play a good part in making that happen.

Before we part, I’d never really followed Nogizaka 46 (aka AKB48’s “official rival group”), but I just found a reason to.

Ladies and gentlemen, Nogizaka 46’s Mai Shiraishi.