It has been another quiet week for MNL48 but I don’t think it’s because the girls aren’t doing anything. If anything, they seem to be both pretty busy and eerily quiet these past few weeks. Busy, because their FB pages indicate increased activity in the form of training and recordings. Quiet, because we haven’t seen them perform again or at least, make an appearance. Busy and quiet don’t normally go hand in hand together, so my gut is telling me that something’s up.
What that is, I have no idea. But I would assume that for the girls are working on more songs. A mini-live, for example, would need at least five more songs. Translating AKB songs and then adapting them into Filipino takes some time, so I guess we’ll al just play the waiting game for now.
However, that doesn’t hide the fact that they need to make their presence felt. It’s been weeks since their last performance in “It’s Showtime“, and I really think they should come back again to break the silence and keep the hype up. They still have not publicly performed Heavy Rotation (one of the three songs performed during the Fan-Meet), and many fans really wanted to hear it.
In related news, the 48-Group is getting noticed by K-pop fans through the Produce 48 show. Fresh from a successful season, this initiative is a joint venture between Produce 101 and AKB48. Given that K-pop artists spend years training and J-pop idols place the emphasis more on “growth” rather than finished products, there’s a noticeable disparity when it comes to the fundamental performing skills. The hard work of the 48 members to catch up to their Korean counterparts is amazing to say the least, because it’s going to be an uphill battle to go toe-to-toe with people that have been preparing for years to debut.
I don’t really watch the show regularly, mostly just through snippets. But I’ve heard that a lot of people in the country do. I admit I was skeptical of the idea at first because J-pop and K-pop are as different as night and day, but the show so far is getting good reviews. But then again, I haven’t been seriously following K-pop for years now (I outgrew it) so I’m not really updated on what K-pop’s fans reactions actually are, and I don’t really care enough to be bothered about it. I just hope that maybe, the participants from 48 Group can learn something from this experiment that they can share to the others.
Moving on, if I have one “wish” for MNL48, it is that for at least this first year, they would try to roam the various local conventions and events in order to cultivate their fanbase and attract more people. I understand that carrying the “48” brand can be a burden sometimes since they are sisters to the biggest fish in the Japanese idol market, but since MNL48 (and J-idol culture) in general is still on the fringes locally, it stands to reason that the group should at least try to reach out.
I know that there’s a lot of factors to consider like logistics, security, and of course, money. There’s also the fact that MNL48 can’t just waltz in on every convention because…well, to be blunt about it, not all conventions are equal and AKS might not agree wth the idea that a 48 sister group will just appear on whatever convention there is. But while I can’t dictate how the local management will treat invites or marketing opportunities, consider that the local wota population is still pretty much mixed about MNL48, no thanks to the long, exhausting, and drama-filled audition that alienated a lot of them from the group.
Reaching out via events is a good way to regain grass-roots support among the wotas. It is something that the indie idol groups have managed to take advantage of, and is – in my opinion – probably their one real advantage over MNL48. Well, possibly the only one, but it is a very crucial one, nonetheless.
While MNL48 may not be able to appear in small conventions, they could still go to the major ones like Asia Pop Comicon, Cosmania, and Best of Anime. It would be remembered that HHE managed to secure stage-time in last year’s APCC, where their dancers did the infamous AKB48/Western mash-up that appalled some sectors of the fandom (I “kinda” enjoyed it myself). I’m really hoping they would consider bringing the girls there because even though the attendance won’t be at a record high, it is still an MNL48 event and the fans will definitely go there to cheer for the girls.
They can also capitalize the members that the wota community likes, especially Alice, Ash, Faith, Thea, and the Duran Twins. They can even add other members to balance the team out and allow HHE to promote the girls who the wotas didn’t previously care. Their mere presence can sway the pendulum of public opinion in their favor.
A word of caution for the management though, don’t send the Kenkyuusei, or at least, don’t send them alone. Not yet, anyway. Everyone saw how fans reacted badly when the KKS are given more screen time, and how recently promoted KKS were given priority over full members for the Senbatsu Sousenkyo Japan trip. And those are fans. Just imagine what non-fans would do to them. Many members of the indie idol groups are failed MNL48 applicants, and many of their supporters will definitely be part of the audience. Hell hath no fury than a wota scorned, especially if you rub salt in their wounds.
As with any wishes and aspirations, mine is always tempered by the realities of the business. Unlike most of the indie idol groups, an MNL48 appearance would certainly command a fee, and this fee may be out of reach for certain events. Just look at the 1st Manila Idol Matsuri: they have various idols with of various images and coming from all walks of life….but MNL48 – the one group that is directly connected to the biggest idol group in Japan – isn’t on the list. It’s a special event, the first of its kind, and quite possibly the template for other idol-centric events to come. But it is also not in the scale of Cosmania, Otaku Expo, Toy Con, or APCC, all of whom can easily come up with the funds, and the ever-sticky topic of talent fees will inevitably be the main topic of the negotiations.
That’s not saying that I should stop hoping for MNL48 to make an appearance. The event is still two months away, after all, and it is an event specifically for idols too. With or without MNL48, the Manila Idol Matsuri will roll and, hopefully, be a success. It’s just that I feel, both as a fan and as someone covering the group for Back2gaming, that this is too great an opportunity to pass up.
Finally, I am really enjoying the Truth or Dare segments of MNLife. The girls do try to answer as candidly as possible, and you get to know a lot of stuff about them. My only complaint is the sound system. Sometimes, the sound breaks down in the middle of an idol talking. That’s a big no-no in idol productions. MNLaugh is still great, although I’m more excited about the MNLife segments. Team L seems to be on a winning streak as of yesterday, and they were also the over-all winners last week too.
That’s all for now. Hopefully we will see some activity from them this coming weeks. In the meantime, let’s prepare ourselves for whatever may come. Especially, of course, our wallets. 🙂
