Even Sashihara Ota feel awkward with too much favoritism from Media

Tommy Kono June 9, 2012

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Hi, Sashi-Ota, I know you feel the same way.
I’m Sashi-Ota, too, but I want them to stop giving Sashiko too much special treatment.
I feel sorry for other members’ Ota….
I would rather want management to give spotlight to all members more equally.
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I thought they went too far when they conducted interview to her during in the tensed mood of the ranking announcement …
(As you know from election speech articles, FujiTV almost exclusively focused on Sashiko in it’s live-broadcasting in a really awkward way that it looked more like a comedy than a serious event)
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But I think they succeeded in their fierce promotion for Sashiko.
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The way AKB’s management do things is hurting Sashko….
Though this time, it’s Fuji’s bit….
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I think more or less management had their opinion in the direction of the program….
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Borrowing Shinoda’s word, other members will never see the light of the day unless they give it everything they’ve got…
No matter how you paint it, Sashiko left the result (and she gave it everything she got).
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Yeah I know she left the result because I’m Sassy-Ota.
But it’s not only this election. It also happened in promotional campaign for her solo debut single.
YubiMaturi also makes me worry…
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Looking at their favoritism to Sashiko and wired way to promote her which never fails to hurt her, I gradually come to the point that I can somehow understand the feeling of haters of AKB…
You know, to their eyes, all members of AKB48 look like Sashiko…
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FujiTV’s way to embarrass Sashiko is the last thing I can forgive…!
What the heck was that awkward interview!?!? Do they want to crush Sashiko??
Sashiko looked really embarrassed and just reminding those scenes gets on my nerve….
(Personally I had a impression they want to focus on Sashiko just because she has been the topic of conversation in whole nation. It seems it was not because producers of this program favors Sashiko, but because they just heard stories about how much she is a useful talent for variety TV programs that they want to leave strong impression of her on TV audience with this annual event.)
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It is an act of brute that they handsomely conducted the interview to this girl who obviously in the peak of nervousness….
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If every year, management will promote other members as much as they did for Sashiko, one by one, so that they will rank in 4th or somewhere near it, then they would succeed to make “generation change?”
Because, you know, they’ve (other member’s Ota who are Anti) been completely bashing Sashiko, so I think they are assuming that if their Oshi-men are given the same level of promotion, they will possibly become top members like Sashiko.
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I went mad when they talked to Sashiko, “So now it’s confirmed that your place is higher than XX.” (after Mariko(5th) and Rena’s (9th) speech)
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I could at least have a conviction then again that FujiTV have no intention to think about how audience feel about their blunt broadcasting manner.
I’m Yukirin-Oshi but if she got that level of special treatment, I would rather feel awkward about it.
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I understand that her dedicated effort lead this great result, but the huge promotional campaign of Sashiko hasn’t fully get other members involved yet….
So far she couldn’t use the popularity she got to grow junior members.
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Sashihara is one of next generation members rather than senior members which are dubbed Mamoru mono…
All top members except Jurina are her seniors.
And it won’t take time for her to help other junior members to grow with this enormous popularity she got.
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She is 5gen, and still next generation!?!? And she is only one year younger than Acchan….
Though most of members junior to her were owned by branch offices’ members… (so, we have yet to see the rise of next generation if Rino-chan is not next generation)
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I overheard the conversation of a couple talking about Sashiko at a restaurant, “They interviewed to Sashihara-san too much. I felt sorry for Sashihara-san….”
I have a mixed feeling…
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It’s just to be expected. FujiTV understands nothing about AKB, but they just want to use the popularity of Sashiko, a kind of sensation this year who has made tons of TV appearance.
It’s a result of fierce promotion, but the tragedy this time was caused by Fuji’s ignorance…
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So Fuji thought they finally could benefit from AKB sensation with this broadcast and wanted use Sashihara’s current enormous popularity?
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Then, why she lost to Nogizaka?
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Looking at the record of the CD sales of other members’ solo singles, I think they expected Sashiko winning over Nogizaka.
They just wanted to use Sashiko for the promotion of Nogizaka’s 2nd single.
And because of Mayuyu and Tomochin’s public image, they didn’t want to hurt these two girls through that sort of nonsensical battle.
Besides, I don’t think that battle became as interesting as it was with Sashiko, if it were Tomochin or Mayuyu.
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Anyway now that Sashiko has got tons of Anti, I hope at least Sashihara-Ota will never be shaken by Anti-sentiment and keep supporting her.
Sashihara herself didn’t do anything wrong.
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I understand Anti’s feelings, but the members who embodies “working hard” now is Sashihara, isn’ it?

What irritate you guys may be some Sashihara-Ota who just jumped on Sashihara bandwagon, and because they talk so eloquently something like, “Without agencies, TV producers and AkiP’s favor, girls will never be able to forge their career and become popular.” as if they were the very person who holds that power.

But please understand that those dudes who you assume Sashihara-Ota also irritate us, fans of Sashiko who really support her.

Sashiko fan thread has been ruined by one person who is a kind of a representative of those dudes, and does’t work at all….
Personally I think in this case, Anti of Sashihara are actually fans of her and those dudes who self-claim that they are fans of Sashihara are actually Anti of her.
So please, have human’s hearts (when you make Anti comment on Sashihara-Ota).
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Sashihara’s speech which is a response to Shinoda’s one impressed me so much.

I am convinced that she will survive in this business.
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I wanted her to refuse the live broadcast of the event held in Oita where people including her mom gathered to cheer for Sashiko…
Sometimes you need to have a courage to refuse boss’s order.

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It hurt my heart, too…. it was like….. her mom was told, “Let’s cheer your daughter.” and utilized as a tool for completing the Sashihara’s success story they wanted to create.
You know, if she were your daughter, you couldn’t refuse the TV company’s request because you want to give your support in any way you can even though it was this weird way…
Sashihara was used to their advantage in a various way…. it was just hurting…
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I think the reason behind it was because she is “Tourism Ambassador” for Oita city….

Even mayor of the city was there, next to her mom.
With this live coverage of her home city, they can use the Japanese-beloved keyword, “local patriotism“, like… “There are members who are from prefectures far from Tokyo and made their way to a top member.”

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As long as Ohta production want to continue benefiting from AKB business, this special treatment to Sashihara won’t change, I think.
They gotta stop it actually… you know, they already got tons of money from Maeda and Oshima….
And then Successor of Maeda is Sashihara?

It’s something this agency, which is specialized in Comedy and variety shows, likely think….
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I think if it’s a successor of Maeda, then Sashihara is a right choice.
I can’t think of someone else who fit for the AKB’s concept “You can shine even if you’re not glamorous” more than Sashihara.
And actually Sashihara’s popularity has become so enormous that even her Ota can’t believe it.
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How can I feel sorry for her??

Sashihara now carries the fate of AKB. People will form the image of AKB through Sashihara.

The situation has drastically changed already.
Ota must realize this, and steel yourself.
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So what AkiP want Sashiko to be?

Actress? Singer? Idol? It seems she won’t be No.1 in either way.

She may be able to aim to become a “variety idol”, but is it really what she wants to be?

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Sashihara is not Sashihara what she used to be.

She obviously has transformed from 2 years ago.

The point is whether Ota can still keep up with this drastically altered situation and herself.
If you think you can’t go with her anymore, then the only choice left to you is Oshi-Hen.
If you still want to be with her, I think, you should accept everything, and support her with whatever she takes on, and protect her from every bashing and external pressures.

I want….at least those who voted for her in this election to have thoroughness to support her…

Leaving her once she climbed to the height with you support, leaving no way to exit the game…. it’s too brutal, isn’t it?

(This comment got many sympathies from other fans.)
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I’ve been Sashihara-Ota for 3 years now.

I cast nearly 700 votes for her this time, and bought tons of her solo singles.

I felt the negative effect of too much promotion she got when I saw tons of Anti-Sashihara threads suddenly started appearing on 2channel.

I sent email to Ohta production to ask them to take care of Sashihara and to tell my impression of the current situation of Sashihara.

Honestly I was worrying that my email would decrease her work, but they didn’t send me a reply and Sashihara has got more and more promotion after this.

Things are now well beyond my reach, so I decided that I will just continue supporting her.

I will give her a yell at Akusyukai and buy any Sashihara-related produts.

Because…. Sashihara is having a tougher time than me.

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I’m only interested in how she will make the most of what she got from this position, 4th.

You know, from this moment, 4th has become a standard for her, as she will be dubbed AKB’s 4th girl, not a girl who got tons of promotion from management.

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