Akicha……. we’ll never forget your tears…. (AKB48 4th general election Look-back)

  July 8, 2012


Shinoda’s expression……

I also watched yesterday’s NHK’s look-back coverage of AKB48 general election.
When 17th spot was announced, each member’s expression gave me the shivers. Especially, Kasai, Kitarie, Umechan, Yuihan, Miichan and Sae….. they facial expression covey that they were at the peak of tension…
After all, the moment when Akicha’s name was called was the most tensed moment in this year’s election….
And…. as we expected, Akicha was crying in backstage…..

Takajo was in a muddle as she was making speech…..
It was such a shocking event for her….


It looks like Kashiwagi and Kitahara were holing Kasai’s hand to relieve her tension,
and while Kasai was keeping calm, Kitahara and Kashiwagi got shocked by the announcement of 17th  ranked member. 





If her teammates are overcome by pressure and uneasiness, she will, of course, care about them.
Because she is a very kindhearted captain, I think she was holding their hands before the announcement of a member who ranked 17th.
Of course they were shocked, because no once could expect that Takajo would fail to win Senbatsu position.

Takajo has severely decreased her follower on Mixi but still, she is as popular as Sae in handshake event, goods sales or prices of her items on online auctions, isn’t it? So she still has many fans who are willing to spend money for her. Why she dropped so much only in the election?

Because she hadn’t put everything into it, and I think that somewhere deep in her mind, she thought that she can rank high enough without putting much effort…..
And another reason is fans of members who ranked above her were so serious about supporting their Oshimen’s election campaign.

It’s not simply because she wasn’t serious enough about the election, but because there’s a huge outflow of fans from AKB to SKE or NMB, and from senior members to junior members.
Veterans must appeal themselves by polishing their character as an old veteran or positively get involved with fresh members, or she would further rank down next year….

I think most of fans are moving to branch offices, as AKB’s junior members didn’t do well in this election. Now with 4th spot winner is in Hakata, more and more fans will start to look outside of AKB.

This is another moment of AKB48 that we will remain etched into our memory forever……
I will never forget her tears….
Next year…. I will definitely make her shed tears of joy…..