AKB48!

[Anderei]

Their debut song is actually a cover of AKB48's major debut song lol. All of their international sister groups have done it, none of them release original music.

[Ap2000]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Anderei" data-cid="211806" data-time="1513819698">All of their international sister groups have done it, none of them release original music.</blockquote>
I wasn't aware of that.

Aitakatta is my favourite AKB song.

[Anderei]

In addition to JKT48, BNK48, TPE48, China48, MNL48...


We now have:




MUM48, based in Mumbai, India. Because the world needs more glorified AKB48 cover groups. Of course, this one has more cultural barriers to go through than the others have had.

[Meikochi]

Are these groups really successful or at least money-making ? Or is it only a marketing thing to show AKB are still big ?

[Anderei]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Meikochi" data-cid="211918" data-time="1514480989">Are these groups really successful or at least money-making ? Or is it only a marketing thing to show AKB are still big ?</blockquote>


People told me that JKT (who are much older than the rest, debuting in 2011) did very well their first few years, because the whole country was going through a girl group craze. Now? They've lost a lot of popular members (their face is graduating next spring), the Indonesian girl group craze is over, and they're just occupying a niche.


BNK48 just started, so who knows. The other groups are doing auditions. TPE in particular was announced years ago but is only just now actually getting going. China48 hasn't done anything yet, they're just the new Chinese group because they disowned SNH48, who have actually gone to be quite successful now that they do their own thing. They recently had a subgroup go study at YGE in S. Korea.


Most of these groups though? I doubt they are or will be that popular outside of Jpop enthusiasts. I think they go through an early period where they seem cool but then the novelty wears off because they don't do anything new and can't cater to what's popular in their own countries since they don't release original music.

[Elpis]

I never expected there to be a group in India. Not sure how successful it’ll be and there is also the language barrier. I wish they’d do something with TPE48 though it’s been years since they were announced and they still don’t have members or even debuted last time I checked.

[Anderei]

TPE has an announced member transferring over and auditions officially so they should be out next year.

[WonderBuono]

I love the idea of an Indian group, but I really wish they'd let them do original music like SNH48. (Right now I like SNH's music more than AKB's honestly.)

[Anderei]

Yeah, I don't know how they expect this group to compete when they're right in the middle of Bollywood while singing stuff like Aitakatta but whatever strokes Akimoto's ego. I feel like all these groups make them look desperate more than prove that AKB is still at the top of their game.

[Shoujo Q]

AKB48 just announced that they are disbanding all the groups and streamlining the group to just one group and trainees. Last concerts for the teams will be in August.

More information to come.

[DonJuan]

Oh, wow. I can't say that this takes me by complete surprise, considering the whole #OUTOF48* thing they announced a few days ago. I do wonder however... there's a shit ton of members. Some will probably leave the group, as well as join the new #OUTOF48 thing, but still, the future is unclear.

I guess the 48G do the exact opposite of Up Front. Up Front keeps the status quo and rather runs a few boring years as long as they don't crash their profits while 48G is open to radical measures. I doubt they'll fall that deep considering the current popularity of AKB48 (not that big anymore) and their still devoted fanbase, but it's still interesting.

*Basically a survival show to make a Kpop style group out of 48G members.