Unseen Japan@UnseenJapanSite
Nov 24, 2022
4 tweets
AKB48 member Okada Nana has "graduated" from the group for the crime of falling in love. This after group General manager Mukaichi Mion said "the time's come to rethink" the rule against members having relationships.
AKB48's parent company denies any such rule exists.
The "rule doesn't exist" line feels hollow given past incidents. In 2012, producer Akimoto Yasushi moved a member to HKT48 when a picture of her & her boyfriend surfaced. In 2013, another member shaved her head in apology.
In other words, while there may be no written rule, says the article, there's definitely a "tacit understanding" and an expectation that a relationship == an end to one's time in the group.
Full article:
news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/soichir…
Idol companies have a bad history of making their stars apologize for "causing trouble". In what may be the most extreme case, NGT48 star Yamaguchi Maho was forced to apologize at a concert after going public about an attempted sexual assault.
unseenjapan.com/yamaguchi-maho…
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