Too many AKB48-related news recently, but the shocking announcement made recently revealed that 宮澤佐江 (Miyazawa Sae) will be posted to SHN48 (Shanghai 48) and 高城亜樹 (Takajo Aki) will be sent to JKT48 (Jakarta 48).
Although it isn’t much of my concern, I wonder how these could be good decisions from the business aspect. 4th-placed Sashiko has already been sent to HKT48 due to a scandal, Acchan has officially quit AKB48 and now, 11th-placed Miyazawa and 17th-placed Takajo, both of whom are familiar faces in AKB events and television programs are sent out of the country together with a couple of other girls. How could sending the popular members out of the group be good strategy? It may do some help for the popularity of these other groups (I frankly didn’t know SHN48 existed) but at the cost of the “flagship” group? What more with the political quarrel over the Senkaku Islands plus the existence of AK98 in China.
All these issues aside, it seems that they are moving towards a decline. Or maybe this is all a ploy between Tsunku and Akimoto to take turns ripping money off the idol-hungry consumer.
