The downfall of J-pop? How the AKBG's biz model & culture get adapted in China

[Rika-Chicchi]

The MV for the debut single (a cover of a C-pop number) of HO2, a subgroup of SNH48, released today:

The subgroup is a duo formed by a former captain of SNH48's 2nd team & the "big brother" of the same team, who're roommates & also very close friends in private.

[EDIT]
A rendition of a nice C-pop number by the 4th team of SNH48 at a theater performance of the team today:

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

The ace of SNH48's 4th team performing w/ the harmonica at a theater performance of the team today:

The rising, high-ranking "sexy queen" of the team is also a Latin dancer & erhu player.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

An auditorium at a local cinema complex in the home city of CKG48 is now named after the group:

https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/large/006P1U2ngy1fufyw9k622j31kw2dchdt.jpg

https://wx3.sinaimg.cn/large/006P1U2ngy1fufywew5v9j31kw11xx6p.jpg

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[EDIT]
SNH48 has got the "Best Group" award at a music awards event yesterday - a report about it on a Japanese fansite, w/ a couple of clips & several photos (click to view them in their original large sizes):

中国ツイッター主催「亜洲新歌ランキング2018」でSNH48「最優秀グループ賞」、ロケットガールズ「最も人気のあるグループ賞」受賞 – SNH48分室 Unofficial

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

Quick update: the Top 16 members from various SNHG groups returned from their latest General Election are currently heading to Croatia to shoot the MV for their next single, & the now-graduated former group ace of SNH48 is also going there together (all of them are under the same management company) for unspecified works.

A report about the local TV's & press' coverage of their presence over there, featuring the #2-ranked member from the 2nd team of SNH48 & her being greeted in person on the shooting location by the mayor of the Croatian capital w/ a bouquet, posted on a Japanese fansite today:

上海SNH48第五回総選挙TOP16メンバー、MVロケ地ザグレブ市長も大歓迎 – SNH48分室 Unofficial

Meanwhile, the #1-ranked member from the 3rd team of SNH48, the group ace of BEJ48 (who doubles as the captain of their 1st team), & the group ace GNZ48 visited the Croatian chamber of commerce in the capital of that country - a report about it, also posted on the same site today:

上海SNH48カチューシャ（李藝彤）北京BEJ48 DDD（段藝璇）広州GNZ48ハナちゃん（謝蕾蕾）クロアチア商工会議所代表と面会 – SNH48分室 Unofficial

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

Footage of an alternative, "happy" ending of that drama, which final, 48th episode was broadcast tonight:

芸汐传甜版番外

Another, "sad" one, which also features several additional flashback scenes from previous episodes:

芸汐传虐版番外

That insert song playing in the background while the starring character was dying is rendered by a member of SNH48's 3rd team (who also plays a main character in the drama) instead of the starring character's actress herself (who's already done a couple of themes for the drama) - the original soundtrack of the song was released today:

It's quite interesting that this relatively more upbeat song of the drama, which's also not performed by the starring actress herself, is deliberately chosen for her character's dying scene.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

Dedicated HPs for SNH48's subgroups BLUE V & HO2 have been opened today:

SNH48 BLUEV 小分队

SNH48 HO2出道首秀

[EDIT]
The deputy captain of SNH48's 3rd team performing a Canto-pop number at her personal mini live held in the cafe of their exclusive theater today:

The very nice, elder-sister-like, & tall Cantonese girl is also good in dancing.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

An auditorium at a local cinema complex in the home city of CKG48 is now named after the group:

https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/large/006P1U2ngy1fufyw9k622j31kw2dchdt.jpg

https://wx3.sinaimg.cn/large/006P1U2ngy1fufywew5v9j31kw11xx6p.jpg

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https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/large/006P1U2ngy1fufywbxbuzj31kw11xnpd.jpg

Official footage of their officiating the naming ceremony there that day:

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

An official birthday poster for the birthday of an extremely cute member of GNZ48's 3rd team today:

https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/large/006c5eFZgy1fukl7pygecj31ww2pge82.jpg

^ She's donning the team's nicely designed current dress uniform.

[EDIT]
Quick update: the 16 elected members of the Undergirls group (#17-32) returned from the latest SNHG General Election, who belong to various SNHG groups, have just arrived in the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) for the shooting of the MV for their single over there.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

An official birthday poster for the birthday of the top dancer & "fashion queen" of SNH48's 1st team today:

https://wx4.sinaimg.cn/large/a04b2a1dgy1fukvdroa2kj20rs15ox2z.jpg

^ The currently #7-ranked (hence making her one of the "God 7" members of the entire SNHG) member is donning the team's current dress uniform.

She's not just an idol of her huge fanbases both in the country & overseas (especially S. Korea), but is actually also an idol of her own fellow members in the SNHG groups.

[EDIT]

Quick update: the 16 elected members of the Undergirls group (#17-32) returned from the latest SNHG General Election, who belong to various SNHG groups, have just arrived in the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) for the shooting of the MV for their single over there.

Some of them are fooling around over there & have shot this naughty brief private footage:

Sina Visitor System

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

7SENSES, an elite subgroup of SNH48, performing at a K-pop awards event in S. Korea today - they've received the "Global Entertainer Award" there:

[EDIT 1]
^ Their receiving that award & making their speeches in English & Chinese (one of them can actually speak Korean & has done exactly that during a backstage interview of the event, but she didn't make a speech upon receiving the award):

^ They've disclosed in their speeches that one of the songs in their upcoming new EP is to be rendered in Korean.

[EDIT 2]
^ The subgroup on the red carpet of the event:

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

The 3rd team of SNH48 performing a cute C-pop number at a theater performance of the team today:

^ Their paramilitary-style uniforms don't quite match the song (which title means "I like you"), tho.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

A compilation of footage following GNZ48 from the days immediately before the SNHG General Election final results announcement event & concert near the end of July this year to the days immediately after it, offering a unique view of its various aspects from the perspective of the group:

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

7SENSES, an elite subgroup of SNH48, performing at a K-pop awards event in S. Korea today - they've received the "Global Entertainer Award" there:

[EDIT 1]
^ Their receiving that award & making their speeches in English & Chinese (one of them can actually speak Korean & has done exactly that during a backstage interview of the event, but she didn't make a speech upon receiving the award):

^ They've disclosed in their speeches that one of the songs in their upcoming new EP is to be rendered in Korean.

[EDIT 2]
^ The subgroup on the red carpet of the event:

It's notable that they're the only overseas idol group getting an award at the event, which's a major one of its kind over there & was also attended by current top K-pop groups like BTS, Wanna One, TWICE, Red Velvet, NCT 127, MAMAMOO, NU’EST W, & AOA, among others. BTW, their Korean fans have bought ads promoting individual members of them at subway stations as well as on ad trucks around the S. Korean capital during the same period.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

The top three ranking members returned from the latest SNHG General Election are currently featured on the hull of public buses:

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https://wx4.sinaimg.cn/large/a04b2a1dgy1fuwb4yrso1j21kw16o4qu.jpg

https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/large/a04b2a1dgy1fuwb4zjirnj21kw16ox6u.jpg

^ The red background color of the bus ad makes it look like a London bus. lol

[EDIT]
Quick update: the 16 elected members of the Next Girls group (#33-48 ) returned from the latest SNHG General Election, who belong to various SNHG groups, have just arrived in S. Korea for the shooting of the MV for their single over there.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

A promotion video for the upcoming new stage of SHY48's 2nd team, which's adapted from the current stage of SNH48's 4th team, released today:

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

The MV for a folk-style song composed & rendered by a member of SHY48's 1st team, released today:

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

The MV for the title song of the debut EP of BLUE V, a subgroup of SNH48, released today:

^ It's so "brainwashing." lol

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

An official birthday poster for the birthday of the currently #2-ranked member from SNH48's 2nd team today:

https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/large/a04b2a1dgy1fv0396tvpvj20rs15o4qp.jpg

^ The former deputy captain of the team is donning the team's current dress uniform.

[EDIT 1]
The group ace of BEJ48, who also doubles as the captain of the group's 1st team & is a former member of SNH48's old 5th team, performing a couple of oldies (both originally being English songs) at a special theater performance to commemorate the 5th anniversary of SNH48's exclusive theater in that theater this afternoon, featuring the deputy captain of SNH48's 4th team:

^ Her nostalgic outfit also matches those songs pretty well. lol

[EDIT 2]
Behind-the-scenes footage of that member mentioned at the beginning of this post shooting at various locations in the Hong Kong SAR, released today:

Sina Visitor System

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

Have forgotten to post this clip of the captain of SHY48's 2nd team performing a C-pop number at a theater performance of the team yesterday:

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

An official birthday poster for the birthday of the currently #2-ranked member from SNH48's 2nd team today:

https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/large/a04b2a1dgy1fv0396tvpvj20rs15o4qp.jpg

^ The former deputy captain of the team is donning the team's current dress uniform.

[...]

Behind-the-scenes footage of that member mentioned at the beginning of this post shooting at various locations in the Hong Kong SAR, released today:

Sina Visitor System

Her starring in a CM for a healthy soft drink product of Coke: