Shaved Heads, Inscrutable Orientals, and the Loli Law

The storm has subsided. The locusts have moved on. The Minegishi video is being taken down, according to a new posting from AKB48 general manager Tomonobu Togasaki. But not for the reasons one may have expected. This resolution is one that rings hollow at best.

Over the last day-and-a-bit, international reaction to the video grew to a level where there was a netwide campaign to flag the video and have it taken off YouTube. I don’t know how many flags it takes to set off the alarms in YouTubeland, but if a rageful Tumblr post with several thousand notes says anything, then AKB48′s webguys probably found themselves with a pretty big pile of Notifications in the morning.

Approximate portrayal of international reaction to Minami Minegishi’s apology video. (Source)

HOWEVER, read the translated message carefully. According to Togasaki’s statement, “I have received many requests from the fans saying ‘We have fully understood Miichan’s sincerity, and so we would like for the video on YouTube to be taken down.’” It’s as if he doesn’t even realize how angry people were—including much of the Japanese public, who said “That’s just going too far”—or has blinded himself to it and is responding with a canned, cold statement.

Basically, sorry AKB’s not sorry.

Stand By Miichan

EDIT II: Video gets taken down. My reaction & analysis to this turn of events.

EDIT: After ~doin’ mah research~ I took note of Togasaki’s Q&A piece, stating that Minegishi showed up to film her video apology already shaved, much to the surprise of the staff. So, whether the tinfoilhatters still wanna believe she was “forced to do it,” I dunevenknow man.

Oh, and now Perez Hilton’s brand of yellow journalism has picked up on this story. I think we’re just going to have to keep watching as it develops.

I think Miichan is kind of a genius for pulling such a shocking, theatrical stunt—her scandal has gone viral in ways that no other AKB member’s ever has. If this is her scheming way of getting a little extra “screen time,” of flashing her rebellious side by showing up The Management, I’m impressed that she can still play the media-manipulation game even in a state of distress.

* * *

I am surprisingly calm.

Maybe part of me was just waiting for this to happen. “Get into Jpop,” they said. “Idols are cute and fun!” they said. “THEN THEY’LL TAKE AWAY ALL YOUR FAVORITES,” they didn’t said. So I’ve just been waiting all these years, waiting until they ‘got’ Miichan, because you don’t get to be as big as AKB48 without having a giant target painted on your back for the gossipmongers to take aim at. And with all the shots they’d been taking recently—Nacchan, Rumifu, Sasshi, the HKT quintet, Yuttan, Chiyuu—I was quietly dreading the day some of those rounds would hit MY oshi.

And then it came, and I had no tears or despair or outrage left to spare. Just blank, void … nothingness. It’s something so unjust, so illogical, so evil, that I have no feelings to feel about the situation. And no, I’m not going to watch the video. I don’t think I ever will. Why contribute even ONE pageview to an act of shame that will just disturb me really badly?

STAND UP FOR LIBERTY, MIICHAN.

AKB Quest III: Ms. Minegishi Goes To Washington

At this point it’s starting to become kind of a routine for me.

Stock up on glowsticks (green for Team K; yellow for Team 4) and stuff ‘em in the bag.

Come up with some homemade signage that will obnoxiously grab the attention of the celebrities in question (as well as passers-by).

Pack an absolute minimum of clothing and necessities in order to travel as light as possible. This was, quite literally, a one-night trip, so all I needed was a change of clothes in a backpack.

Then stay up all night and leave the house at 4 a.m. so I could catch the first flight to Baltimore, a nonstop trip that would land me there in the middle of the afternoon.

The promo poster for the show.

Oshirase (for your information)

PLZ VIEW my new blog, The Importance of Being Gachapin.

It’s all about MY WIFE Minami Minegishi!
You may learn something useful from it.
Or just enjoy drooling at pretty pictures of her.

Please check it out!

25 Days of Delicious Cake: Day 25

Summit Beach South

Today’s delicious Christmas cake is MY WIFE Minami Minegishi!
I hope everyone enjoyed this special series of posts.
May you have a Loli Christmas and a Droolicious New Year!