AKB48 vs Akihabara back stage pass

The other day, I happened to meet a member of AKB48, a popular Japanese girls unit that Yasushi Akimoto, a big time planner, produced. I didn’t have any interest in the unit until then because I thought it only catered to young anime and game geeks who are hanging around in Akihabara.

However, the following day, I knew that Tsunku, another successful music producer announced that he would rollout his new project “Akihabara back stage pass” in coming November. Besides, the concept of the project is quite similar to AKB48.

Now that two major produces just about to battle with each other in this Akihabara based entertaining business, I started feeling very curious about it.

As far as I know, the differences between them are like this.

【AKB 48】

concept: Idols you can go to see everyday

home: AKB48 theatre

style: You’ll have opportunities to meet idols in person, shake hands, and get to vote in the poll for making your go-for-idol stand in the center position on the stage if you buy their CDs.

【Akihabara Back stage pass】

concept: you are the producer

home: a café with a stage

style: It’s you that may discover promising talents among girls who are working in a café and help them to grow as top idols.

Comparing with Yasushi Akimoto’s project, Tsunku’s one seems to have a narrower and deeper contact point with wanna-be idol girls. And it looks like a idol training simulation game. Once amateur producers hooked on girls, I think they might spend a lot of money.

By the way, I found an interesting article on how Tsunku referred to J-pop industry some month ago. it says: “we need to have some competitor units with AKB48 to catch up with K-pop.”

He has envisioned being even with K-pop and more. I hope that two producers’ synergy effect would boost the J-pop and widen its market world widely.

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