Due to the sudden triple graduation of Eri, Lin Lin and Jun Jun, my liking of Morning Musume is shaken as much as Jin from Sora to Kujira is. Truly, for him his three favourites are leaving; in my case it’s my #2 and #3 favourites.
But anyways, I posted an entry on their graduation [link]already; this post is about who people prefer more; Morning Musume or AKB48. With Morning Musume’s reputation as the head group of Hello!Project failing to keep their popularity up, AKB48 is rising in the charts with fan service PV’s like Heavy Rotation and wearing schoolgirl uniforms for an eternity (Ok, maybe since debut then).
I’m going to look at the comparison and show you why Japan prefers AKB48 being their top girl group in Japan at the moment over Morning Musume.
It’s weird because I remember in 2008; I read an article saying Morning Musume is Japan’s Best Selling Group so I also assumed their popularity was still on the rise. But now that I think about it, when I went to Japan last year, places like Akihabara and Fukuoka where I went to buy merchandise had more AKB48 posters and CD on display. I don’t remember seeing any Morning Musume albums anywhere to be honest really.
So I came up with a few things in comparison between Morning Musume and AKB48:
Morning Musume > AKB48
- People might find AKB48 girls too much and too many people to remember. Morning Musume if people want to actually go through eight generations for members for Morning Musume members are easy to tell apart especially how there are only 5 members currently.
- If you think about it, Morning Musume has turned into a colourful road show musical from their bright outfits in concerts which I love, AKB48 on the other hand are still wearing school girl uniforms in MV’s.
- Heavy Rotation was full of fan service which I hope isn’t going to go to #1 because it was disgusting and disgraceful. Let’s be honest, Morning Musume wouldn’t do something like that. But if they sunk that low, it would be done in a better way since most of the girls aren’t underage which a better song to hide it, not something cutesy.
AKB48 > Morning Musume
- Right now, Tsunku keeps taking out good members e.g Eri, Jun Jun and Lin Lin and keeping the trash e.g. Sayumi while AKB48 have a certain amount of main vocalists while the others are the background if you ask me.
- Morning Musume has been around for 13 years now. Perhaps that’s why Japan needs a new group that hasn’t been around for so long.
- AKB48 members rarely leave (e.g. only one I can recall who had to leave because she had a boyfriend) so I’m guessing many people don’t seem to care because there are 47 more. That’s why with Morning Musume, there may be too changes to members and after Yossie and Mikitty left in 2007, a lot of old fans seem to have given up and moved to AKB48.
- The average age of AKB48 is 16.5 right now while Morning Musume is , this may be why fans (many young apparently, I thought most were uncle fans) like them young and underage.
Both groups bring different styles of cuteness really. But Morning Musume’s style has changed a lot if you look at their first 10 singles compared to their last 10 singles. I worry as I look at the points I have made one more good point on AKB48 despite I dislike them. But I don’t know, they aren’t so bad – really. I liked their song, Skirt Hirai but I love Morning Musume more. However, it depends on how long Niigaki stays in the group honestly. Since my second (Eri) and third (Jun Jun) favourites are leaving, I’m left with her but…I think I pin all my hopes on Berryz Kobo or…AKB48.
Yes. AKB48. There are two or three girls who I see honestly but hopefully I can get over my dislike for them in the past two weeks (hasn’t been long even though I knew about these girls in 2007) and start accepting them. Which raises a question to me; Were you a fan of Morning Musume first or AKB48? What year and single did you start listening to them? And who do you prefer?
Interesting article! I have to say that my love goes to MoMusu for sure, and after watching AKB48′s annoying Heavy Rotation PV I can further acknowledge my love for MoMusu. Well, maybe not for Reina (Crown Princess of Wonky Eye Town) but that’s another story entirely.
No matter how much AKB fans keep screaming their lungs out saying AKB > MM, they can never change the fact that it’s otherwise..
its funny sometimes..
Whoaa… this is old, but since I just found this, I’m going to reply anyway……
I’ve been an otaku since forever, I can’t even recall when. Gradually I loved Japan more and more, starting from manga, anime, musics, eroge, dorama… etc. BUT, I was never drawn by idols. It is one thing that never really got me hooked. I only casually listened to some of them mostly out of curiosity, starting from Berryz Koubou, S/mileage, Momoiro Clover, then SNSD.
But then, I came upon AKB48. It was not instantly, but over time I got more and more hooked, and now I’m a fully fledged AKB wota. I don’t know how to explain this, but I just can’t bring myself to follow momusu, I find their songs bland, and I don’t know jack about their members. I’ve checked their songs, old and new, but still no love from me, sorry.
ps: I do love Michishige Sayuri from momusu. When I was checking Aruiteru, and saw her, she is instantly my momusu oshi.
The reasons why many member graduate because THEY WANT TO FULLY/CATCH THEIR DREAM cuz you can aspect to be in MM forever untill your reach 25+ years old right?!! Because some girls that audicion for MM just to LEARN HOW TO BE A SINGER & DANCER, They numbers are little so is easy for you to focus and get lines But you can do that on AKB48 because there to MANY MEMBERS and if ou were lucky, YOU WILL “WELL -KNOWN” BUT IF NOT PEOPLE WILL NOT KNOW YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO FACE THE TOP 10 GIRLS LIKE MAEDA ATSUKO & OSHIMA YOUKO.
ACtually i’m not a MM/Morning Musume fans, Im Berryz Koubou Fans Bcause like ” lolipedofin” said, their song sometimes never fit me up like Berryz Koubou but if you talk about “Funny Moment”, YUP MM/MORNING MUSUME WINS ^_^. I find MM/Morning musume member is more funnire then other H!P group ecspesially Tanaka Reina,Hitomi Yoshizawa & Michishige Sayuri.
” what goes around comes around” On the 90′era MM/Morning Musume sell GOOD, I mean always 100k and above but know AKB48 take over the sell.Believe me, one day AKB48 will be just like MM/Morning Musume…..like people said ” history will repeats itself again”.
Whatever, 2010 AKB48, 2008-2009 arashi, 2007 Akikawa Masafumi-Sen no Kaze ni Natte, 2006 KAT-TUN Real Face , 2005 shuuji to akira – seishun amigo, 2004 hirai ken, 2003 smap – sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana, 2002 utada hikaru – H, 2001 utada hikaru – can u keep a secret?, 2000 tsunami – southern all stars, 1999 Dango 3 Kyodai, 2011 will be akb48′s era, where is MOMUSU, fact! there is no momusu’s era
I like both of them but i found out AKB48 cuz of Morning Musume went to Mujack and I fell in love with W Takahashi !
Hooo … it’s sure an old article, written 2 years ago. Anyway I liked Momusu even before AKB48 existed, around the 4th generation (yeah I’m really that old). Their songs is always catchy like the recent 1, 2, 3 or Maji Desuka. But their PV quality are way below AKB (or their sister / sub groups). Also that frilly costume is really outdated and won’t impressed current generation viewer. If you compare it to K-Pop, their outfit are more casual and sexy.
While AKB songs are mixed bag in my opinion (they have some good songs too really), their performer looked fresh (not to mention most are still underage) the PV quality is really good (while the momusu or any H!P group especially C-ute looked very low budget). And the appearance of school girl will always attract both young and older fans.
Also while we’re at it, take a look at Fairies, they have nice songs and nice PV quality. The leader also cute.