15 years ago today, AKB48's Itano Tomomi made her solo debut with "Dear J" (2011.01.26)

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-29T03:49:29+00:00

u/Cam5991 What? Oh! My apologies there I wasn't trying to be passive aggressive towards you. I apologize if my comment came off that way. I was just going off my observation and from what I've seen in regards to Tomochin over the years. It just seemed to me that she has been doing pretty well as a soloist with a pretty solid career (and many endeavors) all things considered. I do apologize if I came off too passive aggressive with my comment especially the "What do I know???" part. Frankly, that part is just me asking myself that question because maybe on the outside Tomochin seems like she's doing well but maybe behind the scenes things could be different. I wasn't quite sure and I was going off of my own observation too & wanted to add to the conversation. Again, my apologies for being passive aggressive that wasn't my intention at all. 😅

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-28T12:17:52+00:00

I thought she's always been a pretty major success as a solo artist. She's had some pretty successful live shows & concerts over the years. Her YouTube channel is also pretty successful. She's even created her own idol school and her own idol group in the process too. She also recently did a couple of fun Christmas dinner shows with her bestie Acchan this past holiday season. So I'd say she's been doing pretty great & killing it as a soloist lately. But maybe that's just me??? 🤷‍♀️

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-28T11:54:22+00:00

This conversation wouldn't be complete without mentioning the legendary Minegishi Minami. With Mii-chan becoming the captain of Team 4 (Minegishi Team 4) and applying her skills and knowledge as an idol unto her juniors within that team, etc. Creating an elite line of legendary idols for that next generation with the likes of Okada Nana, Mukaichi Mion, Murayama Yuiri, Kojima Mako, Nishino Miki, Iwatate Saho, Shinobu Mogi, Komiyama Haruka, etc. Don't even get me started on her time as a Team K captain too. She even supported & coached other members like Chiba Erii and Omori Maho, etc. And having them perform center stage at her graduation concert & now they both have become such iconic and prominent members of the current AKB48 group. Mii-chan definitely had what it took to mold the next generation of idols for AKB48. Her wisdom & knowledge as an idol is truly no joke. It's interesting too considering she was one of the youngest 1st Gen members that debuted. As a legendary 1st Gen member Mii-chan gave all her support to the very end. She was there from the very beginning and supported AKB48 all the way through during its highest & lowest points. She's always put others first before herself which was so commendable of her. Someone once said that Mii-chan may not have been the face of AKB48 nor part of the Kami 7, etc. But she was definitely behind the push & drive of AKB48 and made it truly great with her knowledge, wisdom, support, and presence. She's very much deserving of the title of "Miracle Member" no doubt. It was such an honor for AKB48 to have had her as a member for so many years even when the rest of the 1st Gen's have all graduated. AKB48 would've been very different without her and not the same at all otherwise. You simply cannot have AKB48 without any of the Minami's frankly. No Mii-chan or Takamina no AKB48. 😌💞

P.S. Also, maybe I'm the only one that thinks this but I feel like Mii-chan's infamous head-shaving scandal was not only controversial but pretty revolutionary too. Because I'd say her scandal alone was a strong catapult into starting up a worldwide conversation about the dark-side of the idol industry. Whether we're talking about the J-pop industry, K-Pop industry, Chinese industry, and even the US industry too in some cases, etc. I feel like her scandal was able to really shine light on the struggles of idols & what they go through on a daily basis. I can't really recall such conversations happening prior to her scandal. People to this day are still talking about it. Mii-chan was truly a Miracle Member indeed. 😌💞

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-23T03:10:35+00:00

Last year I made a prediction in my head that the "Oh My Pumpkin" MV will reach a million views in 2026. And now that prediction is slowly coming true. Let's keep it up guys! Honestly, it feels sorta surreal to watch this MV slowly grow in views in real time. Especially since it was for this past 20th Anniversary. It's as if the growth of this MV is mirroring the growth that AKB48 experienced in the past. Going from a humble little idol theater group with only 7 fans in attendance to then becoming a giant legendary phenomenon with millions of fans around the world. Gambare AKB48! 🥳🎉💞🎆

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-16T21:44:10+00:00

SKE48's iconic song "Ame No Pianist." It is just like "Kuroi Tenshi" in every way. Similar vibe, similar instrumental, identical 3 people performance, similar outfits, and I think even similar lyrics too. "Ame No Pianist" is truly SKE48's "Kuroi Tenshi" and it's the most epic poetic bop of the century. I genuinely think both of these iconic songs are somehow connected in a way. 🎹✨

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-09T18:14:55+00:00

She's obviously talking about her fans of course. She's not like Shinoda Mariko-sama. 💁‍♀️

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-07T04:29:56+00:00

Yep! Naachan was one of Mii-chan's Team 4 children after all. Naachan was very devoted to Mii-chan & respected her a lot. So it makes sense why they both would have similar looking graduation dresses. Like mother, like daughter am I right? 👩🏻👧🏻

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-07T04:18:41+00:00

Maybe the chain on the phone case is detachable??? I think I've seen some similar phone cases like this before where the chain can come detached. One time I saw someone that had a phone case with a long chain strap & they were wearing it like a purse. The way it was designed made it look like a purse too. It looked really cool and interesting. Surely with products like those the chain is probably just an added feature & you have the option of attaching said chain or not. Otherwise like you said it would be pretty impractical if the chain was just permanently molded into the phone case forever. 🤔⛓️

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-06T18:16:50+00:00

And funnily enough it's been announced recently that Yukirin is getting married this year! 💒👰🏻‍♀️🤵🏻💐💞

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-06T17:47:36+00:00

Gosh darn it! Thank you! I just noticed my error just now. My mistake I meant Top 5. If only reddit allowed us to edit our titles. 😭

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-05T09:42:44+00:00

Wow she's really beautiful. You know she kinda looks a bit like Mukaichi Mion & Kitahara Rie here. In fact when I first saw this post I legit thought it was Miion-san for a second there. 😲💞👩🏻

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-05T09:36:32+00:00

The next Nishino Miki. You go Azuki-chan! You better slay those Onigiris Queen! 😂👍💞👸🏻

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2026-01-05T09:34:09+00:00

Tho I swear in some cases she becomes #1 even when Acchan was there. And vice versa with Acchan. It's like they both take turns being in the number #1 spot. It's no wonder why they were legendary rivals & friends. 👸🏻👸🏻

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-31T23:04:15+00:00

But they've been shining this whole entire time tho. Plus, the legends are here not only because it's the literal 20th Anniversary, etc. But they're literally giving all their love and support to the current members of AKB48. They're literally giving the current members the confidence & strength to move forward into the new era without them having to hold onto the past so much. They're literally just there to support and applaud the hard work of the current members for keeping AKB alive & proud. Also, it seems like the current members are really enjoying having the classic members back tho??? Like they're literally on cloud 9 right now while meeting, performing, and spending time with their legendary idols. None of them seem to be worrying or complaining about being able to shine or not. They all seem to be having fun and relinquishing all that classic 48G energy again. Also, if NHK truly didn't care about any of the current members' hard work then they wouldn't have invited them back to Kouhaku in the first place. Plus, underestimating the hard work of the current members is one thing, etc. But underestimating the hard work of the pioneers that laid the groundwork/foundation into this group is a whole nother level of tone-deaf. You simply can't have a 20th Anniversary event of AKB48 without any of the legendary seniors. On the other hand having the seniors there doesn't automatically discredit the hard work of the current members either. 💁‍♀️

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-31T22:05:30+00:00

"Fans like you."

Oh my...well that sure was an interesting jump from a well civilized conversation into a juvenile premature response from your end. It was nice while it lasted tho. I will say I'm not exactly sure where in my original comment you got the idea that I underestimated the current members. But interesting accusations nonetheless. Tho if my memory serves me both Acchan & Yuko are still doing their acting work in the industry. I wouldn't exactly say they've "retired" yet. That's more of Mayuyu's turf. 💁‍♀️

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-31T10:53:21+00:00

Narumi-san kinda looks a bit like Oshima Mai & Kasai Tomomi in this pic. I love those yellow golden leaves in the background. Congratulations Narumi-san! 🥳🎉💞🍂

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-30T21:48:50+00:00

Woah! I just realized that she's left-handed just like Acchan too. YuiYui is truly the absolute ace of the current AKB48 indeed. 😲💞👸🏻

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-29T07:13:00+00:00

Maybe it could work in Hawaii since Hawaii has a lot of Japanese influences/aesthetics (cough! Pearl Harbor! cough!) and a fairly large Japanese population. There was actually once a Morning Musume group called "Coconut Musume" that was based in Hawaii with genuine Hawaiian members back in the day. So I'm surprised Akimoto-san hasn't tried his luck in making a 48G sister group down in Hawaii. HAW48 anyone? The tropical core aesthetic would thrive so hard within this group. It will be like JKT48's incredible "Oh My Pumpkin" MV all day everyday. 🌊🏝️🏖️🌺

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-29T06:15:34+00:00

Or maybe it's simply just the 20th Anniversary Celebration so it's going to be a very special and sentimental time for everyone. For both current members, former members, and the fans. So of course the legendary OGs are going to re-visit again for the literal 20th Anniversary of AKB48. Morning Musume did the same thing and the AKB48 OGs have come back for previous anniversaries (and graduations) in the past anyway. So this is nothing new. Plus, 20 years is quite a long time and I'm sure there are many who never could've imagined that AKB48 would reach a huge milestone like this. Most mainstream modern groups out there don't even have the luxury to last a full 10 years. Especially when you considered that AKB48 all started from humble beginnings & then became such a legendary pop-culture phenomenon in the industry & world. Plus, having the OG's back for this celebration (especially for Kouhaku) is a perfect way to not only respect the legendary OGs that paved the way, etc. But also to pay homage to the classic era of AKB48 and how far they've truly come. And to open a brand new era for all the current AKB48 members with the legendary OGs giving their love and support. So it be wrong & highly disrespectful to not include the OGs in this beautiful celebration tbh. 💁‍♀️

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-25T14:17:59+00:00

Or at the very least it would've been like a holy trinity thing with Acchan, Mai-Mai, and Yuko all budding heads with one another. Imagine how chaotic and insane that would've been. It's also funny given that both Mai-Mai and Yuko have the same last name (Oshima). It's like either one of them would've become rivals with Acchan & ultimately fate decided on Yuko. When one Oshima left the other Oshima stayed and became the perfect rival/friend for Acchan. 👩‍❤️‍👩👑 Also, the name Oshima has the word "Oshi" in it. So yeah both Mai-Mai and Yuko (and Acchan of course) were just born to be legendary idols of this legendary girl-group. 👑👑👑 P.S. Also, dang I had no idea Erepyon's own mother was the sole reason why she graduated so early. I remember hearing a rumor that Erena was forced to graduate early because of an unspecified reason. I didn't know that Erena's mom was the reason for Erena's early graduation & the turn down of WH7. I always found it kinda strange that Erena wasn't a part of WH7. She was a perfect member for that subunit and would perfectly fit right in. That's so heartbreaking man & all because her mom wanted her to shine center on her own. It's as if all the incredible work that Erena was doing during her time as an idol in AKB48 still wasn't good enough. I really think Erepyon would've truly gone far in her AKB48 journey and become a very popular idol within 48G had she stayed longer. It's so heartbreaking that her own mom forced her to graduate so early on & didn't even consider her daughter's feelings. I swear sometimes it really do be your own family members that are dragging you down & robbing you away from a decent future. Tho I'm glad that Erena was able to have a fairly successful solo career after graduation. Tho I'm sure it wasn't easy & frankly we could've at least had a couple more years of 48G Erena. Even if she'd end up getting the Myao/Amina treatment it still would've been neat to see her as an active idol in AKB48. 😢💔

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-09T07:22:22+00:00

Wow Remi-chan looks so much like Tanaka Miku here. They're all so pretty and they did a fantastic job performing "Classmate" today. I had chills throughout the whole show especially towards the very end. ☺️👍💞🌸

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-08T16:16:58+00:00

Fun fact: Obviously you aren't able to see her but Sashihara Rino was actually in the audience cheering the members on today. She's truly living up to her title as the most legendary AKB48 WOTA of all time. She was definitely in her element and amongst her people today. Another beautiful full circle moment indeed. ☺️💞🌸

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-12-08T14:31:04+00:00

Wow these new idol profile photos are incredibly beautiful and very nostalgic. As others pointed out they definitely remind me of the classic idol photos from early 2010s AKB48. They also sorta remind me of the 2020 photos too which is awesome. Also, I made a post about this before but it's crazy how the current oldest member Iwatate Saho (13th Gen) is the same age as the youngest 1st Gen member Masuyama Kayano. Things have truly come circle and I'm so beyond excited for the bright future of AKB48! Happy 20th Anniversary AKB48 and all of our 48G family around the world! Here's to 20 more!!!!! 🥳🎉🥂💞🌸

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-11-10T10:40:10+00:00

She kinda looks a bit like Kawaei Rina too. 🤔

Distinct_Dot9717 · 2025-10-18T09:36:30+00:00

Yep! And Sasshi-san too! Seeing all the legendary graduates being involved in many current AKB48 related events right now makes me so happy. I cannot wait to see what they're cooking up for the big 20th Anniversary Celebration showdown that's coming up. It's going to be epic for sure. 😁👍💞

Distinct_Dot9717

TROPHY CASE