NTV outlines behavior rules for AKB48, Johnny's Jr cast of TV drama

The drama is the brainchild of AKB48 creator Yasushi Akimoto.

Brainchild? Sounds like an organ located much lower was involved.

gogogo:

Why do good girls go to bed at 8 PM?

Because they have to be at home by 10 PM.

I will stop visiting JT because I cannot stand AKB48 and just their name can lead me to a suicide! But Jt shovels down our throat news about AKB every day. It became unbearable to visit this site.

Shintaro Morimoto, 14, who plays the leader of the bad boys, said: “I argued at school sometimes, but I never got into fights.”

Cause he would've gotten his ass kicked.

All I can say is thank you for informing me about another JTV program that I will just have to miss.

Wow those "rules" would be illegal in other countries... an employer doesn't own those people outside of business hours.

How to get around it.

Romantic relationships between any members of the two sides are prohibited.

No romance needed, just straight hit it.

Giving each other mobile phone numbers and e-mail addresses is prohibited.

So happen to lose your number and someone find it.

All cast members must go to bed (alone) early and get up early.

So sneaking into someone elses bed later in the night is perfectly fine.

while the AKB48 girls play spoiled rich girls.

they are spoiled rich girls

AKB48 singer Haruka Shimazaki, 17, said: “A ban on relationships is normal anyway for AKB48, so it shouldn’t be a problem

I agree. It's totally normal for healthy 17 year olds to not have relationships in Japan!

This is called entertainment in 2012? Bottom of the barrel trash with kids being exploited by sleazy management.

I agree with another poster, this stuff is getting irritating, there are plenty of hardworking and talented actors, singers etc in Japan and we get bombarded with this stuff.

LoveNot...plenty of other things to read about and comment at JT. Just don't click on anything with AKB48 for a few years and you will be fine.

Thanks for the advice. I live in constant fear of AKB. I am afraid to switch on the TV, to open the newspaper and now to click on JT.... Entering the train and going outside has become a nightmare too, everywhere i am attacked with posters, songs and commercials of AKB....

No romance needed, just straight hit it.

Hahaha, this made my day.

So 'best behavior' essentially means no hanky panky. How many times do people have to be reminded of the virginal status of AKB girls?

The drama is the brainchild of AKB48 creator Yasushi Akimoto.

Oh, I see.

So no method acting then.

This is news ? :(

head-desk... when facepalm is just not enough

how deranged this industry is.....

Akimoto is making a mint off these hapless kids and the morons who like them and their music. They fall in with this existence for their few years of fame before they get too old and go off to become porn stars or hostesses or whatever (I guess still trading on their status as AKB girls). The boys go to Shinjuku as hosts? Anyone know?

Good, May be NTV thinks that AKB48 is a group of four dozen AKamBo (babies) !

Idol singers (in particular girls) have to deal with a lot of hypocrisy. The rules say they can't have relationships between the two groups, but really if any of the girls are photographed in a relationship by the tabloids they are done. Their talent agency will drop them and in Japan that's pretty much the kiss of death. It's a pretty messed up celebrity system for the teen and 20-something talent.

I really wonder why Japanese pop culture like music, television series, and movies, remains largely unsellable in other countries (except to a tiny niche market of Japanophiles)? Could it be that people in other countries are too intelligent and interested in the real world so they don't care much for this cheap, fabricated, "living in a bubble" culture?

Maybe that's where the appeal to the Japanese comes from - living in a bubble is the universally agreed upon best way to live.

living in a bubble is the universally agreed upon best way to live.

HansNFranz, exactly! Ostriches with their heads buried in the sand was the way I think of it but same same.

Anyone who actually likes their 'music' needs to have their hearing (and/or sanity) checked. But we know it's not about the music at all. It's all about the 'look'. In a few things they'll just be another forgotten fad.

Australian band TISM have a great song about this called "If you're not famous at 14 you're finished". So sad but true these days.

This AKB stuff is getting irritating i agree with someone's else comment We are been bombarded with this "music" and What is most sad is there are people who like that!

Is it any wonder that the population of Japan is dropping?

so basically JP 90210 or GossipGirl Yea! another show to teach children to be superficial, shallow, materialistic, simple minded brats.

Anyway, will there not be in romantic relationships in the story?

What a bloody shambles.

Romantic relationships between any members of the two sides are prohibited. Giving each other mobile phone numbers and e-mail addresses is prohibited. All cast members must go to bed (alone) early and get up early.

Sounds like the AKB48 girls are living in a convent and right next door there is a monastery of Johnny juniors. What a bizarre world. To all the AKB48 I say, "girls, rules were made to be broken".

Spot on HansNFranz living in the bubble> The thing though is that they have gotten away with it for so long. Its taken as normal and I guess it is.. I wonder like footballers insure their legs our singers their voice do they have a hymen insurance option.would be interesting to know

Gone are the days of REAL talent - now it's all "legs" and "short skirts" (makes you wonder why there are still perverts on the station escalators... they only need to turn on the tube and they'd never risk getting "caught"...!)

I miss you Sakamoto Kyu-chan !

I really wonder why Japanese pop culture like music, television series, and movies, remains largely unsellable in other countries (except to a tiny niche market of Japanophiles)? Could it be that people in other countries are too intelligent and interested in the real world so they don't care much for this cheap, fabricated, "living in a bubble" culture?

I miss the era of Japanese TV that was sellable: Takeshi's castle, Candid Camera, Kurosawa...and it's not coming back.

and back where we are. The target audience for this show is for some 20~30 something lonely males and females who are most likely virgins with social anxiety disorders. There are heaps of them in Japan. I doubt the creators didn't have the slightest hint at marketing this crap overseas..may be in Korea.

@NeoJamal

in the wee hours? they ought to be in bed.

Well, April 14th is a Saturday and I figured the a.m. must be a mistake. Why would 20-30 somethings watch a teen drama? Ohhh, there was Kinpachi Sensei...

which will be broadcast from April 14 (Saturday) each week at 12:50 a.m.

and JT fits into this target audience?

LoveNot...plenty of other things to read about and comment at JT. Just don't click on anything with AKB48 for a few years and you will be fine.

I guess we now just have to sit back and wait for the "I'm pregnant" stories to hit.

You just know the paparazzi will be falling over themselves trying to catch them breaking the rules! I remember years ago the iiko (good girl) of Kinchan's variety show broke up with her boyfriend who sold pictures of her smoking and them in bed. She had to apologize to Kinchan and the audience. I wonder if she quit genokai or if she's doing porn.

Will they post guards outside the bedroom doors? Kids are good for sneaking out and having fun while parents are asleep.

Hey NeoJamal, I think the target audience must be pre-teen to teen.

Hey NeoJamal, I think the target audience must be pre-teen to teen.

in the wee hours? they ought to be in bed.

Not content with aggressive commercial exploitation, the "puppet masters" of these kids try to control their private time as well.

That said, I suppose the members know the deal when they sign up to boy / girl band boot camp, so what an incredibly sad situation that anyone thinks this is a worthy or valid use of a child's time. Their parents should be ashamed of themselves. It's not unlike selling your kids into prostitution, I reckon.

FnC

@Zen student "In a few things they'll just be another forgotten fad." Not in Japan though - I fear that even in 30-40 years, variety shows will be full of them, and "news" shows will follow those members who had a scandal like stalkers as it now happens with this Nakajima women.

It's a kind of insincere voyeurism, this celebrity stalking - on the one hand, they want all the info they can get on their idols, but once something "eccentric" comes out, they act like they're above it. A nation with a mindset of stalkers.

@HanzNFranz,

"Could it be that people in other countries are too intelligent and interested in the real world...?"

Yes.

That would explain all the lovely docu soaps the rest of the world is blessed with. That being said, AKB48 is pretty bad.

Japan lives by the look but don't touch rule. You know, except for mosaic and on the escalator.

The west has the no look no touch rule for under 18s. Over 18, you may look and touch. Exceptions being child beauty pageants and there are some fairly racy shows for kids and teens, like Lazy Town.

Is the difference so great? I don't think so. Yet Japan gets hammered as the pervert nation? It makes no sense!

If Japan is perverted its for denying youth love, sex and relationships. That is perverted! In the case of AKB48, its very clearly laid out. And I believe this does have an effect on Japanese youth. But for most Japanese youth, all their time is monopolized by the school. Result: clueless adults, a low sex rate and a negative birthrate. But when westerners call Japan perverted, they think its because there is some serious hanky panky going on! Well, it isn't!

"they ( AKB48 ) are spoiled rich girls"

They may be rich but they are not spoiled.

They are beautiful, talented young women who have contributed a lot to the world.

I will stop visiting JT because I cannot stand AKB48 and just their name can lead me to a suicide! But Jt shovels down our throat news about AKB every day. It became unbearable to visit this site.

But that didn't stop you from making another post on JT, huh? I'll bet you're one of those people who post on their Facebook status "How much you hate people who use their Facebook status to complain", right?

As long as AKB48 remains popular to enough people that they continue to top sales charts, when they do things it is entertainment news (which is where JT placed this article, not coincidentally).