Is AKB48’s Minegishi Minami’s hair to be distributed with next single?
An article that circulated after AKB48 member Minegishi Minami shaved her luscious locks in penance for being caught spending the night with budding boy-band member Shirahama Aran, reports that the locks of Minegishi’s shorn hair were to be distributed with AKB48’s next single as a special gift to fans.
Given the widespread outrage at Minegishi’s shocking self-shearing, and the outpouring of support from her fans that followed, the article quickly spread around the internet becoming the most read article on the news compilation site Ceron.jp. This supposed exposé of the cruel idol industry generated tens of thousands of tweets, and has been reposted around the web.
The catch? The entire article was a hoax by the Kyoko Shimbun, a Japanese version of The Onion. Still, the Kyoko Shimbun managed to dupe bands of netizens into being angered by AKB48’s callous management, as netizens who got the joke looked on, laughing.
What do you think? A hilarious satire on the Japanese idol industry? Or a malicious joke that upset thousands of innocent AKB48 fans?
From Kyoko Shimbun:
Clippings of AKB48 member Minegishi’s hair to be included with next single as special gift
AKB48 member Minami Minegishi (20), who was exposed in weekly magazine for violating the dating ban by by having a ‘sleepover’, apologised to her fans on January 30th by cropping her hair. Despite her shocking appearance having created a stir, Minegishi’s shorn hair will be recycled and enclosed within a CD single as a special treat to go on sale next month, we have come to understand.
Minegishi had long hair prior to her drastic hair cut.
A younger brother of a celebrity close to AKB48 made the news public. While the relationship ban is something that is imperative for the band, many other band members have also been reported to have had similar relationships. Upon being found out, they took responsibility for their actions in various ways, including retirement, demotion, and seppuku. There were various ways of taking responsibility. Among those detected there have been members who escaped rebuke since their careers as billboard idols were already well-established.
On this occasion, it was member Minegishi’s ‘overnight stay’ that was discovered, although nobody could have predicted her appearing in a video on a video sharing website with a shaven head. “I have caused so many of you to worry. I am deeply sorry” she tearfully apologised to her fans. In response to the extremely heartbreaking sight, worried comments such as “we’ve already forgiven you”and “isn’t this already corporal punishment?” could be heard.
Regarding Minegishi’s hair, her management company said: “We want the fans to know how sincere her resolve is.”In next month’s planned sale of the new single “Yokan fusai”, the company intends to enclose as a special treat, a one centimetre section of her shaved hair. It is reported that as Minegishi originally had long hair, so it will be possible to ship as many as 2,000,000 pieces.
In response to the news, a male manga artist calling himself AKB Ota (59) proudly exclaimed: ‘I would like to sprinkle Mii Chan’s hair on rice and eat it. I will buy 300 copies.”
Comments from Twitter:
ぺにしりんご≠まこと:
Too fake www
TAICHI:
They seriously did this? Certified mental.
川健之:
As you’d expect from the AKB-hating Kyokou Newspaper, merciless w
bacchus_nike:
Made me laugh.
西出:
Been a while since there’s been such an excellent article
ナイススティック:
Seems like a lie…This is awful…
riri_co:
Argh…Speechless
kentommy♡:
Is this real?? (笑)
tethys:
That they took it this far is great, right.
A.A:
Going too far…
ミンティア:
Unbelievably disgusting. Giving me goosebumps w
漆黒の翼（・ω＜）:
“Yet again- everybody has been taken caught hook, line, and sinker,
right??” If you search with Yahoo Real-Time, you’ll see they’ve been had. So fucking funny.
えんちょ:
Is this true?
Yosuke Sugihara:
Could happen..!!
佐々木・野尋禾・秀博:
Been a while since I’ve duped.
yuuna:
こいし:
I mean…Doesn’t that make you feel sick?
