J-Pop and K-Pop – A difference in Quality Control (Aigon’s Domain)

Aigon is known for his love for AKB48 (and Gundam). However, in this entry, SNSD is thrown into the mix. Aigon takes a look at AKB48 (and SKE48) and Girls Generation and how their members get to the positions that they are in. One of the biggest differences that Aigon finds is that the members of SNSD have a lot more training than AKB48, and especially SKE48, members. Here is one of the ways that Aigon separates AKB48 from SNSD:

AKB48 is an idol group, and more of its focus is on the girls themselves, not actual talent. That’s not to say AKB48 doesn’t have its share of tremendous talent. It does for sure. It just seems to me that K-Pop groups seems to have a better focus on the musical talent of its performers.In SNSD’s case, not one of them are a bad singer in any way. They all have fantastic voices.

There are many kpop blogs – albeit some of them are gossip sites – that despise SNSD, and one of the main reasons for this SNSD is that they defintiely value “image” over “musical talent.”

On a technical note, the entry is labeled as “J-Pop and K-Pop,” but I think it is better to look at this entry as simply “AKB48 vs SNSD.” Two niche groups cannot be the symbols of very broad genres.