Former IZ*ONE member Honda Hitomi announces her graduation from AKB48
AKP STAFF
Posted by Susan-Han Wednesday, August 30, 2023
On August 30 JST, former IZ*ONE member Honda Hitomi delivered news of her graduation from AKB48.
The idol wrote on this day, "As a representative of Tochigi-ken in AKB48 Team 8, I joined the team at 12-years old and promoted as a part of the group for 10 years. As a member of AKB48, as a member of IZ*ONE, and as a selected member of the main team, not to mention being chosen as the center twice, I was able to grow while gaining valuable experiences."
She continued, "Thank you so much for supporting me for the last 10 years, even though I was so inexperienced. I will be leaving this giving environment where I was so blessed, but I will not forget your love and support for me as I take on new challenges and test my capabilities."
Finally, Hitomi revealed, "As the single set for release on September 27 will be my last activity as a member of AKB48, I will be participating in all group events currently being announced. Details on my graduation performance will be revealed at a later time."
Honda Hitomi promoted in Korea as a member of the Korean-Japanese project group IZ*ONE from October of 2018 through April of 2021.
She should return to Korea. She was on a streaming content show with Eunbi & Chaeyeon and has kept her Korean speaking ability. A ton of her popularity in AKB-48 remains from overseas fans because of Produce 48/Izone. She sells out online meet & greets, but doesn't the in-person ones in Japan. She still does well, but other members do sell-out (like Oguri Yui) although she's still like top-6 in slot sales.
As someone who followed AKB-48 when they debuted and then drifted away from J-pop I've noticed after PD-48 there was a sizeable portion of AKB-48 fans who really didn't like the sudden influx of 'outside/foreigner fans' because of PD-48/Izone. Not just from a Japanese fan stand-point, but even from the English-speaking AKB-48 fandom sites.
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She should return to Korea. She was on a streaming content show with Eunbi & Chaeyeon and has kept her Korean speaking ability. A ton of her popularity in AKB-48 remains from overseas fans because of Produce 48/Izone. She sells out online meet & greets, but doesn't the in-person ones in Japan. She still does well, but other members do sell-out (like Oguri Yui) although she's still like top-6 in slot sales.
As someone who followed AKB-48 when they debuted and then drifted away from J-pop I've noticed after PD-48 there was a sizeable portion of AKB-48 fans who really didn't like the sudden influx of 'outside/foreigner fans' because of PD-48/Izone. Not just from a Japanese fan stand-point, but even from the English-speaking AKB-48 fandom sites.
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