GIRL POWER
Pop franchise BNK48 keeps it cute
Nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to walk five steps without overhearing someone gushing about their favourite BNK48 idol, or humming the band’s indelible earworm Koisuru Fortune Cookie. The all-girl group has emerged as the pop sensation of the moment in Thailand.
It’s only been half a year since the act came together, but the 27 girls, or “idols”, that make up BNK48 are doing quite well for themselves.
With more than 26 million views on YouTube, the group’s second single, Fortune Cookie, alone speaks to their success. Modelled after the famous Japanese girl idol group AKB48, named after Tokyo’s iconic Akihabara district, the group has amassed a growing legion of followers.
Their success is further proof of a business model built upon the culture of adoration, created in Japan and exported in franchise form to not only Thailand but also China, Indonesia and the Philippines. These acts scoop up followers through energetic use of social media, frequent live appearances, a heaping dose of kawaii and the all-important personal touch. Meet-and-greet events are held regularly in which fans line up for hours to shake their favourite girls’ hands — for a strict maximum of 10 seconds.
Browse their online fan groups and followers speak their own language — wota, or ota, means fans; oshi is used to indicate a specific member of the ensemble, and senbatsu refers to the particular set of members who perform in a given song.
BNK48’s live concerts, including last weekend’s show at Bangkok’s Japan Expo, drew thousands of cheering wota. Limited edition photos of the girls are reportedly sold for tens of thousands of baht, with private auctions frequently arranged through the group’s many fan pages.
“The popularity of the group was always the point,” said band director Jirat Bawornwatana.
“BNK48 was always meant to be the number one idol group in Thailand. What we didn’t expect though was that we’d achieve that with just our second single.”
From their J-Pop style songs with Thai lyrics to their puffy, multi-coloured costumes, there is much that makes BNK48 special. But it is the girls themselves who make the biggest difference.
“Most artists make their debut only after having perfected their performance skills and looks — when they are sure that they are perfect,” said Mr Jirat. “But BNK48 doesn’t care about natural talent or appearances.
“Many of our members began with little to no experience in performing, and not the most perfect presentation. But they have worked hard to improve themselves in just a matter of months. They’re not pop stars — more like pop-stars in training, learning along with the audience as they go. And that’s why its so easy to root for them.”
SISTER ACT
In 2005, Japan launched its now-legendary pop act AKB48. Originally comprising 20 members, the group became a nationwide phenomenon, performing daily in their own theatre in Akihabara. The group was based on the idea that they would be “idols you can meet”.
As of June last year, the band holds the title of Japan’s highest selling musical act in numbers of singles sold.
Since its conception, it has grown its membership to 150 girls from across Japan, and the franchise has expanded overseas, with Bangkok’s BNK48, as well as Beijing’s BEH48, Manila’s MNL48 and Jakarta’s JKT48.
In March last year, it was announced that Thailand would be of one of the chosen Asian cities to host AKB48’s sister bands. Fans across the kingdom were more than ready -—the band’s official Facebook page received some 20,000 likes within three hours of going live.
Thousands of young girls rushed to audition for a spot in the band. The selection process was televised on the BNK48 Senpai TV show.
After five months of daily rehearsals, the group finally debuted with 30 members, ranging from age 13 to 23, in July.
Meanwhile, the likes and clicks keep climbing, with the official Facebook page now claiming more than 230,000 followers. Band members make a habit of reaching out to fans online and offline.
Every member of the band has her own Facebook group and holds regular live-streaming sessions where fans can interact with her. Several of theses sessions are held at the band’s digital studio — a small glass room located inside EmQuartier shopping mall in Bangkok.
Fans can visit the mall and see the girls in action. While the
band appears as a collective on stage, the idea behind BNK48 is that fans can get to know every member individually.
“All the BNK48 girls have their own mobile phones they can live-stream from to give fans a glimpse into their own individual lives, as well as their own social media accounts to post their photos,” explained Mr Jirat.
“It’s not only that — we are also actively holding various activities and opportunities for fans to meet us, such as at the digital studio or our regular hand-shaking events. Fans can also see the girls in TV shows and concerts.
“Basically, we want the BNK48 girls to be a part of the fans’ lives, while the fans develop a bond with their favourite girls by observing their daily life and personalities.
“So there are plenty of opportunities for fans to meet the idols — provided they do so through our official channels and events.
“We want to give all our fans a fair and equal opportunity to meet the girls, so we strictly only allow taking photos with the idols, autographs and hand-shaking at our events. It’s one of the rules we agree upon with the girls beforehand.”
DIFFERENT TUNE
The blueprint behind BNK48 is similar to the original AKB48, but several aspects of the sister act have been adapted to better suit the tastes of Thai audiences.
“For one, we aren’t as strict when it comes to taking photos of our idols,” said Mr Jirat. “While we still ask that you not take a photo with our idols outside of our events, we recognise that allowing fans to take photos of the idols can lead to a larger social media presence, unlike the Japanese, who view any photos of the idols as intellectual property.
“Furthermore, the Japanese model also requires models to take swimsuit photo-shoots, something which we thought wasn’t appropriate in the Thai cultural context. We also want to put the focus on the girls’ determination and perseverance, more so than on their appearance or sexuality.”
Japan has led the world in several innovations, but the sexual objectification of women is one point where the country appears to lag behind.
In the Japanese idol world, the majority of fans are men, who are more inclined to perpetuate these types of behaviour. In Thailand, however, fans insist that sexuality plays little to no part in the band’s appeal.
“Before BNK48 made their debut, many people I spoke to about them were concerned about whether the Japanese model was going to be appropriate for [the more conservative] Thai audiences,” said Jessada Denduangboripant, a professor at Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Chemistry.
Prof Jessada is a fan of the band who is known for her Facebook presence, frequently sharing her findings with followers.
“But the truth that I’ve found in Thailand is markedly different. BNK48 fans in Thailand actually have a surprisingly closer proportions of women and men — about 40 to 60 to be specific, a fact that has surprised even the Japanese. And taking a look at the age range of the fans, you can also observe a pretty diverse range, from small children all the way to teenagers and adults.
“Therefore, I think the criticism of sexual objectification is certainly less justified here in Thailand, as the idols are marketed in a more wholesome way, like that of a sister or neighbourhood girl; someone you can genuinely root for without any kind of sexual dimension attached.”
SWITCHING ROLES
With so many members and so little room on stage, the girls of BNK48 must compete with one another to take the lead in performances and songs.
“It’s very similar to watching reality TV in a way, like Academy Fantasia, except the girls are online instead of in a house,” said Prof Jessada.
“Fans can show their support through attending these hand-shaking events and through merchandise purchases, instead of the usual SMS votes.”
Much like their sister band in Japan, BNK48’s fandom thrives off of merchandise, such as signed photographs and other forms of memorabilia.
Photos feature the women in special costumes, such as those made to celebrate Loy Krathong. Some can be hard to find, and some are auctioned off for prices of up tp tens of thousands of baht.
“BNK48 is more similar to a platform, with new members coming and going,” said Prof Jessada. “With the new second generation of girls about to audition in the near future, it’s clear that things are just beginning for BNK48.
“They’re still enjoying an upward trajectory, and while their popularity might wane in time, I can still see them going strong for a few years yet.”