AKB48’s latest marketing antics have earned yet more condemnation, with their transformation into kindergarteners being widely denounced as “sick,” “creepy” and “psychologically unsettling” – to say nothing of the obvious sop to their creepy rorikon fans.
The commercial at issue, for “Puccho”:
It was made by pasting the heads of a selection of AKB48’s identikit idols onto the heads of some hapless little girls dancing:
The reaction this has inspired online has been less than favourable:
“This is disgusting.”
“This is too much even for lolicon…”
“Another one of those CMs which have the opposite effect to that intended.”
“I think it is cute!”
“It’s just for show, and AKB48 are just for show, so it’s OK by me.”
“This is creepy beyond words.”
“I kept hearing people pan it for being gross and thought they were exaggerating, then I saw it and it was indeed disgusting.”
“This is just controversy marketing, and you guys have bought it hook, line and sinker.”
“This is what happens when you just force AKB into whatever campaign it is you have going…”
“What a freak show.”
“They won’t use dwarfs in drama or CMs, but this is OK? It’s in poor taste. Aren’t they just mocking little people?”
“The original with the little girls was better.”
“If they had just left the CM with the little girls it might have been cute.”
“Their expressions and movements don’t match at all.”
“Even the idea of pasting heads onto little girls dancing like this is pretty damn creepy. Poor kids.”
“How did they explain this to the parents…”
I think people are REALLY overreacting. I think it was meant to be funny and turned out to be stupid. Like most commercials.
Shame not a diaper to be seen amongst them.
I’ll need therapy now.
this is not l♥♥i. I R DISSAPOINT.
They look like midgets, disgusting.