An AKB48 fan boasting of buying 1500 singles has become the latest example of the unbelievable creepiness such fans have become a byword for.
As usual, the primary motivation for this obsessive feat appears to be the extras the CDs contain – typically tickets which allow access to handshaking events or voting rights in AKB popularity contests, which is apparently the case here.
Aside from the opprobrium the frequently unbalanced antics such obsessive fans get up to attracts, AKB’s owners have come in for plenty of criticism for encouraging them with such sales tactics.
Even some in the music business appear to be unhappy at the influence such tactics have on Japan’s music charts (the singles charts are now at such low sales volumes that it seems multiple buying by otaku influences them).
Such high level behaviour has its detractors, even on 2ch:
“Having my little sister sign all of those was quite a hassle for her.”
[…]
“I don’t want to see Yuria’s sad face! You guys hang in there too!”
[…]
“Ah, I got 200 of the tickets out. Only 1300 left…”
[…]
“It looks like I’ll get it done today. After that I’ll need to get the handshaking event tickets out as well. More arrive tomorrow so I have a lot of work left!”
“They may as well just leave out the CDs now.”
“This is crazy.”
“These guys have more money than sense…”
“How do they even get that much money?”
“Probably students working part time with no real living expenses of their own?”
“It’s certainly their money to do with as they please if they earned it, but they are still totally creepy.”
“Do they just toss the CDs after getting the tickets or what?”
“If this isn’t some kind of put up by the organisers then some of these people have mental problems.”
“They need to just provide some machine at conbinis which lets them pay to vote.”
“At least just sell the tickets on their own. It’s just a waste making these retards buy up CDs.”
“If you have that much cash to throw away you could buy one of the fallen AKB members who turned to porn.”
“Somebody start a company to open the CDs for these idiots.”
“I bet they just trash the discs. When I think of them praising their music, I just laugh.”
“Exploitation is too weak a word for this.”
these people need psycologic help.
How many handshake events does this guy need to attend to?
Seriously, a wench would be of better value. This is obsession at 4 out of 5 rating. 5 being the shrine-making idol-kidnapping lunatic. Wait…
Man,it made me remember how Morning Musume was huge before until their company starts firing their employees…miss the old times.Okay,moving on.
I wonder is he gonna keep all those merchandises ??
creepy s♥♥t creepy