133

Ever heard of SNH48, AKB48’s second sister group outside of Japan? Based in Shanghai, China, the idol unit has been active since 2012, releasing a total of eight singles to date. These singles are all Chinese-language covers of previous AKB48 singles, including their latest release on May 15–the Chinese version of “Manatsu no Sounds Good!” (盛夏好声音).

Now, I’m not someone easily swayed by the cutesy “charms” of idol singers, but a female writer on our Japanese sister site recently wrote a piece expressing her opinion that SNH48 could possibly be–dare I write it–even cuter than the veritable goddesses of the original AKB48.

Take a moment to watch their latest music video and decide who you think is the cutest!

The original Japanese language “Manatsu no Sounds Good!” was the 26th single released by AKB48 in May of 2012. Three years later, their Chinese sister group SNH48 has finally released a new version of the song for Chinese ears.

While the basic melody and style of the music video is the same, there are a few main differences that give each version its own distinct flair. Both videos were shot on a beach, but whereas the members of AKB48 are all wearing different styles of white swimsuits, the girls of SNH48 add a splash of color to their surroundings with multicolored and patterned bikinis.

▼ Promotional picture for SNH48’s latest summer single

In addition to the different styles of beachwear, our Japanese writer was quick to take notice of the high number of fair-skinned girls with smooth complexions in SNH48. According to our colleague, it’s often said that “the girls of AKB48 are comparable to the 10th cutest girls in a classroom.” In regards to SNH48, however, she seems to think that they’re on a completely different playing field of beauty!

Here are some comments by other Japanese net users who saw the new music video and are convinced of SNH48’s overall ‘kawaiiness’:

“…Sooo cute.”

“They’ve definitely got it.”

“It’s super good!”

“SNH…too too cute (*´⌓｀*) Their level is so high! LOL”

“They’re cuter than their original sister group…”

“Starting today I’m going to become an SNH48 otaku.”

According to their official site, SNH48 is currently divided into four teams–SII, NII, HII, and Team X, composed of newer fourth-generation members. Last year, along the same lines as AKB48, SNH48 held their first general election (read: popularity contest) to determine the main singer lineup for an upcoming single. This year, their second general election will be held in July.

Speaking of popular members, in Japan, Team NII’s Ju JingYi (鞠婧祎) is considered to be a rare “once-in-4,000-years-beauty;” her fellow teammate Zhao Yue (赵粤) is also known for being considerably well-endowed (G-Cups, to be exact). But the rest of the team packs quite a punch, too–have fun browsing through their member profiles on the official site.

OK, now it’s time to watch the official music video for SNH48’s 8th single, the Chinese-language version of “Manatsu no Sounds Good!”

Here’s the dancing version of the music video:

Finally, for comparison, here’s the original AKB48 dancing version of the music video:

So–do you think SNH48 or AKB48 is deserving of the Ultimate Cute Idols crown? Feel free to battle it out in the comments section of this piece, but first we’ll leave you with some more SNH48 promotional images below. Enjoy!

▼ Zhang YuGe (张语格), who plays the central role in the above music video

▼ The girl who appears around 0:08 wearing the blue swimsuit is the previously mentioned Zhao Yue.

▼ Similarly, here’s the “once-in-4,000-years-beauty,” Ju JingYi.

▼ Wu Zhehan (吴哲晗), who won last year’s first general election

▼ Xu JiaQi (许佳琪), a member of Team SII

▼ Mo Han (莫寒), the SII Team Captain

▼ In any case, SNH48 is full of pretty girls. But do they have what it takes to beat AKB48 in a cuteness contest?

Original article by Meg Sawai
Source: SNH48 Official Site
Featured Image: YouTube (ChinaSNH48)
[ Read in Japanese ]