The popular Japanese all-girl idol group, AKB48 Team 8 is once again back in the Philippines to support the recently concluded MNL48 Registration and Audition Tour, which happened last December 2 and 3.
Team 8 members Honda Hitomi, Hidaritomo Ayaka, Yokomichi Yuri, Nagani Serika, Ota Nao, Nakano Ikumi and Hitomi Kotome performed a mini-concert two days at the ABS-CBN Center Road Compound. The group sang and danced their hearts out to all-time favorite hits like Oogole Diamond, Koi Suru Fortune Cookie, Heavy Rotation, and of course, one of the team’s songs: 47 Nosuteki Na Machi e. Lucky MNL48 hopefuls and winners of the Fortune Cookie dance contest were also given a chance to personally ask questions to Team 8 members.
Aside from the mini-concert, the group also performed live for their Filipino fans on their mall show last December 3 at SM City North EDSA Annex Cyberzone Area. Despite several technical difficulties and delays, long time fans of the phenomenal group flocked the free show to catch the Team 8 members on stage.
Members of Team 8 also accommodated a press conference held after the mini-show. They were asked to give a message for the girls auditioning for the first generation idols of MNL48. Osaka’s Nagano Serika, Shizuoka’s Yokomichi Yuri and Yamanashi’s Hidaritomo Ayaka encouraged them not give up and advised them to always give their best performance in the audition, while Kyoto’s Ota Nao answered to do not regret pursuing your dreams.
The event was presented by Hallo Hallo Entertainment Inc., the company behind MNL48 idol search, and in partnership with ABS-CBN and the network’s noontime show, It’s Showtime where the biggest idol search will air this coming 2018.
Online registration and uploading of entries via the MNL48 app have been disabled as the nationwide registration and audition tour came to a close. Only 48 girls coming from all over the country will be selected to become the first generation idols of AKB48’s newest sister group. Now it’s up to the fans to vote their favorite girl and help her secure their spot in the idol group.
The Grand Registration and Audition has the most number of applicant among all the tours.
