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JEFusion Idol Talk - My Top 10 AKB48 Members (2020 Edition)


My recent AKB48 experience has inspired me to make an updated top 10 list this time around!

I made my 1st AKB48 top 10 members in 2017, but as members come, go, and change, my current tastes have certainly changed as well.

For this list:
- All the members come ONLY from AKB48 and none from its sister groups
- All members must still be in the group as of this writing
- The members will be ranked starting from #1

1. Minami Minegishi


Still the reigning queen from the previous list, Minami is also still the record holder for longest tenure in AKB48 history (15 years). Although she was actually supposed to have left the group already in April, the Corona pandemic pushed her plans back indefinitely. She also has opened a YouTube channel Earlier in 2020 with over 161,000 subscribers as of this post.

Check it out here:

2. Rin Okabe


Rin's popularity had grown immensely since 2017. Ever since making her major break through the single "11-gatsu no Anklet", Rin had become a staple member in AKB48's music videos ever since. Such is her popularity that in 2019 she held her 1st solo concert.

3. Yuiri Murayama


The current captain of AKB48 Team 4, Yuiri is an increasingly popular member. Her major single debut came in "Jabaja" in 2018, and has consistently been featured in carrier singles since. While popular herself, Yuiri is often seen together with Nana Okada, a relatively more popular member. Interestingly, ever since joining AKB48 in 2011, she has never ranked in the AKB48 General Elections from 2012-2014 and has never again participated since. Despite this, her popularity only grew further. She is also currently part of the YouTube channel YuuNaaMogiOn with Mion Mukaichi, Nana Okada, and Shinobu Mogi. They currently have over 96,000 subscribers.

Check out YuuNaaMogiOn channel here:

4. Saki Kitazawa


While Saki is still among the lesser known members, looking at her closely, she has become livelier and more mature while still retaining that sweet, innocent aura. Saki is however slowly gaining popularity thanks to having a close friendship with Yuiri, with both of them known as the pair "Kitayama Sakiringo". Both of them have also taken on "motherly" roles for their juniors, with Yuiri being the "mother of the 16th generation members" while Saki is the "mother of the 3rd generation draftee members".

5. Manaka Taguchi


A newcomer to this list, Manaka joined the group in 2016. She is known for being a good speaker, often in charge of emcee segments during theater performances. She also has quite a reputation for not being afraid of her seniors (rather they're scared of her), which make for hilarious moments in variety shows. She is also a big fan of the Kamen Rider franchise, which prompted me to dress as Aruto Hiden when I went to see her at a handshake event exactly a year before this post.

6. Mizuki Onoue


Speaking of newcomers, not only is Mizuki new to this list, she's also new to AKB48! Having only joined in November 2019, Mizuki joined Team 8 as the representative of Nagasaki Prefecture. She quickly won me over with her energy and quirkiness. She also is good at playing soccer, having played it since elementary school. She's also good at speaking, and coupling that with her energy makes a great  emcee.

7. Mion Mukaichi


Mion became the 3rd General Manager of AKB48, inheriting the position from Yui Yokoyama on the group's 13th anniversary in 2018. She is also active on YouTube as part of the YuuNaaMogiOn channel (see Yuiri's section for the link).

8. Ma Chia Ling


Ma Chia Ling's Japanese has greatly improved over time. While still learning, she became popular for using strange Japanese expressions. She still has an accent but her Japanese definitely sounds more natural now. She's also known as a great cook and often cooks Taiwanese dishes on her YouTube channel which also opened this year. What's amazing is that her channel is completely in Japanese!

Check out Macharin channel here:

9. Yui Yokoyama


Despite having passed on the title and duty of General Manager to Mion, Yui is still very much a prominent member. Appearing in a lot of TV shows such as a regular Sunday show with Rin, she also has her own TV show where she shows viewers various places in her hometown of Kyoto. As with some of the members featured on this list Yui also opened her own Youtube channel this year.

Check out Yuihan Life here:

Note: This Yui Yokoyama is a member of Team A. There is also another Yui Yokoyama in Team 8, though their Yuis are written in different kanji.

10. Serika Nagano


Serika now has a more mature look and aura to her. She also added a new specialty to her repertoire which is mahjong. She often competes against other celebrities who also play mahjong.

Honorable Mentions:

Anna Iriyama
Yui Yokoyama (Team 8 member, not to be confused with entry #9)
Kyoka Tada
Nana Okada
Shinobu Mogi

Are you an AKB48 fan too? Do you have your favorite members? Tell us who in the comments.

Also, here's the post from 2017

Disclaimer:
All images and videos here are property of their respective owners and used for reference purpose only. We claim no rights to it unless otherwise stated.
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