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The story
Former AKB48 member and actress Haruka Shimazaki announced on Instagram on the 14th that she is leaving her talent agency, Big Apple, and going independent. The agency was originally established essentially as a personal office for actress Miho Nakayama, and after Nakayama’s death, Shimazaki is said to have remained its only talent. The announcement came exactly 10 years after her graduation from AKB48. Reactions on 5ch threads were mixed, with some voicing concern over her job prospects after going independent, others pointing out that the agency had effectively already dissolved, and others reminiscing about her past acting roles.
Haruka Shimazaki Announces Departure from Agency & Independence — Decision Made at the 10-Year Mark Since Leaving AKB48: “I’m Not Exactly the Smooth-Operator Type”
Former AKB48 member and actress Haruka Shimazaki reported on Instagram on the 14th that she has left her talent agency and gone independent.
Shimazaki opened with, “This is an announcement for everyone who always supports me,” before reporting, “I have left the agency that took care of me for so long, and have now gone independent.”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
guess that means the agency was the problem.
What's she even been in?? VIVANT?
The Blue Walker role was one every young actress wanted a shot at
though she'd probably get passed over for her age these days…
so it was basically already a one-woman shop even before she went independent.
and they've clearly been going downhill ever since.
Umika Kawashima went independent too, and it doesn't look like things got any better for her.
Didn't Umi-nee retire?
isn't listed at all. Lol, must've been rough enough that she wants it erased from history.
so just find herself a rich guy and get married.
Actually, maybe that's exactly what she'll do.
haven't seen her since Fly Me to the Saitama.
and then she turns up right when the Hiyokko rerun's airing?
She should be talking about gratitude, about owing it all to her fans.
but it feels like the internet and the media have spun her image into something way worse than she actually is.
and I figured that'd work in her favor,
but I guess it's not that simple after all.
A transfer within the same agency group? A transfer to an outside agency?
Which one of these is it actually?
Right now she's in the rerun of the morning drama Hiyokko (apparently her career high point).
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Haruka Shimazaki, affectionately nicknamed “Parul,” graduated from AKB48 in 2016 and has focused mainly on acting since. Her agency, Big Apple, was originally set up for actress Miho Nakayama, and commenters in the thread point out that after Nakayama’s death, Shimazaki became its only remaining talent. Because of this, many in the thread viewed the independence announcement less as a bold career move and more as the agency’s natural dissolution. Opinions split over whether her workload will actually pick up now that she’s independent — some pointed to her name recognition as an asset, while others argued that independence alone won’t generate more jobs. There was also confusion over exactly what kind of move this is — full independence, a “noren-wake” spin-off, a transfer within the same agency group, or a transfer to an outside agency — since the announcement itself didn’t spell out the structure, which some readers flagged as easy to misread.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Haruka Shimazaki Announces Departure from Agency & Independence — Decision Made at the 10-Year Mark Since Leaving AKB48: “I’m Not Exactly the Smooth-Operator Type”.”
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