NMB48 to hold fan voting about the return of Shimada Rena and Matsuda Shiori

As announced on its official website, NMB48 will hold a fan voting to decide whether the currently suspended members Shimada Rena and Matsuda Shiori will be allowed to resume their activities as NMB48 members.

In the time between November 27 and December 3, all members of the NMB48 Ticket Center can vote whether they approve of the girls' return or not. Results will be announced during the Team N Show on December 7. If the fans vote in favor of the girls' return, they will be allowed to participate at lessons again, and eventually return on stage. If not, fan votings will be repeated regularly until the fans approve their return.

Shimada Rena suspended activities in September because of past kissing purikura with her then-boyfriend while Matsuda Shiori officially took a break out of "her own will", as did fellow Team N member Yoshida Akari. Any details about Yoshida Akari will be announced on a later date.

Read a translation of the announcement below.

Honestly I am not sure what to think about this. On the one hand I do want the girls to come back, and I acknowledge that the opinion of the fans is very important. But on the other hand, the decision about the return of members is quite a big issue that usually management should deal with. Maybe management does not want to take resposibilty and hence leaves it to the fans. Also I wonder why Yoshida Akari is excluded from this voting.

What do you think? Is it right to leave this decision up to the fans? Do you think the girls are ready to come back?

About the return of the suspended NMB48 members
Translated by: Miss Moonlight
http://nmb48-staff.laff.jp/blog/2011/11/nmb48-e0f5.html

Thank you for always supporting NMB48.

We have to make an announcement about the return of 2nd Generation Research Student Shimada Rena, on suspension since September 2, and Team N member Matsuda Shiori, on suspension since September 4.

The NMB48 management office has constantly taken communication with the currently suspended Yoshida Akari, Matsuda Shiori and Shimada Rena. They have spent days leading a well-regulated life, faced themselves more than ever until now, and repeating self-lessons.

During that process not only among the members themselves but also among staff the opinion "Wouldn’t it be fine if they start lessons for returning to shows" came up. Nevertheless, the members themselves constantly said that they still think: "I want to come back to NMB48 but I feel so sorry towards the fans who always supported me. Is it really ok if I come back?".

Therefore we entrust the decision about the participation of currently suspended Matsuda Shiori and Shimada Rena at lessons, their appearance in NMB48 shows etc, their return to NMB48, to the voting of you all, the fans. If the positive votes for the return are the majority we will let them start the preparations for their return.

Also, we will hold a voting repeatedly until approval of return reaches the majority.

We will make announcements about Yoshida Akari on a later date.

The original idea of the AKBProject is ‘a place where dreams can come true’. In this place, the girls found themselves back, reconfirmed their dream and are now going towards this dream recklessly.

We think you all have various thoughts and opinions. Please cast those feelings as a vote.

Furthermore, to avoid irregularities, and guarantee rightness, we will entrust the election to the third party organization “株式会社パイプドビッツ” who will act as a supervisor of the voting, like during the AKB General Election and AKB Request Hour.

Voting Details:
Voting Time: November 27 (Sun) until December 03 (Sat) 23:59
Entitled to vote: Members of the NMB48 Ticket Center (free of charge)
Voting Tool: Mobile Phone
Voting supervisor: 株式会社パイプドビッツ