Suda Akari talks more about why she is graduating from SKE48

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Suda Akari announced that she will be graduating from SKE48 at the end of September.

A popular long time member since November 2009, she has led as a member of the 3rd generation and as leader of Team E.

She had been known as the “Queen of Handshake Events” but she decided at the age of 30, she wanted to quit being an idol after more than 10 years.

In an interview by ENTAME next, Suda was asked when she started to think about graduation.

Suda said, “About two years ago. However, what I was thinking at that point was what I should do to become confident that I would be okay, even if I quit being an idol”.

When asked why she decided on graduation, Suda said, “I thought there would be a limit to being an idol in my own way. When an idol faces her own life, her time limit is approaching. In other words, when she thinks about her life as a human being, she wants to get married, and she also wants to introduce her boyfriend to her parents. If she remains an idol, she can’t do anything normal in living as a single woman. She will feel uncomfortable about it. Times are changing, so some people say it’s okay for idols to fall in love, but it’s better for idols to be scandal-free. There is a reason why so many people are drawn to it. I’ve kept it up until now, and I think there will be people who expect no scandals in the future, but I’ve found it painful”.

When asked if she would continue to be an idol for ten more years, that feeling would inevitably grow. Suda said, “10 years ago my goal was to pursue my dream as an idol, but now my theme is how I should live my life from now on. When I think about the future, my 30s is a turning point. I think it’s wonderful to work hard like Yukirin (Kashiwagi Yuki of AKB48). But I still couldn’t choose the way of life to do my best in active duty”.

When asked what she meant in her graduation announcement “I want to meet a new me”, Suda said, “I want to meet myself as a human being with no limits. As an idol myself, there are things that I couldn’t experience, and there are things that I couldn’t express. For example, on a program where I appear as a commentator, even if someone asks me to give my opinion as a woman, I have to replace the love talk with a handshake episode. For viewers, it must have felt unreal. However, since there will be no limits in the future, I think the possibilities will expand. However, I don’t think there will be any major changes immediately after graduating. Other than not wearing idol costumes, I don’t think there will be any changes in my work, and I won’t actively hunt men (laughs)”.

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