How do you memorize each JKT48 member?

An interesting talk started last night on Twitter regarding the difficulty to remember each JKT48 members. Every participants turned out to have their own way to complete this daunting task. Tips and hints were exchanged and as each participants contribute something, in the end there are many available methods to choose from.

Basically, there are two methods of memorizing: Association and Specification. Both methods complement each other and can be used at any stage of our process to recognize each members. Our memory works like a hologram : the more points of reference (Association) that are focused on one subject (Specification>), the more clear is the subject in our memory. A person’s perceptions might differs from the other in undergoing the process, but as long as it help the user him/herself it is valid. And once you know the members very well, you will tend to forget how exactly you get there.

Writer’s note : The examples given below are far from complete, and as stated above, very personal and subjective from the writer’s point of view. They only serve as illustrations. If you find some hints are wrong or need clarification, please drop a line or two in the comment.

Association

Association is usually chosen as the starting methods and when you choose to know everyone before paying attention to selected few. Yet, this method can also be used at later stages to complement specification.

1. Put them in groups – this method is helpful as a start to ease your process to differentiate members in smaller groups. After putting Laksani sisters (Melody and Frieska) Winarto sisters (Stella and Sonia/Wawa) or the two Jessica (Jeje and Ve) in smaller group, it is easier to know each of them.

1a. by Hobbies and Interest
1a1. by favourite Football team:
– Manchester Utd (Melody, Kinal) Arsenal (Ve) Liverpool (Frieska, Rena-chan) Barcelona (Frieska)
– Association tips : search for picture of them or imagine them in their favourite football team uniform, imagine them face each other in a football match.

Writer’s note : I am not quite a football lover so this one doesn’t work very well to me.

1b. by Talents:
– Modelling (Melody, Ve, Stella) Singing (Stella, Sendy) Dancing (Beby, Kinal) Variety (Shania, Nabilah) Drama (Sonya, Shania, Ve)
– Association tips : search for picture or video of them or imagine them in situation where their hone their special talent
1c. While some people feel uneasy to include ethnic and religious background into the scene, it is helpful for some others. In fact, knowing other people’s ethnic and religious background and act accordingly to acknowledge their uniqueness is part of daily courtesy.
– Association tips : search for picture of them or imagine them in their traditional dress : Japanese and Japanese-descent in Yukata/Kimono, Sundanese and Javanese in Kebaya, Chinese-descent in Cheongsam. Adding their city of origin into the scene and picture that city’s landmark as background of your mental picture.

2. Associate with other person/characters that have similar characteristics – this method can be part of specification step too.

2a. Physical Appearance; the big picture: posture and hairstyle
– Posture and hairstyle is the easiest to notice when you see the girls in group. The problem with JKT48’s members is, as one of the participants stated :

“When Japanese have interest to JKT and remember their face&name,it’s hard. Because they have similar hair style…”.

Nevertheless, some members have unique hairstyle to distinguish them from the rest : Cindy, Rena-chan, Ghaida and Dhike.

Writer’s note : in fact, this is the first method the writer used to recognize AKB member by associating them with Sailor Moon’s characters that have distinctive hair styles : NyanNyan = Venus, Mariko = Uranus, Takamina = short Jupiter, Acchan = Mercury, Mayuyu = black haired Moon nice smile, Akicha = small Jupiter cute smile

2b. Impressions and details
– Some members can have striking features that make them stand out among the others. And sometimes, such features can be found in members of other sister group to be associated with.
– Cindy’s smile = Rabutan’s
– Rica’s eyes and certain expression= Kasai’s, hardworking character and oldest member status = Meetan’s
– Ghaida’s boyish personality = Sae, flirty and ‘pervert’ habit toward other member = Sae’s/Jurina’s
– Diasta’s smartness and face/eyes outline = Mii-chan
– Gaby’s exotic face and tall posture = Sayaka

Writer’s note : Minahasa people, Gaby’s ethnic background, has some close connection with the Philippines

– Dhike’s expression in general = Reinyan

3. Put them ‘in place’

3a. Remembering members by their position in their performance compared to their sister group’s can be very helpful
– Heavy Rotation : Melody = Yuuko, Shania = Acchan, Cleo/Kinal = Mariko, etc
3b Imagine them in other, more familiar situations
-. Imagine them performing song they haven’t perform : Flying Get, River, or UZA.
Writer’s note : in the writer’s imagination, interestingly, Acchan’s spot in Flying Get is filled by Nabilah, while in River by Kinal (before she was elected as Captain)
– Imagine them doing Muchaburi Dodgeball, Danso Contest, Fashion Show

Specification

Specification is usually used when you choose to pay attention to several selected members.This can be happen right away from the beginning, or at later stage after those lucky members grab your interest more than the other.

4. Collecting trivias
4a. Know their position in unit songs : Kagami no Naka (Kinal) Pajama Drive (Shania) Tsundere (Nabilah, Cindy, Sendy) Renai Kinshi (Akicha, Beby, Ve)

5. Know their personality
5a. Group them by type : Cheerful, Funny (Shania, Nabilah, Kinal) Reserved, Shy (Ve, Dhike, Diasta)

6. Imagine you are giving her a birthday gift, what will be the best gift for her?
Writer’s note : This section is a lot shorter than previous ones since the writer seldom used it

To sum it up, here is some short example of writer’s result for some members:
– Melody : Manchester Utd, Modelling, Agriculture, Sundanese, Bandung, Center
– Ve : Arsenal, Modelling, Jakarta, Fashionista, Designer, Hurricane
– Rica : Kasai’s eyes, Meetan’s hardworking character and eldest member status, Barrista, Coffee
– Cindy : Rabutan’s smile, Mayuyu’s hair

This articles is meant to share some tips and hints to ease the process of remembering JKT48’s members. It can contain writer subjective point of view, errors and lack of knowledge in its illustration but nevertheless, helpful to memorize JKT48’s members. If you have some tips and hints that you find useful and can help others to memorizing JKT48’s members, please drop a line or two.

Thanks to @Sergio_Mario and @Anonymous for an enlightening talk