Deciphering Melody’s Captaincy
by Richardson Kilis · December 24, 2013

As previously announced during the second show of JKT48’s second anniversary concert, Team J member Melody Nurramdhani Laksani was elevated to the position of JKT48 captain effective December 21, 2013. No doubt this was an announcement few, if any, expected. Given that JKT48 already had a solid team captain line-up in Devi Kinal Putri (Team J) and Shinta Naomi (Team KIII), many believed the member leadership was well-defined.
The captain’s position is perhaps the most admired among 48 sister groups. It is different from the center’s position which is the most coveted. Members do not naturally want to become captains. One is always too modest to take up a leadership position. The center shines in the limelight, often because the captain is there to bring everyone together to support her. A shakeup in this power structure can either go well or poorly depending on how it is executed.
Kinal was announced as Team J’s captain on December 23, 2012, nearly one year prior to the date of the second anniversary concert. Naomi was announced as Team KIII’s captain on July 3, 2013. Up to and in the months following the announcement of Naomi’s captaincy, it was always assumed that Kinal served as the de facto captain of JKT48. Her consultation session with Trainees in the Love JKT48 2013 guide book further reinforced this general perception among fans.
Captains of 48 sister groups are undoubtedly often compared to the captain of all captains—Minami Takahashi. When she served as Team A captain in the three years of 2009–2012, many also saw Takahashi as the de facto captain of all of AKB48 until she was given de jure status at the Tokyo Dome concert. Furthermore, captains of the flagship teams of SKE48 (Team S) and NMB48 (Team N) also serve as captains of their respective groups in their entirety. Following precedence, fans assumed the same would apply to JKT48.
I hold the view that the announcement of Melody’s captaincy is nothing short of a coup d’état; however, it is not without reason.
Although Kinal and Naomi may be effective leaders within their own teams, JKT48 needed someone who is more recognizable to the public eye and can rise to the status that Takahashi has achieved in Japan. Melody’s status as overall center had been diluted with the placement of Haruka Nakagawa as center of “Fortune Cookie in Love”. With the upcoming addition of third generation members, certainly there are also opportunities for both old and new members to show off their potentials as centers.
However, management needed a way to keep Melody relevant, and that is where her captaincy comes in. With the departures of so many members in the span of a few months, observers who do not follow JKT48 as closely may think that the group is falling apart. Anointing Melody as captain assures them that the group has not changed and remains the one many have come to recognize throughout 2013.
Therefore, the purpose of this captaincy is threefold:
- First, to motivate all members by demonstrating that leadership positions are fluid and may be granted to whomever has demonstrated the skills required for such positions;
- Second, to provide an exit strategy for the center, that being the center is not necessarily the pinnacle of achievement from which there is no exit but graduation; and
- Third, to assure fans and observers that although change is the only thing that is constant, the core of the group and its values remain intact; therefore, there should be no case for concern.
The second purpose is perhaps the most important of the three. When put in conjunction with the first, this is what is necessary in organizational succession planning. It prevents the vacuum left behind when an iconic center departs, such as in the case of Atsuko Maeda. If and when Melody decides it is time for her to move on, perhaps JKT48 will have identified potential centers of the future.
As outside observers, none of us truly know what a captain actually does in her role beyond what we have seen on Japanese television of other 48 sister groups. It should be safe to assume that members will take it among themselves to determine what are the appropriate roles in the new power structure. If they can overcome this challenge, they will be ready to take JKT48 into its third year and third generation.
JKT48の2周年記念コンサートのエピソード2で発表された通り、チームのJメンバーであるメロディ・ヌランダニ・ラクサニが、2013年12月21日からJKT48キャプテンのポジションに就いた。これを予想してた者はまずほとんどいない、いても一部だろうという発表であった。JKT48は既にデビ・キナル・プトゥリ(チームJ)とシンタ・ナオミ(チームKIII)というしっかりしたチームキャプテンが揃っていたことを考えると、多くの者はメンバーのリーダーはすでに明確に決まっていると信じていた。
キャプテンは、48の姉妹グループの中でおそらくもっとも尊敬されるポジションである。メンバーのだれもが一番なりたいと思っているセンターポジションとはわけが違う。普通、メンバーはキャプテンになりたいなんて望まないし、いつも控え目過ぎる子はリーダーシップ・ポジションに就くことはできない。センターは脚光を浴びて輝く。他のみんなが一緒になってセンターを後押しするようにキャプテンがいるからだ。この組織の中で、改革がどう行われるかによって、良くも悪くも転んでしまう。
キナルは2012年12月23日、2周年コンサートの日のほぼ1年前にチームのJのキャプテンと発表された。ナオミは2013年7月3日にチームK3のキャプテンと発表された。ナオミのキャプテン就任の発表後ここまでの数ヶ月は、キナルがJKT48の事実上のキャプテンを務めていると常に思われていた。ファンは、「Love JKT48 2013ガイドブック」にある彼女が研修生の相談に乗るセッションでその認識をさらに強くした。
48姉妹グループのキャプテンは、キャプテン中のキャプテン・高橋みなみとよく比較される。高橋が2009年から2012年の3年間チームAのキャプテンを務めていた時代、彼女が東京ドームコンサートで相応の地位(総監督)を与えられるまで、多くの人は彼女をAKB48全体の事実上のキャプテンとして見ていた。さらに、SKE48の主力チーム(チームS)とNMB48の主力チーム(チームN)のキャプテンも、それぞれのグループ全体のキャプテンを務めている。先例に従って同じことがJKT48にも採り入れられたと(JKT48の)ファンは思っていた。
私は、メロディのキャプテン職の発表はクーデターでも何でもないという立場である。しかし、今回のキャプテン就任には理由がある。
キナルとナオミはそれぞれのチームの中では有能なリーダーであるかもしれないが、高橋が日本で成し遂げたように、JKT48はもっと世間に認知されてその地位を上げるために、誰かが必要であった。総合的センターというメロディのステータスは、仲川遥香が「恋するフォーチュンクッキー」のセンターに就いたことで薄まった。来るべき3期メンバーの加入によって、二人は必ず新旧双方のメンバーに対してセンターとして持っている潜在的なものを見せつけるチャンスがある。
しかし、マネージメントはメロディをそれなりのところに置く必要があった。それこそが彼女のキャプテン就任である。数ヶ月の間に多くのメンバーがグループから旅立ったことにより、JKT48に関心が無い人たちがグループがバラバラになってきていると思うかもしれない。そこで、キャプテンとしてメロディを据えることで、グループは何も変わらず一つのままなのだと多くの人がスッキリし、2013年全体を受け容れるようになった。
したがって、このキャプテン職の狙いには以下の3つの面がある。
1. リーダーシップ・ポジションは流動的であり、そのポジションに必要とされるスキルを示した人には誰にでもチャンスがあるということを実際に見せ、メンバー全員のモチベーションを上げる
2. センターになることは卒業以外に出口が無い最終到達点、いや必ずしもそうではないんだという出口戦略を用意する
3. ずっと変化し続けてもグループの核心と価値は不変であるということを、ファンおよびファン以外に確信させる。心配に及ぶことは何も無いということ。
二つ目の狙いはおそらく3つの中で最も重要である。一つ目と関連づけてみれば、これこそ組織的な後継者育成に必要なものである。絶対的なセンターが卒業、前田敦子の場合のような、その後の空白感を回避することになる。もしメロディ自身が身を引く時が来たと判断する時には、たぶんJKT48は将来のセンターが誰であるかを明らかにしているだろう。
外部から(日本を)見ている者として、我々の中に、日本のテレビで他の48姉妹グループを目にした内容からキャプテンというものが何の役割を果たしているのか本当のところを知っている者ははいない。メンバーが新しい組織の中で、自分に合った役割が何かを決められるようになれば安泰である。もし彼女たちがこの課題を克服できれば、JKT48がその3年目と三期生のステップに進む準備ができたということだ。
Japanese Translation by Japarta
Exit strategy! That’s a proper word that I’ve been thinking for Melody’s position today.
However, before Melody was elected as a JKT48 general captain, she has been there as an informal leader, meanwhile Kinal and Naomi are formal leaders.
Despite of that, in real world, people are usually prefer to follow informal leader due to some reasons. Commonly, informal leader owns particular traits or properties such as charm, physical power, networking, or simply an ability to drive opinion, that formal leader don’t have.
Back when we were in high school, which one that can influence the peers: president of student association (i.e. Ketua OSIS) or gang leader (i.e. pentolan or jagoan sekolah). Most of us would answer a gang leader. This analogy perfectly applied in JKT48. Melody is like a gang leader (pentolan), whereas Kinal and Naomi are from student association.
With or without her new title, Melody is always be “Ue Kara Melody”
Since the announcement, I have been wondering what kind of role Melody will have in the future. She has been the center of JKT48 for this whole time, with the only exception of FCYM. Even in NEW SHIP, she remains as the double-center together with Yupi, which made me curious whether her captaincy will affect JKT48’s centership or not.
If everything stays the same (which means Melo will remain as a center for JKT), then it would really put too much pressure on her shoulders since she had to take the burden of a center and a General Captain at the same time. In this case, I’d rather she became the sole center instead of taking a double-role.
Nevertheless, I congratulate her for this promotion. I hope she can do the very best in her role.
i wonder how Kinal reaction to this development
Refering to AKB as model, someone in G+ once said that Melody carries three prominent roles at once on her shoulder: of Acchan (centre/ace), Takamina (leader), and Mariko (exemplary senior). To a certain degree I agreed with him/her. Yet, such multiple roles in one person has its own problem. Thus there have been attempts to delegate such role to other members.
– Centre position has actually been shared with others after Heavy Rotation. Both RIVER (with Kinal) and Yuuhi (with Ve) are double-centered songs while KFC’s centre is Haruka.
– Leadership role was shared with Kinal and Naomi, but beside Melody herself there are also hidden leaders in both team J and team KIII.
– Exemplary role was also shared with others. While almost all members have exemplary quality, I particularly noticed it in Akicha, Ve, Sonya, Sendy and Stella from Team J and perhaps Ayen and Yona from Team KIII.
One of the most urgent reason to delegate the roles is security reason: just in case something happen to her, the foundation of the group will not shake too much. With recent graduation wave, there are increased insecurity that perhaps made the management consider the alternative of returning the centre of gravity on Melody. Perhaps there is an urgent need to keep the foundation intact: if it’s not her then it’s the alternatives. Not only leadership role, but also centreship role with Managu. With Stella and Sonya graduation and Akicha’s rare appearance, I am afraid so is with exemplary role. IMHO, it is more a setback than a progress.
I know I am rather biased to Team J, but I think if the management have considered that Team KIII are ready to become alternative choice to share the burden there is no need to return the burden to her. I’d rather like to see more balance between both teams and among members than gravitate toward on Team J or Melody. While exemplary role can be cultivated over time, it is the centreship role that the management should consider next. I’d like to see someone else, perhaps from Team KIII, as the next centre. The question is, who will the management deem worthy?
Just a fleeting thought. Feel free to disagree.
Team KIII next center is Ayen. She has been management’s chosen center since the P.Drive show. She has the absolute center aura on stage just like Melody, Acchan and Yuko. I don’t even have to mention about Ayen’s dancing and singing skill which is way above other KIII front rows like Yupi and Viny.
As for Yupi with her MOE and KAWAII persona, she’s just rising to the surface because of just that. Management have been trying to push her since she sells more HS tickets than Ayen does. I don’t think it’s right to choose the next absolute center with MOE and KAWAII persona. Yupi reminds me with Nabilah (of course both of them have differing personalities) in the sense of as “mere” front-row members.
Viny? She’s okay as a center for some unit songs, but she’s not the right choice as group song center. She’s just another front row member which have sold lots of HS tickets because of her outstanding interpersonal (human) skills in treating other persons (fans) right.
I’m not sure..
But from my perfective, she lack something like groupfeeling,
she’s also too aggressive, potentially messing up the team.
I’ve seen some of the chosen to be first or second centers, like Melody, Ve, Della, Haruka, Riska, Beby
They all average person who can keep the tempo and looked calm as center.
Some people like Shania, Naomi, Rona, Nabilah, Viny and Beby is a member who is aggressive when performing. Sometimes they move too aggressively and quickly, leaving the movement of other members.
For Beby….I think she was changed her dance rhythm
I see on SCTV Carnaval, Beby place into a center, she looks much more organized movement than before. Not as usual that she was very aggressive in dance.
So far, I guess to say agree with the selection of the center by the JKT48 Management
IMHO nothing more than applying “Carrot and stick approach” to member, carrot of course for Melody(and Nabilah).
She wouldn’t got high rank without significant contribution.
Fourth, to keep Melody from graduating early
since the case (“M”, melody) I started to not like it
.
Kyahaa, purist wanabee

I guess it’s not wise to bring a “certain past” to point away her current state.
True that the case was unforgettable even for non Melody-oshi since it breaks a certain rule. But she had gone through many-many things because of that… ‘stupidity’ with the effects that you can still feel right now; she rarely goes online whereas in her earlier days, she Tweeted a whole damn lot (much like Nab). All due to the pressure put on her by the fans (and perhaps management, although it’s unlikely) after that incident.
…that is why I don’t like the idea of putting another pressure on her as a ‘Captain’…
agree.. she rarely online to keep her responsibility
and because I live in Bandung and take A Faperta majoring as her, I knew that she out of captain quality league, she just pretending to be “a good person” just only in the surface. well she’s still in relationship with her bf and it has going too far , another “bad morals” she did:
(cheating on tests, giving “amplop” to lecturer, and star syndrome symptoms (ngartis)), everyone in faperta know that this ambitious melody will do anything to get what she want. I often ask other wotas (outside Unpad circle) why they can be so blind by this ‘fucking-kuroten-persona”. but they can’t answer my question
Eat all that you can eat


Nobody fool
seems like you got wrong room here bro..
if [only if..] the topic here is asking why melody elect as student president in your university?
then bring all your bad mouth above
It’s ok you said that we don’t know about her achievement or study performance in your faculty
but you have to admit that you don’t know anything about her achievement or study performance in jkt48
JOT wont select her as captain if she don’t have enough contribution in JKT48
[you don’t think she gave an “amplop” to the management don’t you?]
Nobody here expect that we have JKT48’s captain that good both in her study and idol world
COME ON… if there’s a person that perfect she must be a diva or at least a solo artist already… why would she give a damn about being an idol group? Person that good maybe even have her own management
Maybe “she” is akimoto sensei
We need facts here, so you better present a very detailed testimony of those who were at the same faculty as you and her.
Without them, then I’ll consider it as a fraud. Very much the same as those aliens and UFO’s you saw on HC
our ace with her bf, taken from melody’s path friend..
http://s29.postimg.org/7fm9kz3ef/6310511_20140111095247.jpg
perhaps, She ever resist YOU…..WAKAKAKAKKAKA
It’s to much for my brain. Can. Not. Compute.
As for me, idol-ing supposed to be fun. No more nor less. I don’t care about anything that happens behind the stage as long as they can keep their facade as beautiful as ever.
hahaha, I think you need brain vitamin…..like SABU”— Sarapan bubur—…whehehe