mAyKB48 (2/48): 推しメン

As you likely gathered from Amanda’s first entry, a good deal of AKB’s public image revolves around their interactions with the fans. But with so many members it’s easy to become overwhelmed, especially when first learning about the group. Therefore, most fans tend to pick a handful of singers to be their 推しメン (おしメン,　oshimen) or “supported member”.

That's much more manageable.

The word 推し can either mean to infer, to conclude, or to support. It’s comprised of the element for hand (手) on the left and an archaic radical for bird (隹), more commonly written 鳥, to the right. A useful pneumonic might be to imagine a hand gently supporting an injured bird as it returns it to a nest.

The メン of 推しメン is a shortened form of "member" in the same way that “mon” became shorthand for “monster” in series like Pokemon and Digimon. Those familiar with Japanese pop culture may have heard of the manga or TV series オトメン (Otomen). It takes its title from the amalgamation of 乙女 (おとめ, otome), which means young lady, and メン, here carrying the meaning of "men". Since Japanese doesn't draw a distinction between "n" and "m" sounds, some loan words can be a bit ambiguous. It just shows that context is everything.

Put together, 推しメン would literally translate as “supported member”. As we’ll show, there are a multitude of reasons to support one member or another. With so many members, there is a wide range of personalities and interests within AKB, ensuring an equally wide range of appeal. The concept of 推しメン also forms the basis for the yearly vote and creates a loyal fan base eager to help, and to meet, their favorite members.