Sashihara Rino of idol group AKB48 recently said on a TV show that she thinks that the group's popularity will go down in two years time, and because of her statements, netizens have started to call her "Negative Sashihara".

The show she appeared on is NTV's talk show, "Odoru! Sanma Goten!!", she also said that she would not be able to be invited to this show without the name value of "AKB48."

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On the show, the host of the show, Akashiya Sanma asked her how long she would continue to work in the entertainment industry. She answered that she will be 20 years old in two years, and maybe by then they (AKB48) would be "done" - a statement which sent the whole studio into an uproar.

She then explained that she only meant that their popularity would go down, not that they would disband or anything. She estimated that even though AKB48 has many of their own TV program, those would soon disappear.

Sashihara says that she can�t rely on the group's popularity so much because it won't last forever, as one day the offers to appear on programs will disappear. As such, she says they should learn a�specialty�(skill) that will help them survive in the entertainment world.

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On an unrelated note, she also mentioned that she wants to get her license as a hazardous materials engineer.

What do you guys think? �Is she simply being pragmatic or is it just an overly negative outlook?

Source: J-Cast