Former Girl Group Member Addresses Her Exit, Breach Of Contract

A former idol has opened up about why she decided to leave a popular girl group.

Liu Nian was a member of the idol girl group AKB48 until 2024. In 2018, she joined AKB48 China as a trainee before officially joining AKB48 Team SH, a Chinese girl group within AKB48, as a first-generation member. In AKB48 and their sister groups, it isn’t unusual for current members to “graduate,” with new members taking their place, but Liu didn’t graduate from AKB48.

Last December, she left AKB48. Liu was quietly erased from AKB48 Team SH’s official Weibo account a month after the group’s management threatened legal action, accusing Liu of breaching her exclusivity contract by working with other parties.

Since leaving the group, Liu has pursued a career in China’s lucrative short drama industry. Short drama episodes are typically only a few minutes long, and, unlike TV series, they are designed for mobile viewing. During a recent livestream, she revealed that as an actress, she can make up to 100,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $14,000 USD) in a single day. This was one of her reasons for leaving. She also spoke about the invaluable experience and friendships she has made thanks to acting.

Since leaving idol life behind, Liu has become a rising star in the short drama industry. Her 2024 series Palace Maid Fuyao, topped the charts on Douyin (China’s TikTok) with over 2.5 billion views. So far, the idol-turned-actress has acted in 12 short dramas this year.