SNH48’s Li Yitong Says Only Ju Jingyi Truly Became Popular Out of the Group

Breaking into the entertainment industry is no easy feat. With everyone vying for a slice of attention, celebrity hopefuls must do everything to standout.  Chinese idol group SNH48 has definitely capitalized on the booming idol culture. As a member of the group who won the general election for two consecutive years, Li Yitong (李艺彤) should have had an advantage. Yet the 29-year-old idol recently spoke about the difficulties replicating Ju Jingyi’s popularity and her successful transition into acting.

Li Yitong on SNH48’s Struggles

“Among the many (election) winners of SNH48, only Ju Jingyi has truly broken into the industry”. She reflects that the group isn’t as popular as you think. Those who trained overseas have more of an advantage over the makeshift type training received by many who trained locally in China, she said. Now that she’s joining comeback show Ride the Wind 2025, Li Yitong readily admits she most likely wouldn’t achieve a high level of popularity. “After so many years of not being popular? I don’t think so.”  Yet she’s still hopeful people will appreciate the much more grown up and improved version of Li Yitong on the show.

Whilst singer-turned-actress Ju Jingyi has gained popularity with roles from Legend of Yunxi to In Blossom, her level of popularity still remains elusive for the rest of the ladies who are having a hard time breaking into the industry on their own.

SNH48 is the Chinese version of the Japanese girl group AKB48 which aims to make themselves “more accessible” to fans with daily performances and concert in a theatre of their own. “Centres” or the member who receives the most screen time and focus whenever they put out new songs are often elected by fans through general elections. SNH48, based in Shanghai, is known to have a lot of members (over 200 including sister groups).

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