is AKB48 more popular with males or females?

[HarutoAsou]

granted I know that there are otaku's that spend their life savings on a single CD, but that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about general popularity. I go to a Japanese exchange weekly and thus I meet a lot of different people from all over Japan that are male and female (and none of which could be really considered "otaku"). While doing my exchange someone will usually text me within the 2 hours and my background is a picture of Atsuko Maeda (even though she is no longer with the groups). Guys and girls alike see it but it's only the girls that actually start talking about AKB48 and how they love singing their songs in karaoke and even a few I've met know the actual dances.

I'm looking for opinions from Japanese natives and foreigners living in Japan. Minus the AKB48 otaku who line up outside AKB theatre in Akihabara on a Sunday morning at 7:00AM, are they more popular with Japanese females? I find in Korea it's quite the opposite. Korean females usually don't like Korean girl groups, more than likely due to jealousy, and only listen to male groups.

 

[bjharm]

as akb48 was made around the idea on non idol idols, that is everyday girls, one can see that indeed normal girls would relate strongly with the group, the dream that there is not 'really' all that much difference between them and AKB. As for guys that would be two fold, those that are, lets face it, sexually interested, and those too embarrassed to say they like a girls band, and of course cross over between the two...indeed come to think of it the lesbain theme are pretty stong in AKB so for all I know some of those schoolgirl may be the same..lol Also the older guys many have followed the band for going on six years I think for many the AKB girls are indeed the little sister/daughter they have watched grow up.
and no I not one of those living in Japan..but someone has to start this off right..

[I do not think Atsuko Maeda is ever going to get ABK out of her system and same with AKB with her, she was just so central to the band for so long]