13th Single Senbatsu Election Final Result (AKB48 Journal)
AKB48 Final Results (No AKB No Life)
SaeYaka Senbatsu!!!!!!! (SaeYaka Paradise)

The Senbatsu election is over.  Now we know who will be the participants in AKB48’s upcoming single.  In case you weren’t aware, AKB48’s producers left it to the fans to decide who would be participating in the next AKB48 release.  It was done by fan vote.  The top 21 vote-getters being in the single and PV, and #22 through #30 getting to participate in the c/w track.  Arsencoffee and Hinatin have the results, and Heiwa/Ange are merely gushing about the inclusion of both Miyazawa Sae and Akimoto Sayaka making it into the top team.

This was a unique way of letting the fans be a part of AKB48’s process, although some fans are a bit disillusioned by the power of some hardcore wota.  There are rumors that there are a few rich fans with access to hundreds of votes, which had a major effect on the final results.  And as fun as it was to be involved, one has to wonder how the girls felt.  Especially those who didn’t get a lot of votes.  But as I have said before, welcome to the world of AKB.

I’m guessing this was a one time event, and in the future we will be going back to “business as usual”.  And as a huge fan of one of the girls who made it to the 2nd track (Ohori Megumi, #24), I am hoping it totally blows away the title song.  But I have to hand it to the company brass.  Ultimately it is about keeping the fans engaged.  I think this election did a great job in achieving that.