Hi people! I really love the Sakura no Shiori single, you know. Not only do I find SakuShio to be one of the most beautiful songs Akimoto’s ever written, I also like to *gasp* sing along to it XD AND OMG SALES FIGURES JUST LOOK AT THAT!!! OVER 200000 ON THE FIRST DAY WOOOO!!!! That’s not something many artists can boast about right now, so I’m really happy fro my girls <3

But what I like the most about this is that AKB is covering all of its bases with this release. 

Want a pretty choir song? (well, most of you have already said DO NOT WANT but still…) have Sakura no Shiori

Want a cheeky pseudo rock number? There’s Majisuka Rock ‘n Roll for you

Want a remembrance of AKB back when its emo teen angst songs made it to the singles? Just take a look at Choose Me

Want bouncy ultra happy lolis? Go for Enkyori Poster

This efficient marketing strategy makes me a happy fan

So, to honor this amazing release (it is amazing in my mind XD) I’ll do a long assed screen cap chock full review for all of you guys!! Yay!!! Also, please remember to buy this single and support AKB48!

Sakura no Shiori “Bookmark of Cherry Blossoms”

So, the first 2 minutes or so, what we get are glimpses of the theater stuff hurrying to help the girls get ready for the shooting of the PV. My cousin actually thought that this PVs location was a store because of the tons of clothes and stuff XD

Those are the girl’s official AKB coats, as we got to see in the Junen Zakura Making Of. And that is the tiny AKB Theater in Don Quijote… Oh, the memories…

And the AKB48 Dressing Room gets a special appearance here too XD This isn’t the lamest thing I’ve written here, because I’m a super lame person, but I once had a dream that involved being in the AKB dressing room, and having to perform a group song next but I couldn’t fit in any of the girls costumes so I panicked XD LOL

And then we get a look at the dedicated staff members as they help the girls get into the really complicated hakamas. The girl in the screencap is Team K new member, Nonaka Misato <3

And then, finally, the actual PV starts, and we can see the girls in their hakamas and elaborate hairstyles basically hanging around, singing and looking pretty, while doing not much else XD

Sayaka love is a must <3 The PV alternates between takes of the girls hanging around looking cute in hakamas to being organized in some sort of circular formation and singing while doing the actual choreography in this dated school uniforms with wings

LOL Yuko looks like she’s about to sneeze or something XD But still, I took the screencap because it might be one of the few pics when we can see Haruna acting all flirty towards Yuko, since it’s usually Korisu harrassing her while she looks all “Geez, crazy, get off of me”

Everyone has already hyped about it, but this scene is very nice to look at. Acchan plucks a feather from Takamina’s wings and blows it in the air… While Jurina just stares XD Still, looks oddly relaxing or something

That’s Ueno 48, supposedly. The girls went to various landmarks of prominent Tokyo districts. I think Akimoto is trying to reinforce his “JAPAN48″ concept in a not so subliminal way with this kind of takes XD

Shinagawa 48! This time it’s just Mariko, Takamina, Tomochin, Haruna and Yuko fixing their bangs XD

Of course, you can sell 220000 copies in the first day if you learn how to pout like Tomochin XD She looks like an adorable duck in this pic right here XD

You know, I absolutely adore Yuko, but this is the most hideous hakama in the bunch. Like , seriously. It’s painfully plain, it looks washed out and it’s just… disgusting. Poor Yuko, she should’ve gotten a pretty colorful one with cute flowers like the other girls *shakes fist*

I like this screencap because Reina is like ULTRA HAPPY while the others are all like we live here in Tokyo so w/e. This is Asakusa48, BTW.

OMG Sae why are you so cute! <3 You know, I’ve come to the conclusion that Sae is the perfect girl you would want to have as your girlfriend (well, if you’re into girls that is XD) Maybe her PB title has been subliminally inducing me to think so?

Shibuya 48! Hmm… I can’t even write the word Shibuya anymore without thinking of Tomochin XD Anyhow, I really like the wings, even if people think that they’re tacky and stupid, I think that they are a cute touch!

I absolutely love Jurina’s hair feather thingies <3 Plus, you know that story on the tabloids about Shinoda Mariko being AKiP’s mistress? I think it’s gotta be Rie who has an affair with him or some important producer XD She’s ALL over the PV. Seriously. She’s in more shots than Acchan!! (BTW, that’s just meant as a joke, I love Rie and I’m glad that she’s getting a huge push)

 

That’s “Location Bus 48″ Or Loke Bus 48. It’s just a shot of Takamina and Tomochin sleeping and Rie (!!) playfully laying over them

Yoyogi 48 wandering around the famous Stadium. I think that the concept of this PV is so ridiculously simple that it’s endearing in its own way. It’s always cute to watch the girls interacting with each other, and the little hop hop hop dance they do before the bridges (I don’t know if you are getting what I’m saying at all XD Acchan and Yuko do it in their closeups…) is insanely adorable. I want a gif of that but I’m a computer retard so I’ll have to settle with what I have

And of course, mandatory Acchan take <3 She looks lovely all doubtful while she checks her cellphone. I love her red hakama, it makes her stand out a lot, and her simple but classy hairstyle really fit this kind of clothes and music

Ok, so expect to see Majisuka, choose me  and Enkyori Poster by friday, today got horribly late and I need to sleep I’ll just say one more thing about this song, it’s a really well made piece of music. If you still don’t believe it, listen to the off vocal track. It’s absolutely stunning! The strings are amazing, the piano is wonderful and I could go on. I’m happy that such a beautiful song came from my favorite idols <3

Also, yay for 200000 sales on first day! Next days will most likely exhibit a drop in sales XD However, I’m still incredibly proud of the girls who made it this far. It’s really been a long journey from the old AKB I grew to like, back when Team B didn’t even exist, to what they’ve become now. I’m happy to have been somehow part of the ride as a fan since the old days, back when people made fun of their poor sales and concert venues. What I like about following an idol group like this is to watch the girls grow, and finally adjust to really becoming idols. It’s very interesting, and it’s the first time it happens to me!

Hi people! Here’s the tracklist  of the latest AKB48 Shibuya AX Concert Request Hour Set List Best 100 (LOL what a long title…). I’ll make a few comments on some of the songs, and I got all of this info from Stage48 so credit goes to them entirely.

100 - ↓38 - A4 - 7時12分の初恋 (7 Ji 12 Fun no Hatsukoi) –> I think that this was the return of the A graduates. Kinda sad that it’s No. 100 now… 
99 - ↓29 - A2 - 涙の湘南 (Namida no Shounan ) –> MAIMAI!!! Yeah. I love this song so much, I don’t care it’s 99, I’m just so happy it’s there anyway!!
98 - ↓85 - A3 - 小池 (Koike) –> LOL Quintessential rebound song AKB version
97 - ↓30 - K4 - 回遊魚のキャパシティ (Kaiyuugyo no Capacity) –> My favorite group song from K4 <3 <3 <3
96 - ↓49 - A4 - ただいま恋愛中 (Tadaima Renaichuu) –> And my favorite song from A4! Yayness! This one was performed by the kenkyuuseis, I think
94 - ↓82 - H1 - 僕の太陽 (Boku no Taiyou) –> I actually like this single, even though everyone else hates it <3
94 - ↓93 - H1 - ヒグラシノコイ (Higurashi no Koi) –> I expect it to be sung live, like it has in previous versions. Yuka = So much love
93 - 初 - A5 - 真夏のクリスマスローズ (Manatsu no Christmas Rose) –> Uh… I don’t like this song at all. Sad because I love Chiichan, Mariko and Yukari. Who is the 4th member anyway? Have they decided on it yet? XD
92 - 初 - S2 - Glory days –> I expected this to be a LOT higher due to Jurina being in it…
91 - 初 - A5 - JK眠り姫 (JK Nnemurihime)  –> Meh. 
90 - ↑97 - K3 - 脳内パラダイス (Nounai Paradise) –> ONETWOTHREEFOURABCD LOL This song wins at life.
89 - 初 - N3 - Girl’s talk (ノースリーブス)  –> Good to see no3b doing well
88 - ↓62 - A2 - ガラスの I LOVE YOU (Glass no I LOVE YOU) –> Oh God, please, make them stop singing this!
87 - 初 - B4 - そばかすのキッス (Sobakasu no Kiss) –> Wtf? Japanese fans sure are different from western fans when it comes to their taste in songs XD I happen to love this one too though
86 - 初 - S2 - チャイムはラブソング (Chime wa LOVE SONG) –> I seriously don’t want to hear this anymore either. It’s been overplayed to death
85 - 初 - B4 - アイドルの夜明け (Idol no Yoake) –> Marching band!!! So amazing <3
83 - ↓42 - K4 - ごめんねジュエル (Gomen ne Jewel) –> Umeda performed instead of Yuko I love Ume, but come one! This is a Yuko unit that I absolutely adore!!!
83 - ↓15 - H2 - confession –> And Yuko was here instead. I like sexy Yuko, but I prefer to see her in Jewel. I think they placed her here because she’s in Majisuka nad has to look cool, because Amina has become the staple performer in this unit otherwise…
80 - ↓39 - H2 - 夢を死なせるわけにいかない (Yume wo Shinaseru Wake ni Ikanai) –> YumeShina!!! I really like this song. Glad it made it!
80 - ↓21 - H1 - 向日葵 (Himawari) –> No Maimai, I’d guess…
80 - 初 - K3 - くるくるぱー (Kurukurupaa) –> LOL Kana got her wish granted XD Glad tos ee the K graduates come back
79 - 初 - A5 - スコールの間に (Squall no Aida ni) –> Umbrellas. And that’s pretty much it…
78 - ↑89 - A1 - スカートひらり (Skirt Hirari) –> Senbatsu version (not original senbatsu though) I’ve seen it 678999 times already
77 - ↓59 - K4 - 16人姉妹の歌 (16nin Shimai no Uta) –> THIS. It’s the best Team K song to ever be performed at AX!
76 - ↓51 - H1 - RUN RUN RUN –> I’ve always had a special little place in my heart for this one. Although it isn’t that special.

75 - 初 - A5 - 君に会うたび恋をする (Kimi ni au Tabi Koi wo Suru) –> LOLZ @ the haters. I adore this song, so glad it made it high in the list :3
74 - ↓45 - K3 - 君はペガサス (Kimi wa Pegasus) –> Yay! Pegasus!! It’s never lost it’s cool prince-ness XD
73 - ↓52 - A3 - 誰かのために -What can I do for someone- (Dareka no Tame ni -What can I do for someone-) –> Uhh… For old time’s sake?
72 - ↓12 - H2 - 記憶のジレンマ (Kioku no Dilemma) –> Asuka and Natsumi version. This makes this unit a non-Team K members unit now. Weird.
71 - 初 - A5 - 長い光 (Nagai Hikari) –> Cute song.
70 - 初 - C/W - 白いチューリップ [from 渡り廊下走り隊 2nd single] (Shiroi Tulip) –> No idea. I’ve never listened to it *runs to listen to all Watarirouka B sides*
69 - 初 - B4 - タンポポの決心 (Tanpopo no Kesshin) –> Ahh!! I love this song!! And that makes me certain that most fans hate it in this side of the world XD
67 - 初 - C/W - 飛べないアゲハチョウ [from AKB48 13th single] –> OMG!!! Tobenai!! Such an awesome song!!! I’m ultra happy it got here!!!
67 - ↓23 - B3 - ワッショイB！(Wasshoi B!) –> AIKYOU SAIKYOU or whatever. This song is epic.
66 - 初 - B4 - みなさんもご一緒に (Minnasan mo go Issho ni) –> Team B attack!
65 - 初 - SG - 初恋ダッシュ [渡り廊下走り隊 1st single] (Hatsukoi Dash ) –> I’m glad to see Watarirouka owning so much, they’re a great group!
64 - 初 - SG - やる気花火 - [渡り廊下走り隊 2nd single] (Yaruki Hanabi) –> I want to see the transition between all of this Team B madness though XD
63　初 - SG - チューしようぜ [AKB48 + Idoling!!!] (Chuu Shiyouze!) –> AISHITERU AISHITERU! All AKB version! And I think I saw Chikarina here!
62　↓11 - K4 - おしべとめしべと夜の蝶々 (Oshibe to Meshibe to Yoru no Chouchou) –> Talk about a huge drop -_- Casual fans definitely made this year’s AX a lot more… Interesting…
61 - 初 - — クリスマスプレゼント [no3b] (Christmas Present) –> My least favorite Persona song, but still, amazing!
60 - ↓44 - H2 - Bye Bye Bye  –> I’m sick of hearing this song already. But it’s a nice position because no3b can sing the 2 songs in a row
59 - 初 - K5 - 抱きしめられたら (Dakishimeraretara) –> OMG!! I adore this song completely! It has some of the most coherent lyrics I’ve ever heard in an idol song XD
58 - 初 - S2 - ウィンブルドンへ連れていって (Wimbledon e Tsureteitte) –> No Tsukina, but Jurina XD I knew she couldn’t be stuck in such a low position
56 - 初 - K5 - わがままな流れ星 (Wagamama na Nagareboshi) –> Yay! This might be my second favorite duet (fave is Haru ga Kuru Made, which is nowhere to be seen ofc -_-)
56 - ↑96 - H1 - 竹内先輩 (Takeuchi Senpai) –> Classic. You can’t not like this song.
54 - ↓35 - A2 - 渚のCHERRY (Nagisa no CHERRY)  –> Acchan fest!
54 - 初 - K5 - 虫のバラード (Mushi no Ballad) –> Sayaka Solo!!! ;_; So glad it made it ;_;
53 - 初 - N1 - 誘惑のガーター - [SDN48] (Yuuwaku no Garter) –> Yay! I finally get to see sexy Yukarin!
52 - ↓50 - K2 - BLUE ROSE –> There’s not much that hasn’t been said about Blue Rose already…
51 - 初 - SG - 強き者よ [SKE48 1st single] (Tsuyokimono Yo) –> OMG! Best single ever! Epicness.

50 - ↓8 - Chocolove - 明日は明日の君が生まれる (Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru) –> No Rina
48 - ↓41 - SG - 夕陽を見ているか (Yuuhi wo Miteiru ka) –> LOL Another single western fans love to hate on. I don’t like it that much either.
48 - ↓16 - K4 - 支え (Sasae) –> WE ARE THE TEAM K!!! Oh wait, wrong song XD But kinda like that anyway though…
47 - ↓7 - K3 - MARIA –> This song needs no description. It just owns so much.
46 - ↓9 - B4 - 純情主義 (Junjou Shugi) –> Yay! Haachan love! <3
45 - ↓27 - K2 - 禁じられた2人 (Kinjirareta Futari) –> The classic lesbian ballad XD
44 - 初 - A5 - AKB參上！ (AKB Sanjou!) –> Most played song in my iTunes! It really is a great anthem for AKB
43 - ↓14 - A4 - Faint –> HANA OMG OMG OMG OMG HANA HANA HANA HANA OMG OMG
42 - ↑68 - A1 - Dear My Teacher –> I wonder what was the lineup? Probably the current Team A…
41 - 初 - K5 - 逆上がり (Saka Agari) –> K5 is pretty much unloved XD Only the units made it, and then, not even all of them did ;_; I’m glad the title song got a decent positin, everyone hates it, but I think it’s great
40 - ↓17 - A5 - 戀愛禁止條例 (Renai Kinshi Jourei) –> Title song from A5… Not a fave of mine…
39 - ↓19 - SG - Bingo –> BINGO is such a good single! 
38 - 初 - B4 - 愛しきナターシャ (Itoshiki Natasha) –> Cue crazy headbanging.  Team Karyudo FTW!!!
37 - ↓25 - K3 - 草原の奇跡 (Sougen no Kiseki) –> With Sayaka solo lines please :3
36 - ↑46 - H2 - となりのバナナ (Tonari no Banana) –> Whoa, Banana is actually going up instead of down! Tomomi was right! They’ll be No. one in 3 years! LOL
35 - ↓13 - A4 - 純愛のクレッシェンド (Junai no Crescendo) –> Awesome song is always awesome.
34 - ↓5 - K4 - 最終ベルが鳴る (Saishuu Bell ga Naru) –> Saishuu Bell dropped a lot
33 - ↓6 - B3 - パジャマドライブ (Pajama Drive) –> One of the best unit songs.
32 - ↓10 - SG - 桜の花びらたち (Sakura no Hanabiratachi) –> Performed by the new Team A line up, if I’m not mistaken.
31 - 初 - S2 - 雨のピアニスト (Ame no Pianist) –> Definitely deserving of its position. I don’t know who subbed for Moe though…
30 - 初 - SG - ナットウエンジェル (Nattou Angel) –> LOLZ I had no idea!!! XD This song is hilarious! 
29 - 初 - A5 - ひこうき雲 (Hikougigumo) –> Theater girls or Team A? I wonder who performed… My money is on team A of course *rolls eyes*
28 - 初 - SG - タネ (no3b - Tane) –> I like this song, it sounds happy but it’s about breaking up with someone
27 - 初 - S2 - 手をつなぎながら (Te wo Tsunaginagara) –> Whoa unexpected. Kinda. Well, it’s not a bad song…
26 - 初 - C/W - FIRST LOVE –> OMG. I didn’t think Erepyon’s solo would end up so high! It’s truly one of the most beautiful AKB songs IMO, so I’m glad it got high enough (this song makes me sad though…)

25 - kuroi tenshi (takajo,maeda,fujie) /full/ [A5] –> Welp. That was completely expected
24 - kodoku na runner /full/ [SDN1] –> Glad to see another SDN song make it!! I’m so excited!! If we had LOD’s of their stages, I’m sure they’d become my favorite *48 group :D

23 - tenshi no shippo (nakatsuka,oota,nakaya) [B3] –> Nakayan power! 

22 - kataomoi no taikakusen (nito,komori,yonezawa) [B4] –> Weird to see it so high, but it’s a really good song anyway. I don’t understand Moeno’s popularity though. Sometimes she shoots right up, and then in the election she didn’t make it to the undergirls even…
21 - aitakatta (shuffle) [A2] [B2] [KII1] [MAXI ---> We all know Aitakatta by now I'd hope

20 - ENDROLL (umeda,noro,oshima,matsubara) [K5] –> Yay! Yuko unit! This song I think has also quite coherent lyrics for an idol song XD You know, I think people didn’t like K5 because it wasn’t very Idoly. It sounded more mainstream, I think

18 - relax! (no3b) [MAXI] –> No3b keeps succeeding (2 songs are No. 18 because they were tied)
18 - only today [A4] [c/w] –> Always a fan favorite. I learned to love it a lot through my years as an AKB fan…
17 - zannen shoujo (nakatsuka,watanabe,uchida) [B4] –> Mayuyu unit, ofc. Very cool.
16 - kuchi utsushi no chocolate (kashiwagi,hirajima,oota) [B4] –> Yay for pervyness! 

15 - korogaru ishi ni nare [K2] –> I’m so glad it made it to Top 20 at least… I really wanted the girls of Team K to sing this together for the last time…
14 - tsundere! (sato a,itano,kitahara) [A5] –> Definitely one of the best units in latest stages.

13 - baby! baby! baby! [DIGI] –> Now THIS is weird. It didn’t even rank that high the year it was released!
12 - temodemo no namida (kashiwagi,takajo) [B3] –> It’s completely lame to not bring Mikachii back, and especially, to replace her with a girl that isn’t in Team B. I love Akicha as much as anyone else, but this is just wrong.

11 - nakinagara hohoen de (oshima solo) [K3] –> YUKO > ALL.
10 - BIRD (shinoda,takahashi,miyazawa) [A3] –> Sae instead of Maimai? I’ll take what I can, but… Maimai…
*9 - 3 seconds (persona) [soundtrack]  –> This song is epicness. I love the boyband look too XD
*8 - shonichi [B3] [c/w] –> We know Shonichi too, right? It’s been a B side of 2 different singles already…
*7 - heart gata virus (kojima,kitahara,takajo) /kojima speech ver./ [A5] –> I’m sure that almost 60% of the people who voted for this song wanted Maimai back. It sucks that she was only in Namida no Shounan at 99 position, when she had this song in the top 10 for her. Meh.
*6 - namida surprise [MAXI] –> I can’t get to like this single. I guess I never will…
*5 - RIVER [MAXI] –> LOL Theater fans hated RIVER I heard, but then I guess casual fans pushed it this far XD
*4 - oogoe diamond [A5] [S1] [MAXI] –> Diamond is such a good song!
*3 - 10 nen zakura [MAXI] –> Unexpected. I had no idea 10nen Zakura was so important. Maybe there’s hope for SakuShio
*2 - kimi no koto ga suki dakara [c/w] –> What. the. flying. fuck. LOL. This song is so… unremarkable in many many ways… But I guess that’s the way people like their songs, girly, cute and with sunny PVs.
*1 - iiwake maybe [MAXI] –> My favorite single of 2009 hands down. I concur with the masses who voted it No. 1.

yeah I’m to lazy to edit them so that they look all nice and samey, so w/e I’ll re edit whenever S48 has made the top 25 pretty like the rest of the list

So yeah… My favorite AKB song wasn’t in the ranking… Sucks to be me XD

Also, my favorite Team (which is K, BTW)only had 19 songs in the ranking.

Oh well, maybe I’ll have better luck next time? Or… I don’t know, maybe next time I just won’t care, let’s see how this evolves…

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!!! I was on vacation so I had to leave for a while, but I wish you all a very happy new year, and I hope that you can keep supporting AKB48 this year as well

 

Anyhow, the latest news that’s buzzing all over the internet is the new AKB single, entitled “Sakura no Shiori” which means “Bookmark of Cherry Blossoms”. Well, the reason why people are talking about it so much it’s because it’s a bit… unusual for an idol single XD

Here’s a screencap of the first live performance of the song (ofc it wasn’t really sung live at all XD)

Well, don’t be fooled like I was the first time I saw the screencap, it’s not AKB’s cover of Serafuku wo Nugasanaide, it’s Sakura no Shiori which so happens to be a…. choir song!

*big sweatdrop*

And I really do mean a choir song, beautiful harmonies, simplistic background music that gives it a very elegant feel… All of that is there. But the reason why fans in this side of the world are climbing up the walls in despair? They don’t like it because they think that it has no hook, and it’s not idol sounding music at all!

I have to say about that, that AKB is at least very versatile in its catalogue XD And this is another proof of this. I don’t think that people should underestimate Akimoto, he surely knows what he’s doing. I think that his plan is to turn this one into THE graduation song for all of Japan, hence it’s choral nature and the simple choreography. I wouldn’t call it a remake of Sakura no hanabiratachi, this is a completely different song! (although the lyrics of this song, SnH, 10nen Zakura, Sakurairo no Sora no Shita de and Saigo no Seifuku are very very similar)

Sure, it has no instant “hook”, sure, it’s not something you can sing along to in a very easy way XD but I think that it’s a very well crafted song for its purpose. I mean, I can totally see people singing this at their graduation day!

Takahashi Ai must be eating her heart out XD “Oh, crap, how come they are the ones who get a full blown choir number :(”

All in all, I’m in love with this song, and I think that it’s very clever to use the big amount of girls in AKB as a choir, but I’ll agree with everyone else who thinks that it’s a kind of risky move for the group.

But don’t forget that the awesome Majisuka Rock n Roll is the coupling track, and also, Team YJ and Team PB’s songs are included, which guarantees a very interesting single, to say the least! If you’re not a fan of choirs, then support your idols singing idoly songs like “Enkyori Poster” which is also included here, or the emo “Choose Me” or the cool “Majisuka Rock n Roll” If Akimoto has a good selling startegy, it’s how he includes so much good original stuff in singles, there’s something for everyone!

Here, while you analyze the situation, have another screencap!

This song is so peaceful… I’ll definitely play it on repeat whenever I’m stressing out!

Oh Akimoto, you are a fucking genius. I’m REALLY impressed. 

The team shuffling thing has always made sense to me because idols are supposed to be interchangeable, and if they can become more profitable by grouping them in a certain way, then of course, that’s the way to go for a bussinessman like Akimoto.

But with the RIVER single, he really wants to make sure that he gets the coveted No. 1 position. AKB has the most aggresive PR campaign in their history yet, with the girls appearing in several billboards in important locations, spots for the frontgirls in almost every entertainment magazine in Japan, and of course, Shukan AKB, AKBINGO and SKE Gakuen (or whatever that one is called…) airing the RIVER PV all over the place.

I can’t embed videos for the life of me, but here’s a handy old fashioned link to the RIVER full PV in Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0el26spX7sk

I’ll screencap whenever I get my hands on the decent version, and I’ll probably do a bigger and better review then. But for now, I have to say that this song and PV are AMAZING. For one, they’re out of the sugar bubblegum pop streak that started with Oogoe, bringing on this girlish war anthem of sorts. It’s still a great idol song, and the girls manage to look like idols all through the PV in spite of their camo wear and war props.

I’ll just say one more thing, to all the people who whined about the girls not having firearms in there, this isn’t a PV about war, it’s a song about fighting bravely (like a soldier) to get your dreams and make sure that they come true no matter what and blah blah blah all that standard idol crap, so please FOCUS PEOPLE!

Anyway, I adore this song. I’ve always been a sucker for this kind of gimmicky songs about not giving up because I’m a quitter by nature XD Also, I love how catchy the war chants are! It’s an amazing song if only just because it’s REALLY memorable, and as a proof, I’ll give you the fact that most H!P bloggers are even commenting on this one! Score!

Finally, if there was justice in the world, this song would be the title track of K6. But of course, A’s cutie girls will perform their “rendition” in their 6th stage instead for sure… *sigh*

Now, moving onto Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara (Because I like you) by the Undergirls, we get a super sugary cavity inducing high energy number in a unit that features all of the AKB lolis (including the ultra neglected Maachan!). I have no idea as to why they changed the Undergirls line up so drastically, and it honestly seems a bit unfair to me. I mean, sure, we’re all aware that Amina won’t make it into senbatsu for a while because she doesn’t have the fanbase for it, but pulling Yonechan out of Undergirls? After she barely made it into senbatsu? OUCH. Not nice at all. My guess is that they just wanted lolis in here *shrugs*

Oh, here’s the PV, BTW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ClAnMQjLPA&feature=player_embedded

Lots of people have mentioned how the sunny look of the PV and simple carefree attitude of the girls remind them of the old days of Berryz and C-ute, and I can definitely see where they’re going! While RIVER is great because it sets AKB apart, KimiKoto is amazing because it’s nothing more than idol pop, and it’s great at it! 

Plus, you can REALLY tell that wonky Moeno is getting really pushed, she has like a million close ups!

Last, but definitely not least, it’s the Theater Girls (aka. Real Underdogs) PV, a rehashed song (A5’s Hikoukigumo) and a crappy location (the AKB theater) really didn’t give uch hope to us fans of these girls. However, in an amazing turn of events, the PV turned out really amazing! It’s stupidly simple, but it’s warm and cozy and reminds all of us AKB wotas of the feeling of the theater itself and what the stages are about. Also, Natsumi is seriously the best looking person in a pair of pants EVER. OMG! I totally want her hips ;_; 

Ok, FOCUS CAT. Ehhhm. Here’s the PV for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-BCRe_HITM

Picking a song like “Hikoukigumo”, which is a concert staple of recent AKB history, was a great strategy, because it shows AKB just like what it’s supposed to be, not a posh group of funny schoolgirls, but a theater troupe of idols who create an atmosphere of “friendliness” towards their fans. In this song there’s audience interaction because of the cloths, and it’s just a great idea!

Ok, so now, to wrap this up, why do I think that this is the best AKB single to date? (Not my favorite, but the best, marketing wise) It’s because it has something for everyone. If you’re a casual fan, have the “edgy” and “trendy” vibe of RIVER, along with the familiar faces of the frontgirls playing Private Ryan. If you’re an occasional theater goer who’s smitten with, say, Sasshi, or if you’re just in love with the HAPPY aura of AKB, then have KimiKoto with its sparkly bubbliness (just like champagne, but sweeter XD), fun feel and girliness that it exudes. 

And if you’re just, well, the kind of wota who supports underdogs, and you would never leave the 8th floor of Don Quixote, or you have your name on a plate in the Theater Hall and have been a fan since 2005, then have Hikoukigumo, which features the “unpopular bunch” (this is, of course, completely arguable, since a lot of the girls who got voted for Tobenai ended up here, but work with me), and really gives a great taste of why the AKB Theater is such a magical place for wotas.

It also works in various ways, because by displaying the whole roster, they make sure that people at least find ONE girl they love, and become interested in the group.

It’s an amazing strategy! You know what? I know that my beloved Nakayan probably won’t ever make it into Senbatsu, but if she starts starring in any kind of PVs at all, I’m SUPER HAPPY! And a happy wota of course, means more money for Akimoto.

Damn him and his superior brain for idol producing. This strategy seems almost flawless to me, but let’s see where it gets us anyway…

Also, I really wish that this format is kept in future releases, I’d love if there were 3 different PVs, regardless how cheap they were, as long as all of the girls were given a chance in the spotlight… Wishful thinking…

Hi people!

So, in a desperate attempt to send off the original teams properly, AKB48 is going to have a Sports Festival!

Funniest part of the promo: “Which team was the best?” is the main advertising line, just to get it in our heads that we’re never getting them back outside of AX…

However, I find this news cute and kind of exciting, especially because we’ll surely get a DVD out of this, and it will be the last chance to watch our favorite teams in action, especially for us “Team” fans!

There are other special features of this festival that seem interesting to me, the biggest one is the fact that fans can actually participate in the races! I suppose that this will be some kind of prize, but imagine that! It’s a really high level of interaction that brings me back to the old times of Orienteering back when Keibetsu Shiteta Aijou was released! Nice job!

Now, let’s think of the possibilities that each team has of winning at this:

Team A: They have Mariko, who at least looks athletic, and they also have Fujie, who won the Maimai marathon. Miichan and Tomochin look like they could be good at sports too, but I’ve never really see them do much XD. Kitarie could be surprisingly good, she looks like the type who’s good at sports XD

Then there’s the non-sporty girls: Myao doesn’t really look like much, but with her huge will power she might end up surprising all of us! Harunyan… will certainly fail at this lol

Acchan and Takamina can’t even skip, but at least Taka should prove pretty interesting to watch. Akicha looks like she might just trip over and fall down XD She’ll be super cute at it though! And then there’s Yukarin, Chiichan and Amina… No idea of how they might fare!

Team K: It’s no secret that most people think that Team K is the one most likely to win Because they have Sayaka! Of course she’ll kick butt, but I’m sure that so will Sae and Meetan, they seem to be very fit and full of energy. Yuko, on the other hand, is tiny, but she loves sports the most, so I’m sure she’ll do great! Same with Umechan and Natsumi, who are really good at dancing, so surely they’ll be good enough. Yuka could kick ass too, something tells me that she’s really determined, so I’m sure she’ll shine here!

Chikarina will put her whole heart and soul into this, of course, and I’m sure that her love for Team K will really show here. As far as Mocchi, Tomomi, Erena and Nontii are concerned, I don’t think that they are very good (in Tomo’s case especially XD) but I’ll love watching them anyway! Natsuki might not be good at sports, but I really have no clue about her when it comes to this… Maachan probably won’t stand out much, she’ll just be cute and silent as usual And Kana… well, she’ll be fun to watch I’m sure XD

Team B: Frontgirl Mayuyu might break a bone while trying to run XD Hopefully she’ll take it easy! Other than her, I think that the only real hope for B are Harugon, Nacchan, Yonechan, Tanamin and Haachan. But well, that seems to be good enough! The thing I’m looking forward to the most is watching Cindy lead them again for the last time… I’ll miss the whole feel of Team B D:

Anyway, I’m very excited about this, october will surely mark a very important landmark for AKB fans, so I’m eager to see what comes next!

AKB48’s latest single “Iiwake Maybe” has earned the No. 1 spot on Oricon on the first day of their release, beating SMAP while at it!!! And for all of you who said that AKB sold big numbers just because of the handshakes, there have been no events held this time, so it’s all “fair game”!!!

Congratulations to our girls, I’m super happy to see them achieve this huge goal. Iiwake Maybe is a good song, albeit a little generic, while the B-side, Tobenai Agehachou is amazing and brings us back to the time when AKB did sultry songs as A-sides. 

Please remember to support the girls and buy the single if you can, it’s really worth it, if only for the HAACHAN IN THE BSIDE OMG!!!!

Hi people! Surely, all of us know full well that AKB has had tons of WTF moments, but this one right here blows them all out of the water easily. AKB48 teams are going to be reshuffled, effective in October. Here’s the new Team line up, and my thoughts on the matter. Oh, and BTW, all of the girls who are part of SDN48, are now OUT of AKB48. So that’s pretty much Bye Bye Bye to Nontii (who was made captain of ADN in a really weird move because my money was on Meetan), Cindy, Yukarin and Meetan.

Team A

1. Takahashi Minami (Captain): Takamina is the soul of Team A, so it’s only natural that she should stay there, she’s also been the unofficial AKB concert MC for the last few years, so she definitely has the ability to lead a team effortlessly.

2. Maeda Atsuko: Team A-cchan can’t lose its face. It’s also super important for the management, and I believe on of the key factors that influenced this shuffle, that Team A remains the “All-Star Team” the team they want to show off the most.

3. Kojima Haruna: Harunyan is also a very big frontgirl and as such, she should remain in A. She’s also an original member and one of the fan’s darlings.

4. Shinoda Mariko: Seems weird to see Mariko stay in A instead of other girls who are original members, however, Mariko is really famous and her supermodel looks and star attitude definitely make her an excellent choice for the “All-Star Team”

5. Takajo Aki: Surely, the miracle girl of the Kenkyuusei team just HAD to keep her position. I’m glad she did though, Akicha fits perfectly in A and it would be painful for me to see her try to fit in elsewhere

6. Nakata Chisato: Now this is a weird move IMO, Chiichan isn’t all that famous, and she’s not really being pushed either, so I don’t see why they should keep her in A…

7. Kuramochi Asuka (Former Team K): Ouch. Does Asuka fit in Team A? She probably does, because she’s very beautiful and elegant in a way, but… it still hurts me personally somehow. Asuka was great for K, with her beautiful rich voice and stunning looks. So I guess that’s why she goes to A…

8. Matsubara Natsumi (Team K): Weird choice. I adore Natsumin, and this is actually a relatively good mood form a business stand point. Natsumi’s super sweet personality will probably make her earn a good spot among fans, and I think that the fact that she made it to the “Undergirls” unit was a decisive factor for placing her here.

9. Sashihara Rino (Team B): Sasshi… OMG. And to think that her and Kitarie, being such friends would’ve probably loved to be together, and now they just switch them around? Sasshi was very Team B, her funny personality, the beautiful voice and the great stage presence. But I guess that she can make it to this new Team A? Weird.

10. Katayama Haruka (Team B): I’m torn with this. Because Haachan is my second favorite Team B member, and the fact that she got placed in A is probably a good sign, but then again, I’d rather have her in B, balancing everybody else’s high pitched voices with her deep singing voice…

11. Nakagawa Haruka (Team B): Harugon is pretty, but her voice seriously kills me every time. It’s so… raspy. NO thoughts about this, other than I think that she in particular is completely out of her element here.

12. Oota Aika (Team B): Lots of Team B members in here! I’m a huge Lovetan fan, so I’ll follow her anywhere. She’ll surely fill Team A’s loli quota easily and in a very charming way, like everything else she does.

13. Nakaya Sayaka (Team B): If one thing excites me about this new team is the fact that Haachan and Nakayan miraculously ended up together, which makes me insanely happy because they’re both favorites of mine. While I feel that Haachan’s fierce presence will go to waste in the new Team A, Nakayan will probably fit very well, because she’s very cute.

14. Suzuki Mariya (Kenkyuusei): Oh, I like her! She’s the one that looks like a taller Nacchan, right? I’ve liked her from the start

15. Maeda Ami (Kenkyuusei): Cute… But that’s what A’s always been about…

16. Iwasa Misaki (Kenkyuusei): I don’t know who she is. Good for her, though

17. Oya Shizuka (Kenkyuusei): ounding up this somehow homogeneus team is Shiichan, the unofficial kenkyuusei leader. I’m glad to see her finally get promoted, poor thing, it’s been forever!

Team K

1. Akimoto Sayaka (Captain): Well, Sayaka IS Team K, so it’s only natural that she’s the captain. I’m super relieved that they didn’t shuffle her around!

2. Umeda Ayaka: Glad to keep Umechan in K, she’s a great dancer and very energetic. It’s such a relief to see her staying!

3. Oshima Yuko: I couldn’t even breathe until I saw that my dear Yuko had stayed in K. That doesn’t mean much at this point, of course, it’s all crowded with new members all over the place, but it somehow works for me and gives me some sort of peace of mind XD

4. Ono Erena: The little princess of K had to remain there, but it feels weird anyway somehow. I feel like Erepyon is the kind of girl who would suit A very well, although I liked her in K best. It’s good to have a familiar face around, and I’ve always had a soft spot for her…

5. Miyazawa Sae: Wheeee! Team K gets to keep the GENKING!!! I’m super happy that Saeyaka weren’t split… That would’ve been a personal tragedy!

6. Itano Tomomi (Team A): Well, I can see where they are going, Tomochin is very hip and kind of bratty, which fits the image of a powerful New Team K very well, however, I read from people who were there when the announcement was made that she didn’t take it very well, and that’s understandable, because it feels like a slap in the face that after being an original member and working hard to create something with her teammates she gets pulled to another completely different Team… Ouch.

7. Minegishi Minami (Team A): Another original member who gets transferred to K… I feel sad for them because they are probably the ones with the closest bonds between each other, and seeing them get torn apart like this is just, well, sad. Other than that, Miichan’s high energy performances and dance abilities make her perfect for the New Team K…

8. Fujie Reina (Team A): Pulling Reinyan out of A after all they did to make people notice that she was Maimai’s best friend seems like a stupid move to me. However, Reina’s unexpectedly sultry vocals and great dance skills also make her a great asset.

9. Kohara Haruka (Team B): It puzzles me to no end how Haruka never ended up in A even though it’s CLEARLY obvious that that’s where she fits best. Team B was too much with their hyper personalities, but new K? It seems to be all about power and attitude, and while Kohara can do the “bad girl” decently, she’s out of her element here

10. Tanabe Miku (Team B): Woot! One shuffle I’m happy about is this one, because I’m sure that Tanamin will get more recognition here than she ever did in B, and she fits right in!

11. Nakatsuka Tomomi (Team B): Awkward and dorky Tomomi in K? I don’t really understand how that works…

12. Nito Moeno (Team B): Moeno can be pretty hot when performing, and she also has a lot of experience from subbing for Yuko. She should do pretty well, and I’m somehow really relieved to see her here, where she still can shine.

13. Yonezawa Rumi (Team B): Wow. Hot team is HOT. Rumi is an amazing performer, and she proves her worth more everytime! With Tobenai Agehachou she managed to win the hearts of all of the people who ever doubted here effortlessly, and she’s just really awesome so I’m glad to see her here.

14. Nonaka Misato (Kenkyuusei): Miicha? Wow. I really love her, she’s really sexy and has a deep voice that is very fitting for this group of girls, somehow.

15. Matsui Sakiko (Kenkyuusei): I have no idea.

16. Uchida Mayumi (Kenkyuusei): And we get to keep the most fierce Kenkyuusei since Naruse Risa? Awesome!

17. Kikuchi Ayaka (Kenkyuusei): I have a feeling that online heads will roll for this desition, but it’s not like it matters anyway, because there’s no “old Team B” to return to anyway…

Team B

1. Kashiwagi Yuki (Captain): Yukirin stays in B, of course, she’s the star. But it feels really weird to have her as the leader… Cindy should be the natural choice for that position, but of course, she’s out of AKB so no can do. It makes me sad that Team B always gets the short end of the stick, Sayaka, Takamina and Cindy were the obvious leaders of their teams, and now Team B loses theirs! I can only wish lots of luck to Yukirin, she’s not the “leader” type, but neither was Takahashi Ai and look where she is now!

2. Watanabe Mayu: Mayuyu stays in her team, of course! Too bad that Lovetan won’t be around to try and compete against her anymore D:

3. Hirajima Natsumi: Wouldn’t it be frustrating for Nacchan if she had gotten transfered to yet ANOTHER Team? XD She’s the soul of Team B, especially now that Cindy is gone, so I would’ve made her leader…

4. Kitahara Rie (Team A): Rie will be a good fit in Team B, she performed quite a number of times with them as a Kenkyuusei, and her happy and random character is perfect for them!

5. Miyazaki Miho (Team A): I think that if anyone is more affected than Tomochin is probably Myao. She seemed to really love her position in Team A, she worked really hard for it and probably deserved all of the attention…

6. Sato Amina (Team A): I read that Amina almost fainted in despair when she knew where she was assigned to. Amina is another very hard wrking girl, and she earned everything she ever got along the way with hard work alone. I’s particularly puzzling why she was placed here when she was elected senbatsu and all for the first time…

7. Chikano Rina (Team K): This is plain stupid. Chikarina was SO fucking happy to be a part of Team K after so many years of training and now they do this to her? This has no name, it’s just low.

8. Masuda Yuka (Team K): WTF??? Taking away the best voice in AKB and mixing it with this cutesy loli group that New Team B seems to have become? What a waste…

9. Oku Manami (Team K): Well, I’m sure that Maachan will find herself comfortable in here, after all MOST OF TEAM K ENDED UP HERE ANYWAY D: D: D:

10. Sato Natsuki (Team K): Nacchi???? Oh crap. That said, Nacchinon is gone forever anyway, because Nontii is now out of AKB, but really? Nacchi was some kind of K icon in my mind, she’s amazing and cool and should’ve stayed there…

11. Kasai Tomomi (Team K): My dear beloved Kasai!!!! I can’t even begin to express how puzzled I am with this choice, I’d rather see Erena shuffled around than Kasai…

12. Kobayashi Kana (Team K): And they also take away team K’s comic relief? Boooo.

13. Komori Mika (Kenkyuusei): Wow. I would’ve placed all my money in this girl ending up in A. Weird.

14. Sato Sumire (Kenkyuusei): Another girl who I could’ve sworn that would end up in A…

15. Suzuki Shihori (Kenkyuusei): No idea

16. Ishida Haruka (Kenkyuusei): Woot! Favorite Kenkyuusei FTW!!! I’ll be following this team closely for sure!

MY THOUGHTS ON ALL THIS

• Doesn’t it feel like AKB is jumping the shark way too early?
• Some people believe that the shuffling is a strategy to get more Team fans to know the rest of AKB girls. I have to disagree, because the main faces of each team remained unaltered, so I don’t think that was the cause
• Team A seems to me like the main reason why this happened. What used to be the most flashy and fancy Team, the team to showcase everywhere and stuff, became a weird group of girls with highly noticeable differences in rank and skill level. Now we get a more balanced Team A, albeit a bit weird
• Teams have 17 girls except for New B. Graduations are to be expected, I’d say.
• Captains? In AKB? Are the turning H!P on me? Is my worst nightmare becoming a reality?
• From a business standpoint, this girls are trained to be idols, and they should be capable of working and creating a good show regardless of the Team they’re placed in. From a fan standpoint, the group dynamics were one of the most interesting parts of the AKB experience. I, for one, was a Team K fan because they were all a big family and seemed to have lots of fun…
• Team A: Classic Idols         Team K: Badass          Team B: Energetic Lolis  ==> Has it really become this simple?
• I’d actually be pretty interested in this in a good way if it was only forconcert tours or one stage or something, but… This way it’s sucky and makes no sense.
• What happens to Watarirouka Hashiritai and No3b? Are they finished now that they’ve been torn apart?
• The girls are being put through too much in a public way, it’s becoming like watching a sickening reality show.

Well, one way or another, we’ll have to cope with this I guess. Right now, I feel like something very big and important was lost, but I’m also interested in seeing how things turn out from here. I guess I’ll be a fan of all of the old Team K girls and some B girls. And I’ll be following their new teams as much as possible. But for me, there’s only one Team K: The one I watched live, the one with the happy girls running around and chasing each other, poking fun at their friends and just being a family, and nobody can take that away from me, no matter what.

Well, you all know how there was a catch to Namida Surprise, you could actually VOTE for your favorite AKB girl and push her in the senbatsu list. I hated every part of this campaign, to be honest, I think that being an idol puts enough pressure in this girls, it’s really plain cruel to shove in their faces that they are unpopular in the group. 

And yes, I’m talking about most of Team B when I say this, especially of my dearly beloved Nakayan, who doesn’t get enough credit. Ever. At all. But yeah, I’ll rant about that at some other point, right now, let’s take a look at the final list, from first to last, because we ALL know the top 10 anyway so why bother? There’s no suspense in a stunt like this, but it meant a whole deal for the girls, and seeing them crying, fainting and stuff like that over this just pissed me off…

Oh see how happy your idols look? Awesome strategy. The worst part is that people actually liked how this gave them a chance to create a wota battle and get their favorites on top. What makes me sick about this whole deal is that it doesn’t take into account that these girls are trying their best for their dream, they go out there and try to shine as much as possible…

Oh, and Togasaki is my hero for his wise words, which were along the lines of “The election was based on the number of votes, but remember, for each person who voted for you, you’re that persons number one” I love that guy <3 <3 <3

1. Maeda Atsuko (4630)

I like this picture of Acchan better than all of her crying pics from her speech, so I’m putting this one up. BTW *GASP* NOWAI ACCHAN WON??? TOTALLY UNEXPECTED!!!111! What I find kind of funny is that her fans went so overboard that they greatly outnumbered anyone else in fear that someone might troll their queen’s victory XD No hate for Acchan, I swear, especially because she’s apparently Yuko’s best friend, she’s not my favorite member, and Namida Surprise was just TOO much of her for my liking… But this one will be even more filled with her… Oh well, I’ve always maintained that she’s like MM’s Nacchi back in the day, if you don’t like her, you better get used to her or find a new group to follow, because she’s going to be everywhere!

2. Oshima Yuko <3<3<3 (3345)

OMG! Yuko!!! You made it!!! I’m so proud of my Yuko… Sure, she’s always been a frontgirl, but seriously, if you ever get to watch her live you’ll see that she’s damn passionate about everything and anything she does on stage, and I’m glad that other people are able to see that and that she gets recognized as the great performer she is. She’s more that a thousand votes under Acchan, though, which I found surprising! I’m very happy to see her there, especially after her throat surgery and all. I’m very biased, but her election video made me want to vote for her right away, so I’m sure it helped her a lot too!

3. Shinoda Mariko (2852)

That’s the most horrendous picture of Mariko I’ve seen in my life, but it’s so funny too XD The girl was a real wreck, every picture of hers looks like crap… Poor thing. I don’t even know where I stand when it comes to Mariko, in all honesty. I hardly see her as part of AKB the Theater Idol Group, but as a part of AKB the TV Variety Girls group. It’s kind of cute to see that getting the third spot means so much to her, at least. 

4. Watanabe Mayu (2625)

Mayuyu, in true cyborg fashion, didn’t cry much, but you have to know her to understand how much she loves being part of AKB and how much she enjoys every bit of it. This coming from someone who used to dislike her, because she’s too cute for her own good, but man, she is a hard worker, and she completely deserves her position in the ranking, I’d say.

5. Takahashi Minami (2614)

Takamina in number 5 spot… hmm… her fans are raging, but I think that she has a pretty good position, I’ve always seen her as the unofficial leader of AKB48, and I honestly feel that well, Acchan and Yuko had their positions pretty much secure, Shinoda jumped in 3rd place because she’s hot, and Mayu stole 4th because Team B fans are hardcore. So there was no way for her to get any higher, and I don’t think that her position is bad at all. Congratulations Takamina! Keep rocking!

6. Kojima Haruna (2543)

Now, Takamina getting number 5 didn’t seem so bad, but Haruna getting 6? WTF? I would’ve never ever in my life guessed this. She doesn’t look too sad or happy or anything LOL Well, still, that picture is amusing only to look at Tomochin’s kid like pout… That girl is definitely a princess! Anyway, back to Haruna, no idea why she wasn’t higher, she’s the number 2 member on Mixi after all! Maybe her fans decided to vote for someone else this time? 

7. Itano Tomomi (2281)

Tomochin didn’t cry during her speech or anything, but you can see in her pout when she’s in the background in Haruna’s pic that she was probably not too happy with the results. I still think that being in the top 10 over more than a hundred girls is amazing, and I hope that Tomochin sees it that way too. I really like her, even though she’s kind of stuck up (or perhaps that’s why I like her :P) so I’m glad that she gets to stay a frontgirl!

8. Sato Amina (2117)

I would’ve never thought that Amina would make it in the top 10, but I’m certainly glad she did! She works super hard, but hardly gets any promotion even though she’s part of the new Team A generation. Funny that, especially considering that girls that get much bigger pushes like Fujie Reina or Takajo Aki didn’t make it to senbatsu… Congratulations to Amina! Now let’s just hope that they don’t have her appear one split second on camera, like they did with Yukirin…

9. Kashiwagi Yuki (1920)

Reaction queen Yukirin must’ve been thrilled! I’m so SO happy for her! Especially because her being in the top 10 makes sure that she doesn’t get so shafted anymore! Yukirin is one of the most talented vocalists in AKB, and she has a truly engaging personality too, so I hope that this is the beginning of a promising frontgirl position for her!

10. Kasai Tomomi (1890)

And rounding up the top 10, is my 3rd favorite AKB girl! Tomomi-chan! I love this girl to no end, so I’m supper happy to see her make it to the top. She’s crying, of course, she does that a lot. <3 <3 Go Tomomi!!!!

11. Ono Erena (1838)

Erena didn’t cry much either, judging by the photo, but the princess of Team K was probably pretty sure that she’d make it to the top anyway. I’m happy about her position, especially because I totally loved “First Love” and I wish that she’d do more stuff like that… It’s like a sequel to Aisareru to Iu Koto!

12. Akimoto Sayaka (1599)

Words can’t describe how incredibly happy I am to see Sayaka in senbatsu again! Not having her there was a crime, her strong presence and beautiful voice really balanced the singles, and I seriously hope that this teaches the management a lesson and they never leave her out of senbatsu again! Keep fighting Sayaka! 

13. Kitahara Rie (1578)

My favorite new A member makes a star appearance at position 13!!! That picture is scary, but I’m sure that Rie was just crying out of happiness and thankfulness and all the beautiful feelings in the world… Hopefully this means that Rie will completely inherit Mai’s position in Team A, at least as much as it is possible for one girl to replace another…

14. Miyazawa Sae (1547)

Of course, the Genking wouldn’t cry! She looks pretty happy! I’m very surprised that she ranked this low though, she’s one of the most popular K members! I was kind of saddened to see so many K girls pushed to the back of the rankings in favor of A girls, but that’s just how it is. On the other hand, just being able to validate their position as frontgirls is a nice thing, and it ensures that the management won’t kick them out of senbatsu for the time being.

15. Sato Yukari (1539)

OMG! Yukarin makes senbatsu again! Unbelievable! I love this girl with a passion, but I was always under the impression that she was highly unpopular, despite of her modeling career and whatnot. It thrills me to see her in senbatsu again, because I think that she deserves it! I also find it pretty cool that all original Team A members made the cut (I think XD) because well, they deserve some credit, after all, they started this whole thing!

16. Minegishi Minami (1414)

I’m sure that there’s something wrong with the world. I mean, Miichan at position 16??? That’s insane! She’s one of the most popular A girls, or so I thought. Miichan getting beaten by Yukarin? Weirdness…. Still, it’s always great to see the third part of No Sleeves get some love, I think that she is a great performer, and also, I love her bratty personality, it makes her very real and likable.

17. Urano Kazumi (1395)

Cindy! Talking about being passionate about something is one thing, but with her, you can REALLY tell that she has her heart set on it! Her election speech was the most compelling of all of them, she was truly trying to get people to understand why she’s worked so hard, and she really deserves more credit than almost anyone else, seeing how she worked her way from the bottom of Team A to stardom in Team B, leading the whole Team and making sure that they stay together no matter what. I’ll be super happy to look for her in the next PV!

18. Miyazaki Miho (1373)

Myao is a new fan favorite, and an indisputable new star in Team A. With her witty remarks and cute face, she’s made her way into the fan’s hearts, and it shows. I didn’t like her being so pushed to the front instead of splitting the attention more evenly (like that’s going to happen in an idol group…) but she has proven herself, showing all of us that she’s a hard worker and always tries her best. I’m glad she’s in senbatsu too, she gives me hopes that Team A will be alright despite all the graduation drama.

19. Matsui Jurina (1371)

Matsui Jurina makes senbatsu, of course. I won’t fight the tide, I’ll just say that after watching SKE perform, her high energy level and the way she just WANTS to shine are quite appealing, she definitely gets an A for effort! I still wish that SKE would stay out of AKB especially since they are getting their own singles now…

20. Oota Aika (1365)

Wow! Awesome! Lovetan is one of my Team B favorites, simply because I love her deadly combo of cute looks and a sharp tongue. I’m happy to see her make senbatsu for the first time, and she must be really proud of herself, especially seeing how she’s always seen herself as Mayuyu’s rival, even though, well… Mayu is on a league of her own XD

21. Kuramochi Asuka (1355)

Asuka is the last girl to enter senbatsu. She’s also, of course, very happy about it. And so I am, not only because she’s a Team K member, but because I really want to see her shine, she’s been only once in senbatsu, and I think she should return there, her smile makes me happy

THE UNDERGIRLS

Hell, that’s a mean name, and the worst part is that I didn’t even make it up! Here are the girls who barely made it into senbatsu, but didn’t quite get there. So they’ll be singing the B-side, which will have a PV as well, and they’ll sing a sexy song, apparently. Of course, I’m more excited about this song than the A-side Also, since there are less girls chosen for this, maybe they’ll have solo lines or a good chance to be at the spotlight! 

22. Yonezawa Rumi (1352)

For Rumi to lose senbatsu just for 3 votes… It’s pretty sad. But it’s still great to see her make it all the way here! Without this voting crap she would’ve never made it into a single, even though she’s one of Team B’s most polished performers. Way to go Yonechan!

23. Takajo Aki (1322)

Akicha definitely looks like she belongs in H!P XD Anyhow, she’s probably the miracle girl of the Kenkyuusei, with her super fast promotion and whatnot, and I really like her, and I want to root for her and stuff, but her election video was a disaster! In the same fashion of her early MCs, she was awkward, looked scared and bored all at the same time. But I love you Aki! I know that you just need to get more out there and you’ll be fine! I’m rooting for you girl!!!

24.  Ohori Megumi (1316)

Yonechan’s disappointed face is pretty sad to see… But Meetan being moved to tears of happiness is not really a rare sight, but one that I like a lot She’s really a girl who loves what she does and fights for it no matter what! It’s great to see the fans supporting her, and if this is really going to be a sexy song, then I’m sure she’ll be the lead, and an awesome lead at that!

25. Masuda Yuka (1247)

It’s only fair for the best voice in AKB to be featured again in a single, you know? The Undergirls really do have some of the best singers and dancers, so their song is going to ROCK! I’d rather have Yuka here, of course. The A-side will certainly be some kind of cutesy idol song, but with the hopes of a sexy B-side and this amazing line up, I’m super thrilled!

26. Hirajima Natsumi (1216)

Nacchan! Fan favorite and cult idol in a way, she makes her way into the top 30! Pretty nice and impressive, because she’s another girl who works on MAX energy level and then some! She’s come a long way from the cute background character of Team A until she became a star of Team B. Great work, Nacchan!

27. Sashihara Rino (1170)

Sasshi has been senbatsu in the last singles anyway, if I’m not mistaken. She’s my favorite of the new Team B members because her quirky character makes me laugh and her beautiful voice was a very welcome addition to Team B. Glad to see her sort of staying on top!

28. Katayama Haruka (1089)

OMG!!!!!!! *hyperventilates* OMG!!!! IT’S A DREAM!!!!! AND IT FINALLY CAME TRUE!!!!! Haachan is my favorite Team B member, and she’s also the best vocalist in the Team, and I don’t care if you think otherwise, she rocks, and that’s the truth. Not only does she have a deep powerful voice, but she uses it really well, conveying emotions in a great way through it. Just listen to her lines in Natassha, Sasshi is good, but Haachan gives me the chills, she’s amazing. And I can’t believe she’s going to be in the single! I love her, and I’m super happy about this! Hopefully she’ll stay on top… I mean, it’s kind of sad, because she’s proven that fans love her before, her unit song, where she had the most lines, Junjou Shugi, made it to the top 10 in the last AX, yet no recognition for her??? I’m hoping that the management learns from this and chooses her for next singles as well!

29. Matsui Rena (1073)

My favorite of the Matsui girls also made the cut! I’m happy because she’s a cutie, and a good singer too, so it’s nice to see her make the list. I insist I’d ratehr have SKE in their own singles, but Rena is adorable, so no problem here

30. Matsubara Natsumi (1050)

Natsumi was rumored to graduate around the same time Kaorin did. People stated that Natsumi, with no agency, no large fanbase and a somewhat old-ish age already (in the idol world) had no hopes of surviving in AKB for much longer. But she stuck to her dream and worked hard. She’s part of the “End Roll” unit in K5, where she proved everyone that she knows just how to dance and put on a great show. I love Natsumi, she’s a very simple girl, but she still manages to catch your eye with her hard work and just how much of a genuinely nice person she is. This might be the top 30 member who made me the happiest to see included, regardless of my love for Haachan, Natsumi deserves some love, and I’m glad that she’s finally getting it!

Ok, so that’s it. I’m super excited for this single! Like I said before, especially for the B side!!! 

And I hope that the management learns from this, and never pulls Sayaka out of senbatsu again. Also, as a surprising fact, super pushed to the front member Fujie Reina didn’t make the top 30, even with all the publicity stunt of Mai’s graduation. I feel bad for her, she’s a sweet girl and I wish that she would’ve made it. Nito Moeno, who was elected for senbatsu before as a B member was absent from the top 30 as well… I’m not sure if this will affect them (and the other popular girls who didn’t make the top 30), but I hope not.

Well, i really wasn’t planning on posting about this, because it bugs me a lot and I’d rather think about different stuff, but as long as this is an AKB blog, it needs to be up to date with the latest news, so here goes:

1. Saotome Miki graduated on the latest AKB48 NHK concert: This is shit. Mikipomu deserved so much better than the way she was treated and it bugs me a LOT. On the other hand, I’m glad that they let her have a small ceremony to say goodbye to her old team mates. I have nothing against Kikuchi Ayaka, but really, what they did with Mikipomu is exactly the opposite and it pisses me off to see an organization pulling off all this kinds of crap.

2. Uriya Akane also graduated on that date: Uriya Akane was the only first generation Kenkyuusei who survived the mass firing massacre they had a while ago, yet she never got added to a team. I guess she was fed up with it and realized that she had better chances of recognition out of AKB, so she called it quits. I’m always saddened when a Kenkyuusei graduates without making it to a team before, it’s so frustrating! Congratulations, and I hope that you have a very bright future ahead anyway, Akane

3. Officially, Kawasaki Nozomi, Oshima Mai and Hayano Kaoru graduated in that concert too: But this is old news, so let’s move on

4. New AKB single, Namida Surprise, to be released on June 24th. The following members will be featured: Maeda Atsuko, Kojima Haruna, Fujie Reina, Minegishi Minami, Takahashi Minami, Kitahara Rie, Nito Moeno, Kashiwagi Yuki, Watanabe Mayu, Miyazawa Sae, Oshima Yuko, Ono Erena, Kasai Tomomi, Itano Tomomi, Shinoda Mariko, Miyazaki Miho, Sashihara Rino, Matsui Rena, Matsui Jurina, Komori Mika

See a new name in the list? Well, NOT REALLY. It’s the same line up as always. I always LOL when I think about MM singles, where people complain that 8th gen doesn’t ever get enough lines. Most AKB girls don’t even appear as props in singles XD

Anyway, I’m sad that they’re shafting Sayaka again, because she’s awesome. And I’m also sad that Komori Mika was picked for this. *puts on flame suit* You’re all going to hate me for this MIkapon fans, but this shameless pushing members down our throats thing AKB is doing lately is pissing me off. I don’t care about Jurina for the most part, although I don’t like her either, and I think Rena is like 1000 times cuter, but come ON! There’s something about Jurina that makes her stand out, and she’s a good dancer and well rounded performer, but Komori isn’t. She’s awkward and lost and frankly, kind of boring to look at whenever she’s on stage. I don’t mean to be mean, really, it’s nothing personal, but what’s the point on being “In training” if you’re going to be in singles already, pushing out of the way other members with WAY more experience than you. Just NO. I don’t like this and I never will, even if I become Mikapon’s No. 1 fan in a month or something crazy like that.

That isn’t all there is to this single, though. 10nen Zakura was pushed with a million handshaking events, but this time, the trick is even more blatant. There will be another new single release in August, and the catch is that if you buy Namida Surprise you’ll get a ticket to vote for the member you want to be in senbatsu for the single that will be released in August. “Senbatsu” means “selected member” for a single, BTW. So yeah, basically, if you want… say… Naruse Risa in the next single imagine the amount of singles you will buy just to make sure that she at least gets a good number of votes.

I think that this is plain mean because unpopular girls simply won’t be voted much for, and that puts a huge pressure on them, so I wish they didn’t do this. The usual senbatsu members will still 100% certainly be in the next single, but I don’t think that there will be many surprises, after all, the fan favorites are the ones pushed to the front the most, of course.

I know that my opinion will be a shock for a lot of people, who see this as an opportunity for their favorite underdog to make it big time. But let’s face it, Acchan’s hordes of fans won’t skip the voting just to give an underdog the chance to shine, it’s sad but it’s the way it is. I don’t want to sound mean, because my favorite member always gets chosen, but I’m a HUGE fan of 2 team B underdogs who will probably never be there, and I don’t think that they should be put through so much stress for something like this… Just my 2 cents…

5. AKB Team A goes to Paris! Well, good news for the european fans Have a blast, guys!

6. AKB management turns the whole Akihabara48 business upside down: There’s a new theater, Tokyo Dome G-rosso, that is going to serve as an alternate venue because the Donki theater is overcrowded and there are too many fans who don’t fit in there. Also, tickets are becoming extra hard to obtain because of the ever growing fan base. What’s the point of having a group be called AKB48 if they won’t be located in Akihabara? XD I’m just joking about this one, it will never be the same as being in a tiny theater and getting eye contact and reactions from the girls, but it’ll get the job done, and people like us, foreign fans, stand a bigger chance at watching them live anyway, so w/e…

No more “gacha gacha” prizes, which means, no more 2-shot polaroids, 3-shot, 4-shot, and many many more random prizes. WOW. This is awful for all of us who always dreamed of going to the theater, meeting our favorite member and taking a picture with her. I’m glad I could meet Yuko while it was still possible, but still… it’s sad in a way.

On the other hand, I completely understand that with the growing popularity of the group, it was a really big burden for popular girls, who also have other jobs, to spend lots of extra hours in the theater meeting fans and decorating pictures. So, from a business standpoint, I can see the reason behind it. 

I don’t want to make any further comments about this issue, because I haven’t really wrapped my mind around it, so please bear with me.

Also, no more theater pictures: BLTs or Gacchas. Well, this doesn’t affect me at all since I’ve never bought any pics anyway, but it’s a low blow for people who collected them or traded them…

There must be more to this, and fans are very shocked and, for the most part, disgruntled. I  kind of think that we all saw this coming, and for the most part, I think that the less that the girls get overworked, the less likely it is for them to graduate soon, so it’s a good thing. Come on, let’s look on the bright side people.

On the other hand, losing the fan-idol interaction that set AKB apart in the idol world is a dangerous move, I think. It’s true that the group has gotten lots of new fans, but I think it’s the die hard wotas who support them the most. They are the ones who ran out and bought 50 copies of a single to shake hands with their favorite girl many many times, they were the ones who bought full boxes of gachas to get pictures and a chance to meet their favorite girl and so on. Casual fans might drop by the theater once or twice, but without the “meeting your idol” experience and closeness to the girls I doubt that a theater based group who performs the same list for almost a whole year will have lots of hope.

Let’s wait and see. As for me, as long as there are Stages, with great songs in them, I’m a fan. I must be in the 1% minority who isn’t into AKB for the cute girls but for the music and the good performances.

Oshima Yuko. AKB48 Team K member, was operated on tuesday, allegedly because of singer’s nodules. And luckily, everything went fine, and she’s now recovering! 

Yuko is my favorite AKB member, so I was really hoping that everything would go well for her. Yuko showed endless commitment and dedication when she showed up to the premier of Team K’s new Stage “Saka Agari” and performed in a few songs, including her new unit “End Roll”. She said that even though the doctor said she shouldn’t do it, she asked for his permission because she wanted to be with her fellow members and fans during the opening night.

This is the reason why I love Yuko so much, she’s very committed to her work, and she also really loves what she does. I wish her a speedy recovery so that she can return to doing what she enjoys the most: Dancing, singing, acting.

Please get well soon Yuko! I’ll be supporting you and waiting for your return