Hi people! I hope that you all had a wonderful christmas, I sure did! So now I’m back with an entry I had promised a while ago, about the little Kikuchi Ayaka rehiring situation. The name of this entry also happens to be the title of Team A’s latest stage, and also a unit song (featuring Takamina, Miichan and Myao), but the reason why it caught my eye is because it reminds me a lot of Ayarin and what she’s gone through. The translation was taken from Stage48, and belongs to Gideon, who kindly translated it because he is awesome

Kikuchi Ayaka, aka. Ayarin, was a popular Team B member who became even more popular because of the controversy surrounding her firing from AKB48 because she took a picture with her boyfriend and he posted it on his blog, making it very public. Since the first rule of idols might just be “Don’t date, and if you do, don’t get caught” it was a clear violation of said rule what made her go bye-bye. She had many fans who supported her, and even made a petition to Akimoto and signed it in order to keep her in the Team, but it was no use.

It’s been just over a year since we started dating…
None of our friends know since everyone’s always together

This part of the lyrics isn’t clearly related to Ayarin, since she had only been with her boyfriend for 2 months before the pic came out. But it’s sure interesting to put the second verse in context “None of our friends know” I wonder if the AKB girls who do have boyfriends (don’t panic, fanboys, I’m sure there are plenty out there :P) can tell their team mates about it, or if they have to keep it to themselves in fear that one of the others could be a snitch XD or rather, that she could be put in a compromising situation because of knowing about the other girl and her bf.

“Inside this circle, we have rules against love”
They make too much of a deal about this joke of a rule

This joke of a rule? I wonder if Akimoto is actually dismissing the rule as stupid (after all, he did marry an idol) or if he simply assumes that all girls (and Ayarin, in this case) might find it lame and ridiculous. “Inside this circle” implies a very tight group, just like idol groups are.

I love somebody somewhere
Even if I can’t do so at my own convenience
If it has to be let go,
It’s not real love
This is so against the rules

The “even if I can’t love somebody at my own convenience” line could imply that there’s always that yearning to find love, regardless of how sheltered this girls are, they still want it, like any other person would. But what really catches my eye in this chorus is the “If it has to be let go, it’s not real love” part. I suppose that Ayarin has quit dating this guy after all this mess, or maybe she still sees him, but has denied it in order to get back in the group. Does Akimoto mean that if she walked away from this guy, it wasn’t even love in the first place? It’s a puzzling line, considering how making a choice between career and love is very complicated and kind of a sad position to be put in, in the first place.

Isn’t it lonely being single? I wanted to make it a secret
If I send out a mail on my cell phone, soon nothing but love comes back

Again, Akimoto aknowledges the fact that these girls feel lonely because they aren’t supposed to go out and date guys like their non-idol female friends do. And if they do, it has to be kept a secret, which in a way is still a lonely way of loving.

Unconsciously I’ve been charmed, and he’s become such an important person to me
I only have myself to blame – feel the strings of fate!

This lines could be interpreted as a bit of a guilt trip from the point of view of the girl, but since Akimoto was the one who wrote them, is he subtly trying to scold her in a way? She let herself be charmed by a guy who probably didn’t respect her enough to keep their relationship private, even though he knew that she was an idol and was probably aware of what was at stake if he posted that pic. Then again, in the last bit, there’s a reference to fate, which could be interpreted as an understanding of the girl, she’s 15, she’s probably bound to make mistakes like this as much as anyone else of this age.

I love somebody all the time
I can’t stop the affection
If there’s a boy,
There’s definitely something going on
A chemical reaction

The first two lines are very true when it comes to hormones when you’re a teen XD They’re just out of control, and you’ll be insanely in love with the most bizarre people just because of them, it’s an undeniable fact! But the last verses I like even more, because they could imply that Akimoto knows very well that girl+boy=trouble, regardless of whether the girl is an idol or not. “Chemical reaction” is a brilliant way to describe it indeed.

I love somebody somewhere
Even if I can’t do so at my own convenience
If it has to be let go,
It’s not real love
This is so against the rules
Romance’s fuse
Because I have to hide it,
Passion only builds up
It’s so likely to go off

We already went over the first 5 lines, and the most interesting ones are the final 4. If it has to be kept a secret, it’ll only make it more intense “it’s so likely to go off” it’s like a statement “This will happen sooner or later anyway”. Ayarin wasn’t admitted back in Team B (yet) but she’s a Kenkyuusei of the 7th generation. There are 19 more girls that were accepted with her, and a “Team Kenkyuusei” is about to be formed. I think that she’ll lead it wonderfully for a while, and after that, maybe she’ll be accepted back in her beloved Team B. I was never an Ayarin fan, but I respect her immensely for having the courage to enter another audition and be willing to start from the bottom despite having been a frontgirl of Team B. It shows true passion and professionalism. Kudos to her.

And I also really like the perception I get of Akimoto from the lyrics of this song, he knows that girls are bound to fall in love, and the “no date” rule only worsens it. Of course, this whole post is pure speculation and guess work, but I don’t think it strays too far from reality because, again, Akimoto married one of the Nyan nyans he produced back in the day. He knows stuff. And that’s a good thing for the girls.

Hi people! I’m back in my hometown (Yay!!) enjoying a relaxing vacation, and I thought I’d update, but I had no idea what to update about XD I could finish the goddamn Team A profiles, but I need more screencaps and I’m too lazy to go capture them now… I could continue with the A2 fashion check, but I don’t really feel like it right now. Plus, I don’t know in which computer all those screencaps ended up being X_X But I still really felt like updating, so, I’m following after what so many other bloggers do I’m doing a picspam post!!! I’ll try to focus on the less popular members, so that you’ll love them or at least learn their freaking names! Of course, I’ll also include my favorites, who happen to be some of the most popular girls… Go figure…

Meet Sato Amina. She was a Kenkyuusei (Research Student, RS from now on because writing the whole word is a pain in the ass) and then lucked out and got added to Team A. I like her, but she’s that type of idol that you either love or hate. She has a very high pitched voice, which is the main reason why people hate on her. But it doesn’t bother me at all, because she’s not annoying and she makes the most out of it. I like her because of her great attitude and stage presence. I always admire an idol who performs with a lot of self confidence and Amina has this part totally nailed!

Orii Ayumi, aka Ayunee. She graduated a while ago, but has always stayed in touch with AKB48 members and goes to the theater to perform on special occasions. I really really like her, and I feel like Team A has partially gone to hell (I don’t mean this in a bad way, somehow… ) because of the lack of an “older sister” or motherly figure like Ayunee was.  There are older girls in Team A, like Mariko, Nozomi and Mai, but they have different ways of adding to the Team. While I do feel like Mai takes on the duties of spokesperson and cares deeply about her kouhai (she seems like a nice girl) she can’t always be at the theater and has actually a scarily high absence from performances rate, same as Mariko. Nozomi is too shy to take on such a big responsibility, and then that’s about it (there’s Yukarin too, but she’s such a scatterbrain that I can’t picture her in that position). AKB doesn’t have leaders involved in their concept, but there’s someone pulling the strings underneath (like Sayaka does for Team K or CinDy does for B). Ayumi was that for Team A, so she deserves some credit.

Urano Kazumi aka CinDy is pretty well known if you’re into Team B, but seriously, not many people are. Shame on you! CinDy was transferred from Team A into B, which was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to her. In Team A she was a bubbly sweet girl, and that’s all. But in Team B, she’s the Queen Bee (no pun intended XD) she calls the shots and reigns supreme over the hyper always excited girls of the team. She’s really cool, not only has she majorly improved her vocals to fit her new Lead Singer status, but she has also been given the chance to flaunt her flamboyant personality. She wears a tiara constantly and she’s just pretty much crazy, in the best possible way

Chiichan!!! I so <3 <3 <3 her!!! Nakata Chisato is her full name, and she was the most recent addition to Team A. I’m glad that she’s a full fledged member now because she is SO talented. She’s gorgeous, and I like her sweet voice a lot. She’s one of the girls who are always excited to be on stage, and performs with the brigthest smile!! A cutie

Chikano Rina aka. Chikarina is a RS who hasn’t been added to any team yet, despite having been a Himawarigumi stad in (I think she was Takamina’s along with Myao or something like that, it’s pretty complicated) She is a good singer and a very good dancer. Other than that, I don’t know what else to say XD But you can look at her, she’s quite pretty!

Deguchi Aki, former RS who was added to SKE48 recently (well, it was formed recently anyway…) She is a great singer, and I love how fierce she looks with her high cheeks and stuff. But I guess I won’t really keep track of her, seeing how I don’t particularly care much about SKE right now D:

Noguchi Reina aka. Gussan, of Team B. I’ve heard that she’s becoming more and more popular in the theater, but somehow she doesn’t seem to be all that popular with overseas fans. I don’t know why is that, but I’m not her fan either XD. I’ve heard that she’s pretty funny and airheaded IRL, but that sadly never really quite shows in the DVDs and LoDs that I’ve watched so far… She looks a LOT like my housekeeper, she could be her daughter even! /endrandomcomment

Here’s the girl that all of you readers must revere now that my beloved Hana is gone!!! If you adore Nozofisu, Yukarin and Kana at the same time, then I APPROVE OF YOU!! You’re a cool person Katayama Haruka aka. Haachan aka. THE BEST DAMN REASON WHY YOU SHOULD GO AND WORSHIP TEAM B RIGHT NOW

OMG! Look she’s so damn cute!!! And she’s also pretty damn hot too, but since I’m doing a picspam post about my favorites, I’ll just leave it at this for now

You all know who this is, right? It’s Awesome Hana!!! And she’s just as awesome as always, even though she’s graduated now… Well, I’ll ramble more about her whenever I do that favorites picspam post…

Hiichan looks like a beautiful doll… She’s graduated now, in case you didn’t know :’( I really like this picture of her, because she looks so passionate about her song! This is Rider, in case you didn’t know. She led that unit and was awesome at it!

It’s time to introduce all of you (for the first time, I believe) to my favorite Team K underdog, Kobayashi Kana aka. Kana or Kacchi. Kana is the definition of adorable, and I don’t give a damn about the fact that she’s pretty tone deaf. She used to be way more of a lead girl, back in the start of Team K, but something happened that dethroned her (same as with Narita RIsa of Team A) I love her anyway, and you all should too. There will be more about her in my favorites post to keep this short

And we move from one Team K underdog to another, here’s Hayano Kaoru aka. Kaorin. She’s absolutely adorable, and a fierce performer whenever it’s required. In contrast to Kana, who is the dumbest girl in AKB (and maybe even in the whole Japan O_O) Kaorin is a great student, always getting brilliant grades. Her father is a Waseda University graduate, so that’s where she got her brains from (according to 16 shimai no uta, at least XD)

Masuyama Kayano, aka. Kaya, graduated in 2007, she was very cute, and the child quota of Team A. I miss her ;_;

Kohara Haruka aka. Himesama (Princess) is one of the most popular RS right now. She looks like a taller and less dorky Tsugunaga Momoko, which is great lol. I really like her.

Oku Manami aka. Maachan has become sadly known for not smiling on stage, according to the people who dislike her. I’m not one fo them, and I don’t think that a girl has to smile all the time On Stage in order to be a good performer. Take Mikachii of Team B as an example, her cool vibe makes her smile only so often, yet she’s very good. Same with Maachan IMO. She did look pretty overwhelmed early on, but it was because she was like 10 freaking years old at the time, and she’s pretty snappy and bratty too. I love that.

Matsuoka Yuki aka. Matsuyuki is graduating from Team B in February. This pains me because I really really like her. She’s a great performer, and there’s just some sort of spark everytime she’s on stage that makes you look at her. She was the msot unpopular AKB member according to the mixi ratings, and that is a CRIME!! I wish that she can accomplish everything she wants for her life, because she deserves the best!

Mikachii (Saeki Mika) was, if I’m not mistaken, the first RS to be added to a Team, she is a part of team B and I love her. She has a “cool” vibe about her and I love cool idols! I can’t freaking resist them! Mikachii is a very strong girl, look how fragile she looks! She’s been injured for a long time, and she has to skip performances every now and then in order to heal, but when she makes it to the theater, she’s amazing to watch

Saotome Miki aka. Mikipomu is so damn fierce that you should love her. I don’t even get why she doesn’t have more fans or solo lines but I’m seriously PRAYING that that fact will change with B4. Also, now that Matsuyuki’s leaving, it makes her the least popular member. And that is terribly unfair, so please root for her, everybody!

Kuramochi Asuka aka. Mocchi is a Team K member and a former RS. She’s amazing <3 She has a very gentle and caring personality, she’s gorgeus and she sings like an angel. There’s nothing more to ask for, she’s a perfect idol! *cough become her fan now cough*

And here’s Nito Moeno of Team B, also a former RS. I don’t know anything about her other than Naruppe’s costume looks huge on her XD

There’s already a great Nacchi worshipping fanblog called Where’s Natsuki? So please head over there for the regular Nacchi awesomenes

Ok, this is FREAKING long already, and I’m not done yet, so I’,ll just continue in another moment XD Or rather, another entry.

Hi everybody! I promise you all that A2 fashion show is coming soon, but right now I had another idea for the update, so I just had to go with it. I know that many of the people who visit this blog do it out of curiosity, perhaps knowing only AKB because of their singles or because some cute girl caught their eye. But, I happen to think that AKB48’s best songs sometimes aren’t the singles, but the Stage songs, which so many casual fans are totally unfamiliar with! A crime, I tell you. But don’t worry people, I have decided to take on the best stage songs, and I’ll do it in alphabetical order. Of course, I’m not leading you to watch 160+ videos or your head might explode XD Just my favorite song that begins with said letter. You know this will be long, but you also know you’ll love it, right?

Disclaimer: All lyrics taken from AKB48 Lyrics Paradise. Credit goes to those who romanized and translated these songs.

#

7ji 12fun no Hatsukoi (First love at 7:12) “For only 20 minutes, in such a short time, it was a fun date!”: Ok, Acchan lovers, rejoice! This one here is taken from A4, and it features Maeda Atsuko, Ohe Tomomi, Narita Risa, Masuyama Kayano and Komatani Hitomi. Acchan is the only remaining member from this unit, which is very very sad Anyway, I was going to pick 109, but nobody has upped that performance in Youtube so I chose my second favorite. This is a romantic lovey dovey ballad about unrequited love, it’s very cute and so are all of the girls who sing in it, so don’t miss it!

A

Aisareru to Iu Koto (To be Loved) “Even if all freedom is lost, such things as joy and sadness won’t be controlled”: Aww! Cute postapocalyptic love ballad, this one. The ICE subunit of Team K (Oshima Yuko, Ono Erena, Kasai Tomomi, Sato Natsuki and Imai Yu) was created only for the sake of singing this as the theme song of a crappy anime Akimoto made. However, this is probably one of the most beautiful AKB ballads, and it’s definitely a MUST watch if you haven’t already.

B

Bird “I am a sad bird that’s forgotten how to fly. In the place I am now, I can only bend down”: Yeah, excuse the crappy quality of the video, but really, my favorite part of this song are Mai’s lines so I had to include them. She’s so underrated as a singer, and she’s very good IMO. Anyhow, if you haven’t seen/heard this already, you’re probably a real n00b to AKB, but that’s ok! Just… go and watch it right now. This song is very dramatic and rocking, I really wish Team A got more songs like this one lately… Takahashi Minami, Shinoda Mariko and Oshima Mai are in this, BTW.

C

Confession “You cast your depending eyes one me, I’m not your mom!”: Himawari-gumi was such a great idea, and songs like this prove the fact that mixing A with K equals win. Oshima Yuko, Shinoda Mariko, Akimoto Sayaka and Itano Tomomi rock out and play the “tough girl” role amazingly in the most hardcore AKB unit song! I really like how the lyrics are nothing idol-like, and the headbanging performance is a great bonus too!

D

DARUIKANJI (Dull Feeling) “If you’re watching from far away, we’re like insects”: From A4. This is the first group song in the countdown, and it’s one of my favorites! The lyrics are very depressing, however, the song has a really catchy melody and great bassline. Not to mention a LOL choreography that I adore. This song is a masterpiece of idol music, and it greatly symbolizes what AKB is about. Cute schoolgirls singing somewhat disturbing songs at times XD. Especially recommended if you’re a fan of Miichan or Tomochin

E

Erai hito ni Naritakunai (I don’t want to be a big person) “None of those difficult books have real happines isn’t written in them” Aww… No performance of this one in Youtube either However, there’s a preview, so you can at least get an idea of what this song is like. I really like it, especially because I’m constantly surrounded by people who praise intelligence above everything else, they even idolize those who they deem smart regardless of how much of a bad person they might be. Being smarrt isn’t all there is to life, it’s better to be happy and have friends

F

Faint “I don’t need an eternity because just one second is more than enough to make me faint”: Another A4 song (can you tell I really love that stage?) Itano Tomomi, Tojima Hana (<3<3) and Kawasaki Nozomi perform this super sexy love song. No words are enough to describe the coolness and hotness of “Faint” so just go watch it already!

G

Gokimen Naname na Mermaid (An Ill tempered Mermaid) “I won’t be kept waiting, I want to go closer to you”: Team B makes its debut in the ranking with this ultra adorable song! Ok, I honestly wanted to put Gomen ne Jewel instead in this position, because I totally love that song and unit, but there was no available video either Ok, so back to Mermaid, this is a fun summery song, and it’s a shame that I can’t show you the Stage Version itself (this one is from the Hibiyayaon Concert) because they have little cameras, and beach balls and beach stuff, which makes it even cuter! A great song to warm up to the awesome Team B!

H

Hana to Chire! (Go Down Gloriously!) “Without considering a thing, strike the iron while it’s still hot!”: This song is so cool it makes me want to go out there and find a cause to die for and go for it no matter what… or something. That’s basically what the lyrics are about, and make no mistake, this song is the definition of POWER! Obviously a Team K song, like everything else cool in this world should be

I

Itoshisa no Defense (Affection’s Defense) “Overbearingly snatch away this lips that won’t obey”: The Hana version, of course, because all other versions aren’t half as sexy/cool/fierce/Hana. Tojima Hana, Komatani Hitomi and Masuyama Kayano deliver a very sexy song, kind of a follow up to Confession, this is about a tough woman, but one who wants to stop being so unreachable and become closer to someone. Nice stuff.

J

Junai no Crescendo (Pure Love’s Crescendo) “This evening it’s okay if I’m held, as I’m dripping wet”:  Yeah, one more great song from A4 XD For all of you Men-dol and No3b (no Sleeves) fans, here’s the unit that started it all. This is a fantastic song, reminiscent of dramatic idol classics from the 80s, complete with flashy dresses and great vocals.

K

Korogaru Ishi ni Nare (Become a Rolling Stone) “A hidden enthusiasm. We’re the Team K!!”: Yup, my favorite AKB48 song of all times just HAD to be on the list. This song is very cool, and it really pumps up the audience with its rock tune and fierce lyrics! AKB Sanjou! from recent A5 might be the only song to rival it in the cool department, but it lacks the strong spirit of Team K’s performances of this. Please watch it. You know you’ll love it!

L

Lay Down “Like a Doberman chained by the neck, with ferocious eyes I tame you!”: Nosebleed alert. This performance includes Sayaka, leather and girls being overly friendly with each other. It’s really cool, and just pure fanservice, so do yourself a favor and click the link already.

M

MARIA “In a forest of seduction, I won’t stray”: Ok, so in order to avoid overheating ourselves with Lay Down up there, here’s one of the best songs of AKB48, MARIA. Gothic Lolita dresses, a rock tune and the lyrics of a prayer are a very cool mix. Plus, vocal powerhouse Masuda Yuka is here, along with great performer Umeda Ayaka and Moeeeee Kasai Tomomi, nothing can go wrong with such a combination!

N

Nakinagara Hohoende (As I smile, I cry) “Until I grow used to be alone, I won’t move from here”: You all saw this coming, right? This is Yuko’s solo from K3, and it’s definitely one of my favorite songs ever! It’s a ballad, and Yuko’s husky voice is perfectly fitting for it. She looks like an angel in those white clothes, and sings like one <3

O

Oshibe to Meshibe to Yoru no Chouchou (The stamen, the pistil and the evening butterfly) “What’s hidden is the taste of honey, right?, right?, a naught secret”: I didn’t include KinjiFuta here, but here’s the reloaded amped up fanservice version XD See how Meetan shamelessly hits on Tomo-mi, I quite like this song, musically speaking, it’s very sultry!

P

Party ga Hajimaru yo (The party begins!) “Quietly close your eyes, be quiet! Can you see the entrance to the dream?” O_O I don’t really like this song, but there isn’t a single video of Pajama Drive in youtube, so you’ll have to conform with this one. Here’s the SKE48 version, just for a little more variety…

R

Rider “Even though we can’t meet, without feeling sad, I sing, I hope that somewhere you are getting along well”: OMG! I’m crying I can’t believe it T_T. This is a very special song to me, for many reasons. This is originally from A3, and the unit members were Komatani Hitomi, Watanabe Shiho, Orii Ayumi, Ohe Tomomi, Kawasaki Nozomi, Sato Yukari, Hoshino Michiru and Tojima Hana. The song was written for one of the original AKB fans who passed away, and it’s a very sweet song, really heartfelt too. Whenever I listen to this song, I immediately think of Hana, giving her best smile always, and she’s just so great, I hope she does well in whatever it is she wants to do with her life now, I’ll always support her no matter what! 

S

Saishuu Beru ga Naru (The last Bell Rings) “The light amidst the hesitation let’s out an answer from here”: Sorry about the sapfest up there, but I just… get so emotional when it comes to Hana, I have to get over it! Anyway, this time it’s another Team K song, the namesake of their 4th Stage, this is very cool and K-ish, and it has a very memorable tune that sticks in my head really easily! Great choreography too, and a guitar interlude that I really like (it’s quite short though)

T

Tomo yo (My friends) “On top of the desk I sit down, as a dream harmonizes”: People always mock this song, but I adore it. It’s a very cute “feel good” kind of song, and the catch is that Team K girls play their own instruments for this! (well, sorta) I find it very very cute and endearing, it’s a classic IMO, so you should totally watch it!

V

Viva! Hurricane “Recklessly, naughtily, rush rush rush, My heart rages!”: More Himawari goodness! This song is so random it’s amazing. It starts like a sentai theme song from the 70s, then turns into idol pop, has its hot latin flavor moments and there’s rap to boot! The dance is manic too, this makes you want to get up and shake your body, for sure.

W

Wasshoi B! (Heave-ho B!) “With love, respect and courage I’m succeeding!”: No video again, but there’s a compilation of cute Team B pics in the one I’m liking to. And it has the song in good quality, which is the most important thing. Team B are amazing, and it sucks how neglected they get in many ways… I hope that this great song and cute video can help make you a fan, because you know, “The best team is B! B! B! B!” as this song says XD

Y

Yume wo Shinaseru Wake ni Ikanai (We must not let the dream die) “Where is the sun rising? There’s no light to guide my raising hand”: H2 was a very good stage, and this song right here is one of the best! It’s very dramatic, musically speaking, but it carries a message of hope and courage in the lyrics that works very well with the mood of this stage. I really like the choreography too, which is a plus

 

Ok, so there you have it! It’s the ABC, AKB Style!! I hope you liked it, but mainly, I hope that watching some of this great performances sparked your interest in this great group and that you will become a fan and a supporter Comments are always welcome, as you know, you can say anything you want to, from “Screw you biatch! How come there’s only 2 freaking Team B songs in your lousy ranking” or “Ohai, wheres bingo cuz that song is so lulz” to “I really admire your refined taste in idol music, and look up to you” XD I kid, I kid, just, you know, comments make me happy

Oh, and there is a reason why I didn’t embed the videos but decided to link them, first of all, my posts are usually super long as it is, and I’m trying to do my best to make them shorter without having them lose their “aitakatta” essence XD Plus, it’s a matter of personal choice (like pre marital sex lol) but I prefer having all videos open in their own separate window because I have a bit of an OCD issue, so bear with me.

Well, that’s all for now, I really have to go study for my monster final of monday! Bye bye!

I just have to vent a bit before I start writing the real thing. I’M SICK OF ALL THE SPAM!!! I’m constantly having to delete comments from very questionnable sites, and I don’t know what to do anymore! They just multiply and multiply!! If any of you has any kind of suggestion on how to control this plague, I will love you forever if you tell me. I’m seriously sick of this situation, and it’s not like my blog is about any of those horrible things anyway!! O_O

 

Ok, I needed to get that out of my chest. Now, a little rant about something I’ve been thinking about lately. The reason why AKB48 is different from the rest of idol groups is because of the “Idols you can go and meet” concept. This, of course, has changed over this past 2 years, and now meeting some of this girls is REALLY difficult (Mainly Maimai, Mariko, and lately, Haruna, Miichan and Takamina) but still, whenever they can show up in the theater, you’ll be guaranteed to be sitting within close range of your idol, and if you’re lucky enough to win a polaroid or something along those lines, then you’re pretty much set! Right? 

I’ve heard many former H!P fan’s reasons for turning to AKB (not like the 2 fandoms can’t coexist, I believe there are wotas out there who can make it happen) and some of them actually list this “accesibility” of AKB idols as the reason why they love them. So how was it for me? I didn’t even know they had a theater, I got into AKB simply because of Yuko’s eyes. I had to know who that girl was, I had to know her name, and her hobbies, and I jus HAD to follow her to the ends of the world, so strong was my fascination for her even from the first moment I spotted her back in the Seifuku PV… 

So, in my Yuko quest, I found out some interesting data: “Oh, wow, they have a theater” and then “Oh, wow, they perform everyday!” and after that “Oh, wow, you can actually take a freaking polaroid with your favorite girl!!!” And I can’t deny that I yearned for all of these things. I wanted to be part of the experience of going to the theater, and watching each team perform and especially, I so wanted to take a polaroid with my always beloved Yuko… But right now I might even be reconsidering it. Kind of.

The thing is, since I’m about to graduate from college (finally!) my parents have decided that they will actually give me the trip to Japan that I’ve been asking for for so long! I was all giddy about this when I first heard about it, and then bad news started coming all at once and out of nowhere. First, we are supposed to travel on December 28th. Holy chimps! That means we get to spend New Years there, which I don’t really care about, but it also made my parents a bit anxious because they wanted to know whether or not the Donki theater would be open at the time. I have no idea. And I have no possible way of finding out either, because the schedules come out like 2-3 weeks before the date of the supposed show… 

But I didn’t panic, strangely enough, my thought process went along this lines “Oh crap! I wonder if they open the store even if the girls aren’t performing…” And then I thought to myself “WTF??? Are you actually implying that you will go all the way to freaking Japan just to buy some pictures!!!!!!????” So I’ve had to stop myself for a while and consider all of this bizarre train of thought of mine…

Of course it would be like a golden dream to be able to watch a Team K show, and having a polaroid taken with Yuko would be perfection, but… Is that really like the maximum fan experience I long for? And the answer that comes rushing into my mind is a very firm “NO”.

I’m actually more envious of the people who have bought all of AKB’s DVDs, CDs, posters, BLTs and whatnot, than I am of those who get to travel there and shake hands with 10 different girls. This is insane, and you may think that it’s just denial (because it would be pretty obvious for anyone that buying stuff is way easier than meeting the girls IRL) but I’ve tried to see deeper into all of this and it makes perfect sense to me, so I’ll try to explain myself (keep in mind that I’m just ranting for the sake of ranting here, and my particular case is quite peculiar so take all of this with a grain of salt, K?)

I’m from a third world (ultra awesome) country, and while that’s no excuse, it’s a bit of an explanationa s to why I don’t have access to a credit card. My mom actually has one, and so does my dad, but neither of them will let me come anywhere near it, especially whenever I mention “Those japanese little girls”. This means, as you all must’ve cleverly guessed by now, that I can’t buy ANY AKB merchandising for the time being. This saddens me deeply, because I would give an arm and a leg just to own a single. Just one, not limited edition or anything… I’ve nagged my parents so much that they’re finally getting me a credit card for myself! Yay! But for now, and as long as I’m a student and depend financially on my parents, there’s not much I can do. Sure, I could get a job, but I study from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays, and I have shifts most of the weekends so that’s not an option either. Ok, I’m rambling now…

But the point is that I wholeheartedly want to buy merchandising. I desperately long for it, you have no idea of how much. It’s not even sane. So much that I’ve already started saving so that I can buy as many things as I see in my trip (If I finally end up going, of course)…

All of this rant and digressing of mine is just to state a fact that is very clear for me, and that’s why the close relationship AKB has with the fans is awesome and all, but not the reason why I fell in love with them. For me, the charm of idols is precisely that, they are idols. They are people who are special, becuase what they do on stage makes them special, and I’m perfectly cool with that. Yuko may never know my name by heart, even if I do manage to take a polaroid with her, and I’ll treasure that thing more than my own life if I take it, of course, I’m already thinking of the presents I’m going to give her, or the things I’m going to say to her, just in case, but if it doesn’t happen, I’ll still be out of my mind ecstatic if I can buy a DVD. Or a CD. Or a BLT. Hell, ANYTHING at all.

Point of the day: It doesn’t matter to me if Yuko doesn’t aknowledge me as her biggest fan, I’m simply trying to support her and admire her from a far as much as I possibly can, and for as long as I can. I’m trying my best to be able to always be a better fan, so that’s why I’m not spending a lot of money in the present I’ll bring for her, I’m planning of spending all my savings in coming back loaded with AKB stuff. I hope that I can get a glimpse of her when I’m there, I hope that the theater is open, and the girls are performing, and I certainly hope that I can at least watch Team K perform. But if not, at least I’ll know a different type of happiness, knowing that my money is going to the girls. Actually paying off for all the moments of joy they’re given me. It’s a promise! I will become the best fan I can be!! 

9. Yakusoku yo - Korogaru ishi ni Nare

Ok, so for this two songs, we return to the classic AKB girl next door look, but instead of jeans, the girls are wearing khakis (is that the right term?)

I like how for Team K it isn’t cute jeans and mini skirts, but something more… fierce? Team K aren’t girly girls, they are COOL, man

The Tshirts don’t advertise AKB (but we all had enough advertising with the ukatas anyway, right?) but they are from Palms and Labskies which is a clothing brand, I suppose (kind of reminds me of SweetS and Pentys… Damn I miss SweetS)

Ohai girls! Looking fierce as always!!

Yuko in white!! She looks like an angel!!

Sayaka stands out from the rest so much, even in this simple outfit, that’s pretty amazing. Sayaka is definitely the queen of the stage, that’s undeniable

I’m not really feeling the golden trimmed hat thingies… they are ugly

More Yuko = more happiness for the world <3<3

Sayaka greatness… She’s the coolest person on the face of the Earth

Kana! That shirt is pretty tight on her :O maybe she was mistaken and wore Erepyon’s shirt instead of hers? XD

We’re the Team K!!!!! Yeah, Korogaru Ishi ni Nare just so happens to be my favorite AKB song ever.

And of course, the best part of Team K, YUKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (fangirling much?)

Best looking girl in this costume: Sayaka, of course. Just… wow

10. Cinderella wa Damasarenai:

I’ve already discussed this costume before, i believe. I love it to pieces, and it’s refreshing to see how similar it is to the original flamenco dresses

So, we have 2 different costumes, the backup girls have purple and black polka dotted dresses, which are slightly more simple looking than the ones the front girls wear

The front girls (like Erena here) have red and black dresses, which are even more similar to the original flamenco ones. They also have flashy golden trimmed ruffles in the neck/shoulder area

Backup girls! To be totally honest, I would’ve rather had Ayaka in there with the front girls instead of Kana… You know, no dissing Kana, as I love her, but Ayaka fits so much better into a song like this one… ok, I’m rambling now

I like how backup girls having darker dresses make the front girls stand out (I mean, that’s the purpose of backup girls anyway…) And yeah, that’s Meetan there, just being Meetan…

The ruffles in the other dress don’t have a golden trim, and they’re red instead of black

Yuko hotness, of course. The skirt is layered and of a light material, so when they swing it around it creates a pretty good effect

Tomomi and Yuko are a great pair, they should have shared lines more often… Look at the flower on the hips, that’s a nice detail!

Sayaka!!!

Look at the pretty shoes! High heeled mary janes (very flamenco like) and small red roses on the strap, beautiful

A closer look at the beautiful shoes (and Yuko’s legs *whistle*)

Ok, a final full body shot, so that you can see all of the dress

And a final shot of Yuko, of course!

Best looking girl in this costume: Yuko, she looks very elegant and sexy!

So, now, the review!

Costumes I loved: 5 (Blue Rose, Kinjirareta Futari, Ame no Doubutsuen, Virgin Love, Cinderella wa Damasarenai)

Costumes I disliked: None, actually (:O)

Costumes I didn’t like nor dislike: 5 (Seishun Girls/Beach Sandal/kimi ga hoshi ni naru made, Fushidara na Natsu, Don’t disturb, Virgin Love, Yakusoku yo/Korogaru Ishi ni Nare)

Best looking girl in the stage: Yuko, with Sayaka being a very close second! It may be my bias talking, but I think not, Yuko is very lovely in her own right!!!

Ok, so here ends the review of the costumes for K2!!! A great stage costume wise, and yeah, I’ll shut up, I’ve fangirled enough already, see you next time, for some A2 reviewing!!!

5. Fushidara na Natsu

This song has a very special place in my heart, it tickles my latina bone lol I love to see the girls have a go at salsa, and while some of them fail at it (like Tomo and Natsumi) some are amazing (Yuko, Sayaka, Sae, Yuka, Nontii…)

Woo! Sexy “Indecent Summer” song… Anyway, for this tropical sounding song, we have a tropical dress to go with it! It resembles the kind of thing that people wear to go to beach parties!

Here we can have a closer look at the dress. It’s hot pink, and the fabric has a palm tree print that’s very tropical (albeit a bit tacky IMO)

Sae looks like a mannequin in this screencap, but still, that flower in her hair is very pretty, and it matches the dress well. Also, not the bracelet she’s wearing in her arm, all the girls have it, and they also have another bracelet in their wirsts

A little snap at the back of the dress… It’s the Virgin Love dress underneath! I love this modular dresses!

One more full body shot, the hot pink is perfect for the mood of this song!

A little Yuka love is always a good thing! In this close up we can see the big flower in the front of the dress, that matches the one they wear on their hair. Plus, there’s a nice lacey ruffle detail in the dress, which looks very good

Umechan is fierce in this song! Look at all the bracelets! They’re a bit overboard, but for a flashy song like this, they fit in pretty well

Look at the print… It’s so damn tacky! That’s my main objection about this dress, however, I suppose it fits the song and stuff… I’m willing to overlook this detail because the outfits are pretty much flawless otherwise

In contrast with the colorful front, the back of the dresses, in solid pink, looks kind of dull. Also, the way the dresses are shaped makes the girl’s butts look really big XD

Gosh! Look at the naughty look Yuko’s giving! HOTT!!! So, having the Virgin Love white dress as a base, this one consists pretty much on a wrapped cloth over the onther one. Hence the beach party dress feeling

More Yuko goodness, there’s never enough Yuko spamming, especially not in my blog! Hell, people don’t even know that she’s my favorite member That’s sad…

So from now on, I’ll spam this blog with Yuko pics!!! I vow to that!!! Eh… ok, so here’s one more Yuko screencap

Best looking girl in this costume: I declare it a tie between Yuko (ofc) and Umeda Ayaka, who looks amazingly fierce in this outfit.

6. Don’t Disturb!

This is a bit of cheating, since it is the same costume in a different color, but, you know, the song is different also so I figured I had to give it a different category

Nacchi! She was so damn neglected in this stage!! Anyhow, the dress is light blue for this song, which fits the gentle flowing pace of this ballad perfectly

The hot pink dresses look very different under the soft lights, they look pretty and girly here

Look at how freaking lovely Kana looks in here! In this light blue color, the print of the dress doesn’t bother me at all, it fits somehow

Graduated members Imai Yu and Takada Ayana looking quite lovely there as well!

Erepyon! Ok, I’m running out of things to say about this cosumes, so I’ll shut up now, just… you know, they’re the same as the other dress, only blue instead of pink…

Best looking girl in this costume: Kana, she looks so damn cute and sweet!

7. Virgin Love - Hizukehenkousen:

So the girls leave the stage for a while, and then return changed into the dress that was under the previous ones.

Those are the sandals the girls wear with the Fushidara/Don’t disturb and Virgin love dresses. They are pretty simple and summer-y

The VL dresses are rather simple white ones. But I really like them, especially the shape of the skirt and the cute ruffles in the hem and shirt

That’s the ruffle thing I was talking about, it’s a nice detail. Plus, the pink and blue flowers and bracelets are great accesories and compliment the dress nicely

The fabric is kind of shiny too, which helps making the dress less dull and simple, plus, it has little crystals in the hem and straps, so it’s very pretty

So yeah, that’s all I can say about this dress, it’s pretty simple, but it works just fine

Best looking girl in this outfit: Yuko, hands down! She’s graceful and sexy all in one while wearing this. An honorable mention goes to Nontii, her curves are amazing!

8. Boku no Uchiage Hanabi:

Ok, so here we have this lovely, matsuri themed song, and of course, what do you wear for those nice festivals? Yukatas! but of course!!

And if you’re a member of an idol group named AKB48, well, then you just have to pimp your group while wearing the yukata, of course! Bleh, I find these to be quite ugly, actually, especially because of the loud colors of the print, I’d much rather see the girls in beautiful regular yukatas!

However, I have to admit that the outfits do fit with the song, recorded firework sounds and all. It must be the girls attitudes, they look up like they are watching the fireworks and wave and smile at each other…

YUKOOOOO!!! Now, pay attention, not only do they over advertise the group in the yukatas, the fans they hold also say AKB48 (I believe they were promotion for an event, perhaps the concert that took place in 06?)

So, other than that, the girls are also wearing the usual hair ornaments worn with yukatas for festivals, those are cute, but I still hate these yukatas

Look at Tomo!! She looks so cute, I want to hug her!!

So yeah, there you go. I remember reading on Santos’s blog that these yukatas were on sale (I mean, not the ones the girls wear, of course) in case the fans wanted to buy them and wear them… Maybe it was a joke, who knows…

Best looking girl in this costume: Kasai Tomomi!! She looks soooo cute and adorable!!!

Ok, that’s all for now, only 2 costumes left!!! Don’t miss the next entry

 

3. Kinjirareta Futari:

OMG! It’s KinjiFuta!!! this song is a legend, I swear… It also has some of the best costumes ever!!!

First off, we get to see Yuko’s lovely dress, or at least the back of it! The big bow in the back of the neck it¡s a great detail, very cute and a bit different from the usual bows that are in the waist area

Dark screencap, but any screencap of Yuko is amazingness <3

I love the white flower in her hair, it’s a very feminine touch, which works great with the dress and the feel of the song

The dress goes also with two bracelets in the left arm and wrist and a glove in the right hand. I like the glove, it has little crystals and a pretty bow

Look at the cute bow!!! (no, it’s not an excuse to post Yuko pics)

This close up is great because we can see the beautiful earrings and the necklace, both are very feminine and elegant, and therefore fitting for her character in the song

Look! Yuko’s wearing a ring too <3 (yeah, I’m a hopeless fangirl) On a side note, this song reminds me of the concept I have of yuri (I say the concept because I’m not a fan of that genre, so take all of this with a grain of salt, please), there’s a girl who is like the perfect girl, excels at everything and is gentle and loved by everyone (that would be Yuko) and another who is the new girl, kind of shy and clueless (that would be Tomo). So their outfits fit their characters perfectly

So now that we’ve taken a look at Yuko, let’s look at Tomo-mi! She has a glove with a bow in it too! Cuteness!

The details of her dress match those of Yuko’s dress as well, only the bow in the back of her neck is smaller

So now you can see that Yuko’s dress is long, while Tomo’s is short and poofy, again, very fitting

YUKOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The other significant difference is that Tomo’s dress is pink, while Yuko’s is white. What I like about this outfits is that they’re very different from each other in some ways, but they also seem to go with each other perfectly

Yukoooooooooooooooooo!! <3 <3 <3 <3

The dresses are al shiny and pretty…

Tomo’s hair ornament is also a flower, like Yuko’s, only pink instead of white

Look at the crystals in Yuko’s dress, very pretty

So the pink dress is a bit more girly and cute while the white one is elegant

It’s a nice contrast, and the best part is that with the dance, Yuko’s dress sways and he shiny fabric reflects the lights, it’s quite pretty (I’ve totally overused that word in this review but whatever)

Look at the detail in the white dress: Another bow!!!! lol

The shoes can’t be seen all that much in any of these screencaps, but they are high heeled sandals. Hot pink for Tomo and silver-white for Yuko

Just a closer look at Tomo’s poofy skirt, very idol-like!

And finally the ending pose of Team K, which is my favorite (In case you don’t know, Team A’s version ends with Rina leaning on Takamina’s chest while she holds her, and Team B’s ends with Yukirin reaching out to take off Nakayan’s glasses)

Best looking girl in this costume: Of course, it’s Yuko, she looks divine!

4. Ame no Doubutsuen

So, we start off with one of my favorite costumes ever, the adorable plushies of Ame no Doubutsuen!

As you can see, each girl is wearing a different costume, representing a different animal. Some of the costumes are admittedly quite inaccurate, or plain weird, but they’re still really cute!

So, as you can see, we have Kaorin as a penguin, Kana as a giraffe (?!) and Umechan as a zebra

On the other side of the stage, there’s Nattsumii as a lion, Erepyon as an elephant, and very blurry in the background Imai Yu as a camel or something like that

The costumes are basically a furry dress (it looks more like a sack, though) which has hoodies in the cases of some animals (panda, giraffe, lion, penguin, camel) or a headband with ears in the case of the zebra, elephant and chimpanzee. The huge paw-like gloves are common to all of the girls, but the shoes they wear vary a little, as we’ll see later on

Yay! Umechan (Umeda Ayaka) is the cutest zebra ever! (sorry Ayarin fans…) Those ears look more like a cat’s though..,

Ok, this is a blurry and sucky screencap, but there you have Kaorin penguin (Hayano Kaoru). She’s a cutie, but Nacchan admittedly looks better in this costume (I’m not screencapping that though, yes, I’m lazy as hell)

Waaah! How cute! Her hood has a beak and the eyes of the penguin, although those are harder to spot. I still don’t quite get how her paws are purple in the surface but yellow in the other side, it makes no sense, considering the anatomy of penguins, but whatever

Kana and Erena are the leads of this unit (yes, Kana was a LEAD in something at some point of her life… I’ll ramble about more resemblances between her and Narita Risa later on, but hopefully Kana won’t graduate like her Team A counterpart…)

Erena also happens to be the cutest elephant ever, only slightly rivaled by Tomochin (no, Mayuyu has no contest here, sorry fans!) And Nattsumii looks pretty cute as a lion, although the costume doesn’t fit her personality AT ALL (she’s the most gentle and caring girl to ever become an idol since Konno Asami) And of course Hana is the BEST lion plushie ever!!! <3

Oh yeah! Hana spam!!! She’s the best *cries*

More Hana spam, this time with the rest of Team A members that were in this unit in the shuffle version of the concert… Tomochin is the only survivor now O_O

Ok, so let’s take a closer look at Kana’s giraffe costume… She doesn’t look like a giraffe at all! Everyone I’ve shown this costume to goes “Oh, that’s a cute doggie suit” and I’m like “No, it’s a giraffe” and then they roll their eyes and laugh at me… You know, giraffes are one of my favorite animals, but I have to admit, this doesn’t look like one at all! Still, the hoodie makes it pretty cute

In contrast to the weird giraffe costume, the elephant is so freaking cute! Of course, Erepyon wearing it is part of its charm, but the huge ears, and the cute tie are irresistibly adorable!

Ok, so here the little Maachan chimp (Oku Manami) makes its appearance! That one is adorable as well, it has the huge ears that I so like!!

Nontii panda! (Noro Kayo) She looks so huggable XD Also, pandas are Nontii’s favorite animals, and she looked positively happy wearing this!

Look at the back of the costumes! Each one has a tail to go with it, and in the chimp’s case, a pink butt sewn into the costume XD Why couldn’t Berryz Monkey Dance costumes be like this? 

Finally, a shot of the rather neglected Yu camel. I have no idea of why they came up with such a costume, camels aren’t popular animals, and it doesn’t even appear in the lyrics (I think) They should’ve gone for the deers, which appear in the lyrics, BTW, and who could resist a cute Bambi costume with small antlers and all…

Here you can see how every girl has a different type of shoes/boots according to the animal they are disguising as. Kana (giraffe) and Nontii (panda) have the biggest ones, which makes me feel sorry for them as they must be really hot in the furry outfit PLUS the huge furry boots.

All in all, the costumes are colorful and playful enough to fit perfectly with the ight and lovey dovey atmosphere of this song, but I feel like they must’ve been kind of uncomfortable, seeing how hot they must be, and also, how hard it is to manipulate a microphone with those huge gloves, and dancing with the huge boots/shoes. That’s not to mention the big headpieces, that Erena had to keep adjusting during the latest performance of this song in the AX concert…

Best looking girl in this costume: Hana!! Ok, I’ll get a hold of myself, I promise! It’s Erepyon, I see her in that elephant costume and want to freaking adopt her!!

Ok, that’s enough pictures spam for now, so I’ll leave it like this. I’ll post the rest later, and I swear there won’t be as many pics, I’m just obsessed with the unit costumes of this stage <3

Hello! Have you missed me?? I’m extra happy today because now I can finally talk about my favorite team!!! So if you’re not a Team K fan, prepare to become a convert!!!

1. Seishun Girls - Beach Sandal - Kimi ga Hoshi ni Naru Made:  

So, we start off with another school uniform, of course! As you can see, the first thing the girls do is take off their dark blue vests to start dancing, which is an interesting tough, but I wonder why having a vest if they’re going to wear it only for like 8 seconds…

So the girls turn taking off the vest into a part of the choreography, as they swing it around in the air and then throw it away XD

So, now that we have lights we can see the uniform itself, which is pretty simple, really. Like something you could actually see in a real school.

Or in a magic school like Hogwarts? See, Sayaka is a Gryffindor!!! That was pretty obvious… XD

Ok, so we have different tie colors for the girls, and other than that all uniforms are pretty much the same

The only thing that makes this unifrom a bit different than a regular high school one is the small chain that hangs from the waist. It’s a nice and subtle touch and I like it

Oh, look, Sae is a Gryffindor as well! Ok, I’ll stop it. The pink ties don’t match the color scheme of the uniforms, which is more grayish green than anything else, but since this is an idol group after all, there just HAD to be something pink…

Lovely Yuko is lovely <3 That’s a funny face she’s making there though…

The shoes are normal brown shoes that would go with any uniform IRL. Not very creative, but I like how the whole feeling of this uniforms (especially in contrast with the pink and white ruffly ones from A1) point out how Team K are idols, but they’re not all about the hearts and lace, as they’re the “cool girls” (no pun intended…) of AKB!

YUUUUKOOOOOO!!! <3 <3 <3

Best looking girl in this costume: Hmm… that’s tough, because all of the uniforms look kind of the same, but I think it’s gotta be Sayaka, she totally rocked it!

 

2. Blue Rose:

Ok, this screencap sucks, but I have like 30 mor to make up for it XD It’s just to give you an idea of how amazingly cool and sexy ths outfit is!! 

Sayaka!!! Ok, so here we can see the leather coat, and if you look closer, the collar and cuffs are embroidered with some sort of sequins or something like that, very flashy and cool as hell

That’s Meetan, in case you’re wondering. Well, the difference in outfits here is very subtle, the leads (Sayaka and Yuka) wear leather skirts while Sae and Meetan wear leather hot pants, as can be seen in the pic.

And the other difference is that the leads wear only a necklace, while Sae and Meetan have a leather choker (pretty much like the one in KissDame, only black)

 

As you can see, all of the girls have a lace black garter, very sexy <3

Sayaka’s abs deserve a post of their own O_O

The girls have belts on their leather skirts/hot pants. I find this fact funny, but I don’t really know why, maybe it’s because I never wear belts, so I find it odd that they are everywhere in AKB costumes!

All of them have one biker glove, and the tops look like corsets, with laces and stuff (HOT) also, note how the tops of the leads are smaller than the ones Sae and Meetan wear (I think this was planned so that Sayaka could show off her abs and Yuka could show off her waistline lol)

This outfit is the definition of coolness, and it has become iconic of Team K (sorry team B fans, but this version CAN’T be beaten at all…)

Sexy Sae!!

Yuka’s HUGE silver cross looks pretty cool! It seems to fit her character somehow, especially now that we’ve all heard MARIA…

And, finally, the boots that go with the outfit! They’re shiny, like everything else and have a medium sized heel, which must’ve made them really difficut to jump around in O_O At least at first try…

Best looking girl in this costume: It’s a tie between Sayaka and Sae. Sayaka’s abs and perfect body made her look amazing in this, but Sae REALLY worked it, like alaways <3 So yeah, it’s a tie

 

Ok, I have to go now, but later today or tomorrow I’ll post the rest of this review! Don&#