Matsui Jurina “The ace of SKE48″

Back when it was first announced that SKE48 would be formed in Nagoya, everyone was skeptical at best. When the release of the much anticipated “Oogoe Diamond” single came, and this weird little girl was featured ALONE in the cover, everyone flipped out. She was all over the PV, front and center, getting lots of line, and stealing the spot light from the ever leading Maeda Atsuko. People were mostly, raging. But everyone thought that this would just be a phase, a publicity stunt of Akimoto’s to promote the newly formed SKE48, and they lulled themselves into thinking that this anomaly would go away with the next single

But then lo and behold, Junen Zakura came around, and there was Jurina back in the center! XD The instant rage built up in many AKB wota’s hearts and the started claiming “Get her out of AKB PVs, she’s not even part of the group” and “She was just smacked there in the center for no reason at all!” and that’s pretty much where things still stand for many AKB fans. Jurina is still in the center, and she’s been featured prominently in all of AKB’s PVs after Oogoe. But I do think that she deserves her position in the center, so I’ll try to articulate a bit about that. The first easy comparison one might draw when thinking of Jurina is to Kusumi Koharu of MM, as both were deemed “aces” of their respective groups right after they joined. But reading an interview with Oshima Yuko, where she compared the Jurina situation to when Goto Maki joined Morning Musume, it seems more like that. She was a lot younger than her team mates, she was also placed in the center, and she pretty much pwned everyone else from there XD

I was surprised with her sudden center position at first, but not too much, because I try to keep in mind that there’s more of a business tint to the idol thing rather than an “artsy” approach. I knew that Akimoto needed to push SKE. Why choosing an 11 year old to do this was what left me puzzled at first, and some wacky theories exist around the internet, that claim that Jurina’s grandfather owns the Sunshine Sakae building where the SKE48 theater resides. But I don’t think that this is necessarily the reason why Matsui is the star of Team S, even if it turns out to be true. One has to watch her perform to understand, she’s incredibly talented! 

She might not be the best singer, but she’s good enough to stay on pitch and has a decent voice. however, it’s when she dances that she shines the most, it’s impossible not to look at her. She has a lot of stamina, and yet her steps are always precise, and at all times, there’s a huge smile on her face (which has made her haters call her The Joker XD) you can tell that she’s absolutely enjoying herself fully, and that makes her very appealing as an idol. Her very young age might also be a factor for her earning that position, because she’s simply a kid having fun, and I think that she stresses herself a lot less than the other girls in AKB about popularity and things like that.

And it’s also her youth that makes her refreshing among the other AKB girls, who are all savvy when it comes to show-business. Even though Jurina doesn’t generally perform any cam-whoring stunts, she just kind of exists there, as happy as always, simply enjoying herself on TV shows and the such, and her normal behavior sets her apart from the act of the AKB girls. Let’s look at an example of this, in AKBINGO they used to have a fast word game, much like Shiritori; one of the categories was “scary things” so at one point of the competition, one of the girls in Jurina’s team said something lame to win in that category because of the rush XD So when the hosts pointed this out, all of the girls in the group went “NO, LOOK BUT IT’S REALLY SCARY WAAAAH WAAAAH” but Jurina remained completely unfazed. When the guests asked her about this she replied “Well, I don’t think it’s scary at all”

In the end of the day, the fact that prominent members like Acchan or Yuko see her as an actual threat to their position in the group should give us all an idea of what Matsui Jurina is capable of. You all might keep hating on her all you want, she’s proved that she’s got the talent to back her front position and also outshine some of her seniors at times! She’s definitely serious about her job, or at least, as serious and dedicated as a 12 year old can be. I’m actually happy that Akimoto is capable of spotting talent like this, it shows that he really has a knack for idols

Really, I should be writing an entry about Onyanko Club because they so manage to make me ultra HAPPY whenever I listen to any of their songs! Their whiny voices and super sweet tunes are just instant K.O for me, I want to prance around in a school uniform and sing along while I bob my head stupidly… But I can’t write about them because I know next to nothing about them XD Except that they were pretty famous, sang pervy stuff sometimes, and one of them went and married Aki-P.

So, instead of that. I’ll try to have a little discussion about some of the most prominent aces of the 48 franchise. Granted, I’ll try to be as unbiased as I can, and while I don’t really hate any senbatsu, there are many that can be a bit grating for me :P 

Maeda Atsuko “The face of AKB48″ 

There’s so much that could be said about a girl as wildly popular as Acchan that even people who don’t know much about AKB recognize instantly, but incidentally, so little is said… People just leave it at “She’s a quiet demure girl so the japanese like that” but somehow I get a feeling that there’s a lot more underneath it. In a recent interview, Acchan said that she’s regarded as “a girl who’s never thinking about anything” and I think that it really shows. The reason why Acchan is popular it’s kind of strange when you consider other frontgirls in AKB or even outside of it. Take Takahashi Ai, for an example, she’s an easy comparison to Acchan (who isn’t liked by many western fans), because they are both quiet girls who people can even deem “boring” However, Aichan is clearly the most talented girl in MM right now, she’s the best singer, a great dancer and she is dazzling when performing live…

I’m no Acchan hater, I like her voice, and I think that she’s a good dancer and definitely holds her own, but honestly, talent wise, Masuda Yuka can outsing her ANY day. And 1/4 of Team K can dance much better than her. Then there’s the people who say that it’s easy to choose Acchan as a favorite because of her beauty. Acchan is a pretty girl, no doubt, but Shinoda Mariko is in a different league when you compare the two of them, and yet Atsuko is the quitessencial front girl. One can also say that japanese fans like a quiet, demure girl, which is the most popular theory for Acchan’s rise to fame, but this is only partly true, as Nakaya Sayaka, my favorite B member is rock bottom in the mixi popularity rankings while she’s a lovable, quiet and nice girl.

I recently read an interview with her that shed a little light on her center position. She said that she’s always been an introverted girl so much that even though she wanted to try for AKB48, she wasn’t even capable of telling her parents about her true wish until they came up to her and asked her if she wanted to go to the auditions. She also talked about how it was Natsu sensei who wanted her to be part of the frontgirls at first, because Akimoto hadn’t even noticed her, and how “Nagisa no Cherry” is a song that she really hated back in A2 because it made her backdancers mad because they had almost no lines while she was at the front. This is a lot of pressure, especially for a girl who isn’t naturally strong willed or driven at first impression

But that might be the reason why she’s at the front, more than anything else. She looks like the kind of girl who would break, but she’s competitive enough to work hard for her spot in the front, and for keeping it. She also mentioned that back when Oogoe was released and she had to share the center spot with Jurina, she had to step up her game because Akimoto started hinting that he might give the top position to Jurina if she didn’t get better and better. The reason why she has remained at the top is that her willpower has kept her there, it might appear as if she’s just thrown in there because Akimoto likes her, but make no mistake, Acchan knows her game better than that.

In all honesty, the reason why I like Acchan is that I can relate to her to a certain extent. She’s one of those characters that are endearing because they make you want to root for them. She’s an introvert, she’s not the best singer, she’s not the best dancer, yet she just wants to be in the center, and even though it might look like she doesn’t care at all (her bored expressions are priceless XD) if you have a chance to check out her blog entries, AKB is a really big part of her life, and she’s constantly thanking everyone who has supported her. She’s a funny case in that respect, in a group full of girls with a lot more spark and attitude and drive, what makes Acchan stand out is her slow but certain approach to popularity, by being herself and not creating a character like her fellow group members she comes across as a genuine girl, a flawed teenager full of doubts and fears, but one who’s honest enough to show herself  just like that.

All of this leads to the simplistic conclusion that in a group with the “girl next door” type as the main goal for its members, a girl like Acchan will naturally excel. But I liked trying to look a little bit more into her idol persona, whether I succeeded or not is a different story. I wanted to discuss Atsuko first because she’s the most complex one IMO, precisely because of her simplicity. I could write words and words and words about spirited camera hogging lovable girls like Sae, but with Acchan, there’s only so much you can say without repeating yourself XD. In any case, take this from me, Acchan will stay in the front for as long as AKB as we know it exists, so I respectfully advice all the haters to get used to her

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…

Hi people! First of all, I have to get something off my chest, so here goes:

If anything I’ve ever written in this blog or anywhere around the internet has ever offended any of you in any possible way, I apologize. I’m trying to become a more sensible and peaceful person, so please forgive me if I’ve said anything inappropriate. I mean it in the most honest way.

Ok, now, let’s move on to the things we love! AKB48 and SKE48! Wheeee! But first, OMG have you watched the Sakura no Shiori full PV? It’s so pretty *__* I’m loving the single so much already! If you want to check it out, it’s upped at H!O.

Today, I’ll do a brief track by track review of S2 (although I really should be reading about Kawasaki’s disease XD) Also, the translations are made by me, so they’re nowhere near accurate XD They’re just supposed to give you an idea of what the song’s about anyway

1. Bokura no Kaze “The birds are flying freely towards a new horizon”

The opening song of B2 is a standard cheery idol song. Pure pop, complete with cute lyrics about overcoming obstacles in your life and how you have friends who help you out with everything always and stuff like that. It does sound a tad bit generic, though, so it’s not really a favorite of mine, however, I do appreciate the fact that it’s an upbeat number, and has a nice jumpy choreography that really showcases the high energy level of Team S’s girls. Also, tambourines! OMG I love them!

2. Mango no. 2 “Fast, fast, I want to become an adult! I want to throw away my sneakers and wear big high heels”

This song begins with Jurina saying “Uuuuhhh Mango number twoooo—” and then the girls come out and GUESS WHAT YOU GUYS, it’s actually mambo! LOLOL I love it when AKB (or SKE) have latin sounding music! It makes for great danceable numbers, and I also really really enjoy them because, well, this is the music I grew up with. So yeah, I’m in love with this cute little mambo number! The tempo is kind of slowed down though, but it still makes for a super cute choreography! And I also love the lyrics about wanting to grow up fast :3 I don’t know why though… Maybe I can relate to that feeling, because all the people around me were always older than me XD

3. Chime wa Love Song “The school chime is a love song, a dear melody to me”

This song has been way overplayed already. Whenever SKE appears anywhere this is the song they sing, but of course, it’s because it’s actually a very idol-y song, about a girl who looks through her classroom window at her crush so whenever the school chime rings she is happy because she can see him if only for a bit. Yeah, those lyrics are lame unless you’re like 14, but whatever. IT has just the right measure of energy and cute dance steps to make it catchy. It’s not a favorite of mine, though. I don’t understand why didn’t they give this awesome (albeit a little too colorful outfits to the more tropical Mango No. 2 but w/e)

4. Te wo Tsunaginagara “Under the gate where cherry blossoms bloom, while I’m feeling nervous, pushed by the spring breeze, it’s the first day of school”

Yay! Rika-chan screencap FTW <3 Anyway, the title song, is a very energetic one, albeit a little generic. However, it has a nice melody and it has parts where the audience can scream “HEY HEY HEY” along with them, so fans always like that kind of stuff XD My only complain about this one is the fact that it sounds too similar to CHIME sometimes, so yeah. But even though it might not be musically awesome, it’s pretty nice to watch the girls perform this, they are super happy and interact with each other cutely

5. GLORY DAYS “every day, everytime, I’m living today as well”

This is Jurina’s unit from S2, where she sings along with Kuwabara Mizuki (left) and Nakanishi Yuuka (right). This is the dance unit in this stage hands down, and although I didn’t really like it at first because it’s all over the place, music wise, I like the reggae feel it has at some points Also, the dancing! OMG! These girls move around so much that I had to put my video player in slow motion in order to take screencaps of them, it was insane! I also don’t get why Kuwabara ended up so low in the general AKB/SKE ranking this year, she’s a really really good dancer, and that should count for something Not a fan of the hats or the feather boas, but they make it work surprisingly well!

6. Kono Mune no Barcode “I only want the security camera to shoot the proof of the fact that I came here”

The songs so far have been either kiddie stuff, or bright cheery songs about “be happy, you’ll never be alone”. This is the first grown up song, with a moody tune and lonely lyrics about… well… shopping in a convenience store? XD Akimoto is at least original in his lyrics, I give him that XD This song compares love with things like “being read by a register machine” hence, the barcode in the lyrics. I especially like the line about the security camera because WTF? Who thinks of that when you say “break up song” Also, I used to love the outfits way more than I do now, the non-Aki girls (That’s Deguchi Aki in the screencap, BTW, the other girls in the unit are Ono Haruka and Takada Shiori) used to wear a really cute and stylish stewardess like little hat, and I really can’t understand why it was replaced with these random yellow things. I love this song, the music sounds even a bit soulful XD If such adjective can be used to describe idol music… And the vocals by the 3 of them are flawless and not grating in the least! Definitely a favorite.

7. Wimbledon he tsureteitte “Your sunburnt skin is surely a gift from the sun, right?”

And here comes the loli unit of S2! featuring Yagami Kumi (blue), Takai Tsukina (pink) and Mori Sayuki (yellow). This unit is pure idol pop in all is glory, classically made, completed by puffy dresses and ribbons and lace everywhere! These dresses are absolutely adorable as far as I’m concerned, I love them! Of course, the lyrics are kind of lame, but whatever! We’re not into idols for their lyrics most of the time anyway (except if you’re a trascendental weirdo like me…) The reason why I like this song the most is because its lyrics remind me of “Suki yo Captain” another Jpop song I really like. It’s a cute unit, to sum it all up.

8. Ame no Pianist “The pianist rain softly plays a Chopin farewell song I know”

This was the first song that made the SKE non-fans pay attention to the group. It’s kind of cheesy, but so amazing! XD Kind of like a guilty pleasure of sorts XD The girls are decked in Moulin Rouge-esque outfits, and they sing this sad break up song. The most remarkable part is the choreography, which is very intense, and goes along with the piano background really well. The girls in this unit are Yamashita Moe (left) Matsui Rena (center) and Matsushita Yui (right). Most improved mention goes to Rena, who manages to own this song as a lead, even though her vocals in her previous unit, Classmate weren’t as smooth as here. Rena is so hardworking <3

9. Choco no Yukue “Hey, tell me about the whereabouts of that love, did it end up in your tummy?”

OMG! Rika-chan unit!!! Yay!! <3 This unit is a completely cute song, about a girl who made Valentine’s chocolates for her crush and then leaves them in his locker but forgets to put a card with her name on it XD I think the comparison of love = chocolate is really cute and idoly. And I really like that line about the girl wondering if her love ended up in the guy’s tummy XD It’s all so cute! The girls in this unit are Hirata Rikako, Oya Masana, Hiramatsu Kanako and Shinkai Rina

10. INNOCENCE “Before you take off my uniform, tell me that you love me once more”

Of course, me being the huge pervert I am, this is my favorite song of the stage, It’s a really sultry song about a girl who’s going to lose her virginity, and the part I like the most is that *48 decided to be politically correct for once and the only girls who get lines in this are the legal ones Yay! Because, no offense to the lolis, but I like older idols a bit more *shrugs* This song sounds amazing thanks to the fact that all the solo lines are given to girls who can really sing

11. ROMANCE ROCKET “In a romance rocket, just the 2 of us, we’ll travel to the farthest ends of the galaxy!”

The only words that come to mind whenever I think of this song are “Weird and Bouncy” this sounds borderline denpa even XD And the chorus has some really catchy rhythm that I’m sure I’ve heard elsewhere before. It works though, and I like aliens, I think they’re cute, so I like songs that feature them as a main subject This song is really really weird though, in a cute way but… yeah, insanity. The male “Oh yeahs” can be annoying after a while though. Another guilty pleasure here XD

12. Koi no Teikoku to Taisaku Oshiete “Nobody has noticed, but behind his glasses, he has round eyes, and if he cut his hair, he might even become cool”

This song makes me happy for no reason whatsoever XD It’s a cutesy song about a girl who falls in love with a geek It reminds me a lot of a mix between Ki ni Naru Tenkousei and Heart Gata Virus But music wise, it’s a bit like Doku Ringo wo Tabesasete, in that the girls sing a solo line and then another girl says something cute like “KAWAII!” or something like that. It’s hard to explain. I just love this song <3

13. Daisuki “No matter what hard things might happen, it’s going to be ok from now on”

Oh, how I love this song. There aren’t words to express it. This song really made me cry the first time I listened to it. And I hadn’t cried about an idol song for like years. Seriously. I can’t even remember the last time I did. This song is kind of a ballad, slow paced and very pretty. I love the lyrics, although they are really generic about loving someone and being there for them. Also, the white dresses are so pretty.

14. Rope no Yuujou “The friendship rope, while it’s tied, we can go together to paradise or anywhere we want”

This is the first rocking song of the stage, and it’s really nice. I’m a bit fed up with the lyrics about friends, it’s like “Yeah, I get it, friends are nice, now STOP IT!” Ugh. But, other than that, the outfits are incredibly fierce, and military inspired. And they also have props! Yay! They use a rope to symbolize friendship and have an interesting choreography to showcase it. Yeah, you kind of have to watch it to get it though, but I like the music a lot. I wish Team K gets similar songs in their latest stage ;_;

15.  Kayoubi no Yoru Suiyoubi no Asa “The me who cries too much, cries until the morning comes, because I can’t open the door”

This song is SO good. It’s not even funny. I was seriously converted into a fan when it started playing. The music is incredibly catchy and dramatic, and the macarena-like choreography works surprisingly well, although I was expecting headbanging here XD As always emo lyrics are popular within Akimoto’s works, this one is no exception but just… wow… it’s a really good song, by all standards.

16. Tooku ni Itemo 

I haven’t even bothered to listen to this song paying attention to what it says. It’s just a boring ballad, but almost every stage has one of its own, so it’s ok. 

 

S2 is a great stage, I highly recommend it even for people who don’t like Matsui Jurina, she’s not all over the place in this, and the girls from S2 are very charismatic and talented, it’s a stage that you will definitely enjoy, one of the best in AKB history IMO!

You know, with everyone in the H!P fan world praising Aibon (after ditching her for her scandals and PBs *shrugs*) because she said that AKB was nowhere as good as H!P is, I had an epiphany!! It was simply triggered in my brain!!!!

EDIT: No need to curse all that much in the blog *seatdrop* See, I got carried away because sadly, IRL I curse like a pirate XD

Here’s how my thought process went: 

1. OMG WTF?

2. That’s not really classy of her to say, especially when AKB girls are all super humble, and there are quite a few of MM fans in the group, who openly admit it and gush about their favorite idols! And even the girls who aren’t fans, they always refer to MM as their “big and important senpai” looking up to them and stuff. They’ve NEVER EVER claimed that they were even a competition against H!P in any way…

3. You know what? I don’t give a fuck. H!P could be the best thing in the music world, music and performance wise, I’d still stick with AKB songs because…. I’M TOO OLD FOR H!P!!!

Ok, now before I get flamed like crazy, allow me to explain myself:

I know that there are fans of H!P who are WAY older than me, and of course, fans of AKB who are younger than me too. (I’m 22, BTW) but the truth is that I’m a straight girl, I don’t like watching girls in my daily life, and the only reason why I watch these particular girls is because I like their songs, and I feel like I can relate to them somehow. (and that’s why I watch their idol DVDs too, of course *whistle*)

now, you might ask wtf does this have to do with anything? Well, I used to be a very mentally innocent person when it comes to love, so I adored Berryz songs, and (believe it or not) their lyrics too. It’s just like Ray wrote not so long ago, some people think that music is a trascendental thing, like finding a BGM for your life and everything that happens in it, well, I’m like that exactly.

So, back in the day, whenever my bf didn’t call me for days I always blasted Gocchin’s “Yokohama Shinkirou” in rebound mode or something like that. And of course, the first date was actually me humming “Tanoshii na lalalala Tanoshii na Hora! DEETO wa tanoshii na”

But then…

Well, let’s just leave the details out and say that a few years went by, and I grew up while H!P just became disturbingly younger and younger every time (disturbing for my life BGM purposes I mean XD). And, also, Koharu happened. With her sugar high songs with random instrumentals and derailed smile in her PVS and I went “Uh… not really my thing”

And while this might ruin my net reputation forever (like I have one LOL) I just have to accept the truth, I’d much rather listen to lyrics like “We fell in love like a roller coaster, our skins longing for each other, we dreamt a fleeting dream” than a song about a Bus Guide (really, honestly, I truly did love Berryz so much, but then I sort of… can’t relate to such songs anymore!) So yeah, you’re getting this kinda right, I grew up and then I didn’t care about Amulet Eggs people or something like that it’s like “Omg they’re 9 kthxbai”

So yeah, the next point you’ll say is “AKB has lolis too! And of course, innocent songs as well!!! WTF is wrong with you, you bitch???” and I’ll say: Yeah, but not quite. I don’t like the AKB lolis for the most part, and the vast majority of my favorite AKB members are over 18… and while sometimes I do hum GARASU no I Love you to myself, I’d rather hum “Junai no Crescendo” LOLOL

I also have to point out a funny thing that happened to me that made me realize why I might have given up on H!P, randomly, Abe Natsumi and Yajima Maimi’s duet “16sai no koi nante” started playing and, while paying attention to the lyrics, I could totally relate to EVERYTHING Nacchi was saying, shaking my head at Maimi’s naive lines. So I thought “Damn, I’m elder club fan material… Now it’s really for sure!!!” XD XD XD Ahhh… growing up sucks D:

To sum this up, as it’s always been the case, it IS a matter of liking one thing or the other, but for me, and around the time AKB48 was actually created, I wanted to listen to something a bit more grown up lyrics wise. 

Please keep in mind that not all of us girls want to listen to STRAWBERYY PIE AYAYAYAYAYAYAIIII FOR MAI DAAARIN!!! all the time… *shrugs* And this of course, doesn’t mean that I think AKB lyrics have a mystical and philosophical depth unbeknownst to man kind prior to their existence, because, come on, these girls have sung about ALL of the freaking bones in the human body! It’s just… I like their lyrics more and that’s it.

So if in your mind AKB = slutty

in mine H!P = teen love

They go together sometimes yeah, but that’s a whole other post and for a whole different kind of media that’s not exactly this blog XD

Hello people! Here’s my mini review of SKE48’s Team S second stage DVD! I think that some people might be shunning SKE thinking that they are a subpar spinoff of AKB48, but I wanted to show people, both old fans and new, how much I love this team, and how incredibly talented and hard working they are! This new generation of idols are all stars! Starting from the miracle child, Matsui Jurina, the face of SKE48

 

Well, I don’t know much about Masana, she’s quite pretty, and I get an “Invisible frontgirl” vibe from her. By that I mean that somehow I feel like she’s getting a small push by the management, because she’s in the front in quite a number of songs, and she’s the lead in Choco no Yukue, her unit. I don’t really know about it, though, it’s just… a kind of Kobayashi Kana-esque feel, in that they’re both given some extra lines and close ups even if they aren’t senbatsu

 

Haruka looks very different in pics than the image she projects on stage. I mean, she has this super cute set of fangs (like Nono’s XD), so whenever she grins, she gives out the vibe of being a cute and bouncy kid, but don’t be fooled! IRL she’s like that, but when she performs, this girl is fierce! She has one of the most powerful voices of Team S, and she’s also a great dancer. The best part is her whole attitude, she exudes such self confidence that she just makes you look at her! Definitely a favorite of mine!

 

Mizuki’s talent makes her outshine some of her more famous team mates sometimes XD She’s an incredibly good dancer, even in Team S, where many girls like Jurina, Kuumin, Yuka or Moe excel. She’s always super energetic, and she moves her body in ways that I can’t quite comprehend yet. I have to analyze the tsuyokimonoyo PV more, but in this stage performance of the first SKE single she’s in the center most of the time with the Matsui stars. That means that she’s an almost senbatsu! Wow!

Hello people! Sorry about the loooooong absence, but I actualy had something close to a real life until last month, so I just had to sit back and enjoy while it lasted XD

The end of 2009 is coming really soon, and so, here comes the list making season for blogs all over the net! (have you noticed how we bloggers have OCD? Making lists is a compulsion according to many psychiatry studies…)

Here’s my member ranking for 2009, I’ll rank the members according to their old teams until their new stages premier, ok?

Team A

13. Miyazaki Miho; I’ve never been a huge fan of Myao, to be honest. I think that she’s the full package as an idol, she’s determined to reach the top, she’s very pretty, and she’s entertaining as hell with her “unexpectedly tough” gimmick. She just doesn’t do it for me. I think that it’s her slight diva attitude. Sometimes, she looks as if we don’t deserve her in all of her glory, and it isn’t even in a tongue in cheek way, so w/e. I don’t like her voice either, and that’s a big no no for me most of the times.

12. Sato Amina: Oh crap, if I don’t get flamed for not liking Miho, I’m surely going to get slapped for placing Amina so low! I don’t dislike Amina in the slightest, in fact, I quite admire her as a character. She’s worked really hard to get where she is now, and seeing a girl who loves AKB this much is heart warming. She also seems to be very caring about her fellow team mates and whatnot, but still, she’s just not my type of idol. Her ultra high pitched voice is her greatest asset because she knows how to work it, but even still, I don’t really like its timbre. 

11. Nakata Chisato: Chiichan, Chiichan. She used to be my favorite kenkyuusei for a really long time, and then she got promoted and kind of disappeared from the face of the Earth. I think that Chiichan’s biggest problem is that she doesn’t have enough “oomph” to make people instantly spot her and want to root for her, and that’s almost certain to be a downside for an idol. Actually, I want that with the new Team A that fits her gentle personality she is able to show herself more, because she’s really talented and it’s a shame that it doesn’t always show.

10. Maeda Atsuko: How can an AKB fan really hate Acchan? I personally don’t. Especially not ever since I found out that she’s really close to Yuko XD But all kidding aside, I can feel for Acchan, ever since that MC in A5 shounichi where she said that Akimoto had told her to smile all the time because when she didn’t she looked like she didn’t care about anything, I realized that she’s just mostly misunderstood. I think that whenever people accuse her of half assing something, it’s probably just that she’s not all THAT great, objectively speaking, and that is her charm. But of course, not everybody GETS IT. I theoretically do, but she lacks the punch that I like in my idols so she’ll never be a fave. I still enjoy her blog though, it’s the main reason why she ranked here anyway XD

9. Kojima Haruna: Kojiharu is gorgeous as hell and stuff, but she doesn’t do it for me most of the time either. I love how determined she is, and how down to earth and smart she really is under that cover of hers. Also, Yuko seems to have a huge crush on her, so I kind of have to like her too because I’m lame like that XD And for the most part, I do like her, but I think that she’s not a very versatile performer, and that can really lower her level on stage. I think that No3b was the best thing that could’ve happened to her, it suits her style and lets her be the charmer perfect idol she is.

8. Shinoda Mariko: I don’t know about Mariko at all tbh. She’s like one of those girls that I really WANT to love, and she seems to have everything I look for in an idol: She’s goofy, has a good voice and great stage presence, but then in reality, she somehow falls flat for me and I don’t quite know why. What I really like about Mariko (other than the things I just wrote) is the fact that even though she’s really famous on her own, she still really loves AKB and has a lot of fun at it.  I admire her because I thought that she was going to call it quits at the same time Oshima Mai did, but she stayed, and even said in the Budoukan concert that she won’t graduate until she’s 30. 

7. Fujie Reina: Reina’s whole friendship with Mai seemed like a really obvious gimmick to me, what with the re enactments and overly dramatic tone of the whole story, but despite of that, it made me notice her. I used to dislike Reina back when everybody loved her just for her cuteness after her disastrous rendition of HoneHone Waltz, and then, Kuroi Tenshi came around and I was in love. Reina is a solid performer, she has a great voice, and she’s very flexible, which gives her dance moves an elegant look. I just love her, I love how honest she is in her blog too, and I’m totally looking forward to have her in K!!

6. Takajo Aki: For Akicha and me, it was love at first sight. I adored her, she reminded me of the unpolished and huggable Momusu yougsters when they have just joined, she looked really lost, but still smiled and gave her best effort always, and I instantly wanted her to be a star. And Akimoto must’ve heard my prayers because she was promoted to A in record time, and she was given a huge push in following concerts and the such. But I think she wasn’t ready for it, and sometimes she seemed even a bit dumbfounded (her self advertising video was HORRIBLE) and I was disappointed. But right now, she’s become more comfortable with her position as the leader of undergirls and I’m loving her again! 

5. Itano Tomomi: I’ve never been a Tomochin huge huge fan either, but I love her carefree attitude and I love her dancing skills, it just flows when she does it! I’m kind of bummed about her depression issues, as I really worry about such things and I know that it can get pretty bad, and I think that the shuffling announcement didn’t help cheer her up at all, but I really hope that she can find a good side to it…

4. Minegishi Minami: What’s not to love about Miichan? She’s just lots of FUN. And she’s also very talented, I love her sweet little voice, she has decent control, and she’s a really good dancer. I also love how cheeky she allows herself to be! It’s kind of sad that she’s been steadily losing popularity over the years because of the new generation, but hey, I’m still a fan, Miichan! Keep rocking!

3. Takahashi Minami: I think Takamina ranks this high mostly out of respect. I really admire how hard working she is, and how she puts her heart into everything she does, despite of her limitations as a comedienne, she still does MCs, and gets out there to speak in front of everyone, and what’s not to love about that??? If you like AKB, you have got to have a place in your heart for the great Takamina.

2. Sato Yukari: Yukarin! OMG I love this girl so much, and nobody ever understands why XD I used to like her even more when Nozofisu was around, I love seeing the 2 airheads just being silly with each other… But right now, I have to say that I love Yukari because she’s sheer attitude. She’s not the prettiest girl around, she’s kind of flat chested and she doesn’t really have a booty, yet she works it like no other in photoshoots and ends up looking really hot, and it’s the same in performances, she’s not a great singer or dancer, but she’s just damn proud of herself for being there and enjoys it fully, I can’t help but love her more everytime I spot her! And I’m going to sorely miss her when she moves to SDN

1. Kitahara Rie: Unexpected choice much? Kitarie is simply my favorite A member as of today. She’s been steadily rising ever since I saw her from the first time, she’s the most gorgeous girl ever. I LOVED her funny bits in AKBINGO as “Unagi Inu” and I also love how hard she works, she always seems to be glowing! To sum it up, I don’t have a real reason why I adore Kitarie, but I just do. So any other statements I might make now are going to be only gush gush gush so let’s leave it like this XD

Team K

15. Oku Manami: I’ll start by saying that I love ALL of the girls in Team K so this ranking was hard as hell! Manami is so adorable, she’s very beautiful and I like her soft voice. I also like how Akimoto thinks that she should be an ace, as she looks like a very trendy person to me. 

14. Kobayashi Kana:Kana is like she goes into on and off mode. Whenever she’s “on” she jokes around, is super lively and entertaining, and the she switches to “off” and you won’t even notice her at all. I don’t like how inconsistent she is as a performer, and her voice tends to go off pitch a lot.

13. Umeda Ayaka: Umechan has stage presence like no others, is an amazing dancer and an adorable dork, but she doesn’t have a lot of oomph to her personality either. I was such a big fan, then I went to watch them live and she was kind of freaked out by me XD Now I can’t really find a reason why I should be in love with her, I do think she’s one of the best performers K has, and I’m glad that they kept her in the team!

12. Kuramochi Asuka: Mocchi is a dear. She’s soft spoken, gentle and very ladylike, which is why she’s getting moved to A XD I love how sultry her voice is, she does wonders with it. Also, am I the only one who thinks that she’s absolutely drop dead gorgeous? She’s right up there in my ranking next to Kitarie <3

11. Matsubara Natsumi: I’ve always had a soft spot for Nattsumii, and I’m super happy to see that she’s steadily becoming more popular. Also, she’s a very H!P-like idol, which I think was the first quality that drew me to her back when I was a n00b XD. However, like the verse about her in 16 shimai no uta says, she’s too plain, and that hurts her a bit at times.

10. Masuda Yuka: I adore Yuka’s voice, she’s a star all around. She’s a great dancer, and she’s versatile enough to perform cute songs believably and effortlessly as well as power numbers, which is why I love her so much. Also, it doesn’t hurt that she has a relatively quirky personality. But you know what? Screw all that, the only reason why everybody should love Yuka is because idols like her are born every 1000 years (yeah, I’m stealing Akimoto’s definition of Mayu, so what?). She’s breathtaking on stage, if you won’t take my word for it, go watch her version of Koike, she 0wned everyone’s faces with that (and the whole first shuffle concert, actually XD)

9. Sato Natsuki: Nacchi is smart, fun, has a great voice and looks very beautiful. Also, she has a great way with words, she’s unexpectedly entertaining no matter what, I love her MCs, she manages to tell the most random stories in an amusing way! Also, she can eat salad endlessly! Which is a great talent, I’d say XD

8. Ohori Megumi: Meetan, the sexy predator of Team K. Of course I rooted for her a lot during her “Kokansetsu” days. What I admire the most out of Megumi is her devotion. She just entirely throws her heart and soul into the things she loves and that’s touching. I also really admire her honesty, she isn’t afraid of looking silly, she’s just incredibly sincere and that is so refreshing! Especially with the “cover up” attitude the idol world usually has…

7. Chikano Rina: Awww… I’m so sore that she’s getting moved to B! No hate to B, of course, but it breaks my heart how she was a kenkyuusei for like a million years and always wanted to be in K, and when she finally gets her dream, it evades her like this… Anyhow, Chikarina is amazing for the same reasons Kitarie is, more or less. She’s ULTRA happy to be performing in anything and it definitely shows. Of course, she’s more of the “fierce” type instead of Rie’s “cuteness” but still, their determination and happiness are almost equal. I also love Chikarina’s constant gush posts about Team K, she’s such a wota!!! (or AN wota if you’re a grammar crazy person)

6. Ono Erena: I’ll always state this until proven otherwise: Erena is singlehandedly the prettiest girl in AKB. You may or may not realized it, I personally hadn’t noticed it until I saw her in person. It’s incredible. Ok, now I sound like an L pedobear, but I swear I’m not. I love Erena because I always have. She’s the epitome of cuteness, and she’s a spoiled brat and doesn’t care about it. I love how she’s still super excited about her job, but even with everything that comes with being an idol, she doesn’t put up with anyone’s crap, and with this philosophy she’s beaten up certain AKBINGO guests XD

5. Noro Kayo: Nontii is hilarious. She is definitely not afraid to make fun of herself or be goofy, but she’s also really beautiful and talented. I like her dancing style, it’s very powerful and lively! I really wished that she could stay in K, because she really made everyone laugh and stuff, but I’m sure that she has a bright future ahead of her in SDN48 anyway…

4. Miyazawa Sae:  GENKING!!! Sae is incredibly lively an entertaining as an idol, she’s impossible to ignore, and I also think that it’s nearly impossible to dislike a girl like her. She’s just UBER excited about everything, and at times, she looks like she might need a Ritalin XD But in spite of all this, it doesn’t take away from her performances, which are top notch, and I love how she can go from jumping around everywhere to being sexy or emo if the song requires it

3. Akimoto Sayaka: Sayaka is one of those girls that people either ADORE or dislike. I can’t possibly understand how anyone could dislike a person as kind and devoted as Sayaka, but I guess some pople don’t look that deep into idols XD I also think that if you haven’t seen Sayaka in person, you might get the wrong impression of her, but the way I see it, she’s one of the girls who truly cares the most about her fans. She’s just incredibly nice and humble when you meet her. Also, there are a LOT more good things about her: She’s incredibly passionate about everything she does, and it really shows in her performances, she’s very funny, she isn’t afraid of being geeky, she has a great voice, she is gorgeous, she speaks english! There’s so much to like about Sayaka, I’m super excited about her being picked as the captain of Team K, because not only does she deserve it, but she’ll do a fantastic job at that position.

2. Kasai Tomomi: Tomomi-chan has been winning me over through the years. At first I didn’t quite like her because I thought that she looked too emo, but then I realized that it’s just her droopy eyes XD She’s amazing. I mean, she’s just… the only way to describe what I feel about her is that I want to run up to her and just HUG her until she squeals cutely XD I also love her voice, it’s very distictive and it helps balance out the lower voices of K. Also, come on! Just read a bit of her blog, she’s so perplexed and amused by everything and anything, that how could you NOT adore her???

1. Oshima Yuko: I’ve written enough about Yuko in this blog and all over the internet, but still, she’s still my number one, and I don’t think that that will ever change. I’m glad to see her growing more and more as a person everyday, and I also like that she’s steadily coming closer to her dreams with her hard work.

Team B

14. Nakatsuka Tomomi: I still don’t understand why this girl was promoted, it perplexes me. I don’t hate her or dislike her or anything, but I can’t see what’s so great about her. This girl makes me worried because she’s on Team K now, I don’t understand why they shuffled her there anyway… She should’ve stayed in B, where her quirky dorkiness could’ve worked for the best

13. Nakagawa Haruka: I’ve always had plenty of issues with Harugon, mainly the fact that her voice sounds flat 90% of the time, but also the fact that lately, she’s barely noticeable on stage. When she first joined Team B at least she was lively and kind of quirky but right now, I just see nothing there…. She’s still gorgeous though XD

12. Kohara Haruka: Kohara just graduated didn’t she? I didn’t understand that at all. I think she was moved to K, then to SDN and she finally left for good or somthing, but I might be wrong. I loved Kohara at first, and I thought that she was perfect for Team A, as she’s cute, pretty and has a sweet voice, but then they placed her in B and nothing made sense anymore. She never seemed to be all that tight with her team mates, and she looked kind of awkward sometimes among the young girls of B…

11. Nito Moeno: Here’s another girl who’s been REALLY pushed beyond her popularity and I can’t really see why sometimes. She’s a good dancer, she’s a good singer, but… What else is there to Moeno? I don’t see it really, she’s kind of a mystery to me like that. I have no idea what her personality is like, or who she hangs out with or any of those background tips that mek you endeared. 

10. Hirajima Natsumi: Nacchan the great! I love how keen Akimoto was when he moved her to B, where her real crack personality started to show, and she became a very important part of the team, so much that she was one of the only 3 girls who were able to remain in the team. That said, I have a bit of an issue with her, and that is that she has very little control of her voice, and she can start shouting her lines when singing at times, which does bother me a bit because I’m absurd and expect idols to sing in a good way XD But still, even with that little problem, I still think that she’s one of AKB’s greatest members, she’s really entertaining and I love how she’s always having fun with everything!

9.  Tanabe Miku: I like Tanamin, she’s beautiful, powerful and she’s the best dancer ever. I liked her better with long hair though, it makes her look so elegant! I’m super excited to see her in Team K, because I know that she’s a hard worker, and I hope that she gets a chance to shine there. I also admire how determined she is because even though she was always a background character in Team B, with no solo lines or anything, she decided to stay there and do her best no matter what, and I really like that about her!

8. Yonezawa Rumi: Yonechan is a happy girl, right? She’s just infectiously happy, so to speak, and I love that about her, but the other thing I really like is that she’s very versatile as a performer, she’s incredibly cute whenever she needs to be, but she can also be super sexy, or look quite strong. I like her voice a lot too, and it’s really funny to hear the contrast between her high pitched speaking voice and her singing voice!

7. Watanabe Mayu: Mayuyu is a perfect idol. She’s incredibly cute, and she sings in an impossibly high pitched squee. Even though this is true, I like her because she gives her best effort all the time, so she manages to be unexpectedly good in various types of songs.

6. Urano Kazumi: Cindy is crack, and of the very good variety XD It was really amusing to see her interact with her fellow Team B members because the age gap gave room for a lot of funny situations. Also, I love how she managed to go from being one of the most obscure A members to become the leader of Team B. It’s kind of stupid to see that she’s getting transfered to SDN, because she was the perfect girl to continue leading Team B and even to assemble a brand new one and still make it fun. What a shame…

5. Ohta Aika: Aika is unexpectedly aggressive and mean, which I love. I also really liked her rivalry with Mayuyu, it was great for comedic purposes, and those 2 just look super adorable together. It’s sad that she’s getting moved to Team A, because she’ll probably get out shined there, but hopefully she’ll take it as an opportunity to grow up as a performer!

4. Sashihara Rino: Sasshi is hilarious, even the way she speaks. She’s also really beautiful, and a very hard working girl and polished performer. But I especially love her quirky personality, there’s so much about her that I really think will go to waste in a Team like A, where the girls are all striving to be perfect one way or another… Poor fun-loving random Sasshi…

3. Kashiwagi Yuki: Yukirin was a favorite the first time she opened her mouth and sang. I love her voice, it’s really clear and soothing. I’m wondering if she’s going to be a good captain, I mean, I love her and she’s a key member of her team, but… she doesn’t seem to have the super strong personality the other captains have XD. 

2. Nakaya Sayaka: I love Nakayan because I love the underdogs, and she’s the quintessential background girl. I want to root for her because I can’t understand why she has so little fans, she’s incredibly cute and has a homey feeling to her that reminds me a bit of Nakanishi Rina’s, and she’s also really talented, she’s a very good singer, and she’s also good at dancing, so why do people shun her like that U_U I think the main reason why people don’t care about her is because she’s a quiet girl, she’s not over the top at all, but people should try to notice her in all of her various units, also, whenever she subs for a member, she’s very good at that too! Please try to notice Nakayan a bit, ok? 

1. Katayama Haruka: Haachan, on the other hand, is the opposite. She’s all about attitude, she’s super confident too, which makes her a great performer and gives all of her performances a sexy edge to them. Also, THE VOICE. OMG, she’s just SUCH a good singer. If she ever sang a duet with Yuka I would literally die out of awesomeness

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!

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.