In a special episode of Shukan AKB this week, the girls participated in a Team Jump-roping Challenge. In the first round we had Team A going up against Team K. All was well for Team A. They managed to jump over 60 times without failing in the 2nd round. But then came the final round…
Everyone jumps high into the air, except the girl on the far left. Who the…errr
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Oh no, WASAMIN!!!!!!!!!!
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Ya know, Misaki is sooooo cute! She gets so overwhelmed at times, like she doesn’t know whether to “shit or go camping”. She had almost the same reaction when the girls reacted to her getting into Ogipro at the Yokohama concert. Luckily her teammates were there to comfort her in her “moment of humiliation”.
Oh Wasamin, I know things looked bleak at that moment. But this is precisely the kind of stuff she needs to have happen in order to gain popularity within AKB48. In other words, she needs to screw up and be laughed at once in a while. Look at what it has done for Mikapon.
The golden rule here is Crying Idols Win Hearts! So keep screwing up Wasamin. Make mistakes. Cry. CRY YOUR EYES OUT!!! Yes, cry your way to the top baby!
***
Although those words probably seem sort of empty when you are watching the other Team pass you for the win. Oh well.
What we resist, always persists. That’s the thought that comes to mind as a write this review of Team B’s 5th Stage “Theater no Megami”. I first watched this stage right after it premiered back in May. For some reason I got in into my head that it wasn’t a very good Stage. My reasoning was that I felt the entire presentation, the dancing, the costumes were just sloppy. It took me re-watching it a few times to discover what really made me feel that way. I also found out that as a whole it is a pretty damn good stage. So that is why it took me so long to do a review. Anyhow, let’s jump right into my review of this stage.
I said before that I love the Zenza Girls concept. I was sorry to hear these songs are not included on the newly released Stage CDs. All three are very good. Even Romance Kakurenbo, which is the closest of the three to a ballad. But I love the haunting melody and the 60’s style of the song. The funny thing is that I am not a huge fan of Shimada Haruka.
Yuuki no Hammer is a great song, and I love the concept of the miner’s props. Quite a few of these songs remind me of retro American rock tunes. It is really AkiP’s trademark, and I love that about his writing. But I can’t get over how awful these costumes look. Everyone looks HUGE in these outfits. Even the thin girls are bulky. I guess we should be thankful they didn’t perform in padded Sumo costumes, but this is close.
The girls take off the huge costumes to reveal that they STILL have too much clothing on. Is that a 3rd outfit I see underneath? Jeez, I am beginning to sound like RSL again (hehe). Inseki no Kakuritsu is catchy and cute.
There is something about Ai no Stripper that tells me that I will be hitting the “skip” button when this songs pops up in my Ipod. Not that it’s bad. I just think there are much better songs in this stage. Very generic chorus.
You see? I knew they had a third costume on underneath. You think they could have planned the outfits a little better. I don’t wear that much clothing when I am walking through the snow! Theater no Megami is just okay. At least the girls are finally wearing something cute! As for the opening set. It started off hot, which was good. But to me it sort of limped into the first MC. Not a good sign, but there are always the unit songs, which are always a big factor in how much everyone likes the Stage overall…
Komorinn Kawaii!!!
I have gone back and forth on how I feel about the unit songs in this stage. I have finally concluded that I like each and every one of them in B5. So when I say Mayuyu’s unit Hatsukoi Yo is my least favorite, it is only because it had some stiff competition. I get a kick out of the “Puttin’ on the Ritz” melody. And I like the downward progression of the chorus. Look at Mayuyu, she looks all “Poofy”.
Arashi no Yoru ni Wa is the “sexy and tortured” song of the units. There always seems to be one, eh? The surprising thing is who was chosen for this unit. Nacchi makes sense, and all Mikapon needs to do is sho those long legs of hers. But Myao…WOW, I am impressed with the way she pulled off this song. Then again, she is a known diva. Way to go Myao! She pwns this song!
I usually don’t love the super-sugary songs, but CANDY is just great! It is definitely one of my favorites of B5. Tomomi is perfect for it, and the song fits Amina’s voice nicely. But the fact that Yuka worked so well here was amazing. She is such a great singer. She reminded me of early Matsuura Aya in this.
Almost equally as cute is Locker Room Boy, with the girls dressed as Lacrosse players. I love the cosplay themes, and this looks like something Idoling!!! might wear. I guess you would consider this the “big” unit, as it is 5nin. I didn’t mind because Harukyan got plenty of screentime. She is so cute!
You know, I was ready to say Yukirin’s solo was the weak link of the unit songs. But honestly, Yokaze no Shiwaza is soooo beautiful! And Yukirin is so beautiful singing it. I started this post thinking I wouldn’t find five songs I liked, and now I am thinking everything is wonderful. Hmmm. As I said earlier, a high quality set of unit-songs.
When I heard the first few notes of 100 Meter Conbini, I laughed. That keyboard riff sounds just like Europe’s “The Final Countdown”, which was a cheezy hair band from the early 80’s. But unlike that joke of a song, this one is just plain awesome! Great pace with an awesome dance. the girls are all over the place! Another contender for my favorite song of the stage!
Suki Suki Suki continues the great pace of the show’s 3rd set. Not one of my favorites, but a likable song. By the way, I love the costumes they are wearing. There is a certain “sexy formality” when the girls wear black and white like that. Super cute!
Like the previous song, Sayonara no Kanashibari is likable. For some reason it is reminding me of another AKB48 song, but I just can’t place which one. At least all the posing they did in this song made for some cool screencaps! (hehe) Oh and I just thought of something that IS missing for me in this Stage…
CINDY!!!
I always wonder if AkiP will continue his tradition of bittersweet and melancholy songs to end the main set. Yep! Shiozake no Shoudaijo is almost like a lullaby. I could see Team B using this for a member graduation. It reminds me of Team K’s “Sasae”, and once again here is another song that has a real 60’s folk feel to the chorus. It is very pretty, and for some reason I have a feeling it will get quite a few votes for next year’s Setlist Concert.
encoree encoree encoree
Bangin’ right out of the encore with an energetic song Honest Man is a lot like “Zutto Zutto” from A6. But I just named that song the best of Team A’s new stage, so of course I love this one too.
This brings us to my epiphany. Why I have been so resistant B5…
I really want to love Team B Oshi. I really do! It has just about everything I would want in a song. It is fast paced, the girls are being funny. But it is just a mess of a song. The melody (of you could call it that) is all over the place. Half the time it sounds like the girls are screaming. Some of the girls got pretty lame “one liners” too. Komori just gets Konnichiwa? Weak! I am sure Mikapon has said things more random and funny than that! And that “nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan” part of the song is absolutely horrible. On the other hand, I loved the way Nacchi played her catchphrase into the beat, and Myao’s “Ichi Ni San MYAO!” was epic. Oh, and it took me about 6 views to get that they were doing the Lilirouka “Let’s go” during Mayu’s part. So you see, there are some aspects of this song I really like. But musically it is just plain awful!
Bokutachi no Kami Hikouki is one of the better Stage endings I have heard And isn’t it great when the girls throw souvenirs into the audience? I want to catch one of those paper airplanes! I hear they have messages from the girls on them, awesome! Just a cool, fun song to finish the evening.
If I could make one criticism it is that Team B needs an identity. I can see it trying to come out within the team. But to me the strongest members are not the Team B natives. And for some reason I am not getting the leader vibe from Yukirin, bless her heart! So there really isn’t a solid anchor to build this around. What really needs to happen is for the true leaders on this team to emerge. Tomomi and Nacchi are natural choices for that role, Nacchi becomes sort of a senpai for the Team, kinda like the way Ohori was in K. As much as I love Tomomi, I don’t really see her as a Team leader. There are three girls I see pushing hard to make their mark in the front for Team B. The first is Myao, and I really hope she does it. She adds great fun to the team. The other is Kana, which might be a little more surprising. I think that would be great for her. She languished in the back of Team K for so long. I would love to see her take advantage of this opportunity.
As great as Yuka is, I still think she is misplaced in Team B. To me she would have been a great asset to Team A. The only problem being then you have ALL of the strongest singers on one Team. But after dissing B5 for so long, I will sheepishly retract my original opinion. Theater no Megami is a great stage! Finally, my Top 5 errrrr, Top 6…
5 (tie) Yuuki no Hammer and Bokutachi no Kami Hikouki
4. Yokaze no Shiwaza
3 Honest Man
2 CANDY
1. 100 Meter Konbini
We finally got the results of AKB48’s Ameba Pigg Unit Battle. You know, the event that had me turn my Pigg room into a virtual pot farm? If you need a little background info, check this post.
Yes, I blew a big portion of my Ame buying little green plants representing the presently fictitious sub-group “Eyes”. I chose them of course, because Wasamin was going to be in that unit if it won. Although I didn’t hold out too much hope. I figure it would be a match race between Yuko and Acchan’s units. I scored my ticket to the result event on the first night. Now all I had to do was try and figure out how I was going to stay awake for the result announcement.
Anyhow, I set my alarm to wake myself up at 2:10am. Jeez, what I do for this fandom!!! I headed into a room around 2:10. Awesome, I’m in!!! I hope I get to see lots of idols tonight! But before the event started we were treated to a series of Piggu commercials. I love these things. They are so awesome, and some of them featured Yaguchi Mari!!!
(btw, switch vid size to 480p if it doesn’t play)
Those ads are sooooo cute! Anyhow, 2:30am…Show Starto. Here’s your host….PO*TE*TO??? Who the hell is this guy? They should have gotten Piggu versions of Sata and Kiyoto! PO*TE*TO was there to warm up the crowd and introduce the PV to Heavy Rotation.
That was surreal. Watching this sexy PV in Pigg world. LOL! But apparently it was a little too much for my laptop as the video coupled with everyone’s Pigg character dancing crashed out my PC! No worries, I was back on in about a minute or so. Just in time for the announcements.
Togasaki Piggu in a tux, hehe!
And here are your winners, Acchan’s unit “MINT”! Well, if Wasamin couldn’t win at least MINT had Haachan and Moeno in it. So I’m almost as stoked!
The girls’ acceptance speech. Once again, this whole thing was so surreal! And here are a few shots of me doing some of the special “action moves” for the event. I like the glowstick!
If you would like to see the event (with no sound), someone loaded it onto YouTube. Enjoy…
So now what’s left to do? I guess I’ll have to clean up my Pigg room and put the furniture back where it was. Just a few clicks here and there. I wish my apartment was as easy to clean! I wonder what I will do with that new second floor I built? Hehehe.
Finally getting to talk about A6. I have been procrastinating this post for a week now. Not that I don’t like the Stage, I really do! I daresay that it is my favorite of the three new Stages. Well, K6 has some of my favorite songs overall. But to me A6 is solid most of the way. Onto the show!
I really like the “Zenza Girls” concept. And I like the idea that the kenkyuusei rotate, giving us a good chance to see all of the AKB48 hopefuls. Of the three “ZG” songs, “Miniskirt no Yosei” is my absolute favorite. It is the cutest, and to me the most catchy. It has sort of a “Tsunku” feel to it as well, and I mean that in a good way. Cue overture…
ARE YOU READY???
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I have always felt the opening set is a big factor in “making or breaking” the entire set. If there is nothing to get you excited in the beginning, it sets the wrong mood. Personally, I felt A5, K5 and B4 all started with subpar songs. But this round K6’s RESET and B5’s Yuuki no Hammer are strong songs. Unfortunately I don’t think Mogugekisha measures up to those. I especially don’t like the opening video. What the hell is that? It looks like the queue at Old Trafford before a Manchester United-Liverpool match! Not to mention, I’m not big into girls in trenchcoats.
To me the biggest winner is the 4th song Akogare no Popstar which brings tremendous excitement into the opening MCs. I especially love the progressions in the verse. Such a pretty song too. Ibitsu na Shinju is also very strong, and very sexy. BTW, I much prefer Oya Shizuka when she wears her hair down like she did on this night. She looks so much cuter that way!
I don’t think it was the best opening set I have heard, but it was redeemed by the last two songs. It’s not that I hated the first two either, Zenjin Mitou isn’t bad. I just didn’t find them to be all that memorable.
A quick break, and a quick look at lovely Wasamin and her first introduction as a member of Team A. Wasamin ganbatte!
I’m sure you’ll agree the unit songs are the most fun part of the stage. it is always exciting to see who gets paired up, and what kind of song they get. I don’t necessarily buy into the “smaller is better” theory when it comes to units. Some of my favorite unit songs have been the 5-6nin, and there are some 2-3nin unit I have never cared for…
I bring this up because the song I like the most out of all the units is Saboten to Gold Rush. By a mile! A lot of people dislike this song because it has so many members in it. It’s too bad. This song has such a great 70’s rock feel to it, just like listening to The Raspberries or The Knack (for obvious reasons). I just love that style of music. BTW, isn’t this perfect for Mariko considering her past wardrobe choices of Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead shirts? (hehe)
The other superior unit is definitely Takamina’s solo Itoshisa no Akuseru. Sure, it’s filled with over the top emo moments, which are Minami’s speecialty. But it is a great intense song, without being over-emotional in theme. Not quite as powerful as Sayaka’s solo, but intense in a different way.
To many people’s surprise one of my least favorite units happens to contain my Oshimen. I loved watching Wasamin perform in her very first unit. She looked so cute in that hat. But I just find Hoshi no Mokougawa to be boring. Also surprising, I found the Sasshi/Akicha duet to be forgettable too. Hard to believe with those two on stage.
The wildcard song is the first one, Ude wo Kunde with Acchan, Mochi and Nakayan. This song grows on me the more I listen to it. The spanish guitars in the background are so pretty. As far as Nakayan’s piano is concerned, I’m not sure what to say. i love the idea of her playing the keyboards, but it definitely got in the way of her performance. However when I watched the 2nd performance I felt the lack of piano made the song slightly less special. So it’s a tough call. To keyboard or not to keyboard?
So far a decent show. Nothing spectacular, but not bad at all.However, here is where things are about to get hot!
Wasamin/Rabu Kissu!!!
First off, I love when the girls wear costumes like that. Very sexy, without being overly accessorized. I just love a girl in a red dress. It fits the next set of songs so well. Utsukushiki Mono and Ai wo Kure both have that sexy latin/r&b style. It fits AKB48 quite well. As for “Utsukushiki”, they need to work on mixing the spoken word parts better over the chorus. the girls’ mics were too low, so you couldn’t hear them half the time.
Matenrou no Kyori brings us back to traditional J-pop, with a great guitar driven melody. I swear at some angles Akicha looks like MaiMai!
AkiP usually likes to write a bittersweet/melancholy song for the main set end. This song fits that them quite well. But what is up with those slacks? I’m not a big fan of idols in slacks, especially those of the “bellbottom” type. They are just a weird style. At the end of the day, Inochi no Imi isn’t bad, but it doesn’t blow my doors off either!
ENCOREE, ENCOREE, ENCOREE
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The Encore begins with I’m Crying which sounds like it is straight out of the SDN48 catalog. I say sexy because they are back in their infamous schoolgirl uniforms. I hadn’t noticed it, but someone mentioned this is the only part of any of the present stages where the girls wear Seifuku. Wow!!!
The most uplifting, and one of my favorite songs of the stage has to be Zutto Zutto. This song has everything! Great tempo, killer harmonization in the chorus and some amazing key changes throughout the song. Some might say it has an anime feel to it. But that is right up my alley. I just love this song so much.
It was so sweet to see Takamina and Acchan get emotional in the final MC. This was a big change for them, losing key OGs, and waiting so long for their new Team debut.
And for the final song, a new anthem…
Not a bad one at that! My fellow original Team K fans will kill me, but the only team “theme” I have ever liked is “Wasshoi B” I’m not saying Pioneer is as good as that, but in and of itself it is a good song, and I am sure we can look forward to many performances at upcoming major concerts!
Show Over!
There is a lot to like in this Stage. Very few songs that I didn’t care for, and many that I enjoyed immensely. Of all the new Team Stages, this one is the Stage I want to see in person the most on my next trip over.
I am so proud of Wasamin, she did such a super job! I loved that they had her dancing out front quite often in every song. And she tried so hard in the MCs. She is so cute! Even hen she gets a round of “Ehhhhhh??”s I am sure she will get more comfortable with each performance.
In fact, I thought all of the non-senbatsu members did a great job! Some of other girls who had my attention included Mocchi, Shiichan, Harugon and Rabutan. Kudos to the cameraman for getting everyone involved! Finally, my Top 5 songs of the stage…
5. Matenrou no Kyori
4. Itoshisa no Akuseru
3. Akogare no Popstar
2. Saboten to Gold Rush
1. Zutto Zutto
Okay, now it’s time for me to give Team B’s 5th Stage a 2nd chance!
The 2nd Edition of the AKB48 Visual Books were released last week. So far I have received the Team B version, and should have the other 2 any day now. BTW, a memo to management. How about an SDN48 Visual Book???
I can only imagine how awesome the other two books are because Team B’s is amazing. I have to give props to Nacchan for having the most adorable photoshoot I have ever seen. But this is about Wasamin. You know, the girl that talks to refrigerators?
Gomenasaimasu!
A big Thank You to my new hero Hana at Nihongogo.com, who is in the process of translating the “48 questions” for each member. Luckily Iwasa Misaki shows up first alphabetically for Team A, so here are her questions.
Getting to know more about Wasamin, I’m so excited!!!
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Iwasa Misaki: A powerful girl who gives it her all when it comes to singing and dancing
What’s your nickname?
- Wasamin
What’s your catchphrase?
- 10th grade! 15 years old! I’m “Wasamin”, Iwasa Misaki!
What’s your charm point?
- My hands are chubby
Why did you want to be in show business?
- I admired Morning Musume
What’s your personality?
- I talk to people that I take to. I’m also spaced out a lot.
How old were you when you had your first love? How old was he?
- Kindergarten. So was he!
What are your hobbies?
- Singing. Manga & games.
And your special skills?
- Dance, Singing
Have you ever learned anything?
- Dancing, Singing, Caligraphy
What’s your favorite food?
Motsuni*, Carrots
What’s your favorite drink?
- Hot chocolate
Who is your favorite artist?
- Ayaka
What’s your favorite TV show?
- Mechaike, Music Station
What’s your favorite magazine?
- Seventeen, Popteen
What’s your favorite season?
- Fall?
What’s your favorite brand?
- Glad News
What’s your favorite town?
- Ones like Harajuku or Shibuya
What’s your favorite type of guy?
- Definitely someone funny!!
Who is a member that you’re close with?
- Komori Mika <3
What clubs are/were you in?
- Basketball (elementary), Table Tennis (7th grade)
What subject are you good at?
- Social studies was tolerable? And English?
What subject are you bad at?
- Math……
If you could compare yourself to an animal, what would you be?
- I’ve been called a hamster
What was your most expensive purchase?
- Buying in bulk at 109, from top to bottom.
What would you do if you had a week off?
- Take a vacation to Tokyo Disneyland with my friends!
What’s your favorite AKB single?
- Oogoe Diamond
What’s your favorite AKB stage song?
- End Roll
What’s your favorite outfit?
- RIVER’s outfits
What’s a memorable stage show or concert for you?
- February 28th, 2009, the day I made my debut as an understudy at a Team B show
What’s something good that’s come from being in AKB?
- I can sing and dance a lot!
What was the hardest thing about being in AKB?
- When I had lessons from morning to evening.
Who is your oshimen?
- Noro Kayo, Lovetan
Who is someone you respect?
- My parents
If you could make a law, what would it be?
- It’s OK to eat snacks, even in school!
Say something to AkiP!
- I’ll keep running through at full strength!
Say something to your team captain!
- Please continue to scold me.
Say something to the management!
- Let’s do shows at G-Rosso!
Say something to BLT!
- I’d love to do “U-17” again…….
Say something to the fans!
- I’m thankful to every single one of you!
Comment on the new teams!
- In any case, I’ll do my best by dashing forward headlong into it!
What’s your future dream?
- To be a solo singer!
What’s something that AKB has that other idols don’t?
- It really is everyday! We work hard at the theater.
What is the theater to you?
- The source of my energy
What are idols to you?
- People you look at and receive energy from
What’s AKB to you?
- A school where I learn really important things
Writer’s Tweet: CHECK IT CHARACTER
If you see a show, you’ll understand her real seriousness. She loves singing and dancing, and the moves on this girl who has an interest in AKB48 are perfect. You can really feel her 7~8 years of experience. Her singing, something she had already learned for 2 years prior to joining, had already been verified through the Kagekidan. ** Apparently she also writes lyrics as a hobby. She’s worried that, due to never having worn a skirt, her talent as an idol is near zero, but having girls with various characters is what AKB48 is.
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I think the writer’s tweet says it all. Despite her age, her experience of training at such a young age shows whenever she performs. Because of this I sometimes forget how young she is. This is why I love her responses to the questions. It shos that she really is still a kid at heart. Way to go Wasamin!!!
Let me start by saying I am so excited about AKB48’s upcoming single. I pre-ordered it the moment it became available on HMV because I didn’t want to get stuck in a one-week backorder like I did with the Ponytail CD. Sure, I hadn’t heard the songs yet. But that hasn’t mattered to me for a while now when it comes to AKB. The producers have done a great job packaging a single that is full of great material. Even if I don’t like a title track, there is always a c/w that catches my fancy. Such was the case with Sakura no Shiori and RIVER. I already knew I would love this single the moment I saw the PV preview for Namida no Seesaw Game, which I spoke about two posts ago. I loved the concept of the girls as classic R&B artists on a show like Soul Train. Totally cool, totally hip.
But I didn’t expect to love Heavy Rotation as much as I do. It is everything I want to see in my favorite idol group’s PV. Cuteness, sexiness, quite a bit of teasing and some amazing cosplay. To me it is candy to my eye. I can’t get enough of watching the PV, even if none of my favorite members are in it. I’m not alone in this opinion as I have read many reviews of people literally drooling over this PV.
But Heavy Rotation is not without it’s detractors. That’s okay, everyone has different taste. I can see how some could find it a bit gratuitous in it’s blatant fanservice. I wouldn’t call it the greatest song either. It is definitely the PV pushing it over the top. But there is something that I have found annoying for a long time, and I’m about to get it off of my chest. I know I am going to piss a few people off. So be it.
Throughout my life I have found that I enjoy rooting for underdogs. I did it as a sports fan when I was a child, and I find I am the same way with idols. In my 3+ years of being an AKB48 fan, I have come to an understanding of what rooting for underdogs looks like. It means that I don’t expect my Oshimen to be front and center in PVs. Heck, she might not even be in them at all. It means maybe she will get to sit in on an episode of AKBingo! And if she is lucky she will get to say a line or two. The bottom line is I root for my favorites, and relish in their victories during the few moments that they stand out as idols. What I don’t do is bitch and complain every time they aren’t the focal point of attention in AKB-land.
It just seems like with every release we need to hear from the “peanut gallery” about it is some heinous crime that certain girls aren’t included. Or with the Senbatsu election itself. How annoying it was to hear people bitch that their favorite member dropped a few spots, and now they are only in the middle of the Senbatsu. As someone who roots for a member that ranks somewhere between 40-48 it is quite insulting. Oh boohoo she dropped to number 13-20, what a tragedy! So you can say it annoys the hell out of me to hear people complaining that their favorite members didn’t get any close-up screen time in the new PV. First off, I don’t remember that promise being made to begin with. All I know is that the Top 21 members got to be part of the team that creates the new single. How the creative team chooses to promote the song is their decision. The last thing I want as a fan is to have a video crammed with a bunch of unnecessary close-up shots just so every girl gets their chance to be featured for 2 seconds. Because then AKB48 videos become Harry Potter movies, filled with unnecessary filler so the hardcore fans don’t go batshit because a scene from the book isn’t included.
So if the director chose to use the Top 10 girls for the lionshare of the PV, threw in a tub of Matsuis and used the rest of the girls as backdancers…So be it. I still love the video, even if NONE of my favorite members were in it. That is simply the way it is with AKB. Some girls get the focus, some don’t. It isn’t some tremendous “injustice” if certain girls don’t get their face time. Every single girl in AKB48 has fans. We all buy the product, and we all voted in the senbatsu election. So I ask you…what makes YOUR Oshimen so much more deserving than anyone elses?
Nobody is saying you can’t bitch about the way things are in Akihabara. Go ahead, whine all you want. It’s just that the more you complain about your Oshi not getting their fair share, the more everyone else gets annoyed with you AND your Oshi by default. It is like me with Takahashi Ai. I used to love her to death, but now I find her annoying. Why? Her fans, that’s why. I do feel badly about it because it isn’t really fair to Aichan. I don’t like rooting against idols. But subconsciously that is what happens. At least for me it does. For what it’s worth…
So is it a great single, or an awful single? I guess that depends on who you ask. As for me, I am giving it a big thumbs up. My only concern is “where do they go from here”? I can’t imagine them getting any sexier than this. So my guess is the next single will take a completely different direction. As for Heavy Rotation and sales…I wonder how it’s gonna do?
I’m not worried. I have a feeling that about a quarter million wota hit the “buy” button the moment that video came out!
It has been almost a year since Budokan, a night that will live in infamy for fans and members of AKB48. Can you believe 11 months have past? Now…finally, all the new pieces are about to come together. Tonight the new Team A will debut their long awaited new stage, “Mokugekisha” To me that means that FINALLY, Iwasa Misaki will make her debut as a full team member.
Silly Wasamin!
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As I write this I imagine the entire Team is already at the theater doing one final rehearsal before the big show. I wonder how Wasamin is feeling right now? I know how I feel. I feel nervous. I feel excited. I want so badly for Wasamin to be a big success in Team A. I want for her to be in a great unit song. I want everyone to see what an amazing and talented idol she really is. I know she will be sensational. I just know it!
I doubt I will say up all night to see the memolist report of the new set. Instead I will rest up for the long wait for a DMM download. Well, hopefully not too long. And while I sleep I will dream of…
Wasamin + Beach attire = Total WIN
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Team K’s new stage has really grown on me with repeated viewings. I was initially disappointed with B5, but I really need to give it another chance. I am hoping that A6 will blow them all away. Expect that report very soon. In the meantime…
Okay ladies and gentlemen, it is time for one of the hottest groups in the land right now. They have a new single out, and it’s surely gonna burn up the charts with a groovin’ sound. Let’s all take a ride on the Sooooooooooul Train with the Undergirls and Namida no Seesaw Game!!!
Okay, I like this guy. But he would have been even cooler if he had more of a baritone voice like Don Cornelius.
Hehehe
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Needless to say I love the concept for this PV, which is the c/w track to AKB48’s upcoming single “Heavy Rotation” due out next month. Watching this performance really shows how Akimoto’s musical influences are rooted in the classic 70’s and 80’s. The song itself passes as a traditional Pop Idol song, but in this format it plays perfectly into the classic R&B genre…
By the way, I swear I am going to puke if I hear anyone else say this was derived from the PV to Wonder Girls’ Nobody. First of all, everything from the intro to the outfits to the audience and the logo were obvious nods to the classic Soul Train. Second of all, who do you think Wonder Girls were paying homage to?
Anyway, back to the fun. I want to see the full PV as I never got a good look at some of my favorite girls in the PV. But the member who really captivated me like never before was SKE48’s Takayanagi Akane. She has such a pretty smile!
I have had a hard time picking a favorite member of SKE48. But at the moment I am really starting to like Akane a lot! Anyway, back to the PV…
The only thing missing here was the famous “Soul Train Dance Line”. I know many fans prefer it to be “all girls, as little of the extras as possible”. But to me it would have been hilarious to focus even more on the dancers in the crowd. And it’s not like we don’t get enough of the girls in every other AKB production. Jeez, the members are omnipresent on TV, in magazines, you name it! And then people bitch because the PV doesn’t focus on the girls for 10 seconds. To be honest some of my favorite moments of this video were when they focused on the band and the crowd. Oh, and then there was the guy watching backstage…
I love that guy!
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Anyway, kudos again to AKB for going totally “tongue-in-cheek” for this video. Once again more evidence why AKB48 keeps the audience coming back time and time again. I can’t wait to see what video concept they will come up with next!
The time has arrived for the first of the major announcements at AKB48’s Yoyogi concert. The AKB48 sub-unit battle on Ameba Pigg. The contest runs through next Thursday night.
We haven’t heard the songs, we only know the teams. But that hasn’t stopped Pigg users from blowing all of their Ame on flowers for their Oshimen’s unit. By the way, now all the girls have a cute Pigg character. If you aren’t familiar with the teams, here ya go…
If you aren’t familiar with Pigg. Each unit is represented by a color. Each AKB48 themed room is now equipped with a machine to buy flowers representing your favorite unit. They cost 10 ame (points) each. So obviously the more Ame you have collected, the more points you can cast. I am so glad I have been storing up Ame for the past six months! So who have I bought so far? Lets check my room…
Green = Team Wasamin!!!!!
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Hanging out with friends Mintii, Wendychi and Julia. I love Pigg, so much fun!
Today is a national public holiday in Japan. Schools are closed, as are many public offices in celebration of this momentous occasion. Yes, the people of Japan have paused to celebrate…
Komori Mika’s 16th Birthday Yayyyyyyy!!!
National law establishes Komori Day as a day of gratitude for the blessings of Mikapon and to hope for the economic prosperity of AKB48. One of the most popular things to do on Komori day is to go to the beach because of course…..Mikapon loves the ocean!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Komori Day. Especially the birthday girl herself!!!
