My Top 5 AKB48 Members Senbatsu Election PR Video

You’ve already seen Sasshi’s PR video for the upcoming senbatsu election, now see the other ones from my Top 5 favourite members starting with:

Takamina (and her ridiculously big bow!!)

Yuko (in her seifuku)

Yukirin

Harugon

I can’t embed her video in this posting for some reason so here’s a link instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAesmabwkxc

So to make up for the fact that I can’t embed her video and I just adore Harugon’s cuteness, here she is with the rest of Watarirouka Hashiritai (before they added 3 members) with Shiroi Tulip:

AKB48 Request Hour Set List Best 100 2011

The annual 4 day concert at Shibuya AX “AKB48 Request Hour Set List Best 100 2011” came to an end last weekend. Which song came out on top as favourite amongst the fans? There’s been many grumblings on some forums that the casual new fans that AKB48 have attracted during the course of last year have destroyed this year’s Top 100 with many old favourite tunes being pushed down the countdown or even not on it and replaced by newer songs. I don’t know what the fuss is about myself.

Here’s how the Top 100 looked:

100. Kioku no Dilemma (H2)
99. Jibun rashisa
97. Kisu no Ryuusei (no3b)
97. AKB Sanjou (A5)
96. Seishun no Flag (Watarirouka Hashiritai)
95. Seishun no Komorebi (no3b)
94. Shiroi Tulip (Watarirouka Hashiritai)
93. Aru Aki no Hi no Koto (French Kiss)
92. Koi wo Kataru Shijin ni narenakute (SKE48)
91. Mokugekisha (A6)
90. Blue Rose (K2)
89. Kokoro no Hane (Team Dragon)
88. Okami to Pride (SKE48)
87. Boku no Yell
86. Dear My Teacher (A1)
85. 16nin Shimai no Uta 16 (K4)
84. Sakura no Shiori
83. Bingo
82. Tane (no3b)
81. Tonari no Banana (H2)
80. Kuroi Tenshi (A5)
79. Higurashi no Koi (H1)
78. Nonai Paradise (K3)
77. Omoide Ijo (SKE48 S3)
76. Sakura no Hanabiratachi
75. Sougen no Kiseki (K3)
74. Yasai Sisters
73. 3 Seconds (no3b/Persona)
72. Gyu (Watarirouka Hashiritai)
71. Aozora Kataomoi (SKE48)
70. Kokoro no Hashi no Sofa (K6)
69. Namida no Seesaw Game (Undergirls)
68. Tenshi no Shippo (B3)
67. Arashi no Yoru ni wa (B5)
66. Seventeen
65. Honest Man (B5)
64. Mayu no Tame ni (Watarirouka Hashiritai)
63. Sasae (K4)
61. Yuuhi wo Miteiru ka?
61. GAGAGA (SDN48)
60. Baby!Baby!Baby!
59. Majisuka Rock ‘n’ Roll
58. Junjou Shugi (B3)
57. Tengoku Yarou (B4)
56. Nakeru Basho (DIVA)
55. Relax! (no3b)
54. Tsundere! (A5)
53. Korogaru Ishi ni Nare (K2)
52. Nagisa no CHERRY (A2)
51. Theater no Megami (B5)
50. Boku Dake no value (Undergirls)
49. Gyakuten Oujisama (K6)
48. Kuchi Utsushi no Chocolate (B4)
47. Kataomoi no Taikakusen (B4)
46. Mushi no Ballad (K5)
45. Only Today (A4)
44. End Roll (K5)
43. Lucky Seven
42. Kanpeki Gu~none (Watarouka Hashiritai)
41. Aitakatta (A2)
40. Miniskirt no Yousei (A6)
39. MARIA (K3)
38. Majijo Teppen Blues
37. Seifuku Resistance (K6)
36. Enjou Rosen (A6)
35. Kimi to Niji to Taiyou to
34. Kanojo ni Naremasu ka? (K6)
33. Kiseki wa Ma ni Awanai (K6)
32. Gomen ne, SUMMER (SKE48)
31. Choose Me! (Team YJ)
30. Temodemo no Namida (B3)
29. Bird (A3)
28. Kimi ni Tsuite (MINT)
27. Zutto Mae Kara (French Kiss)
26. RESET (K6)
25. Itoshisa no Accel (A6)
24. 1234 Yoroshiku (SKE48)
23. Pioneer (A6)
22. Kareha no Station (Rena Matsui)
21. Shonichi (B3)
20. Namida Suprise
19. Anata ga ite kureta kara
18. Uhho Uhhoho (K6)
17. Kimishika (no3b)
16. First Love (Mayuyu)
15. Candy (B5)
14. RIVER
13. 10nen Zakura
12. Yokaze no Shiwaza (B5)
11. Oogoe Diamond
10. Enkyori Poster
09. Heart Gata Virus (A5)
08. Nakinagara Hohoende (K3)
07. Itoshiki Natasha (B4)
06. Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara
05. Team B Oshi (B5)
04. Iiwake Maybe
03. Ponytail to Shushu
02. Beginner
01. Heavy Rotation

Has Watarirouka Hashiritai Added 2 More Permanent Members To Its Lineup?

According to some reports, Watarirouka Hashiritai has added 2 more AKB48 members to its lineup for their next single but is this is just a one-off thing or have they joined on a permanent basis? We know that Mika Komori and Misaki Iwasa are part of Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 which is to do with a radio show but I’ve got mixed feelings about adding 2 more to the group’s singles. IMO the group is perfect as it is with just 5 members. Don’t get me wrong, I like the 2 new girls especially Mikapon but why tinker with something that’s already good.

Watarirouka Hashiritai’s next single which does not have a name yet comes out on the 2nd February.

AKB48 Members 2011 Calendar Previews

Right, some pictures from the upcoming 2011 calendars are now out. I haven’t got all of them but the majority is here for you to see:

Watarirouka Hashiritai – Gyu PV

Watarirouka Hashiritai release their 6th single Gyu on the 1st September and the PV for the main track has just come out. If you didn’t like the “Lie” repetition in No Sleeves’ song, this PV will make you dislike this song even more hearing “Gyu” being said throughout the song. I find it annoying but I can’t help but like this catchy song. Anybody know what “Gyu” actually means? The PV itself is great – love the costumes and the use of the faceless dummies who look like the avatar used in MSN instead of real people.

AKB48/SKE48/SDN48 2011 Calendar Line-Up Announced

There’s going to be a bumper number of AKB48/SKE48/SDN48 2011 calendars coming out on September 30th, in fact 24 calendars will be released. This is the list of members that will have the honour of having a solo calendar:

Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko, Itano Tomomi, Watanabe Mayu, Takahashi Minami, Kojima Haruna, Miyazawa Sae, Matsui Jurina, Kasai Tomomi, Minegishi Minami, Kitahara Rie, Akimoto Sayaka, Sato Amina, Sashihara Rino, Miyazaki Miho, Fujie Reina, Yonezawa Rumi, Maeda Ami, Urano Kazumi, Sato Yukari

In addition to the list above – SKE48, Nattou Angel Z and Watarirouka Hashiritai will also come out with their own calendar.

But that’s not all. There will also be 2 desktop calendars being released – Oshima Yuko and SKE48. These calendars will not be coming out until the 10th October.

The prices for the wall calendars will be 2,415 yen and 1,365 yen for the desktop calendars.

Once some of the covers for the calendars come out I’ll post them here.

I’m really disappointed that Rena Matsui has not been deemed popular enough to have a solo calendar. I would have bought that in a shot. Anyway from the list there’ll be several I’ll be buying – Yuko, Sasshi and Takamina plus I’ll buy Yuko’s desktop calendar too. There hasn’t been an announcement yet when AKB48’s weekly calendar is going to be released but that’s another calendar I intend to buy too.

Which calendar(s) do you intend to buy? Just one or several like me?

Watarirouka Hashiritai Expands To 7

In an unexpected move, Mika Komori and Misaki Iwasa have been drafted in to create a new AKB48 sub-unit called Watarirouka Hashiritai 7. This sub-unit though is just temporary and is focused only on radio activities so don’t expect to see Mikapon and Wasamin on any Watarirouka Hashiritai singles any time soon. All 7 girls will be presenting a new late night radio show which will be broadcast 4 days a week (Monday to Thursday) from July 5th. As for how long this new unit will last is unknown right now.

Watarirouka Hashiritai – Seishun no Flag PV

After being disappointed with their last single Akkanbe Bashi (even though it did go to no.1 in the Oricon Charts) as it sounded too much like a children’s nursery rhyme, Watarirouka Hashiritai return with their 5th single called Seishun no Flag which comes out in 2 weeks time (30th June 2010). I’m glad to say that this song is much better than Akkanbe Bashi and has a nice summery feel to it but you do get the feeling like that it’s like an anime song. The only downside to the PV is there’s too much Mayuyu and not enough of the others. Still, that’s just a minor gripe and it’s an excellent song.

PS: The audio is slightly out of sync with the PV!

New AKB48/SKE48 TV Shows/Akkanbe Bashi

There’s a couple of new TV shows coming up soon featuring both AKB48 and SKE48. The first one called Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku is set to start on the 29th March on TBS every Monday at 1.25am. The guy from Nemousu TV (Ariyoshi Hiroiki) will appear with 1 popular AKB48 member each week to give the idol group a set of projects to do and present them in order to please him. 5 kenkyuusei members will be on location to do them. If Ariyoshi isn’t pleased with how the girls do their projects, they have endure some kind of punishment. It sounds like an interesting show so I guess I’ll tune in to this.

SKE48 meanwhile have 2 new shows but these will only be short programmes, and I mean really short programmes…….like 2 mins long! The first Shitte Kaiketsu! SKEtto Net will have 3 members per episode delivering information about things like consumer issues, disaster prevention, the environment and health. It’ll only air in the Nagoya area from April onwards.

The 2nd show they’ll appear is Dera SKE ~ Yoake Mae no Kuni tori 48ban Shoubu. This 2 min show which will be on TBS every Monday to Wednesday from 5th April between 2 – 4am has the girls split into 2 teams – Team Jurina and Team Rena. Each episode will have them answering questions to do with the prefectures in Japan. The team that wins ‘gains’ that prefecture, and battle for country domination.

As for Watariirouka’s new single Akkanbe Bashi which was released yesterday I’m afraid I’m gonna have to eat humble pie!! I said in my initial post about the single that they would never be able to reach 10k in the first week. Well believe it or not they’ve broken that figure in the first day of release and even gone to no.1 in the Oricon Daily Rankings which is a hell of an achievement, even beating Arashi! I know Arashi’s single has been out for over 2 weeks already but I’m still happy for the girls even though I dislike the song. The actual sales figures were 11,159 copies. If they keep this momentum up there’s a good chance of being no.1 at the end of the week. Well done!

Watarirouka Hashiritai – Akkanbe Bashi PV

If you’re expecting a typical idol song from Watarirouka Hashiritai’s 4th single then you are going to be in for a shock as this is unlike anything I’ve heard before from any idol group to be honest and I’m not sure what to make of it. Sakura no Shiori provoked a split amongst AKB48 fans who feared it might bomb before being stunned by the huge figures on the opening day of sales and I can safely say that this is likely to inflict another split between fans with the huge majority thinking that this is not a good song at all. It’s just plain bad. The nursery rhyme-like feel for it doesn’t do anything whatsoever for me and it’s unlikely to make me change my mind. I just can’t see this song generating any healthy sales at all. If this breaks 12k during the first week of sales I’ll be very surprised. I’m all for Akimoto trying something different but I’m just scratching my head who he’s trying to target with this song – little kids? What do you think about this tune? Do you agree with me that this song is a mistake or maybe you like it? Let me know.

Sorry for the poor LQ PV, I’ll change it as soon as I find a better quality version. I also forgot to say that the new song also features the newly promoted Ayaka Kikuchi.