Sakura Kara no Tegami ~Sorezore no Sotsugyou Monogatari~
（桜からの手紙 〜それぞれの卒業物語〜）
A brand new drama from AKB48 will begin airing tonight26 February 2011 on NTV with a total of 17 episodes. The drama's theme song will be AKB48's new single "Sakura no Ki ni Narou". It airs Wednesdays 9pm for 30min each, making this the first primetime AKB48 drama. The drama will end on 6th March 2011 with a special 60min episode.
Synopsis:
The male homeroom teacher (Kamikawa Takaya) is diagnosed with cancer and has only 3 months left to live, the classmates are all ordinary 3rd years preparing for graduation and they all describe their troubles.
Majisuka Gakuen 2 was announced recently during AKB48 Request Hour Setlist Best 100 at Shibuya-AX 2011. The drama will begin airing in April 2011on TV Tokyo on Friday nights and on TV Osaka on Monday nights. There will be a total of 12 episodes.
Synopsis:
It's at the start of the new year, and Maeda is at the top of Majisuka. However, a new group shows up looking to overthrow her, and Yabakune starts to make their move again.
This time, the appearing members will be the regular members and the kenkyuusei, so the number of people appearing will be above the 60 or so that appeared last time.
NMB48 appeared in the TV show Star Hime Sagashi Taro! on January 22during which changes of the stage members were announced. 5 of the girls who performed until now will be replaced. The changes are as follows
Ota Riona -> Kotani Riho
Mori Ayaka -> Hara Mizuki
Shiroma Miru -> Kawakami Rena
Fukumoto Aina-> Koyanagi Arisa
Kishino Rika -> Okita Ayaka
Even though there was speculation about the first day line-up being Team N this move probably means that they can't decide on the Team N members yet. Maybe there will be some other changes in the near future until the Team is fully decided.
I feel really sad for the girls who are out, also because I was so interested in Ota Riona. On the other side it is nice to give some other girls a chance and then pick those who did the best work on stage.
SKE48's 5th Single [Banzai Venus] will release on 9 March 2011. There will be a total of 3 different versions, Type A, Type B, and Theater version. The tracklist follows the same format as their previous Single 1!2!3!4! Yoroshiku with 1 A-side, 1 "other", and the White and Red Team tracks.
Banzai Venus carries on with the lively and vibrant vibe from 1!2!3!4! Yoroshiku. The PV looks real impressive from the preview and their costumes looked interesting as well. As usual, Matsui Rena and Matsui Jurina are the stars of SKE48 but uprising star Kimoto Kanon might just be snagging some of the spotlight or at least it feels that way. It's PV had more than a thousand people dancing with them making it a very impressive and large single.
The Shirogumi and Akagumi of SKE48 are pitted against each other once again in Banzai Venus. Previously on SKE48's4th Single 1!2!3!4! Yoroshiku, Shirogumi sang Cosmos no Kioku, a generic idol song while Akagumi sang a meccha genki Seishun wa Hazukashii. This time round Akagumi went in a whole new direction and took on a dark song, Dareka no Sei wa Shinai. and Shirogumi sticks to idol type songs and sings Sotsugyou shiki no Wasuremono.
IMHO, Akagumi produced a better song this time. The Akagumi song this time round is different from their usual schoolgirl getup which makes things a lot more fresh for viewers. The visuals in the PV portrays darkness and mystery which makes it even more interesting a song.
And lastly we have Ai no Kazu from SKE48's Team KII. Not much I have to say about this song other that CHURI!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3. It's fine, nothing spectacular.
Banzai Venus(バンザイVenus) Release Date: 09 March 2011
TYPE A Limited 1,600yen
[CD]
01. Banzai Venus
02. Ai no Kazu
03. Sotsugyoushiki no Wasuremono
04. Banzai Venus (off vocal)
05. Ai no Kazu (off vocal)
06. Sotsugyoushiki no Wasuremono (off vocal) [DVD]
01. Banzai Venus PV
02. Sotsugyoushiki no Wasuremono PV
TYPE B Regular 1,600yen
[CD]
01. Banzai Venus
02. Ai no Kazu
03. Dareka no Sei ni wa Shinai
04. Banzai Venus (off vocal)
05. Ai no Kazu (off vocal)
06. Dareka no Sei ni wa Shinai (off vocal) [DVD]
01. Banzai Venus PV
02. Dareka no Sei ni wa Shinai PV
Theater Version 1,000yen
[CD]
01. Banzai Venus
02. Ai no Kazu
03. Sotsugyoushiki no Wasuremono
04. Dareka no Sei ni wa Shinai
05. Banzai Venus (off vocal)
06. Ai no Kazu (off vocal)
07. Sotsugyoushiki no Wasuremono (off vocal)
08. Dareka no Sei ni wa Shinai (off vocal)
Senbatsu - Banzai Venus(バンザイVenus) Team S: Oya Masana, Hirata Rikako, Kizaki Yuria, Kuwabara Mizuki, Suda Akari, Hiramatsu Kanako, Takada Shiori, Matsui Jurina, Matsui Rena, Yagami Kumi Team KII: Ishida Anna, Ogiso Shiori, Furukawa Airi, Takayanagi Akane, Mukaida Manatsu Team E : Kimoto Kanon
Team KII - Ai no Kazu (愛の数) Team KII: Akaeda Ririna, Abiru Riho, Ishida Anna, Ogiso Shiorim Kato Tomoko, Goto Risako, Sato Seira, Sato Miekom Takayanagi Akane, Hata Sawako, Furukawa Airi, Matsumoto Rina, Mukaida Manatsu, Yakata Miki, Yamada Reika, Wakabayashi Tomoka
White Team - Sotsugyoushiki no Wasuremono (卒業式の忘れもの) Team S: Ono Haruka, Nakanishi Yuka, Matsui Jurina Team KII: Abiru Riho, Kato Tomoko, Goto Risako, Sato Mieko, Matsumoto Rina, Yamada Reika, Wakabayashi Tomoka Team E: Yamada Erika, Nakamura Yuka
Red Team - Dareka no Sei ni wa Shinai (誰かのせいにはしない) Team S: Kato Rumi, Kinoshita Yukiko, Deguchi Aki, Matsui Rena Team KII: Sato Seira, Hata Sawako, Yakata Miki Team E: Ueno Kasumi, Umemoto Madoka, Kaneko Shiori, Hara Minami, Yamashita Yukari
Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 (Watarirouka + Iwasa Misakiand Komori Mika) is releasing their new single on the 2nd of February. It will be a Valentine-themed song as Valentine's Day is only less than two weeks away from the release, and the title song "Valentine Kiss" is a cover of Kokusho Sayuri's (from the now-defunct Onyanko Club) 1986 solo debut single.
The PV concept is of the 7 girls working in a chocolate factory. Previews from news snippets and such has gotten good reactions from fans because it's so sugary cute and catchy. The cinematography also looks good.
Watanabe Mayu gets a solo song and a solo PV included in the single, which has some detractors criticizing the unfairness. However, AKB48 has a reputation for making unpopular decisions so I have no opinion. I'll just wait and see.
The other coupling songs, different on each version are 4nin versions of Hatsukoi yo, Konnichiwa (from Team B 5th Stage) and Pajama Drive (from Team B 3rd Stage), and Mayu's new solo song Yuuhi no Ijiwaru. The funny thing is how the solo PV is on both Limited editions but the song itself is on the Regular version which doesn't come with a DVD. Selling tactics, eh?
Valentine Kiss (バレンタイン・キッス) Release Date: 02 February 2011 Price: Limited ver: 1700 yen Normal ver: 1200 yen
Valentine Kiss (Limited ver. A) [CD] 1. Valentine Kiss (バレンタイン・キッス) 2. So-Mi-So-Mi-La-Ti-La (ソミソミラシラ) 3. Hatsukoi yo, Konnichiwa (初恋よ、こんにちは) Sung by Watanabe, Oota, Hirajima, Iwasa 4. Valentine Kiss(Instrumental) 5. So-Mi-So-Mi-Ti-La (Instrumental) 6. Hatsukoi yo, Konnichiwa (Instrumental) [DVD] 1. Valentine Kiss Music Video 2. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru (夕陽のいじわる) Music Video (Appearing: Watanabe) 3. Valentine Kiss Dance Shot Version
First press: comes with Original Trading Card ( 1 out of 7 types randomly enclosed)
Valentine Kiss (Limited ver. B) [CD] 1. Valentine Kiss (バレンタイン・キッス) 2. So-Mi-So-Mi-La-Ti-La (ソミソミラシラ) 3. Pajama Drive (パジャマドライブ) Sung by Watanabe, Nakagawa, Kikuchi, Komori 4. Valentine Kiss(Instrumental) 5. So-Mi-So-Mi-Ti-La (Instrumental) 6. Pajama Drive (Instrumental) [DVD] 1. Valentine Kiss Music Video 2. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru (夕陽のいじわる) Music Video (Appearing: Watanabe) 3. Valentine Kiss Dance Shot Version
First press: comes with Original Trading Card ( 1 out of 7 types randomly enclosed)
Valentine Kiss (Regular ver.) [CD] 1. Valentine Kiss (バレンタイン・キッス) 2. So-Mi-So-Mi-La-Ti-La (ソミソミラシラ) 3. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru (夕陽のいじわる) Sung by Watanabe 4. Valentine Kiss(Instrumental) 5. So-Mi-So-Mi-Ti-La (Instrumental) 6. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru (Instrumental)
First press: comes with Original Trading Card ( 1 out of 7 types randomly enclosed)
No Sleeves' debut album was released on New Years' Day. As Oricon charts usually take a break during the first week of new year, we had no way of finding out how it was doing except for waiting.
Until finally on January 9th, the charts for the first week was revealed:
Congratulations no3b!!!
#1 position get!! The album sales are nothing short of stellar for an idol subunit group. I certainly am pleased because I had not expected the sales to be so good. I thought the high pricing might put people off, good job to the wotas and fans!
no3b's album outdid fellow OgiPro 5-person outfit Watarirouka Hashiritai's "Rouka wa Hashiruna!" which sold 32k copies in the first week and got as high as #4.
Also, today Oricon released the results for the 2nd week. no3b is at #4 with 20,723 copies sold.
I'm so proud of no3b.
I feel kind of guilty for not buying the album because they're my favourite subunit for AKB, but all my money has been going to buying BLTs and such ._. Coupled with film project budget and other things, poor students like me only get poorer. I will probably get the regular edition in the future, but not now. I'm a bad example, but I recommend all of you to buy it XD
NMB48 performed its first stage show on January 1 at the NMB48 Theater in Namba, Osaka. The performing members have been kept secret until this performance and were now revealed. Team N wasn't mentioned officially but knowing how the system works this is propably going to be the future Team N. Performing Members are as follows:
Performing Members/ Potential Team N: Yamamoto Sayaka (Captain) Ota Riona Ogasawara Mayu Kadowaki Kanako Kishino Rika Kinoshita Haruna Kondo Rina Jonishi Kei Shiroma Miru Fukumoto Aina Matsuda Shiori Mori Ayaka Yamaguchi Yuuki Yamada Nana Yoshida Akari Watanabe Miyuki
The remaining girls who didn't perform are: Okita Ayaka Kawakami Rena Kinoshita Momoka Kotani Riho Koyanagi Arisa Shinohara Kanna Hara Mizuki Hikawa Ayame Yamagishi Natsumi
I am so happy that Ogasawara Mayu, Ota Riona and Yamada Nana made it. I thought for a while Nana could become captain because she is the oldest and has experience in the entertainment business as a former member of Hello!Project Kansai but it isn't surprising that Yamamoto Sayaka got the position. She was NMB48's 'spokesperson' during the past promotion events leading all the MCs.
