Welcome to MELOS no Michi
an information and news blog dedicated to covering the latest news for: AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, JKT48

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AKB48 Is Looking for a Part-Time Member
Following OtonaAKB, AKB48 came up with a new form of temporary membership: part-time idol. Find out more about this new project here.
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AKB48 Team 8 Makes Theater Debut
AKB48 Team 8 performed its first theater show on August 5. Get more information about the shonichi performance here!
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SKE48 Announces 7th Generation Auditions
SKE48 is looking for new members and this time the fans will be part of the decision about who joins the group!
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AKB48 37th Single Senbatsu Election - Final Results
AKB48 held its election for the 6th time and for the 1st time Watanabe Mayu won it. Check out the full results here!
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Details on the AKB48 Group Pennant Race
The AKB48 Group teams will compete against each other in a new event, the AKB48 Group Pennant Race. Points will be awarded based on theater ticket applications, theater version handshake ticket sales and sousenkyo votes.
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30 May 2013

Melos' Report on JKT48 Theater Shows 25~26 May 2013


Last weekend I finally had the chance to fly to Jakarta again with a couple of friends to watch JKT48. It hasn't even been 2 months since I became a fan of JKT48 on my previous visit but I already couldn't wait to go back, and I grabbed the first opportunity that I could. As I'm still in the army, my leave is very limited so I had to wait until the Vesak Day holiday in Singapore on Friday to minimize my leave usage.

Unlike my first trip where there were only JKT48 Trainee shows, this time round there were both Team J's [Renai Kinshi Jourei] stage on Saturday, 25 May, as well as JKT48 Trainees' new stage [Boku no Taiyou] on Sunday, 26 May. Unfortunately the noon Team J show was women and children only, so I have to base my report on just the 1 evening show.

But before I start with the stage report, I need to mention that my knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia has not improved since my last visit. At most I have learnt a few new words.


Team J 2nd Stage [Renai Kinshi Jourei]
Date: 25 May 2013
Performers:
Ayana Shahab, Beby Chaesara Anadila, Cindy Gulla, Frieska Anastasia Laksani, Gabriela Margareth Warouw, Ghaida Farisya, Haruka Nakagawa, Jessica Vania, Jessica Veranda, Melody Nurramdhani Laksani, Nabilah Ratna Ayu Azalia, Rena Nozawa, Rica Leyona, Sendy Ariani, Shania Junianatha, Stella Cornelia

Songs
As always, I had a hard time getting used to change in language. I have been listening to the original Japanese version since it came out so during the show I kept singing along with the Japanese lyrics lol. Another thing that took some adapting to was the different chanting style unique to the JKT48 wotas. For example in Japan, the wotas don't chant to songs like Nagai Hikari and JK Nemurihime. But it was a good change and certainly livened up the show.

MCs
Team J's MCs were also fun and hillarious. The "Legendary Team J MCs" that everyone says they are famous for certainly lived up to it's name for me, even if half of the MC was Haruka laughing. She kept stealing the show with her childishness and her inability to pronounce properly in Bahasa Indonesia (the Rs and Ls etc). For example when asked what movie she would like to star in, she replied Iron man, but she pronounced it as the Indonesian "ayo man" (come on, man), causing a great confusion and when the rest of the members finally realized what she meant and corrected her, she broke into a laughing fit for a good 5 mins. This happened during 2 MCs. I was amazed at how much Bahasa Indonesia Haruka has learnt already. She's speaking almost naturally now. Keep up the good work Haruka.

Luckily for me that day, I had the pleasure of seating on the 3rd row together with Richardson of JKT48stuff, who helped translate bits and pieces of the MC to me so I didn't fell left out. I can't remember most of the content but I do remember that during one of the MCs Haruka said she wanted a documentary of JKT48 movie, to the approval of the whole audience. Then she added that she wanted to be the producer, cameramen and at the same time star in the movie. Hahaha. On the same topic, Gaby also said that she wanted JKT48 to have a Cafe & Shop just like what AKB48 has. I think that will take off quite well if that wish is ever realized.

Members
I have to admit that even though JKT48/Team J has been out for over a year already, I haven't been paying much attention to them, until my previous trip where I saw the trainees. At most I watched a couple of videos of them, but none really caught my interest. All my friends that have watched JKT48 have a favourite member in Team J, so I was left out as the only member of the group who had a Trainee oshi, but I blamed that on the face that I haven't seen Team J in person.

I went to the show looking forward to finally finding a Team J oshimen, but I left the show empty handed with my feelings stronger for Rona.

Now don't get me wrong, the members are damn good. They can sing great and dance even better. In particular, Stella, Jeje and Beby impressed me the most. Stella sang the opening line in Nagai Hikari and her vocal prowess is unmatched compared to the other members. Both she and Beby rocked Renai Kinshi Jourei. And Jeje gave Kuroi Tenshi a new level of sexiness that I have never seen before when AKB48 performed it in Singapore.

But something was missing. Somehow I couldn't find that connection with the members that I felt with Rona when I first saw her. Maybe I'm not destined to find a favorite in Team J yet? I realized that finding an oshimen is not as easy as it seems, and appreciate the bond that I found with Rona.

Final Verdict
I had really high hopes on this stage from all the comments and tweets about my previous report watching the trainee stage, but somehow I came out underwhelmed. I'm not sure what was lacking, but it definitely wasn't the members. They showed off their vocal and dance and i'm definitely impressed when it came to that department. Nor was it the MCs, as stated above. Could it be the stage set list itself? Me and my friends agree that compared to Pajama Drive, Renai Kinshi Jourei is more laid back and for, quote "relaxing on the beach on a summer afternoon". If that's the case, then I would say that Pajama Drive would be more like "teenage fun" with it's high number of energetic and cheerful songs. If only I was here to watch Team J's Pajama Drive stage, but that's too late now.

Though I sometimes feel left out when my friends speak of the early days of JKT48 where the members can tweet personally with you etc, and how I missed out the best times of Team J, I am convinced that is not the case. I know for sure that I have yet to see the best that my oshimen Rona have yet to offer and I am certain she is well capable of reaching new heights not seen before.

Wait a minute isn't it too early to say that? I haven't even talked about the JKT48 Trainee stages. Let's get straight to that shall we. LOL


JKT48 Trainee 2nd Stage [Boku no Taiyou]
Date: 26 May 2013
Performers:
Alicia Chanzia, Cindy Yuvia, Della Delila, Intar Putri Kariina, Jennifer Hanna, Jennifer Rachel Natasya, Lidya Maulida Djuhandar, Nadila Cindi Wantari, Natalia, Noella Sisterina, Ratu Vienny Fitrilya, Riskha Fairunissa, Rona Anggreani, Shinta Naomi, Thalia, Viviyona Apriani

JKT48 Trainees held the Senshuuraku (final performance) for their previous [Pajama Drive] stage just earlier this month. If I didn't fly over on my previous trip, I would have missed out possibly the best stage that JKT48 has to offer. Yet even though I was sad that I could not see Pajama Drive again, at the same time it was an amazing experience to see a new stage that hasn't been polished yet. Not that the members weren't doing badly, in fact they were great but I noticed they were still fine-tuning the dance moves.

This was my first time in two months reuniting with the Trainees. Unfortunately for this trip, I only won the Super Far seats for yesterday's Team J show (even though I requested for Team Trainee Super Far tickets lol) so I had to settle with General tickets. That didn't go well either because for both shows bingo we were called in last and had to stand at the back. This was fine for 1 show but after 2 in a row my leg started to cramp.

Noon Show
I'm going to skip the report for the 1st show, because to put it bluntly majority of the audience wasn't really there. They were just sitting there not doing anything, their lightsticks turned on but on their laps not their hands. One guy near me was even sitting down mid-performance, in the standing area! Granted it was a new stage so I can understand if there isn't any chanting, but even during the self introductions the audience were generally silent. Hell, my friend's cheers were louder then everyone else. It was only until Lay Down that the crowd finally got lively.

Fan interaction works both ways. If the girls sees such a lackluster crowd, they won't see the need to give it their all. And that was exactly what I saw. After 4 or so songs their dancing was getting slack. I'm not asking you to know the chants to every song or shout all the members' names, because frankly I don't know even half of the members or chants. But the least you could do is show the girls that your interested in what's going on.

Night Show
The 2nd show was a big improvement over the first. And as a bonus, it was Acha's birthday show. This was unknown to me and the rest of my group so we were lucky to have applied and won the show. Because it was her birthday show, she ended up being the subject of all the MCs. One of the MC topics was "talk about the other members", but in the end all of them just talked about Acha lol. It was amusing seeing Acha getting mocked during her birthday show. Sadly since they were trainees, there wasn't any birthday cake for Acha in the end.

Songs
Boku no Taiyou stage was exactly what I expected it to be. Earlier I mentioned that Renai Kinshi Jourei is for "relaxing on a beach" and Pajama Drive would be "teenage fun". Boku no Taiyou is about the same as Pajama Drive but a little less "teenage fun" and a lot more "raging hormones", courtesy of none other than Lay Down.

Lay down is definitely the highlight of the stage for many. After all who wouldn't appreciate girls in leather touching each other suggestively, acting rowdy and headbanging? Luckily it wasn't censored like many thought it would because of its gaudy lyrics. But that's not actually my favorite song, that would go to Boku no Taiyou. It's just such a happy song that I ended up dancing along with the members during the show, not just the hands but the body too. I'm sorry if I hit anybody while I was dancing lol.

Dreamin' Girls was one of the songs that I wanted to see live ever since I first heard it. How many times do you ever see an idol group sing A Cappella? Unfortunately it wasn't by the original Himawari-gumi members, but the Indonesian version still lived up to my expectations. The girls managed to pull it off without any noticeable off keys. Great job girls.

Members
Well you know what I'm going to say right?
Rona was amazing during Boku to Juliet to Jet coaster. When the stage first debuted, a lot of people tweeted to me about how perfect she was in the unit, and when when I saw it for myself I could only say that they were damn right. She really feels like a young Oshima Yuko. Everytime I see her she never fails to amaze me, even when I'm all the way at the back of the theater.

Acha was also shining that night and managed to grab my attention away from Rona quite a few times even during Boku to Juliet to Jet Coaster. After all it's her birthday show, she would want to give it her all. Rachael and Della were faboulous during Himawari, and despite not being the center 2 members for that unit I think they outshone them.

I'm sorry that I don't have much else to say about the rest of the members, but I'm still unfamiliar with most of JKT48. I think another trip to the Theater is needed to get to know more members :D

Final Verdict
I always regarded the Himawari-gumi stages to be the best stages that Akimoto Yasushi ever produced, with a good balance between cute, relaxing, and fierce songs, and I still think that. The girls still have some work to do to match up to their Japanese counterpart, but the stage is still new and like I said earlier they are still fine-tuning the steps. The next time I go there around September, their performances should be much better, and so will I when it comes to JKT48 members.

Read more ...

26 May 2013

More Details on Komori Mika's and Matsubara Natsumi's Graduation


As previously reported, Umeda Team B member Komori Mika announced her graduation on May 9. A few days earlier on May 5, Matsubara Natsumi had announced her graduation during the [Omoidaseru Kimitachi e] performance of K3rd [Nounai Paradise]. At the time of the announcement the graduation dates were undecided, but now the dates for the girls' last activities have been revealed.

Komori Mika's last theater show will be on June 3, only about a week from now. One day later on June 4, Matsubara Natsumi will  have her graduation show. But these shows won't be their last activity in AKB48 because both girls will participate in the handshake event on July 7. This will be their last handshake event and the last chance for their fans to say goodbye.
Read more ...

Matsumura Kaori Will Release Indies Solo Single Produced By Sashihara Rino



As announced during SKE48's Concert in Nippon Gaishi Hall on April 14, SKE48's Lifetime Honorary Kenkyuusei Matsumura Kaori will release an Indies Solo single. The single will be limited to 1000 copies, but if those are sold out new copies will be made. This will be the first solo single by an SKE48 member.

A month later on May 13, it was revealed during the late night show AKB Eizou Center which is hosted by Sashihara Rino, that Sashihara will produce the single. Five minutes before the start of the show, a mail had arrived from Akimoto Yasushi saying that Sashihara will pick the song, arrange it and write the lyrics in order to show Matsumura Kaori's charm. Sashihara Rino is now not only an HKT48 member and the the HKT48 theater manager, but also a producer.

Matsumura Kaori, who ranked #34 in the last election and #17 in the first day results of the current election, commented about Sashihara producing the single: "There seem to be a lot of opinions, but I am very happy about it. This way I became a news topic again. It's thanks to Sashihara-san. Thanks to Sashihara-san. This is important. As expected, number 4 (note: referring to election rank) is amazing" (Source).

Sashihara promised to give her best, saying "I think this will become a very important song for Matsumura and for Matsumura's fans, I'll work hard with all my might. I seriously have to do my best."(Source).
Read more ...

24 May 2013

Nakatsuka Tomomi To Graduate


AKB48 Shinoda Team A member Nakatsuka Tomomi announced her graduation during the theater show on May 20. In her comment she explained that she will turn 20 soon and now wants to take a "step forward". A graduation date has not been announced yet.

Nakatsuka Tomomi joined AKB48 as a 5th generation member in 2007. She was promoted in January 2009 to Team B and later became a member of Team K and then A. Tomomi ranked #9 in the first Janken Tournament in 2010 and hence became a senbatsu member for [Chance no Junban], her first and only time as senbatsu. Since she never ranked in the sousenkyo before, she did not even apply to participate in the current election.

You can read a translation of her graduation blog post below.   

Nakatsuka Tomomi's Graduation Comment
Original Message
What I want to tell

During today's theater show I announced my graduation. I was nervous... Feeling my heart beating fast I even got more nervous.
Since the start of this year, I was thinking about graduation. AKB became bigger and bigger and, honestly, even though I am a member of the same group I could not follow. I worried: Am I necessary here? Is it ok to continue like this?
But I was able to meet the other members I love, the stage shows were fun and everyone was always supporting me and cheering for me. I relied on this environment, and couldn't really come up with the decision to graduate.
When Nattsumii and Komori announced their graduations I saw a lot of comments saying "Kurisu will be okay, won't she?". I couldn't give an answer to that, I am sorry. I must have made you uneasy. So now I feel relieved somehow.
I was active in AKB for 5 years. At that time (when I joined) I was 14, 15 but this June I'll become 20. I thought this is a good opportunity to move one step forward. "When I become 20 I want to make a new start", with this thoughts in mind I decided to graduate.
I don't have a definite dream yet. But I have a lot of things I want to do. Because I know that this world isn't easy, I will work hard for myself so that I can first do the things I want to do. Also for you too. So that I can make a lot of happy announcements. When you are glad, it makes me glad and happy.
And there is something I wanted to say all the time: What I wrote when I announced my withdrawal from the election, is what I really feel. But I don't have any intentions to criticize Yuko-chan. I really do understand what Yuko-chan said. I just wanted to say that this isn't all. (Note: On Yuko's famous words about how votes are love from the fans, Tomomi commented that the fans' love reaches her even without putting it into votes.) Yuko-chan contacted me immediately. We talked about our feelings and understood each other so please don't worry. She is a beloved senpai I can respect from the bottom of my heart and rely on. Sorry for not finding the right words. I am really sorry that I caused you a lot of worry and trouble at that time.
The countdown has already begun, so I cannot waste a minute or second. Being thankful for every single thing, I'll run through with all my might so that I won't have anything to regret. That's probably what I can do now. So that I can say thank you to as many people as possible.
I'd be happy if you watch over me kindly till the end. Please treat me well.
Nakatsuka Tomomi
Read more ...

NMB48 7th Single [Bokura no Eureka] Senbatsu, Covers, Tracklist And Short PV Revealed


NMB48 has revealed several new details about its 7th Single which will go on sale June 19. The single, NMB48's first in 7 months, will be called [Bokura no Eureka] (僕らのユリイカ; Our Eureka). The covers, tracklist, senbatsu, line up for the coupling songs and a short PV have been revealed too.

The Senbatsu line up shows a few changes. Team M members Shimada Rena and Takano Yui were selected for the first time as Senbatsu. Ichikawa Miori, whose double position in NMB48 has just been announced recently, is also part of the Senbatsu.

As usual, the single will be released in four types: A, B, C and Theater Edition. Coupling songs are songs by Shirogumi, Akagumi and Namba Teppoutai Sono San, as well as [Todokanasou de Todoku Mono] the title song of the TV show [NMB48 Geinin!!2]. Covers A, B and C feature the Senbatsu girls in bikinis, and the Theater Edition shows them in their PV outfit.

Unusual is the concept of the PV: the girls seem to have stranded on a deserted island. The short PV shows them hunting, gathering and waiting for help, covered in dirt and with ripped clothes. Reportedly, NMB48 Theater Manager Kaneko Takeshi will also make an appearance in the full PV.

You can find the tracklist, covers, line-up and PV below.

Type A

1,600yen
[CD]
01. Bokura no Eureka
02. Todokanasou de Todoku Mono
03. Okuba (Shirogumi)
04. Bokura no Eureka (off vocal)
05. Todokanasou de Todoku Mono (off vocal)
06. Okuba (Shirogumi) (off vocal)
[DVD]
01. Bokura no Eureka (MV)
02. Bokura no Eureka (MV Dancing Version)
03. Okuba (Shirogumi)(MV)
04. Special Footage Kotani Riho vs. Tsukitei Housei Give-up-Hetare Battle (First Part)
Type B

1,600yen
[CD]
01. Bokura no Eureka
02. Todokanasou de Todoku Mono
03. Yaban na Soft Cream (Akagumi)
04. Bokura no Eureka (off vocal)
05. Todokanasou de Todoku Mono (off vocal)
06. Yaban na Soft Cream (Akagumi) (off vocal)
[DVD]
01. Bokura no Eureka (MV)
02. Bokura no Eureka (MV Dancing Version)
03. Yaban na Soft Cream (Akagumi)(MV)
04. Special Footage Kotani Riho vs. Tsukitei Housei Give-up-Hetare Battle (Second Part)
TypeC

1,600yen
[CD]
01. Bokura no Eureka
02. Todokanasou de Todoku Mono
03. Hinadan de wa Boku no Miryoku wa Ikinainda (Namba Teppoutai Sono San)
04. Bokura no Eureka (off vocal)
05. Todokanasou de Todoku Mono (off vocal)
06. Hinadan de wa Boku no Miryoku wa Ikinainda (Namba Teppoutai Sono San) (off vocal)
[DVD]
01. Bokura no Eureka (MV)
02. Bokura no Eureka (MV Dancing Version)
03. Hinadan de wa Boku no Miryoku wa Ikinainda (Namba Teppoutai Sono San) (MV)
04. NMB48 feat. Yoshimoto Shinkigeki Vol.6
Type C

1,000yen
[CD]
TBA

Senbatsu
Team N: Ogasawara Mayu, Ichikawa Miori, Kotani Riho, Shiroma Miru, Jonishi Kei, Yamamoto Sayaka, Yoshida Akari, Watanabe Miyuki
Team M: Shimada Rena, Takano Yui, Tanigawa Airi,Yagura Fuuko, Yamada Nana, Yogi Keira
Team BII: Kato Yuka, Yabushita Shu

In: Shimada Rena, Takano Yui, Ichikawa Miori, Yogi Keira
Out: Yokoyama Yui, Kadowaki Kanako, Kishino Rika, Fukumoto Aina

Shirogumi
Team N: Ogasawara Mayu, Kadowaki Kanako, Kishino Rika, Kinoshita Haruna, Yamaguchi Yuuki, Yamamoto Sayaka
Team M: Azuma Yuki, Murakami Ayaka, Yamagishi Natsumi,Yamada Nana
Team BII: Kamieda Emika, Kusaka Konomi

Akagumi
Team N: Ichikawa Miori, Koga Narumi, Kondo Rina, Watanabe Miyuki
Team M: Okita Ayaka, Kawakami Rena, Kinoshita Momoka, Mita Mao, Yagura Fuuko
Team BII: Kurokawa Hazuki, Kobayashi Rikako, Muro Kanako


Namba Teppoutai Sono San

Team N: Shiroma Miru, Nishimura Aika
Team M: Murase Sae, Yogi Keira
Team BII: Akazawa Hono, Ota Yuuri, Kushiro Rina
Kenkyuusei: Shibuya Nagisa


Read more ...

23 May 2013

AKB48 31st Single [Sayonara Crawl] 1st Day Sales


AKB48's 31st Single [Sayonara Crawl] was released on May 22 and the first day sales amount to 1,450,881 copies. Not surprising, AKB48 ranked first in the Oricon Daily Charts.

These are the highest first day sales for AKB48 ever. The previous record was set by [Manatsu no Sounds Good] with 1,170,554. Sales made a huge jump from the prevous single [So long!] which sold 817,530 copies on its first day. Singles containing voting tickets always sell more but given the slight downward sales trend of the previous singles this is a surprising sales number.

This time voting tickets are included in all types including the Theater Edition so we can expect a huge amount of votes for the ongoing election.

Read more ...

22 May 2013

AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Election - Preliminary Votes


AKB48's 31st Single [Sayonara Crawl] was released today, and with that the voting tickets for the 32nd Single Senbatsu Election. The AKB48 Official Blog released the first and only preliminary vote count for this election.

http://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-11535824621.html

Do note that this is not the final result, and there will most likely be big changes from now to the final result on July, which is the case for all the previous year's senbatsu elections.


RankTeamVotesPrev Rank
-----Future Girls line-----
64Kimoto KanonSKE48 Team E2,27556
63Tano YukaAKB48 Team A2,39445
62Iwasa MisakiAKB48 Team B2,40633
61Miyawaki SakuraHKT48 Team H2,48247
60Suzuki ShihoriAKB48 Team K2,492-
59Yagura FuukoNMB48 Team M (Team A Conc)2,535-
58Abe MariaAKB48 Team K2,595-
57Okamoto NaokoHKT48 Kenkyuusei2,660-
56Ishida HarukaAKB48 Team B2,66550
55Iwatate SahoAKB48 Kenkyuusei2,685-
54Kuramochi AsukaAKB48 Team K2,69922
53Kikuchi AyakaAKB48 Team A2,70451
52Fujie ReinaAKB48 Team B2,71040
51Tomonaga MioHKT48 Kenkyuusei2,740-
50Maeda AmiAKB48 Team A2,76142
49Moriyasu MadokaHKT48 Team H2,809-
-----Next Girls line-----
48Kaneko ShioriSKE48 Team E2,821-
47Yamashita YukariSKE48 Team KII2,864-
46Oba MinaAKB48 Team B (Team KII Conc)2,86857
45Yamada NanaNMB48 Team M2,87246
44Ichikawa MioriAKB48 Team B (Team N Conc)2,94858
43Kinoshita YukikoSKE48 Team E3,072-
42Tashima MeruHKT48 Kenkyuusei3,080-
41Oota AikaHKT48 Team H3,25952
40Isohara KyokaSKE48 Team S3,272-
39Yakata MikiSKE48 Team S3,27762
38Kitahara RieAKB48 Team K3,50713
37Takajo AkiJKT48 Team J (Team B Conc)4,11417
36Katayama HarukaAKB48 Team B4,11848
35Muto TomuAKB48 Team K4,19549
34Furukawa AiriSKE48 Team KII4,39230
33Kawaei RinaAKB48 Team A4,457-
-----Under Girls line-----
32Matsumoto RinaSKE48 Team KII4,493-
31Jonishi KeiNMB48 Team N4,640-
30Nakanishi YukaSKE48 Team S4,65463
29Oya MasanaSKE48 Team S4,70327
28Takayanagi AkaneSKE48 Team KII4,82424
27Iriyama AnnaAKB48 Team A4,864-
26Minegishi MinamiAKB48 Kenkyuusei4,87514
25Saito MakikoSKE48 Team S5,051-
24Kodama HarukaHKT48 Team H (Team A Conc)5,096-
23Yabushita ShuNMB48 Team BII5,539-
22Umeda AyakaAKB48 Team B6,03016
21Umemoto MadokaSKE48 Team E6,055-
20Kojima HarunaAKB48 Team B6,5027
19Kobayashi AmiSKE48 Team KII6,536-
18Takahashi MinamiAKB48 Team A6,5986
17Matsumura KaoriSKE48 Kenkyuusei6,61634
-----Senbatsu line-----
16Kizaki YuriaSKE48 Team S6,89131
15Shinoda MarikoAKB48 Team A7,1265
14Itano TomomiAKB48 Team K7,4078
13Yamamoto SayakaNMB48 Team N8,09718
12Miyazawa SaeSNH48 (Team K Conc)8,56711
11Suda AkariSKE48 Team KII8,75329
10Watanabe MiyukiNMB48 Team N (Team B Conc)9,16319
9Yokoyama YuiAKB48 Team K10,61615
8Shibata AyaSKE48 Team KII8,753-
7Shimazaki HarukaAKB48 Team B11,83223
6Matsui RenaSKE48 Team E12,17710
5Kashiwagi YukiAKB48 Team B12,8873
4Matsui JurinaSKE48 Team S (Team K Conc)13,6569
3Oshima YukoAKB48 Team K14,0001
2Watanabe MayuAKB48 Team A14,8852
1Sashihara RinoHKT48 Team H28,5634


Usually, fans would submit only a few of their votes to test the market, and use the preliminary results as a guide to how they should distribute their votes amongst all their Oshimens in the various groups, or the fans would keep their votes until after the preliminary vote count, and then vote all at once so there would be a surprise sharp rise in positions, which was the case of Sato Amina in the 1st election. Unfortunately since then it's no longer a secret and is part of the tactics of many fans now, but I don't know if that's the reason why Amina did not rank at all in the preliminary results.

So it is quite shocking to see Sashihara Rino right on the no.1 spot with 28k votes, almost double that of the 2nd place holder Watanabe Mayu. During last year's preliminary results, the 1st place only had 15k votes. Do the Sasshi fans have something in mind? Or has Sasshi's fanbase grown leaps and bounds since the last election?

Another surprise is SKE48's Shibata Aya, who did not rank at all last year but somehow shot up straight to the 8th place. I don't recall Ayaya getting any major pushing the past year so I'm wondering where all this newfound fame came from. SKE's Suda Akari and Kizaki Yuria, and AKB's Shimazaki Haruka have also leaped from Under Girls to Senbatsu but those 3 have been pushed heavily.

Looking at the results overall, there seems to be just as many SKE48 members as AKB48 members. Maybe it's time SKE48 had it's own Senbatsu Election?

Do drop us a comment on who you voted for and why, and which members do you think deserve to be ranked but did not.

Stay tuned for the final result on 8th June, 2013, 05:30PM at the Nissan Stadium.
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Nogizaka46 2nd Generation Profiles + Videos


The Tokyo phase of Nogizaka46's [16nin no Principal Deux] Stage has ended on 12th May, and with that all the Nogizaka46 2nd generation of members have been revealed, numbering 13 in total. This brings the total number of members in Nogizaka46 up to exactly 46, living up to it's name.


Nogizaka46 2nd Generation profile page: http://www.nogizaka46.com/2kisei_profile/

Each of the members self introduction video has been put up onto their profile pages. You can take a look by clicking on the link above.

Included among the 2nd Generation members is an AKB48 Kenkyuusei graduate, Nishikawa Nanase. She was part of the 8th generation of Kenkyuusei until she graduated on 2009 for an alleged scandal. You can read more about her case HERE.

In addition, the 13 2nd generation members have been seperated into the "Youth Division" and the "Adult Division". Members younger than 16 years old (1997) are grouped into the Youth Division, and those younger than that will join the Adult Division.


Youth Division
(L-R)
Watanabe Miria (渡辺みり愛)
Terada Ranze (寺田蘭世)
Sasaki Kotoko (佐々木琴子)
Suzuki Ayane (鈴木絢音)
Hori Miona (堀未央奈)
Yonetoku Kyouka (米徳京花)
Ito Junna (伊藤純奈)
Adult Division
(L-R)
Itou Karin (伊藤かりん)
Kitano Hinako (北野日奈子)
Yada Risako (矢田里沙子)
Shinuchi Mai (新内眞衣)
Yamazaki Rena (山崎怜奈)
Nishikawa Nanami (西川七海)
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AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Election - Election Posters


The Election Posters for the AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Election have already been uploaded on the official election website. The 254 posters are also being hung at the TOKYO DOME CITY HALL, and the respective groups' theaters.

http://www.akb48.co.jp/sousenkyo/32ndsingle/member.php

A small 3R photo of one of the election posters will be included as a bonus photo for the Theater Edition of AKB48's 31st Single [Sayonara Crawl], which releases this week.
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SKE48 12th Single Announced



SKE48 has announced its 12th Single during their handshake event in Port Messe, Nagoya. Currently, the Single is still untitled, but the release date has been set for 17th July, 2013.

The announcement came unknown to the members in the middle of their mini-live where they performed Okey Dokey, Kataomoi Finally, Aishiteraburu!, and Kiss Datte Hidarikiki. Just as they were about to sing the next song, Choco no Dorei, the announcement flashed on the screen.

The 12th Single will be SKE48's 2nd in 2013. SKE48's 11th Single, [Choco no Dorei], was released more than half a year ago on 30th January, 2013. It will be released in types A, B, and C limited and regular versions as well as a theater version. The single is already up for pre-orders on various websites.

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Kuramochi Asuka [Itsumo Soba ni] PV Preview



The Promotional video for Kuramochi Asuka's solo single [Itsumo Soba ni] has been uploaded onto YouTube. The PV was shot in Guam and will release on 29th May 2013.

However, not all went smoothly during her PV shoot. Kuramochi reported on her blog that her wallet was stolen on the set of the shoot. Unfortunately, she only found out about it after the shoot and by that time it was too late; when she blogged about it she was already back in Japan.

Some of the things inside her wallet included a baseball card signed by her father, cash, and various insurance cards.



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Yokoyama Yui and Yamada Nana Leave Team N


Yokoyama Yui and Yamada Nana both performed their last show as Team N members on May 20. With this, Yokoyama's concurrency ends and she will be only an AKB48 member from now on while Yamada Nana will move to Team M. During the show the two and Yamamoto Sayaka also performed their unit song [Dazai Osamu wo Yonda ka?] from the NMB48 album for the first time in the theater.

Yokoyama Yui's concurrency had been announced during the Tokyo Dome Concerts in August last year. Since then she was quite active in NMB48. She was senbatsu in NMB48's single [Kitagawa Kenji], participated in the album [Teppen Tottande] and was part of the main cast in [NMB48 Geinin!!2] as well as [Geinin!The Movie]. Umeda Team B member Ichikawa Miori will take over the concurrent position in Team N.

Yamada Nana's move to Team M had been announced during NMB48's Request Hour Setlist Best 30 on April 18. Nana has been a Team N member ever since the team was formed in early 2011 and was always one of the front members. From now on she will have to do her best in Team M.



Both girls made comments about their leave on Google+.

Yamada Nana's Comment
Original Message
My last show as Team N.
It was really fun.
I remembered the lessons for our first show and I felt like crying.
I really love the "Dareka no Tame ni" stage show.
Yuihan, even though your concurrency ends we are friends, I really love you.
Even Aina came specially for today. Everyone, thanks for all your love.
Even in Team M, please let me still show my gratitude.
Until today, I've spent such a great time in Team N.
Thank you!
Yokoyama Yui's Comment
Original Message
My last NMB48 theater show has ended.
To everyone in Team N
To everyone in NMB
To the staff
And to all the fans who support me,
Thank you so so much.
I love NMB48.
Thank you for an intensive half year.
I am happy.
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[NMB48 Geinin! The Movie] Will Come To Theaters 1st August




NMB48's first starring movie [NMB48 Geinin! THE MOVIE Owarai Seishun Girls!] will be released in theaters nationwide in Japan starting 1st August, 2013.

Official Website: http://www.ntv.co.jp/geinin_1/movie.html

NMB48 Geinin! THE MOVIE is an adaptation of NMB48's variety TV show NMB48 Geinin!, which broadcasted on Nippon Television (NTV) from July to September 2012. The filming started already on February and the movie was already featured earlier this year at the Okinawa Film Festival, but finally the movie will be available for public viewing from August.


The movie is set in the same girls high school as the TV Show, "Namba Jougakuin" (なんば女学院). The comedy club of Namba Jougakuin aims to win the comedy competition JK-1. However, the similarities end there and the movie will go on a totally different route as the TV show.

The official NMB48 channel has also released a short preview:

NMB48 Geinin! THE MOVIE Owarai Seishun Girls!
NMB48 げいにん!THE MOVIE お笑い青春ガールズ!

Release date: 1st August 2013
Region: Nationwide, Japan

Director: Uchida Hidemi (内田秀実)
Main Cast: Yamada Nana, Ogasawara Mayu, Yamamoto Sayaka, Kotani Riho, Watanabe Miyuki, Yokoyama Yui
Plot:
The members of the "Namba Girls High School Comedy Club" Yamamoto Sayaka, Yokoyama Yui, Yamada Nana, Ogasawara Mayu and Kotani Riho are putting all their effort into manzai comedy.  They practise everyday and don't even have time for fashion or love. One day a nationwide comedy competition for female high school students, the JK-1, is announced. Who wins there, might even appear on TV! The club members get completely excited about this.

At this point, a new student, the pretty but devilish Watanabe Miyuki, transfers to school and wants to join the comedy club. Her joining the club unsettles the other members. The behaviour of the charming and sexy Watanabe displeases Yamamoto and the two get into conflict at every opportunity. Yokoyama who forms a comedy duo with Yamamoto also can't help worrying about the two.

Actually, Yamamoto and Watanabe have a hidden past together...What is behind that? And can the girls win the JK-1? This will be a youth movie full of laugh, tears and deep emotions.



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11 May 2013

Kitahara Rie Ends Her Concurrency in SKE48


Kitahara Rie performed her final stage of [Seifuku no Me] on 9th May, ending her concurrency as an SKE48 Team S member. She will revert back being just a member of AKB48's Oshima Team K. Taking her place will be Umeda Team B's Oba Mina, who will be joining SKE48's Team KII.

Kitahara Rie's concurrency with SKE48 was announced during the AKB48 Tokyo Dome concert on August 2012. She made her debut on Team S's [Seifuku no Me] stage on 13th February 2013, performing for 2 months before her concurrency was shuffled from Team S to Team KII at the SKE48 Gaishi Hall concert in April. That was however overruled when at the AKB48 Group Rinji Soukai concert later that month, Togasaki announced the ending of her concurrency.


Kitahara Rie's comment (translated by MajouShoujo48)
https://plus.google.com/101698755652225940459/posts/YkezdBc8vrG
Today my work as a member of SKE48 reaches its end.
It both feels like it’s been a long and a short time but, well..
It didn’t even pass a year, so I guess it was really short.
It was but…still, I was able to make lots of memories with everyone in SKE48, and I’m so happy I’ve had the chance to do that.

It’s not been easy, not at all…it’s been considerably hard,
but this concurrent position really turned out to be
something very positive for me, it made
me realize that there’s nothing impossible to do,
and so it also gave me a lot of confidence in myself.
It was a really wonderful period, in which I’ve had
the privilege to pass through this experience and
find a lots of new precious things for me.

Turning back only to AKB48 would mean to just turn back where I used to be in the first place, but…
if it feels so sad and lonely it’s definitely because it’s been really enjoyable for me to work in SKE48.
Everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

Lastly…
SKE48’s fans are all very very supportive of the group,
and I’m genuinely tremendously envious of SKE48’s members for this love they receive.
Now Ooba Minachan is going to come here after me, as a member in a concurrent position so…
Please, everyone…be so kind to welcome her warmly.
I count on you.

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Eguchi Aimi Disappears from AKB48's Profile Page


AKB48's very own virtual idol Eguchi Aimi has finally graduated from the group. Her profile was taken down from the official website a few days ago.

Eguchi Aimi debuted on June 2011 as the "Ultimate Kenkyuusei", impressing Akimoto Yasushi during NMB48's 2nd Generation audition. She then got transfered to AKB48 and become the only member of AKB48's generation 12.5. Immediately after debuting, she made the cover of the magazine Shupure, as well as starring front and center in the Ice no Mi commercial collaboration with Ezaki Glico.

It was later revealed though that Eguchi Aimi was not a real person, but actually a digital composite of various AKB48 members. Oshima Yuko for her hair and body, Takahashi Minami for her facial outline, Maeda Atsuko for her eyes, Itano Tomomi for her nose, Shinoda Mariko for her mouth and Watanabe Mayu for her eyebrows. 12th Gen Kenkyuusei Sasaki Yukari also filled in as the actual body for the Shupure photoshoot and in live concerts.

However soon after, Eguchi Aimi started appearing less and less and within a month she was nowhere to be seen. Her profile was still kept on the AKB48 official site until today. Eguchi Aimi has not left any graduation speech and no graduation ceremony has been planned.


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JKT48 1st Single [RIVER] Released



The Theater version of JKT48's 1st single [RIVER] went on sale today, on 11th May 2013, in Indonesia.

RIVER will be released in two types: Regular ver. and Theater ver.. The Theater ver. will be sold earlier, on 11th May 2011 at the JKT48 Theater in fx Sudirman, while the release date for the Regular ver. has not yet been announced, but expected to be mid May.

The Regular ver. has a special photo as a bonus along with digital card for mobile content brought by IM3 (Indonesian mobile provider), and the theater version will give you an individual handshake ticket and one trading card.

RIVER is JKT48 first single to be released into CD+DVD physique. All previous song releases came bundled in a CD format. This single is also the first time JKT48 will use the 16 member Senbatsu system for their songs.

JKT48 [RIVER] Official page: http://jkt48.com/river?lang=id

JKT48 1st Single
RIVER
11 May 2013

Regular ver.

80,000IDR
(800yen/8USD)
[CD]
01. RIVER //Senbatsu
02. Sakura no Shiori -Pembatas Buku Sakura- //Team J
03. Mirai no Kajitsu -Buah Masa Depan- // JKT48 Trainee
04. Kimi ni Au Tabi Koi wo Suru -Jatuh Cinta Setiap Bertemu Denganmu- // Team J
[DVD]
01. RIVER Music Video
02. RIVER Making Video Behind the Scenes
03. Mirai no Kajitsu Behind the Scenes
Theater ver.

40,000IDR
(400yen/4USD)
[CD]
01. RIVER
02. Sakura no Shiori -Pembatas Buku Sakura- //Team J
03. Mirai no Kajitsu -Buah Masa Depan- // JKT48 Trainee


RIVER //Senbatsu
Devi Kinal Putri, Jessica Vania, Rena Nozawa, Gabriella Maragareth Warouw, Melody Nuramdhani Laksani, Rica Leyona, Nabilah Ratna Ayu, Delima Rizky, Shania Junianatha, Jessica Veranda, Rezky Wiranti Dhike, Stella Cornelia, Beby Chaesara Anadila, Ayana Shahab, Aki Takajo, Nakagawa Haruka
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10 May 2013

Komori Mika Also Announces Graduation Tonight


AKB48 Umeda Team B's Komori Mika has also announced her graduation tonight during the show in the AKB48 Theater, just mere minutes after SKE48's Hioki Miki and Itou Akane announced theirs at the SKE48 Theater. The reason she gave for graduating is that she wants to go overseas to study. Currently her graduation date is undecided.

Komori Mika was from the 7th Generation of AKB48 Kenkyuusei, where she was the first ever kenkyuusei to enter Senbatsu in AKB48's 12th Single Namida Surprise!. She debuted on December 2008, and got promoted on 21st May 2010 to Team B, later joining Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 on June 2010. This is her 4th year in AKB48.

Komori Mika did not apply to be a participant of the AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Election, but ranked 30th, 32nd, and 64th during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Senbatsu Elections. Her withdrawal from AKB48 would mean that Watarirouka Hashiritai will be 1 member short of 7.


Komori Mika's graduation speech (Translation by Bilingual48)
https://plus.google.com/103388469578205010447/posts/AALYisirsqZ
I, Komori Mika, am graduating from AKB48.
I started thinking about my future when the new senbatsu election system was announced.
I've been here for 4 years, and I was thinking about approaching the future the way I have always been, then I realized the path I want to take is not the same as AKB48.
I want to see more of the world, and when I graduated high school I wish I had worked harder.
I graduated with the determination to study abroad, which has been one of my dreams.
I moved here from Aichi when I was in 8th grade, and I have learned a lot from everything good and bad I went through.
The experiences from these 4 years are not something easily obtained and they are my treasures.
I am here today because of the support from all the fans, staff, family, friends and members.
I am going to go after my new goal.
I haven't decided what will happen when I go abroad, but I would be grateful if you will keep supporting me.
I also haven't decided on details of the graduation, so I will go out giving my best and keeping up my smiles to pay back all the support I have received from you. Please keep watching over me.
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09 May 2013

SKE48's Hioki Miki, Itou Akane Announces Graduation


SKE48 Kenkyuuseis Hioki Miki and Itou Akane have announced their withdrawal from SKE48 during tonight's [Aitakatta] stage. Hioki Miki and Itou Akane were from SKE48's 5th and 6th Generation respectively. Both of them were not promoted to any teams during the SKE48 Gaishi Hall Concert shuffle.

http://www.ske48.co.jp/news/?id=1368087351

Hioki Miki's reason for graduation is that she wants to pursue legal studies in university. She is currently 20 years old, and turns 21 on October. Itou Akane will also be graduating to focus on her studies, citing her difficulty in keeping up in both her high school and SKE48.

This news comes just under a month until the AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Election on 8th June 2013. Both of the girls will be withdrawing from the election, despite already submitting their application and their appeal video uploaded on YouTube. The number of participants for the election now drops to 246.

Hioki Miki's final activity as an SKE48 member will be AKB48's [So Long] Theater handshake event on 1st June 2013. Itou Akane will graduate immediately.


Hioki Miki's graduation speech (Translation by Bilingual48)
http://www.ske48.co.jp/news/?id=1368087351
As a 5th gen member I've been working hard here for about 1.5 years. But in the meantime I'm also advancing in school and there are things I'd like to do on both ends. However I'm not able to commit to either side. So I've been thinking about what I really want to do versus what is my dream. I've come to the conclusion that they're studying Law in an University, and to bring smiles to those that need me. Ever since I was young I've wanted to either be an actress or find a job in the legal profession, and now, despite wanting to do both, I've decided to pick one.
The answer is law. I will not have any regrets from here on. My 1.5 years in SKE48 was short but I was blessed with the support of many fans, family, staff, and SKE48 members. From here on I will work towards my dream as a student and no longer as an SKE48 member. Please keep watching over me in the short time I have left. This also means I will be withdrawing from the Senbatsu Election. I would like to apologize to those that are supporting me. Thank you for listening to me today.

Itou Akane's graduation speech (Translation by Bilingual48)
http://www.ske48.co.jp/news/?id=1368087351
I am Itou Akane. As of today I am graduating from SKE48. I entered high school in April, and have been working hard to keep up both sides. However it is very difficult and I've decided to focus on school. During my short time here, I experienced many things, including the Gaishi Hall and Budokan concerts, I am very thankful for these. I would also like to thank all my supporters, all the members and staff. I will work hard to achieve my new goal, please keep supporting me. Thank you very much.

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AKB48 Kenkyuusei Graduate Nishikawa Nanami joins Nogizaka46



Nogizaka46 is in the process of revealing it's 2nd generation of members, one during each day of it's [16nin no Principal deux] Stage held in Tokyo. On their 8th May show, the member revealed was none other than Nishikawa Nanami, previously an AKB48 Kenkyuusei member until 2009.

You can see the other 2nd generation Nogizaka46 members that have already been revealed over the past days, with more to be added over the upcoming shows.
http://www.nogizaka46.com/2kisei_profile/

Nishikawa Nanami was an 8th generation AKB48 Kenkyuusei member before she was fired from the group on 25th July 2009 for her 'lack of self awareness'. There was no further explanation but allegedly she took a purikura with a fan. Here is the official post stating her dismissal
http://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-10306663408.html

This is not the first time a member that has been dismissed from the group has successfully re-auditioned. AKB48 Shinoda Team A's Kikuchi Ayaka was originally a 3rd generation member in Team B back in 2008 when she was fired after purikura pictures with her boyfriend were leaked into the internet. She re-auditioned in December the same year, and debuted as a 7th generation Kenkyuusei.
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08 May 2013

JKT48 Stella Cornelia Stars in Indonesian Tokusatsu Series


JKT48 member Stella Cornelia will play a part in Indonesia's first Tokusatsu series [Bima Satria Garuda]. In the show, Stella will play a role of "Rena Iskandar", the younger sister of "Randy Iskandar" and also a close friend with the main character "Ray Bramasakti", alter ego of the hero BIMA. Rena is a plain girl who has her eyes set on Ray, but gets often gets harassed by the evil organization VUDO from a parallel world.

Bima Satria Garuda is a series jointly done by Indonesia's MNC Group and Japan's Ishimori Productions, who developed the Kamen Rider series in Japan. It also has a partnership with Japanese toy maker and video game company Bandai to provide it's merchandise.

The show will start airing every Sunday morning, 8:30AM from 30th June 2013 on RCTI. There will be a total of 26 episodes, and it will replay every Saturday at 3.00PM

This is the first time for a JKT48 members to be cast in a TV series, and Stella is the first member who has made that achievement.

Cast of Bima Satria Garuda :
Christian Loho as Ray Bramasakti
Stella Cornelia (JKT48) as Rena Iskandar
Rayhan Febrian as Randy Iskandar
Adhitya Alkatiri as Mikhail
Sutan Simatupang as Rasputin

The teaser is already out, check it below:



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07 May 2013

First Large-Scale SNH48 concert [Pray for Ya’an, Star Flowers Blooming For You] announced


Named for the earthquake in Ya'an last month, SNH48 will hold their first large-scale event on 25th May 2013 on the Baosteel Stage built for 2010's World Expo in Shanghai.

Members to perform in units are being voted on leading up to the concert. A vote was previously held to decide who would perform [Hatsukoi Dorobou] at the event, won by Tang Min, Zhao JiaMin, and Xu ChenChen. There was also a vote for two girls to perform [Oshibe to Meshibe to Yoru no Chouchou] won by Mo Han and Qiu XinYi. Many new songs will also be performed, including their version of AKB48's [Dareka no Tame ni ~what can I do someone~] titled [为了你-What can I do for someone] in honour of the Ya'an earthquake and [Hikoukigumo]. There will be lots of interactions with fans during the event.

Concurrent AKB48 members Miyazawa Sae and Suzuki Mariya will be special guests at the event and cheer the members on and interact with the fans as well as say an oath for the senbatsu elections.

There are two types of tickets, ones for in the stands priced at 148 yuan and ones closer up for 298 yuan.
Concertgoers will be admitted at 6:00 PM and the show will start at 7:00 PM, and from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM there will be new items for sale around the site including towels, special photo sets, and albums.
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3,000th Performance in the AKB48 Theater


Last night, 6th May 2013AKB48 held it's 3,000th performance in the AKB48 Theater in Don Quixote.

Although it was the 3,000th performance, the show started out like any other Kenkyuusei [Pajama Drive] Stage, with no indication that it was a special show. It was not until after the encore call that the members sported different shirts than normal, with the words "3000 TIMES" printed on them. They then performed the songs AKB48 and Sakura no Hanabiratachi. The special commemorative T-Shirt was given to all members of the audience at the end of the performance.

AKB48 3,000th Show performing members
Sasaki Yukari, Hirata Rina, Aigasa Moe, Iwatate Saho, Umeda Ayano, Okada Ayaka, Okada Nana, Kitazawa Saki, Kojima Mako, Shinozaki Ayana, Takashima Yurina, Nishino Miki, Hashimoto Hikari, Minegishi Minami, Murayama Yuiri, Mogi Shinobu

AKB48 performed it's first theater show 7.5 years ago on 7th December, 2005.


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Takahashi Minami [Jane Doe] Solo Live Set List


AKB48 General Manager Takahashi Minami held a solo live event at Pacifico Yokohama National Convention Hall on the 6th May 2013 to an audience of 4000. This event was associated with her solo debut single [Jane Doe], and a slip to apply for tickets was included in the first press copies, and there were 50,000 applications. She performed all 6 songs from her single, and her two solo songs from AKB48, as well as [Bird], a signature song of hers. Rounding out the setlist was [Desire],originally by Nakamori Akina, and [Yume Miru Shoujo ja Irarenai], originally by Aikawa Nanase.

M01. Jane Doe
M02. Bird
----MC1----
M03. Migikata
M04. Oteage Lullaby
M05. Buenos Aires ni Ame ga Furu
M06. Itoshisa no Accel
M07. Yume Miru Shoujo ja Irarenai
----MC2----
M08. DESIRE
M09. Rikoteki na Renai
----MC3----
M10. Yabureta Hane
----ENCORE---
EN1. Sabita Lock
----MC4----
EN2. Jane Doe

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05 May 2013

AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Election - Appeal Videos

AKB48 has just uploaded all 254 appeal videos for the upcoming AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Election, taking place on 8th June, 2013 at the Nippon Budokan. The videos can be viewed on AKB48's YouTube channel, as well as the official election website.

http://www.youtube.com/user/AKB48
http://www.akb48.co.jp/sousenkyo/32ndsingle/member.php

This election is to select the senbatsu members who will participate in AKB48's 32nd single, which will be released sometime in August 2013. There will be a total of 64 members elected:

1-16: Senbatsu
17-32: Undergirls
33-48: Next Girls
49-64: Future Girls

There are 12 different methods to get a voting ticket for this election, and the voting period will be open from 21st May to 7th June 2013, a day before the election at the [AKB48 Super Festival at Nissan Stadium]. The methods of getting a voting ticket are:

1. AKB48 "Twin Pillars" Fanclub Membership
2. AKB48 Mobile Fanclub Membership
3. AKB48 Official Smartphone App Membership
4. AKB48 DMM.com Live On Demand Subscription
5. AKB48 Official Net internet service provider member
6. SKE48 Mobile Fanclub Membership
7. SKE48 DMM.com Live On Demand Subscription
8. NMB48 Mobile Fanclub Membership
9. NMB48 DMM.com Live On Demand Subscription
10. HKT48 Mobile Fanclub Membership
11. HKT48 DMM.com Live On Demand Subscription
12. 1 voting slip will be including in each copy of AKB48's 31st single, limited, regular, and theatre editions.

Melos: The best thing about the appeal videos is that the participating members are allowed to do whatever they choose on their appeal videos. While some members will the the video seriously and voice out the reasons on why they should be voted and how they can reduce the global carbon emission, others just take it as their 1 minute of fame. The members will show their skills, some will come up with funny skits and others will dress up in elaborate costumes. You will get to see the crazy side of the girls.



AKB48




SKE48




NMB48




HKT48




JKT48 and SNH48 concurrency members



Graduates
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