AKB48 36th Single [Labrador Retriever] First Week Sales

AKB48's newest single [Labrador Retriever] was released on May 21st and finished first in the Oricon Weekly Charts selling 1,662,265 copies. Being an election-ticket single it sold a lot more than the previous singles (for example [Mae Shika Mukanee]'s first week sales were 1,091,406) but the single could not reach the sales of last year's election-ticket single  [Sayonara Crawl] which sold about 100 k more in its first week (1,762,873) despite higher first day sales of [Labrador Retriever]. As usual AKB48 also dominates the Soundscan ranking taking all top 8 spots with the singles...

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Updates on AKB48 After the Attack

A few days have passed since the shocking attack on May 25. The attack has received lots of attention and has also been reported in international media. In this post I just want to collect some more information on news and developments from the past days. First of all: both injured members Iriyama Anna and Kawaei Rina have already been released from the hospital. They were able to leave it on May 26th in the late afternoon and to go home to Tokyo. The staff member who got injured protecting the girls was released a few hours earlier. The incident has affected other members as well. During the attack Oshima Ryoka, Kuramochi Asuka and Takajo Aki were in the same lane as Annin and Ricchan. Ryoka has written over AKB48's mobile service that she is afraid of dealing with people or going outside....

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AKB48 Members Attacked at a Handshake Event

On May 25th at around 5 pm (JST), a shocking incident happened at an AKB48 handshake event in Iwate Prefecture. A young man armed with a sharp object, supposedly a saw, attacked AKB48 members. Kawaei Rina and Iriyama Anna as well as a staff member were injured on their hands and brought to a hospital. Sources report broken fingers and lacerations. According to an official statement on the AKB48 blog and the King Records homepage the injuries are not life-threatening. The man was immediately held down by staff members and then arrested by the police for attempted murder. According to some source...

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SKE48's Sora Miyuka Announces Graduation

On May 23rd SKE48 Kenkyuusei Sora Miyuka announced her graduation because she wants to focus on her studies. Her last activity as an SKE48 member will be a handshake event on May 31st. Sora Miyuka is a 6th generation member who joined SKE48 early last year. She was one of the eligible members who decided not to participate in this year's senbatsu election which means that out of the 14 members who do not participate 6 have already graduated or announced graduation. Sora Miyuka's Message Original Message As was announced, I, Sora Miyuka, will graduate SKE48 at the end of May. I worried...

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NMB48 Request Hour Setlist Best 50 2014 Results+New Song and Senbatsu Revealed

On May 21st and 22nd NMB48 performed their [NMB48 Request Hour Setlist Best 50] in the Orix Theater in Osaka. This is the second time NMB48 holds their own request hour event and the first time 50 songs are featured. This year's winner is [Almond Croissant Keikaku], former Team BII's team song. Last year's top ranked song [Kesshou] dropped to #26. Transferred member Ogasawara Mayu performed both days, former concurrent member Yokoyama Yui as well as former Team BII members Akazawa Hono, Umehara Mako and Kobayashi Rikako made guest appearances on the second day. During the event, NMB48 ...

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AKB48 36th Single [Labrador Retriever] First Day Sales

AKB48's newest single [Labrador Retriever] went on sale on May 21st and ranked first in the Oricon Daily Charts. The single, which also contains voting tickets for the senbatsu election, sold 1,462,156 copies on its first day. Sales surpassed those of  [Sayonara Crawl] (1,450,881 on day one) which up until now were AKB48's best first day sales by a bit more than 10,000 copies and make [Labrador Retriever] the new first day sales record holder. ...

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AKB48 37th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo Preliminary Results

On May 20 the voting for AKB48's 6th election started and the preliminary results were announced the following day. In the early results last year's winner Sashihara Rino ranked first with Watanabe Mayu and Matsui Jurina taking the second and third place. Voting will be closed on June 6 so there are still about two weeks left to vote so note that there will be propbably lots of changes until the final results which will be announced on June 7. RankTeamVotesPrev Rank -----Upcoming Girls----- 80Ishida Haruka AKB48 Team K 280946 79Mogi ShinobuAKB48 Team 42815- 78 Kitagawa Ryoha SKE48...

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HKT48's Okada Kanna Breaks Her Wrist

On May 15, Team KIV member Okada Kanna fell down and hit her hand during a stage show in the HKT48 Theater. She was brought to the hospital and, as was later announced via the HKT48 blog, diagnosed with a broken right wrist. How long she will have to rest is yet unknown. Details will be announced later after further consultation with her doctors and herself. Something similar happened recently also to SKE48 Team E's Kumazaki Haruka who is currently on injury leave because of a broken wrist as well after falling from the stage during SKE48's Saitama Super Arena Concert on April 4. Get well...

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Team KIV [Theater no Megami] Shonichi

On May 8 the last of the new teams, Team KIV, performed its new stage show for the first time. Team KVI's 1st Stage is a remake of [Theater no Megami] which is Team B's 5th stage and was also done by AKB48's Kenkyuusei and by Team KII, as well as by SNH48. For the shonichi performance all 20 members of Team KIV performed at least in parts but since the stage is made for 16 girls not all did perform a unit song. The two HKT48 teams are the only new teams who have performed the shonichi show with all their members. HKT48 Team KIV 1st Stage [Theater no Megami] Performing Members: all Team KIV...

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New Team K [RESET] Shonichi

As the last of the AKB48 teams Team K started its new stage show on May 7. Team K returns to [RESET], their own 6th stage show. The same stage is currently also done by the new Team M. Team K has 21 members so five did not perform the shonichi show. Out of those who did perform Yokoyama Yui as part of Akimoto Team K and Matsui Jurina both as part of Team K and as part of Team S have already done [RESET]. They both perform different units now. AKB48 Team K Stage [RESET] Performing Members: Aigasa Moe, Abe Maria, Ishida Haruka, Iwasa Misaki, Kitahara Rie, Kojima Mako, Kodama Haruka, Goto Moe,...

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New Team M [RESET] Shonichi

On May 2 the last new NMB48 team, Team M, made its theater debut performing the shonichi of their new stage [RESET]. This stage is a revival of Team K's 6th stage which was also redone by AKB48's Kenkyuusei and by Team S. [RESET] will also be the new show of the new Team K starting on May 7. Team M now has 18 members so two, Kinoshita Momoka and Takei Sara, did not perform the shonichi show. Fujie Reina who was transferred to NMB48 already did the stage as part of Team K but she performs a different unit now. NMB48 Team M 2nd Stage [RESET] Performing Members: Azuma Yuki, Ishizuka Akari,...

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New Team E [Te wo Tsunaginagara] Shonichi

As the last of SKE48's new teams, Team E started its new stage [Te wo Tsunaginara] on May 2. This show is Team S' 2nd and first original stage and was also done by Team KII which means that now all SKE48 teams have done this stage. It was also redone by HKT48's 1st Generation/Team H and Team 4. New Team E has 20 girls so 4 did not perform the shonichi. Matsui Rena already did this stage as part of Team S, Saito Makiko and Yamada Reika as part of Team KII. Rena and Makiko got new units, Reika did not perform. SKE48 Team E 4th Stage [Te wo Tsunaginagara] Performing Members: Isohara Kyoka,...

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New Team KII [Ramune no Nomikata] Shonichi

On April 30, the new Team KII performed the shonichi of their new stage. Team KII returned to its only original stage: Team KII 3rd [Ramune no Nomikata]. Team KII has now 21 members which means that 5 members did not perform the debut show. Out of the performing members 4 have already done the original [Ramune no Nomikata] stage: Takayanagi Akane, Furukawa Airi, Kato Tomoko and Ishida Anna. Except for Kato Tomoko they performed different units than before. SKE48 Team KII Stage [Ramune no Nomikata] Performing Members: Ishida Anna, Uchiyama Mikoto, Ego Yuna, Oba Mina, Kato Tomoko, Kitano...

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New Team N [Koko ni Datte Tenshi wa Iru] Shonichi

On April 30, the new Team N performed its first theater show. In contrast to the other new teams Team N continues the stage they did perform before the shuffle: [Koko ni Datte Tenshi wa Iru] which is Team N's only original stage. The Team N members who have already done this stage kept their positions. Team N now has 18 members, so two girls could not perform the shonichi show. They are Sutou Ririka and Yamauchi Tsubasa. NMB48 Team N Stage [Koko ni Datte Tenshi wa Iru] Performing Members: Ota Yuuri, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kato Yuuka, Kishino Rika, Kono Saki, Koga Narumi, Kotani Riho, Jonishi Kei,...

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Not yet 1st Album [already] 1st Week Sales

AKB48's subunit Not yet released its first album [already] on April 23. The album took the top spot in the Oricon Weekly Album ranking selling 68,111 copies in its first week. The album is Not yet's first release since their 5th single [Hiri Hiri no Hana] went on sale in September last year. It contains all singles and most coupling tracks but also three new tracks called [Sekai no Kaze wo Bokura wa Ukete], [Are kara Earl Grey wo Nonde Inai] and [already]. This album contains only three new songs, it is more like a best-of-album. And with Yuko leaving AKB48, I guess this is farewell to...

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