AKB48 has expanded in recent years. They have sister groups to the west of Japan in Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and an upcoming sister group in Niigata. But Yasushi Akimoto decided to change things a little and bring a group billed as a “rival group” to expand the 48G brand. Enter Nogizaka46: the first rival group of AKB48 that does things a little more differently than AKB48 and their sister groups. Nogizaka46 got their name from the SME Nogizaka building which is what houses Sony Music Japan’s office. The number “46” was a direct challenge against AKB48 and their sister groups, because the number signifies that even with fewer members than AKB48, they will not lose. Their logo is of a triangle which measures 46 degrees. Nogizaka46 is also known for having more conservative gravure photos that are not too revealing, as opposed to AKB48 who often favor bikini gravure. There are instances where this trend is broken (such as in Nogizaka46’s first photobook, Nogizaka Ha) but overall the gravure stays conservative. When the first members were announced, some of them had an intended rival member from AKB48 to continue the “official rival” trend of the group. Hashimoto Nanami’s rival was Sashihara Rino, Ichiki Rena’s rival was Maeda Atsuko, Akimoto Manatsu’s rival was Kojima Haruna, and so on. The first generation had a total of 36 members making a debut, and a senbatsu that included members such as Ikoma Rina, Hoshino Minami, Ikuta Erika, Shiraishi Mai, and so on. Their first single, “Guru Guru Curtain” was released in February with Ikoma Rina at center. She would represent the center position for a number of singles, including “Hashire! Bicycle”, “Seifuku no Mannequin”, “Oide Shampoo”, and “Kimi no Na wa Kibou”. It was not until the 6th single in “Girl’s Rule” where management decided to switch Ikoma Rina out of the center spot and offer it to other members of the group, such as Shiraishi Mai, who became the center of “Girl’s Rule”. Since then, other members, such as Ikuta Erika, Nishino Nanase, and Hori Miona, have been selected at center. Speaking of Hori Miona, she, along with 13 other members, made their debut with the group in May 2013 as the 2nd generation “kenkyuusei”. Miona was the first to get promoted to a regular member, with other members (such as Kitano Hinako and Shinuchi Mai) promoted along the way. It was not until the 3rd Anniversary Live where all of the 2nd generation members were promoted to regular member status. Regarding the concerts, Nogizaka46 had their first tour in August of 2012, with their first duo of concerts in Osaka and Nagoya. It was at the Nagoya show where they announced the arrival of 16nin no Principal, a musical consisting of all members. In February 2013, Nogizaka46 threw a concert for their first anniversary. It was held at Makuhari Messe. Their second tour expanded not just to Namba and Nagoya, but also in places such as Hokkaido, Tokyo and Fukuoka. Nogizaka46 also had a Christmas-themed concert at the Nippon Budokan titled the “Nogizaka46 Merry X’mas Show”. Outside of these, Nogizaka46 also has mini lives, which at times may only have undergirl members who do not make senbatsu. Nogizaka46 has always separated itself between AKB48 and their sister groups, always clearly establishing themselves as the “rival” group. But in February 2014, a couple of announcements changed the face of the group. During the AKB48 Group Daisokaku Matsuri, it was announced that SKE48’s very own Matsui Rena would be the first member to receive a concurrency (kennin) with Nogizaka46. Likewise, Ikoma Rina was also selected to have a kennin with AKB48 on Team B. This not only devastated the other members once the announcement was made, but it changed the face of the group forever, as the term “rival group” was all the more questionable. But it all worked out for Ikomachan, as she and her fellow Nogizaka46 teammates helped her out at the time of the 2014 AKB48 Sousenkyo election, where Ikoma Rina made senbatsu at 14th place. Likewise, Ikoma Rina has never missed an AKB48 senbatsu lineup since her kennin has been announced, and Matsui Rena has never missed a Nogizaka46 senbatsu lineup since she became a member of the group. The announcement of the concurrent members in Rena and Ikomachan was one of the most controversial moments of Nogizaka46. The group itself is not without its other controversies. For starters, the video for “Oide Shampoo” was frowned upon for a section of choreography where the idols can be seen lifting their skirts so as to reveal their petticoats. Likewise, the choreography as a whole was considered too sexually suggestive for an idol group. Some members have also had their fair share of controversies. Matsumura Sayuri was caught up in a scandal that involved dates with a married man. There is a strict “no dating” policy that Nogizaka46 holds, and Sayuringo essentially broke this policy. This was the first time Nogizaka46 faced such controversy, but Sayuringo apologized on a radio show and most of her actions were forgiven. The only real punishment she received was an appearance at the back row of senbatsu for the upcoming 11th single. Her controversy however, was not the worst the group had to endure. Yamato Rina was also caught in a scandal with a man, also breaking the “no dating” policy. It was made worse when she had another scandal where she was caught drinking under the legal age in Japan. The consequences of her actions went as follows: she had her group birthday celebration cancelled (all members of Nogizaka46 get some sort of birthday celebration during handshakes or similar events), she was not allowed to participate in concerts (such as the Merry X’Mas Show 2014), and the day after her 20th birthday, her contract was terminated and she was essentially fired from the group. It was Yamato Rina’s actions that arguably caused Nogizaka46 to get snubbed out of the NHK Kouhaku lineup. But amidst all the turmoil that hit Nogizaka46 late in 2014, this group is still holding strong. They have experienced nothing but increases in sales from the 1st single to the 10th single. Two members already have solo photobooks out with one of them a model for the fashion magazine Ray since 2013. One member is a piano virtuoso who even represented Tokyo in a national competition. Several members were even members of other J-Pop groups before joining Nogizaka46, such as CHIMO, SPLASH and Seishun Joshi Gakuen. Basically, there is plenty to love about Nogizaka46. Whether it is their style of doing things that rivals that of AKB48, whether it is the mix of powerful ballads for singles (such as “Kidzuitara Kataomoi” or “Nandome no Aozora Ka?”), or whether it is a certain member that sparkles in the spotlight, Nogizaka46 is a fantastic J-Pop group that everyone will enjoy. I should know, since they are my primary J-Pop group as of now. I heard about this group because I ran into photos of a very attractive lady named Shiraishi Mai on Tumblr. I wanted to find a little bit more about her, and then I found out that she was a part of the group Nogizaka46. Because the other group I followed was about to disband (Ebisu Muscats), I needed another J-Pop group around that could succeed the Muscats. Keep in mind that I was anti-AKB48 at the time (most of the pure Ebisu Muscats fans were), and when I found out that Nogizaka46 was the “rival group” of AKB48, I got hooked. I then found out about the various members and their list of songs to give a listen to. While the first Nogizaka46 song I listened to was “Oide Shampoo” because of the controversy surrounding it, that song was not my all-time favorite Nogizaka46 song. This was, because it makes me want to go running for some reason. Eventually I found a favorite member. After soul searching and some difficult decisions, it was clear to me that Wada Maaya had to be my Nogizaka46 oshimen. I selected her because she was…different from the rest of the Nogizaka46 members. She had that little sister vibe, she was courageous on her journey to become an idol, and she has a funny side that was found on Nogizaka46’s TV Show, “Nogizakatte, Doko?” She is by no means as popular as a Shiraishi Mai or an Ikuta Erika, but she has a niche of fans that like her fair share of antics. Remember that episode of NogiDoko where she became the #1 Baka member of Nogizaka46? If you haven’t seen that episode you should check it out, because Wada Maaya will make you laugh at least once! That’s something to be proud of. That girl always makes me smile whenever she has the spotlight. Since it’s so rare for her to get the spotlight, it makes those moments easy to treasure. One thing I want to bring up is the idea of the “rival group”. Ever since the big shuffle that sent Ikoma Rina to AKB48 and Matsui Rena to Nogizaka46 both as kennin members, the line has been blurred to determine whether or not this is another sister group or still a rival group. Honestly, I see it as both a sister group and rival group. I see it more like an intercity rival that you can interact with through member transfers and concurrencies. The best example I can give you is the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox: two intercity rivals that can still make trades for players should the opportunity rise. That is essentially how I see Nogizaka46. They can compete against AKB48, but if someone from AKB48 or a sister group would transfer to Nogizaka46, it would not be as surprising as it was a year ago. Besides, Nogizaka46 just had another interaction with AKB48. There is this subunit of AKB48’s Kojima Haruna and some Nogizaka46 members, such as Ikoma Rina, Saito Yuuri and Nagashima Seira. Try to guess who I was excited to see in this video: But I still love Nogizaka46 and still love how they were able to succeed the Ebisu Muscats as my favorite J-Pop group. Their CD came out not too long ago and there are some amazing non-single tracks to give a listen to (such as Ikuta Erika’s solo piano ballad). Their new single, “Inochi wa Utsukushii” is a very powerful sounding single that puts piano scales at the right moments. This group is still holding strong and look poised to take NHK Kouhaku 2015 by storm. I am excited for what the future holds for this group of amazing idols!
-Nathan (L4verra) Before I begin, let me explain a bit of terminology. Amongst AKB48, their sister groups and idols in general, “oshimen” is used to describe the member you want to support the most out of the whole group. You want this member to get a push from the management, and everything this member does puts a smile on your face, whether it be from their blog or Google Plus posts or seeing them during a live concert. Another term is “oshihen”, which is when you switch your original oshimen out for somebody else for a variety of reasons. This is generally frowned upon in the 48G community. When your oshimen announces graduation, it is a very sinking feeling. That one member you have supported for quite some time and that one member you cheer for whenever she is on screen, suddenly announces graduation and will leave her group in a matter of time. I wrote earlier on how there were a slew of graduations announced with some of the biggest names leaving their respective groups, such as Yamada Nana and Furukawa Airi. But that is not why I am writing this. As you may have guessed from the title, Yamagishi Natsumi has just announced graduation and will have her graduation concert March 12th. If you don’t know who Yamagishi Natsumi is, she’s a member of NMB48’s Team N. She is known for being the strawberry girl, akin to Ichikawa Miori’s love for lemons, albeit not to that degree. Natsumin has made senbatsu only once during her tenure at NMB48 for the “Oh My God!” single. Her closest friends among NMB48 are Jonishi Kei and Kawakami Rena. But she’s graduating from NMB48 to pursue a career as a magazine model.
I know a lot about Yamagishi Natsumi as she was one of my favorite members among NMB48. She was not exactly as popular as Yamamoto Sayaka or Watanabe Miyuki, but she had her fair share of fans and Twitter/Google Plus followers. She was an amazing idol to follow if you ever got the chance to. However…that is not why her graduation announcement hurts more than it should. Let me tell you a story. Throughout the latter half of 2014, I will admit that I was kind of growing bored with whatever Natsumin was up to. The only times I did get to see her were on her Google Plus page or if NMB48 had posted a video of Natsumin and other members doing something, like translating a word or what not. Simply put, it was kind of hard to have her around as an oshimen, since she did not get the recognition that other members had. Someone did, and this someone caught my eye. There was this girl in NMB48 who got pushed by management. She had gravure photos left, right and center and she even made AKB48’s senbatsu for their single, “Kibouteki Refrain”. NMB48 Management even made her the center alongside Yagura Fuuko for their single, “Rashikunai”. This girl caught my attention and I didn’t even know why at the time, other than that she’s beautiful, flirtatious, and her birthday was one day before mine. She also drank ketchup out of a bottle! Who does that? Simply put, this new girl I started to like somewhat made me forget about what Natsumin was doing. I was thinking about this new girl literally every time I played something by NMB48, and she was easy to follow due to her push from management. Don’t get me wrong; I paid attention to whatever Natsumin was up to scrolling down Google Plus or what now. But I was slowly losing sight on what she was doing because of the new girl and her antics. It became to the point where I smacked the “oshihen” button and moved Natsumin out of the way for this new girl. Then the announcement came. No one really saw it coming and now Natsumin is out of NMB48 by next week. Simply put, I feel bad that I oshihened from Natsumin to the new girl. I feel bad that I never paid that much attention to Natsumin in the latter half of 2014, and I feel bad that I essentially took her for granted. I don’t know if a whole lot of fans will miss Natsumin, but I know I will. The only thing I can do now is support her down the line in her modeling career and future goals. Maybe I may see her again on the cover of Larme Magazine with Triendl Reina or something. But for now, I have to support her in NMB48, at least until the 12th. I’m basically writing this to say that I’m sorry for oshihening. It’s almost a proverbial sin among the 48G to do it, and when the idol you oshihened from announces graduation, it hits you like a slap in the face. I still like that new girl I mentioned and still have her as my NMB48 oshimen. I’ll still support what the new girl does given how the she is going to be the face of the NMB48 franchise should Yamamoto Sayaka or Watanabe Miyuki announce graduation. But this post is not about the new girl; this post is about Natsumin. The lesson learned here today is that you probably shouldn’t oshihen. You should support a member through thick and thin and not bandwagon to somebody else, just because they seem to be more popular. The temptation is there with management pushing certain members with gravure and senbatsu selections. But lead yourself not into temptation, because you never know when a graduation announcement will happen. If I wanted to leave one last message to Yamagishi Natsumi, it would be that I’m sorry for oshihening. I enjoyed everything you did to help NMB48, I enjoyed your Google Plus posts, and I wish you the very best in the future! -Nathan (L4verra) If you have followed AKB48, their sister groups, and/or Nogizaka46, you know that several members have their own photobooks. The photobooks consists of several photos of the idol featured, in all sorts of backgrounds and outfits, from the sleek shots in the evening to a day at the beach in a bikini. Members such as Watanabe Miyuki, Kuramochi Asuka, Yokoyama Yui, Miyazaki Miho and Minegishi Minami all have their own photobooks. There are also a few members who have more than one photobook, such as Kojima Haruna, Sashihara Rino and Miyazawa Sae. Because of the recent flurry of photobooks released the past two months (releases from Yokoyama Yui, Kizaki Yuria, Nishino Nanase, Shiraishi Mai, Miyazawa Sae, Yamamoto Sayaka, and later Kojima Haruna), I decided to take a look at two photobooks I recently purchased of two of them: Nishino Nanase and Kizaki Yuria. Basically I am going to describe them as best as I can without showing any actual pictures (if I show you pictures other than the cover photo, that’s technically spoiling the experience!). I am doing this in order to warrant whether or not the photobook is worth a purchase at CDJapan, Amazon Japan or your local Kinokuniya bookstore. The first book I’m going to take a look at is Nishino Nanase’s very first photobook, Fudangi. Nishino Nanase is the 3rd member of Nogizaka46 who has her own photobook released, with the other two being Shiraishi Mai and (technically) Matsui Rena. Will Nanase’s photobook experience rival that of Maiyan’s? The first few shots seem like you are hanging out with Nanase on a date or what not, from walking around the city to sitting and reading manga. Some of these have grey lighting while the glare of the sun provides a more intimate effect. Some shots need two pages to use while others, for some reason, use less than half the page per shot. Case in point with the bikini shots (yes there are some). A few of them are shots that take less than half the page to cover. Given how rare the bikini gravure shots are (we ARE talking about Nogizaka46 here; they’re known for conservative gravure), it’s a bit of a disappointment how half of the already few bikini shots take up less than half a page. There are some shots here that have just the right amount of swimsuit gravure: not too conservative yet not too revealing. A few shots are of Nanase in a playground where she is technically wearing a shirt over her bikini. For some odd reason, I really like these shots. It feels like you are hanging out with Nanase in a park only a few steps away from the beach. Possibly the most fanservice-based shot of the entire photobook is of Nanase lying on the beach in a blue bikini. This takes up two pages to do, and shows a level of sex appeal that only comes with swimsuit gravure photos. But the bikini gravure stops right here; a quarter into the photobook and you’ve had all your bikini fanservice. Shots switch from black and white to color every now and then, but for some reason it takes away from the ambiance of the photobook. One minute Nanase is standing next to a wall in a grayscale photo, and the next she is licking an ice cream cone in a color shot. The grayscale shots would work if an entire section of the photobook is in grayscale with the next entire section in color, but that is not the case. There are plenty of shots showcasing Nanase’s legs. She wears pants in like, one or two photos, while the rest are of her in short shorts, a dress, or a bikini. Sometimes you may even see a photo or three of her butt (one shot takes up two whole pages and it is literally of her butt). Another set of photos I like include Nanase in a red dress, shining in the night of the city. I think she looks stunning in this round of photos, and of course, you see how nice her legs are. However, there are shots that don’t necessarily work, per se. There are some shots where you have to flip the book 90 degrees clockwise to look at properly, and there are some 2-page photos that are hard to see (one of them makes Nanase’s face look strange). I am also not a fan of the constant color to grayscale transitions. Overall, this is a pretty decent photobook with some fantastic shots of Nanase and just the right amount of fanservice. It is by no means a perfect photobook as there are a handful of problems with the shots and the color transitions, but by all means it is worth a pick up if you support Nishino Nanase and Nogizaka46. It is not better than Shiraishi Mai’s photobook, but it’s still solid for what it’s worth. Next up is AKB48 member Kizaki Yuria’s first photobook, Peace. This photobook was released on Kizaki Yuria’s 19th birthday, shot all over the beautiful island of Guam.
I do not know about you, but throughout this photobook, it feels as if Kizaki Yuria actually wrote in it. I know that is just printed ink, but I like how it is added so it seems as if Yuria is talking to you as you stroll along the photobook. Like the Nanase photobook, I have this vibe that you are hanging out with Yuria as you look through the book. You have a few shots of her in a school uniform, and then you’re with her helping her decide what bikini she should buy. From there you are on the beach and Yuria is on a swing. Next thing you know, you are sitting near the tide and Yuria is writing in the sand. Basically, there are plenty, and I mean PLENTY, of beach swimsuit gravure photos. It is definitely a colorful photobook, since Yuria’s bikinis keep changing every 3-4 pages…but the strengths of color are not just found in bikini gravure photos. One of my favorite set of photos includes Yuria in a graffiti-covered skatepark wearing a Dodgers tanktop. This showcases the bright and colorful nature of the photobook without Yuria in a colorful bikini. This photobook does what the Nanase photobook should have, and that’s utilize the smaller shots that take up less than half a page and put two photos in one page. Nanase’s photobook has these smaller shots but they take up one page and leave you with half a page of white space, whereas Yuria’s photobook puts two of these smaller shots in one page. I think the fanservice gets a little more, explicit, towards the half of the photobook. You have Yuria not in a bikini, but in lingerie, and it’s enough to give you a nosebleed! Even when there are smaller shots that take up about half the page, the white page blends well with the white of the sun, making Yuria seem like she is some sort of divine angel. There is even a shot of her with her covering her breasts with her back bare. For some odd reason, photos like those get me every time. Just like the photo found on the cover, why Yuria would pose like that on a weight scale is beyond me…but the beginning of the second half consists of honestly the best Yuria gravure photos I have ever seen in my lifetime. They make her look seductive while being cute at the same time with her round baby face and doll eyes and what now. There are also shots of her with a friend. I honestly do not know who it is given how her face is never shown, but it looks like Yuria is having fun with this friend of hers. It is good to see that in this photobook because you are literally with Yuria throughout the entire experience, so bringing one of her friends along is pretty cool too. Like the Nanase photobook, there are some pretty classy photos of Yuria in the night of Guam. They make her look absolutely stunning, and they are not bikini gravure shots, since you may need a break from them every so often. And yes, you do need a break from the bikini gravure every so often. For starters, the amount of bikini gravure fanservice is a little too high for some people and may turn off the female Kizaki Yuria fans (the Nanase photobook does not necessarily have this problem). The fanservice also can get a little tiresome by the end of the photobook, because you’ve seen Yuria in a bikini so many times that you won’t be taken aback by it anymore. Overall, this is a photobook that is very bright, colorful, and chock full of fanservice. A least a good 70% of the book is of Yuria in a bikini or lingerie. It is worth a purchase if you’re a fan of Kizaki Yuria or if you find her to be extremely attractive (like I do, at least somewhat). This photobook shows how stunning and cute she is. If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably go with the Yuria over Nanase. Yeah, the gravure in Yuria’s photobook did get me at times, but I think I have a thing for bright colors, since Yuria’s photobook was full of bright color photos. Nanase’s photobook was great too, but the color to grayscale transitions irked me more times than it should have. Don’t get me wrong; they are both spectacular photobooks and both of them were worth the purchase price. But if I had only enough for one book, I am probably sticking with Yuria on this one. There are plenty of photobooks I would like to take a look at. Usually I collect group photobooks such as the AKB48 Mizugi Surprise for 2014 and Nogizaka Ha, but I’m starting to look for photobooks of a single member, such as Watanabe Miyuki, Yamamoto Sayaka and Kasai Tomomi. Hopefully I can pick up a few along the way, since I heard Sayanee has a new photobook that makes her look drop dead gorgeous…but that’s a story for another day. -Nathan (L4verra) Recently AKB48’s official rival group, Nogizaka46, reached their 3rd birthday and presented their fans with a concert of a lifetime: one at the Seibu Dome in Saitama. Even though it was rather chilly during the concert, the performances were definitely enough to heat the place up!
The 7-hour concert was split into three parts with Nogizaka46 going through every song in their set list in chronological order: from “Guru Guru Curtain” all the way to their newest single, “Inochi wa Utsukushii”. The concert had all sorts of surprises, from the Nogizaka46 band performing “One Night Carnival” to Kojima Haruna making an appearance to sing “Keishasuru” from her Kojizaka46 unit. The concert also had a bevy of announcements. Nogizaka46 aired a trailer of their documentary, which will air in May, they announced their next stage, and announced a project that holds auditions for the 1st Generation members. Also, Nogizaka46 promoted all of their kenkyuusei to undergirls! They are now the 3rd group among the 48G family to no longer have kenkyuusei, with AKB48 and NMB48 being the others. The under members will also have a Live 3rd Season from April 14-19 at Zepp Tokyo. So if your oshi is a kenkyuusei-turned-undergirl or has been an undergirl for quite a while (such as my kami-oshi, Wada Maaya), you are in luck! But I have to give big ups to the Nogizaka46 girls for battling the chilling temperatures to give you, the fans, a show of a lifetime. You could even see their breath during the concert which showed you just how cold it was in the Seibu Dome. This just shows you how strong the Nogizaka46 girls are, because this was by no means an easy feat. This was an excellent way to kick off the first quarter of 2015. You go girls! -Nathan (L4verra) One of the major concepts behind AKB48 is the ability to meet some of your favorite members through handshake events. You could have a conversation (or ten) with any member on any team should you purchase and register handshake tickets, which are usually received through their singles. On occasions where an album is released, AKB48 members have events called 2-shots, which are opportunities for fans to take photos with some of their favorite members. As expected, some members get more handshake tickets and 2-shot tickets than others, so while some members get fairly short lines, others can get relatively lengthy lines. However, on May 25, 2014, one man changed the handshake and 2-shot events forever. Taken from Stage48: "...a man appeared with a sharp saw-like object and started to attack members, management staff, and even fans, during a handshake event in Iwate. The man was arrested, but the idols and staff members suffered injuries on their hands and head and were taken to the hospital for emergency surgery." The consequences from this incident however ultimately affected all of AKB48 and its fans. All AKB48-based handshake events during the last week of May were cancelled, increased levels of security during handshake events among sister/rival groups (such as Nogizaka46) were present, a change in 2-shot events (you no longer can take photos next to members; you are separated by a table during the 2-shot) and finally, the man responsible for the incident was to serve 6 years in prison. The two members who were injured were Kawaei Rina and Iriyama Anna. Their nicknames are Ricchan and Annin respectively. They both star in the AKB48-based combat drama, Majisuka Gakuen 4, and both of them ranked at high spots during last year’s sousenkyo election: Ricchan at #16 and Annin at #20. Kawaei Rina made a surprise appearance at the last sousenkyo despite still recovering from the injuries, while Iriyama Anna was contacted by phone during the election for her #20 spot. To this day, Annin is still recovering from her injuries and she still wears a glove on her injured hand. Neither Kawaei nor Iriyama will participate in future handshake events. Because of the incident, people who are not familiar with AKB48’s “idols you can meet” concept called for the handshake event to be removed altogether, given how it will take months for Ricchan and Annin to recover from their physical and psychological wounds. Several ideas were suggested on how the handshake event should be implemented, such as having the handshake event through thick glass like what you’d find in a bank. Metal detectors were installed on the stages of certain groups, and several AKB48-based events scheduled in June were postponed. Basically, AKB48 and their sister groups were in a bit of a flux, as they have gone this long without an incident like this. It is easy to see how some people may want the concept of handshake events removed from AKB48 in order to protect some of the idols. However, if the handshake event was removed entirely, AKB48 and its sister/rival groups would not be as popular as they are now. You select an oshi to support, and if you purchase a single with a handshake event ticket, you could visit her and have a short conversation with her. It has been like this for years now, and one unemployed man wielding a saw is not going to destroy AKB48. The added security among handshake events and 2-shot events were basically a wake-up-call for the group. The amount of negative media attention this story received rivaled that of Minegishi Minami’s incident back in January 2013. News outlets such as the New York Times even covered this story. The question is: Why would it take this long for a potentially fatal incident like the one in Iwate to take place?
The answer is simple, because the fans know that they would never do this. The fans would never hurt their oshi or any idol they plan on visiting. There were never bag checks or metal detectors because the fans would never consider attacking their oshi outright. The members of AKB48 are there with dreams of becoming actressese, musical artists, dancers, or something along those lines, and they perform in theater events and concerts in order to entertain you, the fan. If you have an oshi you are willing to support, she will do her best! That man who slashed Ricchan and Annin is not a fan of AKB48 nor does he support the idols; he is an unemployed man down on his luck who took his frustrations out on the innocent. Thus, he single-handedly tarnished the name of AKB48 and made every fan suffer because of it. As someone who has never been to Japan, I have never experienced the handshake event and only know what it is like through the descriptions of friends who have gone to Japan to see AKB48. But one day I will save up enough to visit Japan and visit some of my favorite members I am willing to support until they graduate: Minegishi Minami, Shiroma Miru, Wada Maaya, and Murashige Anna just to name a few. Even with the new precautionary measures, those measures will not stop me from visiting Miichan during a handshake event and ask her how many caps she has collected, for example. Heck, having 2-shots with Miichan would be an amazing experience as well. The handshake event will never die because of the actions of one man. He may have forced management to increase security, but as long as AKB48 stands, so does the concept of “idols you can meet”. -Nathan (L4verra) As AKB48 revealed the cover photos for their “Green Flash” single, and as SKE48 takes out the big guns at center for their senbatsu lineup, NMB48 is in the news giving one of their marquee members a final sendoff at center. There is also Yamamoto Sayaka’s new photobook out which may give you high blood pressure or nosebleeds just by looking at some of the photos, but that is a story for another day. Yes, Yamada Nana is your center for the next NMB48 single! After her song with Yamamoto Sayaka, “Tomodachi”, made 2nd place during the last Request Hour, she gets one more send off at center, the 5th of NMB48’s history to ever center a single. The other four past centers were Yamamoto Sayaka, Watanabe Miyuki, Shiroma Miru and Yagura Fuuko, all of whom make this senbatsu lineup. Like with every senbatsu, someone new makes the lineup to round out the 23-girl roster. Congratulations to Sutou Ririka and Ota Yuuri for making the senbatsu lineup for the first time! But someone else makes senbatsu for the first time, and this member is pretty popular among some of my friends back at the AKB48 SoCal Fan Club. Kusaka Konomi makes senbatsu for the first time! Let me get some of my friends to explain who Konomin is (shout out to Tenkei and Boy from basugasubakuhatsu!): As for kennin members who did not make it, as expected, Takayanagi Akane does not make senbatsu. This is most likely a response to SKE48 releasing their single the same day as NMB48 (which is why Yamada Nana and Watanabe Miyuki fail to make SKE48’s senbatsu). Unfortunately, for you HKT48 fans, your favorite Russian/Japanese idol fails to make the lineup. No Murashige Anna this time around…this is the 2nd time she gets snubbed from an NMB48 senbatsu. It sucks because she is my HKT48 oshi, but that too is a story for another day. Here are the other members who make senbatsu. You have the kennin members either based from AKB48 (such as Kashiwagi Yuki), members who have a kennin with AKB48 based from NMB48 (such as Shibuya Nagisa and Kotani Riho), members permanently transferred from AKB48 to NMB48 (such as Fujie Reina, Ichikawa Miori and Umeda Ayaka), you have the mainstay members who very likely do not fall out of senbatsu (such as Yoshida Akari and Jonishi Kei), and you have the up and coming members who make senbatsu once and never fall out of it (like Nishimura Aika). In terms of NMB48, there’s a podcast that makes the group more accessible to people outside of Japan, called Takoyaki Party. Shout out to Osaka Joe and DJ Soymilk from the AKB48 SoCal Fan Club who have done an amazing job with NMB48-based podcasts! So there you have it. NMB48’s senbatsu looks like a fantastic way to give one of their most famous members, Yamada Nana, a perfect sendoff. The title of the single is “Don’t Look Back!” Here is a sneak peek: Excited?
-Nathan (L4verra) Let’s start with the bad news first before we get to the good part. We touched earlier on SKE48 graduations and how they seem to be happening in waves. Throw in Kobayashi Ami’s name among those graduating because her graduation announcement came right before we published the article…that’s just really bad timing on our part. With that said, best wishes to Kobayashi Ami, who will graduate in March. You were one of the smartest SKE48 girls we ever knew… Now for the good news: SKE48 has announced their senbatsu for their upcoming single which is to be released the same day as NMB48’s latest single. And look who’s back to lead the lineup: These two are your centers once again. Both of them made the senbatsu lineup for Green Flash, and here they are again leading the lineup for SKE48’s new single. Welcome back WMatsui! Other than Jurina and Rena centering an SKE48 single once again, the other members of this 21-member senbatsu consist of both mainstay members and a few new ones. As for the new members, three of them make the senbatsu lineup for the first time: Ego Yuna, Isohara Kyoka, and Goudo Saki punch their ticket into senbatsu for the first time. Congrats! There were also other surprises as well. Unfortunately, Watanabe Miyuki does not make the senbatsu lineup. There’s still NMB48 for her, which is a guaranteed senbatsu spot if not double center with Yamamoto Sayaka. Besides, NMB48 does release their single the same day as SKE48, so a rivalry has to commence somehow, right? There was yet another surprise senbatsu announcement: your favorite forever-17-year-old kenkyuusei made the lineup. Yes, Matsumura Kaori makes the senbatsu lineup. After nearly making it last year during sousenkyo, Kaotan gets another chance to shine in senbatsu since "Kiss Datte Hidarikiki".
Here is the full lineup: Center: Matsui Jurina, Matsui Rena Senbatsu: Azuma Rion, Ego Yuna, Furuhata Nao, Futamura Haruka, Goudo Saki, Isohara Kyoka, Kimoto Kanon, Kitagawa Ryoha, Matsumura Kaori, Miyamae Ami, Miyazawa Sae, Oba Mina, Oya Masana, Sato Sumire, Shibata Aya, Souda Sarina, Suda Akari, Takayanagi Akane, Tani Marika Who do you think got snubbed out? -Nathan (L4verra) Back in 2008, a group was formed that was meant to be a parody-style idol group of Akimoto Yasushi’s Onyanko Club back in the 80s. This group had a bit of a catch: they consisted of idols who worked heavily in the gravure and adult video industry. This was the Ebisu Muscats. And they were much more than just a group of gravure and AV idols. First off, some of their songs did have a bit of a sexual undertone. Their biggest hit, “Banana Mango High School” was released in 2010 and, if you were to understand Japanese or read the English translation, you can kind of see what they were talking about. I will not exactly explain the song lyrics right in front of you, but the song itself was just as sexual as a few of Onyanko Club’s hits. At least the video itself was not as perverted as the song: As for their other songs, some of their sugar coated hits involve spring holidays, chocolate, and a honey trap. Rather than just talk about songs, the lineup of the Ebisu Muscats was also a major strength. Yes, you have a lineup of adult video idols, some of which were the biggest in the business (Yoshizawa Akiho, Asami Yuma, Aoi Sora, etc.), but when you watched them perform through music videos, and even through their late-night variety show in "Onedari Muscats!!", you saw a different side of the girls rather than what you would see on a video found in the red light district. They had personality, they were funny, and they broke the stereotypes one may have when you talk about a group with adult video actresses. Like other idol groups, the Ebisu Muscats had a captain that was shuffled throughout the group’s lifetime. The first captain was Aoi Sora from 2008-2010, Asami Yuma from 2010-2012, and Kishi Aino from 2012-2013. As for the members, some members stayed for the entire duration of the Muscats’ tenure, such as Rio, Andou Aika and Hatsune Minori, while others stayed for a very brief period of time, such as Mizuki Uruha, Ohashi Sayoko and Ozawa Maria. Also like other groups, there were one or two sub units who performed their own songs. One of them was the Purukawa sub unit (based pretty heavily on the PreCure magical girl anime), featuring my Ebisu Muscats oshi, Rukawa Rina. The Muscats also had other appearances with other groups and artists. There was even a time where they starred in a special showcasing other idol groups, such as Berryz Koubou and SDN48. Here they are starring with DJ OZMA, with a few shots at AKB48 here and there: The Ebisu Muscats grew in popularity, especially in the early 2010s, with singles that sold fairly well and concert tours here and there (including one in Singapore). Unfortunately, in 2013, at the height of their popularity, the entire group announced graduation and was disbanded. Some of the other former Muscats can be found doing other lines of J-Pop based work, such as Kuriyama Mui of Through Skills and Sakuragi Rin of innuendo-named J-Pop duo, P * cherry. Will we ever see a mature J-Pop group like the Ebisu Muscats again, where their gravure and adult video careers were put on the side for the sake of J-Pop and variety shows? Only time will tell.
This group, however, holds something really dear to me, and that is because this was the gateway I had to J-Pop and the idol industry. I was curious to the idea of a bunch of adult video actresses in a J-Pop group, and then “Banana Mango High School” grew on me. I listened to this song so many times that I even learned the dance. Eventually Rukawa Rina caught my eye as being the kawaii anime otaku in the group (and the closest one to my age, given that most of the Muscats were 3-8 years older than I was). Eventually it was not just “Banana Mango High School”, but I listened to almost all of their songs wherever I went: at the gym, driving to college, etc. I would get excited to see new episodes of their variety show and new releases of songs. This group also introduced me to other J-Pop acts, such as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Perfume, DJ OZMA, and even AKB48. They were the biggest reason why I love J-Pop so much. When they announced graduation and disbanded, the final episode of their variety show struck a chord, since I now had to find a new J-Pop group to follow. I still follow up on whatever non-AV based J-Pop things some of the former Muscats are doing today, but it is definitely not the same. I had to find another group that I could follow up with, who I could like as much as the Muscats. But then I ran into a gravure photo of an attractive girl on a Tumblr page. The girl on that photo was named Shiraishi Mai. And the rest is history... -L4verra (Nathan) Recently, AKB48’s Morikawa Ayaka announced graduation to pursue a career in modeling. Nogizaka46’s Hatanaka Seira announced graduation as well. You can kind of notice that there has been a wave of graduation announcements left, right and center. Perhaps not as frequently with AKB48 and Nogizaka46, but graduation announcements have affected other groups in the 48G family. Let us start with the good news. NMB48 gets rid of all of their kenkyuusei…but in the best way imaginable. NMB48 just revamped their roster by adding in all of the kenkyuusei to teams N, M and BII. The original Team M center, Jo Eriko, after graduating from NMB48 and returning as a kenkyuusei, makes it to Yamamoto Sayaka’s Team N roster. Also, Uno Mizuki, who made an appearance on the AKB48 Janken single, “Kimi wo Hohoemi wo Yume ni Miru”, gets promoted to Team M. NMB48, alongside AKB48, are the only two groups in the 48 family (including JKT48, SNH48 and Nogizaka46) who do not have any kenkyuusei. However, two members of NMB48 have already announced graduation a while back: Team M’s Murakami Ayaka and Yamada Nana. The addition of the kenkyuusei to the three NMB teams help aid the upcoming loss of Nana and Ayaka, but the graduation wave affects some groups more than others. The bad news is that graduation announcements have affected one group more so than the others: SKE48. Just look at this list of members who announced graduation: Nakanishi Yuka, Sato Mieko, Abiru Riho, Furukawa Airi, Iwanaga Tsugumi, Ogino Risa, Sasaki Yuka and Yamada Nana (who has a kennin with SKE48). Some graduation announcements affect more of the members and fans than others. Furukawa Airi’s graduation is the hardest hitting so far, given how she is the leader and one of the main forces behind Team KII. But never forget how Nakanishi Yuka and Sato Mieko helped SKE48. Yes, SKE48 is having its 7th generation members named soon, but there is a sense that more members of SKE48 may graduate soon as well. Perhaps during the Sousenkyo election, where we saw Shinoda Mariko announce graduation from AKB48 in 2013, and where we saw Kojima Haruna fake a graduation announcement out in 2014. Someone will probably announce graduation this June. The question is, who? SKE48 is not exactly making things easy for their fans when THIS is the trailer for their upcoming documentary. It is titled “Idol’s Tears”. Given the many graduations and graduation announcements the group has experienced, someone is going to cry their eyes out. I know I might. It also does not help that Kizaki Yuria is there since she, well, got transferred permanently to AKB48… But SKE48 still has a fantastic roster. Of course the W-Matsui duo of Jurina and Rena are still here, and Shibata Aya, Suda Akari, Takayanagi Akane, Oya Masana, and for you kenkyuusei fans, Matsumura Kaori, are all still here. At least 3 of them will probably make Sousenkyo senbatsu, since 4 (almost 5) did last year. Don’t forget some of the other up and coming 6th gen members that may capture your heart such as Kumazaki Haruka and Kitagawa Ryoha, and don’t forget transferred members, such as the dorky Tani Marika! These are some of my favorite SKE48 members, especially Marika.
So there is definitely hope for SKE48 to climb back up again from graduation announcement after graduation announcement. The 7th generation members could be what the 9th generation was to AKB48 and really set the tone for the future of the group. Heck, SKE48 has two members from AKB48’s 9th generation and one of them is co-Team KII captain. But anything can happen, and all we can hope for as fans, is the best. But as we publish this, we just got another one. Kobayashi Ami has announced her graduation as well... -Nathan (L4verra) The 2015 Request Hour has finally come to a close. With all sorts of guest appearances from some of your favorite former AKB48 members (like seeing former ace Maeda Atsuko) and emotional moments (did you cry when you saw Takamina break down before she performed her “Jane Doe” solo, especially when her no3b buddies Miichan and Kojiharu comforted her at her time of need?), this was a request hour for the ages. At the end of the day, “Suzukake” takes the #1 spot. Congratulations to Matsui Jurina for her janken single to reach the top! But, at the end of the request hour came new reveals for new sister groups and senbatsu lineups. Niigata Prefecture gets their very own sister group. NGT48 will have auditions and announcements in March, with their theater open in October. Announcements will include possible kennin members or even transfers. There’s no idea who might get sent up to Niigata. Maybe Sato Shiori from AKB48’s Team 8 lineup could lead the new squad? She is from the area, so that’s someone to keep in consideration.
But other than new sister groups, here comes a new senbatsu lineup! The new AKB48 single, “Green Flash”, will do something that has never been done before, and that is have Kashiwagi Yuki at center. She will center alongside Kojima Haruna, who hasn’t been seen at center since “Heart Ereki”. Also gone are the massive senbatsu lineups, seen on “Kibouteki Refrain” or “Labrador Retriever”, in favor of a traditional 16-member senbatsu. The lineup is nearly identical to “Kokoro no Placard”, with only Kojima Mako, Kizaki Yuria and Iriyama Anna replacing Miyazawa Sae, Shibata Aya and Suda Akari. No real surprises here. The only surprise is who got booted out. So to all the Miichan, Milky, Tano, Rie, Naanya, Mocchi, or “insert-your-oshimen-who-didn’t-make-senbatsu” fans, I’m sorry. My oshimen in Minegishi Minami didn’t make senbatsu either, but hey there’s always sousenkyo! But I digress, even though Aki-P hasn’t revealed any sort of news on new Stages for some of the teams, there’s still plenty to get excited about for the upcoming few months. Do you like the idea of a new sister group to north of Japan? Do you like having Yukirin and Kojiharu to bolster the new single? Did you like Jurina’s janken single making the Top 2 for 2 years straight? Let us know what you thought. -Nathan (L4verra) |
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February 2024
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