 While Ikoma Rina's last concert as a member of Nogizaka46 was held a couple of weeks ago at Nippon Budokan, today marked her final event as a member of the group.
Nogizaka46 has had its share of solo photobooks. This privilege is usually given to some of the center-caliber members, such as Shiraishi Mai and Nishino Nanase. So why not give Ikuta Erika one?  Yes, this is a review of Ikuta Erika’s recently released solo photobook, titled Tencho, or Modulation. The photobook was released this month, and of course since I am a big Nogizaka46 fan, and a big supporter of Ikuta Erika, I had to pick this one up. There’s a lot to like about Ikuta Erika. She loves udon, she is one of the biggest dorks in the Nogizaka lineup, she voiced Rue in the Japanese dub of The Hunger Games, and she is one of the most talented piano players I’ve seen in my life. But is her first photobook worth a purchase? Let’s find out. One thing to note in this photobook is that there is an awful lot of German in the book, ranging from sentences to chapter titles. That’s because Ikuta Erika was actually born in Germany and spent 5 years of her life there before moving to Japan. Speaking of Germany, the entire photobook takes place in Deutschland. When I open the photobook, I can imagine myself going on a vacation with Ikuta Erika to visit the area where she grew up. She first arrives in the airport, and then takes a bus to her hometown of Dusseldorf. In some photos, you can see her visit some areas that were still around when she was younger, evidenced by a “before and after” type of photo set. I personally find it pretty awesome that Ikuta Erika can remember the same places that were still around before she moved to Japan.
Of course, because Nogizaka46 is known for conservative gravure, there are some shots in this photobook where Ikuta Erika is relaxing in her hotel room. It is classy, it isn’t lewd, and I have this feeling that I am just hanging out with her before we see the sights of Germany again.
I do like Ikuta Erika’s fashion sense. She wears a lot of cute casual outfits when touring around the city, such as a beanie, a sweater and short shorts. She can pull off this combination well. One thing I also want to point out are the shots where she is dressed in a pretty heavy dress. This made her look like a princess who escaped her lavish daily lifestyle. Then we get to one portion of the photobook, aptly titled Erster Verusch, translated in English, First Try. What is Ikuta Erika going to try for the first time? As mentioned earlier, Nogizaka46 is known for having conservative gravure shots. The most you would see is a tank top and short shorts on your favorite member, but nothing along the lines of swimsuits or bikinis. Only a few members have been seen in a bikini, such as Nishino Nanase, Shiraishi Mai, Eto Misa, and Hashimoto Nanami. Now it’s Ikuta Erika’s turn. Basically, Ikuta Erika is in a pool, in a white bikini. Moving right along, we get a few photos of Ikuta Erika practicing some Chopin on piano, as well as a few photos where she is eating dinner in a black dress. The dinner photos are pretty notable because she bears a very striking resemblance to someone on the AKB48 side. Basically, Ikuta Erika looks near identical to Maeda Atsuko in those photos, and sure enough, it is possible to mistake the two. One thing I do want to note is that, throughout the photobook, I could not stop staring into Ikuta Erika’s eyes. They’re really spellbinding, to be quite honest. Yes, they are listed as one of her charm points, but a photobook usually emphasized a charm point, and you’re able to see it in a few shots. I was looking into her eyes with every shot. No lie. Overall, this book is spectacular. There are a lot of things you discover about Ikuta Erika just with one run through of the photobook, and it’s sure to please fans of Ikuta Erika and Nogizaka46 alike. It feels like a trip to Germany with one of the most beautiful, yet dorky, members of the franchise. I loved this photobook, and I am glad that I purchased it. This was an experience, and I am glad it was with Ikuta Erika. Hopefully, you can enjoy the experience too! -Nathan (L4verra)   With the recent waves of graduation announcements here and there, especially on the AKB48 side (Nagao Mariya, Iwata Karen), surely Nogizaka46 would not feel the same, right?
That sadly is not the case. Fukagawa Mai has officially announced graduation. The former model will graduate from the group on March 26, after Nogizaka46 releases their 14th single. What makes this graduation announcement important? One simple reason: Nogizaka46 has not had a graduation announcement of this magnitude in their history. Sure, you could say that members such as Ito Nene and Hatanaka Seira were pretty big graduation announcements at the time, but this is the first time a perennial senbatsu member has announced graduation. Fukagawa Mai has not missed a senbatsu lineup since “Hashire! Bicycle” which was almost four years ago. One thing to note as well is that Maimai is one of the most supportive members in all of Nogizaka46. Whenever a member has a birthday, she would write them a card of sorts. I remember that she did this when my Nogizaka46 oshi, Wada Maaya, had her birthday celebration. Maimai is also a fan favorite among the Nogizaka46 faithful. Because of her calm, supportive, and otherwise “saint-like” demeanor, she was given the nickname “Holy Mother” among the fan base. She even announced her official leave after the release of the 14th single, giving her fans a little bit of time to support her as much as they can. We have had one pretty big graduation announcement with Nagashima Seira announcing her graduation last month. Now that Fukagawa Mai announced hers, it may take some time to get over the feeling that both are leaving by March. As for my opinion, yes I am saddened to see both of them go. Yes, I will admit that I did like Fukagawa Mai an awful lot and viewed her much like an older sister of sorts. She does have some big plans after her tenure in Nogizaka46, as do a lot of the members in the group, but I wholeheartedly support her and her future goals! Same thing with Nagashima Seira; while I did not exactly know her that well in the group, she has a clear path outside of Nogizaka46, and it is best to appreciate her presence in the group for as long as I, and many other fans, can. But I digress. Let us pray to the holy mother, for she can support us through the tough times. -Nathan (L4verra) What a year 2015 has been. There were so many highs, a few lows, and yes, so many idol songs. I would say this was a year that I stood a little apart from the whole AKB48/Nogizaka46 line and went towards other idol groups, and boy were there a lot of idol groups. The main reason why I want to write this article is because there are five idol songs released this year that all share a special story. Each song defines my 2015, and I am willing to tell you exactly why. If you want you can give all five of these songs a listen! Just make sure you can find a way around YouTube’s prohibition on Japanese pop music, because one out of these five is unavailable. [Editor's Note: This may be worked out in the future] No, this is not a “Top Five” list. Let me lay one important thing about this article: this is an idols only set. Unfortunately, that means no Kyary Pamyu Pamyu or Perfume on this list, which is a shame because I would definitely include “KISEKAE” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and “STAR TRAIN” by Perfume easily on this list…but without further ado, here are five idol songs that shaped my 2015. “Akiba Romance” – Hiiragi Rio  This year was the first time I visited the Japan Expo in Los Angeles. Despite the rather weak turnout, the event overall was a fun experience. The real star of the show was definitely the idol performances. From some up and coming acts (Linkstar’s, Roli Angels) to some more well known acts (Cheeky Parade), the idol performances as a whole were a sight to behold. Despite the variety, the best performance in my book was Hiiragi Rio. Let’s just say that she has an idol song that celebrates otaku and wota culture. The real hook behind the song is that it is one of the bounciest songs you will ever listen to. Even when Hiiragi Rio was performing this live, you couldn’t help but to rock back and forth during the chorus. Fortunately, this song was not blocked in the United States. Give it a try! “Halloween Night” – AKB48  Because I am an honest fan of AKB48, at least one of their singles had to be here. What better way than the Sousenkyo single for 2015? Let me tell you the story about this one. A few of my friends had a get together for the Sousenkyo election, as we counted down every member who ranked. Most of us wanted someone other than Sashihara Rino to take the crown, but she won in a completely dominating fashion. The night overall was fun and exciting, most especially due to the reactions we had over every entry. Fast forward to a few months later and the first performance of “Halloween Night” happens. At first it sounded a little weak and almost like a B-side, but like most AKB48 songs this one grew on me. This had a disco feel and I have a thing for 70’s disco. It even came with a dance routine! Of course, I jumped right on this and my friends and I filmed the routine to present to AKB48 management. It took several tries to get all of the steps, as this dance routine was not as easy as “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” or “Kokoro no Placard”. Unfortunately, the recent YouTube prohibition hit AKB48 the hardest, and nothing is available on AKB48’s official account to American fans. Looks like I may never see how the “Halloween Night” routine turned out… “Kimi ga Ite Boku ga Ita” – Rev. from DVL  Throughout 2014 and 2015, I heard rumors of some idol who was one who showed up “every 1000 years”. Of course, I grew kind of curious as to who this “Idol of 1000 Years” was. I found out it was a girl named Hashimoto Kanna, and that one image can give you that title. This was the first year I have one of Rev. from DVL’s songs a listen. I did like what I was listening to, and I will admit that Hashimoto Kanna was able to stand out in the music video. Let me just say that I did jump on the Hashimoto Kanna bandwagon and am not ashamed to have done so. I feel like the more I talk about Hashimoto Kanna, the more I am doing a disservice to the other idols in the lineup…but really, the only person whose aura resonates in my book is Hashimoto Kanna. She is more of an idol cyborg than Watanabe Mayu, and that’s saying something. Surprisingly, Rev. from DVL is not blocked on YouTube, so take a look. “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” – Nogizaka46  With Nogizaka46 receiving one of the biggest snubs on the NHK Kouhaku the previous year, they had to make a statement. With three releases throughout the year, a baseball-based comedy/drama, and a slew of new shows, Nogizaka46 was a lock for NHK Kouhaku this year. No scandals even got in the way this time. There was a reason why I picked “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” over the other two singles. I would say “Inochi wa Utsukushii” sounded powerful and a tad dark, and “Taiyou Knock” was bright and energetic. Then we get to this single, and basically everything that this song is used for makes you cry. This song was used for the animated film, The Anthem of the Heart. Even watching the trailer of the film makes you want to tear up! Then there’s the music video, which makes you tear up even more than that. I swear that a good chunk of singles Nishino Nanase centered for will probably make you want to tear up. There was “Kidzuitara Kataomoi”, and now there is this. Unfortunately with Nogizaka46, all of their main channel videos are blocked, and this was before the big YouTube prohibition. The good thing is that Sony Music Taiwan has the music video available. “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪” – SUPER☆GiRLS  2015 was a year where I expanded my knowledge of J-Pop groups and idol groups. There were plenty of groups I discovered this year alone, with Musubizm, Cheeky Parade, FES☆TIVE, and Keyakizaka46 to name a few. Then there was this group, SUPER☆GiRLS. How I discovered SUPER☆GiRLS involves a web show that I wanted to be a part of. On the web show “Basugasubakuhatsu the TV”, I wanted to be a guest host and watch some idol videos while giving commentary. One of the videos was “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪”, and I got hooked to this song once I heard it. I also found a SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right off the bat in Tanaka Mirei. Perhaps it was her smile or perhaps it was because she was an amazing center in this song. Either way, she became my SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right away, and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. I mean, I spent a good few weeks trying to find her photobook, and only found out that it has been out of print for a year…but I digress. The song itself was joyful and gave a very bright summer vibe whenever I played it. It also helped that 90% of the video is of the members in bikinis, so of course that got my attention. Keep in mind that the video posted below is not exactly safe for work. Basically, since the theme of the year was spreading knowledge away from 48 and 46, and towards other groups, no other song epitomized the theme of the year better than this one. These are the five songs that defined my entire 2015. What idol songs defined your 2015? Let me know in the comments below.
-Nathan (L4verra)  Remember that official AKB48 rival group, named Nogizaka46? Yes, well, a few months ago the first sister group to Nogizaka46 was announced. This is Keyakizaka46. They seem like a good up and coming idol group, similar to what NGT48 is going through right now. However, Keyakizaka46 is running into a few problems, and the members have only been around for about three months now. What are those problems? For starters, some involve immediate resignations, a name change without warning, and illegal activity. I’ll do the best I can to explain these three problems in detail. Let’s begin.  One: The Name Change When Keyakizaka46 was announced, they were not called Keyakizaka46. This group was originally named Toriizaka46, which references one of the steepest hills in Roppongi Hills. This is similar to how Nogizaka46 is a reference to the Sony Music Entertainment building (aptly named SME Nogizaka Building) as well as a reference to a subway station in Tokyo. While Keyakizaka46 is a reference to a street in Roppongi Hills, the name change was way too sudden to just happen like that. Yes, by now I, as well as plenty of other fans, are used to the new name, but Toriizaka46, in my opinion, had a bit of a better ring to it. I still think of Keyakizaka46 as “Kentucky46”. I’m guessing their first single will be called “Oide Fried Chicken”, huh?  Two: The Resignation of Suzuki Mizuho When Keyakizaka46 was announced, there were 22 members who would take the stage as the 1st generation. A few days later, that number dropped to 21. For some unknown reason, according to AKB48 Daily, Suzuki Mizuho mysteriously graduated from Keyakizaka46. Why? There is so much mystery behind Suzuki Mizuho’s case that I may just reach for ridiculous reasons. Maybe the training to become an idol was too much to overcome. Maybe she had academic obligations. Maybe her family never wanted her to become an idol. Who knows? All I know is that, as a fan of Nogizaka46 and as someone trying to become a Keyakizaka46 fan, I wish her the best on her future endeavors, whatever they may be.  Three: Harada Mayu The first two reasons that Keyakizaka46 is going through a rocky start are not exactly that major. It is easy to get used to the new name and it is easy to find a potential successor for Suzuki Mizuho. This last one, however, is not acceptable. According to Arama! Japan, Harada Mayu was revealed to be dating her middle school teacher. Not only does this violate the infamous “no dating” clause held strictly by management, there is a problem with the age difference. Specifically, Harada Mayu is a 17 year old girl, dating a 20-or-30-something grown man. What makes all of this worse is that there is one photo of the middle school teacher groping Harada Mayu in a purikura-like photo. If you feel like you will get nauseous after that sentence alone, look away now.  Yes, that reads “boobs-“on the bottom if you aren’t familiar with hiragana. Of course, this makes me think of the same issues that got Yamato Rina kicked out of Nogizaka46: breaking the “no dating” clause, underage drinking, etc. Not only will Harada Mayu likely experience the same fate as Yamato Rina, her middle school teacher boyfriend is likely going to prison, especially for the groping photo. I don’t by any means hate on Harada Mayu nor do I wish any ill will on her. But her boyfriend deserves all the negative consequences he will likely experience. Isn’t it illegal to grope a minor? Even if Mayu was okay with it, she still wasn’t and isn’t of the legal age to consent without parent approval. Hell, what parent would be okay to see their 17-year-old daughter get groped by a grown adult male? Damn, we’re reaching Jared Fogle-level stuff here and this instance involved an underage idol. Let’s hope that Harada Mayu, and her boyfriend, don’t cause the Keyakizaka46 idol group to break down and disband. At least that’s what I hope.  Keyakizaka46, as of now, is crumbling before anything is built. All these things have happened and this squad hasn’t even released a single yet.
While things are not looking good so far, that does not mean I am giving up on this lineup. Even if we forget about Harada Mayu and the dating scandal, there is still untapped potential in this group. I still have faith in this group like I did with Nogizaka46, and I believe the remaining 20 members are going to do great things. They may possibly give Nogizaka46 a run for their money! Anything can happen, and while Keyakizaka46 may be stumbling out of the gate, there is still plenty, and I mean plenty of time for this group to recover. They get knocked down, but they’ll get back up again. Yes, Keyakizaka46 is making me think of Chumbawamba. They’ll be singing when they’re winning. -Nathan (L4verra) Nathan (L4verra) and I have mainly bonded over two things: baseball and having underrated Nogizaka46 oshimen. He recently posted an appreciation article of his oshi, Wada Maaya, [It can be seen here] which made me decide that it was about time the world learns about my oshi. Kawamura Mahiro.  For a long time I didn’t really have an oshi. I always gravitated towards Kojima Haruna from AKB48, but that was really only because it was decided (by others) that she would be the one who I would cosplay from AKB0048 (which was my introduction to idols). I decided that I was going to go through every page on Stage48 (A 48G wiki for those that don’t know. It can be found here.) to find the one girl I liked best. This is not the best way to find an oshi… but it worked. [Editor’s Note: I actually found my 48G oshi in a similar manner!] As I was looking through the pages there were a lot of cute girls, many of them had interesting backgrounds, but then I saw a picture of a girl that completely caught my attention to the point where I couldn’t get it out of my head.  This is the picture I that made me fall in (platonic) love with Rottii. It’s not even the best picture of her but something about it kept it in my head. Ever since then I’ve been hooked. Everything I learned about Rottii just made me love her more and more. She is considered by many other Nogi members to be the best singer in the group [1]. As a singer myself, this solidified her spot in my heart. She even writes and composes her own songs! She has also been praised for her dancing skills, including being chosen as the best dancer/oshimen of a guest on an episode of "Nogizakatte, Doko?” [2]. I will always say she is the most underrated girl in the group talent wise, but I could be biased. Rottii is from the Kansai region of Japan (Osaka), which is where I studied when I was an exchange student back in high school (automatic brownie points!). She won an audition with the Up-Front Kansai Agency before becoming a member of Nogizaka, which just proves that she’s not someone who only succeeds in one audition. All of this and she’s still only been on 2 A-sides? I can’t even.  Game Face! As your reading this, you may be wondering where the nickname Rottii comes from. In all honesty, I’m not really sure. But I love it. I think ~technically~ it’s supposed to be the English name “Lotty" as she herself spells it “Rotty” when using romaji. For what I hope are obvious reasons, that is not my favorite way to spell her nickname, but she does it so I still support it 100%. I didn’t think I had maternal instincts until I became a Rottii oshi. I want her to succeed so bad sometimes it hurts. I get sad when she cries; I get happy when she smiles; if she were to get bullied in school I would call the bullies parents and have a stern talking with them. And for those that know me, you know that means she’s kind of a big deal <3. Peace out nerds! -marisuga Videos to prove my points! [1] Skip to 8:00 [2] Mahiro Dance from zannen shoujo on Vimeo. So how did I come up with the idea of a Franchise Four? Well...I didn’t. During this year’s MLB All-Star Game, the Franchise Four of every team was revealed. The Franchise Four are the four best players of respective teams, and when you think of these players, you think of the franchise. For example, the San Francisco Giants have Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Buster Posey as their Franchise Four. Other sports fans tried to find their Franchise Four for teams in other sports, such as the NFL and NBA. But as both a sports fan and a fan of the 48 groups, who would be in the Franchise Four of AKB48 and their current sister groups? AKB48 and their sister groups have had their history throughout the years, and many, many members have came and went. But every group has those four members who set the foundation for their respective franchises. This article points out who I might think make the Franchise Four for 5 groups in particular: AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, and Nogizaka46. I won’t include groups such as SDN48, JKT48 or SNH48, as I am not too familiar with any of those groups. So if you are a fan of those respective groups, I am sorry. As for the newly announced NGT48 and Keyakizaka46, I cannot include a Franchise Four for any of those groups since they are both brand new and we don’t know a lot about all of the members and who would stand out (though Kitahara Rie would be a lock for NGT48’s Franchise Four). Also, keep in mind this is an opinion piece, so if you don’t feel right with my selections, my apologies in advance. Without further ado, here are my Franchise Four picks for AKB48 and their sister groups.
AKB48: Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko, Takahashi Minami, Watanabe Mayu Maeda Atsuko and Oshima Yuko are locks for the Franchise Four if you ask any AKB48 fan. Both of them won Sousenkyo elections and were center selections for countless AKB48 singles before they graduated. Takahashi Minami is also a lock because of just how much work she put in to bring AKB48 to where it is now. If there was a heart and soul of the AKB48 franchise, it’s Takamina. As for the last spot, this decision was somewhat difficult but having Watanabe Mayu as the fourth member of the AKB48 Franchise Four makes sense. The idol cyborg herself was the 3rd member of AKB48 to win Sousenkyo and has never ranked less than 5th on the election. Once Takamina graduates, the face of the franchise may belong to Mayuyu. There were a lot of members who had the chance to make the AKB48 Franchise Four: Shinoda Mariko, Kojima Haruna, Itano Tomomi, Matsui Jurina, Shimazaki Haruka, Miyazawa Sae, Akimoto Sayaka, and especially Kashiwagi Yuki. Overall, the four members I selected seem about right, unless someone plans to edge Mayuyu in the next three or four years.
SKE48: Matsui Jurina, Matsui Rena, Suda Akari, Takayanagi Akane Obviously the WMatsui duo of Matsui Jurina and Matsui Rena are a lock for the Franchise Four. These two members are the faces of the SKE48 franchise, which makes Rena’s graduation all that more painful…but hopefully the SKE48 franchise does well with Jurina as the lead. Either way, both have to be included on the SKE48 Franchise Four. I had to go with Suda Akari as a member of the Franchise Four for a few reasons. She is the first SKE48 member to make Sousenkyo senbatsu without the surname Matsui. Now that Rena is graduating, she’s the new face of Team E. And yes, I will point out that she did drop a little bit during this year’s Sousenkyo, but when I think of SKE48, usually Akarin’s name comes up. Same thing goes with Takayanagi Akane, who I am selecting as the fourth member of the Franchise Four. She made Sousenkyo senbatsu this year and has always ranked pretty high during elections. Plus, she was also granted a kennin with NMB48, which means management probably wants to push you. Honestly, deciding the last two spots for the SKE48 Franchise Four was challenging. There were so many other members who I could have selected for the last two spots: Kizaki Yuria, Oya Masana, Shibata Aya, Matsumura Kaori and Furukawa Airi just to name a few. Like AKB48, someone new could climb up the ranks and possibly make it on here.
NMB48: Yamamoto Sayaka, Watanabe Miyuki, Yamada Nana, Shiroma Miru It was really easy to select three members for the NMB48 Franchise Four. Obviously, just like the WMatsui duo, Yamamoto Sayaka and Watanabe Miyuki are obvious choices. Both have centered several songs, both sell out handshake tickets like mad, and both have made Sousenkyo senbatsu. As for Yamada Nana, she was always the 3rd most popular member of NMB48 (at least according to Sousenkyo votes) before she graduated, which means she will make this list. She was also allowed her very own single in “Don’t Look Back”, so that helps her case. The last spot could be anybody: Jonishi Kei, Sutou Ririka, Kinoshita Momoka, Yagura Fuuko, Shibuya Nagisa, or even Jo Eriko. But I am selecting Shiroma Miru as the last member of the Franchise Four. The only reason why I am picking Shiroma Miru over everyone else is because she is getting pushed like crazy from management. All the gravure, the AKB48 kennin, and the center position for “Rashikunai” help her case. Her push hasn’t stopped yet, and NMB48 management may rely on her should Sayanee or Milky graduate (let’s hope that doesn’t happen soon!). That last spot is wide open for anybody, but as of now, I believe Shiroma Miru takes the spot.
HKT48: Sashihara Rino, Miyawaki Sakura, Kodama Haruka, Tomonaga Mio Even though HKT48 has been around for a little over 4 years, there is already a solidified Franchise Four. You can’t go wrong with selecting Sashihara Rino, Miyawaki Sakura and Kodama Haruka as three members of the HKT48 Franchise Four. Look at the handshake numbers and Sousenkyo vote numbers for proof. As for the last spot, I was kind of torn between Tomonaga Mio and Tashima Meru. I went with Mio since she has the management push (she is also a member of AKB48 Team 4) and has been center for several HKT48 singles. You could say the same thing about Tashima Meru, since she too has a management push. But I am going to lean with Mio for now, unless Meru surprises us in the next few years. If this were a Franchise Five, both Mio and Meru would be here. But since this is the Franchise Four, one member got the short end of the stick. Sorry Meru…
Nogizaka46: Ikoma Rina, Shiraishi Mai, Nishino Nanase, Ikuta Erika
No real challenge here. When you think of Nogizaka46, these four ladies come to mind. Every single member here has been center for at least one single and every member here has handshake results that sell out quickly (no idea about Ikoma Rina however). Even if I do have second thoughts about putting someone else here, like Hashimoto Nanami, Sakurai Reika, Hori Miona or Hoshino Minami, I don’t think any of them can edge this Franchise Four. There’s really nothing wrong with this selection. In closing, those are my selections for the Franchise Four of AKB48 and its sister/rival groups. I will admit that I am more knowledgeable with some groups over others, such as Nogizaka46 over SKE48. Thus, my picks may be a little problematic. If you disagree with my selections and have a more suitable Franchise Four, let me know in the comments below. -Nathan (L4Verra) Has there ever been a time where you submerged yourself into an idol group, and then you found someone who seems rather under-appreciated and underrated? That’s my oshi right there.  Yes, this is a post that tells the world how awesome my oshi, Wada Maaya, really is. Before I get started, let me tell you the back story and how Maaya became my oshi in the first place. First of all, when I ran into some photos of some girls on Tumblr, namely Shiraishi Mai, Ikuta Erika, and Eto Misa, I found out all of them were from the group Nogizaka46. Since my other favorite idol group, the Ebisu Muscats, was disbanding, it became time to find another one to focus on. Keep in mind that I was on the fence about AKB48 and this was in the Fall of 2013. When I heard they were “AKB48’s First Rival Group”, I was curious. Then I found out about all sorts of personalities and characters among the members. You have the fashion-model-to-be Shiraishi Mai, the little sister-esqe Hoshino Minami, the older sister-esqe Fukagawa Mai, and the otaku-esqe Ikoma Rina. All of these idols seemed pretty awesome, and of course it was hard to pick an oshi. Usually when it comes to selecting an idol as your oshi, the first one who comes to mind is the one who got you into the group in the first place. By that definition, that means Shiraishi Mai technically should be my oshi. However, that would not be fair to the other members, especially since this was the first time I had seen every member of Nogizaka46. Then someone at the end of the list caught my eye.  This girl at the very end of the member page with a Shinoda Mariko/Mankanshoku Mako/Coconut Head based haircut caught my attention. Her name was Wada Maaya. She changed my idol fandom life forever. Throughout 2013, I started to learn a bit more about whom Maaya was and where she came from. She was born in Hiroshima and was a cheerleader before she became an idol. She also moved from Hiroshima to Tokyo all by herself, despite still being a high school student. Keep in mind, when she started out with Nogizaka46, she didn’t have the hairstyle most of her fans know her by.  Yes, she had long hair at one point in her life. Because I found out about her when her hair was cut shorter, there is no way I am going to get used to this look. I wasn’t there when Nogizaka46 first appeared in 2011 (I just started getting into Ebisu Muscats at the time). If she grew her hair this long today, it would take a whole lot of time for me to get used to it. But this was a few years ago, and if Maaya wants to grow her hair at this length, it is going to take a few years to do so. But besides talking about Maaya’s hair, let me tell you about how interesting Maaya is as an idol. There was one episode of Nogizakatte, Doko?, all of the members took an exam to determine who is the smartest member, as well as the #1 dumbest member of them all. While Maaya ranked higher than some members on this exam (she ranked higher than Shiraishi Mai, which of course, shocked everyone), that didn’t mean she was free from the competition to determine who was the #1 dumbest member of them all. In this competition, select members would answer questions in a game show-like setting, and those who could answer any of these questions correctly would escape the title of #1 dumbest member. Maaya was one of the contestants, and yes, she did not do so well in this competition. She answered each question with a cockiness that I had never seen before, and even though she got several questions wrong, I certainly appreciated this side of Maaya. I mean any footage of Maaya on Nogizakatte, Doko? was rare, given that she is not the most popular Nogizaka46 member. Eventually Maaya got so many questions wrong that she became the #1 dumbest member of Nogizaka46. She certainly had a lot of confidence in her abilities however. Even though this may just be a performance to woo new fans, Maaya’s act on Nogizakatte, Doko? was hilarious. I certainly don’t think that Maaya really is as dumb as she made herself look on the camera, She’s certainly a funny girl whom, if given an inch, she can go a mile. Among Nogizaka46 fans, many say that, despite her small handshake numbers, she has some amazing handshakes if you do stop by her lane during said event. Her singing voice is tremendous and very distinguishable amongst some Undergirls songs, namely Hatsukoi no Hito wo Ima Demo (one of my personal favorite Nogizaka46 tunes).  Maybe this post is straight up oshi bias, but I really like Maaya and all that she has done on Nogizaka46 to make my stay as a fan worthwhile. I already mentioned that she is by no means the most popular member of the Nogizaka46 franchise. She is not at the level of a Shiraishi Mai, of an Ikuta Erika or of a Nishino Nanase. But you know what? That’s okay. She only has a small niche of fans and the fans that she has are incredibly supportive. Hell, I have seen one fan line up hundreds of single CDs to form the kanji of Wada Maaya’s name. That’s an overall impressive feat. But I digress; Maaya has a small yet very supportive fan base, and I do intend to meet some of the other people who picked Maaya as an oshi one day I fly to Japan for a handshake event. Maaya is still young (she is the same age as Miyawaki Sakura), so she has plenty of time to make a name for herself amongst fans and management (she did score a few gigs on Nogizaka46-based shows, NogiEigo and NogiGolf). I am proud to be the only Wada Maaya oshi, as I know no one else who is a Wada Maaya oshi (I am the only one among my friends who are into idols). I think I may be the only Wada Maaya oshi in all of North America, and yes I am going that route. Because honestly, if you too are a fan of Maaya and have called her your oshi, please stand up! We Maaya oshis need to stick together! That’s all I have to say. In short, Maaya is a very funny idol with a can-do attitude on things in life. If you see her on Nogizakatte, Doko?, you’re in for a lot of laughs. I hope this article sparked an interest in this amazing young lady, especially since she does not get a lot of chances to shine.  Now it’s time for me to watch some NogiEigo, and cheer on my girl as she tries her best at English sentences.
-Nathan (L4verra) Today, the senbatsu lineup for the 12th Nogizaka46 single has been revealed. There are some good things about the lineup and some bad things about it. Matsui Rena is no longer a part of the lineup, which means a senbatsu spot for a new member is open. Who will be the one who takes it? Who is your 12th single center? Who falls out of senbatsu? Let’s take a look.
This is what your back row looks like. Just like last time, a new 2nd generation member gets a spot at senbatsu. This time, it’s your office-lady/barista/model idol Shinuchi Mai! Big ups to Maichun for securing a senbatsu spot! As for the rest of the lineup, fan favorites from the undergirls lineup, such as Saito Yuuri and Inoue Sayuri come back to senbatsu. Overall this back row lineup looks the same as the 11th single, with someone missing.  This is the first time Hori Miona did not make senbatsu. This is a bit of a problem because this shows that just because you have been center for a single before, doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed to be in senbatsu forever (see “Barette”). I personally did not like seeing Miona gone. Yes she did not start as one of my favorite members when she became center (At the time I was like: “Wait, who’s that? Why are you center?!”). As time went on though, she somehow grew on me and has become a member that I like. I am probably not the only one like this; Miona has been well received by a lot of Nogizaka46 fans. To see her fail to make senbatsu is pretty disheartening, but she can lead the undergirls lineup alongside Nakamoto Himeka and continue to do amazing things.
This is the 2nd row. This looks nearly identical to the 11th single, but this time Takayama Kazumi makes the 10-member Fukujin lineup, rather than the back row. So if you are a Kazumin fan, you’re in luck.
Here’s your first row, which consists of the five faces of the franchise. There are some interesting points to mention though. First of all, Shiraishi Mai is not your center; she got moved to the side of the 1st row. After getting snubbed several times for center, now she just got moved to the side; you can’t help but to feel bad. Shiraishi Mai WANTS to be center and this is yet another round where management chooses otherwise. But maybe she can be center for the 13th single. There is always next time.
Yes, Ikoma Rina is your 12th single center. After her stint on AKB48, I see this more as a test from management to see if she learned anything during said stint. She has been center before, so let’s see if she can make this 12th single really sparkle. She’s done it before (see “Seifuku no Mannequin”) so I believe she can do it again. Also, big ups to Hashimoto Nanami for making the 1st row! So there you have it. This is your senbatsu lineup for the 12th single. Yes, it does look more solidified if anything, and it doesn’t seem like much will be changed in the 13th single (maybe Sasaki Kotoko replaces Shinuchi Mai, but that’s really all I can say). This isn’t a bad lineup by any means. But maybe this is just me, a Wada Maaya fan, being rather salty about another senbatsu lineup she didn’t make. I guess, so long as Saito Asuka is in senbatsu, Maaya has no chance. Oh well. At least Maaya can teach her fellow members English or something. -Nathan (L4verra)  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) |
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