The date for the annual AKB48 Janken tournament has been announced for September 18th, taking place at Nippon Budokan. All team members of AKB48 will be in the tournament for that date while the AKB48 KKS, and the 48 sister groups will have preliminary rounds to send a select amount of their members to participate. The break down for those groups are 8 from SKE48, 6 from NMB48 and 3 from HKT48 and 1 KKS from AKB48.
This tournament is one of the big events of the year for AKS as unlike the senbatsu election that lets the fans decide which girls are the most popular and get to be in the senbatsu group for a single the janken (rock-paper-scissors game) leaves it all to chance. Each girl gets a single chance against another and moves on in the tournament until the one lucky enough to have beaten all her opponents in the tournament gets to be the center girl for the next AKB48 single. This way girls that may be unknown or never in the front get a chance to do just that. And unlike the senbatsu election the results are unpredictable.
IIRC, last year NMB48 was only able to send five members so it is nice that they get to send one extra this year. Especially since they managed to get two members into the janken senbatsu last year. And they will be having their own janken tournament for their group to decide who those six are on June 30th. So it will not be a long wait to know which NMB48 girls will be participating in the tournament. I hope girls that do not normally get pushed get in like last year as well.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
ZONE - treasure of the heart ~Kimi to Boku no Kiseki~ PV review (17JUN2012)
I ordered this single with Hey! Say! JUMP's album and I plan on waiting until I can get the RE version of that album before I do a review for it. This single though is nicely contained with everything on the RE on the LE plus having the PV for the title track, treasure of the heart ~Kimi to Boku no Kiseki~ (treasure of the heart ~Your and My Miracle~). I would have done this review sooner but there were a few things that I wanted to research about it to see if I was right about some of the things I initially guessed at.
This single is ZONE's comeback single after they disbanded back in 2005. In 2011 they made a sorta comeback with a tribute album and touring, mostly to raise funds for the Tohoku region after the March 11th disaster. But with this single they are down to two members, Miyu and Maiko, and has been heralded as an actual comeback for the girl band.
I love this song, not only because it sounds like it could so easily have been a single before the band disbanded in 2005 but because the lyrics are just beautiful to me. From what I understand of the lyrics the song is basically about keeping those you have lost in your heart because they will live with you that way, so when you want to see them again you can in a way and that of course is the miracle of the treasure of the heart.
What really drives the emotional impact of the song is the connections to the Tohoku region as in the thank you section of the booklet two schools are thanked and they are both from the region that the earthquake/tsunami hit in 2011. And me being the sentimental person I am find myself incredibly moved by this. So much so that I do confess to crying each time I have watched this PV.
I guess to get it out of the way, the girls have really grown since 2005. They are both beautiful young women and I am glad to see them continue on, especially since it seems mainly fueled for helping the Tohoku region.
The PV itself is simple but effective with getting the message of the song across. The basic scenes it toggles between are those of Miyu and Maiko and the students out in the field.
It goes between just focusing on the students as well as having them in the background behind the girls.
Another major part of the PV are scenes of the students in various locations acting out small scenes. Like in the first one you have the boy on the street listening to music.
He sees a girl from his school and he is shocked by it.
And of course the girl disappears in a blink of an eye as she is only supposed to be a memory.
These scenes work very well with the song with only of the themes in it is being able to want to see someone again as the word 出逢い (to meet) is used frequently in the lyrics.
Thankfully they have these scenes in the field to give you a break from the heartache. Though you cannot completely forget it with the students with desks and chairs there in the background.
Probably the scene that got me the most, so much so I had to pause for a moment because I was crying too much by then, is this one. Just seeing the two two figures across the horizon and then the lone figure looking back at the girl no longer there just hits me hard.
Like I mentioned earlier the booklet thanked two schools and I have the feeling that is because they used them for these school shots. And they are pretty eerie as so much of it is empty classrooms, but again it is another way the PV tugs at the heart strings.
I love this shot and the fact they held off on putting it in until the end. It is just one of those shots that you just expect to either be at the start of end of PV.
And to make a note of it, watching the making of that was on the DVD as well shows that it was raining, well mainly sprinkling and drizzling, throughout the entire shooting. Not to mention it also being windy as well, so the weather was not really with them when they were making this. And of course you can tell they played with the look of some of the shots and it mainly has to be because of the weather.
And when we get to the end and see the girl give a small smile of hope my heart breaks in all the right ways. I feel it is a symbol of hope for the region in general, that after all they have lost they will keep living, keeping what they treasured the most but lost in their hearts so they can continue to live in them. (And yes I had to pause at this point because of my tears again.)
And then we get the end shot, and I love how the weather decided to work in their favor at some time during the shot so you get the sun there in the background shining through the clouds. It really gives you the sense of hope, seeing that beyond the clouds that the sun is still there shining.
So yea, this PV makes me cry but in a good way as I feel that just means that it worked for the message the song is trying to send. Because even though there were tears I still felt hopeful by the end.
Looking at the booklet that came with the CD Miyu is listed as writing the lyrics for this song. The other two songs have their lyrics written by her and Maiko, which I am happy with as I love it when idols move past just having all their songs handed to them and begin to be a part of the writing process for them. But I think Miyu did a wonderful job with this song. I may not understand it all but from what I can I can easily follow what is being sung and the general meaning of the song and it is really touching to me. This is a song that really moves me and the PV for it only helps cement the feelings it brings up in me which to me is a sign of a good PV.
My favorite lyric being ずっと宝物だから。。。僕は歩いてゆく , which I believe should translate to something like "Always because of this treasure... I keep walking." I think these two lines sum up the song so well in terms of its theme and message.
And I think it is pretty understandable why this group would attach themselves to the Tohoku region, as they are from Hokkaido which is not far from it and it was probably a region that the girls are familiar traveling through from going to Tokyo to home in the past. That and so much of their initial reunion was in the region that I am sure it has left a lasting impression on them.
Overall I am so glad that I bought this single and the LE version at that. I not only feel that ZONE is back but feel the maturity that the girls are bringing to the group now that they have grown older since their days with the group years ago.
I love this song, not only because it sounds like it could so easily have been a single before the band disbanded in 2005 but because the lyrics are just beautiful to me. From what I understand of the lyrics the song is basically about keeping those you have lost in your heart because they will live with you that way, so when you want to see them again you can in a way and that of course is the miracle of the treasure of the heart.
What really drives the emotional impact of the song is the connections to the Tohoku region as in the thank you section of the booklet two schools are thanked and they are both from the region that the earthquake/tsunami hit in 2011. And me being the sentimental person I am find myself incredibly moved by this. So much so that I do confess to crying each time I have watched this PV.
 |
| Miyu |
 |
| Maiko |
These scenes work very well with the song with only of the themes in it is being able to want to see someone again as the word 出逢い (to meet) is used frequently in the lyrics.
So yea, this PV makes me cry but in a good way as I feel that just means that it worked for the message the song is trying to send. Because even though there were tears I still felt hopeful by the end.
Looking at the booklet that came with the CD Miyu is listed as writing the lyrics for this song. The other two songs have their lyrics written by her and Maiko, which I am happy with as I love it when idols move past just having all their songs handed to them and begin to be a part of the writing process for them. But I think Miyu did a wonderful job with this song. I may not understand it all but from what I can I can easily follow what is being sung and the general meaning of the song and it is really touching to me. This is a song that really moves me and the PV for it only helps cement the feelings it brings up in me which to me is a sign of a good PV.
My favorite lyric being ずっと宝物だから。。。僕は歩いてゆく , which I believe should translate to something like "Always because of this treasure... I keep walking." I think these two lines sum up the song so well in terms of its theme and message.
And I think it is pretty understandable why this group would attach themselves to the Tohoku region, as they are from Hokkaido which is not far from it and it was probably a region that the girls are familiar traveling through from going to Tokyo to home in the past. That and so much of their initial reunion was in the region that I am sure it has left a lasting impression on them.
Overall I am so glad that I bought this single and the LE version at that. I not only feel that ZONE is back but feel the maturity that the girls are bringing to the group now that they have grown older since their days with the group years ago.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Team N dominates NMB48’s 5th single senbatsu
Well the announcement of the senbatsu (the NMB48 members that will be in the title track of the single) has been announced. It will consist of 16 girls:
Team N: Osagawara Mayu, Kodawaki Kanoko, Kishino Rika, Kinoshita Haruna, Kotani Riho, Jonishi Kei, Shiroma Miru, Fukumoto Aina, Yamada Nana, Yamamoto Sayaka, Yoshida Akari & Watanabe Miyuki
Team M: Jo Erika & Tanigawa Airi
3rd Gen KKS: Kato Yuka & Yabushita Shu
Compared to Nagiichi’s line-up we have Team N’s Kondo Rina and Team M’s Kinoshita Momoka, Murakami Ayaka and Yagura Fuuko out of the senbatsu.
Overall I am disappointed with the line-up. I do love Team N but I have been warming up to Team M and my favorite member of Team M, Yogi Keila, is not in the senbatsu, even though she has been before. That and it feels like Team M is really getting shafted.
I understand that Team N has the more popular girls, but a big part of why they are more popular is because they have been around longer and have had the most promotion because of this. And while Jo gets pushed a lot as Team M’s Ace, not many other Team M members get as promoted. Not only that but with the past NMB Seven group having only Jo and Airi in it there is a good chance that they will be in the group again with this single, which means they are the only Team M members that will be on the covers of the single, with the rest being stuck in either Under Girls, Shirogumi and Akagumi groups. And with 3rd Gen KKS in the senbatsu then that means there is a good chance we will be seeing some in Shirogumi and Akagumi which could mean some Team N and Team M members could end up only in the Under Girls group which does not get a PV like the senbatsu, Shirogumi and Akagumi. And honestly I am more worried about the Team M members than Team N because of the reasons stated.
That said though, I do not mind having a couple of the 3rd Gen KKS in the senbatsu line-up, as this is a good time to start promoting a couple members anyway. By the end of the year we should have Team BII announced so it makes sense that they start promoting any potential Aces, much like they did with Jo prior to Team M’s formation. Plus Shu interests me so I welcome the chance to learn a bit more about her as I have yet to watch anything with her in it. And having them in Shirogumi and Akagumi is okay too, as it should hopefully give some other 3rd Gen KKS a bit of promotion, which they will need if they are to eventually be a part of Team BII. I do worry though if they will end up as overshadowed by Team N as Team M is.
Overall I think NMB48 is already in need of a team shuffle if those managing the group are not going to make way for the newer teams/girls. I do not think we will see one until all three teams are formed and have been around for a bit, but if next year the group is still Team N heavy then a shuffle would only be for the best, IMHO.
Other than that my hopes for this single is that hopefully the title track will be as good as Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo or Junjou U-19, and that the Shirogumi and Akagumi groups will make up for the lack of Team M girls in the senbatsu. It would also be awesome if the theater edition continues to have a solo song for its bonus track. But there is still a good amount of time between now and August so I am sure it will be a while before that kind of information is announced.
Team N: Osagawara Mayu, Kodawaki Kanoko, Kishino Rika, Kinoshita Haruna, Kotani Riho, Jonishi Kei, Shiroma Miru, Fukumoto Aina, Yamada Nana, Yamamoto Sayaka, Yoshida Akari & Watanabe Miyuki
Team M: Jo Erika & Tanigawa Airi
3rd Gen KKS: Kato Yuka & Yabushita Shu
Compared to Nagiichi’s line-up we have Team N’s Kondo Rina and Team M’s Kinoshita Momoka, Murakami Ayaka and Yagura Fuuko out of the senbatsu.
Overall I am disappointed with the line-up. I do love Team N but I have been warming up to Team M and my favorite member of Team M, Yogi Keila, is not in the senbatsu, even though she has been before. That and it feels like Team M is really getting shafted.
I understand that Team N has the more popular girls, but a big part of why they are more popular is because they have been around longer and have had the most promotion because of this. And while Jo gets pushed a lot as Team M’s Ace, not many other Team M members get as promoted. Not only that but with the past NMB Seven group having only Jo and Airi in it there is a good chance that they will be in the group again with this single, which means they are the only Team M members that will be on the covers of the single, with the rest being stuck in either Under Girls, Shirogumi and Akagumi groups. And with 3rd Gen KKS in the senbatsu then that means there is a good chance we will be seeing some in Shirogumi and Akagumi which could mean some Team N and Team M members could end up only in the Under Girls group which does not get a PV like the senbatsu, Shirogumi and Akagumi. And honestly I am more worried about the Team M members than Team N because of the reasons stated.
That said though, I do not mind having a couple of the 3rd Gen KKS in the senbatsu line-up, as this is a good time to start promoting a couple members anyway. By the end of the year we should have Team BII announced so it makes sense that they start promoting any potential Aces, much like they did with Jo prior to Team M’s formation. Plus Shu interests me so I welcome the chance to learn a bit more about her as I have yet to watch anything with her in it. And having them in Shirogumi and Akagumi is okay too, as it should hopefully give some other 3rd Gen KKS a bit of promotion, which they will need if they are to eventually be a part of Team BII. I do worry though if they will end up as overshadowed by Team N as Team M is.
Overall I think NMB48 is already in need of a team shuffle if those managing the group are not going to make way for the newer teams/girls. I do not think we will see one until all three teams are formed and have been around for a bit, but if next year the group is still Team N heavy then a shuffle would only be for the best, IMHO.
Other than that my hopes for this single is that hopefully the title track will be as good as Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo or Junjou U-19, and that the Shirogumi and Akagumi groups will make up for the lack of Team M girls in the senbatsu. It would also be awesome if the theater edition continues to have a solo song for its bonus track. But there is still a good amount of time between now and August so I am sure it will be a while before that kind of information is announced.
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