Here’s another complete collection of AKB48 U-17 photographs scanned and uploaded for your viewing pleasure. Once again, they feature the AKB48 kenkyuusei, research students (some of whom have already been promoted to teams) in a variety of candid outdoor scenes.

Do give us a “like” to support the continual efforts of assembling and scanning these sets. Just like previous scans, the photos have also been uploaded them to the new Tumblr account here. Feel free to share them elsewhere, though a link back (to this page) would be nice.

Takahashi Juri.

Takahashi Juri.

Kato Rena.

Kato Rena.

Takahashi Juri and Kato Rena.

Kojima Natsuki.

Kojima Natsuki.

Natori Wakana.

Natori Wakana.

Kojima Natsuki and Natori Wakana.

Sasaki Yukari.

Sasaki Yukari.

Omori Miyuu.

Omori Miyuu.

Sasaki Yukari and Omori Miyuu.

Group shot.

Banana and chocolate is one of those timelessly good combinations, whether it be conventional ice cream sundaes or Japanese only snacks like the Tokyo Banana. Meiji’s Choco Banana (バナナチョコ) bring the two together in cute bite sized form, perfect for little children’s hands.

Chocolate coated bananas have long been a staple festival food in Japan. You’ll see them at their equivalent of the pasar malam everywhere. But when craving for the taste, you can always find the Banana Choco readily available in stores.

These used to be commonly found in mini-marts in Singapore too but they seem to be rarer these days. Thankfully, Liang Court’s Mediya has them just the same for about $1.60 a pack. Which is really cheap considering how pricey even non-imported sweets are.

Cover tears open for a secret message.

Amusingly, the chocolate and banana parts have been flipped around. There are other companies that make banana chocolates but few package their stuff as well as Meiji and each piece of Banana Choco takes the shape of a tiny banana.

Banana coated chocolates.

Just like M&Ms, munching on the tiny sugar coated chocolates are addictive. The unconventional shape and recognizable banana taste make them much more enjoyable. Those fearing an overpowering artificial taste will be glad to know that the banana flavoring and sweetness of the shell are kept in moderation, so despite being a popular children’s snack, it is loved by adults as well. Many who have tried the Banana Choco end up wanting more.

One packet's contents.

As the AKB48 4th Senbatsu Election looms near, the single picked to carry the voting tickets is Manatsu no Sounds Good. The group’s 26th major single, it is a summer-themed single; this means a cheery song, the beach, and of course, bikinis. While many did not expect much from Manatsu no Sounds Good, it brings a few surprises.

Type A: Limited and Regular versions respectively.

The first is the ridiculously inflated number of girls in the lineup. While past singles have generally hovered around the magical number of sixteen girls, Manatsu no Sounds Good has a whopping thirty-six girls in its lineup. With a majority of the girls from the new Team 4, it’s clear who the management wants to showcase this time.

It does however, seem a little counter-intuitive. At least one girl represents Namba, Sakae and Hakata. With this move, much of the magic and recognition that comes from being in the single senbatsu is lost. While the sheer number is impressive to say the least, it does nothing to help distinguish each girl from the rest. With no time to devote to every girl, the aural and visual focus ends up falling on the usual suspects, with the addition of one or two special ones.

Type B: Limited and Regular version covers.

In what is becoming a disturbing trend, Manatsu no Sounds Good is mediocre. A commenter on the Internet said the ‘only good parts of Manatsu … are the intro and the hook’. And for the most part, I would have to agree. With a guitar lead into a synth brass intro, the song has a grand entrance, only to falter with a less-than-stellar verse. The song has no tension, and only when the chorus hits does the listener remember what they were listening to.

At this point, much of AKB48′s releases seem to follow this formula of stringing hooks together and hoping no one notices that the rest of the song isn’t very good. What does result however, are very good insert songs. And this single is no different, Manatsu is used to good effect in the AKB48 x Haruyama Cool Biz campaign. The calm verses make for easy listening and ensure viewers don’t tune out, the hook makes sure the song never leaves your head.

Also included in Type B of the single is Gugutasu no Sora. The song itself is nothing of note, other than the fact that it is sung by the Google+ senbatsu, a crop of girls picked from the members who were most active in AKB48′s venture into social networking.

Of note in the Google+ senbatsu is Matsumura Kaori. The SKE48 research student is quite certainly self-made, getting into the spotlight by doing her own web-show on Google+.

While many were surprised by lineup changes, the promotional video garnered even more discussion amongst fans. The video is directed by Higuchi Shinji, who is most known for Nihon Chinbotsu (Japan Sinks) and his skill in utilizing special effects. Despite what many expected (it is a summer theme, after all) his propensity for apocalyptic themes was not diminished with Manatsu.

In the video, viewers are taken on a surreal journey involving extra-terrestrials, death and the necessary, dancing on the beach in bikinis. Shinji accomplishes this through extensive use of CGI and clever manipulation of filters. What he ends up with is a 5-minute long mini-film chock full of (apparent) foreshadowing; much of this is never shown in any of the other promotional materials for the singles.

The PV begins with Watanabe Mayu attempting to resuscitate Maeda Atsuko. It is soon discovered that the old guard, comprised of the earlier generations of AKB48 are extra-terrestrial, coming down to Earth for reasons unknown.

The schoolgirls (made up of the newer generations of AKB48) that attempt to save them all die of mysterious, tuberculosis-like symptoms. As Mayuyu pedals down the road with Acchan, she gets transported into what looks like another world, one with dancing and singing girls.

Whether or not this is diegetic is up to the viewer; the video shifts between these two ‘worlds’, with a curious shot of Iwata Karen standing in the midst of corpses. As Watanabe assists the weakened Maeda at the end of the sequence, one cannot help but wonder the point of such a confusing video. Intentional or not, the video carries many messages and assures one thing: many will talk about it.

The cover for the Theater version.

Personally, the A-side of Manatsu no Sounds Good is too weak to justify a purchase on its own merit. However, the fact that it could be the last single that ever features Maeda Atsuko, and the inclusion of a voting ticket is something else. And of course, this is something that management is banking on themselves.

Aside from the sparse updates from me recently, I’ve finally gotten around scanning thorough most of my U-17 collection for the sake of backup purposes and to share it with the rest of the world. As most of these pictures have come from the tedious process of procuring the photos physically over the course of several months, I sincerely hope that readers will make an effort to link back to us when putting them up elsewhere. Please enjoy the good quality scans of the 2011 U-17 Spring series.

Kawaei Rina.

Kawaei Rina.

Ichikawa Miori.

Ichikawa Miori.

Kwaei Rina and Ichikawa Miori.

Kojima Natsuki.

Kojima Natsuki.

Suzuki Shihori.

Suzuki Shihori.

Kojima Natsuki and Suzuki Shihori.

Kobayashi Marina.

Kobayashi Marina.

Morikawa Ayaka.

Morikawa Ayaka.

Kobayashi Marina and Morikawa Ayaka.

Group Shot.

It’s been a while since Ono Erena has reappeared under the entertainment news radar, however it was only last month that the former AKB48 member finally announced that she would be making her solo debut soon. Her first single, titled “Erepyon” (えれぴょん) after her nickname, has been confirmed for release on 13th June 2012.

Formerly part of OhtaPro, Erepyon has since switched over to the LesPro agency and the single will be published by Warner Music Japan. It should be noted that Ono is credited for writing the song herself. Sound-wise, it’s a typical J-Pop song backed by heavy guitar riffs stereotypical of solo idols and wouldn’t be out of place as an ani-song. It is being used as the theme song for the ongoing drama Legal High which stars Aragaki Yui.

The video for Erepyon is mostly Japanese idol affair, with kirakira glittery dance scenes juxtaposed against whimsical story scenes of Erepyon being a boxer. There is little to fault as fans of Erena will be no doubt pleased simply to see her return but there is not much new ground to praise either.

Ono Erena.

Ono Erena graduated from AKB48 back in September 2010, stating overseas studies as her reason. She had been one of the founding members of Team K, joining the group as one of its youngest members at the age of 12. And while her popularity was already starting to recline when she graduated, she remained one of the group’s more popular members and a staple senbatsu, one of the group’s chosen faces.

aka Erepyon.

However, despite being supposedly away, Ono was subsequently spotted at concerts and around Japan in the company of a young man, much to the delight of tabloids.

Ono eventually returned to the media spotlight last year when she opened a new blog in July. Strangely, it was shut down soon after. But reopened again in October 2011. She explained that it was her initial plan to study in London but had changed her mind, stating her desire to remain in the entertainment industry as the reason, with the dream of becoming an actress.

Ono Erena had previous appeared in a small number of movies, including a starring role in the controversial film Sankaku during the time of her graduation.

Promotional images for her solo debut.

Now 19, Ono is now ripe for a serious solo venture into the entertainment scene. And while she brings with her a certain following from her previous involvement in AKB48, only time will tell if she will succeed.

While Ono Erena is no longer directly involved with the massive idol conglomerate, the release of Erepyon will follow a similar pattern of having too many versions. Covers below.

Limited A Cover.

Limited B Cover.

Limited C Cover.

Regular Cover.

Lawson Exclusive Cover.

After the somewhat disappointing Kibou Sanmyaku, Watarirouka Hashiritai finally returns again this month with another addictive single. The first of the year, Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! (少年よ 嘘をつけ！) is the group’s 4th single since taking on the Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 name and 10th overall.

Like their previous single, Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! is a tie in with Crayon Shin-chan, replacing Kibou Sanmyaku as the theme song for the cartoon. It is most notable however for being the first Watarirouka release without its leader, Hirajima Natsuki left the group in January when both her and AKB48 fellow member Yonezawa Rumi’s private Twitter account photographs lead to a scandal.

While Hirajima continues to be part of the OgiPro agency that manages Watarirouka Hashiritai, she has left both AKB48 and Watarirouka, suspending all activities with the groups. Instead, fellow OgiPro artist Urano Kazumi, who is also a former AKB48 and SDN48 member takes her place in the single. Urano, who more often goes by the nickname Cindy, joins the youthful group despite being 27 this year. She makes for an amusing addition to the Watarirouka Hashiritai team, even if it is only temporary.

It’s been a while since this song first debut with the new lineup at AKB48′s Super Saitama Arena concert in March but the single will finally arrive on 30th May 2012. In anticipation of its release, the music video for Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! began airing last week. You can see a preview at the official Warota YouTube Channel.

Like their other singles, Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! is a catchy tune, mostly due to a strong memorable chorus. But while the stye remains the same, Watarirouka’s sound seems to have changed a bit with this new single.

This is likely the result of member Nakagawa Haruka having to undergo surgery for her vocal cord nodules in February (altering her voice) and the new dynamic introduced by the substitution of Hirajima with Urano. Without Nakagawa and Hirajima’s low voices to act as a contrast, and with Iwasa Misaki being self conscious of her usual voice, Watarirouka has never sounded preppier.

Type A Cover.

Currently, Ota Aika would appear to be the only one inside attempting a deeper voice but her role in the single is minor. Instead, the majority of the lyrics are being fielded by Watanabe Mayu, even more so than the usual Warota norm.

Visually as well, there is an uncanny amount of Mayu even by Watarirouka standards. All of the video’s story scenes, or half of the total video features Watanabe interacting with a little boy who rescues her in the premise. This is an especially strong push for Watanabe, who has bearly come off from the success of her recent single Synchro Tokimeki.

Type B Cover.

Overall, Watarirouka loses a bit of familiarity in its sound but Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! is still a great single that will revive some of the Watarirouka flair. Being a fan myself, me and many others are no doubt are looking forward to it hitting stores later in the month. I’ll keep my hopes up for the B-sides as well since Watarirouka singles tend to have a good track record with coupling songs.

Type C Cover.

Following NMB48′s release of Nagiichi is Aishiteraburu, SKE48′s summer single for 2012. The second in a 3-week stretch of releases by the mainstays of the AKB48 family, SKE48 goes in a different direction from her sisters. Coming off the controversy from the release of Kataomoi, Finally, how does this single set itself apart, and how does it fare in comparison?

The cover for type A features the JR combo.

Aishiteraburu is a portmanteau of sorts ― it combines the English ‘I love you’ with its Japanese equivalent, aishiteru. Initially, the single was slated to be called Airabushiteru, but was changed to Aishiteraburu on the suggestion of the members to Akimoto Yasushi. The final title rolls off the tongue better, so props are due for the girls.

The cover for Type B.

The new single sees a change in the lineup, with Yakata Miki and Ishida Anna coming in to replace Kuwabara Mizuki and Hiramatsu Kanako from the previous single. This brings the number of girls from Team KII in the single to half of the total 16. This change in single lineup could see KII being pushed a little more in subsequent singles as well, being in a good middle ground between the stalwarts in Team S and newbies of Team E.

The cover for Type C.

Aishiteraburu keeps the standard of decent releases up for SKE48. While it is not as catchy as Kataomoi, Finally, or nearly as polished as Pareo wa Emerald, it strikes a good balance between the fun and liveliness of SKE48, without managing to sound too generic. The chorus is catchy, yet doesn’t detract from the rest of the song, unlike many other recent releases from the 48 groups.

The theater version of the single jacket.

The biggest draw of the single is definitely the promotional video. The first to be shot in Saipan, it begins with the camera following the girls as they prepare to head overseas for the recording. It leads into shots of the girls dancing on a platform on the sea. These itself are interspersed with medium close-up shots of the girls singing their lines. Definitely something different, considering the more dramatic approach usually seen in promotional videos.

These shots give the video a more personal feel, and serve to showcase the members as they are, without any sort of gimmicky costumes or makeup. This message is made even clearer when one considers that the girls are dressed in summery costumes that aren’t bikinis for the dance parts, a development that surprised many who were expecting otherwise. Fans will also be delighted to hear that screentime is divided nicely between the girls.

The B-sides of the single are great as well. Shirogumi sings Nante Ginga wa Akarui no Darou, a slow-ish number with Victorian inspired dress and choreography adapted from formal dancing styles. Akagumi (missing Matsui Jurina due to health issues) sings Aun no Kiss, an upbeat song with the girls in traditionally-inspired costumes and the video being set in a matsuri setting. Halation from Selection 8 also features members many wouldn’t know, although a preview of the video has yet to surface.

SKE48 attempts to set itself apart from its sisters, and this clearly shows in Aishiteraburu. A summer single with an A-side that doesn’t have a gimmicky video is hard enough to find, much less one that’s actually good. The B-sides all complement the A-sides well, and give each edition its own flavor.

Releasing on 16th May, Aishiteraburu is probably the best out of the 3 from the 48 family this May, and in my opinion, worth the purchase.

Kokura Station isn’t the only place getting a brand new landmark. Back in Tokyo, quite a number of new buildings have been popping up this past week thanks to a certain company. Following the public opening of Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku on the 18th April, Tokyu Corporation has just launched a new commercial tower right beside Shibuya Station.

The new Shibuya Hikarie is notable for being 182.5 meters tall, towering over all of the other shopping buildings in Shibuya and being far more suited for Shinjuku. Connected to Shibuya Station through an overpass from its east exit, the Hikarie takes the site of the former Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (Tokyo Culture Hall). In addition to a mall and offices, Hikarie’s houses a gallery space as well as the new Hikarie Hall and Tokyu Orb Theater that replace the Bunka Kaikan.

Shibuya Hikarie Concept.

Construction of the new building had been going on since 2010. Tokyu already own and run many of the buildings around Shibuya Station. With the Hikarie, they are hoping to in their own words “take over” the streets of Shibuya and transform it to reach out to a broader audience. Typically the place for younger crowds, the Shibuya Hikarie will specialize in high-end shopping, dining, culture and entertainment that caters to a more sophisticated audience or more specifically, older career women.

The Hikarie also touts itself as a futuristic beacon of new concepts with its name literally translating as “To Light”. The building makes use of environmentally friendly lighting and cooling systems. Tokyu’s new department store which occupies the first 5 floors of the building is called ShinQs. The mall is split up into abstractly themed areas rather than specific purposes and every floor has an open concept feel similar to what you’d find only in the desserts section in the basement.

Restrooms have being branded “Switch Rooms” and come equipped with surprises. A special members only women’s Switch Room on the 5th floor provides luxuries such as an oxygen bar, message chairs and cellphone charging docks. Refrigerated lockers allow you to keep your groceries fresh, while continuing shopping. Digital signage that run throughout the mall (including these Switch Rooms) are equipped to broadcast information like weather information.

Needless to say, there were great crowds waited outside the Hikarie’s doorstep when it opened on the 26th of April. For more information, check out the official web page (Japanese only).

Photo by Yanazawa-san.

Ramen and Miyamoto Musashi. While the collaboration of ramen and famous samurai might look like a fancy gimmick on the surface, I can assure you that Menya Musashi is indeed, very, very famous. It was a huge hit with the Tokyoties when it first started out during the 1990s and now, more than 10 odd shops are located within Tokyo, with the newest Menya Musashi being an overseas outlet in Singapore.

Even before the Singapore outlet was opened, Menya Musashi has always been heavily recommended, as one of the top ramen places to eat while visiting Tokyo. But alas I had never grasped the chance to try it out, so this time I had to make the extra effort to visit the Singapore outlet.

Menya Musashi Singapore.

With heavy references to the famed samurai, the whole shop is decorated with Musashi art, even right down to the bowls and spoons we were using. The decor of dark walls and dynamic lighting does make for a posh and relaxing place to have a bowl of samurai noodles.

Menya Musashi serves both the usual ramen and tsukemen, which of course features the ever popular pork bone broth which is a hit with Singaporean palettes. But one look at the menu and tsukemen was swiftly decided by the Supermerlion noodle sampling team for the challenge.

The word "FREE" caught our attention.

More than half a kilograms of noodles if you decide to challenge the 5x.

For a fixed price, one can choose the amount of noodles to chomp on. 120g being the regular portion with a max amount of 5x the regular amount. Orders were quickly placed and a few 5x was noted. The manager looks unwavered by our orders, probably a sign that the 5x amount of noodles had been a regular order.

The ramen cook in the open kitchen didn’t look as much as excited as he dumped balls after balls of noodles into the boiling pot.

Looks perfectly normal on the surface, but that bowl hid 360g of noodles.

Woah.

For comparison's sake, that's a 600g bowl vs a 360g bowl.

Staggering amount of noodles aside, every order of tsukemen came with a good amount of pork and menma (bamboo shoots), with an additional noting of the half a half-boiled egg. There’s also 3 options of dip to choose from, the chili-red spicy version, the garlic-black extra fragrant version and the default milky-white soup version.

Frankly, 600g of noodles is too much for most people. It took us 10 minutes to make a dent in the half kilo bowl of noodles. Secondly, if one doesn’t finish their noodles fast enough, both the noodles and the soup turn cold and that will not be the most ideal tsukemen experience.

Good enough for a return trip? Yes. I probably have to make another return trip to try out their ramen.

Just try not to order the 5x noodles of tsukemen if you are not confident of your stomach space.

Samurai vs samurai.

Do take note, queue lines might go crazy during lunch and dinner times with disregard to either weekdays or weekends. I had to make a revisit twice since it’s pretty silly to queue 1.5 hours for noodles. The best way to go around the problem is to visit the shop during non peak afternoon hours as Menya Musashi is open all day from 10am onwards.

Last Friday, Aru Aru City (あるあるCity) Fukuoka’s very own otaku-themed mall opened its doors to the public. Located just beside Kokura Station, the main railway station in Kitakyushu, Aru Aru City has declared itself Japan’s largest sub-culture building. It exclusively hosts a great many shops dedicated to anime, manga, games, idol, comedy and other sub-culture entertainment.

Developed as part of a renovation of Kokura Station, Aru Aru City was scheduled to open in March last year but completion of the project had been delayed. Some of the key tenants of the building have yet to move in but the 7 floor building is already home to many new and existing otaku names, including well known Akihabara and  Nakano Broadway franchises like Mandarake, Gamers and Animate.

Aru Aru City opens!

After shopping, there is the new Animax Musix Cafe where patrons can enjoy the viewing of anime and ani-song broadcasts between meals as well as Media Cafe Popeye, touted as Kitakyushu’s largest internet cafe.

When completed in August, the hallmark attraction at Aru Aru City seems to be the Kitakyushu Manga Museum which will take up the 6th floor of the building. The 7th floor feature the Aru Aru YY Theater for live performances by idols and comedians. Notably, the theater will be used to broadcast a new television show title Aru Aru YY Terebi, that will feature members of AKB48 Fukuoka based sister group HKT48.

Kitakyushu Manga Museum.

Aru Aru City aims to distinguish itself and help promote otaku culture by holding at least 100 related events a year. It has also provided the business infrastructure to help grow such niche ventures within the city of Fukuoka.

This is just a guess, but had Aru Aru City opened on time last year, it does seem like Hakata48 would had been Kokura48 or AruAru48 instead. For more information, check out the official Aru Aru City website.

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As the normal rotation goes, it is of course time for the summer releases of the groups in the AKB48 family. Nagiichi is NMB48′s first try at a summer themed single, this being their fourth release since debuting nearly a year ago. With Nagiichi, the girls will have finally released a single for every season of the year. How do the girls from Osaka handle their first bikini single, and does it live up to expectations, as the girls have just come off a solid release in Junjou U-19?

Type A jacket.

Nagiichi is short for ‘Nagisa de Ichiban Kawaii Girl’, or translated as the cutest girl on the beach. It is also one of the insert songs used in the commercial collaboration with entertainment chain Round 1. Showing the girls as employees of the chain, the commercials present the girls as they work at Round 1 and show off the attractions there, which include bowling and karaoke. These commercials can be seen at a special site created for the campaign here.

Type B jacket.

The single sees a re-shuffling of the senbatsu, with returning Team N member Yoshida Akari as well as Team M’s Tanigawa Airi and Murakami Ayaka getting spots ahead of Yogi Keira, Kishino Rika, and Kinoshita Haruna. As the number of members in NMB48 increases (the number is up to around 60 with the 3rd generation), we should be seeing more and more shuffling of the senbatsu as additional singles get released.

It remains to be seen if there is any real way for junior members to get their time in the limelight through singles, but some are definitely getting pushed.

The White and Red team system of previous singles stays in Nagiichi, with some shuffling done to the lineups.  However, it does not seem apparent that either of the teams have a particularly catchy song, unlike previous b-sides like Hoshokusha Tachi Yo.

Fans however, might be interested in Watanabe Miyuki’s solo song in the theater version. Titled Warukii, it’s a hilarious number about how she loves men with big muscles and needs someone to help her carry her bag. Some might also see the thinly veiled references to her being involved in the scandal that got her dropped from senbatsu of Oh My God!

Type C jacket.

The song itself is a guitar-driven melody, not unlike the previous singles. One problem that seems to be evident is that the guitar melodies are split down the middle between ‘very catchy’ and ‘totally forgettable’. Nagiichi’s guitar leads fall in the former, but unfortunately this also means that it is the only thing many listeners bring away from the song.

With the group singing format of NMB48, there are no memorable lines, and even the chorus is not a particularly engaging hook. The sound of the song is too generic to the point that it’s rather easy to tune it out if you’re multi-tasking in any way.

Theater version jacket.

Which brings up the other point about the Promotional Video. As is usual for summer themed singles, Nagiichi’s has the girls in bikini. Some question the propriety of having teen girls in bikinis. While that is a point of contention, it’s clear that they’re trying to cash in on the sex factor, with frontgirl Yamamoto Sayaka being put into a bikini a size too small whilst dancing at the front.

Disregarding that however, the PV features the girls doing watersports and cruising the roads of Guam in an open-top convertible. In the opinion of this writer, it’s a great PV that showcases the summer feel of the song.

The single drops on the 9th of May, 2012.

With AKB48′s next election looming around the corner, the fandom has been abuzz with many having their own take on what is going to happen this time. Supermerlion weigh in with our opinions on the concept of election, the new format, Maeda Atsuko’s graduation and of course, our own predictions for the rankings.

The guidebook for the election last year.

Election

Sho

Each year since the first, the AKB48 General Elections has been the most major event for Akimoto Yasushi’s pop empire. The “election single” is sold in mass quantities for 1000-1600 yen each, often at more than one copy per person. I personally know people who have bought as many as 500 copies all this in hopes of “pushing” their favorite member.

Unfortunately, experience has taught me that this election process is a little more than just another way to inflate their CD sales as any changes to the management and agency discussed lineup is immediately dismissed after the next single. With the AKB48 elections, AKB48 has manged to get people to actually pay for the opportunity to do a survey. It feels like the results are more a pat in the back to the companies involved and an affirmation that their investments are paying off.

Yan

In my opinion, the senbatsu system has always been a double-edged sword, both for the girls and the fans. There’s always the case of a girl that ‘hits it big’ with the senbatsu by seeing a rise in her popularity after being voted in, or getting picked to star in a new single. But it comes at a price, namely that of fan interaction. Having more time allotted to media exposure means that some of the members spend little to no time in the theater, or fans getting less time with her at handshake sessions.

It’s a good way for the girls to get more exposure, but that leaves you with the usual suspects, the time tested faces that have already had a lot of exposure as it is.

Mus

I’ve always felt like the senbatsu system was just a way for the company to get more money from the fans, under the pretext of giving them a chance to affect the group. Sure, this was true in the first staging of the elections, but the subsequent ones have always just been a populist matter, and it’s a never-ending cycle. The ones that get voted in are already popular, and thus already in the regular, non-vote senbatsu.

While this may be just the rant of someone who will probably never see his favorite member step anywhere close to the senbatsu of a single, it does feel like there is no reason to vote, when it’s clear that the more popular members will dominate, as usual.

The first AKB48 single lineup decided by election.

Revised Format

Sho

Some would argue (and AKB48 whitewashes it with this reason) that increasing the number of positions would increase the opportunities for members. But this isn’t the case as the unranked members would always appear in the other coupling songs anyways. Instead, the competition is much fiercer this year with teams dropping from 21, to just 16 members. The members will now be spread out over multiple different “versions” of the next single, with sales being the main motivation.

Fans like to think that placing well in these other teams would be of some significance. It does, in the sense that it gives them exactly one PV where they get to see their favorite member more. In the greater scheme of things, there is little benefit to the girl. AKB48′s Ota Aika debunked this misconception last year; many believed that being the Undergirls center was better than being a bottom ranking Senbatsu. From her own words, we learned otherwise. The ranking itself counts more than anything else when it comes to determining how valuable a particular girls is to the company. This is further proven in previous years when Sashihara Rino started her ascension, after placing in the low Senbatsu.

Yan

I don’t think this will really result in many changes, other than the fact that the usual senbatsu team is reduced to a 16-girl team. The remaining teams that are not part of the top 16 will probably be broadly categorized as three different teams of Undergirls, which to me sort of defeats the purpose. However, this is good news in that it is much easier to perform songs in a 16-girl team. This is the usual number that make up a fully functional team to perform on stage; the lower number means there is less of a logistical problem for them to perform the next senbatsu song.

Mus

The revised format sounds good. While of course most people would say that it doesn’t really help anything, especially considering that many would still appear in the other promotional videos. However I think it’s pretty great nevertheless that additional girls get called up. Personally I’m a big fan of taking exposure whenever you can get it.

I doubt that it will matter much in the grand scheme of things. However with the dropping of the Media Senbatsu concept, it’s entirely possible that this brings about more balanced treatment of the lower ranking girls. It’ll be interesting to see if any unexpected faces appear on the bottom rungs; fans might get even more motivated by the extension of senbatsu to pool their votes together.

Graduation

Sho

With Maeda Atsuko out of the picture from this year’s elections. Many are expecting much from this year’s elections indeed. While I would like to see some new faces, I see most simply shifting up one spot in her absence. A safe prediction for the number one spot would be Oshima Yuko, generally regarded and proven to be the group’s other fave. The hype from well timed releases might affect votes positively for Sashihara Rino, Watanabe Mayu and to a lesser extent the rest of Watarirouka.

Yan

It’s definitely an interesting prospect. With the departure of AKB48′s ace this could signal the start of real change in the group dynamics. It’s the biggest thing to happen in AKB history, and will definitely have some effect on the election. Her decision might influence the rest of the founding members to think about graduation, and possibly announce it themselves.

While immediate changes are unlikely, I think fans will have to adjust to understand that AKB48 isn’t just made up of the regular senbatsu that they always see on TV or in music videos.

Mus

This was a shocker for me. While I dread the day that it happens, this is an important step forward for the group as a whole. Losing the ‘face’ that they have depended on so much might have both positive and negative consequences, but it definitely nudges the group in the right direction. AKB48 is sufficiently big enough that they no longer need a figurehead like Maeda Atsuko to carry the group.

Just like she said in her graduation announcement, the juniors will have to pick up the slack, and this might definitely show when the girls receive their votes.

Predictions

Sho

The past year has been particular eventful for Watarirouka Hashiritai’s center with her recent solo music and drama debut. Historically, Watanabe has found popularity as the group’s “cute” type character, an archetype that often takes center stage in other Japanese idol groups. This differs for AKB48 though. It may be a good thing then that Watanabe has since shed this stereotype for a more mature image. With Kashiwagi Yuki losing in power this year, it is probable that Watanabe Mayu might finally take the second spot this year.

I would point out that Watanabe’s recent solo single, Synchro Tokimeki which shows off her more mature side, was probably the best selling recent 48 side project apart from Oshima Yuko’s and Not Yet’s Perapera Perao, at least until Sashihara’s Soredemo Sukidayo hits shelves next month. Interestingly, Synchro Tokimeki outsells even Mayu’s Watarirouka singles.

Yan

My Kami7, in descending order: Kashiwagi, Oshima, Watanabe, Shinoda, Sashihara, Takamina and Kojima. The first place is a toss-up between Kashiwagi and Oshima. There’s very little chance that Kashiwagi will capture that top spot if she doesn’t get it this time. Sashihara has the highest exposure amongst the front girls this year, so a huge jump into the Kami7 is not that unexpected really. I don’t see any huge jumps happening besides that and while there may be some swapping of places, I think the senbatsu would mostly stay the same.

Mus

With the ridiculous amount of publicity she has had so far this year, I think Sashihara will have enough voting power behind her to take at least a top 5 spot. While I don’t think that there will be any chances of any other girls besides the few already mentioned above to get into the Kami7, I think that Shinoda and Itano stand the risk of dropping out of the Kami7. Shinoda partly because of her lack of well, anything, and Itano just because it’s a continuation of the downward trend she’s exhibited since last year’s.

If I were to bet on one person jumping into the Kami7, it’d be Yokoyama Yui. She’s had her moments, and is definitely a nice fit. With AKB48′s adoption of Google+, it’s entirely possible for an unknown to come up the ranks, but it’s a long shot, and probably won’t breach the top 16.

The new single

Sho

Personally, I used to look forward most to the subsequent release after the elections, which often is a highlight of the year since it brought us great hits like Iiwake Maybe and Heavy Rotation. Unfortunately, last year’s Flying Get killed that enthusiasm. More so than who ranks at what place, hopefully this year’s post election release will be a good listenable one.

Yan

I’m not particularly hopeful for the upcoming single. While it may be good, it will be hard to match the catchiness and hook of Heavy Rotation. The good news however, is that the B-sides are usually good listening material, so that is something I am looking forward to.

Mus

I must be the only one that actually liked Flying Get. Nonetheless, the recent AKB48 releases have been lackluster at best, and hopefully this election single will get them out of their slump. I’m not holding my breath or anything, but it’s entirely possible that Aki-P will pull a rabbit out of his songwriting hat and give us a really great single to celebrate the new beginning of AKB48.

End

Well that about rounds up things on our end. Do you have any thoughts on the upcoming election? Share them in the comments below!

As the year comes to the mid-point, many AKB48 fans save money to spend on the highlight of the year: the single senbatsu election. Of course, 2012 is no different. The members featured in AKB48′s 27th single will be determined by fan votes. However, the election this year is different from the ones before, with changes being made to the system that will no doubt change how some cast their votes.

On the third day of AKB48′s concert in Saitama Super Arena, it was announced that the election tickets will be distributed with the 26th AKB48 single, Manatsu no Sounds Good. Aside from that, members of the official fanclubs and other related sites will have a vote as well. Voting will start from Manatsu no Sounds Good’s release date of 23rd May and votes will be tallied on the 6th of June.

All the groups in the AKB48 family based in Japan (this means not JKT48) will be eligible for votes. Fans will also be glad to hear that the ranking has been extended to 64 places, with the girls being split into four 16-man groups. Media Senbatsu, what AKB terms as a selection of girls that will appear in media, has now been scrapped. What will be done in its place has not been made clear.

The election announcement was not the only news from Saitama Super Arena. In a move that shocked much of Japan, Maeda Atsuko made public her imminent graduation from AKB48. A few days after this announcement, she also appeared on a video published on the AKB48 official YouTube channel, announcing her decision to not participate in the coming elections, starting talk on the internet about who could possibly take her place at the top.

With so many things happening for the election this time, how will it affect the votes? Only time will tell.

The invent of the internet has changed the way we live our lives considerably. It has also affected the way we travel. And while travel related websites have been around since the dawn of the World Wide Web, statistically the biggest changes have been in the past couple of years. Internet travel sites have finally overtaken traditional travel agents, with more people planning and booking their holidays online than anywhere else.

Japanese search company Goo recently presented the results of a survey they conducted, compiling the thoughts of what people felt were their most visited types of sites for holiday planning. The results are a good indication of what are the top online innovations to have made planning a holiday a less daunting task.

1. Map Sites
At least in Japan, the biggest number of people survey have voted Map Sites, particularly Google Maps as the most indispensable online tool for planning a holiday. I wouldn’t disagree. The ability to look up any place on earth at a whim or even step through in first person on Google Street View is truly invaluable.

2. Search Engines
For most, Search Engines, or rather Google has become the gateway to the rest of the internet. Making sense of the internet, the search engine helps us sort through a treasure trove of resources on the internet. Be it the means to book your holiday or a site like Supermerlion, through which people can discover travel ideas and new things to love.

3. News Sites
Online News Sites provide readers with up to date information on the region allowing travelers to better plan the timing of their trip. This is especially true when looking at disaster prone areas. In some cases, those curious in a particular country might follow its news, further propagating their interest in the destination.

4. Weather Report Sites
Savvy travelers will know that considering the weather of your destination ahead of time is one of the most important things to do. At the most basic level, knowing the weather forecast will let you prepare the right clothes but also it’ll help you plan an itinerary better and minimize any possible hiccups. Yahoo! Weather still remains the most used source for weather information.

5. Travel Review Portals
Most holiday planners turn to travel review sites for introduction to their destination these days. Many incorporate hotel and flight bookings, as well as charting applications to provide a one stop place to plan your itinerary. While rarely the cheapest option, it provides a convenience that makes them the most profitable source. Popular examples include the Lonely Planet forums and TripAdvisor, possibly Asia’s most popular travel review site.

6. Credit Card Sites
When it comes to genuine offers, it takes major entities like Credit Card companies to offer the best promotions. Many credit cards have tie in with airline companies to provide either a miles program or some other sort of conversion of loyalty points. There’s always the occasional discount offers that might net you tickets for slightly less than their usual price.

7. Airline Company Sites
More often than not, the best Airplane deals can be found from the source. With Airline companies providing their own booking systems, you’ll get the most updated prices direct from their official web pages and the added benefit of being able to check-in online or change your seats at any time.

8. Social Networks
The popularity of Social Networks has changed the way people travel and seek travel more so than any other online presence in the shortest period of time. It is only second nature for most to shove travel photos down their timeline these days in an attempt to make others jealous. In fact, more than 59% of travelers have been found to post status updates about their holiday on Facebook. While not easily quantifiable, this envy is definitely something benefiting the travel industry.

9. Hotel Search Sites
Dedicated hotel pages rank low on the list, which is not unexpected. While all of the tools to plan one’s holiday is widely available, many still do not have the time to sort through all the best options manually. Instead, as statistics show most prefer to opt for the convenience of all in one tools like Expedia or Orbitz (the two market leaders), even if it means paying slightly more.

10. Travel Agents Sites
Enforcing the idea that holiday planning is now an independent task, the online presence for Travel Agents such as JTB or HIS rank at the bottom of this list.

Survey results by Goo. Statistics courtesy of Mashable and Lab42.

This is a month late, but on the 14th of last month, Tokyo Girls’ Style released an album, titled Limited addiction. This is their second album following Kodou no Himitsu (鼓動の秘密) which was released last May. Like their first, Limited addiction is a compilation of singles up to date, including new tunes. Although she have since recovered, Konishi Ayano had to give some promotions for the album a miss and wasn’t present in the above shot, due to a bone fracture in the right leg.

Limited addiction features the songs from Tokyo Girls’ Style’s past three singles including Liar, Rock You! and of course Limited addiction. It also adds six brand new ones, like Sparkle, Regret and Memai (眩暈) which features retro pop duo Vanilla Beans. The album comes in 2 CD+DVD versions. Type A includes concert footage, for 4,200 yen, Type B comes with promotional videos, for 3,800 yen and a CD only Type C version for 2,800 yen.

Type C front.

Sparkle -Royal Mirrorball Mix- only on this version.

Aachan CD cover.

Tower Records free bonus poster.

Since it has more previously unreleased songs than their previous album, Limited addiction is still a really good buy even if you’ve already gotten all of their singles. It’s a must get if you’ve haven’t. Packed with the same kind of R&B inspired pop tunes, Tokyo Girls’ Style listeners will be hooked to this for quite awhile.

Tokyo Girls’ Style will also be releasing their 10th Single, which will be a single arranged version of album song Tsuioku (追憶) with a new coupling song Taisetsu na Kotoba (大切な言葉), on the 23rd next month.

I grabbed a packet of this Niginigi Osushiyasan Gummy (にぎにぎおすしやさんグミ) from a candy shop in Ueno but have recently found it in Singapore at Liang Court’s Mediya Supermart. To those unaware, it may look like Meiji’s feeble attempt to cash in on the virality of Kracie’s DIY Sushi Candy. But the truth is, this sweet predates Kracie’s version by by at least 5 years.

Each packet of this sweets costs 60 yen. In Singapore, you can get them for about SGD$1.60 a packet. Unlike the other sushi candies, this one comes neatly pre-molded and you’ll only need to slap on the pieces together and it’s ready to serve.

Niginigi Osushiyasan Gumi.

Instructions for making the sushi candy.

There are a total of 14 pieces of gummy candy inside, which are supposed to make 7 pieces of sushi. They come in the shape of meguro (tuna), akagai (clam), ikura (salmon roe), ebi (shrimp), ika (squid), tako (octopus), tamago (egg) and the appropriate amount of “rice”.

Each packet's contents.

Sticky.

Considering that you don’t have to mess around with the ingredients yourself, Niginigi Osushiyasan is immediately more appetizing than any of the other sweets I have shown so far. It’s also proper gummy, rather than the weird mixes.

Meiji is known for its line of naturally flavored gummy candy and the ones used here is identical in taste. Which is a good thing, since those are really quite addictive. The rice pieces are actually peach gummy, while the colored pieces are orange and cherry flavored.

Example.

Full packet result.

The pieces are far smaller and fewer than what we usually get from Meiji’s Kaju Gummies though. And it does seem like a deceptive ploy to get us pop them in as pairs. The contents are very much in-line with the low price though so there shouldn’t be any hindrance to trying out Niginigi Osushiyasan at least once.

Official AKB48 rivals Nogizaka46 are back with a new single, Oide Shampoo. Armed with a renewed lineup of girls, the new single drops on the 2nd of May. With only a few months left till Nogizaka reaches their 5th month ― when Akimoto Yasushi claims they’ll catch up to AKB48 ― how much closer does Oide Shampoo take this group of 33 girls?

Type A jacket.

The release sees the two members who were swapped into the Shichifukujin (Nogizaka46′s answer to AKB48′s Kami 7) forming the center of Oide Shampoo along with Ikoma Rina. Sakurai Reika and Nakada Kana are both featured on the Type A jacket of the single, as well as alternating for Types B and C respectively.

Type B jacket.

Musically, Oide Shampoo is easy listening. Much like their previous Guru Guru Curtain, it’s a throwback to pop songs of old. There does not seem to be any rush on Nogizaka’s part to embrace the current trend of guitar-driven melodies, or the bassy drops that are gaining popularity. The chorus is a great melodic hook, characteristic of many ear-worms come and gone.

Guuzen wo Iiwake ni Shite, performed by the rest of the Shichifukujin, is no doubt an attempt at emulating the electro stylings of Nakata Yasutaka. However, it has a rather generic electro sound, and isn’t particularly memorable.

Type C jacket.

Of course, no OOO48-related release is complete without some form of added publicity. Oide Shampoo’s release date clashes with AKB48 member’s Sashihara Rino’s solo debut, Soredemo Sukidayo.

Both Nogizaka and Sashihara have spoken about it; they have even appeared on TV show Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku to challenge Sashiko. In response to Nogizaka46 having 33 different date simulation videos as DVD bonuses, Sashihara will film 33 date simulation videos as well, except they all star herself.

A recent development has been a controversy over the net about the propriety of the choreography in Oide Shampoo. In an interlude, the girls pick up their skirts, exposing their legs and white shorts. While no more provocative than what one can see on TV, this didn’t seem to go down well with some, prompting complaints.

After a message from Akimoto Yasushi on Google+ and observation of fan reaction, it seems the choreography will be changed.

Regular version jacket.

While it’s not particularly clear how well the single will do given its rather quirky musical style, the competition brought about by the release date alone should provide an ample amount of publicity boost. The promotion video along with other related videos can be viewed on the official YouTube channel. Unfortunately (and inexplicably), it is restricted to only Japanese IP addresses, and as such will only be available for Japanese visitors.

It remains to be seen if this will be Nogizaka46′s break out single, but I’m sure many will be looking forward to the Oricon charts for this one.

You’ve probably heard about Bijin Tokei (美人時計), Japan’s Beautiful Girls Clock. It started as a simple website back in 2009 which involved getting women around Japan to hold up a marker board with the time written on it. Their onsite javascript would refresh every minute with a picture of another attractive young lady showing the time.

It’s not so surprising that the project turned out to be a hit and so successful was the concept that bijintokei inc was formed the following year. The site spinned off a Google Widget and evolved into a powerful marketing tool with various product tie ins. Around the same time, the company also caught onto the emerging popularity of smartphones to deliver a mobile and tablet version as applications.

While the first application versions mimicked the website, the developers must had soon realized that having a clock on devices which default boot screen already had one wasn’t the most useful of things. As a result, one newer mobile version of the Japanese Bijin Tokei (the English one has not been updated in years) actually omits the time to show the local weather forecast instead. It has been thus rebranded as Bijin Tenki (美人天気 / Beautiful Girls Weather).

More of a weather application.

The basic Japanese version Bijin Tenki is available for the iOS and Android platforms for free. The app is instead monetized through bonus content in the form of themed expansions. Recently, iDOL Street has collaborated with bijintokei inc to churn out SUPER☆GiRLS and Cheeky Parade modes. Available for 350 yen each, both versions feature exclusive images of the various members from either group.

Unfortunately, Bijin Tokei has lost most of its charm from its portable shift. For starters, photos no longer load asynchronously. Instead, you choose your place of residence and are given a random series of static pictures depicting the local weather for the next few days. Since this is a Japanese application, only the data for Japan’s prefectures are offered.

A refresh button is offered, but there is little motivation to press it, as doing so will simple reload the application with another random set of photographs.

Available for iOS and Android.

The original Bijin Tokei boasts an impressive, ever growing collection of photographs with each girl showing one moment in time. It’d be too much of a hassle to retake pictures of the members each day with the updated weather (for every single prefecture), so it only makes sense that the information is added in after taking the pictures.

What puzzles me the most is that while the weather shown certainly needs to be processed in somehow, the developers have opted to do this manually. In Bijin Tenki, the weather data is literally “shopped” onto each photograph (and all its variations) every few days.

It wouldn’t have been difficult to dynamically insert it into the images and would have saved users a lengthy loading time and the need to have a constant internet connection. At first I attributed this as a decision on the developers so that they would be able to constantly serve banner advertisements to their users and to artificially inflate their impressions. But as it turned out, those could be disabled.

Not made for newer displays.

Opting to do it dynamically would had also saved the developers a lot of manpower and bandwidth. In this test, I found myself having to wait for 10 seconds to refresh the images and up to 30 seconds just to start up, which makes Bijin Tokei essentially useless as a proper weather/clock application.

Looking past the fact that many of the photos aren’t taken very well to begin with, a final qualm would at be how poor a quality the images served are. Despite the long loading times, the images have not been optimized for retina or high density displays and look bad even at phone size. The same low resolution images are served to tablets and needless to say, look terrible.

At this point I find it very probably that the reason why we don’t see Bijin Tenki on the English application store is due to it being unable to pass Apple of America’s strict publishing checks or the developer’s own technical ineffectiveness. Not recommended.

With the popularity of McDonald’s McFlurry ice cream, it’s funny that no one else has thought of bringing that concept to the home. But with this new Takara Tomy’s product called Okashina Maze Maze Essel Super Cup (おかしなまぜまぜ エッセルスーパーカップ) coming out soon, everyone will be able to easily make their own DIY ice cream flavors.

Okashina Maze Maze which translates to something like “Strange Mix Mix” is a product to be used with Meiji’s line of Essel Super Cup ice creams. Unveiled today, Okashina Maze Maze will be available in stores at the end of April and will cost 1,260 yen.

Each machine attaches perfectly to the top of a cup of ice cream. The user can throw in their choice of ingredients into the top and rotate the handle to crush and blend it into their own mix of ice cream.

Okashina Mazemaze.

For use with Meiji's Essel Super Cup.

Make your own DIY ice cream flavors!

Meiji has demonstrated the use of the machine with some of their snacks and the results look to be good. Who knows what interesting types of ice cream can be made. It’ll be fun to try out some original combinations of our own. What crazy flavors can you think of?

Images by IT Media.

Mention Collon and most people will be familiar with the inch long cream filled wafer rolls. Mention these Collon sticks, though and I have gotten clueless answers from everyone questioned. As an elusive item even in Japan itself, it’s little wonder that most wouldn’t have any idea of this snack’s existence. This post will enlighten everyone as to what exactly Giant Collon Stick is.

Instead of the familiar bite-sized snacks, each cylindrical tube of Collon Sticks (コロンの棒) contains 11 monstrously long strips of cream filled wafers. To give a better idea, each single stick of Giant Collon is the equivalent of opening up a normal box of Collon and stacking all of its contents together. For those without a sweet tooth, don’t expect to finish a single stick by yourself.

Giant Choco and Cream Collon.

Contents are bubble wrapped to ensure the delicate sticks wont snap apart when shipping or handling.

Like normal Collon, the wafers and cream filling basically stay the same in the stick version. And in line with the endless number of different flavors that Glico has conjured up for their Collon series of products, one can find the same variety of different flavors in these giant stick versions.

Actual Collon stick. One is about the equivalent of a small box of Collon snacks.

This particular tube features both cream and chocolate flavored fillings.

Sadly, as mentioned earlier Giant Collon Sticks are some of the more exclusive items that is probably available only through Japan. In fact, one has to visit specific Glico specialty shops to be able to see any of the tubes appearing on shelves at all, with each prefecture’s shop offering a different flavor to represent itself in addition to the normal flavors.

For example, Tokyo’s Glico Shop (Guriko-ya) is only found in the basement of Odaiba’s Aquacity. It can be sometimes annoying to hunt down specific flavors other than the generic cream/chocolate/strawberry flavors.

Giant Collon does make for a great, surprise for friends and families when returning from a holiday in Japan.

Collect them all!

Since making the Senbatsu Election in 2010, Sashihara Rino has been going places. Now one of the group’s most recognizable faces, Sashihara jumped some of the tightest 10 spots last year to come in at an amazing #9 and now appears in her own weekly variety show among other accomplishments. Next month, Sashihara will be able to add another achievement under her belt with the release of her first ever solo music single, Soredemo Sukidayo (それでも好きだよ).

The video for Soredemo Sukidayo has already started airing on Japanese television. A preview can be seen online at the official avex YouTube Channel. The record label will be releasing Sashihara’s debut single only on May 2 but as expected of avex, promotions for Soredemo Sukidayo have begun rather early.

It is clear that Sashi’s producers know what she is loved for as all her best qualities are highlighted in the video. Within, Sashi is looked at from a number of angles: as an idol, as a wota and as a normal person.

Marketing stunts aside, Sashihara Rino found immense popularity over the past couple of years due to her down to earth, underdog image which in some ways make her the very personification of the AKB48 idea.

Type A.

This is enforced in Soredemo Sukidayo’s promo video where we see three different facets of Sashihara’s character. In the first two, we see Sashihara Rino living a rather lost, unemployed life back in her hometown of Oita and as a normal school student, where she is shown to be awkward in relationships. Both of these play on Sashi’s normalcy and as a “heta” (unskillful) character, a running gag that has been used to sum up the Sashihara concept.

Type B.

But the strongest part of the video is in how the drama segments are juxtaposed with scenes of her being an idol, in a glittery style reminiscent of 80s and 90s Japanese idols (Matsura Aya comes to mind). This is especially amusing, since it is a well known fact that Sashihara is an idol otaku herself and there is a little tongue-in-cheek humor in her emulation.

Type C.

With some knowledge of the many faces of Sashihara Rino in mind, it is difficult, even for non-fan such as myself not to find her portrayal in the video endearing. While the style of music may not appeal to everyone, its catchy tune and clear hook, make Soredemo Sukidayo a clear winner. And if I were to offer my own opinion, would even go so far as to consider it the best release to have come out of the 48 family so far this year.

Type D.

Not coincidentally, Soredemo Sukidayo is being used as the theme song for Sashihara’s first drama, Muse no Kagami. The midnight drama began airing earlier this year.

In typical fashion, Soredemo Sukidayo will be released a number of different versions. There are a total of 4 different coupling songs randomly spread out over 3 CD+DVD versions and a CD only theater version containing all songs. Also, in addition to the single and its music video, each CD+DVD edition will contain one of three different Sashihara Rino “Virtual Date” video collections.