Flying Get

2011’s AKB48 senbatsu election results single

Flying Get (フライングゲット) is AKB48s 24th single that will be released later this month on the 24th of August. It’s notable for being 2011’s sousenkyo election results single and will feature a fully fan voted cast of 21 members. After much anticipation, the CD covers and theme for Flying Get were revealed last week.

For Flying Get, the AKB48 members will quite literally fight for your attention. The single calls upon a 60s martial arts theme, going as far as to render the AKB48 girls in an illustrated movie poster style. Members don their Cheongsam and seem ready to battle mysterious masked foes.

Previews show that this theme will carry forward into the music video for the song with the members doing battle in other oriental styled costumes. Each of them bear a numbered tattoo with their election ranking during the fight sequences.

Type A Limited and Normal Covers.

Like before, the single will be released in two CD+DVD Limited First Press editions (1600 yen), their Regular CD+DVD counterparts (also 1600 yen) and a CD only Theater Edition (1000 yen).

Something new to point out is that while the First Press editions will contain a handshake event ticket as per normal but the normal versions will come with one of 40 randomly selected photographs (of the elected senbatsu and undergirls) instead, something typically restricted to theater editions only. The Theater Edition will not only come with the usual a random photograph but also a handshake ticket for a separate event.

Type B Limited and Normal Covers.

Sadly, for the first time the covers of the Limited and Regular versions are nearly identical. Painted images in the likeness of all the senbatsu members are featured on the Type B version. While the same 21 members are also split apart in the style of an old martial arts movie poster among the Type A and Theater versions.

Theater Edition Cover.

Flying Get’s titular track is currently being used as the theme song for the drama Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Ikemen Paradise 2011 (better known as simply Hanakimi). The the second iteration of the drama based off the popular shoujo manga has AKB48’s Maeda Atsuko taking on the lead role previously played by Horikita Maki.

Personally, between the tacky covers, uninspired tune and 90s era pop idol costumes I’m really not feeling AKB48’s latest single release. Hopefully time would prove me wrong but I highly doubt it. The coupling song fares much more favorably though.

The Type B version will include the song Ice no Kuchizuke, which was used in the recent AKB48 Glico campaign starring the controversial (and imaginary) Eguchi Aimi.