On Sunday, the final day of AKB48’s series of three concerts at Saitama Super Arena, member Maeda Atsuko (20) unexpectedly announced that she plans to graduate from the group. Although the date of her graduation has not been announced, it is expected that she will leave after AKB48′s first concert at Tokyo Dome (the date for that concert has also not been announced).
Maeda has been with the group since it formed in 2005, and to many she has been the “face” of the group for a long time. She was voted #1 by fans in AKB48′s “senbatsu” elections in 2009 and 2011, and she ranked 2nd behind Oshima Yuko in 2010.
Also known by the nickname “Acchan,” she has appeared in several television dramas and movies, including “Moshi Koukou Yakyuu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no Management wo Yondara” (“Moshidora”), “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~ Ikemen Paradise,” and “Q10.” In June 2011, she made her solo CD debut with the single “Flower,” reaching #1 on the weekly sales charts.
More details about her graduation and future plans will be announced at a later date.
In addition to AKB48’s major announcements made this weekend (including Maeda Atsuko’s graduation and the group’s first Tokyo Dome concert), the group revealed some details about its 4th Senbatsu election, scheduled for June 6th. Like last year, the voting results will be announced at the Nippon Budokan.
In past years, the top 21 members were chosen as the “senbatsu” members, featured on one of the group’s singles, while #22 through #40 (#22 through #30 in the 1st election) served as the “under girls” and appeared on the single’s coupling tracks. Of the top 21, the top 12 were named as the “media senbatsu,” responsible for making appearances in the media to promote the single.
This year, that structure will change, as the top 16 members will be chosen as the “senbatsu” members. There will no longer be a special “media senbatsu” group, so those 16 members will all make media appearances. The “under girls” are being expanded to 48 members (#17 to #64), and those will be split into three 16-member groups for the single’s coupling tracks.
Voting tickets will be packaged with AKB48′s 26th single, “Manatsu no Sounds good!” (on sale May 23). The elected members will then appear on the group’s 27th single, which is currently untitled but is scheduled for release in August.
Counting the members of AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, and HKT48, there are currently 243 members who are eligible for the election, an increase of 93 members from last year.
AKB48’s “Manatsu no Sounds good!” breaks new record and sells over 1.61 million copies in first week
AKB48’s newest single “Manatsu no Sounds good!” topped the Oricon Weekly Single Ranking Chart for the week of June 4th by selling a whopping 1,617,000 copies in its first week of sales. This sales figure marked a new record, as it is the highest sales on Oricon’s single sales chart for a first week.
The girls topped the chart for 13 consecutive singles, and also sold over a million copies for 7 consecutive singles. In the Japanese music industry only two artists have longer consecutive million sale singles. B’z sold over a million for 13 consecutive singles, and Mr.Children achieved this for 8 consecutive singles. If AKB48 sells over a million for their next single, they will tie Mr.Children.
In the sales of the first day, “Manatsu no Sounds good!” sold 1,171,000 copies, and this also marked a new record as Oricon daily chart.
Leader Takahashi Minami stated “All the members feel honored. We feel we could have this new record because of all the fans who have been supporting us since our debut. We will do our best every day so that AKB48 will be able to advance.”
“Manatsu no Sounds good!” includes the voting serial number for the 4th General Election.
Check out their sales history below.
[Top 5 of AKB48's first week of sales]
1.” Manatsu no Sounds good !”…1,617,000 copies (May 23rd, 2012 released)
2. “Flying Get” …1,354,000 copies（August 24th, 2011 released)
3. “Everyday, Kachuusha” …1,334,000 copies（May 25th, 2011 released)
4. “Kaze ha Fuiteiru” …1,300,000 copies（October 26th, 2011 released )
5. “GIVE ME FIVE!” …1,287,000 copies（February 15th, 2012 released)
AKB48’s new unit NO NAME to make their CD debut on August 1st
It’s been revealed that AKB48’s new unit NO NAME will be making their CD debut with the single, “Kibou ni Tsuite“, on August 1st! This song is currently the opening theme song for AKB48’s tv anime series, ‘AKB0048‘.
NO NAME is comprised of the 9 voice actresses of ‘AKB0048′. They are AKB48’s Watanabe Mayu, Nakaya Sayaka, Sato Amina,Ishida Haruka, Sato Sumire, and Iwata Karen, SKE48’s Yagami Kumi and Hata Sawako, and NMB48’s Mita Mao.
Aside from the title track, the single will feature the anime’s ending theme, “Yume wa Nandomo Umare Kawaru“, and a brand new number for a total of 3 song. All song lyrics are written by producer Akimoto Yasushi.
The members of NO NAME will grace the ‘TYPE A’ jacket of the single, and they will also star in the music video. Meanwhile, the ‘TYPE B’ jacket will be an illustration, and the music video will also be an animated version.
Stay tuned for more details on NO NAME’s debut single!
AKB48’s Sashihara Rino moved to HKT48 because of the scandal
On June 14th, tabloid magazine “Shukan Bunshun” published an article from one of Sashihara Rino’s alleged ex-boyfriends. According to Shukan Bunshun’s report, Sashihara dated the man who was originally a fan of Sashihara, in the summer of 2008 ~ 2009. The tabloid magazine included emails and photos which were supposedly sent by Sashihara.
During the morning of the 16th, Sashihara appeared on “AKB48’s All Night Nippon” radio show to issue an apology to her fans. “That person an I were honestly just friends. I’m really sorry about all of this”, she explained while crying.
On this particular broadcast, AKB48’s producer Akimoto Yasushi was also present and formerly moved Sashihara to AKB48’s sister group HKT48 as a ‘restart’ rather than a ‘punishment’.
Sashihara apologized, “When I was first asked about this, I didn’t know what people were talking about. I was really surprised when I read the article. There were so many things in the article that weren’t true, but I really was friends with him. I threw up my food over and over again. I hyperventilated during our tour. I couldn’t even talk to my mom. Seeing my fans’ comments on my blog really broke my heart. I am so sorry.”
AKB48’s drama “Majisuka Gakuen 3″ to start airing in July
The third season of AKB48’s school drama “Majisuka Gakuen” will begin airing in July. The setting for this drama is a prison, but no other details have been released aside from that. AKB48 and also SKE48 members are expected to participate.
“Majisuka Gakuen” is a funny, adolescent, and action packed drama where the girls of AKB48 take on the roles of Yankees. The first season aired in January 2010 and the second season aired in April 2011. Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko, Shinoda Mariko, Kojima Haruna, and SKE48’s Matsui Jurina and Matsui Rena have took prat in the previous seasons of drama.
Like the series’ previous installments, “Majisuka Gakuen 3” will be on TV Tokyo’s “Dorama 24” channel and will begin airing on July 13th, every Friday at 00:12.
Watanabe Mayu to release 2nd single “Otona Jelly Beans” in July
AKB48’s Watanabe Mayu has announced that she will be releasing her second single “Otona Jelly Beans” (Adult Jelly Beans) on July 25th.
Though Watanabe’s pigtails are her trademark look, she has decided to forgo her pigtails this time for a more mature image by letting her hair down.
Watanabe commented on the single and the concept, stating, “It is quite my type of song! On the jacket, I tried to show my natural and mature side. It was fresh and fun.”
The case of the AKB48 killer
ENTERTAINMENT JUN. 20, 2012 - 02:06PM JST ( 21 )
TOKYO —
AKB48 member Atsuko Maeda, 20, has been chosen to play a detective in a series of ads for an ice-cream range from Glico.
Maeda is to take a starring role in a series of television commercials and print advertisements for Ezaki Glico’s Aisu no Makoto product, according to Nikkan Sports.
The same product range became a talking point last year when the ad agency responsible for the campaign introduced Japan to a new AKB48 member named Aimi Eguchi, who was actually a composite containing elements of the existing members’ faces blended together using computer photo manipulation software.
Glico, the company perhaps most famous overseas for its large neon sign depicting an athlete located above Dotonbori in Osaka, takes its name from glycogen contained in oysters used in confectionery production. In a press release, the company announced that the theme of the ads is to be “The AKB48 Murder Mystery.”
The idol group becomes embroiled in a murder mystery in which each member is a suspect. Glico said the early installments of the series were filmed before the group members themselves knew who the killer was, in an attempt to draw natural reactions from the
young cast.
Glico says that viewers can also get involved in the hunt to catch the killer by looking for clues on the company’s website. The first installment in the series is to be broadcast from June 25, with four more installments planned before the killer is revealed in September.
AKB48 announces 3rd Janken Senbatsu Tournament, new album, single & member promotion
AKB48 announced that they will be holding the ‘AKB48 29th Single Senbatsu Janken Tournament’ on September 18th at Nippon Budokan. This announce was made during a handshake event of their latest single “Manatsu no Sounds good!” in Saitama Super Arena on June 24th.
In 2010, Uchida Mayumi was the winner of first tournament and got a center of 19th single “Chance no Junban“, and last year, Shinoda Mariko got a center of 24th single “Ue Kara Mariko” as the winner of the second tournament.
66 official members of AKB48 as well as SKE48 (AKB48)’s Matsui Jurina and NMB48 (AKB48)’s Watanabe Miyuki will directly start with the main tournament. One research student from AKB48, 8 girls from SKE48, 6 girls from NMB48, and 3 girls from HKT48 will be join the main tournament after their own team’s primary tournament.
As previously reported, Sashihara Rino had transfered to HKT48, so she will be trying to get into 3 member of HKT48 at primary tournament to then join the main tournament.
At the handshake event, 6 of AKB48’s research students, Izuta Rina, Kobayashi Marina, Fujita Nana from the 10th generation, Kojima Natsuki, Natori Wakana, Morikawa Ayaka from 11th generation were promoted to official membership of AKB48.
Additionally, it has been announced that AKB48 will be releasing their 4th album on August 15th, and their 28th single in October. Stay tuned to tokyohive for more details on their release.
Post time 19-2-2012 06:11 PM
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