Thursday, March 26, 2015

AKB48 40th single senbatsu revealed + SHUFFLE

Today, AKB48 held their spring concert at SSA. It was a very exciting day and a lot of things happened:

First of all, the 40th single was performed for the first time, so the title and senbatsu were revealed. The title is ''Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai'' and here is the line-up:


A: Shimazaki Haruka, Kojima Haruna, Takahashi Minami, Kawaei Rina, Muto Tomu
K: Yokoyama Yui, Kojima Mako, Tano Yuka
B: Watanabe Mayu, Kashiwagi Yuki, Takahashi Juri, Owada Nana, Oshima Ryouka, Kawamoto Saya
4: Minegishi Minami, Mukaichi Mion, Kato Rena, Kizaki Yuria
8: Nakano Ikumi, Sakaguchi Nagisa
S: Kitagawa Ryouha, Miyazawa Sae, Matsui Jurina
E: Matsui Rena, Suda Akari
N: Yamamoto Sayaka
M: Shiroma Miru
BII: Watanabe Miyuki
H: Sashihara Rino, Kodama Haruka
KIV: Miyawaki Sakura
Nogi: Ikoma Rina

I have to say that I'm pretty happy with this line-up and with a Paruru center. She hasn't been a center for a very long time and she has been growing so much over the last two years, so I'm really excited about that. Being flanked by Jurina and Sakura we have all the biggest 'new gen' up front. The rest of the senbatsu is almost the same as Kibouteki Refrain, which also had 32 members. I'm happy that Milky and Sae are included again. But instead of Miru, Annin and Madoka we have Sakaguchi Nagisa, Ryouha and Naachan. Annin already said that she didn't want to be in this senbatsu so I guess she won't be participating in sousenkyo? Well, I'm really happy for Nana, since she was so sad last time. It's odd that the rest of Tentoumu Chu isn't included, but okay, I do like the line-up a lot. :) From what I've seen the song seems to have a really hard dance, so I'm looking forward to this alot. :D

Well, there was another big announcement: A shuffle!!
It isn't as big as the one from last year, but I'm still shocked that they are doing one again so shortly after the last. :o Let's take a look at the changes:

Group Kennin Cancellations


Murashige Anna - NMB48 Kennin cancelled
Kashiwagi Yuki - NMB48 Kennin cancelled
Furuhata Nao - AKB48 Kennin cancelled
Yagura Fuuko - AKB48 Kennin cancelled
Ikoma Rina - AKB48 Kennin cancelled
Matsui Rena - Nogizaka46 Kennin cancelled
Kotani Riho - AKB48 Kennin cancelled
Yamada Nana - SKE48 Kennin cancelled
Tanaka Natsumi - SKE48 Kennin cancelled
Kimoto Kanon - HKT48 Kennin cancelled
Watanabe Miyuki - SKE48 Kennin cancelled
Takayanagi Akane - NMB48 Kennin cancelled

First of the Kennin Cancellations. Almost all of the Kennins from last year were cancelled and I'm not really sad. We had WAY to many kennins and a lot of these girls didn't do a lot in their Kennin teams. Still, it's probably hard for them and I've read some sad sounding comments already. To be honest, I am really happy that the Nogizaka46 Kennins ended. 
Rena is one of my favourite members and she does fit into Nogi really good, but it just feels more right without her. Okay, let's take about Rena a bit more. Just two day ago she announced that she won't participate in Sousenkyo, which is something that shocked me a lot, but I can understand her. Well, but now that her Kennin got cancelled I'm a bit confused and I guess she is, too. I hope she won't graduate soon, but at least she will have a bit more free time now. :)
I'm pretty neutral towards Ikoma and even though I didn't hate her in AKB, I like her more in Nogi, so I don't have a problem with that move. I guess/ hope that she won't participate in Sousenkyo!
From the others I guess Churi is the one that bothers me the most, since she went along pretty good with the other Team BII members. As of the others I can't really say that I'm sad.

Team A
Takahashi Minami (General Manager)
Yokoyama Yui (Captain)
Nakamura Mariko (Vice Captain)
Taniguchi Megu
Kojima Haruna
Kojima Natsuki
Takita Kayoko
Shimazaki Haruka
Nakanishi Chiyori
Maeda Ami
Iriyama Anna
Owada Nana
Sasaki Yukari
Miyazaki Miho
Hirata Rina
Oya Shizuka
Iwata Karen
Nishiyama Rena
Ogasawara Mayu
Miyawaki Sakura (Team KIV kennin)
Yamada Nanami (Team 8 kennin)
Shiroma Miru (Team M kennin)

Team A didn't change that much. The biggest surprise is that Yuihan is back as Team A captain. I guess it feels right since she will become the next soukantoku, but couldn't she be that with Team K? And I don't get why she is changed between team A Team K the whole time..
Having Owada Nana in Team A makes sense, since she is pushed a lot. I'm more shocked that Team 8 is able to have Kennins with other Teams now. Seems like they ARE a seperate group now. But damn, Nanami is my favourite Team 8 member, so I AM happy that she will probably be promoted even more now. Am I the only one not surprised that Fuuko got switched with Miru? It seemed obvious now that Miru is the Number3. Well, with Maachun and Shiichan added, this will probbaly a very interesting Team. :)

Team K
Minegishi Minami (Captain)
Shimada Haruka (Vice Captain)
Tano Yuka
Ishida Haruka
Nagao Mariya
Abe Maria
Aigasa Moe
Yumoto Ami
Nakata Chisato
Shinozaki Ayana
Ichikawa Manami
Mukaichi Mion
Mogi Shinobu
Matsui Sakiko
Takajo Aki
Fujita Nana
Mutou Tomu
Shimoguchi Hinana
Yamamoto Sayaka (Team N kennin)
Matsui Jurina (Team S kennin)
Suzuki Mariya (Team SII kennin)
Kodama Haruka (Team H kennin)
Nakano Ikumi (Team 8 kennin)

Team K getting changed a lot again. Miichan as captain is good, though I feel like she really liked Team 4. I'm more excited about Haruu vice-captain since she really deserved this for a very long time now! And as much as I love the first gens, they don't have a lot of time left in the group, so I think it's necessary to have 'newer' captains. TANOTOMU!! THIS is the best thing!! You can't believe how happy I am about this. :') Having Mion and Ikumin in the team will be really interesting I guess. And I'm personally really happy about Mogi's move and Nana's comeback. Though I don't really think that Akicha fits Team K. Well, the Team identities aren't the same anymore so we'll see how it turns out.^^

Team B
Kizaki Yuria (Captain)
Oshima Ryoka (Vice Captain)
Watanabe Mayu
Fukuoka Seina
Kato Rena
Yokoshima Aeri
Umeta Ayano
Hashimoto Hikari
Kuramochi Asuka
Uchiyama Natsuki
Tanabe Miku
Kobayashi Kana
Goto Moe
Iwasa Misaki
Tatsuya Makiho
Kobayashi Marina
Takeuchi Miyu
Uchida Mayumi
Yabuki Nako (Team H kennin)
Sakaguchi Nagisa (Team 8 kennin)
Kashiwagi Yuki (NGT48 kennin)
Watanabe Miyuki (Team BII kennin)

From SKE to vice-captain in team 4 to captain in Team B: Yuria. To be honest, I think this was a bit too fast. I just started to see her as AKB and I just don't see her as a leader yet? Well, I guess/ hope it will help her..  BUT what is with Mocchi? Do they really want her to graduate or what? Was she a bad leader? i feel really bad for her somehow.. And lol at Ryoka as vice captain.
KatoRena is back in Team B, which surprises me a bit. :o And wow, they are starting to shuffle the draft members now? I thought Moekyun fitted into Team K but okaaaay.. The Kennins are also big surprises. It's nice to see Milky back since I think she was awesome in B before. Nagisa is pretty popular and Nako is also pushed a lot. But I'm a bit shocked since she is still soo young. o.o And then we have Yukirin who will be a Kennin with NGT48. Damn, that grup doesn't even have members yet. I like the idea of helping the group at the start, but why Yukirin? They are only taking her for promotion and that makes me sad. :/

Team 4
Takahashi Juri (Captain)
Okada Nana (Vice Captain)
Murayama Yuiri
Tsuchiyasu Mizuki
Komiyama Haruka
Sato Kiara
Omori Miyu
Maeda Mitsuki
Okawa Rio
Nishino Miki
Iino Miyabi
Okada Ayaka
Kitazawa Saki
Natori Wakana
Iwatate Saho
Kawamoto Saya
Kojima Mako
Nozawa Rena
Izuta Rina
Kitagawa Ryoha (Team S kennin)
Tomonaga Mio (Team KIV kennin)
Shibuya Nagisa (Team BII kennin)

Wow, the new Team 4 captain is Juri, I never expected that! But again, it's about time for the younger gens to step up and 12th gen is awesome. I'm way more happy for Naachan as vice-captain though! She wanted this, so I'm really happy for her and I can see her as a captainin a few years. *-* Team B draftie Sayaya is put here, which is okay. I'm happy that Mako is back, so that the three musketeers are back together. There are also Kennins for the other Tentoumu Chu members Ryouha, Mio and Nagisa, which is cool. But all the members of the sub-unit are now in this team, except for Meru, which does feel a bit odd. o.o

Theater Managers
AKB48: Kayano Shinobu
SKE48: Yuasa Hiroshi, Shiba Tomoya (Assistant Manager)
NMB48: Kaneko Takeshi
HKT48: Ozaki Atsushi, Sashihara Rino
NGT48: Imamura Etsurou

Miscellaneous
Kawaei Rina to graduate
Kitahara Rie to transfer to NGT48 as Captain
Matsumura Kaori promoted to Team KII

Those are probably the most shocking things. 
First of all, Kawaei Rina will graduate, which isn't too surprising if you ask me. I can fully understand her decision, after everything that happened last year. It still makes me really, really sad to see her go and it's frustrating that only one person is to blame for that. ._. I want her to be happy again and I can understand that she can't perhaps achieve this in AKB48. I can also imagine Annin graduating soon because of this.
Kitahara Rie's transfer comes as a big shock. Again, it's nice to have a leader figure for this group and this is way better that Yukirin's Kennin. Kitarie is still somewhat popular, but not too famous and I think she will do a great job, just like her buddy Sasshi, who also helped HKT a lot. SO yeah, it's sad to see her leave AKB, but she will still be there so I'm happy. :)
Then we also have the announcement that Matsumura Kaori will be promoted to Team KII. Honestly, I was like WTF? at first. Kaotan ALWAYS wanted to be a Kenkyuusei and she was ALWAYS promting the Kenkyusei. So I honestly think she is the most likely to object to this decision. But Kaotan will most likely be in AKB senbatsu this year, Rena not participatin and probably no Ricchan and Ikoma either just makes this even more possible. So I guess Management doesn't want a KKS to be there? Also, Team KII is lacking starpower with all the graduations (they should have never moved Dasu to E *sigh*), so it does make sense a bit. And perhaps there won't be any KKS left in the future like with AKB and NMB, so would she be the only one then? It's still a long time until that because of 7th gen, but still.. Let's see how things will turn out. :)


So, these are my reactions towards the shuffle. It's mostly AKB and I'm quite happy that a lot of Kennins were revoked. There are still some left though, and I still don't really like how they are moving all the top girls of sister groups to AKB. -.- 
And it's odd to have a shuffle so shortly after the last one, but I'm slowly accepting the fact that we will probably have one every year now (or at least when some important members graduate). Adding to that, in my opinion this shuffle is a lot better that the 2014 one!

*sigh* Well, I can't deny that those things make everything really exciting, but it's still pretty tough...
It's a bit sad that the Paruru center got a bit overshadowed because of the shuffle, but I look forward to the new single a lot and I'm also already excited for Sousenkyo. :D

1 comment:

  1. Hey there, I was looking for a translation of the convos among the senbatsu right after the performance of Bokutachi Wa Tatakawanai in this concert, but I can't find one and stumbled in your blog instead. Thanks for the review. I'd really appreciate if you could share what Paruru, Yuihan, Takamina said after performing the new single. It's a frustrating not able to understand Japanese. I guess I need to learn the language :-) Thanks. Cheers!

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