K-pop Girl Group Wrap-Up 2018

This year I have been listening to more Korean songs again. Some reasons for that were me kind of being a TWICE fan now and of course most importantly following Produce48. It made me listen to so many other new songs and I started to like a lot of them (also newer groups).
I cannot believe I did not write about Kpop in such a long time (last was in 2014)... o.o
I mean, of course I am a bigger fan of Japanese music, but I still listen to Kpop from time to time! Adding to that, I feel like this year was especially interesting in the Kpop. I guess they even experimented a bit more?

So let's take a look at my favourite korean songs of 2018:


fromis_9 - Love Bomb

Startingwith fromis_9 because they have been getting popular quite lately. Love Bomb is their newest song and it is seriously so so so catchy! Of this group I only know Gyuri because of pd48, but I am really enjoying it a lot. I did not expect such an amazing song.

EXID - I love you

So weird yet sooo good.

Cosmic Girls (WJSN) Save me, Save you

Another group that I know basically nowthing about but I am so happy that I discovered this song. I recognize Yeonjung, since she was in IOI and there are three Chinese members (not in this MV though). The song is so dramatic and actually really nice to dance to!

GWSN - Puzzle Moon

A new group that I am not familiar with yet. This is their debut song, and it is actually a really cool song. I like the electronic sound of it a lot, the dance is amazing too!


Loona - Hi High

Loona had their debut this year and Hi High is a very catchy song!

Loona yyxy - love4eva

Even before Loona's debut, they had a lot of sub-gtoup songs. This song in particular is soooo good. It is really cute and so catchy. The members are adorable, especially Chuu.

MAMAMOO - Starry Night

Mamamoo is amazing, as always.

Momoland - Bboom bboom

It is sooooo much fun to listen to this song and the dance is so simple yet iconic!

G-Idle - LATATA

Another new group and in my opinion one of the best debuts ever. They slayed so much with this concept and are all very talented.

 G-Idle - HANN

Their comeback HANN was even more powerful and already established them as a very strong group.


IU - Bbibbi

IU is back with this up-beat song telling all the haters to f off.


BLACKPINK - DDUDUDDUDU

Another amazing BLACKPINK song. It is a shame that the breaks between their releases are so long but this year was quite good. I also really like Kiss and Make Up, a collaboration with Dua Lipa.

Jennie - Solo

The first BP member to have a solo debut is of course Jennie. I like her a lot and this sog is so freaking catchy.


Sunmi - Heroine

Sunmi - Siren

After Gashina (which was an amazing song) these two songs made me love Sunmi even more. I always had a soft spot for her since Wonder Girls, but now she is definitely my favourite female korean singer! I especially love her performances and her dances are so cool. Siren's dance is quite simple, but I love doing it xD


PRODUCE48 - Nekkoya

This performance is iconic and so is Sakura center.

Nation's Hot Issue - Rumor

Rumor was definitely my favourite song out of all of Produce48. Such a good song, a perfect line up and amazing performance!! Justice for Chowon..

IZ*ONE - La Vie en Rose

Iz*one's debut could have hardly been more perfect. La Vie en Rose is a beautiful song and the girls are just perfect. I cannot wait to see what they will show us next and I am excited for theis debut in Japan!

TWICE - What is Love

My favourite Twice song in a long time. Really catchy song with a cute video. I love how they copy scenes fromdifferent movies.And everyone looks so good!

Apink - I'm so sick

But my favourite song of this year has definitely been I'm so sick from Apink. This group actually had their debut when I was quite a big Kpop fan so I still remember their first song. They are all so grown up now and I love them even more.

So yeah, these have been my favourite k-pop songs of 2018. Of course I also listened to some male singers, but I was mostly enjoying female groups and singers. Maybe I will talk about more songs next time!

Sashihara Rino's graduation announcement

After being part of the 48group for more than ten years Sashihara Rino announced her graduation from being an Idol on today's HKT48 concert. Her graduation concert will be on April 28, 2019.

Let's just say that I did not expect this NOW but I am not surprised to hear about her wanting to graduate. Sashihara Rino has been one of the most popular Idols ever and accomplished a lot. She is still the only 48group member to win the election three times in a row and gathered the most votes in total as well. Even though she was 'demoted' to HKT48 after her scandal, she came back stronger than ever, not only gaining even more popularity for herself but also helping HKT in establishing as a group. As the oldest member she is like a mother figure for the HKT48 members and even acts as a producer of stages and concerts. 

She even started to produce her own Idol Group =LOVE. Sasshi is really good at that and she is working hard to promote her beloved Idols.. For her graduation I am actually not sad at all. Of course, it is always weird to see a favourite Idol leave, but there are soooo many possibilities for Sasshi. She is the member I am most excited to see outside of being an Idol as a talento. She said she wants to continue as an producer, which is perfect for her. 

Coming back to HKT, the only downside on this graduation is, that the group is in a very weird stage right now.. With Haruppi still absent and Sakura and Nako being busy with IZ*ONE it is kind of a lot to handle for the group right now. They have been pushing Miku and other young members already, but even more responsibility lays on their shoulders now. Of course, HKT does not only depend on the four members and there are many many amazingly talented and strong Idols already shining in the group. I think this will be a nice possibility for them to step up and lead HKT from now on, especially since they have until April to prepare. It does feel like a lot right now though and I feel really sad for the members, especially Nako and Sakura.

Although she is a more unconventional Idol, Sashihara has shaped the whole Idol industry and had a big impact on celebrities in general. I especially like how she decided to graduate at the end of the Heisei era. This makes it even more symbolic and this way she will always be remembered as an important Heisei-Idol! I see it as another marketing strategy of Sasshi herself and it makes me even more excited to see her in the future.

These are my thoughts for now. I hope to see some amazing fun months left with her as an Idol and I wish her the best of luck after that.

PS: Isn't it kind of amazing though, that she announced this one day before Iikubo Haruna's graduation concert? I mean, we all know she is the biggest Momusu fan..

Time for Graduations

This year there have been especially many major graduation announcements and graduations of a lot of my favourite members. In this post I will talk about some of the most important ones lately. Talking about graduations in general, I don't see it as something bad as it means a new beginning for these members. But at first I'm always really sad to see them leave the Idol world
Adding to that it is kind of funny how I'm always in University when an Idol announces their graduation.. Usually in the library. There are two friends of mine that saw my reaction on graduation announcements quite a few times actually.

But anyways, let's start this list with the recent graduation announcements from H!P:

Wada Ayaka

ANGERME member Wada Ayaka announced to graduate in spring next year. As not only the group's leader but also H!P's leader, she is a very important figure for the project. Being the only original S/mileage member left, it feels very nostalgic to see her finally leave the Idol world. This will definitely start a new chapter and I wonder if Fukuchan will be the next H!P leader.
I'm very happy that I got to see her at an ANGERME concert in Japan and I will always remember her as one of m favourite Idols ever.. even though I did have a rough start with her haha. I didn't really like her voice in the beginning but she did improve a lot and now I love her so much.
But I'm looking forward to her future and since she is good at so many things, art as well, I can't wait to see her living her life to the fullest and being happy with anything she does.


Iikubo Haruna

Next up is a Morning Musume member. After Duu and Ogata Haruna's graduation I thought it would take a longer time for someone to graduate. But Iikubo Haruna announced her graduation for the end of the fall tour. She is the second of her generation to graduate and since she is the oldest of the group it doesn't come as a very big surprise. It is still weird to see her go, since she has been part of the line-up that I especially started to love and she is such a funny person. She is actually good friends with Ayacho, which is why it's kind of cool to see them graduate so close to each other. I wonder what Harunan will do in her future activities because she has so many hobbies and a very good talker.
With this graduation I wonder who will graduate next because the colorful era members are all graduating lately.. There might also be a new audition for the next generation maybe next year. There are a lot of members in Momusu right now though. Well, it is always exciting to see change in the member line-up. She is set to graduate on December 16, at the end of Morning Musume's Autumn Tour.. so we still have some time left with her!

Let's move on to the 48group portion:

Yamamoto Sayaka

Her graduation concert from NMB48 was actually today! Sayaka announced her graduation from 48group on July 30 and left everyone in shock. Actually, it doesn't really surprise me that much. She has a solo career and didn't even participate in Sousenkyo anymore. I think she will do great outside of NMB/ AKB so I really support her decision a lot. I do love to see her as an Idol as well and meeting her at an handshake event was one of the best things ever. But there is so much more she can achieve outside of being an Idol. I can't wait to see her career as a solo artist get even bigger and I hope she will do things that make her happy.

Takeuchi Miyu

Miyu announced her graduation on September 4. I did not always follow Miyu a lot but I always apprechiated her amazing vocals. After participating in Produce48 and barely not making it into the final line-up, I was expecting her to announce her graduation and she did. Well, Miyu hasn't really been treated well by management and was long left in the shadows. It's quite cool how many fans she got through PD48, so maybe it is her goal to go to Korea now? In anything she does, I hope she gets the support she deserves and I'm just happy she got to be included in one last AKB single (even though it is hard to find her).

Sakamichi:

Nishino Nanase

One of the hardest graduation announcements for me personally was definitely Nanase.
She just announced it last month on September 20. This single will be her last and she is center again for it. She also has another new solo song, which is so sweet and made me emotional! She has been my favourite Nogizaka member almost since the beginning and I adore her so much as an Idol and as a person. She is one of the biggest reasons I got to like Nogizaka so much and I still remember cheering on her first center in Kidzuitara Kataomoi. I somehow which I could go back to that time, it was just so perfect! I wish I could have met her in Japan but I just wasn't really that lucky in her case. Nanase is so lovely and I just hope she will be happy in her future! It would be nice to still see her as a model but it is on her to decide what to do with her future.
Nogizaka will definitely be different for me after she graduates. There are still a lot of other members and I will continue to support the group. I will cherish the time that is left with her as a member!!
And everyone thought Shiraishi would graduate first haha..

Wakatsuki Yumi

Wakatsuki announced her graduation on October 1. She was my first favourite member from Nogizaka and definitely on of the first I recognized at all (together with Reika). She is also the only Sakamichi Series memebr that I have actually met in real life. I'm so happy I got to do that. Wakatsuki participated in a lot of stage plays and has so many skills on stage. I love her a lot and I'm sad to see her leaving Reika's side (haha) but I know she will be a great actress in the future ;)
Nogizaka without Nanase and Wakatsuki will be really weird.. I hope the do something together again! I still remember Mukuchi na Lion and the following video they did together :)

Noujo Ami

Noujo announced her graduation on October 5. She hasn't been in senbatsu since 2012 so I can understand her decision. She is pretty funny, especially with Kazumin xD
Best luck to her!!

Imaizumi Yui

After having been absent quite often for health reasons, Imaizumi announced her graduation on August 7. After he hiatus last year it doesn't come as much of a surprise.. It's still very very sad, because she doesn't really want to graduate. It's her health that is stopping her from performing normally. She is auch a talented member and I really hope she will be able to do what she want to do in the future!

Yonetani Nanami

Yone is the member I expected it the least. She is only 18 and Keyaki is still quite new and on the way to become even more popular.. I quite like Yone, she is funny and just ver lovely as a person. I wish her the best of luck for her future!

Stardust:

Ito Chiyuri

Last but definitely not least is Chiyu, who already graduated on October 22. Since I'm such a big Syachi fan, it is really weird to see one of the members graduate. It was already weird when Yuzu left the group and I still miss their original 6 member line-up. Chiyu is an amazing performer, has one of the best Idol voices and is all in all one of my favourite Idols ever. I also love her friendshipt with Ayacho and how she is still in contact with her since was auditioning for Smileage. But I'm happy that Chiyu was part of Team Sachihoko. I still feel sad about her decision but I support her whatever she wants to do in the future!! Thank you for everything, Chiyu. Don't cry!
Btw, Team Syachihoko is now called Team Syachi.



So these have been some graduations of Idols that I am very fond of. On the one hand it breaks my heart to see them go, but on the other hand I am looking forward to their future activities. Idols are humans too and I just wish them so much happiness for their lives!!

Fun fact
These members were born in 1994: Ayaka, Haruna, Nanase, Yumi and Ami. Sayanee was even born in 1993.This follows the trend of Idols graduating when they are 24 or 25. Of course, all of these members have been in their respective groups for quite some time and they all have different future goals, so it makes a lot of sense. But it's still interesting to see.

Jurina is back

Right after AKB48's general election, Matsui Jurina was taking a break from all Idol activities, including 48group and also dropping out of Produce48. Jurina had health problems prior to the election and as they were getting worse she decided to stop all activities for a few months.
Well, now she has returned to perform with AKB and SKE again and she is slowly resuming other actvities as well. She is still not active on social media though.

In her absence, I as well other fans were of course worrying a lot about her. I think it was definitely a  good decision to take a break judging from her health problems (also concerning her mental health). It feels as if Jurina has been working for more than 10 years straight without ever really taking a break. Especially now with so many seniors graduating she must be stressed out even more. Knowing that she is a hardworker I think she has a lot of pressure as the number 1 in the whole 48group. Hence, I can also understand why she will not participate in the next single. Even more than her being active I want her to be healthy so I see her condition to be the most important. It makes me really happy that she had the chance to even take such a break and that she is now healthier and most importantly happier!

She won the election but she could not participate in any activities surrounding the single. Not even the filming of the music video. To keep up AKB48's important single schedule they did film a video - without her. This became a big issue.
I can kind of understand this decision from a marketing perspective as this single is important not only for the Senbatsu winner. Adding to that, they did not know when Jurina would return. Still, it is kind of sad to see this video, especially how it was produced. They did not simply film it without Jurina, they left drawings for her scenes. I guess these should later be replaced by real Jurina scenes but it is kind of weird to see. The whole story in this video is very emotional which does not make it better (and Sakura overshadowing Dasu by a lot).

The most surprising thing though was when a computer animated Jurina appeared in the dancing scenes:

Again, I understand that they had to release SOMETHING and the approach is not bad but this animated Jurina does look really weird. Seems like they just thought about how they would renew the scene later so it has this unfinished touch.
To be honest I do not really like it. The video as a whole looks beautiful and has some really nice shots and scenes but this feels quite cheap.

But I guess I cannot change a thing and I can definitely live with this.
I am just happy that Jurina is back being happy and healthy. I do also wonder how the remake version with Jurina actually being there will look like.

Jurina is back, as am I :)

AKB48 53rd Single Sekai Senbatsu Sousenkyo

On Saturday June 16th 48group's biggest yearly event took place in Nagoya: The general election. It's called Sekai Senbatsu Sousenkyo this year because international 48groups are also included due to the 10th anniversary of this event (yay, more money for the company). They also added a new group for rank 81-100. More groups, more members = more ranks
A total of 494 members were participating in this years election.. let that number sink for a moment.
But now it's time to take a look at all the ranked girls, starting from 100th place:

The 10th AKB48 Sekai Senbatsu Kinen Waku

100. Oya Shizuka AKB48 Team B (14,488) (↓2)

Being the last place is somehow weird and cool at the same time. Of course it would better to be ranked higher, but because it's Oya, it's funny. Happy to see her being ranked again (even though the girls in this group wouldn't have gotten a song if it wasn't for the 10th year anniversary)


99. Ishida Chiho STU48 Kenkyuusei (14,537) (NEW)

Woohoo the first STU48 member to rank! That's really cool, because they are still quite a new group. I don't know her, but she looks cute and I love STU48's concept so much.

98. Jonishi Rei NMB48 Team BII (14,985) (NEW)

Oh hey, it's Jonishi Kei's younger sister, thought she would rank higher since she got promoted and all

97. Ma Chia-Ling AKB48 Team 4 (15,107) (NEW)

Yaaay, I love my little Taiwan-jin! And yay for international AKB48 members..

96. Kurihara Sae HKT48 Team TII (15,149) (NEW)

Oh, Sae-chan finally ranked. I always thought she looked really beautiful and I'm happy to see her on this stage!

95. Yamada Nanami AKB48 Team 8 and Team K (15,174) (NEW)

Nanami finally ranked!! She's still one of my favourite Team 8 members, so I wish she could rank even higher.

94. Shinozaki Ayana AKB48 Team A (15,578) (-)

Same rank as the last two years, but only this year she is included in a unit..

93. Mizuno Airi SKE48 Team KII (15,618) (NEW)

Cute SKE Draftie, I'm happy for her!

92. Yamauchi Mizuki AKB48 Team 4 (15,619) (NEW)

Being promoted only last year, she's already the center of attention in Team 4 and even participated in Teacher Teacher. I think she is really, really cute.

91. Yamada Noe NGT48 Team NIII (15,699) (NEW)

Ok seriously, Noepii is like one of the funniest girls ever and has the brightest smile. Definitely one of my favourite NGT members!

90. Murase Sae NMB48 Team BII (16,594) (↓51)

WTF?? How did she drop 51 places? o.o I'm really surprised, but I guess last year was just a special case for her..

89. Tani Marika SKE48 Team E (17,027) (↓23)

Marika also dropped quite a lot..

88. Omori Miyuu AKB48 Team 4 (17,067) (↓13)

Sad, that she keeps dropping but it's not that surprising..

87. Sakamoto Erena HKT48 Team TII (17,258) (NEW)

Erena is a real cutie and I love her name!

86. Kato Yuuka NMB48 Team M (17,277) (↓53)

Whaaaaaat??!! Shock #2, but this is even worse. What are NMB fans doing? Poor Uuka..

85. Shimono Yuki HKT48 Team KIV (17,351) (↑2)

I don't really know this girl, but I'm happy for her to be in a unit song.

84. Unjo Hirona HKT48 Team KIV (17,557) (NEW)

And yet another cute HKT girl.

83. Toyonaga Aki HKT48 Team H (17,558) (↓4)

I quite like Aki, and even though her rank dropped I'm happy for her.

82. Honda Hitomi AKB48 Team 8 and Team B (17,656) (NEW)

Yay for Hitomi and my little Team 8 girls.

81. Ueki Nao HKT48 Team KIV (18,062) (↓26)

And Nao is center of this unit.. she also dropped quite a bit, but at least she gets to be center. This group is full of girls that ranked down and there are also a lot of HKT members.



Upcoming Girls


80. Aoki Shiori SKE48 Team KII (18,265) (↑2)

Oshirin is ranked, yay!! Even though I don't know if it would have been better to be one rank lower xD

79. Jo Eriko NMB48 BII (18,359) (↑10)

Jo is ranked!!

78. Okada Miku SKE48 Team S (18,377) (NEW)

This cutie just got promoted to Team S.

77. Hasegawa Rena NGT48 Team NIII (18,563) (NEW)

I'm always so happy for NGT girls and I like Rena a lot!

76. Hidaka Yuzuki SKE48 Team KII (18,818) (↑10)

Yuzuki is back in Upcoming girls!!

75. Kubo Satone AKB48 Team B (19,009) (↓28)

With the promotion she's been getting, I thought she would at least hold her rank o.o

74. Takino Yumiko STU48 Kenkyuusei (19,341) (NEW)

The groups center is also the highest ranking member of the STU girls.. She is really cute and I believe she will keep rising.

73. Akiyoshi Yuka HKT48 Team KIV (19,371) (NEW)

Cute little Yuka-chan finally ranked in Upcoming Girls again!

72. Praewa Suthamphong BNK48 Team BIII (20,106) (NEW)

It's so cool to see some international members in this election. You go, Music!!

71. Motomura Aoi HKT48 Team KIV (20,321) (↓9)

Aoi keeos dropping ;/

70. Yamaguchi Maho NGT48 Team NIII (20,654) (↓17)

Mahohon is still one of the most beautiful members. Sad to see her drop though

96. Oguma Tsugumi NGT48 Team NIII (20,913) (NEW)

Tsugumin is the cutest of them all!! I'm so happy for her!

68. Takahata Yuki SKE48 Team E (21,082) (↑10)

Yay, finally someone who increased her rank..

67. Takakura Moeka NGT48 Team NIII (21,182) (↓42)

Moeka also dropped a looooot. That's really sad..

66. Matsuoka Hana HKT48 Team TII (21,196) (↑14)

I'm happy that Hana's rank increased! She has a really cute smile.

65. Goto Moe AKB48 Team A (21,323) (↑11)

Moekyun's rank increased and she is the Upcoming Girls center!! *-*


Future Girls

64. Nakamura Ayuka NGT48 Kenkyuusei (21,332) (NEW)

Yet another first time ranking NGT girl. That's nice to see

63. Tanaka Natsumi HKT48 Team H (21,387) (↓13)

Natsumi dropped in ranks, but she's still in Future Girls

62. Ota Nao AKB48 Team 8 and Team B (21,416) (↑3)

Kyoto girl is staying strong!!

61. Komada Hiroka HKT48 Team H (21,437) (REENTER)

Piichan is back in the game and still in Future Girls.

60. Oda Erina AKB48 Team 8 and Team K (21,519) (↑32)

Erina ranked up quite a lot. I'm really happy for her :)

59. Kamata Natsuki SKE48 Team E (21,606) (↓15)

Natsuki ranking down is sad but her fans have been very dedicated all these years.. so happy to see her in SKE senbatsu :D

58. Okabe Rin AKB48 Team 8 (21,798) (NEW)

I really like Okabe Rin and I'm happy to finally see her rank!!

57. Shibuya Nagisa NMB48 Team M (21,818) (↑3)

Nagisa staying almost the same is at least better than dropping like Uuka and Sae-chan :'D

56. Isshiki Rena SKE48 Team S (21,910) (NEW)

Awww, another beautiful Rena.

55. Matsuoka Natsumi HKT48 Team H (22,050) (↑4)

Hm, compared to all these new ranking HKT girls it's kind of weird that Natsumi didn't rank up a lot..

54. Naiki Kokoro NMB48 Team N (22,102) (NEW)

Only ranking Team N girl, I don't really know you.

53. Tano Ayaka NGT48 Team NIII (22,292) (NEW)

Another NGT cutie.

52. Komiyama Haruka AKB48 Team K (22,662) (-)

One of the only members to maintain the exact same rank.

51. Takeuchi Saki SKE48 Team KII (23,373) (↑5)

Saki is ranking up a little bit again, yay!!

50. Oda Ayaka HKT48 Team TII (23,754) (NEW)

More HKT48 girls, yay!!

49. Kuranoo Narumi AKB48 Team 8 and Team K (24,228) (↓19)

Naru dropped, but at least she is center now!!



Next Girls

48. Tomonaga Mio HKT48 Team KIV (24,272) (↓13)

Wow, Mio dropped quite a few places as well.. what's going on :'D

47. Sakaguchi Nagisa AKB48 Team 8 and Team 4

Nagisa ranking up *-*

46. Kumazaki Haruka SKE48 Team E (24,331) (↑17)

Lovely Kuma-chan is climbing these ranks. That's really nice to see!!

45. Suenaga Oka SKE48 Team E (24,940) (NEW)

And SKE48 is really as strong as ever.. I don't really know this girl, but the fans seem to be supporting her a lot

44. Sasaki Yukari AKB48 Team B (24,045) (↓1)

Yukari dropping one rank.. For everyone that isn't absolutely young and new or really popular, it's really good to stay around the same rank though. Sad to see that 12th gens are getting less and less..

43. Nishimura Nanako NGT48 Team Kenkyuusei (25,244) (NEW)

So happy to see quite a few Kenkyuusei ranking!!

42. Uchiyama Mikoto SKE48 Team KII (25,261) (↑39)

Wow what's happening.. Yay for Mikoto rising to Next Girls!

41. Kawamoto Saya AKB48 Team 4 (25,458) (↓12)

But girls like Sayaya are dropping..

40. Fuchigami Mai HKT48 Team KIV (25,977) (↓6)

Maichan dropping a few ranks but still staying in Next Girls

39. Cherprang Areekul BNK48 Team BIII (26,202) (NEW)

Aaah, I'm so happy for her and she's so beautiful *-*

38. Onishi Momoka AKB48 Team 8 and Team 4 (26,363) (NEW)

Team 8 is so strong in this year's election!!

37. Nakai Rika NGT48 Team NIII (26,701) (↓14)

The scandalous girl dropped.. She's so cute, I think it's rather funny that she kind of has a 'bad' personality.

36. Kato Rena AKB48 Team A (26,710) (↓15)

Eeeeh why is Renacchi dropping though?

35. Ego Yuna SKE48 Team KII (27,607) (↑1)

Ego-chaaaan! It's interesting though that some members change so many ranks but some just basically stay the same..

34. Obata Yuna SKE48 Team KII (27,648) (↑38)

Holy cow, Yunana ranked up alot. It's SKE's future right here!! This girl is amazing!

33. Taniguchi Megu AKB48 Team B (28,024) (↑12)

THAT'S MY GIRL! I'm so so so happy to see her as Next Girls Center. Now please put her in an A-side senbatsu!!
The Next Girls line-up is really amazing.. Megu as center with wYuna on her sides *-*


Undergirls

32. Minegishi Minami AKB48 Team K (29,020) (↓13)

Miichan dropping quite a bit.. and she is still not graduating XD

31. Fukuoka Seina AKB48 Team B (29,235) (↑1)

Cutie Seina increasing her rank, yay!!

30. Kato Minami NGT48 Team NIII (29,305) (↑41)

Aaaw I'm so happy for Katomina.. She was worried to stay behind her group mates, so it's really nice to see her ranking in Undergirls.

29. Sugawara Maya SKE48 Team E (29,413) (NEW)

Coming from unranked to 29th.. wow. SKE fans are amazing!

28. Arai Yuki SKE48 Team KII (29,713) (↑30)

Yuki also incresed her rank by A LOT!! I love this SKE domination.

27. Kitagawa Ryouha SKE48 Team S (30,249) (↑39)

I'm soooo happy for Uha to finally rank up by alot. She deserves Undergirls and she has grown so much these last few years.

28. Tashima Meru HKT48 Team H (31,111) (↑14)

Megu ranking back in undergirls is also really cool to see!

27. Oguri Yui AKB48 Team 8 and Team A (31,359) (↑26)

YuiYui ranking up quite a lot too, she's obviously one of AKB48's future aces and I'm rooting for her!!

26. Nishigata Marina NGT48 Team NIII (32,096) (↑17)

Another rank-up, so happy for these girls!

25. Ota Yuuri NMB48

Finally some NMB member again. You go Yuuri!

22. Iwatate Saho AKB48 Team B (33,863) (↑20)

SAHHO!! She's finally ranking in Undergirls and that makes me so happy.
Now please include this girl in an A-side! She's totally fitted to be in Senbatsu.

21. Nara Miharu NGT48 Kenkyuusei (33,962) (NEW)

Wow... NGT girls are SO strong this time. Miharu is absolutely one of the cutest girls ever but I'm still surprised she got to go from no rank to number 21!!

20. Shiroma Miru NMB48 Team M (33,970) (↓8)

Wow, I'm surprised that she dropped out of Senbstsu. What's happening with NMB members this year??

19. Kojima Mako AKB48 Team K (36,127) (↑5)

Kojimako keeps being adorable and she keeps climbing. I expected her to be in Senbatsu already, but she's almost there!! *-*

18. Takayanagi Akane SKE48 Team KII (37,773) (↓3)

First of all, Churi's vote count is funny xD She sadl dropped out of senbatsu, but she's staying stron in Undergirls, which is great.

17. Matsumura Kaori SKE48 Team KII (38,399) (↑1)

Kaori must be one of the most stable members ever. And she is a 28 year-old Idol!! That's amazing.. She centers an Undergirls song again, so yayyy!

16. Homma Hinata NGT48 Team NIII (39,241) (↓3)

Despite dropping 3 places, Hinata stays in Senbatsu. So many NGT48 girls were ranked in this years election, so it's amazing to see her rank 16th, and 2nd highest member of her group.

15. Furuhata Nao SKE48 Team KII (45,688) (↓1)

Nao also dropped a bit..

14. Yoshida Akari NMB48 Team M (46,837) (↑2)

And here is the highest ranking NMB member. I like Akarin a lot and i'm happy to see her getting more popular due to her YouTube channel (and she is my birthda buddy, cause she is only two das older than I am). But she is the only ranking member of her group in senbatsu, which is sooo weird.. o.o

13. Mukaichi Mion AKB48 Team A (47,485) (↑4)

Mion has returned to Senbatsu and is again on 13th place, amazing!

12. Takahashi Juri AKB48 Team B (48,100)  (↓1)

Juri is also one of the many members in senbatsu that are dropping a bit in ranks but still staying strong in the compition. You have to remember, it gets harder to rank in senbatsu every year.

10. Souda Sarina SKE48 Team KII (48,671) (↓3)

Sarinaaaaaa!! She dropped a few ranks, but she is staying strong in Senbatsu.

10. Tanaka Miku HKT48 Team H (50,175) (↑18)

Wow, Mikurin made it to top10. I'm sooo happy for her!!

9. Yabuki Nako HKT48 Team H (51,620) (↑28)

After dropping into Next Girls last year, Nako is in senbatsu!!!!! Wow, HKT48 fans have been really strong and it's amazing to see NakoMiku being right after each other.

8. Oba Mina SKE48 Team KII (53,998) (↑18)

Wow, I didn't expect Oba Mina to rank in Senbatsu at all! This is really cool, especially since she is one of the only original Team 4 members left and a really important member of SKE48 now.

7. Muto Tomu AKB48 Team K (62,611) (REENTER)

Tomu is back and she even got to place in Kami7! I'm so happy for her. I always had a soft spot for 12th generation and to see her this high is simply amazing. With all the members that ranked down this year, it's just wonderful to see her this high and to represent her generation. Congrats!!

6. Yokoyama Yui AKB48 Team A (67,465) (↑1)

Rank up of one place, the general manager keeps growing stronger. She's still breaking down on stage though x'D

5. Okada Nana AKB48 Team 4 (75,067) (↑4)

My girl is in the top5! Aaah, I'm so happy *-* I love her so much and I really like seeing her getting more popular, centering a single and being such a strong girl. She is the best and I want to support her even more.

4. Ogino Yuka NGT48 Team NIII (81,629) (↑1)

OgiYuka continues ranking up!! It wasn't just last year, she is here to stay. She is the highest ranking member of NGT and one of the most interesting girls in 48group.

3. Miyawaki Sakura HKT48 Team KIV (141,106) (↑1)

The moment Sakura was announced as 3rd, everyone was shocked. This election was supposed to be Jurina vs Sakura (drama included), but that didn't work out in the end. I hope Sakura isn't too sad about this and I wonder if she really won't participate in the election anymore..

2. Suda Akari Team E (154,011) (↑4)

DASUUUU!!! Wow, I'm sooo excited for her being 2nd. I always felt like she was underappreaciated, so this is the best thing that could have happened. I want her to center a single so bad!! She is a great performer, a really funny person and just so beautiful (I don't get people who call her ugly).
And that means....

1. Matsui Jurina SKE48 Team S (194,453) (↑2)

AND MY FAVOURITE IDOL! She is finally 1st and I'm the happiest person on earth. I can't believe she finally did it after 10 years of being in 48group. This was one of her main goals, she was working so hard for this moment to finally stand on top of the ranking. This is an important moment as she now has to push the whole group forward. I really appreciate how she alwas thinks about SKE and even called all of the members on stage. Jurina did have a breakdown at the concert before, so I hope she won't cross her limits for this single. For now, I really really like how my two favourite member are 1st and 2nd and I really hope for a cool single.

All in all, I haven't been as excited for an AKB election for years. I'm not disappointed as a lot of my favourites ranked pretty high and my alltime favourite Idol finally being 1st. All in all there have been some surprises and some rank-downs (especially of NMB and HKT girls). There were also a loooot of new rank-ins, mostly from NGT. Team 8 is also growing really strong and SKE keeps having many girls ranked. You can clearly see how important the sister groups became and a lot of new and young girls are growing popular. AKB is not over yet, I love how Naachan, Yuihan and others are pulling the group now. As for the Jurina vs. Sakura competition, I don't like it that much.. I think it would have been more interesting to see Jurina vs. Sayanee!! Sakura must be disappointed but I'm just so happy for Akarin.. Not in a bad way, I want Sakura to compete again next year to gain that top spot. Well, maybe she is gonna win in Produce48, that would be interesting too!

Talking about next year already, I think this year was the last time I actively supported someone in a SSK. The concept is really interesting, but I feel more sorry for the pressured girls every year. And now that Jurina reached her goal, I feel like I reached mine too (if that makes sense). Of course that doesn't mean I don't support the members and groups at all anymore, but I don't want to support this election anymore. Well, I don't know how I will think about this next year and of course I hope for members to grow more popular and have more chances to be active etc.. I just feel the election is such a stressful event for the members.

For now I'm just so happy for Jurina and I can't wait for the next single!!