AKB48!

[Hana]

^ Official word was that they didn't demote her, she demoted herself.

[ostrich]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vzef0vfpKA



Apparently, their new single (called "Namida Surpise!").



I like the music video, it has a really unique setup. I was somewhat impressed with the blind dancing.



As for the song itself, I don't really like it. It's not very catchy, and kind of bland.

[strawberryjam]

Their singles have gotten really boring for me... It was always the summer singles I was bored of like Bingo!, Baby Baby Baby..., but the trend is occurring year round now. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... ryalot.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':sigh:' /> Either way, I still love their stages. I just finished watching their Request Set List 09. Uh... I am so happy the Chocolove song got so sigh and Rinatin performed in it. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... pyeyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hahaha:' />

[story]

The blindfolded dancing was a bit kinky.

[Falcon]

Catchy but not particularly interesting.



WHERE ARE MY DAMN STAGE CDS AAARGGG!

[Kaworu]

AKB48 Is officially beating H!P's ass sales-wise.



Namida surpise has been in the #2 spot since the debut and is already like 15k cd's away from reaching 100k for the second time in a row.



Kinda impressive for a girl group nowadays, no?

[Falcon]

Definitely impressive.



However I already feel like their songs are suffering, I don't mind Namida Surprise but it's just sugary pop. The real irony here is that Akimoto is better at selling girl group sugary pop than UFA is (apparently). The blitz of events and voting tie-ins are really working well for sales. UFA has had successes with them in the past however I don't believe the events have been as varied (vote for members on the next single, handshake, hug, bowling date etc).



All in all though I'm just glad girl group idol pop is still alive and viable.

[EmEl]

So, AKB in New York in September? I wouldn't trade my Anime Expo experience for anything, but it has certainly left me way less than zero dollars to even think about going.



I haven't really paid attention to AKB48 (or anything really) in the last couple of months, but I see from strawberry and aine's comments in the spam thread that they performed in Paris. Anyone thinking of going to New York?

[Kaworu]

So I don't know if there's a lot of people here following AKB48 but I'm sure there are at least a coupe of people who do. So yeah.



Lot's of stuff has happened with AKB48 recently. Starting with the biggest WTF moment in AKB history which was the re-grouping of the teams. What do you guys think of that??? I personally liked the idea of showcasing different girls in different teams, although the main girls of ecah team are still in the original positions so I don't know what is the real point behind all the movements. Change undergirls?



And the other big news is that their newest single Iiwake Maybe! (famous for the infamous way the selected memebers of the single were chosen), beat SMAP on it's debut day. So I know SMAP is not as big as it was a few years ago, but still, beating a Johnny's group in a debut day must mean a lot, even nowadays. And, there was no hadshake event or anything of the sort to promote the single, so it's a great big deal for them to have sold almost 60k copies on a single day.

YAY.



What can I say. I love the AKB girls. As SJ posted on her review of her trip to Paris, it really is engaging for me to see how these girls work their asses off every day and have become such great idols. Aw, they're cute and I love them.

<img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/lub.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

[Special Needs Tricycle]

There actually was a handshake event the day before the release date, I think. It was one of those "one CD equals one handshake" deals and there wasn't a limit on how many they could buy. They're also apparently doing a national handshake promotion thing.



I think the real test comes after Oricon shuts down event sales, but I'm sure all the idol groups will find a way to pump up their sales. :B

[Hana]

[quote name='Special Needs Tricycle' post='67931' date='Aug 26 2009, 05:18 PM']There actually was a handshake event the day before the release date, I think.[/quote]

Not according to their schedule, there wasn't.

[Special Needs Tricycle]

Ahh, okay I read wrong. The copies all contain handshake event tickets though, don't they?

[Madara]

AKB48 is coming to New York for the New York Anime Festival. They'll do a short concert at the Festival (Javits Center) and then one at Webster Hall on Sept. 27.



Here's the link for info:

http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/08/akb48-nyaf.html



I've never paid any attention to them. I have no idea what they sound like. There's a part of me that wants to attend, simply because it's a J-pop group coming to NYC and I should support it. Should I bother?

[Hana]

Only the first press copies contain the tickets, from what I'm aware. They also have stated they won't be selling any copies at the events, and once the tickets are gone, that's it.



As for them going to NYC, I'd go. Nevermind that it's AKB, if you haven't paid any attention to them and you're that close anyway, you might as well go and check them out. I mean, if Idoling or some other group came to Portland, I'd be there no questions asked even though I haven't followed them at all (except for the AKBIdoling collaboration episodes I've translated).

[EmEl]

You should definitely go, Madara. I'd go see the smallest, most unknown idol group if they were playing in my city, much less this group which is pretty huge right now. Do we know what girls are going?



I don't understand why they waited so long to announce the finalized details, especially since it seemed like they knew about this for a while. Is a month really enough time for people to plan to go to New York if they don't happen to live there? Perhaps they were still trying to figure out the venue or something.

[Kaworu]

Madara! By all means go.



I'm sure you'll fall in love with at least one girl (hopefully Takamina <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... iggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />)







And about the handshakes/whatever, I've read in more than one place that this time there was not going to be any events to promote sales.

And for all of you who said that AKB sold big numbers just because of the handshakes, there have been no events held this time, so it’s all “fair game”!!!

source: http://www.intlwota.com/aitakatta/

[Special Needs Tricycle]

There ARE going to be events. The first press offers a handshake ticket to the national handshake event, which IIRC, grants you one handshake with the member of your choice. The theater version offers a ticket to another handshake event. They're not selling them at the door of events like they used to, but they certainly are having events.

[EmEl]

Yeah, cdjapan also said it came with some "application card" which is I suppose what Trike is talking about.

[Kaworu]

Oh, ok. I didn't know about that.



It's a really big deal how well they're selling anyway.

[Special Needs Tricycle]

Yeah, I wasn't knocking their sales. They're definitely impressive numbers, filled with handshakes or not. I just don't like it when people say that they're all pure sales that totally aren't booted up by wotas buying 50-100 copies at a time.

[strawberryjam]

[quote name='Madara' post='67970' date='Aug 27 2009, 09:40 PM']AKB48 is coming to New York for the New York Anime Festival. They'll do a short concert at the Festival (Javits Center) and then one at Webster Hall on Sept. 27.



Here's the link for info:

http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/08/akb48-nyaf.html



I've never paid any attention to them. I have no idea what they sound like. There's a part of me that wants to attend, simply because it's a J-pop group coming to NYC and I should support it. Should I bother?[/quote]

Go see them Madara! I'll be curious about your thoughts on them.

I'd like to go too. Not sure if I will though.

[Joel]

[anpanman]

I find they lack of eye candies compared to MM.

Somehow I feel like trying them. Could someone please recommend a particular member to me?

Who is the ace?

[Melon]

[quote name='anpanman' post='69240' date='Sep 22 2009, 12:37 PM']I find they lack of eye candies compared to MM.

Somehow I feel like trying them. Could someone please recommend a particular member to me?

Who is the ace?[/quote]



Ace is most likely Maeda Atsuko, if they're still pushing her as the face of the group. She's been called the "perfect idol". When I first got into the group she was my favorite member.



My personal favorite is Masuda Yuka, because her voice is the best out of all of them, imo. Her renditions of Bird and Maria blew me away when I first saw them and she absolutely owns Blue Rose. Too bad she's not very good looking, otherwise she'd be a front girl for sure. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':whistling:' /> Ghost edit, my second favorite is Takamina, who has the second best voice in the group to me. She's better looking and is a front girl for sure.

[Special Needs Tricycle]

[quote name='anpanman' post='69240' date='Sep 22 2009, 01:37 PM']I find they lack of eye candies compared to MM.

Somehow I feel like trying them. Could someone please recommend a particular member to me?

Who is the ace?[/quote]

AKB48 actually stands for AtsuKo and Bitches 48. Atsuko being Maeda Atsuko



Now concerning RIVER, I actually really like it. When I first heard some concert preview or whatever I absolutely hated it because it had some really retarded African tribal dance intro and the rest was killed off by noise. I'm glad the actual song doesn't have it. Is till don't like the actual intro either, though. But as usual, the best part of the song is the chorus. I was going to completely throw away any chance of enjoying them if this single was just as horrible as Iiwake Maybe and Namida Surprise were.



I still need a member that I actually like, though. :T



Edit:Beaten.

[EmEl]

I'm in the same boat as you Trike. I just can't find a girl to like. But luckily I don't need one. I'll just listen.

[Madara]

I watched some AKB48 videos in prep for this weekend's concert here in NYC. I have a question about them.



Who's their audience? Is it the same older male demographic that goes to H!P concerts? Or do they draw in even more of the short skirt/school uniform fetish crowd? A couple of the videos I saw really veered into questionable territory in this direction. That one about wanting adult thrills and the school uniform getting in the way ("Seifuku wo Jama wo Suru"). Much more blatant than anything I've ever seen in H!P videos. Yet on the other hand, they did a high school graduation-themed video ("Sakura no Hanabiratachi 2008") that was really sweet, upbeat, positive and quite moving.



So, I'm confused. Who are they trying to appeal to? Who are they appealing to? And are they trying to have it more ways than one?



Thanks.

[Hana]

The first thing to note is that while they have "naughty" songs like Seifuku, the majority aren't like that. It's also important to note that Seifuku came out in January 2007, was followed by a song about bullying/suicide (Keibetsu Shiteita Aijou), and they really haven't gone back to that territory since (for single releases, anyway; some stage shows still contain the odd song or two with "naughty" lyrics). So most songs are more like "Sakura no Hanabiratachi" (or the 2008 version, which was the one you saw).



As for their audience, they're an idol group, so naturally they appeal to the older male crowd, just like H!P. But they also draw in a pretty good number of high school-age kids (at least compared to H!P) from what I've heard. Akimoto Yasushi, the producer, really isn't afraid of making them try to appeal to multiple groups, unlike UFA which has pretty much given up on appealing to anyone but the wota, IMO.

[koolmon]

[quote name='Hana' post='69339' date='Sep 24 2009, 08:00 PM']As for their audience, they're an idol group, so naturally they appeal to the older male crowd, just like H!P. But they also draw in a pretty good number of high school-age kids (at least compared to H!P) from what I've heard. Akimoto Yasushi, the producer, really isn't afraid of making them try to appeal to multiple groups, unlike UFA which has pretty much given up on appealing to anyone but the wota, IMO.[/quote]

The surprising thing about the high school age kids is that a lot of them are girls. When I asked some girls in Japan about their favorite musical groups, they said they liked Johnny's but when they asked me about my favorite groups, they were like :OOOO AKB48! It took my friends and me by shock because we never expected high school girls to like AKB48. We figured it was the younger girls, because when we asked some older girls we met at the train station, they said they like Jrock. XD

[Special Needs Tricycle]

Can someone please make a mix of the RIVER mp3 without the ridiculously lame/long/dumb stepping/shouting intro? I like the actual song quite a bit, but I really hate that thing.