AKB48’s First Single in Half A Year Will Be Released on September 18! The Center Is Moeka Y...
AKB48 Does 2 Concerts at the Same Time! Senbatsu for 46th Single Revealed!
Sponsored Links
On September 15, 2016, the 48 Groups held two concerts at the same time. The one at Yokohama Arena, titled “Ranking Celebration”, was for those who ranked in the 8th AKB48 Senbatsu Election earlier this year; the one at Kanagawa Kenmin Hall, titled “We Will Rank Next Year” was for those who did not.
With Anna Iriyama unable to attend due to scheduling conflict, the Celebration concert featured the 79 ranked members and opened with Rino Sashihara, the winner and first Japanese 48G member to defend her title, arriving from above the venue. The concert featured walkways so that fans can get a close look of the idols they had voted for. After opening with “Love Trip”, this year’s election single, and other pop numbers, Under Girls, Next Girls, Future Girls and Upcoming Girls also performed their coupling songs from single.
Each of the top 16 members appeared in a solo or a unit: Juri Takahashi played drums in “Seventh Chord”, Atsuko Maeda’s solo single, Akari Suda sang “Kim no Koto ga Sukidakara” in Nagoya dialect, and Sashihara performed in a live band version of HKT48’s single “12 Byou.”
Haruna Kojima, who was supposedly out due to injury but made an appearance at Kanagawa Kenmin Hall, rushed to Yokohama Arena just in time for “Hikoukigumo” during encore.
“I’m having so much fun,” said Sashihara, “I think this is the most enjoyable concert recently. Even though it’s a group concert, it feels like we are one.”
On the other hand, the unranked members gathered at the Kanagawa Kenmin Hall and held their own concert, opening with Yuka Tano’s call of “Don’t underestimate the unranked members!”
The concert started with all 185 members performing “Kimi no Koto ga Sukidakara”, followed by groups rotating and performing their own popular songs.
During the unit “Kinjirareta Futari”, Haruna Kojima, who was supposed to be resting due to foot injury, appeared on stage and sang the duet with Rina Izuta before making her way to Yokohama Arena.
There were also some shuffling of lineups within the group – for example, “Kodoku na Runner”, a SDN48 song, featured NGT48 Kenkyuusei Yuria Otaki as center, and “Love Trip” featured Team 8 ace Yui Oguri as center.
The final song of the main set was “Arigatou”, where members expressed their gratitude for fans.
After encore, for the first time in the group’s history, election ranks 81 to 100 were announced. Short of Top 80 by less than 100 votes, Miori Ichikawa ranked 81st.
The event ended with members performing in the stands to thank their fans for the votes.
—
At the end of both events, it was announced that the group’s 46th single will be released on November 16, 2016 and the center is Haruka Shikazaki. “I heard the song is quite upbeat,” said Shimazaki, “so I will do my best to not turn it into a downer.” For Haruka Komiyama (Team 4), Yui Oguri (Team 8), Hana Matsuoka (HKT48 TII) and Rika Nakai (NGT48 N3), this marks their first time in the senbatsu lineup of an AKB48 single.
Comments from Komiyama:
It felt like “I finally made it.” I have always dreamt about making senbatsu, so seeing my face in the announcement video was unreal.
I am very thankful for the support from my family and fans. I hope this is a chance for me to repay them.
Senbatsu members are all very colorful and I hope I can find a fitting position among them.
Comments from Oguri:
I haven’t had time to really think about this, but I am very happy about being in senbatsu. I heard I am the only one from Team 8, so I will give it my best and shine next to the seniors.
Comments from Matsuoka:
I am really surprised. This happened so soon after I was chosen as center for HKT48’s “Saikou Kayo”, and I still find it incredible. I am 1 of just 4 HKT48 members in this lineup, so I’d like to leave my mark.
Comments from Nakai:
This is my first time being in senbatsu (of an AKB48 single), but I am still in shock and don’t really know what’s going on.
I will use this big opportunity to do my best for my fans and will stay positive no matter what happens.
Related Link
AKB48 Official site: http://www.akb48.co.jp/
Sponsored Links
AKB48
76do_
An overseas 46/48 fan who used to translate under the name of bilingual48. Can also be found at Nogizaka46 handshakes once every 2-3 months near Karin Ito’s lane – just look for the guy with purple sunglasses. Also, apparently I look like Akimoto-sensei, especially when wearing a suit.
NEXT
Country Girls Keep Their Heads up in the Optimistic MV for “Namida no Request”
PREV
Risa Satosaki Reveals Everything in the MV for “S!NG”!
HKT48 Rino Sashihara Her Last Live at the AKB48 Theater, was An Unprecedented All Night Concert !!
