Senbatsu for AKB48’s 40th Single “Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai” and Surprising Team Shuffles Announced at Saitama Super Arena!

| 48 / 46 Group | Posted by Kai Okudara on Mar.27.2015

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While the biggest story to come out of AKB48’s concert at Saitama Super Arena on March 26th was the tearful graduation announcement of Rina Kawaei, there were several other big announcements made that evening. A 32-member senbatsu for the 40th single “Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai” was announced as well as a shuffle of the “48 groups”, with the most surprising one being Rie Kitahara being named the captain of NGT48!

“DJ Kojiharu” (Haruna Kojima) descended from the ceiling in a gondola to start the concert in grand fashion.

“Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai” was performed for the first time during the encore of the concert.

Here are the 32 selected members:

AKB48

Team A – Haruka Shimazaki (center), Rina Kawaei, Minami Takahashi, Tomu Muto, Yui Yokoyama

Team K – Mako Kojima, Minami Minegishi, Yuka Tano

Team B – Ryoka Oshima, Nana Owada, Yuki Kashiwagi, Saya Kawamoto, Mayu Watanabe

Team 4 – Nana Okada, Rena Kato, Yuria Kizaki, Mion Mukaichi, Juri Takahashi

Team 8 – Nagisa Sakaguchi, Ikumi Nakano

SKE48

Team S – Ryoha Kitagawa, Jurina Matsui (AKB48 Team K), Sae Miyazawa (SNH48 Team SII)

Team E – Rena Matsui, Akari Suda

NMB48

Team N – Sayaka Yamamoto (AKB48 Team K)

Team BII – Miyuki Watanabe (AKB48 Team B)

HKT48

Team H – Haruka Kodama (AKB48 Team K), Rino Sashihara

Team KIV – Sakura Miyawaki (AKB48 Team A)

Nogizaka 46 – Rina Ikoma

Several members who had been given concurrent membership in 2 different teams had their status cancelled. This included the end of Rena Matsui and Rina Ikoma’s “exchange” between SKE48 and Nogizaka 46. The team that they previously held concurrent status in is listed in parentheses.

Nao Furuhata – SKE48 Team KII (AKB48 Team A)
Fuuko Yagura -NMB48 Team M (AKB48 Team A)
Ikoma Rina – Nogizaka 46 (AKB48 Team B)
Rena Matsui – SKE48 Team E (Nogizaka 46)
Riho Kotani – NMB48 Team N (AKB48 Team 4)
Nana Yamada – NMB48 Team M (SKE48 Team KII)
Natsumi Tanaka – HKT48 Team H (SKE48 Team S)
Kanon Kimoto – SKE48 Team E (HKT48 Team KIV)
Miyuki Watanabe – NMB48 Team BII (SKE48 Team S)
Akane Takayanagi – SKE48 TEAM KII (NMB48 Team BII)
Anna Murashige – HKT48 Team KIV (NMB48 Team N)
Yuki Kashiwagi – AKB48 Team B (NMB48 Team N)
Mio Tomonaga – HKT48 Team KIV (AKB48 Team B)

March 26th was Mayu Watanabe’s birthday so there was a cake!

At the same time, several members were appointed to concurrent positions in other groups.

Yuki Kashiwagi – AKB48 Team B (NGT48)
Miru Shiroma – NMB48 Team M (AKB48 Team A)
Nanami Yamada – AKB48 Team 8 (AKB48 Team A)
Ikumi Nakano – AKB48 Team 8 (AKB48 Team K)
Nagisa Sakaguchi – AKB48 Team 8 (AKB48 Team B)
Nako Yabuki – HKT48 Team H (AKB48 Team B)
Miyuki Watanabe – NMB48 Team BII (AKB48 Team B)
Ryoha Kitagawa – SKE48 Team S (AKB48 Team 4)
Mio Tomonaga – HKT48 Team KIV (AKB48 Team 4)

Even more surprising than the announcement of Yuki Kashiwagi’s new concurrent status as a member of NGT48 was when it was announced that Rie Kitahara would be the new captain of the Niigata group that has yet to debut.

In addition to the promotion of Kitahara to the captain of NGT48, Yui Yokoyama took on the leadership of Team A as Minami Minegishi moved from Team 4 to become the new captain of Team K. Yuria Kizaki was trasnferred from Team 4 to become the new captain of Team B with Juri Takahashi leaving Team B to be the new leader of Team 4.

Rie Kitahara – AKB48 Team K →　NGT48 (captain)
Yui Yokoyama – AKB48 Team K (captain) → AKB48 Team A (captain)
Yuria Kizaki – AKB48 Team 4 → AKB48 Team B (captain)
Juri Takahashi – AKB48 Team B → AKB48 Team 4 (captain)
Minami Minegishi – AKB48 Team 4 → AKB48 Team K (captain)

Ryoka Oshima (AKB48 Team B), Nana Okada (AKB48 Team 4), and Haruka Shimada (AKB48 Team K) were promoted to the co-captain position of their teams. “Honorary Lifetime SKE48 Kenkyuusei” Kaori Matsumura was finally promoted to SKE48 Team KII.

The air was sucked out of the arena when AKB48’s general manager announced “Rina Kawaei: graduation”. Read more about Kawaei’s tearful announcement here: http://tokyogirlsupdate.com/rina-kawaei-graduation-akb48-20150340309.html

AKB48 Official site: http://www.akb48.co.jp/