^
Regarding placement, I thought the same and it bugs me so much. :'D I know they (Karin & Mai) were photoshopped in later, but still.
It's like the management has dictated that Karin needs to be in centre of (almost) every photoshoot.
Or... unless the person who did the arrangement of the girls has miscalculated because both girls that were absent are placed at the left handside.
Center spot is for HP top batter, we can see Fukumura and Wada as a senior with high popularity in center front row, in center middle row is top HP face with top popularity Maa-Karin-Risako-Maria (MM get two spot because they are HP oldest group), center back row is for face that management trying to push Chii-Yokonyan-Funaki... for Karin placement i think it somehow inevitable. they have 3 big group MM-Angerme-JJ they cant fit that 3 group equally in those set up because front row reserved for senior of each group, so someone need to get the center position to represent the third group otherwise it will be imbalance. therefore Karin get the center middle position (even though her position separated from her teammate)...
Zukki 
