118 replies to this topic

[ShiningLight445]

8 days after Kuchiburu ni Be My Baby release, the 43rd single has been announced.

 

 

 

Graduated members:
Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko, Takahashi Minami, Itano Tomomi, Shinoda Mariko

AKB48 Team A members:
Iriyama Anna, Kojima Haruna, Shimazaki Haruka, Yokoyama Yui

AKB48 Team K members:
Minegishi Minami, Mukaichi Mion, 

AKB48 Team B members:
Watanabe Mayu, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kizaki Yuria, Kato Rena

SKE48 Team S members:
Matsui Jurina, Miyazawa Sae, 

NMB48 Team N members:
Yamamoto Sayaka

HKT48 Team H members:
Sashihara Rino

HKT48 Team KIV members:
Miyawaki Sakura, 

NGT48 members:
Kitahara Rie

 

 

According to cdjapan, it looks like there's 10 editions; 5 regular, 5 limited. [Type A, Type K, Type B, Type 4, Type 8???]

 

More later. (I hope this is the list of senbatsu members. If not, kindly tell me and I will correct. I'm doing this rather quickly lol)

[RenaiHunter]

I saw a lot of people being mad over this single because graduated members are centers and management seems like they don't want to let go of the past.

 

And then there's me, disappointed because there's no Matsui Rena

[the rose garden]

Lolololololololol

[Ares13]

OMG .. I must say it is kind of a turn off for me especially I am at my phrase of trying to get back to them ..
It is not about the getting graduated member back or the 5 limited versions ..

It just look like they hit the panic mode button after decline in the previous album and single sales ..
Seem like a hardcore tactic to get the sales and to make money in short run without thinking about long term ..
Worse as to me .. they seem to be pushing hard on the getting the sales but forgetting that it will equally increase their cost in producing the single ..
It is a risky gamble as the last single only got 900K for week one .. so if this single sell like 800K which is still a lot .. they may run into huge lost with the higher expense ..

To me.. it is a turn off as they seem too hardcore on pushing which actually runs against their humble beginning ideals which got them to where they are ..

[Krusha]

There's a rather huge opposition against this idea of having graduated members participating.

 

https://twitter.com/...745804481073153

 

2,069 votes, and 74% are against it of those voted. That says something.

[banana]

Is it confirmed that graduated members are going to participate?

Weird because Takamina supposed to have her last single with AKB then suddenly she will still be in their next single senbatsu... Super weird.. It's like having Maki Goto or Takahashi Ai or Tanaka Reina or Sayashi Riho in MM'16 single..

 

I kind of understand why AKB management cannot let go of their graduated members.. Just like happen with MM few years ago..

Maybe there'll be DreamAKB in the future

 

Anyway, the management really have to do something for the future single. The loss of million streak.. but still 900K is a lot in my opinion..

But it kind of shocked me when I go to AKB's forum, the fans is saying like the HS events were not enough.. that they need more HS event in order to maintain the million sales..

Maybe I'm naive but if it were me,first I would want them to produce better quality songs.

[droopy10]

I want to see what kind of role the OG have before passing judgement on management, though right now they aren't looking good. Takamina's late graduation concert not withstanding, I find it hard to believe she and Yuko would participate in anything that would hurt the future/current stars of the group. The 4 that have been gone for a while are doing well so its not like they need this single to stay current.

[☆RisaReinaSayu☆]

^x2 But the song quality isn't even the problem. Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby is actually a very well rounded single. Releasing it so close to an album plus the issues with the handshake events is likely the cause of the lack of a million copies of it selling in the first week. The album charted #1 weekly for two weeks and this also reached #1 weekly with sales well over triple platinum. That is quite a feat for anyone to achieve in the span of a month. I think the real problem is that the group has been stuck in this so called old to next gen transition phase for 3 and a half years now, but nothing has really changed. It's detrimental to the group's growth.

[banana]

Kuchibiru my baby is so generic.. It didnt grow on me at all..

the dance is lackluster..

 

I just missed the day when people actually buy single for the song.. not for some handshake ticket..

15 years ago, if a single sold million it just mean how good the songs were..

 

Sorry for the rant..

[☆RisaReinaSayu☆]

^I am in agreement about the a side being generic, found it very basic and forgettable myself, but when taking the entirety of the songs on the single into account I dare say the single is quite a well done product. If management could play it smarter when picking which song will be the a side we might see a return to the days where fans bought AKB singles for the music as well as the handshake events.

[Ares13]

^
^ well this is idol pop ..
Its tough if you try to get coconut juice from a rock .. maybe you should try a coconut ..
maybe you should not be looking at anything idol ..

things will only grow on you only if you allow it to do so ..

I don't miss the day when people actually buy single for the song.. because we are all not born yet when that was happening ..
15, 25, 35, 45, 55 years ago people buy songs for the same reason .. good marketing, hype and benefits link the the purchase ..If it is within that same period ..
People still buy songs because they are good .. but its like when you buy a song that is 20 years old or something

[Krusha]

The main song of 42nd single is rather boring, but that single itself is a good release, as it has many songs and they are quite decent. Team 8's song seem to be a love it or hate it song, which is far better than an unexcited "Meh." reaction. So whatever they do for 43rd single, I hope it will also be a good package deal. But of course having a better main song than 42nd single, in my opinion. Then, as for graduated members participating, if they're placed in the back in a couch somewhere only to look at the other girls performing and then leave for good, I'd be happy...

[Ares13]

Honestly .. I do find the 42nd single main song really nice ..
The problem is .. I am not as big of a fan as I am use to .. and I am not in Japan watching them perform it ..
The thing about idols is .. the performance .. I can feel myself being suck into it ..
Another problem is ... it is not Takamina last single which make it lose part of the emotional factor ..
Honestly .. there is not enough love generation .. if it was the past Sakura and Renacchi would light my world .. sigh ..

[RenaiHunter]

Yasashii Place is the only song I like this single. Maybe it should have been the main.

[Blu-Cherri]

The problem with the 42nd second singe was it was super dull/uninspiring(dance was kind of awkward and ugly) and 365 paper airplanes song was actually very popular in download charts. It had a great tie-in and should have been the a-side.

Considering that akb do, in fact, get casual sales I would not be surprised if many less casuals bought it this time around. With other things going on it felt so rushed and disappointing.

 

This 43rd has me even less excited than I thought I could be. I was really enjoying all the extra promotion Renacchi and Mion were getting and the temporary stages featuring so many great members I had hoped things would progress rather than regress. The a-side *should* be the best track on the single, the exciting one that gets everyone buzzing about it so I'm not going to even look at the 'but look, the b-sides you need to buy 5 different editions to get hold of are cool.' Just no. B-sides should be bonuses for big fans not the main dish.

[pink-ku]

LOL... 43rd single discussion drifted to 42nd single discussion. Perhaps all of those could be moved to the appropriate thread and delete this post too. thanks.

[RenaiHunter]

I didn't realize I was typing in the 43rd single thread... lol. Anyway for this single, I don't know where this huge negative wave comes from... yes old members shade new members, but still I will see Tomochin and Yuko in single again! And anyways the senbatsu single will sell over million copies again and everything will be back to normal pretty soon... Also I think that even more of the old members will graduate this year and more new members will appear in the senbatsu.

[Krusha]

Japanese fans are highly critical of this. There's lots of fans of the old girls who don't want them to return, as it nullifies everything that happened before. It also hinders the younger generations from having the possibility of stepping up to the next level. Only, this time, it's not their fault - it's the fault of management. As for this single selling 1M+ again, who knows. Might happen. But I've seen comments of wanting to boycott it due to the inclusion of graduated members.

[Ares13]

I think it would be interesting to see the sales figure when it release .. but is still a long way ..
The thing is .. buying idol stuff is a habit .. and once you stop .. you may create another habit of being selective ..
I am talking in general .. so the worry is the management may accidentally break the run of some fans ..

[ShiningLight445]

So we know of course graduated members will be part of the single. Okay. But is it for sure that they will sing in the A-side? And not be Kibouteki 2.0? Has it been said yet?

 

(It's been a rough time for me right now and I haven't paid too much attention to detail.)