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Offline YKT

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #60 on: December 28, 2011, 07:06:00 AM »

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DECEMBER 28, 2011, 12:51 PM JST

The Man Who Made AKB48
By Kenneth Maxwell and Andrew Joyce


Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Yasushi Akimoto and Google vice president Bradley Horowitz smile with Japanese all-girl pop group AKB48 members.


In his nearly 40 years in showbusiness, Yasushi Akimoto has seen it all. From writing the last hit for enka legend Hibari Misora before her death, to making a movie in New York with Yoko Ono, the 55-year-old pop producer has covered all the bases.

But even for Mr. Akimoto, 2011 has been a banner year, thanks to his biggest creation — AKB48. The girl group, with a total of 92 members currently, including up and coming “research students,” has rewritten the record books this past year. All five best-selling singles this year were AKB48 songs, with lyrics by Mr. Akimoto. The last three hits sold a million CDs each on their first day of release. According to chart compiler Oricon, AKB48 grossed total sales of about $215 million in 2011.

On the cusp of plans for a major expansion of his project overseas, with sister groups in cities like Jakarta and Taipei, Mr. Akimoto sat down for a rare interview with The Wall Street Journal on the 26th floor of a block overlooking Tokyo’s Imperial Palace Gardens.

Shrugging off the odd sign of tiredness from the hectic schedule that coming with retaining personal control of all things AKB48, the producer discussed the origins of the group, gave his take on why it’s grown from a first audience of just seven people, mused on prospects for exporting his project far and wide, possibly including the U.S., and answered the key question: How do you sell a million CDs in a day?

An abbreviated transcript of the interview follows.

How would you explain AKB48 to American readers who has never heard of them?

In America, performers are chosen through strict auditions of thousands of people, and those with the most talent have to go through difficult lessons and coaching before they’re “complete” and can finally stand on the stage. AKB48 girls are “unfinished.” In other words, they’re still not very good at singing or dancing. The fans are supporting the girls and cheering them on as they gradually get better – as they become the finished article – that’s what AKB48 is all about.

How does AKB48 differ from some of the Korean girl bands and other idol groups that are currently popular in Japan?


The biggest difference with K-Pop is the fact that AKB48 are “incomplete.” “Complete” means these groups make their debut after they have auditioned and practiced, but AKB48 are unpolished and fans can watch them progress—that’s the difference.

Why does the AKB business model work? In basic terms, how were you able to sell one million singles on the first day of release?

I often say we need to have content that is striking. What do I mean by that? It’s something that quickly grabs hold of you and doesn’t let you go. At first, there were only seven people in the audience at the AKB theater [for the band's first-ever show in its own purpose-built theater], and I wasn’t worried at all. All I wanted to know was whether those seven people liked what they saw. If they really liked it and were impressed, then I knew the number of people would grow. AKB48 are different from other ordinary artists in that they provoke this kind of feeling. That is one major reason why they have become so successful. I think the closest comparison is with die-hard baseball fans – they go to the key games no matter what it takes…it’s the same kind of feeling with AKB48. You can tell your favorite girl that their dancing has improved, or their singing has got better, or that they’d look better with short hair. The fans are also a part of the production team for AKB. That sense of solidarity, of being on the same team, is why it’s fun. Of course, having multiple types of CDs may be part of the reason why AKB catches peoples’ attention…but lots of artists do that. That alone would not make the CDs sell.

Many fans buy multiple copies of AKB singles to try to improve the prospects of their favorite members. Some people say this means the band’s success is not quite what it seems – that a core group of fans are responsible for much of the success. What do you think about this?

To sell one million singles it’s not enough just to have a core group of fans who each buy multiple copies. Of course there are fans that buy a lot of singles, but the important thing is that people who don’t know anything about AKB start to take notice, think it looks like fun and buy the singles too.

How did you come by the nickname of “the shark of showbusiness”?

When a fire sparks, I’m always to be found where it’s burning the strongest. People see me always at the front, always in the front row, and they think “Wow, that guy must be lucky.” But it’s not luck…I am actually the one lighting these fires. Once the fire is lit, I’m not trying to control it…I watch how it moves and spreads, and handle it depending on each situation. The wind always changes its direction.

Why Akihabara?

At first, I had the idea of starting something in Shibuya or Harajuku but, there weren’t any good venues there. I was told about a good spot in Akihabara. At that time Akihabara was starting to gain wider popularity… as an area known for otaku culture it was becoming ‘hot’…so I thought that would be interesting. At first, I wasn’t thinking about the number of members. Primarily it was an experiment –to see what would happen if I created a theatre and held a revue on a daily basis. From the beginning I thought a lot about what to name the group. Something like, for example, “Cherry Pie” would have sounded too much like other groups. Besides, AKB48 was still in its development stage. You often see cars that are still in development with names like AZ-9 or something — I wanted a name with a similar effect…an inorganic feeling.

How involved are you in the day-to-day running of AKB48? Do you write the songs? Lyrics? Are you in the studio?


I do everything. I listen to a lot of songs everyday and think of how I might arrange certain songs. Then I write the lyrics. From there I think about how the song should be promoted, or what to do for television programs, or what to do about online games or merchandise. So I do everything.

Are you a businessman or an artist?

I’m a producer; I’m the producer of AKB48. It’s like being an architect designing a building. I think about what color the walls should be, what shape the windows should be, and also the lighting. I think about where the furniture should be placed. Of course, various specialists get involved to help with the building, but I still have to watch carefully and say “That’s the wrong window,” or “Those curtains are wrong”… I have to watch everything.

What kind of development is possible in Asia for the AKB48 format?

I’ll hold auditions locally for groups like Jakarta 48 and Taipei 48. They will sing in their own languages and the audience will see people similar to them perform. It will definitely become popular. Then Jakarta 48 will perform in Taiwan, and Taipei 48 will perform in Jakarta. They’ll visit various places in Asia. Finally, there could be an Asia version of the election to see who is the most popular in Asia [regular elections among fans who buy AKB48 CDs select which members are rated the most popular]. By then America and England would take notice and may start to think that something extraordinary is happening here.

Who/what are your inspirations?

The most important thing is excitement for something new. As we get older, we are surprised by fewer and fewer things, but as children we are constantly amazed. That excitement becomes less frequent as we grow up. What I try to do is make something new, like AKB48, and try to capture that special kind of excitement. That’s my job…to create that feeling of excitement we have as children.

Which western artists do you most admire, or would like to collaborate with?

I think Lady Gaga is impressive. Just having good songs or lyrics won’t sell CDs, but rather how much buzz you can create…whether you can define current trends. When Lady Gaga came to Japan, she brought a Hermes ‘Birkin’ bag. That in itself is interesting – that someone with an anti-establishment attitude would carry such a classic, conservative bag. But she had also written a message to her Japanese fans, in Japanese, on the bag in marker pen. I thought that was really cool…to graffiti such an expensive, traditional bag. The producer, or maybe it was Lady Gaga herself, who came up with that idea really understood the current times. Just having good music alone is not enough.

The commercials that AKB48 appear in seem to be targeting men? Are you targeting male fans?

Not at all. When it started I needed a target, but once the fire was lit I just let it burn. It’s up to the direction of the wind. I’m not trying to specifically target men through the commercials that AKB48 appear in…rather, anything is fine. But it’s not enough just to have AKB48 appear in a commercial…I do things that are new, that are likely to create an impact. That’s how it grows and develops. So the commercial needs to add fuel to the fire.

At first, what kind of people did you target?

Of course, I targeted the kind of people who like ‘idols.’ That’s why I made a small theater in Akihabara, with young girls singing and dancing in a revue. I targeted people who would find that interesting and fun. Certainly at first those kinds of people were buying two or three copies of the CDs each. But the important thing is that 95% of AKB48 fans have never been to the theater…even if they want to go, they can’t. It’s like Christians; they can’t really visit Jerusalem, but they are still able to pray at their local church. That might be what JKT48 in Jakarta will be like, or in Taipei. Those fans want to come and visit the “head temple” in Akihabara, but that’s not the whole of it – they also have a great local version that they can support.

A lot of AKB48 fans do seem to be men. Is that a group that you are particularly looking to target?

I’m not targeting anyone. I’ve been in this business for nearly 40 years, and I’m telling you that you can’t do it like that. It would be too forced…you can’t tell people what they like. The important thing is that, once the fire is lit, I’m not trying to control it…I watch how it moves and spreads. AKB48 have all-round appeal. There’s no bias on one side or another. Boys like them because they think the girls are cute and fall in love with them. Slightly older men want to cheer them on and support them, as they would their little sisters or daughters. Girls who like AKB48 want to be like them…they want to be on the same stage.

For people in the U.S., the image of AKB48 may seem strange: Teenage girls dressing up in miniskirts and school uniforms. Many people may think that this is not an empowering image for girls. What do you think about this?

Some people in America might say that AKB48 would never work there, but to me that is an opportunity. They think the only things that can succeed are the things that they are already doing. America is the country that said Elvis Presley shaking his hips was bad…so it’s clear that this kind of view will be there. But when people think “this will never work”– that is precisely when you can make a hit. Businessmen might think about such risks. But I’m not a businessman, I’m a creator, and so I see this as a big chance.

AKB48 has performed in charity concerts to help efforts to provide relief for victims of Japan’s March 11 disasters. Do you have any thoughts about how Japan can recover?

First of all I think Japan has to stand together with Tohoku. We shouldn’t buckle under the pain. But on the other hand we shouldn’t forget that pain. What matters is how we can rise again with this pain. AKB48 may just be an idol group… I don’t for a minute think that they can save Japan… but I think there are things they can do. So other businesses and individuals can do their bit too.


http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/12/28/the-man-who-made-akb48/

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #61 on: December 28, 2011, 12:46:19 PM »
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Japan Goes Gaga Over a 92-Member Girl Group
AKB48 Sells Millions of Singles, Coffee, Too; Sponsor of the 'Heart Bra'

TOKYO—Pop quiz: What act sold a million copies of its last three singles the first day of release? Not Lady Gaga.

It was Japan's AKB48, a group of 92 mostly teenage girls, armed with sugar-sweet pop tunes and sometimes-suggestive lyrics ("My school uniform is getting in the way") that has saturated the country's popular and commercial culture. The group is set to play a key role in Japan's traditional New Year's Eve four-hour-plus pop-song spectacular.

One day recently, members appeared on nine network-television shows and six radio programs, and blanketed magazine racks. An "AKB48" search on Google Japan yielded 175 million results.

From a core fan base of adult men, the group is broadening its appeal to include younger girls. Top brands ranging from Google to Shiseido shampoo have signed up to be associated with the group. As Japan continues to struggle with its prolonged economic slump, AKB48 has become a one-group stimulus package.

Peach John, Japan's answer to Victoria's Secret, said an AKB48-sponsored Heart Bra aimed at teenage girls sold out in days. Drinks maker Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. said choosing group members to promote its Wonda line of canned coffee—a salaryman staple—boosted sales nearly 7% over the first half of the year.

The secret of success isn't pop perfection, says the man behind AKB48. Quite the contrary.

"AKB48 are unfinished," says Yasushi Akimoto, AKB48 lyricist, producer and mastermind. "Other groups make their debut after auditioning and practicing, but AKB48 are unpolished. Fans can watch them progress," Mr. Akimoto says.

"Boys like them because they think the girls are cute. Slightly older men want to cheer them on, as they would little sisters or daughters," he says. "Girls who like AKB48 want to be like them." Following AKB48 is like rooting for your favorite baseball team, Mr. Akimoto says.

Mr. Akimoto has replicated AKB48's success with sister groups in other cities in Japan like Osaka and Nagoya, but the group is less well known outside the country so far. Now the producer is ramping up plans to launch versions around Asia. In Jakarta, JKT48 is currently rehearsing. Groups are planned for Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and China. AKB48 cafés and stores have opened in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Mr. Akimoto doesn't rule out a move in the U.S.

"Mr. Akimoto is not just developing an artist, he's developing a business model," says Alan Swarts, a vice president at MTV Japan, who asked AKB48 to present a June charity concert for victims of this year's earthquake and tsunami.

One key ingredient: fan access and participation. CD releases come complete with lottery tickets for a chance to attend a "handshake event" to meet members, or with ballots for popularity contests for members, with the top vote-getters performing on coming singles or appearing in music videos. Many of AKB48's hard-core otaku, or geek, fans buy dozens, or even hundreds of copies of the same CD to give their favorite girl a boost in rankings, or to win a chance to meet her in person.

At a recent AKB48 concert, 21-year-old factory worker Tomoyuki Yamada showed up in a elaborately embroidered black gown bearing tribute to favorite band member Tomomi Kasai. "With AKB48, you have each member making her own efforts, and as a whole you can see that everyone in the group is trying her best. That's what I like about them," he says. Mr. Yamada says he bought 210 copies of a recent single—at 1,600 yen apiece, that's a total of 336,000 yen, more than $4,300—to give 210 votes for Ms. Kasai in the most recent election. She finished 16th.

The sheer number of girls in AKB48 means that members in different aggregations can perform almost every night at their own theater in Tokyo's Akihabara district, the heartland of Japan's otaku culture.

Mr. Akimoto says he chose to base the group in Akiba, as it is known for short, in order to tap into growing interest in escapist products like comics, anime films and videogames that have come to represent Japan's pop culture overseas. The group takes the AKB part of its name from Akiba; "48" was added to convey the idea of a somewhat secret, prototype project in development, Mr. Akimoto says.

At 55, Mr. Akimoto seems an unlikely impresario, sober-suited and wearing thick-rimmed glasses. But even before launching AKB48 in 2005, he had a long track record in showbiz. He gained fame in the 1980s as the man behind Onyanko Club ("Kitten Club"), another all-girl pop phenomenon, and he married one of its singers. He has published novels and directed films. He is vice president of the Kyoto University of Art and Design, and he has appeared at government conferences promoting what is called "Cool Japan."

Mr. Akimoto's success with AKB48 has spawned numerous studies for would-be pop moguls, ranging from books on "The Economics of AKB48" and "The Art of Grabbing the Heart," to articles in business magazines on the group's "360-degree marketing."

At the AKB48 show, members perform a revue of simply choreographed routines in front of a roughly 95% male audience. The music is typical Japanese pop: fast-paced numbers with high-pitched, singalong choruses.

Audiences wave glow sticks, sing along to hits and yell the names of their favorite girls. After the two-hour show, security staff keep a close watch as the audience files out, each fan very briefly high-fiving and exchanging a greeting with performers.

Mr. Akimoto recruits new members through auditions, with girls as young as 13 joining as "research students."

"The best thing is that there are lots of girls around the same age, so we can all work together," says Rie Kitahara, 20, after a performance. Ms. Kitahara is currently ranked No. 13 in the popularity elections. "The hardest thing is that we can't be like normal girls—having boyfriends is not allowed," she says, as she stands under a sign in the theater lobby that reads "Japan's Most Sophisticated Show."

But helped by the country's largest advertising agency, Dentsu Inc., the group has also been aggressively marketed to a more mainstream audience. Among women, individual stars have become popular for their personal off-duty styles, some way removed from the AKB48 schoolgirl uniform look.

This past summer, Atsuko Maeda, ranked No. 1 in the latest election, made her movie debut in a feel-good blockbuster about a high-school girl who finds herself coaching a baseball team. Another leading member, Mariko Shinoda, was featured in her own fashion magazine, "Mariko." Vogue Girl Japan featured four members last year.

"AKB as a whole is something that is born out of a male way of thinking," says the magazine's creative director, Sayumi Gunji. But while women may not be convinced by the group as a collective, she says, "this or that member is popular" with girls looking for stars' fashion tips.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203733304577101733547361496.html



"AKB48 Stage Fighter"


More at http://www.cinematoday.jp/page/N0038177

Offline YKT

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #62 on: December 31, 2011, 06:39:44 AM »
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AKB48 wins 53rd Japan Record Award
Posted on December 30, 2011 by
 

The 53rd Japan Record Awards were held on December 30. Although most of the award winners were announced last month, there were still two big awards to be revealed: the Japan Record Award, and the Best New Artist award.

The Japan Record Award is the event’s biggest award, going to one of the 10 Best Song winners. This year, idol group AKB48 won for the first time. The members took the stage in tears to receive the award, then launched into a performance of their winning song, “Flying Get.”

The Best New Artist award, chosen from the four New Artist winners, went to the group Fairies, who debuted with the single “More Kiss / Song For You” this past September.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/akb48-wins-53rd-japan-record-award/#more-23125


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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #63 on: January 03, 2012, 05:46:30 AM »
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News

Young Magazine Launches 6 New Manga in 7 Weeks
posted on 2012-01-02 13:00 EST

Manga from TV show with AKB48's Mayuyu, Kogyoaika Volleyboys' Murata, others


Kodansha's Young Magazine is launching six new manga series between last week and February 6. In this year's combined 4th/5th issue which actually shipped on December 26, Kogyoaika Volleyboys creator Hiroyuki Murata started Dr. Saotome. The title character of this human drama is an overbearing doctor with the looks of a yakuza gnag member, and he works at a hospital full of other unconventional staffers. Murata's Kogyoaika Volleyboys high school comedy inspired a sequel manga, a video anime project, and several live-action projects. Katsumi Tatsuzawa (Furondo) will then launch Poncho, a manga about a mysterious boy playing high school baseball, in the next issue on January 7.


This year's seventh issue will have two new series: the previously revealed GTO spinoff manga Inohead Gargoyle by GTO creator Tohru Fujisawa, and a manga inspired by a January live-action show starring AKB48 idol group member Mayu Watanabe ("Mayuyu"). The title and other details of the latter manga have not been announced, but AKB48 creator Yasushi Akimoto created and planned this manga that Akihiro Nakamura is drawing. Watanabe inspired other manga in the past.

Daisuke Watanabe is launching a suspense action manga called Hanjū (Demibeast) in the ninth issue on January 30. Finally, Shōhei Sasaki will start the second "season" of Kakumei Senshi Inudō Sadao (Revolutionary Warrior Sadao Inudō) in the 10th issue on February 6.

Source: Comic Natalie
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-01-02/young-magazine-launches-6-new-manga-in-7-weeks

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #64 on: January 06, 2012, 04:47:35 AM »
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AKB48 becomes the top-selling girl group in single sales
by HPriest

With the results of the latest Oricon weekly charts, it was confirmed that popular idol group AKB48 finally managed to become the top-selling girl group in single sales with a total of 11,787,000 sold copies since their debut.

AKB48 needed a total of 25 singles along with five years and eleven months since their debut in 2006 in order to overtake fellow idol group Morning Musume. The previous record held by Morning Musume was 11,774,000 sold copies with 56 singles and a history of thirteen years and eleven months since their debut. Third place belongs to no other than Pink Lady with 11,037,000 sold copies (23 singles).

Member Takahashi Minami commented, “The big excitement of having won the Japan Record Award has yet to calm down, when we already get astonished again with such an unimaginable big number. We are delighted (to have achieved so many sales) and are really grateful towards our fans.”

By the way, a staggering 7,346,000 of the 11,787,000 sold copies were by their five million sellers in 2011 alone.

Source: Sanspo, Oricon
http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/01/akb48-becomes-the-top-selling-girl-group-in-single-sales/

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #65 on: January 06, 2012, 05:20:21 PM »
The official AKB48 YouTube Channel has started subtitling the PVs in English, Chinese and Korean. The subs aren't the best, but dammit, it's a start.

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #66 on: January 07, 2012, 06:26:51 AM »
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Today, Kashiwagi Yuki has given us a double surprise! She announced on her official ameblo blog that AKB48 subunit French Kiss will be releasing a 5th single as well as an album! At the moment, no details have been given out, Yukirin has only said that their working on the single and album.

French Kiss' popularity is slowly growing along with Yukirin's as well. Their last single [Saisho no Mail] is their highest selling single till now and was also their first weekly #1. I'm glad that there is going to be a new single and an album. At the same time, these songs could be used for stages. I'm still hoping 2012 will have many new stages though.

Yukirin's official blog post: http://ameblo.jp/yuki-kashiwagi-we/entry-11128805320.html
POSTED BY SAMMY AT http://melosnomichi.blogspot.com/2012/01/french-kiss-announces-5th-single-and.html

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #67 on: January 08, 2012, 03:50:11 PM »
Quote from: Aki-P @ G+
みなさん、心配しないで。
あのメンバーのソロも、ちゃんと考えています。

"Everyone, don't worry. I'm thinking about that member's solo debut too" (Rough translation)

Apparently there will be another member going solo.

If this is not Takamina, Imma go over to Japan and bitch slap Aki-P.
(Or at least spam the crap outta his G+ page)

Also!

no3b's app has been renewed and is now region-free!! It's available for both iPhone and Android!
« Last Edit: January 08, 2012, 03:55:45 PM by almond »

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #68 on: January 12, 2012, 09:27:28 AM »


New tie up with 7 eleven for Valentine's Day




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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #69 on: January 12, 2012, 02:07:11 PM »
The AKB48 girls have official translation pages now. They're available in English, Thai, Indonesian, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. You can find the pre-made circles on the main AKB page.


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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #70 on: January 15, 2012, 07:47:21 AM »
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JAPANESE IDOL GROUP AKB48 FOUNDER YASUSHI AKIMOTO ON CNN’S TALK ASIA



The renowned music producer, lyricist, television writer and university professor shares his secret to success and responds to critics

Yasushi Akimoto, the producer of Japanese idol phenomenon AKB48, sits down with ‘Talk Asia' this week for an in-depth interview. Akimoto shares with Anna Coren what inspired him to start the group and his plans to expand his pop empire, even though the band already holds a Guinness World Record for the world's largest pop group. Talk Asia also goes backstage at the AKB48 theatre in Tokyo to meet some of the stars, plus travels to Jakarta to follow the auditions of ‘JKT48', a new spinoff sister group being formed in Indonesia. Akimoto also responds to criticism that some of his lyrics are too suggestive to be sung by young girls.

Please find excerpts from the interview with Yasushi Akimoto below. The full interview transcript will be available upon request after the first airing of the show.

‘CNN's Talk Asia' must be credited for any use of this material.

ON THE FORMATION OF AKB48

YASUSHI AKIMOTO, PRODUCER: None of the girls have strong personalities, but once they get together, they bring about chemical reactions. In other words, all the girls are quite ordinary but when they get together, and each one comes into the picture, you can see their charm.  So, I thought that's interesting.

AKIMOTO: Because the girls are really cute, the attraction for some people is that they imagine them as their girlfriends or their idols. Girls who are around the same age as the AKB girls try to become like them and work really hard towards that. With the older generations, it's not that they are striving to realize their dreams like AKB, but they want to cheer the girls on.

ON COMPARING AKB48 WITH TALENT SHOWS IN THE WEST

AKIMOTO: I think we can't stack up against the strength of entertainment in the West. It is very difficult to find talents of that level of singing, acting and dancing in Japan. Praising their [American Idols'] talents and buying their CDs are a form of entertainment, but AKB is not the case. It is about people who want to apply for American Idol but are not very good at singing. They want to dance on Broadway but [are] not really good at it. We show the process of their growth, that they are trying and making efforts, which is different from the West. I don't think we can win if we compete on their turf.

ON EXPANDING THE AKB48 BRAND

AKIMOTO: Because news of AKB48 has spread by way of our website, people say they want to see the performances live, that's why we created new teams with people who were born in Nagoya and Osaka. Kids in those areas can audition as well.

AKIMOTO: People in Indonesia were interested in AKB48. That is why we decided to try it in Jakarta. Kids watched AKB on the internet and they want to do the same, but they don't know whether they have talent. Also it's difficult [for them] to go to Japan to audition.

ON RESPONDING TO CRITICISM ABOUT HIS LYRICS

AKIMOTO: I was often asked how someone like me who is over 50 can write songs for young kids. I remember what it was like when I was a teenager. When I look back, there were sexual things and other things around that interested me. I change them to be not dirty, but more romantic in my lyrics.

AKIMOTO: Unless I take up the issues the girls are facing, as a songwriter, the issues won't get addressed. There are kids out there who want to take off their school uniforms and misbehave, and I am depicting realities in their lives in which they wonder whether it's ok to think that way. I'm not forcing them. I'm picturing their private lives partly based on my imagination or newspaper articles or TV news.  I watch what their generation is doing, the issues of bullying, suicides and sugar-daddy traps and turning them to my song themes.

ON AKB48'S ROLE IN JAPAN'S EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI RELIEF OPERATION

AKIMOTO: Japan is in pain and AKB48 wants to spread energy to everyone, first and foremost. And of course, we would like to continue our support activities. Among other things, I would like to send a message with AKB48 that you can make your dreams come true. I would like to deliver this message not only to Japan but also to people all over the world. Dreams do come true, but how it is realized might be more or less than what you had expected.

Highlights of Yasushi Akimoto's interview with ‘Talk Asia' will be available online at www.cnn.com/talkasia.

http://www.cnnasiapacific.com/press/en/content/757/








Podcast (English)

http://podcasts.cnn.net/cnn/services/podcasting/audio/talkasia/talkasia0113.mp3

TRANSCRIPTS

http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1201/13/ta.01.html
« Last Edit: January 17, 2012, 03:40:53 PM by YKT »

Offline YKT

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #71 on: January 17, 2012, 09:40:58 AM »

Quote
AKB48'll have their own card battle social game at Gree, "AKB48 Stage Fighter".  Will be released at 10/25 along w/ CM.

Quote
On January 17th, social networking service GREE announced the results of ”The 1st Competition Battle Event“, an event for the social game, “AKB48 Stage Fighter“.

“AKB48 Stage Fighter” is a card battle game based on AKB48’s competition for the center position. The event took place from December 28th to January 11th. In the event, players of the same ‘oshimen’ joined forces to complete missions and battle other teams with their card decks. The winner of the battles collected “center auras” from the losing team, and the total number of “center auras” collected determined the ranking.

The members who topped this ranking is said to provide an original song for the game, and will appear in its CM.

Check out the results below!

-

8th Place: Kitahara Rie (Team B)
 Number of auras: 106,106

7th Place: Nagao Mariya (Team 4)
 Number of auras: 122,475

6th Place: Iwasa Misaki (Team A)
 Number of auras: 130, 691

5th Place: Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
 Number of auras: 140,006

4th Place: Miyazawa Sae (Team K)
 Number of auras: 160,775

3rd Place: Yokoyama Yui (Team K)
 Number of auras: 177,112

2nd Place: Kashiwagi Yuki (Team B)
 Number of auras: 181,990

1st Place: Oshima Yuko (Team K)
 Number of auras: 196,208

Source & Image: INSIDE and Oricon

http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/01/oshima-yuko-claims-center-position-for-social-game-akb48-stage-fighter/

Offline YKT

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #72 on: January 21, 2012, 02:47:41 PM »
2011 Oricon music industry report: AKB48 achieved 15% market share of singles
Posted on January 20, 2012 by

Image from: Oricon
Quote
This week, Oricon released its annual music market report, which covers sales for singles, albums, DVDs, and Blu-rays. Last month, the company already revealed the rankings for the top-selling artists in various categories, but the new report contains information about the industry as a whole as well. The data also re-confirms the magnitude of idol group AKB48’s success, indicating a 15% market share of the single sales that Oricon tracks.

As announced last month, AKB48′s total artist sales amounted to 16.28 billion yen. This accounted for 5.4% of the entire music market in 2011, which was over 314.1 billion yen. Arashi, who ranked #1 in total artist sales in 2009 and 2010, dropped to #2 in 2011 with a 5.1% share, thanks largely to their 10.17 billion yen in DVD sales.

AKB48 was most successful in the singles category, having released 5 singles that all sold more than a million copies. Their total single sales amounted to nearly 9.59 billion yen, helping push the singles market up 16.9% from the previous year to more than 62.0 billion yen. In other words, AKB48 captured 15.46% of the singles market.

AKB48′s record label, King Records, achieved 21.23 billion yen in sales, up 145.5% from the previous year (14.59 billion yen). This gave them a 6.8% share of the overall market in 2011, putting them in 4th place out of all music companies in the industry. The year before that, they ranked 7th. Counting singles only, King Records held a 20.3% share of the market.

Sony Music Entertainment was #1 for the 3rd year in a row, with total sales of 51.88 billion yen and a 16.5% market share overall. Avex was #2 with 41.66 billion yen and a 13.3% share, and Universal Music ranked #3 with 36.38 billion yen and an 11.6% share.

A separate industry report revealed by the RIAJ on Friday shows that overall music production in 2011 (CDs, DVDs, etc.) grew by 1% from the previous year, after having shrunk for the past 5 years before that. CD single production showed the biggest increase, up 23% to 62 million copies.

Sources:
Oricon
Mantan Web
Sponichi Annex

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/2011-oricon-music-industry-report-akb48-achieved-15-market-share-of-singles/#more-23266

Offline MaxMcKay

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #73 on: January 21, 2012, 07:05:07 PM »
Bad news: AKB48's wiki site was hacked by a soccer fan
http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2012/01/19/arsenal-hacker-1-akb48-wikipedia-page-0/

Good news: Have you ever read anything funnier?

Morning Musume died on December 15 2010 RIP ● S/mileage died on August 27 2011 RIP

Offline boykun

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #74 on: January 21, 2012, 08:24:05 PM »
lol. I wouldn't mind Wenger managing AKB, he'll give chances for younger/less known members play. /gunner

Sadly Arsenal not doing as well as AKB -__-



Offline Amplifier

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #75 on: January 21, 2012, 08:38:42 PM »
Sadly Arsenal not doing as well as AKB -__-
Or the Spurs :V

* Amplifier prepares to delete this post after the games tomorrow

Interested to see if the vandal was anyone we might know. There's gotta be some other bored Arsenal/Spurs fans around, and they seem the most likely candidates.

Offline YKT

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #76 on: January 26, 2012, 06:39:25 PM »
Credit ethereal_limbo

Source: Only★Star "Favorite Female" Survey

Published on 21 Jan 2012

Quote
Magazine Only★Star conducted a survey that was filled in by 500 women, asking them who their favorite female in each respective field is (talent, actress, ...).


Favorite Girls' AWARD 2012 - Idol Category

#1 Oshima Yuko (AKB48)
#2 Mariko Shinoda (AKB48)
#3 Kojima Haruna (AKB48)
#4 Watanabe Mayu (AKB48)
#5 Maeda Atsuko (AKB48)

Offline MaxMcKay

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #77 on: January 27, 2012, 08:51:03 PM »
http://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-11148085263.html

Yonechan and Nacchan have resigned from AKB48, effective immediately.

Morning Musume died on December 15 2010 RIP ● S/mileage died on August 27 2011 RIP

Offline SomethingWild

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #78 on: January 27, 2012, 09:25:16 PM »
^

Quote
Today, Hirajima Natsumi and Yonezawa Rumi both requested to resign from AKB48.

I apologize for the announcement being so sudden.

Below are messages from the both of them to their fans:

I, Hirajima Natsumi, will hereby resign from AKB48 and Watarirouka Hashiritai.
I'm sorry this announcement was so sudden.

I'm terribly sorry to have caused trouble for everyone.
To everyone who supported me, the members, the staff, and everyone involved with AKB48, I'm really sorry.

I'll separate myself from AKB48 and Watarirouka Hashiritai, but I hope you'll cheer me on so that I can meet all of you again as Hirajima Natsumi.
I'm terribly sorry.
Hirajima Natsumi

-----
I, Yonezawa Rumi, will hereby resign from AKB48 as of today.

I'm sorry this is such a sudden announcement.

To everyone who supported me, I'm both full of thankfulness and the feeling that this was inexcusable.

Thank you for these 5 years.
I was always supported during this time.

I'll continue my activities solo from now on.

I'm terribly sorry that I caused trouble for the members, the fans, and for AKB48. I'm really sorry.

Offline muppet

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Re: General News Thread
« Reply #79 on: January 28, 2012, 05:11:53 AM »
From a personal standpoint, I am a big fan of Watarirouka Hashiritai and thus will really miss Natsumi. Not knowing as much about Rumi, her  departure may not have the same impact to me, but everyone of the members has fans, and it is a sad occasion when the end to one of your favourite's career comes because of boyfriend scandals.   But the agreement is that to be an idol in groups like AKB48 or Hello!Project, the girl must agree to have no boyfriends.

For girls who start at age 11 or 12, I think it is an easier agreement to make, as they probably don't have a huge interest in dating at that age anyway. But when idols get near adulthood, I would think some of them regret not experiencing dating during their high school years.

I just hate to see that the most memorable event in their career might be that they were forced out due to a scandal. Forgetting the years of rehearsal, grueling performance schedules, meeting fans at handshake events, smiling during performances even when they may feel ill or overworked, isn't fair, and their positive action and hard work  is what they should be remembered and thanked for.

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