Umechan truly is the breakthrough star of the year.
True dat.
When you (masa) first got into AKB48, you really took your time to get to know the girls and pick favorites. I'll admit I was surprised when you mentioned Umechan, because I never really noticed her either. It's hard to stand out when you are not given a fair chance. In some ways, Umechan is a bit like Tomochin, in that she was a bit goofy looking when she first joined the group. She even got the Tomoteeth going:

As years went by I went without any dosage of Umechan input. Barely any appearances and I didn't watch that many team K shows.
Suddenly, things started to change! <insert masa's story here>

Umechan definitely had an EPIC year. I loved seeing her in the undergirls' center. That PV was great and she made the most out of every second she got. Furthermore, she proved she can handle variety. There have been many cool Umechan moments on Shukan, for example the talk battle episode in which she slaughtered her opponent (I can't recall who it was atm.). Finally, she turned into a gorgeous woman over the past years. A true adult with some amazing sex-appeal.


Happy Birthday Umechan! Best of luck in 2012!