SKE48 (the sister group of AKB48) has managed to sell more than 496,000 copies of their latest 8th single “Kataomoi Finally (片想いFinally)“, that was released last week on 25 Jan 2012.

While it is not as impressive as the first day million sales record set by AKB48, this is still an excellent performance by SKE48 because its the first time they managed to sell more than 400,000 copies in the first week of release. This is also the best first week sales amongst the AKB48 sister groups.

Source: Oricon

Popular idol group AKB48 has released the “short version” of their music video for “GIVE ME FIVE!” the title track for their upcoming 25th single. This song is a refreshing style for AKB48 as the girls organised themselves into a girl band called “Baby Blossom”.

The reason why I say this is the short PV is because there will be a 34 minutes long drama music video that will be released on the DVD bundled together with the single. The story will be set in a high school where students played by the members are facing difficulties in their lives and join the music club. They form a band called “Baby Blossom” that helps them bond together and overcome their own difficulties. This is the five “sakura-themed” song for AKB48 which means that the last part of the story will be talking about graduation.

“GIVE ME FIVE!” is scheduled for release on 25 Feb 2012 and here are the tracklistings for the singles (Type A & Type B):

Type A Single:

CD Tracks 
1. GIVE ME FIVE!
2. Sweet & Bitter (Selection 6)
3. NEW SHIP (Special Girls A)
4. GIVE ME FIVE! (Off vocal ver.)
5. Sweet & Bitter (Off vocal ver.)
6. NEW SHIP (Off vocal ver.)

DVD
1. GIVE ME FIVE! -Music Video-
2. Sweet & Bitter -Music Video-
3. NEW SHIP -Music Video-
4. GIVE ME FIVE! -MAKING-
5. Utsukushii MIX Kouza

Type B Single:

CD Tracks 
1. GIVE ME FIVE!
2. Sweet & Bitter
3. Hitsujikai no Tabi (Special Girls B)
4. GIVE ME FIVE! (Off vocal ver.)
5. Sweet & Bitter (Off vocal ver.)
6. Hitsujikai no Tabi (Off vocal ver.)

DVD
1. GIVE ME FIVE! -Music Video-
2. Sweet & Bitter -Music Video-
3. Hitsujikai no Tabi -Music Video-
4. GIVE ME FIVE! -Making-
5. Utskushii overture & encore

AKB48 held their annual live event “AKB48 Request Hour 2012 Setlist Best 100″ on 19-22 Jan 2012 at Tokyo Dome City and over the four days performed 100 top songs that were voted by fans. Interestingly, this year’s #1 song was “Heavy Rotation”, which was also chosen by fans as their most favorite song in the previous year.

Here’s the entire list of top 100 songs (consisting of single and coupling songs from AKB48, SKE48, NMB48 and SDN48):

100: Theater no Magami
099: Pajama Drive
098: Dakishimeraretara
097: Dear my teacher
096: Anata ga ite kureta kara
095: AKB Sanjou!
094: Higurashi no Koi
093: Wasshoi E!
092: High school days
091: Kataomoi no Taikakusen
090: Seifuku Resistance
089: To be continued.
088: 16-nin Shimai no Uta
087: Seventeen
086: Nakeru Basho
085: Ice no Kuchizuke
084: Hikkoshimashita
083: FIRST LOVE
082: Iikagen no Susume
081: Kimi ni Tsuite
080: Blue rose
079: Sougen no Kiseki
078: Nagisa no CHERRY
077: Overtake
076: Koi wo Kataru Shijin ni narenakute
075: 1! 2! 3! 4! Yoroshiku!
074: Wagamama Collection
073: Tenshi no Shippo
072: Gomenne, SUMMER
071: Himawari
070: Tsundere!
069: Saishuu Bell ga Naru
068: Locker Room Boy
067: Sasae
066: Kimi no Senaka
065: Arashi no Yoru niwa
064: Yankee Soul
063: Banzai Venus
062: Kanojo ni naremasuka?
061: Honest man
060: Uhho Uhhoho
059: RESET
058: Namida Surprise!
057: Seishun to Kizukanai mama
056: Only today
055: Korogaru Ishi ni Nare
054: RIVER
053: Kurumi to Dialogue
052: Chance no Junban
051: End Roll
050: Mammoth
049: Omoide Ijou
048: Zannen Shoujo
047: Kuchi Utsushi no Chocolate
046: Gyakuten Ouji-sama
045: Ookami to Pride
044: MARIA
043: 10-nen Zakura
042: Dareka no Tame ni ~What can I do for someone?~
041: Kuroi Tenshi
040: Yuuhi wo Mite iruka?
039: Pioneer
038: Temo Demo no Namida
037: Enjou Rosen
036: Enkyori Poster
035: Shoujo tachi yo
034: Itoshisa no Accel
033: Oogoe Diamond
032: Candy
031: Choose me!
030: Sakura no Ki ni Narou
029: Okie Dokie
028: Junai no Crescendo
027: Kimi to Boku no Kankei
026: Shonichi
025: Ponytail to Shushu
024: Kiseki wa Maniawanai
023: Seishun no Lap time
022: Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo
021: Omatase Set list
020: Mushi no Ballad
019: Oh My God!
018: Beginner
017: Kareha no Station
016: Pareo wa Emerald
015: Heart-gata Virus
014: Kurukurupa-
013: Bird
012: Kimi no koto ga Suki dakara
011: Iiwake Maybe
010: Yokaze no Shiwaza
009: Nakinagara Hohoende
008: Dakishimecha Ikenai
007: Kaze wa Fuiteiru
006: Itoshiki Natasha
005: Team B Oshi
004: Flying Get
003: Kodoku na Runner
002: Everyday, Kachuusha
001: Heavy Rotation

The official AKB48 youtube channel has uploaded the official footage from the recent AKB48 & SKE48 Seijin no Hi Ceremony held at Kanda Shrine (神田明神) in Tokyo on 10 Jan 2012.

The AKB48 members that participated were Itano Tomomi (板野友美), Oya Shizuka (大家志津香),  Kasai Tomomi (河西智美), Kashiwagi Yuki (柏木由紀),  Kitahara Rie (北原里英),  Kobayashi Kana (小林香菜), Suzuki Mariya (鈴木まりや), Takajo Aki (高城亜樹), Takahashi Minami (高橋みなみ), Nakagawa Haruka (仲川遥香), Nakaya Sayaka (仲谷明香), Nonaka Misato (野中美郷), Maeda Atsuko (前田敦子), Masuda Yuka (増田有華) and Yonezawa Rumi (米沢瑠美).

Aitakatta (会いたかった) is one the classic hits from popular Japanese idol group AKB48. Last weekend, their official “rival group” Nogizaka46 performed their own version of the song with a different take from the usual bubbly tune that fans are used to.

After listening to their version, I think they should rename the song to “会わなかった”. ^^”

Iiwake Maybe (言い訳Maybe) was the 13th single by Japanese idol group AKB48 and it’s one of my most favorite song till now. A group of Gundam modelers (RRM) were so inspired by AKB48 who came to their earthquake devasted hometown in Fukushima to perform that they decided to mod Nobel Gundams and recreate the special single cover.

If you look carefully at each of the Gundam mod, you can see that they have put in much effort so that their unique styles can be easily identified.

Source: オタク.com｜オタコム

Today’s 19 members from the AKB48 and SKE48 idol group celebrated the annual “Coming of Age Day [Seijin no Hi 成人の日]” as they have turned 20 years old. The members participate in a ceremony held at Kanda Shrine (神田明神) in Tokyo.

The AKB48 members that participated were Itano Tomomi (板野友美), Oya Shizuka (大家志津香),  Kasai Tomomi (河西智美), Kashiwagi Yuki (柏木由紀),  Kitahara Rie (北原里英),  Kobayashi Kana (小林香菜), Suzuki Mariya (鈴木まりや), Takajo Aki (高城亜樹), Takahashi Minami (高橋みなみ), Nakagawa Haruka (仲川遥香), Nakaya Sayaka (仲谷明香), Nonaka Misato (野中美郷), Maeda Atsuko (前田敦子), Masuda Yuka (増田有華) and Yonezawa Rumi (米沢瑠美).

As for SKE48, the four members that participated were Suda Akari (須田亜香里), Takayanagi Akane (高柳明音), Hiramatsu Kanako (平松可奈子) and Matsui Rena(松井玲奈).

So happy for all the girls as they prepare to enter the next stage of their lives with increased responsibilities as new adults. Of course, my favorite member Tomochin looks absolutely gorgeous XD

Source: natalie

Here’s a video uploaded by Horipro showcasing the Seijin no Hi ceremony

Great news for AKB48 fans in Singapore because Golden Village has announced that they will be screening the live telecast of the AKB48 Request Hour 2012 Setlist Best 100 & Unit Festival at their Vivocity cinema.

As earlier reported, this year’s AKB48 Request Hour will be taking place on 19-22 Jan 2012, an annual occasion for fans  to celebrate their favorite songs. The top 100 songs will be performed by the members of AKB48, SKE48, SDN48 and NMB48 in an epic 4-day concert event.

The tickets will be sold at $45 (public) and $40(members), so if you are planning to watch all five days of the performance, it could probably burn a huge hole in your pocket.  What the heck, you could probably top up and purchase the DVD set when it is released later.

Recently Takanori Nishikawa (西川 貴教), also known as T.M.Revolution shared a photo on his twitter that featured himself wearing an outfit that is very similar to AKB48 performance costume. I must say that he does quite good in it as well. XD

Following last week’s single sales, Oricon has announced that the popular Japanese idol gr0up AKB48 has finally climbed to the top, become the leader of the singles all-time sales chart for any female group.

Since AKB48 debut in 2006, the idol group has released 25 singles and has sold more than 11,787,000 copies. This bested the previous record of 11,774,000 copies held by Morning Musume.

1. AKB48 - 11,787,000 (25 singles)
2. Monring Musume – 11,774,000 copies (56 singles)
3. Pink Lady – 11,037,000 copies (23 singles)

It is also worth noting that AKB48 only took 5 years to break Morning Musume’s record that are achieved via 56 singles over the span of thirteen years and eleven months. 2011 is definitely AKB48 most successful year thus far where they sold 7,346,000 copies with 5 singles breaking the million sales record.