Single HKT48 5th [12 Byou] (2015/04/22)

I know this is something that has already been discussed, but Kanon's place in senbatsu is SO frustrating.
I don't feel like she brings any dimension to the group at all. Boss is such a key member of HKT in my opinion yet has never been in senbatsu.
Wakachan, Okapan... so many people would be better suited to that place over Kanon.
If they want her in senbatsu they should increase the line-up to 18.

 

@dhp48 Boss was in wink wa 3kai. (with Riinu and Okapan, btw)
but I agree.

 

True, but that isn't a true senbatsu... with it just being the Janken HKT b-side and not an actual single.
I just want more for her, haha

 

She is only 14 so she will be around for years to come at least.

 

Boss is still so young, she's already pretty popular too in the variety shows. I think she'll be in the next single, and we'll get another senbatsu announcement video with her as the focus this time, like the last couple

 

^I agree, boss is fantastic but still quite "blue". I think she is growing very well with her Kennin in S, who knows what future plans they have for her

 

I don't know which is more pointless: Kanon's kennin in HKT or Sae's nonexistence in SNH.

But don't hate the girl, hate the management at least. If she wasn't in senbatsu, others would cry foul at it too.
I want them to cancel Kanon's kennin as much as the next guy but let's face it, as long as she's there she'll always get a spot. #dealwithit

 

And here I am. Probably the oly person on S48 that wants to see more Non in HKT shows and KIV stages.

 

3rd Round

Miyawaki Sakura - 26/30(3)
Sashihara Rino - 6/30(1)

Tanaka Yuka - 0.6/14.4

Hokazono Hazuki - 1.2/8.8

Basically it's just Sakura and Sasshi. Hopefully it's only because both fan bases are large and loaded enough to afford both the SSK and the election.

 

well damn, they're not doing well this time, i think the sales are gonna be worse than the last time, election saving??

queen Sakura forever slaying, even selling faster than Sasshi, where's Haruppi??, where's her so called noneexistant ''rival''?, Meru and Mio not even one spot, Sasshi only 6 slots, wow

 

I think the reason for this is the "plan" (if it is real) to put as many HKT members in SSK as possible (31 right?). This single is only releasing probably around 1 month before election single, so fans are probably saving for that. If it was in February like it was supposed to be the sales would have been normal.

 

Well according to a certain record store in Japan, AKB's 40th single, the one expected to have SSK tickets in it, supposed to be released May 20th. 1 month AFTER HKT's 5th single.

 

we are doomed.

 

well dang, HKT is unlucky, only 2 singles a year, 1 single is pushed back and is pushed back right into the saving for election time period so you either buy the single and let the girls flop in SSK or vote for the girls and let HKT's own single flop, either way HKT will lose something

 

Considering most fans are fans of member(s) not the group itself. The priority is the election

 

^ I think they are probably fans of both the group and the members, but getting 31-some odd members to rank is a much bigger achievement than selling higher than the last single. As long as they keep #1 oricon streak the fans probably don't care about amt. sold

 

Just dropping by to read a few pages~
Idk about you guys but from the looks of Exile and GG's past sales, HKT have nothing to worry about. They could sell 200,000 cd's and still get #1. It would significantly lower than their last cd sales but imho a #1 single and ranking so many girls in SSK is an achievement in itself. ^^

 

HKT48's 12-byou PV's director is Takahashi Eiki again
https://twitter.com/eikitakahashi/status/577147532511334400

 

Is she now? Her thread is pretty dead, but if that's the case I would be super happy.

 

This is in line with their previous theater sales, so there's nothing surprising about it. Compared to last year's Sakura, Minna de Tabeta, in which I think almost every HKT48 girl was available into the last round and then into resales too (I could get unlimited tickets if I had the money, basically), Haruppi's sales have generally picked up across AKB48's and HKT48's singles, but even then they're not going to make up for being moved into April.

I was talking about this with bluementaiko on Twitter, but moving the release date probably did hurt them more than help them. The Sakuruppi center, even though they're the top 2 members, does nothing for sales when both camps have already started their preparations for the sousenkyo just like you said. Assuming both girls minimally aim for senbatsu again as their stated goals, they'll need a large sum of money. Haruppi fans know last year they didn't do enough so they have a better benchmark for how many votes they'll need, and Sakura fans will have to prove themselves once again and maybe even more if she decides to drop a bombshell by saying she wants to aim for Kami 7. Then we probably have some Meru fans who are upset with losing to Mio last year, and Mio fans looking to keep her place or higher, and the end result is just that this single will unfortunately have to be sacrificed for the sousenkyo. This fandom has always been about the idols first and the group second, so no one will give a damn about single sales if it means their idol gets more exposure in the sousenkyo and then perhaps more work down the road. "Kodama Haruka enters AKB48 senbatsu!" is a much more catchy headline than "HKT48 sells x amount of copies!"

And then we have the problem of location/dates. 5/23 and 5/24 are ok, but the hottest weekend is generally 5/31, the weekend right before the sousenkyo so then fans can give encouragement one last time. SKE48 and NMB48 both have handshakes 5/31, but I think HKT48 had something planned that date already. The 6/13 date is in Nagoya, and there's not that many HKT48 fans in Nagoya, unfortunately Lines were nonexistent for any girl except Sakura last year when I went, and even hers were shorter than normal. The only dates in Fukuoka, their strongest base of support besides Tokyo, are 7/11 and 10/3, but they're so freaking far away that it discourages some people. Most people don't like blotting out dates half a year in advance, or even 4 months This effect could be seen for AKB48 single sales last year too when their events were backed up half a year, so it's not something unique to HKT48. In my opinion, they probably should've switched the locations for 6/13 and 7/11, but I don't work there so who knows how logistics worked out. More people will probably be trying to use the resale rounds to pick up tickets even after the single has released instead of the normal rounds now because they'll have a better view of how their budgets look after they use up their money for the sousenkyo.

In conclusion, yeah, lots of factors working against this single, unfortunately. I think sales will be fine in the end (in line with previous releases), but it's kind of being sent out to die. But hey, the positive side is that any marketing for the single (photoshoots for members in magazines, appearances on TV programs, stuff like that) will help promote the members for the sousenkyo since the dates are so close! HKT48 did amazingly well last year there, they'll be aiming for a repeat performance.