Single AKB48 38th [Kibouteki Refrain] (2014/11/26)

Really not anticipating this one. Mayu again (as much as like her, I had enough of her being a center this year) and double center with Sakura, who I don't like at all. Also likely sister group members will be taking all the good spots, as usual.. This is very frustrating for someone who doesn't follow the sister groups, even though here and there I like some of the members. I don't even know what song to expect of this senbatsu. Many girls with potential for something energetic, with few exceptions, but then this double center doesn't sound promising.. Will see.

 

I think the management is trying to strike a balance between promoting AKB48 itself and leveraging AKB48's popularity to promote new girl from all sister groups, hence the 32 girls senbatsu.

Congratulations to all the first-timer, but they should already figured out how to juggle between the two priority at this point.
32 girls senbatsu looks like a lazy solution to me.

 

Sakura deserve center in HKT singles not AKB. she get front position in HKT senbatsu/Team KIV and now in AKB senbatsu/Team A lol. too bad for AKB girls can't shine in the own group.

 

maybe it is 32 for the fall and the supposed janken single 16+16

 

Lol cool single with Mayuyu x Sakura W-center? Doubt it...

Well Akicha out, but I'm not surprised. I'm surprised though that Kitarie was left out, same as Okada Nana and Nishino Miki! Other girls that suprised me for being out are Meru (I suppose this girl is history...), Tomonaga, Shibuya, Aya and Matsumura (though these two last girls just started to be prominent girls so....)

Team 8 members start appearing in senbatsu, figures.... Same as Ikoma Rina, ofc she will become an active member of AKB...

Anyway I'm happy with the senbatsu of this single, lots of new faces hope it's not some cute-idolish song

 

They should have weeded this one down. Make it seriously only new gens (I mean basically the only real "old gen" members are Yukirin, Jurina, Haruna, etc.) and split the freaking senbatsu in half – one old gen, one new gen.

 

Wonder if this is an experiment again. Make it big to see if the fans of all the 32 increase overall sales. But I don't think so....it is already bad enough dividing up time with 16 and unless your girl(s) is a top one you can't the others screen time in micro seconds.

I don't think this can practically work from a fan PV viewing perspective. Though it may work in encouraging more sales through an increased group size...if only a one time trick.

 

Assuming most 32+ senbatsu singles are beach themed [Sayonara Crawl, Manatsu no Sounds Good, Labrador Retriever]? Or at the very least, shot on location in Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, etc...might we assume that AKS is trying to bait fan-servicey audiences after w/e Kokoro no Placard sales? Labrador, as most summer/ssk vote singles, sold RIDIC amounts. But maybe their demographic experts think swimsuits or w/e can boost sales?

Unless this is one of those, "the real strength of AKB is in the numbers, so let's toss more girls at the problem, that's what people really want" kind of thing...

 

if this will be old gen x new gen, does it mean that sakura will be appointed as next mayuyu? just like someone said that in ManaGu PV they had old vs new where mayuyu was atsuko's under

 

Just an additional note, obviously not all of them will perform on music shows just like the summer singles. most of those new entries will probably be in the back and out of the media senbatsu.

 

This line up is definetely to make the million strike goes on.
And I don't like it all since I would have enjoy so much a more AKB centered single (19 girls here, perfect for me).

As for the song, I really hope it will not be cute, if it is, I could really lose my last interest in AKB A-Side (never said anything about the rest )

 

Wow. I thought I was like the only person who didn't like Sakura... I mean not even one bit. But IMO no way they were gonna let a sister group member solo center an AKB single. I think Sakura was already locked in, so they had to pick an AKB member to wcenter... and IMO Mayuyu is always the default choice when they cannot make up their mind and Aki-p himself said staff were arguing about this senbatsu.

I think they are setting Sakura up to be the supreme commander of HKT (that is also why they made her co-captain) like how Sayanee is with NMB... IMO they want Sakura to take over for Sasshi... not Mayuyu.

 

I guess impossible they make cool singles like UZA with heavy dance choreography with 32 members. seems it's will be a idolish songs with slow dance but I doesn't matter if they/Aki-P make a good song.

 

^ah yeah, a badass song like UZA will be tough now if they start using giant senbatsu. I guess anything is possible though. They have so many members now so I wouldn't be surprised if they start doing the big senbatsu more to get girls in. Even though half of them probably wont do much it's still alright (...kind of. lol)~

 

Don't think it was aruging , but rather that the staff saw that alot of the girls were stepping up and I'm guessing they couldn't come with the rest of them (after the usual Senbatsu) and I'm guessing Aki-P said "What the hell, put them all in". Lol

 

Definitely too many members for a dance heavy single. This is gonna be some traditional idol j-pop ISH.
Assuming they always shoot 32+ singles in a tropical location, sept-oct shooting might be too cold for swimsuits?
I'm guessing we're gonna get something closer to Labrador Retriever?

Anyone else think the inclusion of a Team 8 member is to help bolster Team 8's validity?
"Hey look, we've got Team 8 in senbatsu now, GEE WOW!"
Or maybe to help boost this Arubaito thing they want to do?

Whatever happened to the single the fans were gonna create/vote for-- is that THIS one?

 

I feel that sakura needs to really step up on her expression when performing ... She has the same I am happy or surprised look on every song...or well.. Every song I have seen her in.

 

quite an interesting senbatsu lineup.

sayaya though, i'm shocked. i like her but is she really senbatsu worthy??
why aya isn't in this will forever confuse me.
tanotomu hell yeah!
the fact that fuuchan isn't on here but mirurun is....
i sorta expected a mayu/jurina or a mayu/yukirin center but sakura?? probably cuz she's never centered an hkt single
so is sae coming back into senbatsu? she needs to just ditch snh, she hasn't participated in an snh single or ranked in their senbatsu, so what's the point?

 

A: Paruru, Kojiharu, Takamina, Ricchan, Annin, Tomu
K: Yui, Mako, Tano
B: Mayuyu, Yukirin, Juri, Naanya, Ryoka, Sayaya
4: Miichan, Mion, Renacchi, Yuria
8: Ikumin
S: Sae, Jurina
E: Rena, Akarin
N: Sayanee
M: Mirurun
BII: Milky
H: Sasshi, Haruppi
KIV: Sakura, Madoka
NGZK46: Ikoma

20 out of those names are pure AKB.
If we add kennin, that's 25 out of 32.
I think it's a good balance.

It seems the theory of management changing the schedule was right.
No janken single meant a lot of space between the end of October and the end of February, so they just pushed this back a month make up for it. I like it!

To be honest, the more names that were called, the less special it seemed.
It's the first a-side single for Tano (except for Suzukake) and Tomu, but it doesn't seem so great if they are sharing it with other 30 girls.

I'm still surprised the likes of Ryoka and Sayaya getting it.
I could understand Naanya and Miion cause they're being pushed like crazy, but I haven't seen anything outstanding from the former two.
And the rest of Tentoumu Chu!? I feel Nana and Miki had enough momentum after the election to get in here, but...

Now this comes to mind:



I can see AkiP, after hours of discussion, going all SCREW THIS! EVERYONE IN!

I don't expect a heavy-dance single, but AkiP himself said this was another kami song, so... I have trust in the lord him.

If this is remotly similar to Kaze wa Fuiteiru, it will be the best single ever.

EDIT: OMFG IKUMIN IS IN!!11!!! I hope she gets a secret center position or something.

 

Tanochan made Senbatsu!!!
I'm so proud of her I want to cry