Sasshi Is Center and (almost) Everything Is Bliss

If you had asked me six months ago whether or not I thought Sashihara Rino was going to rank #1 in the 5th Senbatsu Election, I would have laughed until I was choking for air.

In fact, I recall writing in my year-end megapost for 2012 how I doubted Sasshi would ever have a chance for a huge push again. Let's see, what wording did I use again? "The transfer wrecked any chances for Sasshi to be the new center of AKB48 after Maeda Atsuko's graduation and she hasn't had the same attention or pushing ever since." In fact, I think I spent most of the tail-end of 2012 thinking that Sasshi's career as an idol was pretty screwed over. Yeah, looking back, I can't get over how fantastically ironic my prediction for Sasshi's future in 2013 would be. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time I was ridiculously off about a prediction! When the preliminary results for the election came out this year, I think everyone was a little taken aback at Sasshi's jump to #1. However, there wasn't full-on panic (not yet at least) since after all, a lot can change from prelims to the actual results. When I first saw the prelims, I too was surprised that Sasshi ranked #1, especially since I would have thought she'd be going down this year. And while I was hopeful that someone besides Yuko/Mayuyu/Paruru would have a chance at being center, I also tried to remain rational. It was only the first day and I've been through enough Senbatsu elections to know that the final results can and will change from the first day. I was mostly certain that Oshima Yuko would easily get #1 as always, but Sasshi's vote count did plant a little seed of hope in me that the 5th Senbatsu Election might be different this year. And here we are with Sasshi firmly planted at #1 and more than 10,000 votes ahead of Yuko. Of course, Sasshi's ranking wasn't the only surprise of this year's election, but we'll get to those in a couple paragraphs. I just can't believe that Sasshi really did it. From #9 to #4 to #1... it's quite surreal to see her ranked at the top! I honestly thought that Mayuyu or Yuko had a better chance of ranking #1! But nope, Sasshi, the wotagei, scandal-inflicted, transferred idol got it! Of course, everyone was reeling over the results, with fan reactions ranging from hyperactive joy to fire-burning rage and everything in-between!

But honestly... I think Sashihara Rino is what AKB48 needs as a center.

And no, I'm not saying that as a fan of Sasshi. She's not even my favorite AKS member. Granted, I've always kind of liked her, but nowhere near compared to say Akimoto Sayaka or Minegishi Minami. After Sasshi's scandal, my interest in her kind of waned since I didn't see much of a point in following an idol who was clearly getting screwed over by a nonsensical dating scandal that was probably blown way out of proportion. Still, as the year went on and AKB48's songs got suckier, I did start to lament that the scandal happened to her. After all, who knows what AKB48 would have looked like had Sasshi not been transferred to HKT48. But alas, she did, and suddenly, Sasshi's push to the front of AKB48 just... stopped. Sure, she was still in AKB48's Senbatsu, but it was like she'd taken two steps back. Yet I still couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Sasshi had been pushed as center instead of Mayuyu or Paruru. Most of all, I wondered how AKB48's music would have been affected had Sasshi had been pushed; would it have been better? I've made it clear as filtered water that I have been in a musical rut with AKB48 since Gingham Check; I think all of their A-sides have been incredibly bland and unoriginal. They've been lacking that... spark that was usually there when Acchan was in AKB48. I don't know if it's because Acchan graduated or AKS is too scared to do anything too different for fear that it won't make money or Aki-P got abducted by aliens and replaced with a robot double but whatever it is, I just haven't been into AKB48's music the way I used to be. So even though I know it might be huge shot in the dark but... I think AKB48 needs a new center, and I feel like Sasshi can be that new center. Not Yuko, not Mayuyu, not Paruru, but someone who has never, ever been center before: Sasshi. I don't know if her being center will even affect the music output at all, but part of me hopes that maybe, just maybe she will.

Or maybe I'm being idealistic again. I don't know! Right now all I know is that I am extremely happy and extremely that Sashihara Rino is going to be center for at least one AKB48 single! And you know what's great about it? The fact that so many fans wanted her to be center, enough to boost her rank to number 1! I think it's amazing that despite the scandal and the transfer, Sasshi somehow managed to turn things around and make the best of her situation. In a weird way... I think that "scandal" (if you can even call it that) helped Sasshi out in the long run. And yeah, yeah, I know that management probably helped a lot too by not firing Sasshi and appointing her as manager of HKT48, but I still think it's amazing that Sasshi bounced back so fantastically. It gives me hope that maybe someday Miichan can bounce back from her scandal too... but that's a topic for another post. What makes me most excited about Sasshi as center of AKB48's next single is the sheer unpredictability it'll bring to the table. In other words... what the hell is the 32nd single going to sound like? A quirky and weird song to match Sasshi's quirky and weird personality? An ode to wotadom and idols? A insipid bland song that sounds like all the other A-sides AKB48's been getting lately? Yeah, I hope it's not that one, but I'm still going to keep it in mind as we get closer to details being revealed for the 32nd single. I don't know, right now I feel like there are so many possibilities that can happen with Sasshi as center over say, Paruru or Mayuyu. I don't know what those possibilities entail, but I hope it's something good. And I hope that Sasshi can live up to the position that's been given to her! Well, I figure she'll be able to but still! What I like about Sasshi is the fact that she just seems to really genuinely love being an idol along with her love for idols in general. She's open about her love for idols such as Morning Musume, and it's very... refreshing.

Of course, the Senbatsu election hasn't completely brought rainbows and flowers. It also brought forth a graduation announcement, and a big one too. Most of you probably know by now, but when 1st Generation member Shinoda Mariko was announced as 5th, during her speech, she announced her graduation. And honestly, when I woke up the next morning and found out, I think my stomach dropped. I literally did not see this coming. Like if you'd asked me who I thought was going to graduate next in AKB48, Mariko would have been far, far down the list. Hell, I even made a joke in one of my latest PV reviews about Mariko never graduating from AKB48! I mean... wow. I know it's been over a week since the Senbatsu election, but I still haven't gotten over the fact that Mariko will be gone from AKB48 in just over a month, along with Tomochin and Sayaka... Yeah, the graduation dates for those three idols were all announced. Mariko will be graduating on July 21st, Sayaka on August 22nd, and Tomochin on August 25th. Obviously, Sayaka's graduation is the one I'm dreading the most, but I can't say I'm looking forward to Mariko's either. I guess she has had a long, glorious run in AKB48, and she is getting older. There are a lot of other professions Mariko may want to take on, and if she wants to pursue something else instead of AKB48... then the best of luck to her! Still, I can imagine July and August are going to be very, very painful months for many an AKB48 fan. But hey, at least Maeda Atsuko's appearing at one of AKB48's concerts! Yep, AKS just can't seem to let her go, can they? I have nothing against Acchan, but I'd prefer her to keep doing her own think outside of AKB48. Really the only reason I'm a little excited about Acchan's appearance is the fact that a new unit will also be announced on the same day. About time too! All the current sub-units are pretty much kaput what with all the graduations... Well, many changes are a-coming to AKB48. Whether they're be for better or worse, only time will tell. Personally, I hope they're for the better; I'd very much like to get out of the rut I've been in with AKB48.

For now, let's take a quickie look at just who makes up this year's elected Senbatsu this year!

16. Suda Akari - Oh, so the bottom of the Senbatsu is a random SKE48 chick whom I have no idea about? Oh goody! It's a repeat of the Janken Senbatsu all over again! I'll be honest, I don't follow SKE48 that much an can only count the number of members I know and recognize on on hand. As you may have deduced, Suda Akari is not one of members I am familiar with! Well, I'm a little more familiar with her now! I looked her up on the Stage 48 Wiki and apparently, she's been regularly featured in SKE48's Senbatsu since 1!2!3!4! Yoroshiku! So I guess she must be pretty popular to rank so high in the Senbatsu Election. Well, Akari, I may know nothing about you but congrats on going from #29 to #16!

15. Watanabe Miyuki - Does anyone else find it kind of hilarious that both Milky and Sayanee climbed at the same rate and Milky landed one spot behind Sayanee just like last year's election? Anyone? Well, the faces of NMB48 said that their goal was to make it into Senbatsu for this year's election and by golly, they did it! It probably helps that Milky's in concurrency with Team B and Sayanee's captain of Team N and just... Sayanee in general. I'll admit, Milky's kind grown on me in the past year and I think she's a very charming an entertaining idol, even if her schtick feels a tad bit forced at times. It's still awesome that she was able to climb out of Undergirls and break into the lower part of Senbatsu though!

14. Yamamoto Sayaka - How appropriate for the captain of Team N to rank in the Senbatsu this year! Last year, Sayanee was one of the girls that I really wanted in Senbatsu (and I thought she'd get in) but like Milky, she just barely missed it. Still, Sayanee persevered on in both her team and in her singles with AKB48 and it looks like her hard work paid off! Sayanee's always been one of my favorite captains from any of the AKS groups; the only captain who trumps her for me is Takamina! Then again, it is Takamina so yeah... I like that so many team captains got into Senbatsu. Now if only Umeda Ayaka had been able to rank just a little bit higher... not that I'm mad about her (very high) position in Undergirls either!

13. Yokoyama Yui - Ah, what's a Yokoyama Yui Senbatsu speech without copious amounts of tears and emotion from Yui herself? I will say though I don't think the speech from this year was quite as blubbering and teary as the past two elections. Still, Yui was as grateful as always for her ranking and it's strangely heartwarming to see her get so emotional over her ranking! I've always liked Yui so I think it's great that she's climbed a little bit in ranking this year, even if it isn't a terribly high climb! I've always found it odd that despite the huge push she gets, her ranking never gets super high but it's still great that she's going up a little bit every year with each Senbatsu Election!

12. Shimazaki Haruka - I have to admit, I wasn't that surprised that Paruru ranked somewhat low in the Senbatsu despite a colossal push from management. You know how I said in some AKB48 review several posts back how Yokoyama Yui had gotten the same promotion Paruru had but it didn't have a huge effect on her position in the Senbatsu Election? I was kind of thinking that Paruru's rank would parallel Yui's and hey, I was right! But can we all talk about the look on Paruru's face!? The girl looked like she was gonna cut someone! I don't think I've ever seen Paruru look so... emotional! It was a little scary! Still, from #23 to #12 is still an impressive achievement!

11. Itano Tomomi - My heart kind of sank when I found out Tomichin ranked even lower than last year despite graduating this year. I mean, I've never been a huge fan of her or her music but I still can't help but feel a little bad that she ranked so low in her last single in AKB48. It would have been a little nice if she'd been able to go out of AKB48 with a slightly higher ranking, you know? Still, with all the pushes of the newer generation, it must have been hard for Tomochin to rank high enough. I will say, her comment about "I always hated this Sousenkyo," really does hit home, especially when you think about how it's basically pitting the girls against another in a giant, televised popularity contest.

10. Miyazawa Sae - All right, one rank up for Sae! You go Sae! I can imagine that this past year has been pretty rough for Sae with Sayaka graduating, her transfer to SNH48, the trouble of actually being in the group what with all the uneasy relations between Japan and China right now... but it's nice to know that she's still got what it takes to rank so high in the Senbatsu Election! I actually think that her concurrency might have helped her get a few more votes, the same way it did with Sasshi! Speaking of that, during her speech, Sae announced that she was rejecting the concurrency Aki-P thrust upon her to devote more time to being in SNH48! So yeah, you go Sae!

9. Kojima Haruna - So as I predicted, Harunyan went down. I can't say I'm too surprised but hey, she's still in the top 10! What I noticed from the 2nd to 4th elections, she and Takamina always switched places! Like when Takamina was #6, she was #7 and vice versa! Yeah. I just thought that was kind of interesting. I actually don't have too much to say about Harunyan's ranking since I'm not a huge fan of her. I mean, I like her and all; I just don't follow and/or notice her very much. Still, she seems like a very nice person! And I like her in no3b alongside Takamina and Miichan! It's a shame that all three of them aren't in Senbatsu this year. But oh well, it's nice that Harunyan still got a pretty good ranking!

8. Takahashi Minami - Like Tomochin, I was bummed that Takamina ranked so low in Senbatsu. Well, I guess "low" is pretty subjective because if someone like Fujie Reina or Umeda Ayaka ranked this high, I'd be jumping up and down with joy. But it's Takamina! It just feels a little odd with her out of the Kami 7, even if it is by just a little bit. I'd think with her solo single she'd have ranked a bit higher but I suppose not. I think Takamina's freaking awesome, definitely one of my favorite members of AKB48, and one of if not the best leader I have ever seen for an idol group. She's always had a very sweet, unintentionally hilarious personality and I'm happy that she's remained a staple of the Senbatsu!

7. Matsui Rena - Wow. It dawned on me while I was writing this post that both Rena and Jurina are in the Kami 7. It's just... kind of surreal. In fact, almost half the members in the Kami 7 aren't even from AKB48 for this year's election! How weird is that? Rena and Jurina went up the same way Milky and Sayanee did, side by side with Rena ranking just below Jurina again! Funny how that parallel's last year's election... and 2nd election. It makes sense, considering Rena is one of the faces of SKE48 alongside Jurina and now the captain of Team E of SKE48! I can't say Rena's one of my favorites but I do like her and I think she has a very nice voice! I think she makes a nice addition to the Kami 7!

6. Matsui Jurina - And I think Jurina fits nicely in the Kami 7 as well! I've always liked Jurina; I admired just how much effort she puts in both SKE48 and AKB48, even if she works a little too hard at times. I also think it's amazing how far she's come from the 11-year old center of Oogoe Diamond. I definitely think Jurina's earned such an honorable spot on the Senbatsu from all the work she's put into juggling two teams at once! So going through the list, I just realized that there a lot of girls from different groups in Senbatsu this year. Well, a lot in comparison to previous elections; the highest number of girls from other teams has been two. But this year? There are six in the Senbatsu. How crazy is that?

5. Shinoda Mariko - I think my stomach dropped when I read shortly after finding out the results of the election that Mariko was graduating from AKB48. I mean, I know it was coming since she is 27 and has been in the group since it started but still. It's Shinoda freaking Mariko, how could anyone want her to graduate!? She always joked about how she was never leaving the group no matter how old she got and the fans always joked she would in the group until she was 40 but... I guess not. It's nice to know that Mariko still has the popularity she had from the day she was a waitress too busy to audition for AKB48. #5 is a great ranking to go out on, but I'll definitely miss Mariko in further elections!

4. Kashiwagi Yuki - I'm always surprised at how high Yukirin ranks at each election. Mainly because she doesn't get that much promotion in AKB48 singles (in comparison to say, Mayuyu, Jurina and Paruru) yet she still always maintains a pretty high position in the Senbatsu Election. True, she went down this year but only by one rank. I'm actually kind of happy that Yukirin is out of the top three, mainly because she doesn't really appeal to me that much. I don't know, I guess I just find her to bland. She's an okay idol an all, but personally I like the top three of this year's Senbatsu much better than last year's! Still, congrats to Yukirin for staying afloat amongst all the other idols getting bigger pushes than her!

3. Watanabe Mayu - Speaking of the top three, let's start with el numero tres, none other than Mayuyu the Fantastic Creeper! From what I've heard around the idolsphere, fans (or at least foreign fans) were pissed when they found out that Mayuyu only ranked at #3. Like I'm talking done with AKB48-type pissed. And it was highly entertaining. I was a bit taken back too that Mayuyu went to #3, especially since she's gotten such a huge push this year. She didn't even have a close gap with Yuko; the latter still got over 30,000 more votes than she did. Personally, I think the top three is nothing to complain about, and I don't think Mayuyu works very well as a center in AKB48. Overall, I have no problem with her ranking!

2. Oshima Yuko - Man, can you imagine the tension in that stadium when it came down to the final two rankings of the election? Between Yuko and Sasshi, unless by some fluke an obscure member of AKB48 managed to jump into the top two. Personally, I thought Yuko had this election in the bag the same way she did last year for Gingham Check but nope, I guess she didn't! I'd just never pegged Sasshi to be the one to take the #1 spot. But we'll get to her in a minute! When I was watching Yuko's speech, I noticed how she seemed much happier and more at ease than previous years; I don't even think she cried! In fact, I think she was both amused and okay with Sasshi getting #1. I'm happy she's still in the top three though!

1. Sashihara Rino - And here's the #1 girl herself, Sashihara "Fuck you, Shunkan Basho" Rino! I already spent a few paragraphs talking about how happy I am that's she's number 1 so I'll just paraphrase what I said up there. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that Sasshi, the idol who started from the bottom, rose to the top, only to be knocked back to the bottom, was able to get the #1 spot. It's refreshing to see someone besides Yuko/Mayuyu/Paruru have the opportunity to be center, especially someone like Sasshi! She has such a vibrant personality and enthusiasm for her career as an idol that I can't help but feel really happy for her! Now I'm excited to see how her Senbatsu single will turn out!

Right now, I'm really looking forward to this year's Senbatsu single. I don't know if it's because I'm still high off the results of the election, but I just feel like this year's song is going to be something new and different! And I really hope that's the case! For the first time, I'm really hoping that the A-side produced this year is something that isn't bland. Okay, I've been saying that same thing for the past few singles from AKB48, but this time, I really feel like there's something to hope for. Sasshi has never been a center for AKB48, and I think that's what the group needs right now. Not Yuko, not Paruru, not even Mayuyu but a completely new person to be center. After all, Aki-P said that he writes his songs around the center, so hopefully it'll be a song to reflect the best parts of Sasshi's personality. Like her love for idols, the wota side of her, her ability to adapt to new situations and make the best out of things... there are so many directions that this single could go, and I'm so excited to see what happens. I'm kind of thinking that Sasshi's song will be the kind of song that's an ode to idols and wotadom, but then again, Sasshi's song could be a lot of things! As long as it's not Soredemo Suki da yo. I can't stand that song. I guess I'm a little nervous too that I'm raising the bar too high and the song's going to suck. Yeah, I really hope that doesn't happen. Part of me doesn't want to get too hopeful in case Aki-P decides to whip out another half-assed, bland piece of shit, but then another part of me feels like there are now possibilities. New ones that will take AKB48 to places it's never been before! Well okay, maybe not that dramatic of possibilities but still! So guys, now that the election hype is dying down, are there any upsets you had with this years Senbatsu Election? Any surprises? I didn't exactly give much attention the the Future/Next/Undergirls so any happy surprises or upsets with them? Are you looking forward to the next single as much as I am or hiding under a rock and waiting until it's over and done? Feel free to comment!

The Evolution of 9nine

So guys... how about I review something from a group I've never reviewed before? That sounds fun, right? Of course it does! Everyone loves new things! So let's talk about 9nine!

Is it just me, or does Evolution No. 9 sound like some brand of perfume? Speaking of perfume, the only reason that I've even heard of this idol group is because A-chan's sister, Nishiwaki Sayaka, is in it! Small world, huh? Beyond that interesting little tidbit, I've never really looked into 9nine as a group; I know at one time they had nine members but their numbers have shortened down to five. Personally, I don't mind; I like smaller idol groups anyways! I also know that they've been around for a pretty decent amount of time, but they're also one of the less recognized idol groups in the pool of idol groups clamoring for success right now. Honestly, 9nine has never stood out to me; I'm sure they're a fine group and all, but I've never taken a close look at their material. Okay, there's like one song I really enjoy by 9nine but other than that one song, I've never really felt the urge to review anything by them. I probably should since I don't see them getting a lot of attention in the blogsphere but what can I say? I've had other idol groups that I've been more occupied with. But after listening to their latest single on a whim and realizing that hey, I could actually make a single review out of this, I have finally decided to give 9nine some attention. Sure, I only recognize one member of the group, but nevertheless, I shall proceed to review this group to the best of my ability! And who knows? Maybe like Perfume, this group will find a special place in my heart. But probably not since they're both two very different groups... still, let us go into this review.

Covers/Outfits

So something I've noticed about 9nine is that they get some pretty nice looking album/single covers and outfits. Like I would legitimately consider wearing some of the clothes the girls in 9nine get to wear. I haven't seen them wearing really shitty costumes, but then again, I'm not reviewing a Hello! Project group so perhaps that's why. So the outfits for Evolution No. 9 follow that same trend of looking very nice and stylish, and I like them! But I did notice that they looked a little bit similar to another group whom I write about extensively. Can you guess? They start with a P and end in "erfume." Yeah, maybe it's because I'm a Perfume fan, but is anyone else getting huge GAME vibes from the outfits on the covers? I mean, look closely at both outfits. Does anyone else see it? Maybe it's just the styling in some parts of each group's outfits... But hey, if you're gonna imitate an outfit, Perfume's are great to imitate! I will say though, I love the tights the girls of 9nine are wearing. I love how the stripes are aligned at different positions; it just makes for a very interesting image! I'd totally buy those tights if I could find them, but I know you guys don't want to hear about Nia's Shopping List so what else stands out about the covers for Evolution No. 9? Beyond the outfits, the covers are actually pretty simplistic with a white background and black text. Each cover shows the girls positioned differently with their poses slightly altered, and a briefcase with the number 9 is shown in the Regular and Limited B editions of the single. Beyond that, there isn't much that stands out with the covers beyond those kickass outfits. But then again, I think that works! As I always say, simplicity is not a bad thing. After all, the minimalistic background allows the viewer to focus more on the outfits and the girls themselves! And like I said, the styling for Evolution No. 9 is very cool and very sleek. The outfits alone for this single were enough to get me interested; I didn't even know what the songs sounded like until I downloaded the single. But hey, a good single is more than just nice looking covers! How do the actual songs hold up anyways?

Evolution No. 9

Well, this is the A-side that compelled me to review something by 9nine so naturally I must think it's a pretty awesome song, right? Something interesting that I didn't find out until I started writing this review was that Evolution No. 9 is actually the opening theme for a drama that Ono Erena is in! Sure, I don't really follow Ono Erena but I still thought that was pretty interesting! I've noticed that 9nine has a lot of songs that have been used as openings, particularly some anime called Star Driver. I counted at least two or three songs that had been used in that anime, but I digress. How does Evolution No. 9 hold up then? Well, I like this song! I think the opening makes for a great hook and the rest of the song keeps me listening! It's definitely one of the more mature idol sons out there, but I have a tendency to lean towards more mature-sounding idol music. I don't know why, but that love for mature idol music makes me enjoy listening to Evolution No. 9 a lot! I like the guitar riffs in the song too, especially during the parts where the girls aren't singing! I like the vocals too! The girls of 9nine clearly aren't remarkable singers but they can all carry a tune and hey, I finally got to hear what A-chan's sister sounds like! She seemed to have a decent amount of solos which was nice! There's a part between the second and final chorus when the song switches to this... choral type of singing. Depending on my mood, the change either sounds really neat and ethereal or really jarring and weird but hey, I can give that little bridge brownie points for trying something different! Even if it felt really random and out of place. In fact, how is it that choir-singing never seems to work in idol music? It always sounds really off. But I'm starting to nitpick and overall, I really do like listening to Evolution No. 9. I like that it has darker and more mature sound while still maintaining a nice level of energy, and I think the arrangement is pretty solid.

The PV for Evolution No. 9 fits the song nicely. It carries over the same tone the song had and also provides an entertaining plotline and sleek visuals. In fact, you know what this PV reminded me of? Perfume again! Funny how I keep getting Perfume vibes from a group with a member that's related to one of the members of Perfume! Yeah, the PV for Evolution No. 9 reminded a lot of the PV for Laser Beam. Both feature the girls of each group wandering around barren buildings in stylish and elegant black outfits and the plots of each PV revolve around a briefcase. Of course, in Laser Beam, the girls of Perfume are simply trying to find the briefcase; in Evolution No. 9, the girls of 9nine are trying to avoid people who want the brief case. Not to mention the PV for Evolution No. 9 doesn't have anyone randomly transforming into a polar bear or apples or giant laser beams. And the briefcase in Evolution No. 9 doesn't contain a music box; it simply transports the girls to another dimension. Maybe. That part of the PV wasn't very clearly explained. But still, it's a pretty well-done PV, especially for an idol group! I like that there are a lot of shots in the PV revolving around the cat-and-mouse chase between the girls and the mysterious super-evil secret agents that are pursuing them. Yeah, you get your standard dance shot and close-up but they aren't shown quite as much. Of course, I liked the dance shot too; the set went with the rest of the PV nicely, and the dance itself highlighted the song! When watching the PV, I realized that Evolution No. 9 is a very... dance-able song, the chorus in particular. Beyond the dance and the plotline, there isn't much else I can say about the PV for Evolution No. 9, although if I wanted to do a PV review, I probably could have squeezed out enough material. Still, I'm glad I'm doing a single review over a PV review, because I do want to talk about the other two B-sides on Evolution No. 9. For now, the PV for the title track is nicely done and has good pacing, good lighting, good imagery, just all around goodness!



I will bestow upon Evolution No. 9 four and half out of five apples! Is it the best song I've ever heard? No, but it caught my attention enough that I wanted to review it! It's a song with very cool vibes and holds up very strongly as an A-side!

Just a Koi

The first of two B-sides on Evolution No. 9 is Just a Koi which (very awkwardly) translates into Just a Love! Despite the rather odd-sounding title, I really liked this B-side, and of the two on this single, it's definitely my favorite! Just a Koi actually sounds like a song Tokyo Girls' Style would do to my ears, especially in the "Ah" bits of the song; they took me back to W.M.A.D. Of course, this song sounds a lot less nineties than TGS's songs and isn't quite as funky. Still, I liked this B-side! And hey, I freaking love Tokyo Girls' Style so to hear another idol group have a song that sounds like their style is right up my alley! Just a Koi has a nice blend of synths and other sound effects that really make the song stand out, along with the vocal editing. It does carry that same mature vibe Evolution No. 9 had, but Just a Koi is a little bit more fun, and a great track to dance to! If you like dancing, that is. Both songs have pretty close energy levels, and I like that Just a Koi isn't some huge mood whiplash song. The song still stands out on its own, but it compliments Evolution No. 9 nicely, which is what I think a B-side should do. What I also love about Just a Koi is that it's a really catchy song; like the only part of the song that doesn't get stuck in my head is the chorus. Just a Koi was stuck in my head after the first few times I listened to it, not that I really minded. Unlike some B-sides like Communication by Perfume this song is catchy in a good way! Another element of Just a Koi I should acknowledge is... the Engrish. Yep, the dastardly Engrish strikes again! Yep, there are a couple random English phrases thrown around and they sound just about as cohesive as you'd expect from Japanese idol music. Okay, in perspective, the English bits aren't that bad, just a little odd sounding; believe me, I've heard much worse. Then again, I've been surrounded by so much Engrish for such awhile now that I'm not sure what constitutes as "good" English in foreign-language songs are... Anyways, the Engrish didn't bother me and most certainly didn't take away my enjoyment of the song! I think Just a Koi was a great B-side for Evolution No. 9!



So like the A-side, I will also give Just a Koi four and a half out of five apples! Wow! Two good songs on the first 9nine single I've reviewed so far! I wonder if the second B-side will keep the good streak going, hrm? Well, let's take a look and see...

Anemone mo ne

So the next B-side has a title centered around... anemone? The poisonous ocean creature? Eh... yeah. Gee, I wonder if this song is about anemones? I will come up front and say that Anemone mo ne is my least favorite song on Evolution No. 9. It's a cute song and all, but it just doesn't work on this single. So Anemone mo ne is without a doubt the safest of the three songs on this single, with a lighter and happier melody along with chanting, a formulaic vocal arrangement, and a major tempo. If this song were on another single, then I might like it a bit better, but on Evolution No. 9, Anemone mo ne doesn't work as a B-side. A big part of why I'm not a huge fan of this song is probably because the first two songs on this single are just so cool. You've got Evolution No. 9, the cool A-side, and Just a Koi, the equally cool B-side and then... this song. Hearing Anemone mo ne after those two very strong, very mature-sounding songs is a huge mood whiplash, and only makes the song sound extremely childish. On a different, more upbeat single, Anemone mo ne might have blended better, but on Evolution No. 9, I feel like Just a Koi could have stood alone as a B-side. Anemone mo ne feels extremely unnecessary. Is it a bad song? No, I've heard much worse, but I've also heard much better as well. I will admit, I feel like this might have been a good song... for another group. I feel like a group like Momoiro Clover Z would be able to pull off this song really well, but for a group like 9nine, Anemone mo ne falls very, very flat. A big part of why Anemone mo ne is so unappealing to my ears is the lack of energy coming from the girls themselves. If the energy had been upped, this might have at least been a more memorable song. But no, this B-side just... plays. And then it's over. Thankfully, Anemone mo ne is a pretty short song, clocking in at roughly three minutes. So yeah, I guess that's a plus? I don't know, I really think this B-side dragged down Evolution No. 9, especially in terms of style and tone. I'd recommend skipping this B-side unless you're die-hard happy idol music fan.



Because I'm feeling benevolent, I'll give Anemone mo ne three out of five apples. It's an all right song, just not a song I would have put on Evolution No. 9. Again, if you're looking for a happier and sweeter-sounding song, you might want to give this B-side a listen but for me, I can do without it.

The Verdict

So that's what 9nine's music sounds like, huh? All right, I'm joking; I know generalizing an entire group's music based on one single is incredibly stupid. But still, I'm glad that I picked Evolution No. 9 to be the first 9nine-related material I review. For the most part, I found this to be a pretty strong single. The A-side is more mature-sounding fare which is hugely appealing to my tastes and I thought it had a nice riff and a good amount of energy. The accompanying music video matched with the song nicely, and I liked the sleeker and more polished visuals of the PV. Just a Koi carries over those mature vibes and as a B-side, it holds up pretty well on its own, enough that it could even stand on its own as an A-side. What Evolution No. 9 lacks in catchiness, Just a Koi makes up for, and as I said before, the two songs compliment each other nicely. They have similar tones but also enough differences that each song feels distinct, as if one adds on to the other. And then there's Anemone mo ne, which you all know I thought was pretty much the only fault I really had with Evolution No. 9. I found the second B-side I found to be unnecessary due to its whiplash in tone from the other two songs. That song deviates so harshly from the darker sounds of the first two songs on Evolution No. 9 that I wish it simply hadn't been included on the single. Without Anemone mo ne, I would say that Evolution No. 9 is overall a very strong single, but I simply can't ignore the fact that it is included on the single. So my verdict is check out the A-side and Just a Koi and skip Anemone mo ne. It doesn't bring anything interesting to the table and only takes away from the mature vibes of the single. For the most part though, I enjoyed listening to Evolution No. 9! It was about time I reviewed something from the group with A-chan's sister in it, and I think I picked a pretty good single to review! While that last B-side is iffy at best, I like the first two songs on this single. I don't know what 9nine plans on releasing next, but I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled and see if whatever they do next is worth reviewing or not. For now, Evolution No. 9 as a whole single gets...

...four out of five apples! See? That's still a pretty good ranking! Evolution No. 9 and Just a Koi are pretty awesome songs, but I'm forgetting about Anemone mo ne as soon as I publish this review! So 9nine fans, any other good songs you'd recommend checking out?

The Castaways of NMB48

Well, while everyone in the idolsphere is waiting with baited breath for the results of the 5th annual Senbatsu election, how about we take a look at the latest from NMB48 to pass some time?

Good news! Just because I have a deteriorating opinion towards AKB48 right now doesn't mean I feel the same way towards all its sister groups! In fact, I quite like SKE48 and NMB48 right now. I feel like right now both those sister groups are just getting more interesting material than their main sister group. I still don't really care for HKT48 since so far their musical output has just been bland as AKB48's, and Nogizaka46 is slowly growing on me. I will say their summer song is my favorite of the AKS summer songs so far. But let's leave them for another review, hm? Of all the sister groups though, NMB48's probably been my favorite. While yes, they've had some pretty iffy songs (-cough- Oh My God), they've also had some pretty fun songs too. They also seem to get slightly more mature content than the mostly hyperactive and cheerful SKE48, while still maintaining a nice blend of variety with their songs. Some days NMB48 gets Virginity, other days they get Kitagawa Kenji. It's quite nice seeing them with a nice blend of different concepts and styles! And I actually like all the front girls currently in NMB48 right now! I think Saynee's a great captain, Milky's a lot of fun, and Nana's nice too! It's a shame that Yui's back in AKB48 though; I like her being more at the front in NMB48! But hey, at least Ichikawa Miori's in NMB48 right now! Maybe she can add some lemon-y flavor to the group! Well, the season is summer and with it comes the obligatory summer PV that every AKS group is required to release to make the moneys! Some of you might remember that I reviewed Nagiichi, NMB48's summer song from last year. I didn't talk much about that song because I couldn't write worth shit around that time, but I thought Nagiichi was an all right song. Pretty bland but as far as summer songs go, an easy listen. So as time has gone by and I've further immersed myself in the world of idol blogging, I've come to terms with the fact that most summer songs are hopelessly bland. Why not? After all, the main focus of the summer single is clearly not the quality of the actual song but the... appeal of the accompanying PV. Bottom line, I try to keep my expectations low toward summer songs.

So does Bokura no Eureka follow the same trend of blandness?

Well... yeah. What? I might as well go ahead and get that out of the way before getting further into this song. Bokura no Eureka is a bland summer song. I actually didn't know what my opinion of this song was the first time I listened to it because I was watching the PV at the same time. I was so focused and drawn into the PV that I didn't really give the song much attention. In fact, Bokura no Eureka kind of faded into the background and was replaced by the compelling storyline in the PV. Was that because the PV was so well-done that it didn't allow me to give much focus to the song or was it simply because Bokura no Eureka is a forgettable song? I'll elaborate on the PV in a few paragraphs, but I think part of my mind registered Bokura no Eureka was a bland song when I was watching the PV. I just didn't really think about that until I sat back down, found an audio file of the song and listened solely to that. And so my diagnosis of Bokura no Eureka is a case of the usual AKS musical blandness. This is another bland song; I swear "bland" must be one of the most frequently used words on the Wonderland. Despite the blandness of Bokura no Eureka, I can't say I'm too surprised. In fact, I'm not really upset that Bokura no Eureka is a bland song; maybe because NMB48's previous A-sides have actually been interesting unlike another sister group whose name has been mentioned several times in a negative light on my blog. Yeah, on the subject of AKB48, let me clarify something: Bokura no Eureka is bland but not in the same way Sayonara Crawl is bland. Crazy, right? How can there possibly be two different types of bland AKS songs!? But yes, the key difference between Bokura no Eureka and Sayonara Crawl is that the latter is more upbeat and also more catchy. What I like about Bokura no Eureka is that it isn't insufferably bland. When I listen to it, I don't have this seething rage at how generic it sounds that I develop whenever I play Sayonara Crawl. At the moment, I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing though... I will say, of the two summer songs, I prefer Bokura no Eureka over Sayonara Crawl.

Does that mean I like Bokura no Eureka? Well honestly... I... ugh, I kind of like Bokura no Eureka. HEY! Don't be getting any crazy ideas now! I still have a passionate dislike of bland songs! Just because I said I kind of like the song doesn't mean I think it's utterly amazing and it's landing on my Best A-sides of 2013 either! Like I said, what I like about Bokura no Eureka is that while it's very bland it's not upbeat, not terribly so anyways. It's been hard for me to peg what it is that makes me so irritable towards the bland AKB48 A-sides but I think it's just because they sound so peppy and cheerful. Bokura no Eureka is by no means a downbeat song or even a dark song but there's still something... wistful about the way the song sounds. I wouldn't call it nostalgic, but Bokura no Eureka just sounds a little more serious than your typical summer song. Again, it doesn't sound like a ballad or anything, but I feel like the beat is a just a little bit slower and the energy just a little bit lower. On the subject of energy, Bokura no Eureka has some pretty low energy levels, but I feel like that might have been intentional. I don't know, there's just something very soothing about listening to this song; when I listened to it this morning, it was pouring rain outside. Somehow, Bokura no Eureka was a very calming song to listen to, especially during that time. Honestly, I kind of want to know what this song was about, even though half of me knows it's probably just some generic summer song lyrics. It's a shame I can't find any translations at the moment. Overall, Bokura no Eureka gets a mixed to positive response from me. I think Nagiichi was a better song (I never would have thought I'd see myself writing that statement) but Bokura no Eureka is still an all right, albeit pretty bland song. This is definitely a nice summer song to listen to, especially if you're looking for an easy listen. Bokura no Eureka's a hell of a lot better than Sayonara Crawl, and I've heard much worse summer songs than this one. Still, I'll hold out for SKE48 and see if their summer song is the breakout song of the AKS summer PVs.

But of course, a summer song is nothing without a summer PV filled with your token bikinis and scenes of summer fun and- oh, what's that? Bokura no Eureka has none of that? This is a summer PV from an AKS group, right? Relax, there's a bikini PV for those of you looking for some idols to oggle over. For the rest of you looking for something more creative... let's sail away into Bokura no Eureka's PV.

The PV begins with AKB48, knowing that NMB48 is getting more popular than them, casting away that group's Senbatsu to a deserted island!

And despite the fact that the sand and water would have no doubt dirtied their uniforms, the girls' outfits remain spotless!

Someone care to explain the symbols under the title drop for me?

Leave it to idols to make survival look glamorous and carefree!

Goddammit, I'm Captain not Katniss, why do I have to find food!?

See? Being stranded isn't horrible! Look at how much fun they're having!

They even get to do makeup on each other! I just hope that paint isn't poisonous!

Wow! Being stranded looks like such gosh darn fun! Why the hell did that Chuck Noland fellow not enjoy it this much!?

How many days until I can dominate AKB48 and NMB48?

Damn. Not until Mariko graduates.

Foraging for food that's edible? Easy breezy. Lifting a rock though? Near impossible!

I really love this shot. There's something... majestic about it.

All right, come on, Sayanee. You WILL shoot like Legolas! Your group depends on it!

D'aw, but how could she possibly shoot cute wittle Billy Goat? Drat it wasn't some animal that was ugly!

I can't stand this! I'm sick of shells! I want McDonalds! I want the loving embrace of another guy-

But we aren't allowed to have boyfriends!

SHUT UP!

The promise of meat comes when Sayanee returns to camp... empty handed.

So what? Y'all can't eat me 'cause I'm Captain.

Not if I get to be the new Captain.

A long night of the girls trying not to imagine each other as walking drumsticks...

...when a startling revelation comes. The idols shall become VEGETARIANS!

Nah, I'm just kidding. But they do start to build an escape raft!

Ha ha, we have no idea how we built this but the plot requires this raft to WORK!

Good thing the day they set sail is unbelievably calm with no waves or undercurrents!

LAND HOOOOOOOOO!

But have our idols truly reached civilization?

Or perhaps the mere remnants of it?

Did those sons of bitches already sell our theater to those HKT48 newbs?

Well. That's an uplifting sign of life.

Yeah, can we go back to the island, Sayanee?

But wait! Perhaps not all hope is lost! Who is this mysterious figure?

NMB48 manager Kaneko Tsuyoshi? Man, I wonder where this PV's going next-

WHAT!? YOU'RE LEAVING IT ON A CLIFFHANGER!?

TO BE CONTINUED!? You put us through all that turmoil and intrigue and dare to end this PV on a cliffhanger!? How can you do such a thing!? Damn you! Ugh, I'm going to be so mad if the continuation of this PV is just some half-assed shout out that pops up in the next NMB48 PV. I don't think I've ever gotten so excited over a cliffhanger in an idol PV... the fact that there is a cliffhanger and a continuing story is enough to make me happy! But seriously, wasn't that one hell of a summer PV, guys? I think I talked about this in a review awhile back but something I have always wanted to see a summer PV have is the concept of the girls being on a deserted island. I don't know what exactly they would even do on a deserted island; I just think it would be a really cool concept. Part of the appeal for me was simply all the ways that concept could be taken; it could be fun and quirky or dark and mysterious or anywhere in-between! The fact that NMB48 got a PV focused around the girls being stuck on a deserted island had me ecstatic when I first watched the preview for Bokura no Eureka. I've been waiting two years for a summer PV like this to happen! And the execution was done beautifully! What I read was that Bokura no Eureka was based off of Jules Verne's Two Years' Vacation and after reading the Wikipedia page (because I ain't got not time to be reading the actual book), I can definitely see a lot of parallels in the basic plot. The premises of the PV and the book are near identical, although the endings are different. No mutineers in the Bokura no Eureka PV! I saw a few comparisons to Lord of the Flies from various users on the web also, but I think that's a bit of a stretch. For one thing, Bokura no Eureka is nowhere near as dark as Lord of the Flies is; in fact, the only aspect Bokura no Eureka and Lord of the Flies have in common is they both involve school children getting stranded on an island. There's a lot less anarchy, corruption, death, and mutiny in the Bokura no Eureka PV! But hey, that would have been an interesting theme to take on too! Kind of morbid, but still interesting!

Oh man, where do I even start with what I like about the PV for Bokura no Eureka? Well, one thing I love about this PV is that it's not your typical summer PV. Instead of bikinis and happy summer scenes, this PV has ragged school uniforms and survival. In the slew of summer PVs that come out every year, Bokura no Eureka stands out for many reasons, one being that it's not presented as your traditional summer PV. It shows the girls of NMB48 struggling and going through a lot of ordeals that I personally would not want to go through. There's conflict in this PV, and that conflict is interesting. When I was watching this PV, I was always wondering where it was going to go next. Were the girls going to get off the island? How were they going to? How did they even get there? Not all my questions were answered, but I kind of like having the remaining mysteries to ponder over after I finished watching this PV. I think what would have helped though was if I knew what the girls were saying in that long scene that went on after the song break. I think I might have gotten the gist of it being Miyuki losing hope then Sayanee giving an encouraging speech about teamwork and friendship and never giving up and all that cutesy idol stuff. I don't know if that's what happened in the real dialogue, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's what the translation turned out to be. Beyond that one scene with all the dialogue, I could still pretty much understand what was going on for a majority of the PV. I like that it shows the girls on the island doing a variety of different things from hunting to setting up camp to just wandering around the island. I really love the environment of this PV, and I think it helps that AKS has the budget to pull off a PV like this so well. The island is very pretty but also very empty and primal; the girls, wearing uniforms and not bikinis, provide for a very stark contrast, especially in that beginning shot. The environment is so lush that you want to see more of it and you want to see how the girls go about in it as well. I loved how the scenery looked so beautiful but also so desolate; it really brought the PV to life.

And then there's the ending to this PV. Oh my god, the ending. I have to ask though... was anyone else reminded of Planet of the Apes with this ending? I mean, both the PV for Bokura no Eureka and that amazing film both involve people coming across a relic of the land they used to call home. Even the shot with the tower seemed very reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty shot in that movie. I don't know, but I found the ending of Bokura no Eureka to be absolutely eerie. How I loved it. And then NMB48's manager, Kaneko Tsuyoshi appeared at the end of the PV and I just... I really want to know where this PV would go if it really was continued. I just hope that if the storyline of this PV is continued in another NMB48 PV, the explanation isn't contrived and lame. Okay, I know I shouldn't expect that much since this is an idol group but still! Just let me dream, okay!? I know that Bokura no Eureka is a good PV because when it was over, I wanted more. When a PV, let alone an idol PV, can leave me longing for the story to be continued, that's when I know that I just watched a pretty damn awesome PV. Bokura no Eureka is not only one of my favorite summer PVs I've reviewed this year but also one of my favorite PVs in general that I've reviewed this year. Everything in this PV is done right from the concept to the visuals to the story to the execution. I love that NMB48 decided to shy away from the typical happy summer bikini PV and go instead for an uplifting tale of survival in the wilderness with a strange and intriguing ending. I actually think one of the main reasons why I don't really dislike Bokura no Eureka as a song is because the PV that accompanies it is just so great that I find it hard to really dislike the song. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I found no faults with Bokura no Eureka's PV. I think the pacing was great along with the direction and I look forward to seeing how this PV is continued. If you're a fan of well-done, interesting summer PVs, I would highly recommend checking this one out; what Bokura no Eureka lacks in fanservice, it makes up for in a compelling storyline and interesting ideas.

Collectively, Bokura no Eureka gets four out of five apples from me. If I were ranking the song and PV individually, the song would get three and the PV would get five, but together, this is what Bokura no Eureka averages to. While the song is your typical AKS summer song, the PV for Bokura no Eureka is amazing. I loved the concept and I love how well it was executed. Again, one of if not the best summer PV of 2013 for me.