News Roundup

News Roundup #12: less butts edition

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This week brought about a lot of new single announcements, and lots of undecided titles.  Also, do you think you would buy a yucky drink or food item if it included a picture of your oshimen? Hmm?  Anyway, please enjoy an AKB news summary for recent days!

Sasshi’s photo book gets its own Twitter

In addition to an announcement of Sashihara Rino’s new photo book, and pictures of her butt, the photo book now has its own official Twitter:

I’m not sure why a photo book, being released in about one month, needs its own official Twitter, but at least there is some exclusive content:

HK48 Sashihara Rino Zachou Kouen gets Blu-ray / DVD release

Zachou Koen was performed in Meijiza Theater a while ago (I think middle of last year?  AKB Cafeteria references it in July, 2015 at least).  The musical / theater performance is getting a blu-ray / DVD version, which is on sale right now. Courtesy of HKT48 official shop:

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SKE48’s 19th single goes on sale March 30th

The title isn’t decided yet.  It was announced at a recent handshake event, but they didn’t really say much else.

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Keyakizaka46’s debut single release scheduled for April 6th

The details are very typical of an 48-group single release: there are four versions of the single, in addition to special versions that will contain handshake tickets instead of photos. According to Model Press, it was announced via their official site. The title is also undecided.

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NGT48 collaboration with drink maker Pokka Sapporo

They are attaching NGT original stickers to two varieties of drinks, made by company “Pokka Sapporo”.  The stickers:

0056ccd9Various people are reporting having found the drinks in local supermarkets (which also shows how they are attached):

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Kuramochi Asuka appears on TV show, “Pro Baseball PR Ambassador”

She did mention in her graduation speech that she wanted to do more work related to sports.

Here’s a press video from Maidig TV:

Pictures of NGT48’s Imamura Etsuro

I think that we are all familiar with the “nama shashin” that come with AKB CDs, goods, etc, and also from the official online stores.  Often you’ll get a hopefully cute photo of one of your favorite members.

One strange practice is that they include pictures of some of the more prominent public-facing male staff.  I can only imagine expecting to get a picture of your favorite oshimen, and then find a picture of an old man.  Shock!

Anyway, you might get lucky again!  Feast your eyes on Niigata’s own manager, Imamura Etsuro’s NGT48 Theater photos:

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Sasshi’s new photo book titled “Scandal Addict”

Akimoto Yasushi accidentally made a slip up and dropped the name of Sasshi’s new book (via 755):

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It was more or less later confirmed via an Amazon listing, and then via Twitter.

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Minegishi Minami appears in movie “Joshi-kou”

Minegishi Minami stars in a new movie called, “Joshi-ko”.  I had read something about this a long time ago (maybe last year or so?), but it looks like it will actually be coming soon:

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The movie starts playing from April 9, 2016.

SKE48 and NMB official group blog up for Blog of the Year 2015

Ameba is a very popular social network / blogging site in Japan.  They recently announced “Blog of the Year 2015“.

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It doesn’t really mention how it determined these ranks, but the SKE48 and NMB48 group blog are mentioned in the “Special Prize” section.

NMB48’s special calendar, Yuri Gekijou, on sale March 1st, 2016

If you’re not familiar with the phrase, “yuri“, you can kind of think of it as love between females (“girl’s love”).

There are some naughty pictures of the girls of NMB48:

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I am honestly not sure if this is fake or not. Waow.

Matsui Rena collaborates in new song

The other artist is a sister duo named Chanran Po Rantan and the new song is going to be called, “Shabon”.  Shabon means “soap”.

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The song is going to be released on April 6th, 2016.  Rena also mentions a “tie-up” with a TV drama, via Twitter:

Mayuyu reveals distant relationship with father

This was mentioned in a recent episode of Momm!, on which Watanabe Mayu makes an appearance. It was later picked up and discussed on 2ch.

In it she mentions being surrounded by her mother and two sisters, but when it came to her father, she had the following details:

  • Her feather “secretly” supports her by buying her CDs, but is embarrassed by it, and doesn’t mention it to anyone.
  • During new year’s family vacation, she is never in a situation where she’s alone with her father.  She says that this has been the case since she was in 5th year of elementary school.

UPDATE! I’m sorry if this sounded sad (it wasn’t intended so). Here are more details, including some video and screenshots.

Here are some clips of Mayuyu talking about it (Japanese only of course).

Mayuyu is asked about her relationship with her father. In this part, it’s mentioned that they are both shy around each other, and they don’t real talk to each other. Naturally, all the other guests are very surprised; it’s here that she relates that they don’t really spend time alone together. Here’s a continuation:

The topic turns to entering the bath with her father (in Japan’s “bath culture”, it’s common for children and parents to bathe together). Mayuyu appears hesitant to enter the bath with her father (understandable, given their ages). The host then mentions that her success would make her father very proud. Mayuyu then says that her mother will say something like, “Your father went out and bought 10 copies of AKB’s new single!” Everyone agrees that Mayuyu’s father is a very kind by showing his support (in his own way).

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「すごく良いお父さん」”Very good father”

In this last video:

Mayuyu says she’s very happy that her father does so, although her father never tells her directly. And then it returns to bath-time talk!

That’s all! Hopefully it makes sense, and isn’t as sad or dramatic as I originally wrote 🙂

Kojima Haruna appears in Schick’s new CM, “Flower”

NMB48 launches their 5th generation auditions

It was announced during a recent theater performance.

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The official site is also up now.

Sasshi appointed as new female MC for TV show, “Konya kurabetemimashita”

“Konya kurabetemimashita” is a variety, whose title’s literal meaning is something like, “Tonight, we compared these things.”  Usually three guests appear and they give answers to various questions, and the answers are compared.

One of the segments is a game where the guests watch a video taken from the first-person perspective from a famous celebrity. From the details of the video, they are asked to guess who it might be.

Well, the game was a little bit different tonight: not only were the guests going to guess the celebrity in the video, but that celebrity would also become the show’s new MC.

Would you have guessed this was Sasshi:

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Okay, here’s an easier one:

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It was confirmed later on Sasshi’s twitter:

Good night!

Author: reika

I’m writing about useless and stupid things a lot, and I like to laugh. My policy is 一期一会。It means treasure your meeting with everyone!

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  • Payuyu Fortyeight

    the NGT marketing strategy is of the roof lmao marketing at its finest but the mayuyu part was kinda sad 🙁

    • reika

      I’m sorry if Mayuyu’s story sounded sad; it’s actually not so. She just mentions they don’t talk often, and that he’s a very shy and quiet figure, and they aren’t often alone. But he still shows his love by buying all her CDs, which Mayuyu says she’s very happy about. I’ll update the story with more details later :)))

      • Payuyu Fortyeight

        thanks! that would be great, i’m now kinda intrigued with mayuyu’s rel. with her dad, i thought it was a sad story lol ^^;;

  • Derek Vasconi

    The mayuyu part bothered me. She hasn’t been alone in a room with her father since she was a kid…. okay, um, why, exactly? Is there more to THAT story? I am watching her dorama she did with the bookstore and Izumi Inamori and I would never guess from watching her on a dorama like that she has a much darker side to her world, and I bring that up because usually you can tell when watching actors and actresses that there was “another side” to them. Robin Williams was clear as day in that regard, to me at least. But Mayuyu? I mean… did abuse happen of some kind? I hope she’s okay…

    • reika

      Sorry for the confusion. The story about Mayuyu actually isn’t that bad. I think its just my poor choice of words. I’ll update it with more details later today or tomorrow :))

      • Derek Vasconi

        Reika san, daijyoubu desu! I just got scared for a moment that Mayuyu was somehow abused by her father. That would be truly sad and might explain a lot of her cyborg character she had early on in AKB. I just hope she’s okay!

        • reika

          Updated! I’m sure Mayuyu is fine :))

          • Derek Vasconi

            oooohhhhh, here we go! I understand now! Arigatoooo! It makes so much more sense now.