This is a shorter roundup than expected! But there always seems to be so much happening these days. Anyway, please enjoy a short AKB news summary!

Hiwatashi Yui promoted to Team A

Hiwatashi Yui was a 2nd gen draft member for Team A, and she was recently promoted to a full fledged team member during a theater performance on February 10th, 2016.

The announcement was instigated by Kayano Shinobu, in a melodramatic fashion, as she hands a letter to Yokoyama Yui who reads the letter about HIwatashi Yui’s promotion.

Congratulations!

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SKE48’s Koishi Kumiko announces graduation

The mass exodus of SKE48 members continues. From her 755 feed, it seems that she will not be continuing in show business, and that she plans to return to being a just a normal female!

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What’s the matter with Paruru?

The press appeared for Team A’s new theater lineup (M.T. ni sasagu). The contents are pretty standard faire, however, many notice that Shimazaki Haruka is staring at the ground for much of the time:

You can see her looking downward from about 6:14 or so (video courtesy of JIJIPress):

It wouldn’t the first time that Paruru has made a slightly strange appearance in public. Here’s a screen from a performance in 2014, where she appears a little “funny”:

It reminds me of Jurina at one point.

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Another Nogizaka46 collaboration with SoftBank

Nogizaka is not stranger to some interesting collaborations. This time they team with Softbank. The campaign is called, “Giga tariteru” (“Do you have enough gigabytes?” It is probably related to cell phone data plans?). Here is the promo photos:

Some 2ch users have already found the posters in the wild:

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So this is the cover to Scandal Addict!

Like many details of Sasshi’s new photo book, this came courtesy of Akimoto Yasushi’s 755 feed:

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Kimi wa Melody PV and CD covers are out

It looks like the news first appeared in the newspaper, and then later online.  From the newspaper article:

The official CD covers and some screens came out a little later. Here they are, courtesy of Oricon news:

They are… very colorful!

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Yamashita Yukari learns how to drive.

This comes courtesy of Aichi Prefecture public relations Facebook page:

Would you trust this super cute girl to drive you around?!

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Ishida Haruka, Sato Sumire, and Iwata Karen to appear on Danganropa The Stage 2016

There is going to be a new version of the stage play Danganropa, based on the super popular video game series of the same name.  Yamada Nana played in an earlier version which showed late last year.

Ishida Haruka shows off some of her costume:

ダンガンロンパ THE STAGE2016
不二咲千尋役として出演させて頂くことになりました?再演にも声を掛けて頂けてまたちーたんを演じられることが本当に嬉しいです?精一杯頑張ります！https://t.co/qI1sPPmfqQ pic.twitter.com/tTOfm8TQOo

— 石田晴香♡はるきゃん (@can2525can) February 12, 2016

Iwata Karen also shows herself with co-start Sato Sumire (courtesy of Karen’s G+ post):

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T.M. Revolution is Takamina’s boyfriend?

There have been rumors floating around about Takahashi Minami’s relationship with TM Revolution (whose real name is Takanori Nishikawa). You might remember him from the most recent Janken Tournament:

One article claims that Nishikawa only thinks of Takamina as a little-sister type of figure (though I’m not sure how legitimate this source is).

And the rumors only get deeper! On a recent episode of BiSH, hosted by former AKB48 member Masuda Yuka, Yuka questions Nishikawa about his relationship with Takamina.

Here are some of the details:

• Masuda Yuka and Takamina still keep in touch regularly
• Some people thought that NIshikawa was gay, since he recently went to Hawaii with six other guys; while partying poolside, he was heard yelling, “Guys are the best!” and, “I don’t need women!”
• Masuda says that the “girly” side of Takamina comes out very rarely amongst a group of females, but says that girly-Takamina comes out frequently around Nishikawa!
• Once he hears that, Nishikawa says, “Is it just me who’s is clueless?”

Nishikawa is pretty very wishy washy; and he abruptly changes the topic to Masuda Yuka’s boobs.  What a way to avoid a topic!

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Kawaei Rina in new Toyota commercial

This seems kind of funny, only because I figured Team 8 was the sole tie-up with Toyota! Nevertheless, here is the commercial:

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おやすみなさい！