My Pure·Current Feelings on 48G

With my oshi Shimada Rena’s (Shimarena) graduation coming soon, I felt like updating this blog once again. Probably just some more quick thoughts on my current 48g fandom state.

• I’m currently on a Twitter and Tumblr hiatus due to Lent. The absence of both makes me realize how much I enjoy being part of the international NMB fandom and how I miss talking to other NMB fans about the group. I’d like to think I made a lot of online friends thanks to being part of the NMB fandom and I’m extremely grateful for that.
• I still don’t like the whole grand reformation and I wish NMB was never shuffled. The “old” NMB teams were perfect as they were.
• With the closure of my favorite 48 forum Everyday48, I’m still unsure if I’ll ever be active on a 48g forum again. I’ve occasionally visited Stage48 and I’m reminded of the good (and bad) times I’ve had there. But I still haven’t felt the urge to be anything more than a lurker there for the time being.
• Nogizaka46 is on a roll. All the Nogizaka girls are so interesting and amazing and lately, I think the group has had the best music out of all the 48 groups. Out of the recent batch of 48g releases this last month, Nogizaka46’s Kizuitara Kataomoi is easily the best single. Also, it’s just absolutely fun following the group. It doesn’t feel like a hassle or annoyance like it does sometimes following AKB.
• I’m starting to get into some non-48 idol groups. Thanks to the urging of people, I’ve ever so slowly gotten interested into Passpo, Super Girls, and GEM. And I’m hoping to find even more idols to enjoy.
• Thanks for being the best oshi a fan could ask for, Shimarena. Wish you nothing but the best in your post-NMB life.

My Pure·Random Feelings on the 48 Family

I’ve been trying to get my current thoughts on the 48 family into words, but I really have had a difficult time expressing myself lately. So rather than write one long, coherent post, this post will be mostly small, nonsensical ramblings on AKB.

• My 48 experience has definitely changed since I first joined the 48 fandom over two years ago. Now I have a job and I just don’t have the time to follow the 48 family like I used to when I was a NEET.
• I feel AKB48 has just become stagnant and uninteresting lately. The group seems to be lacking that mystique that lured me into the fandom in the first place. Among the future centers in waiting, I’m hoping that Shimazaki Haruka (Paruru) becomes the center of AKB48 in the future.
• My kami oshi has been, is, and will always be Minegishi Minami (Miichan). I’m sure it’s been incredibly difficult for her the last few months and as a Miichan oshi, I will continue to support her. Vote for her in the next AKB election please!
• I’m actually liking how the next AKB single Sayonara Crawl sounds and looks. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt that way about an AKB single. It really has.
• Of course, my NMB fandom is still strong. I can’t wait for the 7th single to come out and I’m hoping that my NMB oshi Shimada Rena (Shimarena) makes senbatsu for the 1st time.

I probably have more thoughts, but I can’t think of them at the moment. Until next time, I guess.

My Pure·Oshi – Happy Birthday Miichan!

Happy 20th Birthday to my kami oshi, Minegishi Minami! Thank you for being the amazing person you are, Miichan.

My Pure·Indifference – The Tokyo Dome AKB Team Shuffle

By now, I think most people who follow AKB have heard about the team shuffle announcement made on the first day of Tokyo Dome. A groundbreaking announcement which saw Team 4 disbanded, team captains changed, members switching teams, more sister group transfers, and even members permanently moving to international ***48 groups.

Which makes it weird for me to say: I don’t think I really care much.

Well actually, I definitely do care about the individual girls and I hope that each member finds their own happiness through this stressful shuffle period. It was definitely difficult to watch the girls’ reactions to the shuffle in that Jijipress video. But I think the shuffle might have been the death knell to my interest in AKB48 as a group. (Though my interest might have faded long ago and don’t worry, my NMB interest hasn’t faded one bit.) All the changes Aki-P has been making for the post-Maeda Atsuko (Acchan) AKB48 have just drifted my attention away from the group. I still will always love the AKB members, but I’ve mostly been following my favorite individual members only. I really hope my kami-oshi Minegishi Minami (Miichan) does well in the newly formed Team B and that she is happy there.

In regards to the NMB interests in the Team Shuffle, I’m hoping NMB Team N member Kotani Riho’s (Ripopo) transfer to Team A will be a success. (She will still be a member of NMB48 as well.) I was opposed to the whole transfer idea when Watanabe Miyuki (Milky) was moved to Team B, but I’ve lightened up on the idea and now I hope this transfer helps Ripopo’s popularity. Ripopo looked so distraught when her transfer, but I’m confident she has the strength to take on both her NMB and AKB duties. (As long as Aki-P doesn’t overwork her.)

Also, I’m a fan of Yokoyama Yui (Yuihan) and I think she will be a great addition to NMB, but I’m concerned which member gets taken out of senbatsu for her. With Team N still overpowering the senbatsu positions, I’m scared a non-Team N senbatsu slot might be taken by Yuihan. Also of concern is what team Yuihan ends up joining. Do they make her an honorary N or M member or do they make Yuihan captain/ace of Team BII?

I still wish Aki-P wouldn’t involve sister or international ***48 groups in the shuffle, but that’s the new AKB48 Aki-P has made. I just don’t know if I like it.

My Pure·Heavy Rotation – Skirt, Hirari

Sometimes it takes awhile for a song to catch on with me. And sometimes it takes something special for that to happen to me. When I first starting following this AKB fandom a little over a year ago, Skirt, Hirari was a song that just never did anything for me. It wasn’t even a song I necessarily hated, just one that never left much of an impression on me when it was performed.

Well, until I watched NMB perform it on their 1st Anniversary Speical Live DVD. Yes, my NMB bias got me to listen to and watch Skirt, Hirari a lot more. It feels like I’m seeing Skirt, Hirari under a new light now for no real reason other NMB performed it. No matter how it happened, I now really enjoy watching the song performed now.

And now, I’ve been watching the Team 4 performance from Unit Matsuri 2012 frequently lately. So yeah, I’m starting to like the song now. Ranran!

My Pure·Delight – NMB Domination on MUSIC JAPAN

Over the last few weeks’ episodes, AKB48 along with their sister groups, SKE48 and NMB48, have appeared on the television program MUSIC JAPAN. During that time, the three groups have competed against each other in a short mini sports competition. In short, NMB did quite well. In particular, Yamamoto Sayaka (Sayanee) was amazing throughout the competition.

My Pure·WTF – Milky to Team B, Jurina to Team K

It was announced on the second day of Saitama Super Arena that NMB48 member Watanabe Miyuki (Milky) would get transferred to Team B and SKE48 member Matsui Jurina (Jurina) would get transferred to Team K.

When I first heard the news this morning, I absolutely hated the idea. I was left sitting, staring blankly into space, with no words to describe how I felt. And after hours of thinking, I still hate the idea and I’m still not sure what to say. I don’t care if the transfer is “limited-time” or “temporary,” I hate the idea of transferring NMB48 and SKE48 members into AKB48.

I hope this ends well, but I have my doubts.

My Pure·Thoughts – AKB in Google+ CM

The Google+ CM video featuring members of the AKB family and promoting the Galaxy Nexus has been put up on Google Japan’s official Youtube channel. There is no doubt that Google+’s popularity has seen an increase since AKB started promoting the social networking service. It’s been great to see the girls post and interact with each other and their fans. And as the CM shows, Google+ has many cool and interesting features that make it fun to keep up with the posts of all the AKB girls and they can all be utilized easily on the Galaxy Nexus. A nice and effective CM.

The CM features the G+ senbatsu members who were chosen earlier by Aki-P. Ishida Haruka (Harukyan) was chosen as center.
1. Matsumura Kaori (SKE48 KKS)
2. Matsui Sakiko (AKB48 Team K)
3. Takajo Aki (AKB48 Team A)
4. Katayama Haruka (AKB48 Team A)
5. Yamaguchi Yuuki (NMB48 Team N)
6. Nakamata Shiori (AKB48 Team 4)
7. Ishida Haruka (AKB48 Team B) [center]
8. Matsui Rena (SKE48 Team S)
9. Suzuki Shihori (AKB48 Team B)
10. Tanabe Miku (AKB48 Team K)
11. Kuramochi Asuka (AKB48 Team A)
12. Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48 Team N)
13. Nakagawa Haruka (AKB48 Team A)
14. Kitahara Rie (AKB48 Team B)
15. Yokoyama Yui (AKB48 Team K)
16. Fujie Reina (AKB48 Team K)

My Pure·Reminscing – My Favorite 5 AKB TV Show Episodes of 2011

As I got to learn more about the AKB family, I think my biggest source of learning came from the many TV shows AKB has. From my very first AKB TV show (AKBINGO!) to my favorite at the end of the year (Naniwa Nadeshiko), every AKB TV show has gotten me to learn about and discover new things about AKB. So here’s my list of my 5 favorite AKB TV show episodes from 2011.

My Pure·Reminscing – My Favorite 5 AKB Members of 2011

2011 is coming to an end here and with the new year just around the corner, I wanted to look back a bit at my first year in the AKB fandom. It’s weird how just a few months ago, I couldn’t name a single member from any of the ***48 groups. Now, I am a Miichan oshi who has NMB48 as his favorite ***48 group and a blog that for the most part talks about NMB. Not how I expected this year to go, but I’m not complaining.

This is my personal list of my 5 favorite members for the whole AKB family.