My Pure·NMB Top 5 Ranking

Ever since Ebi48 closed down, I hadn’t done a new NMB ranking. Until I stumbled upon akbsort on Tumblr and used the ranker to rank all of the NMB members. And here’s my Top 5 NMB members.

My NMB Top 5 Ranking
5. Kawakami Chihiro (Chihhii)
4. Takano Yui (Yuipon)
3. Yamada Nana (Nana)
2. Yoshida Akari (Akarin)
1. Jo Eriko (Jo)

Chihhii has really jumped up my rankings and seeing her ice skate was a nice treat. Since Team M was originally formed, Yuipon has slowly but gradually found her way up my NMB ranking. And her hard work has paid off with more exposure and three straight singles making senbatsu. Nana, my original NMB oshi, is now captain of Team M and a concurrent member of SKE48 Team KII. And she’s still as amazing a performer as when I first start getting interested in NMB. I don’t even how it’s possible, but it seems Akarin gets prettier and prettier every time I see her. She definitely has quite the model aura about her.

And Jo… I absolutely love her.

My Pure·Intrigue – NMB48 in the Janken Tournament

The drawing to determine the matchups for AKB48’s 29th Single Janken Tournament was held today. It was annonuced that Masuda Yuka (Yuttan) will not be able to participate in the tournament, due to her work with Miyamoto Amon’s upcoming Wizard of Oz musical. With her absence, the tournament includes 85 members vying for center of the 29th AKB48 single. And of course, my rooting interest revolves around my oshi, Minegishi Minami (Miichan), and my lovely NMB48 members. In Block 1, Miichan faces off with Team A member Iwasa Misaki (Wasamin) in the first round in the very first matchup of the whole tournament. (If Miichan loses, I’ll be crushed and there would be the rest of the tournament to go still.)

As for the 7 NMB48 members, they are involved in many interesting matchups. In Block 3, Team M member Takano Yui (Yuipon) meets with SKE48 Team E member Kobayashi Ami (Koami). A win would mean a second round match with another Team E member, Takagi Yumana (Yumana). In the same block, Yuipon’s teammate Kawakami Rena (Renapyon) is a seed, getting a bye to the second round. She will battle the winner of the matchup between SKE48 Team E member Kimoto Kanon (Non) and AKB48 Team B member Ishida Haruka (Harukyan). With Yuipon and Renapyon in the same block, it means only one of the two can possibly make senbatsu.

In Block 4, Watanabe Miyuki (Milky) is a seed and awaits the winner between Team B members Kitahara Rie (Kitarie) and Chikano Rina (Chikarina). Milky’s fellow Team N members Kotani Riho (Ripopo) and Shinohara Kanna (Kanchiru) are also seeds in Block 6 and Block 11, repsectively. Ripopo will go against the winner of the Yamauchi Suzuran (Ranran)/Kojima Haruna (Kojiharu) matchup. If Kojiharu defeats Ranran, it will be Ripopo’s chance at history: to end Kojiharu’s unparalleled senbatsu streak in singles. Kanchiru gets a sister group member in her second round match, either HKT48 Team H’s Moriyasu Madoka (Madoka) or SKE48 Team KII’s Sato Mieko (Neesan).

In Block 13, Team M’s Yamagishi Natsumi (Natsumin) will do battle with HKT48 Team H’s Nakanishi Chiyori (Chori) for the right to face Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou star Shimazaki Haruka (Paruru). And last but not least, in Block 14 is the lone NMB48 member to return from last year’s janken tournament: Hikawa Ayame (Ayanyan). In order to make janken senbatsu this year, she is going to have defeat at least two normal senbatsu members: Miyazawa Sae (Sae) in the 1st round and Kashiwagi Yuki (Yukirin) in the second round.

As I’ve said before, I’ll be rooting with all my heart for Miichan and NMB48 to do well in the janken tournament. Good luck, girls!

AKB48′s 29th Single Janken Tournament will take place on September 18th.

My Pure·Delight – NMB Janken Preliminary Results

The road to determine the center for AKB48’s 29th single started yesterday as NMB48 held their janken preliminaries. The janken prelims would determine which 6 (well, 7 with Milky also representing Team B) members would represent NMB48 in the AKB48’s 29th single janken tournament.

First, the kenkyuusei competed in the first prelim to see who would compete against the NMB team members. Ultimately, 3rd Gen KKS Kushiro Rina (Rinacchi) defeated fellow 3rd Gen KKS Kono Saki (Sakipi) in the KKS final to claim the KKS spot in the NMB preliminary tournament.

In the following prelim, the members would janken until we got to the final 6. The 6 NMB members (besides Milky) who advanced to Budokan for the janken tournament:

Team N: Kotani Riho, Shinohara Kanna
Team M: Kawakami Rena, Takano Yui, Hikawa Ayame, Yamagishi Natsumi

Their paths to the final 6 would go as follows.
Kotani Riho (Ripopo) defeated Ota Riona (Riona) and Fukumoto Aina (Ai-nyan).
Shinohara Kanna (Kanchiru) defeated Kondo Rina (Riichan) and Murakami Ayaka (Ayachan).
Kamakami Rena (Renapyon) defeated Kadowaki Kanako (Kanakichi), Yoshida Akari (Akarin), and Fujita Runa (Ruutan).
Takano Yui (Yuipon) defeated Shimada Rena (Shimarena) and Matsuda Shiori (Shiokichi).
Hikawa Ayame (Ayanyan) defeated Okita Ayaka (Aapon) and Shiroma Miru (Mirurun).
Yamagishi Natsumi (Natsumin) defeated Yamaguchi Yuuki (Yuppi), Jo Eriko (Jo), and Jonishi Kei (Keicchi).

Happy for all the girls who will be representing NMB for the janken tournament. I’m hoping for all 7 members to make senbatsu and maybe even one of them will get that center position. I’m rooting for it!

AKB48’s 29th Single Janken Tournament will take place on September 18th.