Announcements AKB48 NEWS and RELEASE thread (no discussion)

AKB48 x Hikari TV Campaign Site

The Hikari TV x AKB48 website has been updated with a lot of special videos, and anyone who signs up to the mail magazine can get special wallpapers and other goodies.
http://www.hikaritv.net/akb/

 

AKB48: Highest first week sales ever for a Female Group with 827k. 5 consecutive 1# singles



Popular Idol group AKB48's 18th Single "Beginner" (10/27 Release) had a total first week sales of 827,000 copies and became the top single of the Weekly Ranking of this week (11/8). Starting from "RIVER" released on October last year, this makes the 5th consecutive 1# Single for AKB48.

with new marketing strategies like tickets for big-scale handshaking events among other bonuses, it beat SPEED's "ALL MY TRUE LOVE" (released on 1998/10) which sold 601k approx. 12 years ago. giving "Begginer" the highest first week ever for female groups.

as for Female artists (including solo artists), Utada Hikaru's "Addicted To You" (1999/11 release) with 1068k, Amuro Namie's "CAN YOU CELEBRATE?" (1997/2 Release) with 828k, and now "Beginner" (827k) in third place also make the top 3 best first week sales in the overall female category.

to line up with top-class releases from the second-half of the 90s (considered as the golden-age of the Music Industry) and also in what comes to this century surpassing Utada's "Can you Keep A Secret?" (2001/2 Release, 784k) it became the highest for this century.

furthermore, since the April release "Ponytail to Shushu" (first week sales of 513k) this makes 3 AKB48 releases with over 500k of opening sales, breaking the 2-streak record Utada, Ayumi Hamasaki, and previously AKB48 held together.

until last week (11/1) comparing the total yearly income of this year with the same period as it was last year there was a 105.6% increase, showing signs of a possible market revival for singles. now with big success of this release, the possibilities look certain. its said that this means the Single Market is coming back to the prosperity.

First week sales (Female groups Category) TOP 5


First Week sales (Female Artists Category) TOP 5



http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/rankmusic/81633/full/

 

AKB48 Zenkoku Tour "AKB ga yattekita!!" DVD Box
http://shop.akb48.co.jp/items/view/254

Release date: 11/28/2010
Price: 19,800 yen

Includes:
*Separate A, K, and B versions.
*9 Discs
*Photobook
*5 random member photos
*Trading card

Disc contents:
Disc 1 - Team A Hiroshima concert
Disc 2 - Team A Osaka concert
Disc 3 - Team A Sendai concert
Disc 4 - Team K Fukuoka concert
Disc 5 - Team K Sapporo concert
Disc 6 - Team K Nagoya concert
Disc 7 - Team B Osaka concert
Disc 8 - Team B Nagoya concert
Disc 9 - Making

 

"AKB48" have been nominated for the "Gold Artist Award" at YTV's "Best Hit Kayousai 2010"

http://www.ytv.co.jp/besthits/

 

Itano Tomomi 1st PB "TOMOCHIN!!" will feature 64 pgs manga, "COMIC TOMOCHIN!!" from 'Boys Be...' mangaka, Tamakoshi

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainmen ... T00021.htm

Didn't see any release date btw..

 

Oshima Yuko, Kojima Haruna and Shinoda Mariko in clear skin campaign for Hythiol B
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kmEcKBqlog[/yt]
http://www.ssp.co.jp/hythiol/?hb
http://www.j-cast.com/mono/2010/11/04079943.html
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Yamauchi Ayaka no longer in NMB48

Yamauchi Ayaka has left NMB48 as a result of poor health.
http://nmb48.com/news/etc/etc_2010_11_05_01.html

 

4 members of AKB48 (Kojima, Yuko, Sae and Takamina) went along with producer Aki-P to receive the “Trend People Award (Wadai no Jinbutsu sho)” on behalf of the whole of AKB48 at an awards ceremony yesterday. Aki-P talked about how the members 5 years ago (I’m assuming he was talking about the 1st gen Team A) had no manners and were terrible, insulting them further by saying he thought they’d come from a jungle but thanks to the support from everybody they were now much better. I don’t know how Takamina and Kojima having been in AKB48 from the start felt about his comments but I wouldn’t think they would have been pleased.

EDIT: Having watched a video of them talking at the event, I think Aki-P said his comments in jest and not in a serious manner!

 

HoriPro Twitters
Itano Tomomi - http://twitter.com/tomo_coco73
Kasai Tomomi - http://twitter.com/tomoomichan
Ishida Haruka - http://twitter.com/can2525can
Nito Moeno - http://twitter.com/moenoxxx
Miyazaki Miho - http://twitter.com/730myao
Sato Sumire - http://twitter.com/sumire_princess
Ohori Megumi - http://twitter.com/ohori_megumi

 

http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/entertainment/81969/

AKB48 officially recognized by guinness world records as the pop group with the most members

 

Will be released on 11/22 (info written at the bottom right of the following picture). Price: 1470 yens.

 

http://www.akb48hk.com/%E6%88%90%E5%93% ... %E6%B8%AF/

Miichan, Tomo~mi and Kitarie going to Hong Kong on the 17th November to act as the Temporary Managers for 1 hour, and will be personally serving customers

 

Kashiwagi Yuki in regular variety show "Kiseki Getter Bootbaas!"

Kashiwagi Yuki will be in a new TBS primetime variety show, "Kiseki Getter Bootbaas!", MCed by comedian trio Neptune. It starts with a 2 hour special on 11/20, and will be regularly broadcasted from 12/4 at 8pm on Saturdays. This is the first solo regular in primetime for an AKB member on a main channel.
http://www.tbs.co.jp/Bootbaaas/
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Miyazawa Sae and Masuda Yuka in movie "Koukou Debut"

Miyazawa Sae and Masuda Yuka will be in the movie "Koukou Debut", an adaption of the original manga. The filming finished the 7th of this month, and the movie is going to premiere around Japan in spring next year.
http://movies.jp.msn.com/news/article.a ... eid=447257

 

Chance no Junban Covers & Promo Pic

 

AKB48 Members in Hewlett Packard CM

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euehbvgGWOc[/yt]​

Six AKB48 members with model-like figures (Shinoda, Kojima, Kashiwagi, Miyazawa, Takajo, Mori) have been chosen to appear in HP's new CM for their winter collection of computers. The song "Kurumi to Dialogue" from their new single releasing in December is used in the CM, which will be broadcast nationwide from the 19th.
http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/movie/82134/full/

 

AKB48 will be releasing their new Documentary, "Documentary of AKB48 To Be Continued". It will be released on January 22, 2011. It features the joy, struggle, growth and dreams of AKB48 members.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmYzlYM4kS0[/yt]






More info and pictures:
http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000065832


Source: BARKS
Also for more information: www.2010-akb.jp

 

Uchida Mayumi in LGMonkees PV
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sthwII1Gq8Q[/yt]
4:19~
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HP x AKB48 Campaign Site
http://www.hp.com/jp/AKB48

 

French Kiss 2nd Single - "If"
On Sale: 2010/01/19



French Kiss' 2nd Single "If", will be used as the theme song for anime OVA "Kyo, Koi wo Hajimemasu". Continuing from the 1st single, there will be a special drama made which is set at the same school, as well as a new digital comic version, featuring the members voice acting parts of the manga.

[CD+ Drama DVD] ￥3,150(taxin)　AVCA -29886/B

Spoiler

【CD】
M1「If」
M2「Coupling #1」
M3「If instrumental」
M4「Coupling #1 instrumental」

【DVD】
- Drama - "If"
- "If" Music Clip

【First Edition Bonus】
- Event Ticket, Student ID-type Trading Card (random 1 out of 3)

【First Edition Bonus Video】
- Drama Making

[CD+ Digital Comic DVD]　￥1,890(taxin)　AVCA-29887/B　

Spoiler

【CD】
M1「If」
M2「Coupling #2」
M3「If instrumental」
M4「Coupling #2 instrumental」

【DVD】
- Digital Comic "Kyo, Koi wo Hajimemasu" (French Kiss voiced)
- "If" Music Clip

【First Edition Bonus】
- Event Ticket, Student ID-type Trading Card (random 1 out of 3)

【First Edition Bonus Video】
- Voice Acting Making

[CD]　￥1,260(taxin)　AVCA-29888

Spoiler

【CD】
M1「If」
M2「Coupling #3」
M3「If instrumental」
M4「Coupling #3 instrumental」

【First Edition Bonus】
- Event Ticket, Student ID-type Trading Card (random 1 out of 3)

Drama

The drama is set at the same school as the manga, one year before. Yuki is a member of the book club, who always has girls swarming around her. This is because Yuki is in a long-distance relationship with an older boyfriend, and is always giving her classmates good love advice. She was called the "Love Captain". Aki, a strong member of the archery club, and Asuka, honors student from the student council, go to this Love Captain for advice. Yuki has a certain secret, but she decides to help the girls, and from there their love stories begin...

 

Matsui Sakiko To Star In PENGIN's "Yuri no hanasaku Oka de" PV


Matsui Sakiko of popular idol group AKB48 is starring in 3 member unit PENGIN’s new song’s MV “Yuri no Hanasaku Oka de” (Released December 1st). It is her first time acting and the degree of difficulty is high because she has a “crying” scene. Matsui is currently studying in the college of music at university and in December during PENGIN’s sales commemoration event she will show her skills by playing the piano. Furthermore, Matsui has always been a PENGIN fan and she gladly commented, “I’m very happy. I’m now a member of the PENGIN family and I look forward to the future.”

Translated by: Kanki@Stage48
Source: http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/music/82301/

 

AKB48 to perform at 61st Kouhaku
AKB48 has just been announced as a guest at the end of year Kouhaku. This will be their 3rd performance at the famous festival.
http://www9.nhk.or.jp/kouhaku/artists/index.html

 

Suzuki Mariya and Nakatsuka Tomomi in Rainbowtown FM

Team B Suzuki Mariya and Team K Nakatsuka Tomomi will conduct a radio show at Rainbow Town FM, every sunday starting next December, 5th from 15:00 to 16:00 hours (Japan Time).

(May be available at USTREAM Broadcast)

PS: Announcement (Suzuki), Announcement (Nakatsuka)