AKB48 Sousenkyo Official Guide Book 2014

AKB48 Sousenkyo Official Guide Book 2014 (AKB48総選挙公式ガイドブック2014) will be released on

May 14.

This guide book contains the profiles of the 296 members of AKB48, SKE48, NMB48 and HKT48 members participating in the annual event. It also includes interviews, articles, several photos, election poster visuals…

NMB48′s Yamamoto Sayaka is on the center of the cover.

AKB48 Sousenkyo Official Guide Book 2014 features interviews with Oshima Yuko, who is talking about her graduation, and with AKB48 Group general manager Kayano Shinobu.

It also includes some articles written on various controversial topics by 7 personalities.

The 6th AKB48 Senbatsu General Election 2014 (AKB48 選抜総選挙 2014) will be held on June 7 at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo. The winner will be the center on the 37th single of the idol group from Akihabara.

The book has 144 pages. It is published by Kodansha.

• Official Guide Book

- Source : Jpop-idols

AKB48 – Labrador Retriever

AKB48‘s 36th single Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー)will be released on May 21.

The list of the 36 Senbatsu members for Labrador Retriever has been revealed. The center is Watanabe Mayu.

The covers and the tracklist of each edition have been unveiled.

The coupling track is Oshima Yuko’s graduation song Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー).

This single includes a voting ticket for the 6th AKB48 Senbatsu General Election 2014.

Senbatsu members :

• AKB48 : Iriyama Anna, Okada Nana, Owada Nana, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kato Rena, Kawaei Rina, Kizaki Yuria, Kitahara Rie, Kojima Haruna, Kojima Mako, Shimazaki Haruka, Takahashi Juri, Takahashi Minami, Nishino Miki, Minegishi Minami, Yokoyama Yui, Watanabe Mayu
• SKE48 : Oba Mina, Kitagawa Ryoha, Kimoto Kanon, Suda Akari, Furuhata Nao, Matsui Jurina, Matsui Rena
• NMB48 : Ichikawa Miori, Shibuya Nagisa, Yagura Fuuko, Yabushita Shu, Yamamoto Sayaka, Watanabe Miyuki
• HKT48 : Ota Aika, Kodama Haruka, Sashihara Rino, Tashima Meru, Tomonaga Mio, Miyawaki Sakura

The first announcements were made on March 29 during AKB48 Haru Con.

4 versions are available. The CD contains 3 songs. The 3rd track is different depending on the edition. They come with a DVD featuring the music video and bonus footage.

The limited editions include a ticket for a handshaking event with the members of the idol group.

Tracklist

• Type A
  • CD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Oshima Yuko Graduation Song)
    3. Kimi wa Kimagure (君は気まぐれ)
    4. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Instrumental)
    5. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Instrumental)
    6. Kimi wa Kimagure (君は気まぐれ) (Instrumental)
  • DVD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Music Video)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Music Video)
    3. Kimi wa Kimagure (君は気まぐれ) (Music Video)
    4. Nakamura “Kengai” Mariko no Hosare Men Kouza (中村”圏外”麻里子の干されメン講座)

• Type K
  • CD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Oshima Yuko Graduation Song)
    3. Itoshiki Rival (愛しきライバル)
    4. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Instrumental)
    5. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Instrumental)
    6. Itoshiki Rival (愛しきライバル) (Instrumental)
  • DVD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Music Video)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Music Video)
    3. Itoshiki Rival (愛しきライバル) (Music Video)
    4. Making of Labrador Retriever Part 1 (Making of ラブラドール・レトリバー 前編)

• Type B
  • CD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Oshima Yuko Graduation Song)
    3. B Garden (Bガーデン)
    4. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Instrumental)
    5. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Instrumental)
    6. B Garden (Bガーデン) (Instrumental)
  • DVD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Music Video)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Music Video)
    3. B Garden (Bガーデン) (Music Video)
    4. Making of Labrador Retriever Part 2 (Making of ラブラドール・レトリバー 後編)

• Type 4
  • CD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Oshima Yuko Graduation Song)
    3. Heart no Gasshutsu Game (ハートの脱出ゲーム)
    4. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Instrumental)
    5. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Instrumental)
    6. Heart no Gasshutsu Game (ハートの脱出ゲーム) (Instrumental)
  • DVD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Music Video)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Music Video)
    3. Heart no Gasshutsu Game (ハートの脱出ゲーム)  (Music Video)
    4. Kizaki Yuria no Team 4 (木﨑ゆりあのTeam 4) (Music Video

• Theater Edition
  • CD
    1. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー)
    2. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Oshima Yuko Graduation Song)
    3. Futari wa Dekiteru (2人はデキテル)
    4. Labrador Retriever (ラブラドール・レトリバー) (Instrumental)
    5. Kyou Made no Melody (今日までのメロディー) (Instrumental)
    6. Futari wa Dekiteru (2人はデキテル) (Instrumental)

• Regular editions : Type A / K / B / 4
• Limited editions : Type A / K / B / 4

- Source : Jpop-idols

AKB48 Senbatsu General Election 2014

Details on the 6th AKB48 Senbatsu General Election 2014 (AKB48 選抜総選挙 2014) have been announced.

The 6th edition of this annual event will be held on June 7, 2014 at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo.

The winner will be the center on AKB48‘s 37th single which will be released in August.

14 members have deciced no to participate in the election. Check out the list below.

For the first time, 80 members will be selected after the results of the AKB48 37th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo (AKB48 37thシングル 選抜総選挙). They will be part of the following units :

• Senbatsu members (選抜メンバー) : Rank 1 – 16
• Under Girls (アンダーガールズ) : Rank 17 -32
• Next Girls (ネクストガールズ) : Rank 33 – 48
• Future Girls (フューチャーガールズ) : Rank 49 – 64
• Upcoming Girls (アップカミングガールズ) : Rank 65 – 80

All members from AKB48, SKE48, NMB48 and HKT48, excepted those who announced their graduation before March 22, can apply. The 2 former AKB48 members who are now part of JKT48 (Nakagawa Haruka, Chikano Rina) are also allowed to be candidates.

The registration period started on March 31 at 16:30 and ended on April 6 at 23:00.

The 14 members who have decided no to participate in the 6th AKB48 Senbatsu General Election 2014 are :

• AKB48 : Katayama Haruka, Kikuchi Ayaka
• SKE48 : Kaneko Shiori, Goto Risako, Nakanishi Yuka, Kato Tomoko, Takatsuka Natsuki, Mizuno Honoka, Iguchi Shiori, Kato Rumi, Sora Miyuka
• NMB48 : Akazawa Hono, Kinoshita Momoka
• JKT48 : Chikano Rina

The voting period will run from May 20 at 10:00 to June 6 at 15:00.

A dedicated website was opened : http://www.akb48.co.jp/sousenkyo/37thsingle/

This post will be updated with all the latest news on the event.

- Source : Jpop-idols

HKT48 – Creation of Team KIV and Team Shuffle

HKT48 announced the creation of Team KIV and their first Team Shuffle.

17 Kenkyuusei have been promoted as “new class” to HKT48 Team H and Team KIV. Some current members have also been transferred. The new captains are respectively Anai Chihiro and Ota Aika.

Check out the new line-up and some photos of the live performance of the idol group from Fukuoka.

The announcement was made on January 11 on the first day of HKT48 Kyushu 7 Prefecture Tour ~Kawaii Ko ni wa Tabi wo Saseyo~ (HKT48 九州7県ツアー～可愛い子には旅をさせよ～).

Team H

• Anai Chihiro (captain)
• Kodama Haruka
• Sashihara Rino
• Tanaka Natsumi
• Nakanishi Chiyori
• Matsuoka Natsumi
• Wakatabe Haruka
• Akiyoshi Yuka
• Inoue Yuriya
• Umemoto Izumi
• Okamoto Naoko
• Kojina Yui
• Komada Hiroka
• Sakaguchi Riko
• Tashima Meru
• Yamada Marina

Team KIV

• Ota Aika (captain)
• Ueki Nao
• Kumazawa Serina
• Shimono Yuki
• Miyawaki Sakura
• Murashige Anna
• Motomura Aoi
• Moriyasu Madoka
• Imada Mina
• Okada Kanna
• Goto Izumi
• Tanaka Yuka
• Tani Marika
• Tomiyoshi Asuka
• Tomonaga Mio
• Fuchigami Mai

- Source :  HKT48 , J-pop Idols