AKB48 Wins Coveted Japan Record Award

AKB48 has at last landed on top of the music industry as they won the most coveted prize in our industry the Japan Record Award .The award was given for their sales of “Flying Get”.
Maeda Atsuko barely holding her emotions in after receiving the award made the following remarks “To all the people who have cheered us on, to the staff who have supported us, Akimoto sensei, we are so grateful for everyone. Thank you so much!”

2011 was a tremendous year for AKB48 and a strong year for the idol genre in general ,2012 looks to be another strong year ,can AKB48 continue their consecutive million sales streak or will a newcomer rise up to challenge them ? The answers will start to play out soon.

AKB48 Sets A New Record

AKB48 Sets A  New Record

This actually took place on the 19th   ,however I was not feeling well enough to  cover it. On September 19 AKB48`s “Flying Get” passed the 1.5 million mark in sales . This made AKB48 the first female group ever to have two consecutive singles reach that number.  “Everyday Kachuusha” sold 1.573 million copies and currently “Flying Get” has 1.521 million in only four weeks.

Because of this sales result AKB48 becomes just the fifth artist to achieve back-to-back singles that have reached 1.5 million in sales, after B'z, Mr. Children, KinKi Kids, and Utada Hikaru. In the great history of Japanese music,no female group in any genre has sold back-to-back 1.5 million copies of a single .This is an amazing run they are currently on.

AKB48: Records And More Records

AKB48: Records And More Records

AKB48 “Flying Get” has continued the AKB48 rewriting of history .With “Flying Get” AKB48 has broken or tied a wide range of industry records. So let’s look at the numbers.

“Flying Get” sold 1.354 million copies in a week after selling 1.025 million in a single day.  The single week total was the best opening week sales in Oricon chart history.
AKB48 also holds the second spot with “Everyday, Kachuusha“.

For singles that have sold one million in their first week, AKB48 holds the top two spots out selling the likes of Mr. Children and Utada Hikaru.

Since AKB48 has released “RIVER”, the group has had nine consecutive number one singles putting them in a tie with Pink Lady who has held that position for 33 years.

AKB48 with it`s three one million sellers in a row they have now tied Pink Lady for the top spot for million sales singles in a row.

With AKB48 scheduled to have more releases in the future it is only a matter of time before they pass Pink Lady and the standards set by Onyanko Club. While many fans from other agencies may dislike this group and their accomplishments, AKB48 without question when all is said and done and their final release is out, will be known as the greatest female idol unit in the history of the genre.

It is because of AKB48 that the fresh faces of this genre are rising up at a pace last seen in the 80`s .If AKB48 had remained at 20-25,000 sales a release ,there was a good chance that this genre on the female side could have slipped into nothing more then a cult followed ,dusty shelf memory in time .

As much as some rival fans may be against the success of AKB48, the industry needs and has welcomed their achievements. Just as Morning Musume opened the door for the arrival of AKB48 .AKB48 is opening the door for the arrival of the  fresh faces .It will be  these new next generation idols that PIH has been presenting to you  ,that will be the ones who will carry the genre to it`s next great accomplishments.

Congratulations to AKB48 and your fans.

AKB48 Hand Out Special Free CD Covers

AKB48 Hand Out Special Free CD Covers

AKB48 [staff] entered Shibuya Station on August 23 armed with 3,000 gold stamped “Flying Get” CD covers. The covers were freely distributed to anyone who wanted one and were completely distributed in one hour.

What made these covers so special is that they cannot be purchased at any store or online with any version of the CD.

Related Photos
http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/music/2001030/full/

AKB48 Flying Get Movie

AKB48 Flying Get Movie

Not long ago I added the short version of Flying Get to PIH .Readers asked what the full 18-minute version was like. Here is the full 18 minute version of the PV .The video in classic martial arts setting displays various camps representing good and evil  destine to fight an epic battle.

The early moments show the AKB48 forces simply enjoying a meal, knowing all along that a gathering storm is approaching. The writers and directors follow the traditional martial arts film build up with a slow calculated start building to the dramatic finish. To add spark the guardians of AKB48 speak with altered voices, until the members of AKB48 say enough of this foolishness and the song kicks in and the forces of good AKB48 swing into battle.

As with a number of martial arts films, there is a plot twist at the end as one of her own betrays Maeda. 

The movie when you watch from start to finish is nothing more then a dramatic takes on the senbatsu elections and battle for top position.

The amount of time, money and effects involved are sure to keep this unit in the media spotlight for sometime to come with this single.

Flying Get Movie
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjk2ODAyMjcy.html

Coupling PV`s
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjk2ODAxNjky.html
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjk2ODAxNzgw.html
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjk2ODAxNzUy.html    [now I miss the drama again, lol]

Note will replace PV`s with Youtube versions first chance I get.




 

AKB48: Flying Get Short Version PV

AKB48: Flying Get Short Version PV

 [Note-Photo is CD Type A Cover ]



My apologies to AKB48 fans for not being able to get this up sooner.

Recently I reported on the announcement that AKB48`s new single "Flying Get" would be an 18 minute epic .The 18 minute film version will come in the DVD ,while a standard version has been released to TV for promotions.

The video features the members of AKB48 dressed in Chinese costumes and going head to head with swords to prove who is the strongest fighter in a traditional martial arts type mini film .Between the fight scenes is a performance video.

A lot of time and work was put into this video and it shows, with great looking costumes, an interesting story and perfectly used CGI effects. It`s amazing what a video can do for a song when you put some thought into it and a budget.

In some ways the music reminds me of a Hello!Project type song that for years now has bored me to tears . However even if they actually wanted to go down that path "Flying Get" shows that whatever style music they want to release they will still do it better then anyone else in the industry.

In the end, "Flying Get" grabs your attention quickly and by the end, you find yourself wanting the full 18-minute version . This is a video when little is not enough.


flyingget by Bored4Lyfe

AKB48 to Release 18 Minute PV

 [Note-Photo is CD Type A Cover ]

AKB48 to Release 18 Minute PV

What do you do if you are the number one female idol unit in Japan to top all your achievements? You release an 18-minute epic high budget music video for a single.

AKB48`s “Flying Get” music video will be an 18 minute martial arts fight film spectacular that would make any fan of that genre proud .

The ladies will dress out in their best film costumes and go head to head with swords to prove who is the strongest fighter, oh also at some point in the middle of this martial arts brawl for all will be a performance video.

This epic video news is making the media rounds, as once again AKB48 takes over the music and media market, something they do about every 30 seconds on an average day.

You would think that as much as this unit is in the news from dramas to product ads, their star power would burn out. Fortunately, for AKB48 fans there seems to be no end to their star power. All the idol world revolves around this force of idol power and no one is willing to rise up to face them for the top spot, so why not make an 18 minute epic music video ,who is going to tell you that you can`t.

Please enjoy the previews below.







In completely unrelated PV news, AKB48 fans that are baseball fans have started putting the group in baseball games as a team. The games range from realistic simulations to the more anime style games. Is there no place safe from their grip, lol.