I know that the 37th single of AKB48 has just released and there is a long time until the next single can be released. However, I have to say that I don't like the lastest single of AKB48 Group. Of course that Mayuyu won #1 and became the center in an "fan choice" single is the thing I really like but I can't like the music. AKB48 Group may be one of the most popular idol girl group in Japan and every single from them always has a lot of people who are ready to accept the music and buy CD. To be honest, I think that makes AKB48 A-sides became more and more unacceptable (for me). In comparison with Gingham Check and Koisuru Fortune Cookie, I consider that Kokoro no Playcard may stand under the other election singles' level (my most favorite until now is Heavy Rotation LOL~).
Back to the main topic of this post, I want to share my personal opinion about the next AKB48 single, which is considered as the most interesting single of a year. For AKB48 fans, you may know that although the spring singles (Give me five, So long!, etc) and the autumn singles (Heart Ereki, UZA, etc) are always having a small number of senbatsu members in comparing with the early summer single (like Manatsu no Sound Good or Labrador Retriever), the autumn singles are always waited for more than the spring. I think the reason in here that the autumn single makes a totally feeling from the other singles of a year. AKB48 shows a cool and special side for it. You may see the cool in Beginner, UZA, River or Kaze wa Fuiteiru or in Heart Ereki is something really stand-out and unique. And here are my senbatsu choices for a single like that.
Team A: Takahashi Minami, Shimazaki Haruka, Kojima Haruna, Kawaei Rina and Iriyama Anna
Team K: Yokoyama Yui and Kojima Mako
Team B: Kashiwagi Yuki and Watanabe Mayu
Team 4: Minegishi Minami and Kizaki Yuria
SKE48: Matsui Jurina (AKB48 Team K concurrent) and Matsui Rena (NGZK48 concurrent)
NMB48: Yamamoto Sayaka (AKB48 Team K concurrent) and Watanabe Miyuki (SKE48 Team S concurrent)
HKT48 Team H: Sashihara Rino and Tashima Meru
NGZK46: Ikoma Rina (AKB48 Team B concurrent)
The names in bold are members who I think if they come and get into senbatsu, it will make the different feelings for this single. As you may know, both Kawaei Rina and Iriyama Anna are managers' favorite since the Original Team 4 days. However, the senbatsu spot for Kawaei Rina may be more sure than for Iriyama Anna. With Kojima Mako, the situation has some differences. Team K now is having 2 strong concurrent members - Yamamoto Sayaka and Matsui Jurina. If Team K wants to back the position as the top team (like the days of Akimoto Team K), managers have to push young member for this team like Kojimako. On the other hand, Kizaki Yuria is a big question in Team 4. Comparing with Team A, Team K and Team B, Team 4 only has Minegishi Minami as the biggest senior and a lots young junior members. Among them, Kizaki Yuria may be the most suitable choice for another senbatsu in Team 4. She is well-known among SKE48 fans and she is also the Team 4 member who has highest ranking in the lastest election behind Minegishi Minami. Honestly, I like Nishino Miki so much but I have to accept that it's not the time for Mikichan becoming senbatsu >_<.
Tashima Meru is considered as the second Matsui Jurina by Akimoto Yasushi. However, she is never chosen as HKT48 representative in a AKB48-small-number-of-senbatsu-single. The last year, HKT48 member chosen along with Sashihara Rino was Oota Aika and in UZA was Miyawaki Sakura. I wondered why they didn't choose Tashima Meru even when she was HKT48 ACE and over Komada Haruka and Miyawaki Sakura to become center in the 1st HKT48 original song. When I watch HKT48 performances at theater or in concert, Tashima Meru is really shinning and catched most of my attentions (of cousre that when Akiyoshi Yuka and Yabuki Nako aren't on stage), so I think this is a right time to choose Meruchan. Among my member choices, Ikoma Rina may be the most interesting because she is from Nogizaka46 (which is known as AKB48 rival group). I don't know much about her but I think if she is chosen, NGZK46 will have 2 representatives in a rival group single (her and Matsui Rena).
And next is about B-side. I know that because of the large number of member in each AKB48 Team, Team Song is a suitable choice. However, if the team songs in Heart Ereki are awesome, the team songs in Labrador Retriever is quite weird (especially in Team 4 song >_<). I don't like the way they put concurrent members are much higher than team original member, so I don't want to write about team song in this post. Next one are my choices for Under Girls, who may be the next stars for the future or just the girl who don't have something enough to be in senbatsu.
Team A: Nakanishi Chiyori and Muto Tomu
Team K: Tano Yuka and Nagao Mariya
Team B: Oshima Ryoka, Owada Nana, Takajo Aki and Takeuchi Miyu
Team 4: Okada Nana, Nishino Miki and Kato Rena
SKE48: Kitagawa Ryoha, Suda Akari and Furuhata Nao
NMB48: Kotani Riho, Yamada Nana, Yagura Fuuko and Jo Eriko
HKT48: Oota Aika, Tomonaga Mio and Miyawaki Sakura
The names in bold are my choices for 1st line members (you can also understand that I consider them as my Top 5 in this list). I think if they choose Kato Rena and Suda Akari as the Wcenter for Under Girls' song, it won't only a interesting story but also a bit weird because of both members. I know Suda Akari now is one of top 3 in SKE48 and even though Suda Akari want to have a spot in senbatsu so much, I prefer as the center of Under Girls to the back-up line of senbatsu. On the other hand, I think that Kato Rena is the truly favorite of AKS manager. I don't understand her charm or why she can get into the same sub-unit with Iriyama Anna and Kawaei Rina. With Kato Rena, she has a lot of push than anyone in Team 4 now (minus Minegishi Minami - she is GEN 1 of AKB48 and Kizaki Yuria - she is one of top members in SKE48 before joining Team 4), but the managers' attempts on her seems not enough to bring her into a new level.
Owada Nana may be considered as the ACE of GEN 15, but in Team B, she isn't showing much of charming. I know she can put out more than that but the problem is when Watanabe Mayu's still there, can she show that?! That's reason why putting Owada Nana in Under Girls list is a big chance for her like what they do in "Party is over". In comparing with Owada Nana, I think Jo Eriko has unique position. She used to be the ACE of GEN 2 in NMB48, the center of Team M when it formed and also the 1st member of NMB48 had a solo performance in AKB48 concert (AKB48 Seibu Dome concert in 2011). When Maeda Atsuko graduated, she chose to follow her oshi's path and graduated from NMB48. However, she's back with NMB48 and promoted in AKB48 Group Shuffle. The thing is that Jo Eriko's still NMB48 KKS even though she had chance to be in a team. NMB48 managers doesn't give up on her and so does AKS.
Miyawaki Sakura may be my wrong choice for this Under Girls list because she was senbatsu of an autumn single before and if managers is choosing between her and Oota Aika, she has a bigger chance to be senbatsu again. In comparing with Tashima Meru, it's clear that she has no chance to be HKT48 center or HKT48 ACE but in AKB48 Group single, who knows what can happen next.
Here are my predictions for AKB48 next single afer Kokoro no Playcard. Thank you for reading all of my opinion in here. If you have anything to argree or disagree, please let me know. Have a nice day, my friends!
P.S: Please don't think I forget about Komada Haruka. I want to put her as senbatsu but when Team K has 2 strong concurrent members in my list, she seems to have no chance to get into senbatsu list. However, I don't think she is in Under Girls list while I consider her in a higher level than Kato Rena and that's all.
