Giving AKB48 a Chance: The 3 Day Challenge - Day 3 (Part 2)

Okay, let's get into Part 2 of this post! I've returned home from whatever the hey I was doing, and honestly, I am ready to roll and finish up this challenge before midnight hits! It's 21:50pm here, so let's get on with this post! Just a little over two hours to go!

So, we are on the final part of the final day x3 How does that feel, guys? I dunno about you, but it's getting exciting for me here on out, because the recommendations for these songs have been amazing so far, and I am really liking what you guys have offered for me to listen to. But it's not over yet! Oh no...

Day/Night 3 (The Final Part! For Realz):

So I have a few more songs to go through, and I would like to thank the commenters for suggesting their favourite, or recommended songs, to me so that I can get a taste of what everyone else likes. The suggestions are a lot better than what I picked and chose to listen to, so thanks to you all! x3

So, without further ado, let's get into the final post of this challenge, and see what my opinion of AKB48 is overall after this! Wheee~

Song 7: Jungle Gym (Yamamoto Sayaka)

This song was suggested by Thennary Nak, and whilst I have no idea where to find the performance for this song, I decided to look for the MP3 to see why it was recommended by darling Thennary, and honestly, seeing the title, I thought that this song would be jungle themed for some weird reason.

No, it's in fact themed around a childs Jungle gym, Chiima... though we don't call them Jungle Gym's in England. We call them 'Apparatus' for some odd reason. Forgive my confusion, Yurushite Nyan~ -gets pummeled to death by many of you-.

*Ahem* Anyway, Yamamoto has such a pretty voice, and she really suits the gentle tone of this song, I think. Her vocals just seem to sit so well with the instrumental, allowing the song itself to compliment how she sings and the feel of her voice. She sets the right amount of emotion in the song, too, and I find her voice very likeable.

The song itself is quite cute and likeable, as it looks into the present and past of the person that the song is focused on, talking about her childhood and how she used to be before finding love. It's a song which I can somewhat relate to, as I tend to often think about what I used to be like and how, as a person, I have changed... though in all honesty, I bet many people can relate to the song's lyrics in their own way, cos we all have changed and grown up.

In a way, the song is quite touching, as it reflects on the person and how they feel they have changed. Or am I, once again, reading into this too much...?

Who knows, but it's a nice song. Possibly something I wouldn't listen to that much, but I definitely wouldn't ignore it if it was put on play again.

Song 8: Blue Rose

This song took me a little bit of time to find, because I went to look at a few songs before choosing this one. Among the songs I looked into were Wasshoi B!, Mr. Kissman, Mokugekisha and Arashi no Yoru ni wa, but sadly none of those songs really appealed to me. They were good songs, however they didn't stick out for me personally, and I didn't find myself falling for them. Well, I guess that is the same as this song too, though I like it a bit more...

Blue Rose was suggested by another Anonymous user, and this song is pretty cool... the sort of tone I generally don't care for, because I'm the sort of sugary sweet girl, or ballad girl, but this song is quite nice. The chorus, though, has to be my favourite part of the entire song. It sounds incredibly powerful, and the girls all sound wonderful in this performance It makes me like the song a little more, though not as much as I like other songs.

It stands out because of the performance and the vocals, I guess. I am really enjoying the passion put into this performance and how well the girls deliver their lines.

This won't become a favourite song, but I like the tone and sound of it. It's cool, and the chorus is pretty bad-ass to my ears.

Song 9: Higurashi no Koi

From the same Anonymous who suggested Blue Rose, they also suggested Higurashi no Koi, which when I first heard it made me think of Iroppoi Jirettai slightly, though the instrumental is a lot slower. Also, TakaMina's vocals in this suit this type of song perfectly. When she sang the first time I heard this, I just couldn't help but think 'Wow, her voice fits this song so well'. And then I sqee'd because Masuda Yuka has returned, guys. I am a happy bunny x3

Admittedly this song would not be my first choice if I wanted to randomly listen to a track, but the pure quality and beauty of both TakaMina and Yuka's voices just makes me want to continue to listen to the song. They have beautiful voices, with TakaMina's being the girlier, somewhat softer voice, and Yuka's being stronger and lower too. The combination is quite nice, and they sound lovely together.

It's a nice song... but I wouldn't necessarily listen to it again unless I wanted to hear TakaMina's voice fit an instrumental so perfectly, but the song itself is fine... just not to my taste, really.

Song 10: Glass no I LOVE YOU

Guys... Oh my gosh, guys, I've found my Annoying song!!! I finally found my AKB annoying song to play when I am too tired of Pin Pan Pon Taisou or Konnichipa! YES!!! A song which I will hate because it gives me headaches from the horribly forced voices. Whooo~

Sillyness aside, the opening of this song instantly made me think 'I hate you already!', because it was truly irritating to listen to. This was what, five seconds in, and honestly, it's still an annoying song, but it also an undeniably cute song, despite how much I want to loathe it. Well... rest assured, I won't ever listen to this song again afterwards, but I thought that I would throw in this song here because, hey, this challenge doesn't necessarily mean I have to like everything I watch, and honestly, I would like to give you something I don't care about as well as the songs I do happen to like.

It has some good parts in it, mostly when the girls aren't singing the chorus, but honestly that's it. I guess I just can't stand the instrumental or the girls and their fake voices. Honestly, if I wanted to listen to a fake voice, I would be a fan of Momoko Tsugunaga and a fan of Ogura Yui, but I'm not. Aye aye aye...

Anyway, it's cute, but it's annoying... and I may want to burn this song from my memory after this. So yeah...

Song 11: Rock da yo, jinsei wa...

Mina had suggested some of the 'Loli' songs to me for the stages, and this is the one which stuck out to me the most because of the energy and ball of fun it was! Also, it reminds me of Koko no Iruzee in a way, but only because both songs are a bundle of fun to listen to!

It's loud, crazy and absolute fun and madness... and that's how I will stick to describing it! The instrumental is full of life and absolutely fun, reminding me of the Morning Musume I never knew, and the song itself is quite inspiration in its own way, encouraging youngsters to go on and move ahead no matter what. It's just... it's amazing to watch and listen to, the smiles the girls have is infectious, and the song itself is really catchy. I love the fast pace to it, how loud, energetic and wonderful it is and how much is put into the performance. It's just... well, it's awesome!

It makes me smile, which is what genki songs are meant to do! Oh man... this song... <3

Song 12: Idol nante Yobanaide

Another song from the lovely Mina, this time from a sub-unit(?) or a small grouping from AKB. And boy, is this overly sugary...

... Ow, my tooth!

Also, I feel like I have found a unit (okay, song) which is just as annoying as Glass no I LOVE YOU, though not as sugary and sweet, and not as annoying, either. The girls have horrible fake voices, yes, but at least they aren't as bad as those of the girls singing Glass no I LOVE YOU. Though the voices are still headache worthy, mind you...

It is a really cute song, though, and I honestly think that it helps that I like Mii-chan and Erepyon in this, because I know that those two can sing a lot better than they let on in this performance. However, admittedly, I like the lyrics of the song more than the song itself. The lyrics are the feelings of an Idol who wants people to realise her feelings and to consider her more it seems, and I like how it simply takes on the emotions that the Idol in the song has. It strikes true to any Idol, really, as they are all treated like dolls who aren't allowed to do what they want because of the public's love.

The song's meaning is nice, by far better than the annoying tone to the song itself, and I liked reading the English translation of the lyrics. It's a pity the song doesn't strike me as anything special, though.

Song 13: 7ji 12fun no Hatsukoi

A song from another anonymous user, this is actually one of the calmer songs they recommended to me, though also not one of their highly recommended songs... but for me, this one stuck out more and is a song which I am quite enjoying. It's cute, but not overly sweet and tacky, and has the right amount of adorable fluff that you need for a song like this. The lyrics are really cute, too.

The song is about a girl who falls for a boy she briefly meets, and holds an imaginary date with him in her head, but understands that she can't really date him. It's that sort of song that talks about the thoughts and feelings of an innocent girl and her crush on a boy. I swear, we've all been there, where we imagine we are dating someone we barely know, and this song portrays that scenario quite well, I think. The gentle tone and the cute voices just set the song up nicely and make it a good listen. Okay, so it's not the best stage song I have listened to, but I quite like it.

The lyrics are also nice, so that's a bonus!

Song 14: Heart gata Virus

I found this song on the suggested videos on youtube, and you know what? I'm happy that I clicked it, because it's quite a nice song! The name is also really cute, and kind of speaks for the song itself really.

The song is a cute romantic song, portraying the feelings of a girl who didn't want to love a certain guy, but ended up doing that anyway, and now she can't stop thinking about him. It's your basic love story, though written in song, and it's just adorable. It depicts the emotions of a girl well as she goes through a love she didn't want, but can't stop, and the tone of the song matches her romantic feelings perfectly, though it doesn't really match the struggle of her falling in love well, but hey, who cares? It's sweet!

There's a good amount of energy in this song, though not too much that it takes over. The girls also sound nice, and thank goodness they aren't feigning their cuteness! Whew!

Song 15: Skirt, Hirari

I thought that I should throw in a PV for this part of my Challenge, and where better to go than one of the very first songs AKB48 recorded... meaning that this is indeed an Indies single.

A lot of people like this song, but honestly... I can't understand why, but I feel that's because I just don't really like the sound of this song. Upon first hearing it, I'm already bored, though I do like how it is a change of pace from their latest releases. It has a nice pace to it, but the tune really does nothing for me at all. It just... well, it bores me. I have no idea why, but the song just has no appeal for me.

But I doubt every song can grab me. Not even Morning Musume has a full discography which pleases me. I guess I am just immune to some songs x3

Though at some points, it can be catchy, but really... sorry, Skirt, Hirari, but you are not my cup of tea DX Though props on the vocals!

Song 16: Oshibe to meshibe to yoru no chouchou

What were my first thoughts when this song started? None other than 'OMAIGAWD JAMES BOND!'. I kid you not, I thought that the opening sounded familiar to the famous 007 theme. How weird...

Other than the 007 familiarity, this song sounds quite... sexy? It's got that certain beat to it which makes it sound sensual in a way, and that kinda caught me and made me want to continue listening to it. So, of course, I looked up the lyrics... and found out that indeed it was a song based on sex, and more importantly (for those who care) based on the relationship of what seems to be a lady and her mistress, who I think is a young girl? Well... isn't that interesting?

The song seems to depict the love of the young girl, but the lady seems to be a bit moreplayful and has a more carefree nature towards their affiar, seeing it as simple fun. Now, this is one interesting concept... I don't think that I have listened to a Japanese song yet which talks about the forbidden love between to women, so it's quite interesting to read about.

The performance itself is quite sensual too, so for those of you who aren't too fond of same-sex relationships or a performance which insinuates the act of love between two women, then don't go further! Reading this would be bad enough for you I guess xD

Song 17: Baby! Baby! Baby!

My final song for this challenge, and one which I actually avoid a lot, is Baby! Baby! Baby!. Why this song?...

Because it's the first song that youtube brought up when I typed in AKB48 into the search engine, so I decided to talk about this one, because I do have some history with it which will surely bring up my horrible AKB48 hating past.

So, Baby! Baby! Baby! and I have a brief history. I was, at the point in time when I watched this, a person who was heavily into Hello! Project, and slowly creeping into a deep dislike for AKB48. I think that Baby! Baby! Baby! helped me to push myself and my dislike forward because one of my friends online actually greatly disliked AKB too, and made a point of telling me that they were whores and sluts when I asked her what she thought about this group I knew nothing about. The reason she called the sluts and whores?

It was this PV, and pictures or screen caps taken from said PV, that made her say that, and sadly I followed along with it. Well, wasn't I a stupid person? I wouldn't have admitted that back then, mind you, but a lot of people have probably thought the same thing, and heck, some people still do.

So, history lesson over, shall we talk about the song and video itself?

I've never actually watched past the 30 second mark on the song itself, only hearing the catchy Baby! Baby! Baby! parts and some other lines, before turning it off and calling quits, but now that I am actually sitting down to watch it properly, and give the damn song a listen to, it's actually a very nicely shot video with quite a few creative shots, a lot of colour, and fan service. Lots of fan service, though what do you expect from their summer songs?

The retro style scenes are actually my favourite, because I love the colour and clothes in those shots. They really bring a touch of normality to the PV, I guess. Also, I love how happy the girls look here. They really seem like they are having fun, something which I don't really see in their newest summer PV's. I guess the concept has become over-used in a way, but for some reason, seeing the girls in this video is quite refreshing. They don't seem as forced as they do in their other PV's.

The song is nice too, it's catchy and a cute summer song. Okay, so it's not the most memorable song ever, but it's refreshing. It's the sort of AKB48 that I never got to experience due to my poor judgements, and yeah, I regret that.

....

So, that's it! My 3 Day Challenge (Part 2) has come to an official end! 3 days of non-stop AKB48 rocking out my mind, and their stage songs showing me a different side to them, has helped me to give this group the chance that I didn't when I was a few years younger, and has helped me to take a closer look at the girls and how passionate they are about being Idols and about AKB48. So, it's been a nice little journey, eh?

But what's the Conclusion?

The Conclusion

Honestly speaking, I think that I feel the same way towards AKB48 as I did before, though now I will be less judgemental. I'm still on the path into liking them, and whilst I may not be a super fan like other Wota are when it comes to this group, I do think that are genuinely good at what they do, but right now... I'm okay with them, but I don't exactly fawn over them either.

Doing this 3 day challenge has helped me to look into more of their songs, though, and I am happy that I was able to take a look at the other material these girls have and to see that they are actually more diverse than I ever thought they were. If anything, I have taken away the knowledge that AKB48 and the sister groups have better material out there that isn't just their A-side or B-side singles, and that I should really just listen to more of their stage stuff to get a better look at what these girls are capable of.

I've also realised how many good singers are in AKB48 - I've found a liking for Akimoto Sayaka and Masuda Yuka, who I wouldn't have found out about if I hadn't been given links to songs that have these girls in them, and whilst none of these songs haev made me think 'Wow, I love it so so much!' (Candy being the closest to that right now) I do feel like I have more to look forward to from AKB48 music wise, instead of just looking forward to a good PV or two.

So whilst I may still feel the same about them, I do think that eventually I will open up to AKB48 more and like them a lot more in the future. I mean, I've warmed up to them a great deal since I started this blog, and it's going to continue, but I think that there will always be that niggling feeling in the back of my head which reminds me how much I disliked them, and I do think that how I used to feel in the past is what actually holds my back from liking AKB48 a lot more than I do now.

In the end, it's progress into liking them, isn't it? And I'm happy I used 3 days of blogging to talk about what I think of the stage and single songs from AKB48. I've found songs and singers that I like, and songs that I don't like... but no matter what group you are into, there will always be somethin you dislike in the discography or group roster somewhere.

Anyway, it's been a fun three days. Thank you all for sharing your favourite songs with me, and thanks for reading these posts. I hope you've enjoyed, and I hope to see you next time without the pitch forks, because hopefully I will give AKB48 a better chance when something new comes out...

It's 23:59pm. Better go! Bye guys ;D

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: August 31st, 2012