48 Group West
Pictured: AKB48 makes their long awaited comeback with their 58th Single, Nemo Hamo Rumor. (From left to right, Kuranoo Narumi, Yokoyama Yui (8), and Kashiwagi Yuki)
Latest from the Blog
5 Largest Gains in Senbatsu Election Rank
5.) Kato Yuuka (加藤夕夏) “Uuka” (NMB48 Team BII, 3rd Generation) ↑51 Ranks (From Rank #84 in the 8th Election to Rank #33 in the 9th Senbatsu Election, 2017) Yuuka is no stranger to 48 Group West, as we recently spoke about her in our article NMB48; Datte Datte Datte and 8 Members You Should Know,…
Highest Ranking Senbatsu Election Newcomers
4.) TIE* Yokoyama Yui (横山由依) “Yuihan” (AKB48 Team A, 9th Generation) ~From unranked in 2nd Election to Rank #19 in 3rd Senbatsu Election, 2011~ Previous General Manager of AKB48, Yui is currently one of the most popular members in the 48 Group family. The details surrounding her promotion make up a well known story within…
48Group Summer Bikini Singles (Part 2)
**Vote for your favorite bikini singles at the end of the article!** After a rather long break, 48 Group West is back to bring you more of AKB48’s beloved bikini singles! As mentioned in Part 1 of this article, which you can read by clicking this link, AKB48’s integrity was at question by concerned international…
An Ode to Graduation – Part 2
Saigo no Door (最後のドア) by AKB48 (2013) 1st Generation and Kami 7 member Tomomi Itano’s graduation announcement went a different direction than most others in the past. Instead of announcing at a large event, like a concert or handshake event, she casually let the masses know of her plan during the filming of an AKB48…
8 International Sister Group Songs You Should Know
**Vote for your favorite International Sister Group at the end of the Article!** Rapsodi by JKT48 (2020) Coming as a shock to all 48 Group fans, the almost decade old JKT48 released their first original single, Rapsodi. The music video was unveiled towards the end of 2019 and astounded Indonesian audiences as it showed a…
4 Ballad-like Songs to Vibe To
AKB48 has long been known to show many different faces, and not just in the sheer amount of members they have. They are cute and adorable in one video until they are beating each other bloody in a tv series. Both of which topics will be the subject of future articles on 48Group West. For…
An Ode to Graduation – Part 1
**Vote for your favorite Graduation Dress at the end of the article!!** Sayonara de Owaru Wake Janai (サヨナラで終わるわけじゃない) By Watanabe Mayu (2017) Mayu Watanabe is the former AKB48 member who prompted us to make this list. Recent headlines in Japanese media note the disappearance of the former starlet, and her sudden announcement of her resignation…
AKB48 Members Aged 25 or Older (Part 2)
Oya Shizuka (大家志津香) “Shiichan” (Age 28) AKB48 Team B (3rd Generation) Birthday: December 28, 1991 After Minegishi Minami and Kashiwagi Yuki, Oya Shizuka is the 3rd longest running member of 48 Group. Over the many years, she has switched back and forth between Teams A and B, currently waving a Team B flag. Never completely…
48Group Summer Bikini Singles! (Part 1)
Since the groups’ inception until very recently, AKB48 has religiously released multiple summer-themed bikini singles. It became something that the group was known for, the practice being adopted by their sister groups NMB48, SKE48 and even SNH48 (no longer a member of 48Group). Due to growing concerns from international voices over the age of the…
NMB48; Datte Datte Datte and 8 Members You Should Know
Datte Datte Datte, NMB48’s newest single to be released on the 13th of May, has a music video and melody that is a breath of fresh air for the current NMB48 group. After the graduation of leader and perpetual center, Yamamoto Sayaka, over a year ago, NMB48 has had three singles, experimenting with different centers…
The Front Five Girls of AKB48’s newest single, Shitsuren, Arigatou!
Purchase the single here! After the unexpected hit that was Sustainable, AKB48 announced their new center at the end of 2020 Request Hour (image depicted as 48Group West homepage header). Yamauchi Mizuki, newly promoted in December 2017, claimed the new title of AKB48’s Center to the delight of fans and members alike. Shitsuren, Arigatou, the…
AKB48 Members Aged 25 or Older (Part 1)
Ijiri Anna (井尻晏菜) “Antan” (Age 25) NMB48 Team M (3rd Generation) Birthday: January 20, 1995 Captain of Team M, Anna has been a NMB48 member for 8 years and has yet to center a song. She has taken part in numerous b-sides for the group and participates heavily in variety, building herself a rather cooky…
8 Music Videos and songs featuring Traditional Japanese Dress!
Koi no Onawa (恋のお縄) (2011) by Team Z (AKB48) A one-off unit made for the release of one album, Team Z consisted of several AKB48, SKE48, and SDN48 members. Centered by 2nd Generation Team K member Oshima Yuko, the song has not been forgotten and is still performed today. Watch SKE48 Team E perform the…
HKT48; 8 Members Who Could Become Your New Oshi
HKT48 is a 48 Group that suffers from far too few single releases. After constantly releasing only 2 singles a year for five years, HKT48 seems to have made themselves comfortable by only releasing Hayaokuri Calendar in 2018 and Ishi around the same time in 2019. With a change in sound, HKT48 is finally back…
4 Great Team A Songs You Should Know
Hate (2012) Hate is not a song you’ll find in the 48 Group Franchise unless you dig very deep. The song has long been forgotten and I can only think of a couple times recently that the song has been performed outside of the theater. . . . and I may even be mistaken. With…
All AKB48 Request Hour Winners
Request Hour is an AKB48 event that is highly awaited every year. After purchasing an AKB48 album with a ticket inside, a 48group fan is able to cast a vote for their favorite song in the vast AKB48 Group discography. Fans may not necessarily vote for their favorite song, they may vote for a song…
8 48Group Members Who Performed “Warukii”.
Warukii is a legendary Solo AKB48Group song released as a B-side to NMB48’s 4th single, Nagiichi in 2012. It is centered by now graduated frontgirl Watanabe Miyuki (Also known as Milky to her fans). Placing 8 times in different Request Hours, Warukii is a fan favorite. See Watanabe Miyuki perform Warukii below! Warurin by Kashiwagi…
8 Matsui Jurina Centers that People Normally Forget (But Shouldn’t)
If you know the name AKB48, then you know the name of Matsui Jurina. Spending over ten years – half her life – onstage has molded Jurina into a Center powerhouse for 48 Group. She has centered over 70 songs across the AKB48/SKE48 discography. Did you hear that? SEVENTY. Below are a few in no…
8 Reasons You Should Love STU48
8. Takino Yumiko (瀧野由美子) “Yumirin” Takino Yumiko is the overall center of the newest Japanese 48Group, STU48. Being one of the tallest in the group, she is also one of the only two 48group members (the other being Nakai Rika of NGT48) to graduate highschool before centering their debut single. She is a pretty good…
4 Unforgettable Team B Songs
Shonichi (初日) (2008) A song originally from Team B’s 3rd stage, Pajama Drive, it has long evolved from a Team B song to be a staple song of 48Group, being performed by all groups ad nauseum and even covered as A-sides Internationally. Watch a slower version of the song sang by now graduated Takeuchi Miyu,…
48Group Songs From 2019 You Should Know
Watashi Datte Idol (私だってアイドル！) by Sashihara Rino Legendary Sashihara Rino’s graduation single, Watashi Datte Idol served as a B-side to AKB48’s 55th Single, Jiwaru Days (which was a Sashihara Rino graduation A-side as well). The song is a smack in the face to all the people who thought that Rino was a bad idol over…
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