It's Nacchan's Birthday soon!

Hirajima Natsumi (平嶋夏海), aka Nacchan (なっちゃん) or Nattsu(なっつ), would be having her 19th birthday this coming Saturday! お誕生日おめでとう! (Happy birthday! - in advance ^^)
Her birthday would be celebrated during the Sunday concert at the 7pm time slot.
More information on the concert in this post: -link-

'AKB48 Singapore Theater 'Live' 平嶋夏海生誕祭Natsumi Hirajima Birthday Special!
平嶋夏海 Natsumi Hirajima will be celebrating her 19th birthday during the 7pm concert! Please show your support for the first ever overseas birthday celebration at the AKB48 Singapore Theater!

NOTE: Birthday celebration activities applies only for the 7pm concert.'

28th May Exclusive Handshake Event

Special Guests:
秋元才加 Sayaka Akimoto
梅田彩佳 Ayaka Umeda
仁藤萌乃 Moeno Nito

From Wednesday, 25.05.11 – Simply spend S$15 at the AKB48 Singapore Official Shop to receive a special handshake ticket*, which will entitle you to the handshake session on 28.05.11 (SAT) .

The exclusive handshake session* on 28.05.11(SAT) will start from 3pm at a designated venue in *SCAPE.

*Terms and conditions apply.

AKB48 21st Single [Everyday、カチューシャ] CD sleeves

Type A (Limited)

Type A

Type B (Limited)

Type B

Theater Edition

AKB48 Singapore Theater 2nd Stage Info & Official Shop Update Announced

AKB48 SINGAPORE THEATER NEXT ‘LIVE’ INFO:
Vol.2 - AKB48, 2ND STAGE
29th MAY, 2011(SUN)
3PM, 7PM

Ticket Sales starts online here from 6pm, 20th May 2011
(a booking fee of S$2.50 applies to each ticket purchased)

Limited tickets will also be on sale at the AKB48 Official Shop Singapore from 12pm, 22nd May 2011 (SUN)

'Latest Update!
Thank you for your patience! AKB48 Singapore 29.05.11 Theater performance member list to be announced on
Monday morning (23.05.11)!'

Member List is released!

Guess who would be celebrating her birthday at the concert? ^^ See post here.

AKB48 OFFICIAL SHOP SINGAPORE UPDATE!
Exclusive Singapore only limited Photo Sets will be on sale this weekend on (SAT & SUN) 21st ~ 22nd May 2011.

*Sales of AKB48 Singapore Photo Sets are limited to 25 per day, and one photo set per person.

Information from AKB48 Singapore Official Site

Update (20/5): Online tickets sales have started. Link updated.
Update (21/5): Member list to be announced on Monday morning.
Update (23/5): Member list released!

Photos of Iwasa Misaki, Mika Komori, Miho Miyazaki

Didn't get to take proper photos of Wasamin, Mikapon and Myao during the opening of the AKB48 Official Shop as I did not bring my SLR nor my digital compact. Found some great photos however and asked the photographer, Gordon Ho, if I can use them to post it here. ^^ Awesome photos I would say. Maybe I should continue on my photography and hone my skills already.

Anyways, here are the photos!

Mika Komori

Miho Miyazaki

Iwasa Misaki

Like Gordon, my favourite amongst the three is Wasamin.

I love her eyes and the way she smile ^^ so sweet!

(Photo credits to Gordon Ho)

More photos at Gordon's site:

http://gordonator.com/2011/05/15/akb48-singapore/

AKB48 Singapore Theatre 'LIVE' Vol.1

Reached Somerset MRT Station at around 3:20pm, thinking that I am rather early as the time slot for the AKB48 Singapore Theatre 'LIVE' I am going to is at 7pm. When I reached *SCAPE, there was already quite a handful of people queuing at the entrance. Found out that they were already queuing since around 1pm if I heard correctly O_O
Met up with my friends who are at the end of the queue (not totally at the end though, there is one girl queuing behind them) and continued watching 'Sakura karano Tegami' on my iPod Touch. At first I thought the girl at the end of the queue is my friend's friend but then doesn't seem so as my friend did not introduce her when I arrived. Well, since she seems quite lonely, I started talking with her and found out she started liking AKB48 just a few months ago. Welcome to AKB48 fandom! Hahax! XD

I chatted with her and my friends before the queue started to move into the *SCAPE warehouse where the theatre performance was held. We settled down at around the middle row of all the seats and awaited eagerly for the concert to start.

Some of the PVs are being played on the screen while we waited (includes Everyday, Kachuusha which is a new song to be released in a single on the 25th this month)

As usual, the stage performance started off with the overture and they started off with:
- Beginner
- Ponytail to Shushu
- Iiwake Maybe
followed by a introduction by all the members

Beginner was a totally awesome start I would say. The three songs totally pumped up a lot of energy into the crowd ^^

After the introductions:
- Zannen Shoujo
- Kuchi Utsushi no Chocolate
- Kataomoi no Taikakusen
- Tengoku Yarou
- Itoshiki Natasha
(MC)
- Aitakatta
- BINGO
- Oogoe Diamond
- Sakura no Kini Narou

and of course the concert does not end just like that.
After much shouting after shouting by fans (including me) the AKB48 girls are back on stage for an encore!

- Heavy Rotation
- Hikoukigumo
- Dareka no tame ni

There was a bonus after the concert which I did not really expected. A mass group photo of the whole audience and the AKB48 members, taken by a photographer standing on a really high ladder. One word to describe the photographer - Pro!

We then had a high five session with all the AKB48 girls as we walked out. Another bonus! =D

 Some posters my friend's friends made

 went back to the AKB48 shop again and...

 finally decided to get the Akicha pin (at the left)! Was pondering whether to get it yesterday =p

I got the Oshima Yuko photo (at the right) from my friend's friend for a certain price =X

I totally enjoyed the concert and I can say that I was totally having the time of my life! Finally one more of my greatest wish is granted - to go to an AKB48 stage performance. This year must be a great year for me as none of my wishes ever get granted till this year. Earlier this year, three of my greatest wished were granted which is to enjoy a white sandy beach, to look at the beautiful blue ocean while drinking hot tea on a wooden stilted platform off the shore and to trek in a real forest and climb a waterfall. For more information, check my post of my trip to Telunas.

Anyways, putting those aside, the next AKB48 stage performance would be two weeks later, at the 29th of May and SDN48 would be performing here in Singapore in June! 10 June if I did not remember wrongly.
I hope i can make it to the next performance! AKB48 大好き!! o(>o<)o

Visit to AKB48 Singapore Official Shop Opening

Initially wanted to go the opening early, to queue way before the opening time, but I was stuck with something else and followed by a extra big downpour. Thus, I ended up reaching *SCAPE at around 1:30pm, and had to join in at the back of a very long queue, which started from the entrance of *SCAPE.

About two and a half hours past before I reached halfway through the queue, worrying along the way whether if I would miss the hand-shake session with the Special Guests (three of the AKB48 members - refer to my previous post for more info).

As the hand-shake session's duration is limited and it's already 4pm+, the organizer made a very smart move to let us, the ones still queueing, have a chance to shake hands with the special guests (Misaki Iwasa, Mika Komori, Miho Miyazaki).

The organizer made a new queue (like an express queue) for those who want to go to the hand-shaking session. We were given a $15 voucher (for a price of $15 of course) where we can use it to enable us to enter the hand-shaking session venue at the 4th floor of *SCAPE. We then can use this voucher to purchase items at the shop later on. (Background info: To go to the hand-shaking session a minimum purchase of $15 is required)

Queueing for the hand-shake session

Didn't get to take a decent shot of either Wasamin, Mikapon or Myao as I forgot to bring my digital camera, and relied more on my phone's camera (which does not have auto-focus so photo came out blur). Anyways, was super exhilarated too be able see three of AKB48 members up close and able to shake their hand (plus all three of them are amongst the members of AKB48 that I like ^^).

Went back down to ground floor to continue queueing to enter the store, this time on express queue. Waited for a hour I guess and we were directed away from the store again but this time, to my surprise, we are able to see Wasamin, Mikapon and Myao again! Plus, giving a high-five! =D So in other words, we the people who came rather late and queued for so long are able to see them again and give a bonus high-five, but those who came early, went for the hand-shake session early at 3pm only got to see them once and only had a hand-shake. So it turned out to be lucky for me to arrive late and queue so long? =D

Sorry for the blur photo. Used my phone's camera which does not have auto-focus

Went into the store directly after giving them a high-five and I was totally at trance upon seeing all the products on sale. Spent a whopping SGD209.60 on 5 posters ($22 eac, Hong Kong shop exclusives), 2 notebooks ($9.80 eac, bought Yuki Kashiwagi and Oshima Yuko), the 2011 Singapore 'LIVE' tee ($46), a AKB48 Singapore pencil case ($14) and a AKB48 photo set (Team A, 5 in a pack, $20, purchase-with-purchase with the pencil case).

Now, I shall take a rest to prepare for tomorrow's concert! ^o^

AKB48 Everyday、カチューシャ (Everyday, Kachuusha)

AKB48 would be releasing their 21st single, "Everyday、カチューシャ" ("Everyday, Kachuusha"), this coming 25th and the PV features adaptations, or rather, pays homage to many famous scenes of some past AKB48 PVs. Click below for the similarities I screenshot or simply watch the PV above! ^^

AKB48 Singapore Theatre 'LIVE'

 

'Singaporeans can soon experience  the appeal of top quality J-Pop entertainment right at their doorsteps. AKB48, Japan's top idol girl group sensation, has announced its intentions to start its first overseas theatre. To be be housed in Singapore, the projects will see up to 4 concerts held monthly on a regular basis. Over the year, not only will AKB48 members be performing, SKE48, NMB48 and SDN48 will be joining in too!
Location: *SCAPE 2F Warehouse'

On 15th May, 16 members from AKB48 will be performing the first overseas theatre 'LIVE' at *SCAPE (Singapore) and there will be 2 concert performances scheduled on the day, at 3pm and 7pm respectively. The tickets were already out for sale online on the 5th from 12pm and at *SCAPE 2F, opposite the warehouse today morning 11:30am (Physical ticket sales at *SCAPE are today and tomorrow from 11:30am to 6pm). Tickets are selling at SGD50 each and an online handling fee of SGD2.50 is chargeable for online ticket sales. The online tickets were already sold out within half a day on the 5th and the physical ticket sales today was selling fast. Managed to get mine this morning.

Other than Normal Tickets, there is also the Family Ticket at the same cost and only family groups comprising of two parents and at least one child age 12 and below may purchase these tickets. Family tickets are currently out of stock online but it can still be also bought at *SCAPE today and tomorrow.

As for the performing members list:

 

On top of the regular 'LIVE', an AKB48 Official Shop will open in *SCAPE (Singapore) #02-05/06 and there will not only be merchandises direct from Japan, there will also be exclusive limited-edition merchandises which could only be bought from this Singapore shop. The shop would be opening a day before the 'LIVE' and I definitely will be there! With enough cash in my wallet too! ^o^
If you have noticed in the picture attached above, Wasamin (Iwasa Misaki 岩佐美咲), Mikapon (Komori Mika 小森美果) and Myao (Miyazaki Miho 宮崎美穂) would be there at the opening of the shop! <3

PLUS, on top of those, there would also be a AKB48 Singapore Official Cafe! More details are yet to be announced. Shall cover on it when it is announced.

I would like to congratulate and thank SOZO PTE LTD here for being appointed as the official Managing Agent for the AKB48 project in Singapore. Link to their website here. All the best in spreading the love of AKB48 to more people through Singapore! ^^

Location Map of *SCAPE:

HKT48

Announced during AKB48's handshake event on Sunday, there would be an additional group to the '48' project, called HKT48. Based in Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu, applications are already starting to be accepted.

Initially, Aki-P (Akimoto Yasushi) has already been targeting the Hakata ward of Fukuoka since 2008 - thus 'HKT', abbreviation of HaKaTa. During the launch of SDN48, he stated that the next group would most likely be HKT48, followed by groups in Osaka and Sapporo. NMB48, based in Osaka, was launched first instead in October of last year.

This time HKT48's theater would be in the Hawks Town Mall of Fukuoka’s Chuo ward, rather than in the neighboring Hakata ward.

Applications for the auditions are now open to girls aged 11 to 22 till 31st May. Foreigners are also welcomed to apply.

Official Site of HKT48: http://www.hkt48.jp/index.html

More '48' groups, good or bad news? There are a lot of people who love the idea of having one group for each prefecture in Japan, while on the other hand there are people who think that it's too much. Well, you can actually clearly see which side most fans would be at and which side most haters would be at. I would definitely be supporting the expansion and I hope this can add more variety with each group having their own distinct touch. ^^
On the other hand... that means more people to compete in the senbatsu... that's bad... =[
Hahax! XD Shall be looking forward to the line up of the first generations!