Team B - "Team B Oshi"

Team B's newest team song (or should we say, New Team B's first team song), "Team B oshi", was the highest ranking theatre song on this year's AX Request Hour, as high as fifth most voted song (out of more than three hundred eligible songs)!
It's a fun, uptempo, a little messy but very exciting song. Team B is my least favourite team, yet I really love this song.

"Team B Oshi" (Team B fan)
(from Team B 5th stage "Theatre no megami")
Team B (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Yoshino Takao
point of view: female
theme: team song
original lyrics


listen to Team B Oshi on youtube

From today you're a Harukyan fan, look, it's Team B
(amazingly cute!)
From today you're a Maachan fan, look, it's Team B
(Maachan? "What?!")
From today you're a Tomoomi fan, look, it's Team B
(Chiyuu, Chiyuu, Chiyuu!)
From today you're a Yukirin fan, look, it's Team B
(I will send you in a daze!)

A! K! B! 48! Say B!
A! K! B! 48! B, B, B, B!

What do you think of our live show? What do you think?
We're so close, you're all "Oh my God!", aren't you?
What do you think of our singing and dancing? What do you think?
This is the notorious AKB!

Since there's so many girls you can't choose, can you?
Cheer for only one of us!

Ready, steady, go!

From today you're a Kitarie fan, look, it's Team B
(you still don't get it?)
From today you're a Kanachan fan, look, it's Team B
("So cute!" "I know")
From today you're a Komorin fan, look, it's Team B
(Hello there)
From today you're a Amina fan, look, it's Team B
(Hey, can you give me half of it?)

What do you think of us compared to the other teams? What do you think?
We're the cutest and just the best, aren't we?
What do you think of our messy speeches? What do you think?
This is AKB, anything can happen!

If my performance charms you
I don't mind if you switch your favourite for me

One, two, yahoo!

From today you're a Suuchan fan, look, it's Team B
(Suu melody!)
From today you're a Nacchi fan, look, it's Team B
(1+2= N Nacchi!)
From today you're a Mariyannu fan, look, it's Team B
(The 3 o'clock snack is Mariyannu!)
From today you're a Chikarina fan, look, it's Team B
(Mow mow meh!)

A! K! B! 48! Say B!
A! K! B! 48! B, B, B, B!

I will be happy
If you fall in love with me and cheer for me

Here we go again!

From today you're a Nacchan fan, look, it's Team B
(Nacchan!)
From today you're a Yukachan fan, look, it's Team B
(Octopus dumplings!)
From today you're a Myao fan, look, it's Team B
(One, two, three, duh!)
From today you're a Mayuyu fan, look, it's Team B
(Let's go!)

We are running for our dreams with all our might
Please, come see the growing up Team B
No matter how much we sell, we'll always be singing here
So all in all, everyone is a Team B fan, right?
Right? Yes!

Comment
Earworm, brainwashing technique, much has been said about "Team B Oshi". It's a fun and addicting song guaranteed to make the audience go wild.
"Oshi" (推し) is a term peculiar to the AKB48 fandom; it comes from the verb osu 推す, to support, and means "supporting a member as your number one". Therefore, one's number one favourite girl is called one's oshimen (推しメン), a combination between oshi and menbaa, the Japanese for "member".

Each of the 16 Team B members are introduced by their nickname, and then she says her catchphrase or some other representative phrase. I will explain them here one by one.

- Harukyan (Ishida Haruka) (amazingly cute!) → "amazingly cute" (超絶可愛い, chouzetsu kawaii) is a staple part of the in-song cheers. If Harukyan were to sing two solo lines, the fans would go "(first line) Harukyan! (second line) chouzetsu kawaii, Harukyan!"
- Maachan (Oku Manami) (Maachan? "What?!") → girls call out to Maachan and she replies "What?" in a half-bothered tone. It's an inside joke that Maachan never looks excited during shows.
- Tomoomi (Kasai Tomomi) (Chiyuu, Chiyuu, Chiyuu!) → Chiyuu is one of Tomoomi's nicknames. It takes its origin from the fact that when she speaks she tends to put "~chiyuu" at the end of sentences quite a lot. It doesn't have a real meaning.
- Yukirin (Kashiwagi Yuki) (I will send you in a daze!) → It's a part of the self-introduction catchphrase she used at the start of B5th. "Awake or asleep, Yukirin world! I will send you in a daze!". I hear she has changed it now.
- Kitarie (Kitahara Rie) (you still don't get it?) → Kitarie's impersonation of Yankumi, the high school teacher from the drama series Gokusen. "You still don't get it?" ("まだわかんねえのか？") is one of Yankumi's famous lines.
- Kanachan (Kobayashi Kana) ("So cute!" "I know") → Kana is known for being particularly silly and for having huge self confidence. Here's why she goes "I know!" triumphantly.
- Komorin (Komori Mika) ("Hello there") → She doesn't say "こんにちは konnichiwa", the Japanese for "hello / good morning), but actually she says "コニチハ konichiwa" with one N. It's a gag by a Japanese comedian, Kokado Kentaro of the duo Lotti.
- Amina (Sato Amina) (Hey, can you give me half of it?) → Amina is a well known sweets lover, and whenever she sees some other AKB member eating sweets or candy she'll ask to share it with her.
- Suuchan (Sato Sumire) (Suu melody!) → Sumire is a big fan of the Sanrio character My Melody, so she made up a new nickname for herself inspired by My Melody.
- Nacchi (Sato Natsuki) (1+2= N Nacchi!) → A part of her self-introduction catchphrase. She sticks out the index finger of her right hand for "1" and makes a kind of a peace sign for "2", and when joined together, the fingers form an N, her initial. If you watch the video I linked to you will understand it more clearly than from this explanation.
- Mariyannu (Suzuki Mariya) (The 3 o'clock snack is Mariyannu!) → this line, too, is a part of her self-introduction catchphrase and comes from a long-running advertising for a cake manufacturing company, Bunmeido, whose jingle was "Castela number one, telephone number two, the three o'clock snack is Bunmeido". Here is a post from an English language food blog run by a Japanese lady, about castela cake and Bunmeido, and in case you're curious here is the old CM.
- Chikarina (Chikano Rina) (Mow mow meh!) → Chikarina, together with Team K's Fujie Rina, is the spokesgirl for milk company Mother Farm. The "mow mow meh" line comes from the CM.
- Nacchan (Hirajima Natsumi) (Nacchan!) → They just call out her name.
- Yukachan (Masuda Yuka) (Octopus dumplings!) → Octopus dumplings, or takoyaki in Japanese, are a famous speciality of Yuka's hometown, Osaka. She loves them so much she even mentions them in her self-introduction catchphrase.
- Myao (Miyazaki Miho) (One, two, three, duh!) → Myao is a fan of the legendary prowrestler Antonio Inoki. "Ichi, ni, san, daa!" is one of his famous phrases.
- Mayuyu (Watanabe Mayu) (Let's go!) → this comes from the lyrics of the unit Mayu leads, Watarirouka Hashiritai's first single, "Hatsukoi dash".

Team B - "Shonichi"

As the last installment of the Team Songs series, let me introduce to you the legendary "Shonichi" by Team B.

"Shonichi" (Opening day)
(from Team B 3rd stage "Pajama drive" - AKB48 12nd single "Namida surprise" - AKB48 2nd album "Kamikyokutachi")
Team B (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Okada Mion
point of view: female first person, female language
theme: team song
original lyrics


listen to Shonichi

I'm standing on the stage I have always aspired to
Amidst the cheers and applauses
During those strict lessons I surpassed my limits
And here's today
When the curtain of chance opens

There were days when I was the only one who couldn't dance well
And I cried on my way home
There were days when I couldn't sing like I wanted
And I lost my confidence
My rivals always looked
So perfect to me

Your dream is a flower
That blooms slowly among your sweat
Your efforts will never betray you
Your dream is always waiting for you
Budding among your sweat
Until the day when, surely, your wish will come true

I didn't know that spotlights were so dazzling
Just like the morning sun breaking after a long night
I absolutely don't want to lose to my senpais
We wanted to build our own show

There have been days when I injured myself
And I cried, feeling frustrated for having to skip lessons
There have been days when I just gave up
Juggling between lessons and school
But I could always hear somewhere
Someone calling out for encores

Your dream is beyond the tears,
The flower of your smile after you've stopped crying
The buds of your efforts will eventually bloom
My dream is beyond the tears,
I believe in it without losing to rain and wind
Until the day when my prayers reach the clear sky

I'll dance
As if my life depended on it!
I'll sing
As if my life depended on it!
Without ever forgetting
My initial resolution
I'll pitch with all my might!

Your dream is a flower
That blooms slowly among your sweat
Your efforts will never betray you
Your dream is always waiting for you
Budding among your sweat
Until the day when, surely, your wish will come true

Comment
And here's Team B's arguably most important team song, "Shonichi".
The word "shonichi" is used for the first day of a show in theatre/music environments, and it all makes sense when we think this was the first song in Team B's first original stage, after performing "Seishun girls" (originally team K's second stage) and "Aitakatta" (team A's second stage). This was the first time the girls in team B could shine with songs tailored upon them.
The lyrics talk about the road to "Pajama drive", and are so perfect for Team B. Unlike Team A (who by then had only got a AKB48 theme song, and no team songs of their own) and Team K's "Korogaru ishi ni nare", Team B's first team song's lyrics adopt a softer, "real life" approach. Listening to them we can picture clearly in our mind the girls at rehearsals, doing their best, "climbing beyond their own walls" (the literal translation of 自分の壁乗り越えて I translated as "surpassing my limits", which is the meaning of this idiom), crying out of frustration for not being able to dance and sing as they wished, but still giving their utmost best thinking of the opening day.
The simple message "efforts will make your dream come true" is backed up by the fact that it parallels the girls' experiences. It has the strenght of an example, and the power to move. "I'll dance as if my life depended on it"... They didn't write it, but looking at them, you can feel how true it is.

This is just a beautiful song. It's no wonder that many A and K members have often said they can relate to it, too, as it describes feelings that they all have experienced during their career as AKB48 members. It's no wonder that it's a fan favourite, as well. In 2009's "Request Hour" (a yearly event in which fans get to vote for their favourite songs and the girls showcase the top 100 in a series of 4 concerts), "Shonichi" took the top spot - such is the power of this song.

Team K - "Korogaru ishi ni nare"

Continuing with the Team Songs series, next in line is my favourite, Team K!
I chose to go with their first and probably still most symbolic team song, "Korogaru ishi ni nare".

"Korogaru ishi ni nare" (Be like a rolling stone)
(from Team K 2nd stage "Seishun girls" - AKB48 1st album "Set list")
Team K (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Yamazaki Yo
point of view: female (as the speaking first person is the girls themselves), but the language used in this song is rather gender-neutral
theme: team song
original lyrics


listen to Korogaru ishi ni nare on youtube

Who is the flower on the roadside blooming for?
It is never noticed by the passer-bys...
Burnt by the sun, exposed to the rain
That far away dream is blown by the wind

Loneliness is always a compensation for freedom
Lost for words,
Walls are indifferent
You have no choice but endure it

Be like a rolling stone
Move according to your own mind
Change the times before burning out completely
Be like a rolling stone
Don't stand stock still where you are
Time flows on
Your passion is hidden
We're the team K

Who are the nameless stars shining for?
Forgotten in a corner of the night sky
It's unbelievable how hey keep believing
Their light is a ticket to ther future

Giving up is like turning your back
You have to stretch out your hand recklessly
As you struggle

Be like a sharp stone
Don't go with what everyone around you says
You have to live stubbornly
Don't round yourself out
Be like a sharp stone
Keep having something you can't concede
Humans are weak beings
Don't lose to yourself

Be like a rolling stone
Move according to your own mind
Change the times before burning out completely
Be like a rolling stone
Don't stand stock still where you are
Time flows on
Your passion is hidden
We're the team K

We're the team K
We're the team K
We're the team K

Comment
Team K's second stage "Seishun girls" was the team's first original stage, and also the first to have a team theme song (A1 had "AKB48" but it was a team song only because A was the only team back then).
"Korogaru~"'s lyrics are very straightforward and powerful. When the song was first performed, AKB48 was still a very young idol group, slowly climbing the stairs to success. If I think about what could have been the state of mind of Team K girls in July 2007, when they started performing K2, I can't help but think that this is a battle cry for them.
They'd only had a few months to warm up, they must have felt in the shadow of the more experienced and popular Team A, and they had to prove their worth with songs made especially for them. Even just one glance at the lyrics is enough to realize how strong its language and message are: it's not the usual "Do your best because I love you and believe in you", but it's "Even if you are alone, even if it's hard to be yourself, you can't give up".
That's why I believe that even after the shuffle this is THE Team K song. Not only because of how many times it has been performed as the K theme song, but also because the kind of strenght drawn from these words suits Team K, the strongest team, the team of deep bonds. (Unlike "Sasae", for example, which was the portrait of a particular moment of Team K. I will definitely pick this song up in the future).

-
Next up, team B's "Shonichi" to conclude the Team Songs series.
If you have any request or suggestion about what you'd like to see after that, don't hesitate to post a comment!

Team A - "Pioneer"

If one was to say what's the main characteristic of AKB48, the one that sets them apart from other idol groups, that would be without a doubt the theatre shows. Therefore, my next series of posts will be dedicated to Team Songs (one for each team, not necessarily the latest, though). Each of the songs I chose clearly showcases, both music- and lyrics-wise, that team's characteristics and are basically distilled and bottled AKB48.

Let's start with the pioneers, Team A.

"Pioneer"
(from Team A 6th stage "Mokugekisha")
Team A (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Nonaka "Masa" Yuichi
point of view: female (as the speaking first person is the girls themselves), but the language used in this song is rather gender-neutral
theme: team song
original lyrics


listen to Pioneer on youtube

In a corner of this world
Like a mirage
That day the field of our dreams
Was suddenly born

We changed into our tracksuits
And started our lessons
We opened up our own way
And cultivated our future

We were just twentytwo seeds
No one had any expectation over
Until the day
We would all bloom

We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
We have to believe
Come on, let's bet on ourselves
We have nothing to lose
We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
Let our sweat flow
Now everything will begin
Let's remember
Once again
How earnest we were

Everyone around us was laughing
Saying it was impossible
But only seven people
Watched over us

We couldn't retreat
We had no choice but do it
We didn't have time to cry
Until the day when our efforts gave fruits

Just like one becomes strong
When he's hit by wind and rain,
As time passed,
All of us turned into one

We are the Team A!
The first try
Go, Team A
Never give up
Come on, we have to shape it
We have our pride
We are the Team A!
The first try
Go, Team A
Face forwards
We have to make it with our obstinacy
And set a precedent of success
For those who come after us

We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
We have to believe
Come on, let's bet on ourselves
We have nothing to lose
We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
Let our sweat flow
Now everything will begin
Let's remember once again
How earnest we were

Comment
It's surprising how, despite being AKB48's first team, Team A never had a team song before their latest stage to date. Granted, they did sing AKB48 theme songs like the eponymous "AKB48" or "AKB sanjou!", but this is their first (and so far only) Team A song.
The lyrics are rather straightforward and talk about the very beginning of AKB48, when Team A was the only team and had barely started performing their first stage "Party ga hajimaru yo". Impossible to believe as it seems today, there was a time when AKB48 were nobodies and their very first theatre show audience consisted of seven people. The girls had only had a few weeks to go from virtually absolute beginners to decent performers of their stage, and they had given it all, so it's easy to imagine how let down they must have felt to perform day after day in front of a bunch of empty seats.
Yet, they never gave up - and look where AKB48 is now.
It is true that these words are literally applicable to just a handful of Team A girls, and most of the "Pioneers" have graduated now. But one look at Oya Shizuka's tears while performing the song on the opening day of A6th is enough to understand how this song rings inside even newer members' hearts.
This is also a reminder to the girls to never forget their first days (Let's remember once again / How earnest we were). Team A, willing or not, is and will always be AKB48's first line team, the team that started everything, with all the prestige and, at the same time, the responsibilities that being a Team A member means, who set a precedent of success / For those who come after us.
One last thing I'd like to point out is the seed metaphor. Albeit not the most original metaphor ever used, it is so effective. The use of words like "field" or "耕す" (cultivate) as the last words of respectively the first and the second A-melody verses introduces the full use of the metaphor in the immediately following B-melody verse: twenty-two seeds sown in an unfamiliar ground, which only had to rely on their own strenght to finally blossom. I think it is a very effective and beautiful simile that gives a little embellishment to these straightforward lyrics.


Next, Team K (incidentally, my favourite team)! Can you guess which team song will be chosen?