2014 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 620 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 10 trips to carry that many people.
AKB48 Kibouteki Refrain’s Bside PVs
The songs were included as B-Sides for Kibouteki Refrain, but the PVs will be released on AKB48’s 6th Album Koko ga Rhodes da, koko de tobe! The latest album will be released on January 21, 2015. Here are the PV previews:
Team A – Juujun no Slave (Obedient Slave)
Team K – Hajimete no Drive (First Drive)
Team B – Loneliness Club
Team 4 – Me wo Akete Mama no First Kiss (First Kiss with Eyes Wide Open)
Team 8 – 47 no Suteki na Machi e (To 47 Wonderful Towns)
My Thoughts on the PV previews:
Team A: very sexy omg i love it especially the nyanmina and chiyori/karen pairings!
Team K: the focus was on Jurina & Sayanee, the kennin members. the last Team K PV (Itoshiki Rival) was same..hm i hope the next Team K PV will focus more on other members. i do like the summer-y feel.
Team B: boring. i like the Ikoma focus though.
Team 4: i like it, however i feel like they could have done more since the song was so good and had a Latin feeling. it would have been cool if the setting was a club or something dance-y. i do understand the song is about first kisses so of course schoolgirl concept is the default.
Team 8: cute.
My Ranking:
for the PV previews: A >> 4 > K > 8 >> B
for the songs: 4 >> 8> A >> K and B
Oricon Yearly Ranking 2014
Oricon’s 2014 yearly rankings – OneHallyu user (Ryusenkai) translated the Top 5 Selling Artists, Top 25 Singles, Albums, and music DVDs, and the Top 10 music Blu-rays, with links to #26-50 for the Top 25s.
Top Selling Artists (w/ earnings in dollars):
- Arashi ($13,823,000,000)
- AKB48 ($13,075,000,000)
- Kanjani8 ($5,862,000,000)
- Kis-My-Ft2 ($5,258,000,000)
- Tohoshinki ($3,691,000,000)
Singles:
- AKB48 – Labrador Retriever (Sales Number: 1,786,825)
- AKB48 – Kibouteki Refrain (Sales Number: 1,156,706)
- AKB48 – Mae Shika Mukanee (Sales Number: 1,153,906)
- AKB48 – Suzukake no Ki no Michi de “Kimi no Hohoemi wo Yume ni Miru” to Itte Shimattara Bokutachi no Kankei wa Dou Kawatte Shimau no ka, Bokunari ni Nannichi ka Kangaeta Ue de no Yaya Kihazukashii Ketsuron no You na Mono (Sales Number: 1,086,491)
- AKB48 – Kokoro no Placard (Sales Number: 1,058,059)
- Arashi – GUTS! (Sales Number: 604,654)
- Arashi – Bittersweet (Sales Number: 591,847)
- Nogizaka46 – Nandome no Aozora ka? (Sales Number: 578,174)
- EXILE TRIBE – THE REVOLUTION (Sales Number: 573,268)
- Nogizaka46 – Kizuitara Kataomoi (Sales Number: 546,832)
- Nogizaka46 – Natsu no Free&Easy (Sales Number: 526,564)
- Arashi – Dare mo Shiranai (Sales Number: 525,055)
- SKE48 – Mirai to Wa? (Sales Number: 503,917)
- SKE48 – Bukiyou Taiyou (Sales Number: 461,539)
- NMB48 – Takane no Ringo (Sales Number: 451,335)
- NMB48 – Rashikunai (Sales Number: 449,983)
- Kanjani8 – King of OTOKO! (Sales Number: 389,313)
- Sexy Zone – Kimi no HITOMEBORE (Sales Number: 347,737)
- HKT48 – Sakura, Minna de Tabeta (Sales Number: 327,815)
- Kanjani8 – Itta Janai Ka / CloveR (Sales Number: 308,369)
- HKT48 – Hikaeme I love you! (Sales Number: 308,251)
- Johnny’s WEST – Ee Janai Ka (Sales Number: 307,948)
- Kis-My-Ft2 – Another Future (Sales Number: 263,615)
- Kanjani8 – Hibiki (Sales Number: 263,553)
- SMAP – Shareotsu / Hello (Sales Number: 250,616)
Find #26-50 here!
Albums:
- AKB48 – Tsugi no Ashiato (Sales Number: 1,041,355)
- Various Artists – Frozen Soundtrack (Sales Number: 980,383)
- Arashi – THE DIGITALIAN (Sales Number: 784,933)
- Amuro Namie – Ballada (Sales Number: 431,356)
- NMB48 – Sekai no Chuushin wa Osaka ya ~Nanba Jichiku~ (Sales Number: 397,661)
- Sandaime J Soul Brothers – THE BEST / BLUE IMPACT (Sales Number: 347,363)
- Fukuyama Masaharu – HUMAN (Sales Number: 344,036)
- EXILE TRIBE – EXILE TRIBE REVOLUTION (Sales Number: 333,998)
- Kanjani8 – Kanjanism (Sales Number: 327,752)
- Kis-My-Ft2 – HIT! HIT! HIT! (Sales Number: 293,309)
- Kis-My-Ft2 – Kis-My-Ft2 (Sales Number: 286,814)
- BUMP OF CHICKEN – RAY (Sales Number: 273,351)
- Tohoshinki – TREE (Sales Number: 265,013)
- EXILE ATSUSHI – Music (Sales Number: 261,123)
- Takeuchi Mariya – TRAD (Sales Number: 244,939)
- May J. – Heartful Song Covers (Sales Number: 241,132)
- Yuzu – Shinsekai (Sales Number: 230,512)
- SMAP – Mr.S (Sales Number: 223,366)
- One Direction – Midnight Memories (Sales Number: 215,651)
- Kobukuro – One Song From Two Hearts (Sales Number: 184,335)
- Nishino Kana – with LOVE (Sales Number: 181,312)
- Shoujo Jidai – THE BEST (Sales Number: 175,988)
- Kazumasa Oda – Oda Biyori (Sales Number: 175,437)
- DREAMS COME TRUE – ATTACK25 (Sales Number: 172,515)
- Shoujo Jidai – LOVE&PEACE (Sales Number: 170,898)
Find #26-50 here!
Yamato Rina Is No Longer a Member of Nogizaka46
Yamato Rina, also known as Yamatomato, has been kicked out of Nogizaka46. Her contract was terminated on December 15, 2014. The reasons for the contract termination was because underage drinking. Last month, it was revealed that she participated in underage drinking and had a boyfriend. Natsu Free & Easy was her first time participating in a senbatsu single. Yamato was a first generation member.
She wasn’t a prominent or popular member of the group. I did like her and thought she was cute, but Nogizaka46 won’t be affected by her leaving. However, it is speculated that Nogizaka46 was rejected by Kouhaku because of Yamato’s scandal 
While wotas (hardcore fans) care more about their girl dating than drinking, Japan does not look favorably upon underage drinking, as it is a crime. Nogizaka46 will be releasing a documentary next year so hopefully Yamato (and other past scandals) will be covered! It would be nice to hear her thoughts on the situation since Yamato won’t be having a graduation or anything.
jpop girl heaven 