AKB48 – Sakura no Shiori (Type-A) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. 桜の栞 – AKB48
2. マジスカロックンロール – AKB48
3. 遠距離ポスター – TEAM PB
4. 桜の栞 off vocal ver.
5. マジスカロックンロール off vocal ver.

DVD INFO: 16:9 LB, Region 2, Duration: 22:27

1. 桜の栞 (music clip)
2. マジスカロックンロール (music clip)
3. 遠距離ポスター (music clip)
4. 永久保存版「卒業おめでとう」映像

With the success of their last single “RIVER”, AKB48 kicks off 2010 with a graduation CD single title “Sakura no Shiori” (which translates to Cherry Blossom Bookmark) composed by well-known music composer Hiroshi Uesugi.

The song was used as a theme for their drama “Majisuka Gakuen” and has surpassed the success of “RIVER” of selling over 318,000 copies of the CD single and becoming the first biggest opening single for a female group since 2001 with Morning Musume’s “Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)” in its first week.

There were three versions of the “Sakura no Shiori” single released.  TYPE-A which features Atsuko Maeda on the cover comes with a DVD and the third track “Enkyori Poster” performed by TEAM PB and comes with a DVD with the music videos for the first three tracks plus a bonus movie “Congratulations on Graduating”, TYPE-B features Minami Takahashi, Atsuko Maeda and Jurina Matsui on the cover and comes with the third track “Choose Me!” performed by TEAM YJ and comes with a DVD of music videos for the first three tracks plus a bonus movie “The Truth is That I Liked You”.

The version I will be reviewing is the Type-A version.  The single features Atsuko Maeda on the front while the quad-fold of 12 members featured on one side, while lyrics and production credits are on the other.  Also, a promotional piece featuring information on AKB48 Mobile.

With the graduation song in full effect, “Sakura to Shiori” is the third single having a graduation and sakura theme.  And unlike any single released from AKB48 so far, this version features a choir-style performance featuring the 48 members of AKB48.

The song is absolutely beautiful with the group singing in a choir-style to piano accompaniment and the song is pretty much about graduating.  How a cherry blossom petal is a bookmark of the future.  And how the petal also represents a bookmark of tears, a bookmark of hope, a bookmark of the future, a bookmark of that day that no one will forget.

I have to admit that when I heard this song, I was surprised because it is so different from any AKB48 song so far.  But also wonder how this song would sound if performed live.

The second track “Majisuka Rock n’ Roll” is another theme for the AKB48 tough girl drama “Majisuka Gakuen” and the lyrics revolve around a yankee (a word to describe a tough girl who is part of a gang) and for a pop track, it has lyrics that seem as one wants to kick some butt.  Pretty much the song is about a person who is getting called out by another and the person is saying that if you want to show how much you have, let’s go one on one and how that person will defend their pride.  A bit too happy of a musical arrangement for a tough girl song but it’s AKB48 and one can’t expect anything too dark.

The third track is titled “Enkyori Poster” (Teleposter) and is performed by TEAM PB’s Yuki Kashiwagi, Sae Miyazawa, Aki Takajo, Miho Miyaaki, Moeno Nito, Aika Ota and Ami Maeda.  The upbeat idol pop track is about a person who loves an idol and they have a picture of that person on their wall.  And the feeling that having the poster near one is a bit heartbreaking because the person can’t really feel the real person side-by-side.  But an interesting song that I’m sure the hardcore AKB48 fans can relate to.

The fourth and fifth track features the instrumental off-vocal versions of the first two songs.

As for the DVD,  the first video track for “Sakura no Shiori” is directed by Shunji Iwai (best known for directing the popular films “Swallowtail Butterfly” and “Love Letter”) and begins with the costume designers fitting the kimonos on the AKB48 members and preparing the girls for their music video.  The music video then features the AKB48 members wearing their kimonos with angel wings attached to the back.  The girls are then standing near cherry blossoms while CG petals fall.  Another video features the girls in their school outfits and singing while performing their hand movements for the song.  The other portion of the music video features the girls walking with their kimonos to various areas of Tokyo.

The second music video is for “Majisuka Rock n’ Roll” and is a music video tied to the AKB48 tough girl drama “Majisuka Gakuen”.  We see the girls in their yankee outfits and singing the song to the camera, while we see Atsuko Maeda’s character calm and collected while the AKB48 members are acting crazy in the background.  And we see footage from the drama series.

For the third track “Enkyori Poster”, we see footage of a guy sitting in his bedroom with headphones while a poster featuring Team PB comes to life.  And then we see Yuki Kashiwagi, Sae Miyazawa, Aki Takajo, Miho Miyaaki, Moeno Nito, Aika Ota and Ami Maeda performing the song.

For the final fourth video, the video is a 10-minute segment with each AKB48 member in a certain setting and them giving their senpai a happy graduation greeting.  Each video is different, for example, Yuko Oshima is walking alongside with you on the road, Aki Takajo is inside a classroom, Tomomi Kasai is waiting outside for you to give you a message, Minami Minegishi is cold outside but goes out to meet you in front of store/restaurant to wish you a graduation message, Rino is waiting outside for you to give you a present and a message, etc.

It’s important to note that this is a region 2 DVD and will not play on a region 1 player (unless you have a non-region DVD player) but can be played on a MAC or PC using free video playing software such as VLC or Daum PotPlayer.

Overall, I enjoyed “Sakura no Shiori” because it is a different type of single.  I’m sure there are those who are used to their upbeat, idol tracks and may be disappointed by this choir-driven main single track.  But that’s what I enjoy about AKB48 and their ability to try something different.  And for this single, I enjoy the choir style and piano arrangement.  A soothing graduation song that I never really expected from the idol group.  And for those who do want straight-up sweet idol pop songs, the accompanying C/W tracks are included.  While, “Majisuka Rock n’ Roll” may not be sugary sweet in terms of lyrics, it’s musical arrangement makes the song a bit more upbeat and “Enkyori Poster” was a fun and cute catchy song!

And the DVD content is pretty cool, with three music videos and a fun 10-minute congratulatory segment with the girls wishing people “Sotsugyou Omedetou” (Happy Graduation), which should make students who are graduating from high school or college quite happy to see!

While I recommend the songs for AKB48 fans and those who are graduating from school (as the song is perfect for the occasion), you may want to listen to a sample of the song to see if this choir-style single track is for you.  But the overall single is fun, upbeat and the music videos and extra content makes “Sakura no Shiori” Type-A worth the purchase!

BUY THIS CD SINGLE from cdjapan.com: