AKB48 – So long! (Theater Edition) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. So long! – (AKB48)
2. Waiting room – (AKB48 Undergirls)
3. 強い花 (AKB Kenkyuusei)
4. So long! off vocal ver.
5. Waiting room off vocal ver.
6. 強い花 off vocal ver.

It’s the 30th CD single from the popular Japanese idol group AKB48 and once again, the group has continued to show amazing staying power for 2013 and their new single “So long!” has sold over a million copies and also putting the group in the record books as the fastest to achieve 20 million CD singles sold (which they accomplished in 7 years and one month).

The single continues the spring theme of AKB48 of being a graduation song and also is the first CD single to feature Mayu Watanabe as the primary center.

It is also the first time that AKB48 had created a one hour movie for a CD+DVD single plus three television dramas for “So long!” (featured on a separate Blu-ray and DVD release).

With a total of three types releases (Type-A, Type-K and Type-B) featuring a DVD and an exclusive third song, “So long!”, each DVD features clips from AKB48 second annual “AKB48 Kouhaku Utagassen”. A fourth version, a theater edition with no DVD, comes with an exclusive third song.

The version I will be reviewing is the Theater Edition version of “So long!” which comes with no slipcase but features Haruka Shimazaki, Minami Takahashi, Mayu Watanabe, Rie Kitahara, Jurina Matsui, Sayaka Yamamoto, Minami Minegishi, Rena Matsui, Yuko Oshima, Tomomi Itano, Miyuki Watanabe and Yuki Kashiwagi. The booklet features 12 pages with the lyrics and production credits and also black and white group photos.

The first track on the single is “So long!”, a sweet ballad that gradually caught my attention. The single is about one’s final memory with a best friend and friends while in school. Memories about dreams, love and tears. But knowing that this is the final time you will be with friends before graduation and by tomorrow, it’s a new chapter in the lives of those graduating. And saying goodbye to your best friend and despite going separate ways after graduating, that no matter what happens, live strong. If there is hardship, you’ll persevere. It’s a good song that grew on me after listening to it a few times, but still, “Sakura no Ki ni Narou” continues to be my favorite of the spring singles from AKB48 so far.

The second track is performed by the AKB48 Undergirls and is titled “Waiting room”. The song is an upbeat track with electric guitars and catchy vocals. The song is pretty much about auditions and one in a waiting room, waiting for their name to be called. About having to hear the applause for the senior members but one day to be in their place on stage to sing and dance, because it’s the person’s dream. No matter how difficult or frustrating things will get, the person is determined to make it happen.

The third track is “Tsuyoi Hana” (which translates to “Strong flower”) is performed by AKB48’s Kenkyuusei (AKB Research Students) and is like a fairy tale song with its gentle arrangement.  The song is about a girl selling flowers at a corner in front of a shoe shop.  With the state of the economy, she can’t sell any flowers and despite how beautiful they are, unfortunately these flower will wither.  She doesn’t have any money to buy food or feed her mother who is sick in bed.  And she prays to God with one wish and that is for God to give her strong flowers that will never wither and die.  A beautiful song!

The next three tracks on the CD single are the instrumental off vocal tracks of the first three songs.