AKB48 Team Surprise – Kinmokusei (Web Version) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. キンモクセイ

DVD INFO: 16:9 LB, Region 2, Duration: 3:40

1. キンモクセイ Music Clip

To commemorate the release of the Pachinko AKB48 game machine and a tie-in with Pachinko company Kyoraku, 16 senbatsu members of AKB48 would form a special team known as “Team Surprise” and a total of 12 songs featured in the pachinko game will be released via a CD+DVD single each week beginning in September 2012.

The members to participate in this special project are (note: the lineup is before their fall 2012 lineup change):

Team A: Maeda Atsuko, Takahashi Minami, Takajo Aki, Shinoda Mariko, Kojima Haruna, Team K: Oshima Yuko, Itano Tomomi, Yokoyama Yui, Miyazawa Sae, Minegishi Minami; Team B: Watanabe Mayu, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kitahara Rie; Team 4: Shimazaki Haruka; SKE48 Team S: Matsui Rena and HKT48 Team H: Sashihara Rino

Each week from September through mid-November, a single plus its music video was released via a pachinko hall version (which can be won or sold at pachinko halls) and a web version, each featuring two different covers and will come with exclusive collectors cards for the pachinko hall and another for the web version. It’s important to note that because these releases are not sold in regular stores, the best way for those living outside of Japan to purchase these singles is through eBay.

One of the cool aspects of AKB48 Team Surprise is the ability to create groups or pairings that you would probably never see from AKB48. And for the ninth AKB48 Team Surprise single, for the first time we see friends/rivals, Atsuko Maeda and Yuko Oshima along with Yuki Kashiwagi as a trio for the CD+DVD single “Kinmokusei”.  Kinmokusei is a fragrant olive or sweet olive in Japan and is best known as one of Japan’s primary fragrant flowers.

The version of “Kinmokusei” that I am reviewing is the Web version and features images of the trio with Atsuko seated and Yuko sitting on top of a desk with Yuki standing behind Atsuko.  On the 8-page booklet featuring lyrics, production credits and liner notes from Ishigami. The back cover of the CD features the legs of three members (note: by putting all 12 CD’s together, like a puzzle, you can see a complete image – Please note that web and karaoke hall versions are different in photos, so they can’t be mixed and matched).

Also, by visiting the official website for “Kinmokusei”, you can get access to liner notes, gallery (a few photos are what is featured in the CD insert), wallpaper and poster.

“Kinmokusei” is probably one of the better songs to be released in the AKB48 Team Surprise series so far.  A mid-tempo track with piano playing and percussion, the song features beautiful harmony among the three young ladies.  The song is about a person who loves walking through the street during a certain time of year because of the smell of the fragrant kinmokusei.  And the song is about how one can’t be happy all the time and sometimes, bad things happen in life.  But when the person is walking near kinmokusei fragrant flowers, they can’t help but feel relieved.  And as the person is searching for the meaning of life, the person comes to a realization of what it means to be alive.

As for the DVD, the music video features a the three attending a school (as featured on the stage with hand drawn backgrounds) and walking with their bags, laughing with each other, while singing the song.  And then at the end of the day, the three saying goodbye to each other.

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, the AKB48 Team Surprise CD singles may not be for everyone, primarily because there is only one song and one music video and they cost the same price of a regular single. But I have to say that “Kinmokusei” has become my favorite AKB48 Team Surprise CD+DVD single so far.   Among the nine releases so far, “Kinmokusei” is definitely in my top three AKB48 Team Surprise singles thus far and of the nine releases, a bit difficult to get (especially the karaoke version).

“Kinmokusei”, the ninth AKB48 Team Surprise CD+DVD release is recommended for AKB48 fans!