AKB48 Team Surprise – Omoidasu tabi ni tsuraku naru (Pachinko Version – #7) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. 思い出す度につらくなる – AKB48 Team Surprise (小嶋陽菜/前田 敦子) (Haruna Kojima, Atsuko Maeda)

DVD INFO: 16:9 LB, Region 2, Duration: 4:53

1. 思い出す度につらくなる 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 each week via a CD+DVD single 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.
Because the songs were planned and recorded before Atsuko Maeda’s graduation, Atsuko Maeda would be featured on several of the CD single releases.

And this is the case of the seventh AKB48 Team Surprise CD single “Omoidasu tabi ni tsuraku naru”, a song that translates into “It will be hard to remember every time” and is sung by Atsuko Maeda and Haruna Kojima.

The single that I am reviewing is the Pachinko Hall version and features images of the two on an 8-page booklet featuring lyrics, production credits and liner notes from Ishigami.  The back cover of the CD features part of the legs of three members (note: by putting all 12 CD’s together, like a puzzle, you can see a complete image).  Also, by visiting the official website for “Omoidasu tabi ni tsuraku naru”, you can get access to liner notes, gallery (a few photos are what is featured in the CD insert), wallpaper and poster.

“Omoidasu tabi ni tsuraku naru” is a slow ballad in which one is trying to say goodbye to a relationship that was so good, but yet, being spoiled and not good to that person, she broke up with the person that was good for her and went to another person.  And the person reflects on how good that person she left really was.  And the person sings about how hard it will be to remember every time.

The song is beautifully sung both by Maeda and Kojima.  And I have to agree with the liner notes, for these generation 1 AKB48 members who have spent time six and a half years together as part of Team A, there has never been a duet or any time of closeness seen on stage or video between these two performers.  But this is the only and last time as AKB48 members that fans will ever see Maeda and Kojima together.

As for the DVD, the music video features both performing on a stage on two dark blue (moving) platforms and are separated by a curtain, until both are able to reunite.    A pretty cool video if you are fans of Maeda or Kojima.

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.  But yet, if you are an AKB48 collector and you gotta collect them all, this is a beautiful song and it’s also a rare pairing between Acchan and NyanNyan.  For me, the rarity of seeing these two performs seeing a wonderful ballad was worth it.

And if you feel the same way, then I definitely recommend the seventh AKB48 Team Surprise CD+DVD release of “Omoidasu tabi ni tsuraku naru”!