AKB48 Team Surprise – Suiyoubi no Alice (Pachinko Hall Version) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. 水曜日のアリス

DVD INFO: 16:9 LB, Region 2, Duration: 4:08

1. 水曜日のアリス 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.

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 second CD single, “Suiyoubi no Alice”, the single features Mayu “Mayuyu” Watanabe at the center position and joining her are Haruka “Paruru” Shimazaki, Rena Matsui, Rino Sashihara and Minami Minegishi

“Suiyoubi no Alice” can be translated to “Wednesday’s Alice” and the version of the single that I am reviewing is the Pachinko Hall version.  The front cover features the five members (in 1950s style outfits) and features images of each member inside the 8-page booklet.  Featured are lyrics, production credits and liner notes from Ishigami. The back cover of the CD features Minami Minegishi and Yui Yokoyama (note: by putting all 12 CD’s together, like a puzzle, you can see a complete image).

Also, by visiting the official website for “Suiyoubi no Alice”, you can get access to liner notes, gallery (a few photos are what is featured in the CD insert), wallpaper and poster.

“Suiyoubi no Alice” is an upbeat, sugary sweet idol pop track as one can expect featuring Mayuyu as the lead center. According to Ishigami in the liner notes, he often wondered if there were songs about days, especially Wednesday.  He thought about Eiichi Otaka’s “Ame no Wednesday”, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Wednesday Morning, 3:00 AM, Alan Sillitoe’s novel “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning” and New Order’s “Blue Monday”.

And then came the thought of fantasy girl and eventually “Alice in Wonderland” came to mind and thus “Suiyoubi no Alice” (Wednesday’s Alice) was born.  And then the next step was to focus a group that had cute voices and so, the five members of AKB48 Team Surprise were selected for this single.

The song is about a guy who dreams of his fantasy girl.  In a garden on a Wednesday and seeing the flowers bloom, he wishes he can close his eyes and go to Wonderland.  Not having any date, wanting to be the rabbit and  hoping he can meet Alice.  And one day hopes he can meet his Alice, but only on Wednesday as his schedule is full on other days.  A fun, cute song overall.

As for the DVD, the music video features the five members inside a house (well furnishings of a house on stage) and the group performing.  Interacting together inside the house and then getting up and performing.

It’s important to note that Ishigami mentions in the liner notes of how he liked how the other members outside of Mayuyu do not look directly to the camera, as they are looking at the distance, perhaps a further view of the world.  A fun video and I like the fact that it’s not all girls just dancing on stage, we get to see the girls in a fun performance and interacting with the environment.

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 yet, if you are an AKB48 collector and you gotta collect them all, this is a pretty cool upbeat pop track. And if you are a fan of Mayuyu, Paruru, Miichan, Rena or Rino, this is a single that will interest you!

“Suiyoubi no Alice”, the second AKB48 Team Surprise CD+DVD release is a sweet, fun song worth checking out!