HKT48 – Suki! Suki! Skip! (Type-C) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. スキ! スキ! スキップ! – HKT48
   
2. お願いヴァレンティヌ – HKT48
3. 制服のバンビ
4. スキ! スキ! スキップ! off vocal ver.
5. お願いヴァレンティヌ off vocal ver.
6. 制服のバンビ  off vocal ver.

DVD INFO: 16:9 LB, Region 2, Duration: 1:12:11

1. スキ! スキ! スキップ! Music Video
2. メンバー全員一発ギャグ集 (特典映像)

In 2008, AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto announced that he had plans to create other 48 groups, one that would be HKT48 based in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka.

In 2011, HKT48 was revealed and unlike AKB48, SKE48 and NMB48 groups, HKT48 would feature many young teenagers ranging from 11 to 17-year-olds.

The group would gain recognition thanks to the MC expertise of AKB48 member Rino Sashihara who transferred to the group in June 2012 and also added AKB48 member Aika Ota to help bring a veteran AKB48 element to the group.

With several television shows and members who have risen in popularity among fans, HKT48 has generated a lot of buzz and in March 2013, the group released their first CD single “Suki! Suki! Skip!” (“Love! Love! Skip!”) under the Universal Sigma label.

The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and in its first week, sold over 250,000 copies.

There are four versions of “Suki! Suki! Skip!”. Type A, Type-B and Type-C each come with a DVD and features an exclusive third track. While the fourth version is a theater edition with no DVD but also an exclusive third track.

The version that I will be reviewing is “Suki! Suki! Skip!” (Type-C) which features five HKT48 members together with Sakura Miyawaki holding a bike. Inside is a tri-fold with the lyrics to each of the three songs and photos of 16 members. Reverse features a listing of Team H members and the production credits. Inside is a little flyer promoting an HKT48 smart code in promotion of the new single.

The single kicks off with “Suki! Suki! Skip!”, an upbeat, happy idol pop track and contains the cuteness that HKT48 is known for.

The song is about how two young people meet on a crowded train and how people who fall in love, their hearts generate a light as if it’s like magic and act as they are walking on clouds. And how love makes her want to skip. Just being in love makes her feel like she can do anything and life is just wonderful that she’s going to “Love! Love! Skip!”.

The second track is “Onegai Valentine” (which translates to “Please Valentine”) and is another upbeat, cute idol song. But where “Suki! Suki! Skip!” is about a girl who is head over heels in love, “Onegai Valentine” is about a girl who wants to meet someone she likes and be in love. She’s too shy to tell the person how she feels and with Valentine’s Day, she just wants the courage to tell the person how she feels.

The third track is “Seifuku no Banbi” (which translates to “Bambi in a School Uniform”) and is a cute, upbeat pop track sung by Team H’s Rino Sashihara, Haruka Kodama and Sakura Miyawaki.  The song is about a girl who is very innocent like Bambi (Disney reference to the young deer) in a school uniform.  But after seeing a guy she likes at the station, she is starting to feel love towards the guy and wants to ask him what he thinks of her.

The remaining three tracks are the instrumental versions of the first three songs.

As for the DVD, the DVD kicks off with a music video for “Suki! Suki! Skip!” and is a bubbly music video as the crew are singing and dancing, performing the song and seeing balloons and bubbles around them. And both Rino Sashihara and Aika Ota are trying to each them lessons.

The second video is a 67 minute which is a “Zenin Ippatsu Gag Shuu Battle Royale” and the object is for all HKT48 members to compete first at Fukuoa Tower and try to make three judges laugh.  The top 5 members with the highest score will then compete by visiting five areas throughout Fukuoka and try to make various judges (that work in different professions) laugh.

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, for their debut single, HKT48’s “Suki! Suki! Skip!” is a fun and enjoyable CD+DVD single for those who enjoy upbeat, cute and sweet idol pop music. HKT48’s style and music emphasizes style, cuteness and for their fans, it’s a style that is working remarkably well for them. And for fans of HKT48, their debut single features three upbeat tracks about love (one in love, one who wants courage to confess their love and one who likes someone but the other person doesn’t know).

But of all three HKT48 types for “Suki! Suki! Skip”, I have to admit that Type-C was my favorite.  While Type-A and Type-B were great for music content and also showcasing the music videos, Type-C was much longer because of the 65-minute competition special and the special was so much fun to watch!

But it’s not music related, it’s more or less the girls having fun and doing things to make people laugh and for those who watch the various HKT48 shows, they will be familiar with the the girls and their humor.  But if you want just the music and music videos, then Type-A and/or Type-B is for you.

Overall, If you are a fan of HKT48, you will surely want to give each of the three types of “Suki! Suki! Skip!” a chance! But if you need to pick one, HKT48’s “Suki! Suki! Skip!” (Type-C) is a CD+DVD is fantastic!