NMB48 – Virginity (Type-A) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. ヴァージニティー (NMB48)
2. 妄想ガールフレンド (NMB48)
3. 僕らのレガッタ (Shirogumi)
4. みるきーのちゃぷちゃぷ (Type-A)
5. ヴァージニティー off-vocal version
6. 妄想ガールフレンド off-vocal version
7. 僕らのレガッタ off-vocal version

DVD INFO: 4:3, Region 2, Duration: 46:52 / “Tokuten eizō ‘Oyasumi Eizō Zenpen” Duration: 56:29

1. ヴァージニティー (ミュージックビデオ)
2. ヴァージニティー (ミュージックビデオ ダンスミックスバージョン
3. 妄想ガールフレンド (ミュージックビデオ)
4. 僕らのレガッタ (ミュージックビデオ)
5. おやすみ映像(前編) (特典映像)

It has been a little over a year since AKB48 creator/producer Yasushi Akimoto created NMB48, the idol group which belongs to Kyoraku Yoshimoto Holdings Co., Ltd. (a joint corporation of Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd. and Kyoraku Sangyo Co., Ltd.).

And before anyone gets confused between the various idol groups with the “48″ attached to it.  For NMB48, it’s best to remember that NMB stands for “Namba” which is in the Minami district in Osaka.  So, NMB48 is the main Akimoto-related idol group being showcased in the Kansai area and is the second sister group, after SKE48 (which are based in Nagoya).

While NMB48 is known for its captain Sayaka Yamamoto (of Team N) and Team N member Miyuki “Milky” Watanabe, as more NMB48′s singles continue to chart at #1 in the weekly Oricon CD Single Chart rankings, there has been more exposure for the group and its members.

And with the success of their previous four CD singles, NMB48 has once again scored a #1 hit with their fifth CD single “Virginity” which sold over 300,000 copies on the day of their release.

There will be four different versions of the single available.  Type-A, Type-B and Type-C will each come with a DVD and feature an exclusive third track.  Also, included with each Type is a “Milky no Chapu Chapu” track, which is a track under a minute with sounds of Milky taking a bath.  The Theater Edition will come with no DVD will come with Type-A and Type-B exclusive tracks but also an exclusive third track.

The version that I will be reviewing is “Virginity” (Type-A) which features Sayaka Yamamoto as center and seven other NMB48 members on the front cover.  The four-fold insert features images from the music video and closeup pictures of a member plus lyrics and production credits on the other side.  Also, a flyer promoting Kyoraku Yoshimoto’s upcoming plays for 2012 and 2013.  The rear CD jacket features the image of Team Shirogumi in their Victorian dresses (which they wore for the music video “Bokura no Regatta”).

The first track on the CD single is “Virginity”.  A track that utilizes electric guitar and synth brass and the song is catchy and upbeat!  The song is about one about the pressure of wanting to kiss, wanting to love someone but the thoughts of love, sex….can one even engage in the discussion of virginity.  And as one kissed the person they liked, in exchange for love, the person gives virginity.

The second track on the single is “Moso Girlfriend” (which translates to “Delusional Girlfriend”) and is the sugary idol pop track of the CD single.  And is a song about a one-sided love of falling in love with a idol girl you see on TV and calling her your girlfriend and that the person will love them forever  and feeling that you and the girl would make a perfect couple.

The third track on the single is “Bokura no Regatta” (which translates to “Our Regatta”) performed by NMB48’s Shirogumi team.  I’m guessing the shirogumi team is in reference to the AKB48 Kouhaku Uta Gassen red vs. white competition that takes place in December.  An upbeat pop track that is about a regatta (which is usually a boat or yacht race) and about a person who is grateful to a rival because the rival has helped the person work harder and become more competitive.  And the songi s about the hard work involved in the race, the pain of rowing and at the end of the race, both sides tearfully embraced for the hard work put into the race competition.

The fourth track is not a music track but a 40-second audio track of Milky taking a bath and saying how the water feels so good.

The next three tracks are the instrumental off-vocal versions of the first three tracks.

As for the DVD, the first video is a 32-minute drama and is a story about the life of four sisters (Sayaka Yamamoto, Nana Yamada, Miyuki Watanabe and Eriko Jo) and the challenges that these teenagers face in their personal lives, at school with friends or at their jobs.

The second video track is the dance remix music video version for “Virginity” which features clips from the special drama and NMB48 performing the song.  The single probably is the group’s best choreography I have seen on a music video thus far.

The third video track is the music video for “Mosou Girlfriend” and features Milky walking through an alley way and sees a cat.  When she goes to pet it, the cat bites her and Milky’s outfit turns into a sexy magical girl outfit with cat ears and a tail (that is in the shape of a heart).  Milky is seen jogging through the city and the countryside and members of the members of SKE48 are then bit by Milky who become neko magical girls who then bite other SKE48 members.  Then all SKE48 members have a cat tail and ears and magical girl outfits and perform the song on a hillside.  A very cute music video!

The fourth video track is for Team Shirogumi’s “Bokura no Regatta” and features members of SKE48 in Victorian outfits and attend a party where many foreign guys in tuxedos attend the event. Sayaka is attracted to a Caucasian man and is escorted to the dance and each girl and the guys begin ballroom dancing on the dance floor.  While the song has nothing to do with the music video, it’s a pretty classy video that matches the musical arrangement.

The fifth video can only be accessed on the main menu (and not through “play all”) and is titled “Tokuten eizō ‘Oyasumi Eizō Zenpen” which is the first part featuring each member of SKE48 talk about things they do before they go to bed.  Part two is continued in Type-B of “Virginity”.

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, “Virginity” (Type-A) is an awesome CD single and in my opinion, their best single so far.  But what NMB48 fans will enjoy about Type-A is the content.  You get three solid tracks plus a Milky bath audio track but for the DVD, you get a 32-minute drama special, three music videos and just when you think it’s all done, there is a 56-minute NMB48 special featuring each member talking to the camera about the things they enjoy doing before they go to sleep.  So, you’re getting a single with a lot of content.  Especially if you are spending quite a bit of money, you want to make sure that you are getting your money’s worth and in this case, you definitely are.

If you are an NMB48 fan, “Virginity (Type-A) is highly recommended!

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