“Answer” is the sixth no3b (No Sleeves) single and for the Type-B version, you get Minami Takahashi singing solo for “Itoshisa no Accel” but also a live performance of “Kiseki wa Yoru Umareru” from the “Request Hour Set List Best 100 2011 LIVE at SHIBUYA-AX”! For Takamina and no3b fans, “Answer” (Type-B) is recommended!
GROUP: no3b (no sleeves/ノースリーブス)
CD SINGLE: Answer (Limited Edition Type-B)
LABEL: Epic Records
CATALOG #: ESCL 3652-3
DURATION: 23:42
RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2011
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- Answer – AKB48
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DVD INFO: 16:9 LB, Region 2, Duration: 16:03
- Answer – Music Video
- Making of Answer
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no3b (No Sleeves) are back with their sixth CD single “Answer”.
In 2008, AKB48 creator/producer Yasushi Akimoto created a subunit from AKB48’s Team A first generation members Minami Takahashi, Haruna Kojima and Minami Minegishi known as No Sleeves (no3b) for CD release and Persona for digital release.
The idea of no3b came with Akimoto wanted to create a group that featured members without the AKB48 uniforms. This time sporting outfits with no sleeves. And thus, no3b was born. As for Persona, the group revolves around the male characters that the three AKB48 members play in the drama series “Men-Dol”.
And to begin 2011, no3b has released their sixth CD single “Answer”, their best selliing CD single thus far with over 108,000 copies sold and reached #2 on the Oricon Singles Weekly Charts.
“Answer” was released as four single versions. While the CD version are the same, the DVD’s are different. Released was the regular edition (includes no DVD) and as for three limited edition versions, each cover features one of the members in the center.
The version that I am reviewing is the Takamina (Minami Takahashi) version is TYPE-B and comes with a music video, a making of, plus the Request Hour Set List Best 100 2011 LIVE AT SHIBUYA AX performance of “Kiseki wa Yoru Umareru”, a song that was featured on their self-titled album released earlier this eyar. The CD insert features 8-pages and includes the lyrics and production notes with pictures of the three members.
The first track on the CD single is “Answer” and is an upbeat, catchy pop track about a person who has answer of how they feel about another and that is to protect them eternally. It’s an unrequited love about a person who feels this way about another person, despite not knowing each other.
The second track is “Monozuki Ichigou”. The song is an upbeat, cutesy pop song. The song is about a girl who is plain and wondering why her first boyfriend picked her when he could have went for a cuter girl, one that looks like a model, a sexy girl or one with a better personality. She feels that he could show off a prettier girl to his friends, a kinder girl to his parents, a funnier girl but yet he confessed his love to her.
The third track is “Itoshisa no Accel” (which translates to “Love Accelerator”), a solo track performed by Minami Takahashi and is an AKB48 Team A 6th Stage “Mokugekisha” track. An upbeat, synth-driven pop track. The song is about a girl who is saving herself but the guy she is driving with, she fell for him and she knows the long night could have continued but instead, she said she was getting off the car and he said “bye” and now she wishes he would come back for her. She wants him step harder on love’s accelerator.
The three remaining tracks are the instrumental tracks for the first three vocal tracks.
As for the DVD, the first DVD track features the three dancing in their black dresses (that are featured on the cover) with a white background or a white version of the dresses in a black background. And the two are holding frames or artwork and dancing to the song.
The second video shows us the making of “Answer”, from the filming to the dance choreography and interviews with the three members.
The third video clip is Minami Takahashi’s live performance of “Kiseki wa Yoru Umareru” from “Request Hour Set List Best 100 2011 LIVE at SHIBUYA-AX Only Edition”. A beautiful performance by Takamina.
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, I really enjoyed the “Answer” (Type-B) CD+DVD release. You get an upbeat no3b song plus a really cute pop track and if you are a Takamina fan, her singing a solo track. And the music videos were pretty cool especially the inclusion of Takamina singing “Kiseki wa Yoru Umareru”.
And if you are a no3b, TakaMina, NyanNyan or Miichan fan, “Answer” is a CD single (any type) worth recommending!
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