SKE48 – Kiss Datte Hidarikikki (Type-B) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. キスだって左利き – SKE48
2. 鳥は青い空の涯を知らない – SKE48 (紅組)
3. 神々の領域 (野菜シスターズ/Yasai Sisters)
4. キスだって左利き off vocal ver. – SKE48
5. 鳥は青い空の涯を知らない off vocal ver. – SKE48 (紅組)
6. 神々の領域 off vocal ver. – SKE48

DVD INFO: 16:9 LB, Region 2, Duration: 62:40

1. キスだって左利き music clip
2. 鳥は青い空の涯を知らない- SKE48 (紅組) music clip
3. ガチ!対談-II- (special movie) (特典映像)

SKE48, the sister idol group of AKB48 that is based in Nagoya returns with their 10th CD single “Kiss Datte Hidarikiki” (which translates to “Even the Kiss is Left-Handed” or “Even a Left-Handed Kiss”), a track which becomes the group’s sixth CD single to reach #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and also becoming their highest selling single for its release day and for its first week.

And it’s another testament to the marketing machine created by AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto. SKE48 was created as a test for Akimoto to see if his idea of having an nationwide 48 project would work, considering he had received offers from other countries to develop his project for their country.

And to develop SKE48, it centered around young teenager Jurina Matsui who was featured as the primary member of SKE48 to be featured on an AKB48 single (“Ogoe Diamond”) and would eventually become the first collaboration for SKE48 and AKB48. And while the group debuted back in 2009 with “Tsuyoki Mono yo”, the growing popularity of AKB48 helped lead SKE48 into the limelight and switching labels from Nippon Crown to Avex Trax in 2011 for their sixth single “Pareo wa Emerald”, it had led to their highest sales as a pop unit.

But it’s their 10th CD Single “Kiss Datte Hidarikiki” that has pushed the group over the 500,000 copies sold in its first week mark and is their most popular single yet! And the fact they had these type of sales on the same day of the release of their album “Kono Hi no chime o Wasurenai” is fantastic!

And with this CD single, there were seven different versions released of “Kiss Datte Hidarikiki”, Type-A, Type-B and Type-C received a regular edition and limited edition release. The difference is one comes with a handshake event ticket (limited) and the regular edition doesn’t. Each single sports a different cover and each features a different second track performed by SKE48 members who are team Shirogumi, Akagumi or Kouen ganbatta kumi. The seventh version is the theater edition with no DVD but comes with both Shirogumi and Akagumi songs plus a 10th single medley.

The version I will be reviewing is “Kiss Datte Hidarikiki” (Type-B). The single comes with a tri-fold insert with a photo of the top 16 SKE48 members blowing a kiss (and has a pink border outside the CD insert). The other side of the insert features lyrics and production credits. While the back side of the CD features the other 16 members of SKE48 in purple ballet outfits.

The single begins with the title track “Kiss Datte Hirarikiki” and is a catchy, idol pop track that I found quite addicting the more I listened to it. Love the harmony of the members and the song is about a girl who has fallen in love with a guy who is left-handed. She observes him and wants to imitate him, practicing with her left hand because to her it feels cool that her boyfriend is left-handed and waiting for the left-handed kiss.

The second track on the single is “Tori wo Aoisora no Hate Shiranai” (which translates to “Birds don’t know the end of the Blue Sky”) performed by SKE48 Akagumi members. I am guessing the reference is to the upcoming AKB48 Kouhaku Utagassen competition but the ballad is simply beautiful.  Love the arrangement and the chorus for this song.  Inspirational, beautiful and captivating!  The song is about a person asking a bird of where does the blue sky end and if there is a limit for one’s dreams.  The group sings “Ganbare!” (Do your best) and to not think their is a limit, to always give your best.

The third track on the single is the song “Kamigami no Ryouiki” (which translates to “Territory of the Gods”) and is a synth-based, fast-tempo track. The song is about a person who wants to change a person’s life with love. The person felt they were unable to love and that their heart was a territory that can not be entered. But she manages to get into his heart and help the person discover love. Now she is in unexpected territory, being guided by the gods and before, being hit by rain but now seeing a rainbow which has been changed due to love.

The remaining three tracks on the CD single are the instrumental versions of the first three music tracks.

As for the DVD, the DVD begins with the music video clip for “Kiss Datte Hidarikikki”. The 16 members that are dressed up in white gowns, brown shoes and flowers on their hair and are in front of an estate while performing and dancing to their song. Meanwhile, a story shows Jurina who is out jogging and sees a friend with another guy. She then tells her friends of what she had seen. We see a little drama as perhaps Rena and Jurina’s characters have fallen for the same guy and will these two good friends hurt each other by going for that same guy? Meanwhile, another girl falls for a guy at a restaurant who is left-handed.

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.

The second music video is for “Tori wo Aoisora no Hate Shiranai” and features people in class being selected to photograph their classmates and we see two girls who were once best friends are now rivals.  And both secretly watch each other taking photos and remembering the time when they were good friends.  Meanwhile, we see the Akagumi team in purple ballet outfits, performing and dancing to the song.

The third video on the DVD is a 48-minute clip featuring footage from the show “Gachi! Taidan” and features several members bringing into a room, not knowing what to expect and in the other room is a celebrity. The DVD features Masana Oya meeting voice actress Noriko Hidaka (Akane of “Ranma 1/2”, Satsuki of “Tonari no Totoro”, Noriko of “Gunbuster” and many more).  Kanon Kimoto meeting “Mono Mane” talent Ayano Fukuda (best known for her many celebrity impressions), Nanako Suga meeting talent/singer Chiaki (fascinating as Nanako is so shy around Chiaki), Sawako Hata meeting Takayuki Ohira (Planetarium creator) and Rena Matsui meeting young talent, Miyu Honda.

Overall, “Kiss Datte Hidarikikki” is a pretty cool single with three solid tracks but what I enjoyed about this single was the inclusion of the slow, inspirational ballad “Tori wo Aoisora no Hate Shiranai”.  Where Type-A featured three upbeat tracks, Type-B has that ballad and features a cool balance of music.  Also, the DVD was pretty awesome.  Where it was cool to see Airi Furukawa being a big “Mobile Suit Gundam” fan in Type-A, on Type-B, it was cool to see Masana Oya meeting legendary voice actress Noriko Hidaka.   But while this segment was awesome, it’s important to note that if you want to watch all many of these “Gachi! Taidan” segments, you’ll need to purchase Type-A and Type-C as well! But Type-B was a solid CD+DVD release and I have been listening to the main track many times this week already.

Definitely their best single yet! And a single that I can easily recommend!