Update by Mina!

I saw a group of teenage girls checking out this set up and pointing at the election poster five minutes later.

Well it has been a couple weeks in Japan!  Wow both Todd and I are in Japan and another one just got back not a month of two ago.  I have a couple posts in mind, but I've been busy plus there is only one internet cord for the WWOOFers (there are now four of us).  I have a Japanese drink taste test post already written on my iphone.  I am also planning to do a post about WWOOFing and my experience, my time in Tokyo, maybe a separate post if I see AKB48 in concert or on stage, things i noticed about culture and tips for staying/ traveling to Japan, an update for the Majisuka Gakuen 2 post, and whatever I come up with.  I'm still waiting to hear about my stage tickets.  Getting Super Enpou tickets for the dome shows, if they are available, won't happen because it will be past the one month limit.   I will still check out resellers and I've been checking the internet forums and such every so often.  Todd is also looking for them so if he has any luck he will pass along the tip.  Here is an AKB48 post that I typed up in my spare time:

A recent change of things?
Has anyone been noticing more live-vocals from AKB48? Not only have they've been appearing on Music Fair during their regular promotional circuit, you can notice it during performances like Music Satation and the Top 100 concert. It wasn't uncommon for stages to be performed live. Is Akimoto confident that messing up vocals won't hurt sales, or are their vocals so on point it is almost hard to spot. You almost need the mess ups or someone sticking out to know it isn't lip synced. I'm thrilled because as some of you might have noticed I've been struggling with this issue for a long time. I would still forgive them when it comes to large scale concerts where they have so many microphones to check. (I understand from my experience in the theatre and video news program during high school.)

This Year's General Election - An FU to Morning Musume?
I'm one that has been discouraging the fighting between Hello Project and the 48 Universe because I am (or is it was) a fan of both sides. Lately my interest has disappeared to the point that I will only go as far as watching their PVs (same as other groups like KAT-TUN). I'm in Japan right now and my host and their friends find it amusing that I listen to AKB48 and Arashi. During the senbatsu election one casual fan of the group (a friend from Tokyo who likes Tomomi Kasai but is bored with Tomomi Itano) mentioned that Morning Musume was over. He said something about their concerts that I couldn't fully understand. I didn't want to jump in that I'm a fan of them. In fact when it came up through my Facebook page that I was a fan I did confirm it, but I added that I'm bored with them at the moment. I don't have any pride in being their fan. I like most of the members, but the music they release I wouldn't buy. (C-ute looked the most promising but then they released their usual cute idol song; I liked the sexy dandy stuff they had been releasing recently. I do love the new Morning Musume members, but not the songs [Maji was good]. Dream Musume was a bust.) Sorry went off on a tangent.

How is this the election that flips the bird to Tsunku (more so than Hello Project itself - that is a better way of looking at it)? Well first, Sato Sumire may not have kept her senbatsu status from the 21st single, but she did make Undergirls. Ayaka Umeda, who not only belongs to the successful subgroup DiVA, is the center for the Undergirls coupling track. Now the most well known reject: Kashiwagi Yuki. She is the center for the subgroup French Kiss, she is the captain of Team B, and she sky rocketed to the number three spot! She definitely was the surprise this time around (but not that much considering she had the spot in the preliminaries).

Maeda Atsuko regaining her #1 Spot
To be honest I like them both, but I'm slightly more biased towards Acchan, so I didn't mind who got the spot. After Yuko defeated Acchan I was shocked. I became happy for Yuko who tries hard to appeal to fans. (Sometimes too hard, which turns me off and is the reason I had a period where I disliked Takamina and is why I still dislike Takahashi Ai.) However, I also thought there is only one place Acchan is suited for and that is the center. They are completely different in their approach to being an idol. Acchan doesn't try to be over the top; this can come off as she isn't trying or as sincere. I was completely for Acchan getting her spot back until I watched her appeal video. Now I didn't bother to fully understand what she was saying, just to see what she would do. It didn't look like she cared at all. Later I realized that she might of been tired because she is overworked. The number one spot only mattered to me once I saw Acchan's reaction to regaining it. It really moved me. (Her short Hana Kimi hair is cute by the way.)

Sad Face results:
Myao (The most disappointing results because she still should be in senbatsu)
Lovetan
Mii-chan (who I voted for)
Tomo~mi
Ucchi (She didn't rank even after being the champion and having a major part in Majisuka Gakuen)

Happy Face:
Matsui Rena
Matsui Jurina
Miorin
Acchan
Sasshi
and pretty much everyone who ranked in Undergirls or Senbatsu

Didn't Care Much:
Yuko
Mariko
Tomomi Itano
Harugon
Takahashi (Part of me wants her to get the number one spot at least once because she deserves it)
Haruna
Mayu