Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Best of HKT48

HKT48 (short for Hakata48) is a Japanese Idol Group and the 3rd sister group of AKB48. The 1st generation members were announced on October 23, 2011, debuting on November 26, 2011. The debut single, Suki! Suki! Skip!, was released in March 2013, which at the time was the Best Selling Female Debut Single ever. The group has a non-permanent theater at the Nishitetsu Hall, in Tenjin (Fukuoka Prefecture).

The group was only performing songs of AKB48 and other 48 Groups in their theater to start off with. They didn't even have any song of their own. From the first batch of HKT48 recruits Kodama Haruka emerged as the preferred center of group.

On June 16, 2012, Sashihara Rino was demoted and transferred to HKT48, due to her involvement in a dating/sex scandal exposed by the tabloid Shukan Bunshun. Though she maintained innocence and stood firm, she accepted her demotion which was personally handed over by Akimoto Yasushi himself. Little did people know how it would turn the fortunes of HKT48 and make them a cheerful and high energy JPop Idol Group in the years to come.

Hatsukoi Butterfly is a coupling song from AKB48's 29th single Eien Pressure on 2012.12.05, by HKT48 Senbatsu members (13 1st Gen and 3 Kenkyuusei a.k.a. Trainees). It was the first original song ever for HKT48. To everyone's shock the performing center for the song was one of the trainees Tashima Meru. She wen on to also center in their debut single Suki! Suki! Skip! and shared the center position with fellow trainee Tomonaga Mio (now both as regular members) in the next two singles Melon Juice and Sakura, Minna de Tabeta.

Kodama Haruka (nicknamed Haruppi), was distraught as she was originally chosen as the center but did not feature as one in the first three singles. Surely enough she grew a large fan base and the management took notice and made her the center for single 4th single Hikaeme I love you! She followed that up with dual center in 12 byo along side Miyawaki Sakura (her first and only Center position). Haruppi bagged center positions in following singles Shekarashika! and 74okubun no 1 no Kimi e.

Now it was time for the new member to grab the center duty. Matsuoka Hana became center for Saikō Kayo. For Bagutte Iijan the old war horse, Sashihara Rino was called up on to take center duties. She also served as center for AKB48 songs after 4 crushing victories in AKB48 Annual Senbatsu Sousenkyo. Similarly, Miyawaki Sakura enjoyed a brilliant stint at AKB48 and centered in AKB48 Singles. Matsuoka Hana got back the center role Kiss wa Matsushikanai no Deshouka?. Next it was the turn of the wonder kids Yabuki Nako and Tanaka Miku to become joint center for Hayaokuri Calendar. For Ishi, her last single, Sashihara Rino was given the center position.

After Sashihara Rino's graduation, Miyawaki Sakura and Yabuki Nako headed for Korea to be a part of new KPop/JPop group IZ*ONE after reaching the final 12 in the MNET reality show Produce48. They are due to return back to HKT48 in early 2021 after their contract expires.

Members:

The Members are divided/classified as Team H, Team KIV, Team TII and Kenkyuusei. HKT48 has had a total of 76 original members over their 5 generations (not including Draft, Kennin and transferred members) and a total of 88 members. As of August 2019, HKT48 has 40 active members, 14 Kenkyuusei and 2 members in IZ*ONE. They are often tagged as being total "JAILBAITS" on Variety TV Shows, - few members actually loved being one, while others had no other choice unfortunately.

SINGLE and other Releases:

They have released 12 Singles (all #1 on Oricon Weekly Chart), 1 Full Length Album (that sold 105k in its 1st week), 2 Digital Singles, and 7 other Original Songs (as of April 2019). They have appeared in 13 Concerts, 10 Stages, 7 HKT Anniversary Events, other AKB and music related events. HKT Variety 48 is their TV special since 2012. They have released a new single 3-2 in April 2020. The group has sold close to 5 million CD's in Japan.

Even though their songs are very good to listen to, unfortunately, the tunes and music are often recycled from old AKB48 and other groups affiliated with Akimoto Yasushi's clan. No wonder why Nogizaka46 soared ahead to glory while HKT48 got stuck in the middle of nowhere!

Singles: