So Long!

"So Long!"^{[note 1]} is the 30th major single by the Japanese idol girl group AKB48.^[1] It is also AKB48's sixth sakura-themed single, and its first single of 2013.^[1] This single was released in Japan on February 20 in four different versions.^[1]

The 64-minute long music video for the title track is directed by director Nobuhiko Obayashi.^[2] The Nippon Television network aired a 3-episode special television drama based on the title track from 11-13 February 2013.^[3] This is the 11th single reached #1 in United World Chart to become the group with most tracks at no. 1 in music history between the English rock band the Beatles.^{[citation needed]}

Music video

The music video for the song "So Long!" is directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi and produced by Yasushi Akimoto.^[2] With a duration of 64 minutes, it is AKB48's longest music video to date.^[2] Shot on location at Chuetsu High School in Niigata Prefecture, this music video revolves around the students at the school.^[2]

Mayu Watanabe plays the role of Yume (lit: Dreams), a girl that dreams of becoming an actress.^[4] This is Watanabe's first "center" role in an AKB48 music video.^[4] SKE48 member Jurina Matsui plays the role of Mirai (lit: Future), a student who transferred to the school from Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.^[4] Other supporting cast includes members Haruka Shimazaki, Yuko Oshima, Minami Takahashi, Tomomi Itano and Yuki Kashiwagi.^[4]

All the students at the school lend their support to Mirai because all of them have had experienced the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake and understand her predicament.^[4] Over time, Mirai starts to make friends with the other students in the school and become emotionally stronger.^[4] Singer Mickey Curtis makes a special guest appearance in this video.^[4]

Release

The title track of this single was first unveiled in Tokyo Broadcasting System's "Kayo Kyoku" music programme on 22 January 2013.^[5] A six-minute version of the music video was subsequently unveiled on 24 January 2013 during the AKB48 Request Hour Set List Best 100 2013 performance series.^[2]

So Long! was released in Japan on February 20, 2013 in four different versions: Type A, Type K, Type B and the Theater versions.^[1]

Track listing

Type-A

CD
No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"So Long!"
2.	"Waiting Room" (アンダーガールズ)	Under Girls
3.	"Ruby"	Team A
4.	"So Long! off vocal ver."
5.	"Waiting Room off vocal ver."
6.	"Ruby off vocal ver."

DVD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Long Music Video"
2.	"Waiting Room Music Video"
3.	"Ruby Music Video"
4.	"Dai 2 Kai AKB48 Kohaku Taiko Uta Gassen - Soshu Hen -"

Type-K

CD
No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"So Long!"
2.	"Waiting Room" (アンダーガールズ)	Under Girls
3.	"Yuuhi Marie" (夕陽マリー)	Team K
4.	"So Long! off vocal ver."
5.	"Waiting Room off vocal ver."
6.	"Yuuhi Marie off vocal ver."

DVD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Long! Music Video"
2.	"Waiting Room Music Video"
3.	"Yuuhi Marie Music Video"
4.	"Dai 2 Kai AKB48 Kohaku Taiko Uta Gassen - Akagumi Digest -"

Type-B

CD
No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"So Long!"
2.	"Waiting Room" (アンダーガールズ)	Under Girls
3.	"Sokode Inu no Unchi Funjyaukane?" (そこで犬のうんち踏んじゃうかね?)	Team B
4.	"So Long! off vocal ver."
5.	"Waiting Room off vocal ver."
6.	"Sokode Inu no Unchi Funjyaukane? off vocal ver."

DVD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Long! Music Video"
2.	"Waiting Room Music Video"
3.	"Sokode Inu no Unchi Funjyaukane? Music Video"
4.	"Dai 2 Kai AKB48 Kohaku Taiko Uta Gassen - Shirogumi Digest -"
5.	"Sugar Rush Music Video"

Theater Edition

CD
No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"So Long!"		6:05
2.	"Waiting Room" (アンダーガールズ)	Under Girls	4:33
3.	"Tsuyoi Hana"	Kenkyūsei
4.	"So Long! off vocal ver."
5.	"Waiting Room off vocal ver."
6.	"Tsuyoi Hana off vocal ver."

Members

"So Long!"

Center: Mayu Watanabe

Team A: Mariko Shinoda, Minami Takahashi, Mayu Watanabe, Yui Yokoyama
Team K: Tomomi Itano, Yūko Ōshima
Team B: Yuki Kashiwagi, Haruna Kojima, Haruka Shimazaki
AKB48 Kenkyuusei: Minami Minegishi
SKE48 Team S / AKB48 Team K: Jurina Matsui, Rie Kitahara
SKE48 Team S: Rena Matsui
NMB48 Team N / AKB48 Team B: Miyuki Watanabe
NMB48 Team N: Sayaka Yamamoto
HKT48 Team H: Rino Sashihara

"Waiting Room"

The song is performed by Under Girls.^[6]

Center: Rina Kawaei, Meru Tashima

Team A: Anna Iriyama, Ryoka Oshima, Rina Kawaei, Ayaka Kikuchi, Juri Takahashi,
Team K: Mariya Nagao, Haruka Shimada
Team B: Mina Oba, Rena Katō, Reina Fujie
SKE48 Team S: Yuria Kizaki, Nanako Suga, Akari Suda
SKE48 Team E: Kanon Kimoto, Nao Furuhata
NMB48 Team N: Nana Yamada
NMB48 Team M: Fuuko Yagura
NMB48 Team BII: Shu Yabushita
HKT48 Team H: Aika Ota, Haruka Kodama, Sakura Miyawaki
HKT48 Kenkyuusei: Meru Tashima

"Ruby"

Team A: Karen Iwata, Rina Izuta, Anna Iriyama, Ryōka Ōshima, Tomomi Kasai, Rina Kawaei, Ayaka Kikuchi, Riho Kotani, Marina Kobayashi, Sumire Satō, Mariko Shinoda, Juri Takahashi, Minami Takahashi, Yūka Tano, Tomomi Nakatsuka, Shiori Nakamata, Moeno Nitō, Sakiko Matsui, Ayaka Morikawa, Yui Yokoyama, Mayu Watanabe

"Yuuhi Marie"

Team K: Sayaka Akimoto, Maria Abe, Tomomi Itano, Yūko Ōshima, Mayumi Uchida, Rie Kitahara, Asuka Kuramochi, Kana Kobayashi, Amina Satō, Haruka Shimada, Shihori Suzuki, Rina Chikano, Chisato Nakata, Sayaka Nakaya, Mariya Nagao, Nana Fujita, Ami Maeda, Jurina Matsui, Natsumi Matsubara, Miho Miyazaki, Tomu Mutō

"Sokode inu no unchi fun jau ka ne?"

Team B: Anna Ishida, Haruka Ishida, Miori Ichikawa, Misaki Iwasa, Ayaka Umeda, Mina Ōba, Shizuka Ōya, Yuki Kashiwagi, Haruka Katayama, Rena Katō, Natsuki Kojima, Haruna Kojima, Mika Komori, Haruka Shimazaki, Miyu Takeuchi, Miku Tanabe, Mariko Nakamura, Wakana Natori, Misato Nonaka, Reina Fujie, Minami Minegishi, Suzuran Yamauchi, Miyuki Watanabe

"Tsuyoi Hana"

Kenkyuusei: Miyu Omori, Yukari Sasaki, Rina Hirata, Moe Aigasa, Saho Iwatate, Ayano Umeta, Ayaka Okada, Saki Kitazawa, Ayana Shinozaki, Yurina Takashima, Yuiri Murayama, Shinobu Mogi, Hikari Hashimoto, Mako Kojima, Mitsuki Maeda, Miki Nishino, Nana Okada, Natsuki Uchiyama

Charts

Billboard charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
Japan (Billboard Japan Hot 100)^{[citation needed]}	1
Japan (Recochoku)^{[citation needed]}	1

Oricon charts

Release	Oricon Singles Chart	Peak position	Debut sales (copies)	Sales total (copies)
February 20, 2013	Daily Chart	1	817,530	1,126,674
	Weekly Chart	1^[7]	1,035,986
	Monthly Chart	1	1,086,389

Year-end charts

Chart (2013)	Position
Billboard Japan Hot 100^[8]	6
Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales^[9]	5
Oricon yearly singles^[10]	1

Notes

↑ In Japan, the title is stylized with a full-width exclamation point. "So Long！"

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "AKB48、30thシングルは恒例卒業曲「So long ! 」". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Inc. 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "AKB48桜ソングMVは大林宣彦監督の64分劇映画　新センターはまゆゆ". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Inc. 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
↑ "AKB48 ：チーム対抗で泣けるドラマ　3夜連続放送で視聴者が決定". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Inc. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "ＡＫＢ“最長”ＭＶ初披露！まゆゆ初センター". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). 2013-01-25. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
↑ "AKB48、新曲「So long！」センター決定". Modelpress (in Japanese). 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
↑ "AKB48 28th Maxi Single「UZA」のジャケ写が解禁！" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-10-16.
↑ "2013年02月18日～2013年02月24日のCDシングル週間ランキング（2013年03月04日付）". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-03-04.
↑ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 Year End - Charts - Japan". Billboard-Japan.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales Year End - Charts - Japan". Billboard-Japan.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
↑ "2013年のCDシングル年間ランキング" [2013 CD Single Yearly Ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. 2012. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.

AKB48

Members

Team A	Anna Iriyama Karen Iwata Rina Izuta Rina Kawaei Ayaka Kikuchi Marina Kobayashi Haruka Kodama Sakiko Matsui Ayaka Morikawa Ryōka Ōshima Yukari Sasaki Sumire Satō Mariya Suzuki Juri Takahashi Minami Takahashi (general director) Yuka Tano Mayu Watanabe Fūko Yagura Yui Yokoyama (captain)

Team K	Maria Abe Rina Chikano Nana Fujita Nao Furuhata Rina Hirata Rie Kitahara Kana Kobayashi Asuka Kuramochi Chisato Nakata Mariya Nagao Rena Nozawa Ami Maeda Jurina Matsui Miho Miyazaki Tomu Mutō Yuko Oshima (captain) Amina Satō Haruka Shimada Shiori Suzuki Mayumi Uchida

Team B	Reina Fujie Miori Ichikawa Haruka Ishida Misaki Iwasa Yuki Kashiwagi Haruka Katayama Rena Katō Haruna Kojima Natsuki Kojima Mariko Nakamura Wakana Natori Misato Nonaka Mina Ōba Miyū Ōmori Shizuka Ōya Haruka Shimazaki Aki Takajō Miyu Takeuchi Miku Tanabe Ayaka Umeda (captain) Miyuki Watanabe Suzuran Yamauchi

Team 4	Moe Aigasa Hikari Hashimoto Saho Iwatate Saki Kitazawa Mako Kojima Mitsuki Maeda Minami Minegishi (captain) Shinobu Mogi Yuiri Murayama Miki Nishino Ayaka Okada Nana Okada Ayana Shinozaki Yurina Takashima Natsuki Uchiyama Ayano Umeta

Overseas transfer	Sae Miyazawa (SNH48) Haruka Nakagawa (JKT48)

Trainee members	List of kenkyūsei in the article AKB48

Former members	Sayaka Akimoto Tomomi Itano Tomomi Kasai Atsuko Maeda Rina Nakanishi Erena Ono Mai Ōshima Rino Sashihara Natsuki Satō Mariko Shinoda

Units

Solo acts

Albums

Singles

"Sakura no Hanabiratachi"
"Skirt, Hirari"
"Aitakatta"
"Seifuku ga Jama o Suru"
"Keibetsu Shiteita Aijō"
"Bingo!"
"Boku no Taiyō"
"Yūhi o Miteiru ka?"
"Romance, Irane"
"Sakura no Hanabiratachi 2008"
"Baby! Baby! Baby!"
"Ōgoe Diamond"
"10nen Sakura"
"Namida Surprise!"
"Iiwake Maybe"
"River"
"Sakura no Shiori"
"Ponytail to Shushu"
"Heavy Rotation"
"Beginner"
"Chance no Junban"
"Sakura no Ki ni Narō"
"Everyday, Katyusha"
"Flying Get"
"Kaze wa Fuiteiru"
"Ue kara Mariko"
"Give Me Five!"
"Manatsu no Sounds Good!"
"Gingham Check"
"Uza"
"Eien Pressure"
"So Long!"
"Sayonara Crawl"
"Koi Suru Fortune Cookie"
"Heart Electric"
"Suzukake no Ki no Michi de...Yaya Kihazukashii Ketsuron no Yō na Mono"
"Mae shika Mukanee"

Other singles

"Dareka no Tame ni (What Can I Do for Someone?)"
"Sugar Rush"

Related groups

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.