So Long! (AKB48 song)

"So Long!" (stylized as "So long !" with a space before the exclamation mark) is the 30th major single by the Japanese idol girl group AKB48.^[1] It is also AKB48's sixth cherry blossom-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]

Composition

As with many of AKB48's songs, the lyrics were written by Yasushi Akimoto. They begin:

"So long! …微笑んで So long! …じゃあまたね, 枝にいくつかの硬い蕾(つぼみ) 桜前線まだ来ないのに"

which is romanized as: "So long! ..hohoende! So long! ..jā matane, eda ni ikutsu ka no katai tsubomi, sakurazensen mada konai-noni" and translated as: "So long! ..smiling! So long! ..yeah bye for now, in the branch some hard buds, before the cherry tree still doesn't come"

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 on 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.	"Yūhi Marie" (夕陽マリー)	Team K
4.	"So Long! off vocal ver."
5.	"Waiting Room off vocal ver."
6.	"Yūhi Marie off vocal ver."

DVD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Long! Music Video"
2.	"Waiting Room Music Video"
3.	"Yūhi 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 Funjau kane?" (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 Funjau kane? off vocal ver."

DVD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Long! Music Video"
2.	"Waiting Room Music Video"
3.	"Sokode Inu no Unchi Funjau kane? 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"	Trainees
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 Trainees: 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 Trainees: 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

"Yūhi 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 Funjau kane?"

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"

Trainees: 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)	1
Japan (Recochoku)	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]	4

References

1 2 3 4 "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.
1 2 3 4 5 "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.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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. 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2014.

AKB48

Members

Team A	Anna Iriyama Karen Iwata Shizuka Oya Nana Owada Mayu Ogasawara Natsuki Kojima Haruna Kojima Yukari Sasaki Haruka Shimazaki Miru Shiroma Minami Takahashi (former general director) Kayoko Takita Megu Taniguchi Chiyori Nakanishi Mariko Nakamura (vc) Rena Nishiyama Rina Hirata Ami Maeda Miho Miyazaki Sakura Miyawaki Yui Yokoyama (c, general director)

Team K	Moe Aigasa Maria Abe Haruka Ishida Manami Ichikawa Haruka Kodama Ayana Shinozaki Haruka Shimada (vc) Hinana Shimoguchi Mariya Suzuki Aki Takajō Yūka Tano Chisato Nakata Mariya Nagao Nana Fujita Jurina Matsui Minami Minegishi (c) Mion Mukaichi Tomu Mutō Shinobu Mogi Sayaka Yamamoto Ami Yumoto

Team B	Misaki Iwasa Natsuki Uchiyama Ayano Umeta Ryōka Ōshima (vc) Yuki Kashiwagi Rena Katō Yuria Kizaki (c) Kana Kobayashi Moe Gotō Miyu Takeuchi Makiho Tatsuya Miku Tanabe Seina Fukuoka Nako Yabuki Aeri Yokoshima Mayu Watanabe Miyuki Watanabe

Team 4	Miyabi Iino Rina Izuta Saho Iwatate Rio Ōkawa Miyu Ōmori Ayaka Okada Nana Okada (vc) Saya Kawamoto Ryoha Kitagawa Saki Kitazawa Mako Kojima Haruka Komiyama Kiara Satō Nagisa Shibuya Juri Takahashi (c) Mio Tomonaga Wakana Natori Miki Nishino Rena Nozawa Yuiri Murayama

Team 8	Nagisa Sakaguchi Yui Yokoyama Hijiri Tanikawa Nanami Satō Tsumugi Hayasaka Akari Satō Kasumi Mougi Rin Okabe Hitomi Honda Maria Shimizu Ayane Takahashi Nanase Yoshikawa Yui Oguri Erina Oda Shiori Satō Ayaka Hidaritomo Natsuki Fujimura Yuri Yokomichi Yūna Hattori Ai Yamamoto Haruna Hashimoto Reina Kita Kurena Chō Moeri Kondō Serika Nagano Nao Ōta Nanami Yamada Ruka Yamamoto Momoka Ōnishi Sayuna Hama Ikumi Nakano Mei Abe Kotone Hitomi Yuri Tani Miu Shitao Riona Hamamatsu Yurina Gyōten Kaoru Takaoka Natsuki Hirose Karen Yoshida Rena Fukuchi Moeka Iwasaki Narumi Kuranoo Miyu Yoshino Moka Yaguchi Karin Shimoaoki Rira Miyazato

Former members	Rina Nakanishi Mai Ōshima Erena Ono Rino Sashihara (Moved to HKT48) Atsuko Maeda Natsuki Satō Yuka Masuda Kaoru Hayano Yu Imai Ayana Takada Haruka Nakagawa (Moved to JKT48) Sae Miyazawa (Moved to SNH48/SKE48) Tomomi Kasai Mariko Shinoda Tomomi Itano Sayaka Akimoto Ayaka Kikuchi Misato Nonaka Yuko Oshima Haruka Katayama Yurina Takashima Rina Ikoma Aika Ota (Moved to HKT48) Mina Oba (Moved to SKE48) Suzuran Yamauchi (Moved to SKE48) Sumire Sato (Moved to SKE48) Riho Kotani Nao Furuhata Fūko Yagura Ayaka Morikawa Shihori Suzuki Rina Kawaei Sakiko Matsui Hikari Hashimoto Marina Kobayashi Mizuki Tsuchiyasu Mitsuki Maeda Asuka Kuramochi Rie Kitahara (Moved to NGT48 (captain)) Mayumi Uchida

Units

Chocolove from AKB48 (Inactive)
Diva (Disbanded)
French Kiss
No Name (Disbanded)
no3b
Not Yet
Queen & Elizabeth (Inactive)
Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 (Disbanded)

Solo acts

Tomomi Itano (Former member)
Misaki Iwasa
Tomomi Kasai (Former member)
Yuki Kashiwagi
Asuka Kuramochi
Atsuko Maeda (Former member)
Sakiko Matsui
Rino Sashihara (Former member)
Minami Takahashi
Mariko Tsukamoto (Former member, Adult AKB)
Mayu Watanabe

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"
"Labrador Retriever"
"Kokoro no Placard"
"Kibōteki Refrain"
"Green Flash"
"Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai"
"Halloween Night"
"Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby"
"Kimi wa Melody"

Other singles

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

Related groups

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