Schoolgirl Pop

It’s a fanboy/Japanese businessman’s dream…

Skirts, Hirari by AKB48

I found this completely by accident while watching MaeKen videos on Youtube (why Hinoi Team chose Korikki over him, I’ll never know).  I don’t know much about AKB48, but they seem to be in the vein of Morning Musume, that is a pop group that has different groups to it (on the Japanese Wikipedia page, there was talk about group A and group B.  Morning Musume, I know had little sub-sections as well).  In this case, I’m watching fifteen or so girls dancing all together, singing nicely, dancing on stage in sync, their cosplay outfits sure to be emulated at an anime convention somewhere.  And with song titles such as “Dear My Teacher” and “Skirt Hirari”, they definitely appeal to the junior high/high school set.  I’m just now getting into the J-Pop set (well, beyond Arashi, Hikaru Utada, and anything from a Bemani game), but I know that this is nothing new.  Girl groups have been around for a long time, and where there are cute adolescent Japanese girls singing, there will be Schoolgirl uniforms.

Another AKB48…and some fanservice.  Gotta love Fanservice. 

Why wouldn’t they be?  Most of these Japanese idols are teenagers, going to school themselves, so I bet they are going to have to wear a uniform sooner or later.   Japanese school girl uniforms are looked to be the trendiest ones the world over, and they are all over the place in Japan.  They are stylized in manga and anime, so why not add to the mania by having nubile Japanese girls wearing them while singing, dancing, and modeling?  I guess it’s good marketing on the promoters part.  Not only will there be fans among their peers, but among older men who would normally not listen to this music, but are attracted to the uniforms.

Kira Kira Melody…really cute.  Really cute. 

There will be more about this in the future as soon as I research this more.