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]

"So Long!"
Type A single cover
Single by AKB48
from the album Tsugi no Ashiato
B-side"Waiting Room"
ReleasedFebruary 20, 2013 (2013-02-20)
GenreJ-pop
LabelYou, Be Cool! / King
Songwriter(s)Yasushi Akimoto
Producer(s)Yasushi Akimoto
AKB48 singles chronology
"Eien Pressure"
(2012)		 "So Long!"
(2013)		 "Sayonara Crawl"
(2013)
Music video
"So Long!" on YouTube
"Waiting Room" (preview) on YouTube

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.TitleArtist(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.TitleLength
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.TitleArtist(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.TitleLength
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.TitleArtist(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.TitleLength
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.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."So Long!" 6:05
2."Waiting Room" (アンダーガールズ)Under Girls4:33
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

"Waiting Room"

The song is performed by Under Girls.[6]

Center: Rina Kawaei, Meru Tashima

"Ruby"

"Yūhi Marie"

"Sokode Inu no Unchi Funjau kane?"

"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

G-music (Taiwan)
Chart Peak Position
Combo 16[8]

Year-end charts
Chart (2013) Position
Billboard Japan Hot 100[9] 6
Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales[10] 5
Oricon yearly singles[11] 4
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gollark: English makes it a bit awkward.

References
  1. "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. "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.
  3. "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. 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.
  5. "AKB48、新曲「So long！」センター決定". Modelpress (in Japanese). 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  6. "AKB48 28th Maxi Single「UZA」のジャケ写が解禁！" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  7. "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.
  8. "G-Music 風雲榜 (綜合榜)". 2012-09-09. Archived from the original on 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  9. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 Year End - Charts - Japan". Billboard-Japan.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  10. "Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales Year End - Charts - Japan". Billboard-Japan.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. "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.
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