Hello AramaJapan readers and welcome to this week’s installment of #1 Song Review! Last week, JUJU trumped EXILE TRIBE to take the top spot. She’s back this week along with a newcomer and another returnee. Find out what various staff members thought of the songs that topped the physical and digital charts this week and share your thoughts on them too!

Oricon: HKT48 – Hikaeme I love you! (Recochoku #8 / didn’t appear in the iTunes top 10 all week)

Ronald: Simply put, I’m too old for this. This song is god awfully childish. Maybe if I was like 8 years old I’d like it? It’s just way too cheesy, way too saccharine, way too cutesy to appeal to me at all. It’s not completely offensive though. 2/10

Ryan: The rotating disk with members on both sides is slightly unnerving and made me a little dizzy, but the shots where they’re standing on the clouds are visually amazing and well done. This song sounds like one that would take at a school setting, and while I’m glad they didn’t fall in to that trap (because that type of video concept is so tired). I listened to it without watching the video and the song was stronger. That being said, the song is still your typical fare for a 48 family song. They all seem to fit in specific chord progressions or instrumentation. It makes me wonder how quickly Akimoto can bang out a song, or how many he produces a day for all his groups. This song does the job of the safe A-side. 5/10

Zara: Okay, I’ll give this song this: it wasn’t TOTALLY horrible. Whenever I see something from HKT48/AKB48 or the like I sort of end up cringing because honestly, it’s the same cutesy girl routine and usually it includes songs that I can’t finish. But this one, whilst still the same cutesy routine, was at least a little more bearable than normal. I loved the rotating disk on the video and the clouds was pretty cool, but yes as a song it’s a standard 48 song, at least it’s easier to finish than most. 5/10

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Digital (Recochoku): JUJU – Last Scene (Physical #17 / iTunes #2)

Ronald: My thoughts from last week haven’t changed. 8/10

Ryan: My thoughts from last week haven’t changed. 8/10

Zara: My opinion hasn’t changed from last time. But it hasn’t gotten worse in my opinion so it’s still 8/10.

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Digital (iTunes): Nishino Kana – Darling (Physical #76 / Recochoku #2)

Ronald: I still feel the same way about this song like a month later. 4/10

Ryan: No new thoughts on this some from before. 6/10

Zara: My opinion is still the same, again the song hasn’t gotten worse or better in my ears. 7/10

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Ronald’s Rank:

1. Recochoku #1 : JUJU – Last Scene

2. iTunes #1: Nishino Kana – Darling

3. Oricon #1: HKT48 – Hikaeme I love you!

Ryan’s Rank:

1. Recochoku #1 : JUJU – Last Scene

2. iTunes #1: Nishino Kana – Darling

3. Oricon #1: HKT48 – Hikaeme I love you!

Zara’s Rank:

1. Recochoku #1 : JUJU – Last Scene

2. iTunes #1: Nishino Kana – Darling

3. Oricon #1: HKT48 – Hikaeme I love you!