SAKANAQUARIUM 2015-2016 "NF Records launch tour" BD/DVD Sales

sakanaction finally had a new release in awhile in the form of SAKANAQUARIUM 2015-2016. How well did it do on the charts?

Here are the respective weekly ranks:

DVD Overall Chart

Blu-ray Overall Chart

Besides a barrage of anime video releases coming out at the same time, there was really no one who could be competition for sakanaction last week so they took the top spots on the music chart.

Thanks to the DVD and BD both taking the first spot on the Music video release charts, the sales numbers were also reported by Oricon.

[Guide/Review] Sakanaction - Goodnight Planetarium

This is a kind of post that I've never done here before but I decided to try it after all as I wanted to promote the show. 

As reported months back, sakanaction did a collaboration with Sunshine City's Konica Minolta Planetarium "Manten" and produced a planetarium show:

New collaboration with the planetarium of Sunshine City mall in Tokyo. It will show a program called "Sakanaction - Goodnight Planetarium".

— asa mazume (@asamazume_) September 30, 2015

The narration is by Yamaguchi and the BGM is music from sakanaction. It will run from Dec 1 until 4 Sep 2016. http://t.co/HHp1jUjkqG

— asa mazume (@asamazume_) September 30, 2015

I had the chance to go down to Ikebukuro and watch the show while I was in Tokyo earlier this month, so I wrote a little guide and review for anyone interested in the show.

Shin-Takarajima chart performance

sakanaction's 11th single, Shin-Takarajima, came in at 9th place on the Oricon Weekly Charts in its first week, selling 18,909 copies.

This is one of the lower-charting singles that sakanaction have released. However, the sales are actually not too different from their previous single. The week had a fair bit of competition, resulting in 9th place.

Despite the band's long break, they have managed to keep their sales somewhat steady. The single was helped by promotion from the "Bakuman" film tie-up, which debuted at the top of the box office. It was also released in 3 different versions, a rarity for sakanaction.

sakanaction will perform the song on TV this Saturday on music program CDTV.

See below for the comparison chart with previous singles.

"Shin-Takarajima" details revealed!

Jacket artwork for Premium Limited Edition

Jacket artwork for Limited Edition and Regular Edition

The details for sakanaction's new single, "Shin-Takarajima", to be released on 30 September, have been revealed.

The title track of the single is the theme song of upcoming film "Bakuman." which stars Sato Takeru and Kamiki Ryunosuke. The b-sides include a song titled "Kikitakatta Dance Music, LIQUIDROOM ni"(「聴きたかったダンスミュージック、リキッドルームに」; The Dance Music I Wanted To Listen To Is In LIQUIDROOM), a reference to sakanaction's NF events held at the venue LIQUIDROOM. A remix of "Inner World" from AOKI takamasa, and an instrumental version of "Shin-Takarajima" complete the single.

The jacket artworks for the single has also been revealed, and the Premium Limited "Bakuman" Edition has its cover drawn by the author of "Bakuman", Obata Takeshi. It  is a half-complete illustration conveying the concept of "drawing lines" expressed the song.

"Natsukashii Tsuki wa Atarashii Tsuki" chart performance

sakanaction's latest release, "Natsukashii Tsuki wa Atarashii Tsuki ~Coupling&Remix works~", is the band's first compilation album and first album in about 1 and a half years. So how did the album fare on the Oricon charts?

They achieved #5 on the Oricon Weekly Album Charts, with 20,983 copies sold! It's not an amazing feat, but not too shabby either. The album started strong on the charts with a #2 on the first and second day, but some of the other competition this week were around the same level and ultimately overtook sakanaction in sales.

"Natsukashii Tsuki wa Atarashii Tsuki" tracklist announced!

sakanaction will be releasing a concept album "Natsukashii Tsuki wa Atarashii Tsuki ~Coupling & Remix works~" (懐かしい月は新しい月; A Nostalgic Moon is a New Moon) on 5 August 2015, and the details have been announced!

This work will have 2 discs. The first disc "Tsuki no Namigata ~Coupling & Unreleased works~" (月の波形; The Waveform of the Moon) contains coupling (aka b-side) songs on their previously released 10 singles. It also contains four tracks they have never released - self-remixes by sakanaction members, "Night Fishing is Good (Iw_Remix)", "Music (Ej_Remix)" and "Identity (Ks_Remix)" - as well as a demo version of "GO TO THE FUTURE" recorded in 2006 by Yamaguchi and Iwadera before the song's release.

The second disc "Tsuki no Hen'you ~Remix works~" (月の変容; The Transformation of the Moon) contains "Goodbye (NEXT WORLD REMIX)" for the first time released on CD. The song was performed on the program "NEXT WORLD Watashitachi no Mirai" on 3 January. In addition, there will be new remixes by agraph and Qrion.

The Blu-ray and DVD on limited editions are titled "Tsuki no Keshiki ~Documentary of "GO TO THE FUTURE (2006 ver.)" & MUSIC VIDEOS~" (月の景色; The Scenery of the Moon). In it is a documentary of Iwadera and Yamaguchi recreating "GO TO THE FUTURE (2006 ver.)", PVs of "years", "Slow Motion", "Eureka (minimal demo)", and "Holy Dance" which Yamaguchi directed for the first time.

Check out the full tracklist below!

sakanaction's Analog and High-Resolution Audio Project

sakanaction has announced the beginning of a project to release all previously released albums in analog versions (vinyl records). To start it off, their first three albums "GO TO THE FUTURE", "NIGHT FISHING" and "Shinshiro" will be released in vinyl on March 25. Each will cost 4104 yen.

The project's aim is to "create a new story by reaffirming past songs together with listeners". Also, with the intention of wanting to make the first three albums easy to obtain, there will be a limited edition special-priced CD version, released the same time as the vinyl records. "GO TO THE FUTURE" will cost 1296 yen, "NIGHT FISHING" 1728 yen, and "Shinshiro" 2052 yen.

In addition to plans to release the analog versions of the remaining three albums "kikUUiki", "DocumentaLy" and "sakanaction", there is also a plan to digitally release the high-resolution audio versions of all six albums.

The vinyl records, special-priced CD, as well as high-resolution audio releases all feature remastered versions of the songs.

[Blog] Yamaguchi Ichiro 2014.11.04 & 2014.11.21

Yamaguchi Ichiro's blog post translations. These two posts are his thoughts related to songwriting and musical direction.

Sayonara wa Emotion/Hasu no Hana chart performance

sakanaction's 10th single, Sayonara wa Emotion/Hasu no Hana, ranked in at number 4 on the Oricon Weekly Charts in its first week.

Sales took a slight dip from previous single Goodbye/Eureka, with a difference of 1557 copies. Little change to ranking was seen throughout the week, and sakanaction would have still been in the same spot even with the sales of their strongest selling single, Music.

The week's top 2 places were taken by releases that were related to the Youkai Watch anime that has reached phenomenal heights of popularity with young children, and in 3rd place was a solo release from EXILE ATSUSHI, member of supergroup EXILE.

Promotions this time round on TV were performances on Music Station and LIVE MONSTER. Although Hasu no Hana had a strong tie-up with the movie Kinkyori Renai (which held #1 in Japan's box office for three weeks), the movie version of the song was released via digital distribution such as iTunes Japan.

See below for the comparison chart with previous singles.

[Feature] Sakana LOCKS! - About Hasu no Hana

This post is a translation of the transcript of the 9 October 2014 episode of Sakana LOCKS! radio program, provided on their website.

This episode discusses sakanaction's new song "Hasu no Hana" and its two versions.

10th single "Sayonara wa Emotion/Hasu no Hana" release and tracklist announced

sakanaction has announced the release of their 10th single, a double A-side, "Sayonara wa Emotion/Hasu no Hana" (さよならはエモーション / 蓮の花, Goodbye is an Emotion/Lotus Flower).

Jacket cover for single

The single will be released on 29 October 2014, and includes "Sayonara wa Emotion" which was used in Toshin High School commercials, as well as "Hasu no Hana" which is the theme song of movie Kinkyori Renai, currently going on its promotion rounds.

On the physical single is a "single version" of Hasu no Hana, which is different from the one used for the movie. It is said to have a psychedelic pop sound. Receiving a separate digital release on iTunes and Recochoku is "Hasu no Hana -movie version-".

Jacket cover for digital release "Hasu no Hana -movie version-"

There are a total of four tracks, and the remaining are remixes. AOKI takamasa and the band remixed "Ame(B)-SAKANATRIBE MIX-" with an approach keeping in mind the club scene. For the first time, musician Cornelius worked with sakanaction, and remixed "Music".

The Limited Edition version will contain a DVD of two previously Ustreamed sessions - Good-bye Session featuring 環ROY (Tamaki Roy), and Sample Studio Live - and respective interviews regarding these sessions.

Tracklist
1. Sayonara wa Emotion [さよならはエモーション]
2. Hasu no Hana -single version- [蓮の花-single version-]
3. Ame(B)-SAKANATRIBE×ATM version-
4. Music (Cornelius Remix) [ミュージック (Cornelius Remix)]

DVD
1. Good-bye Session featuring Tamaki Roy -Broadcasted on Ustream on 2013.11.28-
2. Yamaguchi Ichiro x Tamaki Roy Talk Session
3. Sample STUDIO LIVE guest Sasaki "SUNNY" Yukio -Broadcasted on Ustream on 2014.8.5-
4. Sasaki "SUNNY" Yukio Interview

SAKANATRIBE 2014 -LIVE AT TOKYO DOME CITY HALL- DVD/BD Sales

One Oricon week has passed since the release of SAKANATRIBE 2014 -LIVE AT TOKYO DOME CITY HALL-, so let's check out how it performed on the Oricon Charts!

The past week's releases included Arashi, AK-69 and Dempagumi Inc., which provided some competition.

However, sakanaction managed decently despite the hiccup along the way (the BD version's extra content had its audio/video sync off and fans who bought the BD had to send in proof of purchases to Victor Music to get a replacement BD in late August).

Here are the respective weekly ranks:

DVD (Overall) Chart

DVD (Music) Chart

Blu-ray Chart

If you remember, the DVD version was released in 2 parts/versions, one being the Standard Edition and the other being the TEAM SAKANACTION Edition. They were counted together on the DVD charts.

Oricon doesn't provide the sales numbers for DVDs and Blu-ray discs publicly, but I was able to pick up the weekly total from subscribers of Oricon.

SAKANAQUARIUM 2014 "SAKANATRIBE" DVD/BD Release 30 July

It's been announced sakanaction will be releasing SAKANAQUARIUM 2014 "SAKANATRIBE" on DVD and Blu-ray this July 30th.

The work will contain the live recorded from their tour leg at Tokyo Dome City Hall on 16 March 2014.

There will be two parts to this release, with SAKANATRIBE 2014 -LIVE at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL- Featuring TEAM SAKANACTION Edition and SAKANATRIBE 2014 -LIVE at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL- Standard Edition being separate DVD releases, whereas the Blu-ray disc will contain both parts in one release. All will be released on the same day.

The Standard Edition will contain solely the live footage, while the TEAM SAKANACTION Edition will contain footage of the backstage work of staff members while the live is ongoing, mixed together with the live footage to make a special viewing experience.

On top of these, the Blu-ray edition will contain additional special videos, and its first press run will come with a 104-page art book.

"Goodbye/Eureka" chart performance and sales

sakanaction's 9th single, Goodbye/Eureka, achieved the number 2 ranking on Oricon Weekly Charts for the week of 13 to 19 January.

The single ranked at either 2nd or 3rd place throughout the week. The band managed performances on Music Station and CDTV, increasing promotion of the song to TV viewers.

This is the highest that sakanaction has ever ranked for a single, beating Aruku Around's 3rd place back in 2010. However, its sales are less than the previous two singles, Music and Yoru no Odoriko. This was possible due to the relatively weak music releases for the week, with the exception of popular idol group Kanjani8 who firmly held the first place.

Though maybe a bit of a surprise coming after their participation at Kouhaku Utagassen, there are plausible explanations. For Music, the price was much cheaper at 500 yen, which of course resulted in better sales. Let's not forget tie-ups - Music had TV drama "dinner" while Yoru no Odoriko had a Mode School CM. In contrast, Eureka has a tie-up with "Judge!", a movie that was just barely released, and has less chance to sink into the general public.

Lastly, Goodbye/Eureka being a double A-side single actually may have less appeal to a number of fans. It means that an upcoming album will likely contain both A-side tracks, so there is less of a pressing reason to get the single - the only exclusive track is a remix of a song we have gotten before. Therefore, even though they sold less this time, it should not be much of a concern. Their digital sales remain strong, with Goodbye topping iTunes Japan song downloads for the week.

See below for the comparison chart with previous singles.

Details for 9th single "Goodbye/Eureka"

Cover artwork

sakanaction's upcoming 9th single titled "Goodbye/Eureka", to be released on January 15, has had its jacket artwork and tracklist details revealed.

As the band's first double A-side single, it includes a spectacular ballad "Goodbye", and the ending theme song to the movie "Judge!", "Eureka". Aoki Takamasa will once again work his magic with sakanaction and contribute a remix of "Eiga", bringing the total tracks on the single to three.

In the limited edition version of the single will be the music video for "Eureka", and a special behind the scenes look of the "SAKANAQUARIUM 2013 sakanaction" live at Chiba prefecture's Makuhari Messe.

Furthermore, designer Kamikene of Hatos has produced the jacket artwork as usual with a lot of sakanaction's releases. The limited edition will contain a 40-page booklet of visuals and typography expressing the world view of the title track.

sakanaction to appear on Kouhaku Utagassen for the first time!!

5-member mixed rock band sakanaction will be appearing on New Year's Eve music show Kouhaku Utagassen for the very first time.

sakanaction was formed 2005 and major debuted in 2007. With their unique sound which mixes rock, pop, techno, dance music and other genres together well, and being the representative of a new era rock band, they've gathered up popularity, especially among those in their 20s. The lyrics written by vocalist Yamaguchi Ichiro (33) are also creative, leading to him also writing for SMAP and getting high praise within the music industry. It is also known that there are many firmly-rooted fans who are celebrities, such as actor Tsumabuki Satoshi who has been listening to the band even before their break came.

As their popularity continues to permeate, the number of big-scale tie-ups with CMs and dramas have also increased. "Boku to Hana" which was released last year in May was used as the theme song for Kusanagi Tsuyoshi's drama "37sai de Isha ni Natta Boku ~Kenshuui Junjou Monogatari", and "Music" which was released January this year was used as the theme song for Eguchi Yousuke's drama "dinner".

One of the conditions which led to the Kouhaku participation is their big contribution to television broadcaster NHK (the station that produces Kouhaku). "Aoi" which was included in the self-titled album "sakanaction", released this year in March, was appointed as the theme of NHK's soccer broadcasts. There may be a high possibility that they will perform "Aoi" at Kouhaku.

"sakanaction", released March this year, achieved 1st place on the Oricon charts, the first release from the band to do so. With the Kouhaku appearance included now, the band looks to round out their 2013 activities with a bang.

news source

**For those who may not get why Kouhaku is a big deal - it's the most watched music television show of the year in Japan, every year. Artists have to be invited to appear on the show, and many long to perform on it. 
The artists are separated into White (male) and Red (female) teams to compete for viewers' votes. For sakanaction, they will be in the White team as they have more males than females (general Kouhaku rule).

New song titled "Eureka" is a movie theme song tie-up!

It has been revealed that sakanaction will be doing both the theme song and ending theme of the movie, "Judge!" (ジャッジ！) which will open in cinemas on 11th January 2014.

The theme song of the movie will be the fan favourite "Identity", which was previously released as a single in August 2010. The ending theme song will be a new song, titled "Eureka" (ユリイカ yuriika). The release for this song has not been decided.

"Judge!" is a movie starring Tsumabuki Satoshi, and directed by Nagai Satoshi who is also known for his work on commercials. Besides Tsumabuki, the movie cast also includes Kitagawa Keiko, Hamano Kenta, Agata Morio which are all very individualistic actors. The luxurious cast is also attracting attention.

Billboard Japan First Half of Year Charts 2013

Billboard Japan has released its First Half of Year Charts, which counts from 19 November 2012 to 26 May 2013.

sakanaction showed impressive results on the charts, ranking in 4 categories. Each category only shows the top 20 charters.

At a glance...

Billboard Japan Hot 100 Overall Singles Chart
#6 - Music / sakanaction
(#1 - Sayonara Crawl / AKB48, #2 - Calling / Arashi, #3 - So long! / AKB48)

Top Albums
#14 - sakanaction / sakanaction
(#1 - [an imitation)blood orange] / Mr.Children, #2 - Nihon no Koi to, Yuumin to. / Matsutoya Yumi, #3 - EXILE BEST HITS -LOVE SIDE/SOUL SIDE- / EXILE)

Hot Top Airplay
#3 - Music / sakanaction
(#1 - Suit and Tie / Justin Timberlake, #2 - Spectrum / Zedd)
**sakanaction were the only Japanese artist in the Top 5.

Adult Contemporary Airplay
#2 - Music / sakanaction
(#1 - Suit and Tie / Justin Timberlake, #3 - Because We Can / Bon Jovi)
**sakanaction were the only Japanese artist in the Top 9.

You may view the full charts here.

Voting for Billboard Japan Top Pop Artist 2013

sakanaction has been nominated for Billboard JAPAN's Top Pop Artist 2013 award!

There are a total of 83 artists nominated, and the winner is awarded based on votes. The full list can be seen here, and among the list there are many idols like Johnnys boybands and the AKB48 groups. This means that the odds are pretty low that sakanaction will actually take home the award, but it still means that they have enough mainstream recognition. 

Even though they might not win, we can always give voting a shot. At the very least it might show Billboard Japan that they deserved that nomination and be considered again next year. So here I've written out the instructions on how to vote. 

SAKANAQUARIUM 2013 sakanaction DVD/BD details revealed

The contents of the "SAKANAQUARIUM 2013 sakanaction -LIVE at MAKUHARI MESSE 2013.5.19-" DVD and Blu-ray Disc(BD), set to be released on 13 November 2013, have been revealed.

As previously reported, the performance of 19 May at Makuhari Messe will include Dolby 5.1ch surround sound on the BD version. However, for those who do not have a viewing environment for the 5.1ch surround sound, both the DVD and BD will contain the option of watching with binaural audio. Various methods have been attempted in order to let viewers fully enjoy the sounds as if they were at the live performance.

In addition, the BD version will also contain a video of the live performance of "Bach no Senritsu wo Yoru ni Kiita Sei desu. -SAKANAQUARIUM 2013 version-" at Osaka-jo Hall on 22 May. The performance was captured from many different angles in full high-definition and is "remixed" by the videography unit LAPTHOD. Another special addition for the BD version is the sound recording of the full concert at Osaka-jo Hall in binaural audio.

Furthermore, the first press limited edition of both the DVD and BD contains ticket balloting information for "SAKANAQUARIUM 2014 'SAKANATRIBE'. For those who would like to quickly secure the tickets, don't miss this chance.

Tracklist and more details below.