AKB48 -- Aitakatta（会いたかった）

 

Happy Monday! Just to let you know how much time has flown, any girls who had been born in the year that this song was first released are probably now old enough to audition for the group itself, maybe by singing this very song. I can recommend some stores which sell Metamucil or Geritol.👴

Indeed, I am talking about "Aitakatta" which can be translated as "I Missed You" or "I Wanted to Meet You" depending on which site you check, one of AKB48's signature tunes and their first one under a major label. Released in October 2006, I was surprised that there hadn't been any sign of "Aitakatta" on the blog up to now; I'd always assumed that one of the other writers posted an article on it. 

Written by alphabet aidoru group Svengali Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康）and appropriately composed by BOUNCEBACK, "Aitakatta" is indeed a bouncy tune that did make a splash for AKB48. It also has those classic aidoru-themed lyrics of making that brave move to kokuhaku that lucky high school guy. It hit No. 12 on Oricon, going Gold, and was placed onto the group's first BEST compilation, "Set List: Greatest Songs 2006-2007"（SET LIST〜グレイテストソングス 2006-2007〜）which was released on New Year's Day 2008, peaking at No. 29.

To be honest, the impetus for me putting up "Aitakatta" happened earlier this morning as I was watching NHK News. I found out that choreographer and director Mayumi Natsu（夏まゆみ）had passed away in June this year at the age of 61 from cancer. She not only came up with the choreography for this particular song but had worked with many aidoru and aidoru groups over the past few decades, and that includes the Hello Project ladies with for example, Morning Musume（モーニング娘。）.

I've never posted anything on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" regarding choreographers but I am making a case for Natsu because I remember her very well through footage when the girls in Morning Musume were working on their own dancing for performances and music videos. As with anyone who has to train entertainers to be at their most professional, Natsu ran her sessions hard like basic training at a Marine base, so I often got to see her snarling at the troops on TV.

And of course, when it came to those hit songs, fans also remember the dancing. So I leave you with a few of the songs that she helped translate into moves on stage. My condolences go to Natsu's family, friends, fans and of course, all of the singers that she trained.

Morning Musume -- Love Machine (LOVEマシーン）

Taiyou to Ciscomoon -- Tsuki to Taiyou（月と太陽）

Maki Goto -- Ai no Bakayarou （愛のバカやろう）