In perhaps the biggest upset of AKB48 2014 history, Watanabe Mayu takes the crown for center in the 37th single, beating Sashihara Rino by 17,900 votes. This is Watanabe Mayu’s first year winning the Senbatsu Sousenkyo and this is the first year a non-OhtaPro member takes the crown (Watanabe Mayu is from Ogi Production).
More info and full list of election results below!
In the preliminaries Watanabe Mayu was trailing Sashihara Rino by a significant margin, which led many fans to believe that Sashihara had this year’s election in the bag, resulting in a first ever repeat win. Such was not that case when Sashihara Rino was called as #2 much to the shock of members and fans alike at Ajinomoto Stadium.
Other notable placings were Yamamoto Sayaka and Shimazaki Haruka entering Kami 7, Suda Akari in top 10, and the new senbatsu entrants of: Miyawaki Sakura, Ikoma Rina, Shibata Aya, and Kawaei Rina. Matsumuri Kaori is the center for Under Girls, Fujie Reina for Next Girls, Iwasa Misaki for Future Girls, and Nagao Mariya for Upcoming Girls.
This year’s election expanded the roster from 64 to 80 total spots, increasing the number of girls to rank by 16 and creating a new “group” called “Upcoming Girls.” A very memorable moment in the early stages of the election results was when Tanabe Miku ranked for the first time in her 8 years of being an AKB48 member. This is the 6th year the AKB48 Senbatsu General Election (Senbatsu Sousenkyo) has been held. It is an event where fans vote for their favorite members to appear in the upcoming AKB48 single.
One last thing I noticed is that the vote counts this year for each rank were fewer than last year’s. However,
the top 2 were extremely top heavy this year so perhaps that is where so many of the votes went. Well, what are your thoughts on the election this year? Let us know in the comments!
I also present to you a couple of reaction videos from our friends in the AKB48 SoCal Fanclub and Singapore.
37th Single Senbatsu / 37thシングル 選抜メンバー
1. Watanabe Mayu – AKB48 Team B : 159,854 votes
2. Sashihara Rino – HKT48 Team H : 141,954 votes
3. Kashiwagi Yuki – AKB48 Team B/NMB48 Team N : 104,364 votes
4. Matsui Jurina – SKE48 Team S/AKB48 Team K : 90,910 votes
5. Matsui Rena – SKE48 Team E/Nogizaka46 : 69,790 votes
6. Yamamoto Sayaka – NMB48 Team N/AKB48 Team K : 67,916 votes
7. Shimazaki Haruka- AKB48 Team A : 67,591 votes
8. Kojima Haruna – AKB48 Team A : 62,899 votes
9. Takahashi Minami – AKB48 Team A : 57,388 votes
10. Suda Akari – SKE48 Team E : 48,182 votes
11. Miyawaki Sakura – HKT48 Team KIV/AKB48 Team A : 45,538 votes
12. Miyazawa Sae – SNH48 Team SII/SKE48 Team S : 44,749 votes
13. Yokoyama Yui – AKB48 Team K : 40,232 votes
14. Ikoma Rina – Nogizaka46/AKB48 Team B : 40,089 votes
15. Shibata Aya – SKE48 Team E : 39,264 votes
16. Kawaei Rina – AKB48 Team A : 39,120 votes
Under Girls / アンダーガールズ
17. Matsumura Kaori – SKE48 Kenkyuusei : 37,967 votes
18. Watanabe Miyuki – NMB48 Team BII/SKE48 Team S : 36,108 votes
19. Kitahara Rie – AKB48 Team K : 34,666 votes
20. Iriyama Anna – AKB48 Team A : 34,002 votes
21. Kodama Haruka – HKT48 Team H/AKB48 Team K : 33,545 votes
22. Minegishi Minami – AKB48 Team 4 : 33,162 votes
23. Kizaki Yuria – AKB48 Team 4 : 30,154 votes
24. Muto Tomu – AKB48 Team A : 30,097 votes
25. Moriyasu Madoka – HKT48 Team KIV : 27,054 votes
26. Takajo Aki – AKB48 Team B : 24,415 votes
27. Tomonaga Mio – HKT48 Team KIV/AKB48 Team B : 23,766 votes
28. Takahashi Juri – AKB48 Team B : 23,612 votes
29. Yamada Nana – NMB48 Team M/SKE48 Team KII : 23,299 votes
30. Oya Masana – SKE48 Team S : 21,984 votes
31. Takayanagi Akane : SKE48 Team KII/NMB48 Team BII : 21,972 votes
32. Kato Rena – AKB48 Team 4 : 21,877 votes
Next Girls / ネクストガールズ
33. Fujie Reina – NMB48 Team M : 20,956 votes
34. Futamura Haruka – SKE48 Team S : 20,881 votes
35. Umeda Ayaka – NMB48 Team BII : 20,658 votes
36. Kojima Mako – AKB48 Team K : 20,415 votes
37. Furukawa Airi – SKE48 Team KII : 19,315 votes
38. Tashima Meru – HKT48 Team H : 18,875 votes
39. Anai Chihiro – HKT48 Team H : 18,825 votes
40. Kinoshita Yukiko – SKE48 Team KII : 18,822 votes
41. Yagura Fuuko – NMB48 Team M/AKB48 Team A : 18,596 votes
42. Ota Aika – HKT48 Team KIV : 18,143 votes
43. Shiroma Miru – NMB48 Team M : 17,745 votes
44. Isohara Kyoka – SKE48 Team E : 17,616 votes
45. Tano Yuuka – AKB48 Team K : 17,608 votes
46. Iwanaga Ami – SKE48 Team E : 17,479 votes
47. Sasaki Yukari – AKB48 Team 4 : 16,726 votes
48. Motomura Aoi – HKT48 Team KIV : 16,449 votes
Future Girls / フューチャーガールズ
49. Iwasa Misaki – AKB48 Team K : 16,100 votes
50. Kimoto Kanon – SKE48 Team E/HKT48 Team KIV : 16,022 votes
51. Okada Nana – AKB48 Team 4 : 15,873 votes
52. Kuramochi Asuka – AKB48 Team B : 15,443 votes
53. Ichikawa Miori – NMB48 Team BII : 15,045 votes
54. Yamada Mizuho – SKE48 Team KII : 14,942 votes
55. Furuhata Nao – SKE48 Team KII/AKB48 Team A : 14,634 votes
56. Oba Mina – SKE48 Team KII : 14,555 votes
57. Ishida Haruka – AKB48 Team K : 14,358 votes
58. Jonishi Kei – NMB48 Team N : 14,194 votes
59. Yabushita Shu – NMB48 Team BII : 14,119 votes
60. Sakaguchi Riko – HKT48 Team H : 12,937 votes
61. Kotani Riho – NMB48 Team N/AKB48 Team 4 : 12,913 votes
62. Nishino Miki – AKB48 Team 4 : 12,824 votes
63. Uchiyama Natsuki – AKB48 Team B : 12,749 votes
64. Matsuoka Natsumi – HKT48 Team H : 12,569 votes
Upcoming Girls / アップカミングガールズ
65. Nagao Mariya -AKB48 Team K : 12,448 votes
66. Iwatate Saho : AKB48 Team 4 : 11,873 votes
67. Murashige Anna – HKT48 Team KIV/NMB48 Team N : 11,586 votes
68. Umemoto Madoka – SKE48 Team E : 11,538 votes
69. Yamauchi Suzuran – SKE48 Team S : 11,510 votes
70. Maeda Ami – AKB48 Team A : 11,117 votes
71. Tanabe Miku – AKB48 Team B : 11,041 votes
72. Yoshida Akari : NMB48 Team N : 10,982 votes
73. Yakata Miki – SKE48 Team S : 10,733 votes
74. Abiru Riho – SKE48 Team KII : 10,092 votes
75. Saito Makiko – SKE48 Team E : 10,089 votes
76. Ogasawara Mayu – AKB48 Team B : 9,946 votes
77. Kobayashi Ami – SKE48 Team E : 9,931 votes
78. Miyazaki Miho – AKB48 Team K : 9,674 votes
79. Komada Hiroka – HKT48 Team H : 9,609 votes
80. Oshima Ryoka – AKB48 Team B : 9,561 votes
Source: Nihongogo
I know it's way too early to say this but for next year, when she goes after a consecutive win, I have a faint hope fans get a bit tired of her and we'll have a new center. And yeah, I don't think Sasshi will ever be able to reclaim it. I was fine with Sasshi winning again because she'd only center the election single but Mayu is a different story.