"So Long!" (stylized as "So long !" with a space before the exclamation mark) is the 30th

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

single by the

Japanese idol An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese popular culture, Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in other performance skills such as acting, dancing, and modeling. Idol ...

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol musical girl group named after the Akihabara area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48 has sold more records than any other female musical act in Japanese history. AK ...

. It is also AKB48's sixth

cherry blossom The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...

-themed single, and its first single of 2013. This single was released in Japan on February 20 in four different versions. The 64-minute-long music video for the title track is directed by director

Nobuhiko Obayashi was a Japanese film director, director, screenwriter and film editing, editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream m ...

. The

Nippon Television JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as (NTV) or Nippon TV, is a Japanese television station serving the Kantō region as the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned and operated by the , a sub ...

network aired a 3-episode special television drama based on the title track from 11–13 February 2013. This is also the last single to feature long-time members Tomomi Kasai, Moeno Nitō, and Sayaka Nakaya.

Composition

As with many of AKB48's songs, the lyrics were written by

Yasushi Akimoto is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 100 million copies, ma ...

. They begin: :''""'' which is romanized as: ''"So long! …hohoende! So long! ..jā matane, eda ni ikutsu ka no katai tsubomi, sakurazensen mada konainoni"'' 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 A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for the song "So Long!" is directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi and produced by Yasushi Akimoto. With a duration of 64 minutes, it is AKB48's longest music video to date. Shot on location at Chuetsu High School in

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

, this music video revolves around the students at the school. Mayu Watanabe plays the role of Yume (lit: Dreams), a girl that dreams of becoming an actress. This is Watanabe's first "center" role in an AKB48 music video.

SKE48 SKE48 (S.K.E. Forty-eight) is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. SKE48 is named after the Sakae, Nagoya, Sakae district in Nagoya of Aichi Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at SKE48 Theater on 2F of Sunshi ...

member Jurina Matsui plays the role of Mirai (lit: Future), a student who transferred to the school from Minamisoma,

Fukushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...

after the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...

. Other supporting cast includes members Haruka Shimazaki (Ayu),

Yuko Oshima is a Japanese actress and former member of idol girl group AKB48, of which she was the captain of Team K. She was also a member of the AKB48 subunit Not Yet. In addition to the singles that involved the rock-paper-scissors tournaments, she sa ...

(Shiori) (lit: Bookmark), Minami Takahashi (Sora) (lit: Sky),

Tomomi Itano is a Japanese recording artist, songwriter, dancer, model, and actress. She is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In 2011 she debuted solo with a single titled " Dear J", which wa ...

(Akari) and Yuki Kashiwagi (Kii). 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. Over time, Mirai starts to make friends with the other students in the school and become emotionally stronger. Singer Mickey Curtis makes a special guest appearance in this video.

Release

The title track of this single was first unveiled on

Tokyo Broadcasting System (formerly ) is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company. It is the parent company of the television network TBS Television and radio network TBS Radio. It has a 28-affiliate television network called Japan News Network, as ...

's ''Kayo Kyoku'' music programme on 22 January 2013. 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. "So Long!" was released in Japan on February 20, 2013 in four different versions: Type A, Type K, Type B, and the Theater versions.

Track listing

Type-A

Type-K

Type-B

Theater Edition

Members

"So Long!"

Center: Mayu Watanabe * Team A: Mariko Shinoda, Minami Takahashi, Mayu Watanabe, Yui Yokoyama * Team K:

, Yūko Ōshima * Team B: Yuki Kashiwagi,

Haruna Kojima is a Japanese entrepreneur, actress, model, and former singer. From 2005 to 2017, she was a member of idol group AKB48 under Team A. In 2018, she founded her own brand, "Her lip to". Career Kojima was born in Urawa-ku, Saitama, Saitama Pref ...

, Haruka Shimazaki * AKB48 Trainees: Minami Minegishi *

Team S / AKB48 Team K: Jurina Matsui, Rie Kitahara * SKE48 Team S:

Rena Matsui is a Japanese actress, singer, and novelist. Matsui is a former member of the Japanese idol girl groups SKE48 and Nogizaka46. As a member of the former, she also participated in the main lineup of AKB48's singles. As an actress, she has played r ...

NMB48 NMB48 (read "N.M.B. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group that debuted in 2011 as the second sister group to AKB48, produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NMB48 is named after the Namba district in Osaka city of Osaka Prefecture, where the group is based ...

Team N / AKB48 Team B: Miyuki Watanabe * NMB48 Team N: Sayaka Yamamoto *

HKT48 HKT48 (read "H.K.T. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. HKT48 is named after the Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Hakata-ku ward of Fukuoka, where Akimoto originally intended to base the group. The group currently performs at ...

Team H:

Rino Sashihara is a Japanese tarento, singer, producer and actress. She is best known as a former member of idol groups HKT48, AKB48 and STU48, and was the theater manager for HKT48 and STU48. She was also a member of AKB48's unit Not Yet and is the produc ...

"Waiting Room"

The song is performed by Under Girls. Center: Rina Kawaei, Meru Tashima * Team A: Anna Iriyama, Ryoka Oshima, Rina Kawaei, Ayaka Kikuchi, Juri Takahashi * Team K: Mariya Nagao, Haruka Shimada * Team B: Mina Oba, Rena Katō, Reina Fujie * SKE48 Team S: Yuria Kizaki, Nanako Suga, Akari Suda * SKE48 Team E: Kanon Kimoto, Nao Furuhata * NMB48 Team N: Nana Yamada * NMB48 Team M:

Fūko Yagura is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group NMB48. She was a member of NMB48's Team M. Career Yagura passed NMB48's second-generation auditions in May 2011, and debuted on 5 June 2011. Her stage debut was on 13 August 2011. She was fi ...

* NMB48 Team BII: Shu Yabushita * HKT48 Team H: Aika Ota, Haruka Kodama, Sakura Miyawaki * HKT48 Trainees: Meru Tashima

"Ruby"

* Team A:

Karen Iwata is an actress and former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 under Team A. Biography Iwata was born on May 13, 1998, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Her mother is Miwa Sugawara, who works as a TV personality in Sendai. As a child, Iwat ...

, Rina Izuta, Anna Iriyama,

Ryōka Ōshima is a Japanese actress and former singer. She is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She was a member of AKB48's Team B. Career Oshima passed AKB48's 13th generation auditions on 9 September 2011. Her debut was on 8 Decembe ...

, Tomomi Kasai (Last Single), Rina Kawaei, Ayaka Kikuchi, Riho Kotani, Marina Kobayashi, Sumire Satō, Mariko Shinoda, Juri Takahashi, Minami Takahashi, Yūka Tano, Tomomi Nakatsuka, Shiori Nakamata, Moeno Nitō (Last Single), Sakiko Matsui, Ayaka Morikawa, Yui Yokoyama, Mayu Watanabe

"Yūhi Marie"

* Team K: Sayaka Akimoto, Maria Abe,

, Yūko Ōshima, Mayumi Uchida, Rie Kitahara, Asuka Kuramochi, Kana Kobayashi, Amina Satō, Haruka Shimada, Shihori Suzuki, Rina Chikano, Chisato Nakata, Sayaka Nakaya (Last Single), Mariya Nagao, Nana Fujita, Ami Maeda, Jurina Matsui, Natsumi Matsubara,

Miho Miyazaki is a Japanese singer, actress and former member of the idol girl group AKB48 where she was active in Team A. She also participated in the Korean-Japanese show '' Produce 48''. Biography In 2007, Miyazaki passed an audition for AKB48 and becam ...

, Tomu Muto

"Sokode Inu no Unchi Funjau kane?"

* Team B: Anna Ishida, Haruka Ishida, Miori Ichikawa, Misaki Iwasa, Ayaka Umeda, Mina Ōba, Shizuka Ōya, Yuki Kashiwagi, Haruka Katayama, Rena Katō, Natsuki Kojima,

, Mika Komori, Haruka Shimazaki, Miyu Takeuchi, Miku Tanabe, Mariko Nakamura, Wakana Natori, Misato Nonaka, Reina Fujie, Minami Minegishi, Suzuran Yamauchi, Miyuki Watanabe

"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

Oricon charts

G-music (Taiwan)

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control AKB48 songs MNL48 songs 2013 singles Oricon Weekly number-one singles Songs about cherry blossom Japanese television drama theme songs