IZONE News and Discussion Thread

The movie is going to air on Japanese MNet https://twitter.com/mnet_japan/status/1348819826844737540?s=21

 

Sakura said this on her most recent radio for what she wants to make of 2021 :

"I want a year without regrets. A year where I'll be able to trust in the path, people, and place I've chosen for myself. A year where I'll keep shining as a idol"

It just didn't ring like 'back to 48G!' to me

I really want Sakura back in Japan because I want to see gravures, but if I were her I'd graduate 48G ASAP and find me a Korean company(like Juri and Takeuchi Miyu). Sakura and all the J-line in fact, have stature in Korea right now to get themselves in a mid-tier company especially if IZONE the money milking machine extends and lives on. And then if IZONE dies out she can be a youtuber but I'm getting too far ahead lol

 

I just read article and I want to say I think your reporting on it with a biased eye. According to this report it’s far from concrete. Just because the fans want it doesn’t mean the management companies or the members want it.

It says their contract was actually over December 31st (which would make sense considering the end of Panorama promos and the rumor that the Japanese members have gone back to Japan.) It also says that the argument for extension is weak because of the public backlash and shock about the vote manupliation. That they expect the companies to have made plans for the members after the contract end and it would be embarrassing to them on the sudden announcement of renewal.

 

See? The extension is almost guaranteed, and the article also mentions that even tough the contract is meant to end in April they have reached an agreement in which CJ stopped managing the members and gave that role to their respectives agencies which explains why those have been more active with IZ*ONE members (the last one is Urbam Works taking legal actions to protect Minju).
So I don't think CJ agreed with without asking something in return. Things are getting very interesting.

I would like a kennin but I think he best is just to graduate from AKB48G and join a korean agency. Vernalossom
doesn't look intereseted at all in keep working with IZ*ONE.

That part is not true it says CJ agreed to stop managing IZ*ONE which let the agencies to take that role.

 

Pretty much can be guessed which agencies agreed and disagreed to extand contracts as IZ*ONE , if the jline return home, only 9 left,

Based on previous groups, pretty much sure

8D, Urban, Woollim, yuehwa, most likely gonna stay, they just debut RCPC & EG, and they ain't gonna rush things just to add the members in the already debuted groups, the members most likely bring more profits to their agency than those 2 groups anyway, urban got financial issues, 8D are also showing less interest to debuting a new gg, and yuri are belong to stone m, she was rumored to be soloist anyway, and 3 yrs old fromis_9 still there, and the next 999 gg are coming, she's free

But Starship and WM might pulled out, especially starship, they are in hurry to debut their next gg, we could see how they rush x1 members debut b4, so, yeah, they most likely going to pulled out, chaeyeon is soft hearted girl, and kinda got highly respected and loved, they'll surely respect any decission she made later anyway, and she probably choose to stay as IZ*ONE abit longer as well

They won't resume IZ*ONE if 2/3 of it's members left, jline + starship alone already 5 members, going into i.o.i route seems like unavoidable for them now, kinda sad, we pretty sure how it might ended for them soon, and i agreed for the contract extension, debuting new gg at our current pandemic situation aren't good, the big 3 also gonna debut their group soon, yg, also bighit, competing with em is useless effort, today, without big3 privilage, bighit involvement, or powerful conection like cj, it's highly chances new debuted gg gonna flop

 

Starship at least I know, is not a mid-tier company. They are more a second-tier. So Wonyoung and Yujin's group will do wel with the restrictions Kpop has now, because Starship has resources and connections.

 

Mnet Japan teaser for televised shows in February - "EYES ON ME: THE MOVIE" and the comeback special program "IZ*ONE One-reeler Premiere Subtitled Version":


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

https://entertain.v.daum.net/v/20210112080432788 I*ZONE to become permanet group?

 

IZ*ONE Eat-ting Trip S2 EP01

if the video does not show watch the video here

IZ*ONE speech for GAON CHART MUSIC AWARDS 2020 LIVE
https://twitter.com/i/status/1349303211065184258
IZ*ONE have won the Hot Performance of the Year award at the Gaon Charts 2020

 

Girls High School Mystery Class) Episode 0: Pre-release

if the video does not show watch the video here

Won't feel surprised knowing why the PD choosing or offering yena to appear on tv variety shows, she quickly adapted and easily mixing with others despite having a age gaps with others, her present feel very natural on tv shows

 

Here’s some news (that should be treated as rumor as it hasn’t been confirmed) that Sakura plans to return to Japan and not extend her contract.

https://meaww.com/where-is-izone-me...bands-idol-confirms-return-to-japan-reactions

 

OMG, that article is pure misinformation, first of all is saying the same from that allkpop article which has no source and it's just based in the comments from korean netizens. Also, it mentions the same thing that the group will disband based on that japanese newspaper, sorry but nothing from that article is true, not even as a rumor.

 

those who active on twitter in the past few days might already noticed there's few acc making ruckus and toxic behaviors on social media, first they create and decorate their acc with sakura pics and attacking minju, forcing urban taking legal action and issued statement, and since 2days ago, they're now creating fake news and claims about sakura want to quit with baseless resources about sakura on multiple sites, including creating video on youtube, and just recently, they used chaeyeon as well, the same way as they did to sakura on twitter to attack otr and the other members, this is happened after media reported news about cj are making discussion over extending iz*one contracts, these peoples are incites netizen using any means necessary including such dirty tricks to go against the discussion

IZ*ONE Eat-ting Trip S2 EP02

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

J-line video from the Deaser Kpop channel (in Korean, no English or Japanese subs):


if the video does not show watch the video here

According to the Papago Korean-English online translator, the title is 'Unexpected Bucket List'.

 

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Rumor or not, I know Sakura, likely Nako and Hitomi will return to Japan. We have to remember they grew up being idols in AKB48 for years. So it's natural and logical they want to return home. Yes, they have a good and healthy relationship with all IZONE members, but their hearts belong in HKT48 and AKB48. Their situation cannot be compared to other japanese Kpop idols, for example Twice.

I've been watching a lot of videos of Twice and IZONE J-lines, and I can see instantly huge differences. Twice J-line are more ''korean'' in their interaction with the members. It's like you could not even tell they were japanese. And they are really close. It has to do they came from a non-celebrity background and their huge desire to become Kpop idols. I'm not not saying here Izone members are not close with J-Line, but I can see a a bit of distance sometimes. Sakura and Chaeyeon are very close, that I can say.

 

I don’t think it’s right to assume what the girls will and won’t do/think. Comparing IZ*ONE to Twice, even though they were on survivals, they were completely different. Twice has trained together and had years (at least 5) to become as close as they are. Even SIXTEEN has a considerably smaller number of participants. We also had two long standing AKB48 members who graduated and then went to be K-pop artists. On the flip side, we have members like Erii who even participated in a project group after being eliminated and Miru who made it to the final episode that stayed in their respective groups after coming back to Japan. I’ve even seen K-pop fans on twitter & youtube argue for permanent group because Everglow stopped having gaps in their choreography.

There’s no point in speculating and going back and forth about whether or not J-line will stay because frankly we don’t know. It could go either way. Plans and desires change. They could stay in Korea, they could go back to Japan permanently, they could go back to Japan only to graduate 1-2 years later and then go to Korea or another market. We just never know.

 

Since somebody already said something with the same purpose as me, I just want to add. That we can't see J-line's decision as a competition between AKB48G and Kpop to see which one is better. It feels like some people are so determined in wishing for the J-line to return to Japan just because they want to prove AKB48G is better than K-pop. I mean, wherever the girls decide they want to go or to stay, it'll be because that's what will make them happy, and not to prove anything to fans and other people. Their future is not a competition.

 

I just read that the IZ*ONE official channel on YouTube just reached 2 million subs. Congrats for that good news.

 

Yeah it's not 48G vs Kpop, it's 48G vs IZ*ONE and the latter's the clear winner. The Japanese equivalent of IZ*ONE's local popularity would be somewhere between Sakurazaka and Nogizaka. When we go to global popularity... the comparison gets worse. Overall 48G is a no match. And we're not even getting to Japan's probable change in idol landscape. With the pandemic there are rising voices saying they should benchmark Kpop and try to 'sell music' rather than 'dope' the sales with handshake. The only thing 48G was ahead of was total physical(CD) sales numbers with hundreds of members selling handshakes but with the pandemic that's a bit hard to do. IZ*ONE released 3 Korean albums + 1 Japanese album last year the figure must be close to 1.5 million with 'only' 12 members.

But there are good things going back to Japan for the J-line such as relaxed schedule, spending time with family and friends, Japanese food and Disneyland. But apart from going back home thing, I see no advantage what-so-ever going back to 48G. Ask the current 48G members(don't) would they want to join IZ*ONE? It's a no-brainer.

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IZ*ONE and other Kpop groups are considered artists in Japan. 48G and even 46G are just considered as 'idols'. Yes there is somewhat a negative connotation in that they're seen as amateurs sometimes and the fun side of rooting for them is to be able to watch them grow. Even Akimoto sensei made an analogy years ago if Kpop idols are professional baseball players 48G are high school baseball players.. Kpop is a logical step-up from 48G. It's somewhere 48G members would aspire to be after they graduate if they'd be given a chance. Why would anyone want to go from being an artist to an 48G idol? Yes they probably loved their 48G stage at somepoint in their careers but going back to the past isn't logical.

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Even in this video, as the J-line state their bucket list for 2021, I can get clues they're staying as IZ*ONE.

Nako's bucket list :
1. Meet WIZ*ONE in person. 2. To be able to write songs and lyrics. 3. Eat 1kg of icecream.
Sakura's bucket list :
1. Do a concert with WIZ*ONEs 2. Reach gold tier in league of legends. 3. Travel with IZ*ONE members.
Hitomi's bucket list :
1. Get a driver's license. 2. Do a proper concert (not online) 3. Travel by her own in Korea 4. Order food by phone

The good thing about the pandemic for the J-line is that they can just announce their graduation from 48G online! A blog post from their respective groups would do. Haha