[GENERAL] The Sakurazaka46 / Keyakizaka46 Thread

Too little too late.

 

Seeing this pop up in my news feed was crushing, as I've come to really love Neru. She's not my oshi or anything, but she's always been high up for me.

Anyways, regarding the grad and future. I think this will be another eventful year for Keyaki. With one of their most popular members gone, it seems like a sign of the road ahead, and I hope everyone will be able to ride along. Personally, while I think this is definitely a big blow to the group, I don't think (or at the very least, I hope) that they will collapse or anything like that. They've kept up in terms of their music, each A-side in my opinion being better than the last. I don't know what the majority opinion is, but I love their variety stuff, and think that they have a good group of variety girls. I hope their anniversary live goes well, and hope Kuroi and their next single does well. With the introduction of the second gens, there will be some new life in the group, and again, I only hope that everyone will be here to see where Keyaki goes next.

If Neru is graduating due to being exhausted from the idol schedule, then I wish her all the best. I hope she can take time to rest. And I hope everyone is coping well, and will stick around.

 

Yeah... Still will be supporting Keyaki but Neru was my everything in Keyaki. She was my first oshi ever and probably my last cos I can't stand another pain like this again. I thank her so much for that experience. She will forever be my oshi, a Kami-oshi. No one can take her place, ever.

 

Management may as well take this chance to shake things up and give Keyaki a new center and whatnot for next single and let them "start over".

 

Well that's where they have a problem. They've invested a lot in Techi and she's by far the most recognizable to the public so if they switch to another centre then image of the group changes. On the other hand if everyone starts feeling like it's just Techi + backdancers then morale in the group falls.

Even though I've heard the rationalizations, putting Neru in the back row of the latest single must have been like a slap in the face to her.

 

The thing is that I never really felt that Neru was particularly ambitious about getting the center position. Of course that's everyone's dream in the group, but with Zuumin (and Yuipon) it was clear that she very much wanted it. Neru was probably the second most pushed member in Keyaki (and after Techi wen MIA in group stuff since last year, Neru became more prominent in group stuff), she got her photobook, drama, CMs, photoshoots, Sakamichi AKB center etc. So it's not like management didn't try with her, the only thing she had left was the center position in an A-side. Perhaps I'm wrong and that's the biggest reason why she's graduating. But I know she once mentioned that her bright unit songs don't fit with Keyaki's image, and if you look at the comment section in the Sakamichi AKB song she centered people are saying that she wasn't a good choice and that it should have been Asuka instead. Perhaps she felt at odds with her spot in Keyaki. Perhaps she got third row because management already knew she was planning to graduate, maybe that's the reason for the small stage for their third anniversary.

One thing for sure is that things need to change. There needs to be a new center (and personally I think that if Kuroi Hitsuji wasn't meant for last year it wouldn't have been centered by Techi). But Techi can't graduate yet. It doesn't matter that she doesn't participate much in group stuff, she's still the most known member to the public and is very popular. Losing both her and Neru in a year would kill Keyaki.

 

@Reveen well i wonder if she decided to graduate because she was put in 3rd row, or if management put her in 3rd row because they knew she was going to graduate?

For this single she didn't get a unit song but got a solo song instead. So like I don't know.

 

I still think she is leaving because of education. There are so many evidence pointing toward that direction. It isn't about center position or the fact that she is put in third row. Before even the 8th Single's senbatsu was announced, she was in conflict with herself, an act which was clearly seen in the coming off age episode.
In the music video, she was shown with a bag and a book in hand. Very symbolical indeed. And seeing some shots of Keyaki House, she is seen alone, with a book in hand while the rest were playing around. Her absenteeism could be that she is preparing to write an exams.
Neru has shown several times that education is her everything and seeing how intelligent and smart she is, that is all I can think of this unfortunate news

 

it's funny how the antis turn Neru graduating into another chance to hate on Techi. I remember a few months back at a drag queen bar on Keyakitteneru was talking about being conflicted about what she should do or what she wanted to do. i wonder if this is related to that.

 

Honestly I can't even feel sad over this the same way I felt when Zuumin announced her graduation. At this point I'm just mad at management's horrific mismanaging of the group which has led to these early graduations, and also slightly fearful that my oshimen won't even return. I wish her all the best.

 

things went pretty much downhill these days.

no pun intended.

 

So much for climbing that hill, eh?

 

Come on guys! Why the 'giving up' feeling I am getting? It hurts that Neru won't be around anymore but new members just joined and are yet to prove themselves. Keyaki will rise soon given all they are going through cos I believe in the members and the group as a whole.

 

I never bothered to check the lyric...

 

So the rumors were true :/ I am shocked that Neru is graduating so early, considering how hard she worked to enter Keyaki/Kanji. What a huge loss for Keyaki.. A sad day for us fans.

Neru is trending on Japan search engines right now. Her grad news made front page of Yahoo! Japan. Seems like a lot of folks are (rightly) worried that Keyaki's undisputed #2 is graduating. Combined with last year's graduations and now the loss of Hiragana support, I think management needs to think long and hard about how to preserve and strengthen the group. We all know from the recent KeyaKitte single prayer how much the members love the group and want to contribute more.

We should stay optimistic though - I see a lot of promise in 2nd gen. And I hope that Neru can have a beautiful farewell; I know she's going to have a bright future in whatever she chooses to do.

 

Yeah, times like this is where we need to stay with the group, as they will need the support. We all know that everyone in the groups cares a lot, so we should be there as well. For me, first and foremost, I have always cared about the music over anything. I will only stop being a fan if Keyaki stops making good music. For now, I will just enjoy the ride; the music, the members, the variety, everything.

 

And here we go again!

 

Sorry, you're right. I just got too emotional. It's perfectly normal for multiple top members to graduate before the 3-year anniversary and for the center of the latest single to not participate in the single campaign. Super normal. Good, in fact. Here's hoping Sony holds the course and doesn't change a thing (especially the center)!

 

as a sort of contemporary comparison. Stu has lost 4 members since forming. NGT has lost 9. Neru will be Keya's 5th, so they're definitely not anywhere outside of the average for newerish aks groups.