Single Sakurazaka 2nd [BAN] (2021/04/14)

It pities me to see people whom I consider my stage48 forum "buddies" to clash. Please guys tone it down and let's focus our love and devotion to the group. And let's also grow the same bonds with people that seem to be newcomers (or relapsed visitors) to the Sakura forum, no matter if we agree or disagree with their opinions.

Cheers!

 

i just don’t like stupid comments. and I hate dumb essays. Fin.

 

Need your source for that because miwa already pointed another possible line you mistook. In fact, wasn't that briefing scene was included in Sokosaku? Where you can see a man, presumably Konno, talk to them about that

 

lol it’s late but whatever.
@turbogig you were talking about there being no need for 3 Nogizakas but what did keyaki 9th single title sound like? The song that was originally supposed to be techi centred. hhhmmm.

Oh and also late but keyaki was also stagnating. Sugai didn’t mention it all those times for you to act as if 2019 was a year of growth :/ that stagnation is one of the reasons why sakurazaka exists now.

No more dumb essays from you

 

Ok. Let's all stop for a while. We all seem to be concerned and whether we are truly concerned or not, it feels good to know. We can only wait and see as we also do our part becos however we hurt each other here with words, it won't change things. Not the way we want it. Let's just move on from our disagreement please. I truly don't want to see most of us, who have been here together, through the hurdles and all break apart becos of a future we don't know about

 

I think this explain better than I could ever do the low this thread reached.

@miwa I assure you I annoy people everyday with my talk about Pon lol
Around here I always supported her as center choice, even when Techi was still in Keyaki. And I can't think another one would have give me as much as she did centering Dare kane. I'll always be thankful for her strength, her abnegation, her artistic and personal growth and, more recently, her relationship with Nogi's Seira.
But I'm aware I'm at fault in this kind of support because the more I like, the more I pretend. It happened with Techi, it happens with Pon, it will happens with others too, so yeah, you're also right, criticism is part of being a fan for me.

I'm sure you guys can find Pon interview faster than I would. @Iamyoung is right, this is not the way Sakuforum should go on

 

You're the one who accused her of saying that, it's on you to find the source of that comment. If tmi who is practically the main Keyaki/Sakura translator hasn't been able to find a source for that, then who can? It's not right to attribute those words to Pon and then criticize her for them but once you're called out on the validity of those words you tell us to find that interview.

 

Should be "not many". They have at least me and a friend of mine as new fans ^^ I know, it's not much and doesn't save them at all. I just would like to bring this perspective, because as I understood from reading the discussion, there are a lot of original Keyaki fans in here and I can understand the worries and thoughts about what's happening.
Keyaki got me with Futari Season and lost me again after Fukyouwaon. I didn't like their songs until Kuroi Hitsuji (which sold worse if I understood correctly. Why??), and I got the feeling that they had no fun in doing what they were doing at all. The friend of mine had the same opinion, btw.
I gained new interest due to that rebranding. I still listen to Nobafa single on repeat. I like BAN (not the B-sides so far, but the MVs are so, so good!). I like the lyrics. I watched SokoSaku and I started to like members I never had any interest in during Keyakitte days. And there might be other fans who left Keyaki because of the Keyaki-style and are now slowly warming up to Saku again. It might be hard to go all out due to the pandemic. It might be hard to warm up to them faster without things like physical handshakes. I also agree that a song which gains public interest would help, it's just hard to make it happen, I guess.
But: I'm quite positive that as long as management doesn't sleep on them after BAN (and I really hope that they do at least have some kind of a plan), they will gain more attention again

 

Welcome both... Nice to be around and keep supporting our girls!

You've said it all simply and wisely: "It might be hard to go all out due to the pandemic. It might be hard to warm up to them faster without things like physical handshakes. I also agree that a song which gains public interest would help, it's just hard to make it happen, I guess."

 

Thank you! I feel like everyone has been completely ignoring this fact and talking about keyaki's peak without acknowledging this point.
This is why I dislike the whole 'sales = popularity' as a indicator for a idols groups success because there are always going to be factors for a groups lack of or increase in sales. The most obvious and immediate reasons for keyaki's decrease in sales was 1) half the members LEFT lmao literally the group split into two, and then 2) their most popular members started leaving one by one. Of course the sales aren't going to be as great. On top of that, the people who only followed the group for hiragana members no longer needed too. Now add the rebrand which caused confusion for many people "where is keyaki?" "ah they're sakurazaka now?" and then the obvious pandemic that affected the entire industry and took away the groups biggest incentives (live concerts and hs events), it's little wonder the group wasn't and still isn't gaining many new fans.

As usual though the fault lies squarely on management and they're the only ones who can fix the groups issue's rn. Whether they choose to do that or continue to focus all their promotional energy into one of two groups is up to them. Personally i don't trust snf to make good decisions but what I will say is that for a debut, they're not doing that badly, and things take time. I just hope they promote sakurazaka more, the same way they promoted keyaki in 2018 or hinata in their debut year.

 

Thank you!

 

They reduced Kuroi Hitsuji hs slots by ~30% compared to Ambivalent. However, 1st week sales was only down by ~8%, with last 3 days sold nearly double Ambivalent’s last 3 days. Everyone sold out by 6 or 7 rounds (if I remember correctly but they did all sell out). All that accomplished with trashy promotion from S&F. From this perspective, I’d argue that Kuroi Hitsuji sold better than Ambivalent, critics and non-fans also liked it better. People ask why Ambivalent got lower sales, I think it’s pretty simple. The public and fans alike didn’t like it as much as Garasu. Keyaki was an idol group, yes, but a noticeable portion of their listeners were the GP, so song quality does affect sales.

 

Kuroi hitsuji is a song otakus aren't happy about, well, except majority of keyaki fans but it is one of their most covered songs ever so it says how the gp loved the song. As always said, idol songs are expected to be cute and bubbly but keyaki wasn't that kinda idol group. SakuZaka currently is looking for a middle for their songs so even though there is a hint of keyaki in them, they are trying out the normal mainstream songs and that, frankly isn't what the gp are looking for. So it is as said, idols make songs for their otakus. But still i think sakuzaka is so far doing great with their song choices. It isn't truly mainstream idol songs, and it isn't truly keyaki-like, but one can feel both in their songs. I really hope mgmt don't fall for the trope and make the girls' concept like all others we know. So far, I think 2nd Single is the better single for me

 

this is so absurd, but here we go @miwa
https://westillsubbing.blogspot.com/2020/12/q-with-all-sakurazaka46-members-in.html
this shouldn't even have been this big of an issue, since it's my freaking opinion about a freaking idol I freaking like, but whatever. I'm done with this thread for awhile.

 

Rei basically said the same thing as Pon, even though according to you Pon lacked, and I quote, "humilty".
Actually Hono was bolder and said she wanted Sakurazaka to be the number one group in Japan and become known overseas, so again, why are you only focusing on Pon and deliberately ignoring the other member's comments to fit your argument? I've noticed that you're always writing negative remarks about Pon unprovoked and apparently I'm not the only one who got this impression, really makes you think!
I'm glad the girls have ambition and clear goals in mind, most of them lost confidence during their keyaki days and it's one of the reasons why the group ended up the way it did. I hope they keep dreaming big, as a fan that's what I want from them.

 

So, after all the mud-slinging the 2nd single has generated among ourselves, we blame S&F management once again. If you are the management or part of it, what then should management do for the 3rd single? We've heard so many suggestions: Get rid of the Saku8 concept. Keep the Saku8 concept Rotate the centers. Keep the centers. Include all members. Keep the somewhat cute concept. Toss it away.
It is very easy to criticize, "they (management) should have done this or should have done that.", but being in the hot seat is not easy to do. Hindsight is 20/20. If we in this forum don't even agree what the "solution" is, don't you think the same things are going thru management's minds?

 

If you don't want to come to this thread anymore that's your prerogative.
The only problem I (and several other users in this thread) had with your comment was your criticizing Pon (yet again) for saying something that to me didn't sound like something she'd say. Now that you've provided a source for what she said I can say that it's essentially what I wrote in my previous comment: a wish. The interviewer asks what group do the members want Sakurazaka to be and Pon mentions that she'd like for the group to represent Japan, and brings the sakura motif into it like I said. Nowhere does she say it will become an internationally known group, which is what you claimed she said. I don't know if English is your first language or not (it's not mine) but there's a difference between a bold claim and a wish. There is nothing wrong with what she, or any of the other members, said. They're all wishes. It's fine to have wishes, all idols have wishes.

Truthfully, Pon has been unnecessarily criticized ever since she and Zuumin centered Garasu. I myself have criticized her in the past, but sometimes it feels like people are doing too much. It's not right to criticize her for something she hasn't actually said.

 

I volunteer! I could gladly become a consultant for S&F. Apart from working and living in Japan (wooooo dreams come true, yay!) I believe that I could bring new ideas... You @Jsprite could bring too, @Iamyoung could do that too, @Dill as well, so could @turbogig or @Maeda_Toshiie or @miwa, or, or, or, ...

OK on a much more serious note, what I am trying to say is that I have the impression (and taking into consideration the famous Japanese dilligence) there have to be people in S&F that follow not only THEIR social media about their groups but also social media like this very forum. I hope they take ideas, discuss them and maybe throw them away. It doesn't matter. At least we, as fans, discuss, argue, suggest... I am sure that no brainstorming is bad...

P.S. On an even more serious note thought, I believe that a bunch of non-Japanese consultants in artistic matters and PR might greatly help get S&F out of their (possible) stagnation of ideas.

 

I agree with @too much idea here: "Right now Sakurazaka is in the middle of finding new identity, which is still abstract and hard to tell at this point because they release songs with so many differing genres and styles (Which is also becoming their style)..." Yes, this is what's going on now. Karin and others have said they want to be a group that can do various kinds of songs.

But I'm still worried. I just hope management will give them enough time and resources/choices to come up with a style (or styles) that works with the public. I remember Aki_P once saying that he liked to give new groups time to show their own character, and then he worked with that. I believe that is now he came up with SaiMajo. The early publicity for Keyaki was normal frilly idol. Then SaiMajo changed that, as he learned who the girls were.

I like "provocative" (@Philosophy Senpai). I think that's what the Guuzen no Kotae MV is. But that particular MV may alienate as many fans as it attracts. I also love the kind of "emo" that I see in the way Karin said: "I love you" in the MV. Not sure my preferences are going to do the group much good, lol. I want to tell management what to do -- a sad memories song with lots of sakura blossoms, good acting and graceful dance -- but I really don't know what they should do, and Aki_P does know how to make idol groups happen, so we can only hope.

I stopped following Keyaki so closely as Hirate's mental, physical and social condition deteriorated. I couldn't bear to watch. And because I had Memi to follow in Hiragana, and not enough time or attention for two groups, I followed Hiragana (and Hinatazaka, briefly). But when I had left the idol world for a while and more or less gotten over Memi's graduation, I discovered how much I liked the Keyaki 2gens and restarted here. And the more I get to know them, the more I like them. There's a tremendous amount of personality and ability there. Many of the 1gens I most liked are gone: Hirate, Neru, Mon, Shida, Naako, Shiori, Nijika. But my preferences are not those most likely to increase the group's general popularity, I fear.

As long as I steel my heart against the mutual criticism in the last page or two, a lot of interesting things have been said, and I appreciate the opinions on all sides.

 

I may very well be mistaken, but I have this strong feeling that S&F staff at best check 5ch/JP twitter trends and maaaybe top YouTube comments too. As for the international affairs... not really. The department that is responsible for Saku, that is. MEANWHILE, She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's team at least bothered to add English subtitles to her MV, which many international fans appreciated. Surely it couldn't have that hard of a job for them, or could it? I mean that should've been the standard procedure for all releases, if the managemnt actually fed the members the idea of 'getting known overseas' like we discussed above. Or they just don't care about us, as was seen during the Nobofa meguri
「外人のやつらはメンドクサイな～」