Single Sakurazaka46 7th Single [Shounin Yokkuu] (2023/10/18)

Amazing!!! This choreo is great and made me like the song more than I had so far.

Great camera work too, even though I expected to see a lot more of Airi and Shizuki since they are flanking the center. Instead, it focused on Hikaru and other not-first-row members.
I'm not sure if it depends on the choreo sequences or if it has been a precise choice of CDTV staff.

Incredible intensity and energy as usual

 

CDTV performance was so great, and I just realized there was a part where Hikaru danced with each gen.

I'm captivated by Shizuki, she's doing a hectic choreo with a bright smile, I love her.. The other 3-kis also shined like they already caught up with their senpai's stage aura.

Looking forward to other performances, also for the other songs to be revealed.

 

There's something about Yuipon's expressions during live performances that is captivating. I do feel that the 3ki's aura are nowhere as good as Yuipon's but she does have way more experience. (There's something about the way she tilts her head and smiles) Not to say that they are not good. 3ki is indeed a very talented gen that does so well.

I really like this choreo. The energy is electric.

Kudos to Takemoto for filling in Miichan's spot so seamlessly. I do wonder for the part where Runrun dances with 1ki where the actual positions for her will be. The part where the camera was showing Takemoto, Kira and Rena, I do feel Takemoto's dancing was more on point.

@Philosophy Senpai, guess who my fave 1ki is!

Edit: I just only realised that the official MV @2:56 the lyrics are in Chinese?

 

Masaka? Masaka??? Don't tell me you're one of the very rare human beings that oshi Fuu-chan??? If that's the case than I can't even imagine the probabilities of two people oshing the same three girls at the same time...

 

Hahaha indeed I am. I met a fellow one of us during the Malaysia's Japan Expo as well.

 

@JaeRoler Then I'm happy meeting you in these forums... (and also by the fact that we are 3 out there and not even 2 LOL)... I wish you meet and greet all three of our oshis. Enjoy your stay in Japan!

 

if the video does not show watch the video here
Damn, this is emotional. Getting Boku no Dilemma vibes, but somehow even more beautiful and touching.
Kobayashi finally getting a chance to properly shine! What an amazing job she did.
Even though I'm supposed to point out how Habu chan was nailing her graduation single or something, I just can't help but watch in awe how Pon just stole the whole show.

 

MV is stylish and fashionable, but sound is a mess and annoying me!

 

Finally Yuipon got her long time awaited and deserved center!

As a Pon oshi, i couldn't be happier. A stylish MV(for a model center) and strong lyrics, touching but at the same time full of weirdness(in a good way).

 

This group is getting better and better...

An amazing Kobayashi and Habu, while all girls looked awesome (especially Akiho at the beginning of the flames scene just behind Pon) with minimal make-up and fantastic clothes and jewellery... The MV has a strange and eerie attractiveness and that make it unique...

I'll repeat myself: This group is getting better and better...

 

THIS MV SLAPS!

(I couldn't resist the joke)

 

Happy for Pon as center!

That being said, this MV brought back memories from the movies "They Call Me Trinity" and "Trinity Is Still My Name"... If you have watched these movies, you'll understand!

 

I just watched the slapping scene from Trinity with Terence Hill... Big laugh...
As was the slapping between Run and Karin... Run slaps, Karin slaps back, Run almost falls down, me crying from laughter...

 

Ok.... OMG!
I don't know if I'm more amazed by:
1) The fact Pon got finally her long awaited and long deserved center position

2) The return of @turbogig in Sakuland (Welcome back!)

3) People not from Italy knowing Bud Spencer and Terence Hill's movies


As for the song itself I don't know what to think of it yet.
Great acting and great slapping, but I though it would have been Habu center and it confused me a bit lol

 

I'm humbled with these individual PVs from 3rd gen. They were the highlight for me from this single.

While I do think Murayama, Murai, Matono and even Enriko need some work with their song voice. We're kinda there but not really there. They will become better as voice trainers from Over the Rainbow said.

Ishimori, Taniguchi and Yamashita feel ready but it depends on Taniguchi has the guts to stand on a big stage and perform a song all alone. She has grown since the hospitality party where her voice was not 100%. Yamashita has already said she needs more confidence. That leaves us to Ishimori who seems to have the most guts among 3rd gen. I think her BAN performance proved why she is not mainly a fluffy and calm person. Is she the last big hit from Hirate's generation? Both are from the same generation.

Enriko on drums utilized further which made me satisfied. She might become the drummer in the group now. Full of energy.

Odakura's rap song was more for fun but I hope she will show off her violin skills in the next individual PV.

Overall I think Shoninyokkyu single was not their strongest but not the weakest of the year either. If it wasn't for Natsuno Chikamichi I would have never liked the Sakurazuki single. That one didn't do it for me and I fell they were moving in a wrong direction especially the costume design and Start over was the reaction to that. In fact Start over was so good they can afford a weaker single towards the end of the year.

If management wants change next year they know who they gonna call. The composer unit with a big B since 2017.

 

...and Karin stands straight and willowy, a most beautiful form:




Sukimakaze senbatsu, as suggested in Japanese comment:
大沼　大園　井上　松田　幸阪　増本　武元
　　　守屋　齋藤　土生　上村　田村
　　　森田　藤吉　小林　小池　山﨑
Oonuma Oozono Inoue Matsuda Kousaka Masumoto Takemoto
Moriya Saitou Habu Uemura Tamura
Morita Fujiyoshi Kobayashi Koike Yamasaki

Kobayashi is quite outstanding at centre here. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if she (or Imaizumi) had had this opportunity in 2016 or 2017. I admit that I myself would not have wanted that at the time.

@Rev4 -- "...Ishimori, Taniguchi and Yamashita feel ready but it depends on Taniguchi has the guts to stand on a big stage and perform a song all alone...." I think Taniguchi has the guts. She has performed on stage alone before, and how has experience of bigger audiences. I think she is "the One" for the immediate future of the 3gens. Nothing really seems to faze her. She just looks baby-ish. I think she is really rather adult. I have never seen her at a loss.

 

... Careful my friend... You may start a fans war, and we don't want that this time LOL.

(although it seems I've started it and you took the opportunity to praise your oshi - absolutely legit)

 

I absolutely agree with @ukifune
Airi was the most ready member since training days and I doubt is a coincidence if she was the first 3ki center for their songs.

I also think Reina's PV was not "for fun" but well thinked by the staff. We (I for sure) need to see this side of her.

 

Little review of Shonin:

Spoiler

1. Shonin Yokkyu great song, but the perfomance and mv make it a better whole. In that sense it reminds me of fukyouwaon, where I don't really stream the song but prefer to watch a perfomance.

2. Mamoribito
The song I have listened to the most so far, I rewatched the mv many times too. I really love it and got used to it being lengthy.

3. Croissant
It's cute, not really memorable in my opinion. I had wished they would make the instrumentals a bit louder.

4. La vie en Rose
Love love the instrumentals, quite a catchy song, curious about the live perfomance!

5. Don't cut in line!
Pretty solid, I really like the chorus! This one will most likely grow on me and will soon be on repeat

6. Manhole
Needs to grow on me, I can hear it's potential, I think a perfomance will help me appreciate it.

7. Sumikaze yo
Very, very good, love the instrumentals, the mv, the lyrics perfection. Talking about the mv it reminded me of a sequel to kuroi hitsuji/ mou mori. Pon really deserved that center. An excellent coupling song.

All with all it's not my favourite single of them, but the songs will most likely grow on me after a live perfomance.

-
On the positive side Shonin Yokkyu sold on it's first day 363,538 copies. Pretty sure that's the highest saku sold on a first day!

 

The fact that this single has now the highest Saku first day surprised me, considering meguri is slow, with members who usually sold out in 2nd round now being 3rd round sold out, i was afraid that we would have a drop in sales and that maybe this single came too soon because of the many promotions and events Sakurazaka had in Start Over! Era, i was sure fans had less money for this one but i'm happy to say i was wrong.