faded_lace | Report from today's Sexy Zone new single presentation event

From News @ Asahi TV.

Today, July 15th, Sexy Zone's Sato Shori (17), Nakajima Kento (20), and Kikuchi Fuma(19) held a presentation event for their new single in Tokyo's Yoyogi National Gymnasium. In front of 10,000 fans, they performed their new song for the first time, and announced that that same song would not include Matsushima Sou (16) and Marius Yo (14) but would instead be comprised just of Sato, Nakajima, and Kikuchi. The fan's shocked voices, crying out "Ehhhh???" rose up in the venue. Nakajima commented, "We want to move forward showing the fans many forms," while Kikuchi asked the fans to understand, saying, "If we work hard just the three of us, and each become stronger before returning to 5、I think the possibilities for our group will instantly increase." From here on, centered on the three with Sato, there's the chance that they'll become a fluid group with members being switched in and out, and Nakajima expanded what might be expected, saying, "It's possible that next year, we'll put out solos and stuff, too." In May, two derivative groups incorporating Marius and Matsushima respectively were born, and all five will appear in the summer concert starting on July 23rd.

I'm going to refrain from making a comment right now, because I don't want to let my emotions get the best of me, but as you might guess, I'm pretty much livid. All I'm going to say is, we'll have to wait and see how things pan out.

And just as I thought things were looking up, too.

[EDIT]

snow has kindly translated a tabloid article about this event here. Please read the translator's notes on the actual translation and keep in mind, though, that these tabloids basically make up facts to sell copies. I think the jury's still out on whether this will continue in the future, but I figured for completeness, I'd add this more "sensationalized" view. Please, though, remember that this article is a tabloid, and not a reliable news source.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

if someone had said that, i just feel like there would be a direct quote, like there was re: solo projects from kento. i feel like one media outlet said it & the others just picked it up and ran off with it. they can't "undebut" marisou. they can add jinguji/genki/whoever else if they really want to but they can't DROP people. there would be an implosion and i'm almost certain there would be something against that in their contracts. they're in unless they want to leave or they screw up like morimoto. sou is clearly fighting this terrible management & he'll be there for mari as well. i guess my concern isn't that they'll be kicked out but that this will be a terrible blow to their self-esteem that nobody needs at 14 & 16 and that idols need even less. it's just so unfair.

i saw sexy second but no, i'm not going to the summer con, and i'm more depressed about that now bc i won't get to see the situation for myself firsthand, you know?? i left sexy second thinking that, YES!! this group is finally cohesive... and now this. & if i feel this bad as a fan, how does the group feel? not just marisou, either - the other three must be feeling terrible. i'm so tired of reading about how "kento seems cold" - whatever; that's how he is when the crap hits the fan. it doesn't mean they're not upset about this just because it doesn't affect them.

it just sucks. i feel the same way about excusing it as, "oh well, nothing bad happened the last time they got left out" - bc what the heck, there shouldn't BE a "last time" at all!

I guess I didn't read "fluid" as "taking Marius and Sou out" so much as, there might not always be 5 members from now on. Like, solos, or just Marius and Sou… whether or not those words were just hype by the press (which it's highly likely that they are, I totally agree-- when Sexy Boyz and Sexy Show got announced, good old Nikkan Sports reported something like "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN JOHNNY'S HISTORY, MEMBERS ARE ADDED AFTER DEBUT"… okay, yeah, sure, Nikkan Sports.) But the promise of solos on the horizon is not something I particularly relish-- as B-sides or on an album, absolutely. "Solo debuts" or a solo being in place of a full Sexy Zone single… not so much.

But I 100% agree with you that their self esteem is my number-one concern. They're only kids, and it's hard enough being 14 and 16 when you're not and idol. I've always felt that if it hurts this much for me as a fan, it must be hurting them 100 times more, and I just… feel awful for them, for Sou, who's written that he feels like he can't contribute to the group and was depressed over it, and for Marius, who's struggling with Japanese and culture shock and everything else on top of this crap. It's really unfair to them, and to the other three, too, especially Kento and Fuma, who have already had B.I.Shadow pulled out from under them.

Yeah, I can imagine that that would be tough ;; Do you live in Japan? Or were you visiting? At any rate, I'll be sure to report back from the summer con. x__x; But I totally agree about Sexy Second. I went twice, and my confidence built both times that things were really going well. It seemed so much like the management was finally presenting them as one cohesive group and then… this. UGH.

Yes. Exactly that. I totally agree with you.

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Lol right? Oh Nikkan Sports. But exactly. I can't imagine the anxiety they must feel over that. Recently, the shift in Johnny's to mimic AKB is really worrying me-- it's a different model for a different group and a different fanbase. It could never work in Johnny's, especially not in a small group, and I don't want the poor guys having that sort of anxiety.

Yes, I'm really glad Fuma spoke out, and I'm sure he and Kento are being supportive. It still must just hurt a whole lot for all of them, though. Fuma and Kento have felt the guilt of being featured or debuted too much; it's not their fault but I can't imagine it feels good, to be pushed front first over Hokuto and Kouchi, and now over the younger two. It's honestly awful for everyone involved.

Ahh, I see. That's cool. I honestly haven't seen any really positive responses in Japanese or English-speaking fandom, so… yeah. I really don't understand. All I can think is that it's a tactic to get us to buy more Marius and Sou stuff rabidly, to vote with our dollars… but who knows. Johnny's marketing strategies are a huge mystery.

All I can think is that it's a tactic to get us to buy more Marius and Sou stuff rabidly, to vote with our dollars… but who knows.

i'm really wishing now that i had written marius or sou's name on my fc form, bc it makes absolutely no difference to my membership but probably affects their popularity ranking with management. ugh, ugh, ugh.

Oh no DDD: But, you can change it online? I know a friend changed hers online, anyway…! I think even not living in Japan it should be okay?

ahh i didn't know you could do it online!! i'm going to change it now. not that i love kento any less but i'll feel better if i do this.

Yes, my friend changed her favorite in KisuMai for a pretty similar reason online, so I know that it was at least possible last year. Did it work out okay?

it did work. i chose sou since i feel like he needs support the most. :c eight hours later, still miserable, lol.

p.s. the tabloids are starting to crawl up from the pit again; i did a super quick translation of one of them here. if you think it would be useful, please feel free add it to the post.

That's good, at least. I feel you, though; I woke up this morning and was like "…fuck."

Oh, thank you. I'll link it in my post, though I'm afraid that people are going to take it as fact >__< Freaking sports papers.

By the way, I feel like we have a lot of opinions about fandom in common… do you mind if I friend you?

yep. that's basically how i've been feeling all day.

oh, absolutely! i picked the worst time ever to join up on lj & have hardly had the chance to post anything before this mess came crashing down, but i would love to be friends.

It's pretty much the worst feeling >__<

Awesome, thanks! Always happy to make more Sexy Girl friends~

Report from today's Sexy Zone new single presentation event

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