Sexy Zone New Single Release Information

[faded_lace]

In an update from yesterday, here's a quick translation of the fanclub mail that I got today. As always, this is from a mail, so I have no way to prove that I actually got this,

◆ Sexy Zone Family Club member-limited　info mail ◇『mail bulletin』July 16th edition

o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.
　　
　Sexy Zone 7th Single「otoko never give up」9/17 (Wed) On Sale!!　　 　　　

o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.。+o★*.。+o☆*.

It's been decided that Sexy Zone's first single in four months,
「otoko never give up」will go on sale starting September 17th (Wed)!
This work sings a cheering message of "Cheer up!" "Don't give up!"
towards a member of the opposite sex who's a little depressed.
While being the sparkling support song you'd expect of Sexy Zone,
it's also a song directed at Sexy Zone themselves, cheering them up with a message of "let's face forward and progress onward!"

With a characteristically easy to remember chorus, the upbeat and lively melody
will brighten the listener's mood！ Please wait for previews with raised expectations!

The limited editions will be S・K・F versions, and will each have Sato Shori, Nakajima Kento, and Kikuchi Fuma's solo songs on them, respectively.
「Keep The Challenge」will serve as the image song
for Fuji TV's 『Women's Volleyball World Grand Prix』
for which Sexy Zone are the official supporters.

There are limited special videos, as well, so make sure to check out Sexy Zone's new single!


■Limited Edition S (CD+DVD)・・・1,296 yen plus tax
―――――――――――――――――――
☆ Special Present： Sato Shori interchangeable jacket (Includes 1 out of 3 varieties)

［CD］
01. otoko never give up
02. Keep The Challenge
03. Title TBA (Sato Shori Solo)

［DVD］
「otoko never give up」Music Clip


■Limited Edition K (CD+DVD)・・・1,296 yen plus tax
―――――――――――――――――――
☆ Special Present： Nakajima Kento interchangeable jacket (Includes 1 out of 3 varieties)

［CD］
01. otoko never give up
02. Keep The Challenge
03. Title TBA (Nakajima Kento Solo)

［DVD］
「Keep The Challenge」Image Clip in USA


■ Limited Edition F (CD+DVD)・・・1,296 yen plus tax
―――――――――――――――――――
☆ Special Present： Kikuchi Fuma interchangeable jacket (Includes 1 out of 3 varieties)
☆ Special Deluxe 12 page photo booklet

［CD］
01. otoko never give up
02. Keep The Challenge
03. Title TBA (Kikuchi Fuma Solo)

［DVD］
Making of 「otoko never give up」Music Clip ＆ Jacket Shooting　


■Regular Edition (CD)・・・1,065 yen plus tax
――――――――――――――
☆ First press only:
＊ Picture Label
＊ Original trading card (Includes 1 out of 3 varieties)　

［CD］
01. otoko never give up
02. Keep The Challenge
03. Ashita ni Mukatte Ute！
04. Boku wa Kimi no Subete ni Naritai
05. otoko never give up Inst.
06. Keep The Challenge Inst.
07. Ashita ni Mukatte Ute！ Inst.
08. Boku wa Kimi no Subete ni Naritai Inst.


□Venue Limited Version (CD)・・・926 yen plus tax
――――――――――――――――
☆ Original Sticker Sheet included

［CD］
01. otoko never give up
02. Keep The Challenge
03. Ashita ni Mukatte Ute！
04. Boku wa Kimi no Subete ni Naritai
※ The Venue Limited Version will only be sold at the locations for「Sexy Zone Summer Concert 2014」
　Please note in advance that it won't be sold in stores.

※The jacket photos will have a unique design for each version.

☆ For more details on the CD, please check the Pony Canyon Official Sexy Zone homepage.

∽∞∽∞∽∞∽∽∞∽∞∽∞∽∞∽∽∞∽∞∽∞∽∽∽∞∽∞∽∞∽∞∽

Some things to consider:
1) They never once mention the exclusion of two members. I don't really understand the point of this, since everyone must have heard it on the news by now…?
2) Of course they included solo songs >__< Since being a hardcore fan of one member is quite common in Japanese fandom, I'm afraid that this will make the single too hard to pass up to a lot of fans, even if they're unhappy with the situation.
3) I guess Fuma's versions don't sell anymore, since they're including another extra in his. I have a lot of feelings about this, but… I don't know if this is the place for them.
4) I haven't officially seen anywhere in Japanese that it's supposed to be read "otoko" so take this with a grain of salt. Other possibilities for the character before "never give up" include "dan," "oto," and "o." I'll report back if I see anything.

So, Sexy Girls, are you buying this CD or not? I'm curious to know what foreign fandom's reaction to this will be. Remember that CDs bought through CD Japan and Yesasia being shipped out of Japan don't get counted into the Oricon rankings, but they do, in the end, affect the company's revenue, etc etc etc.

Comments

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't even know what to say about this, but it's far beyond "this really sucks" in my opinion, especially considering the number of times I've cried over it.

[jasmine600.livejournal.com]

Very sorry, about the sadness. I like listening to some SZ songs and really like watching their performance too. After hearing the news, I feel very bad because I like them as 5 members. Sigh
I think fans still buy the new singles though and the 3 will be OK.
But...I'd like to give you a head up. I think this would be for a while until Marius and Sou reach 18 because I saw a new magazine scan with all 3 mem going for very sexy shoots like they are adults. Maybe the management don't want to exploit sexy shoots from the under aged members so they leave out the 2 for awhile? You know under aged sexy shoots may attract more pedo and get more bitching from general public and these won't help SZ image in the future. You also have to adding in some bitchings to the management from the parents of Sou and Marius when they saw their boys all go for sexy adult images.
So although I'm sad but I believe once all of them pass 18, they will be become 5.
This is my story about how I know them:
When they debuted, some of international jpop sites put their name and their song on the news. They got tons of bad comments and laughing at their weird name because most of them were under-aged and tried to perform like the young adults. I saw many many comments about people won't become their fans and such. I had no problem with their name but was so curious with bad comments so I clicked on their PV to listen to their debuted song. I liked the song and their performance instantly. It was very good song and cute performance. I clicked the song over and over again for more than 5-6 times and decided I would be one of their fans when they grow older. To tell the truth, I like some of their songs more than some of Kisumai songs, but they are still too young for me to " ga ga" over them. Still, I watch their performance her and there over the years and always like it.
I have a strong believe that this 3 in 2 out is just a temporary time.

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

With all due respect, I don't think "a heads up" is really necessary here. I pride myself in keeping educated and up to date about Johnny's as a whole, and about Sexy Zone. I am well aware of the group's activities and the way the management tends to work with groups with younger members. Here are some facts for you.

1) No one in Japan has been giving Sexy Zone negative press for the name, and Johnny's does not care about the international press, especially on the internet. J-Pop is intended for a Japanese audience, in Japan. If Johnny's cared about what international audiences thought, why would they keep their fanclubs limited to people who live in Japan only? Why would they make it almost impossible for foreign fans to buy concert tickets? Honestly, it really does not matter at all even to, say, an American audience if people say bad things about them on the internet-- One Direction gets tons and tons of criticism on the internet, and yet they are still very popular in America. Never once have I spoken to a Japanese adult who thought that Sexy Zone's name was "creepy" or attractive to "pedos." My coworkers at work, age 30-60 know I like Sexy Zone, and never once has any one of them even so much as laughed at me about it. The way international audiences see Sexy Zone is completely irrelevant.

2) 18 is NOT the age of legal adulthood in Japan; it's 20. Both Shori and Fuma are still "underage" currently. In fact, even if the legal age of adulthood was 18, Shori is only 17 and still would be underage. Fuma and Shori are shown as "sexy" while still being "children" in the eyes of the law, just the same as Marius and Sou, so your explanation does not make sense in this light.

3) Additionally, Johnny's has never cared about showing younger idols as "sexy." Look in any issue of Myojo or Popolo to see Johnny's of all ages shirtless looking sexy. For example, this article of Hey! Say! JUMP is from early 2010, when Chinen was 16 (the same age Sou is now), and Ryutaro was only 14 (Marius's age). The article is even proclaiming that they're sexy. And this picture of Jinguji in the shower is from last year's Myojo, when Jinguji was only 15, younger than Sou is now. Johnny's does not see anything wrong in showing 14~16 year olds as Sexy, so why would it only be a problem with Marius and Sou?

I don't think that being young is the reason Johnny's is treating Marius and Sou badly, simply because what they've done in the past and what they do even now does not support this theory. I respectfully but strongly disagree with your opinion, and I don't think that making excuses for Johnny's helps anyone.