In the continuing saga of Sexy Zone horrors...

[faded_lace]

So Pony Canyon has made a few edits to their profile page for Sexy Zone. Not only did Marius and Sou get their subgroups added under their names (though "subgroup" is a stretch considering that there are juniors involved), but they've been separated from the other three in a pinkish box. I don't know who decided on this change, or what it means, but it's really not making me feel any better right now.

On the other hand, however, the Johnny's net profile page has stayed the same so far. Here's to hoping that there are no changes made…

I don't have time to do a translation now, but this is basically a complied list of tweets about girls who called Johnny's and/or Pony Canyon about the future of Sexy Zone. Pony Canyon was giving out much more mixed/unsure responses, but Johnny's had the firm response that this would be the only three-member single and after this it would be five again. Johnny's does not exactly have the best record for honesty, but if nothing else, it shows that they clearly know what the fans' wishes are. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out from here.

At any rate, I'm heading into Tokyo for the day tomorrow to check out some dresses I've been wanting to try on at Liz Lisa, to grab some Johnny's shop photos for myself and rorychan, and most importantly, to meet with doctoggy for a belated birthday lunch! Hopefully I'll be able to forget about all this horrible Sexy Zone drama for at least a few hours and have a good time. @__@;

Here's to hoping, at the very least, that this all passes and things get better from here.

Comments

[kapiru.livejournal.com]

I love your title, it reflects exactly what I felt when I learned the news on weibo, so what's next?
Photo book with only 3 of them?

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

Thanks. >__<; It's really upsetting. I hope that this ends soon.

[chynnawitch.livejournal.com]

I'm worried that on Potato, Wink Up and the other Johnny's magazines since last month, only Kento, Fuma and Shori are getting featured as Sexy Zone and Marius and Sou are being put together with the Juniors. I seriously don't want to think the worst. Sure, the report on Johnny's net on the single presentation sounds reassuring, but the features in these magazines make me think differently. :(

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

It is upsetting to see that, but keep in mind two things:

1) Magazines are not really a real representation of what's going on in Johnny's. For example, Kis-My-Ft2's magazine articles are often completely equal between all 7. If that was a sign of real life, then Kis-My-Ft2 would be having completely equal solo lines and costumes in their songs, but I don't see that happening. Likewise, I don't know that Sexy Zone getting one article on one month's issue of magazines really reflects the reality of their situation or any intention of Johnny's to do something different.

2) I know Johnny's are not known for being honest, but to be completely frank: Magazines are a 3rd party source. Johnny's is the agency making the decision. If your mom called you to say your friend was moving to another country, and then you asked your friend if she was moving and she said no, I'm not, who would you believe, your mom or your friend herself?

I think that the best thing to do in these situations is to NOT read too much into everything as if it's a sign. Whatever will be will be, and we can only make sound decisions and reactions as fans based on what ACTUALLY happens to the group. It doesn't hurt anyone but ourselves to get really upset over things like magazines.

[chynnawitch.livejournal.com]

You're right. I just really hope things end up well.

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

Me too, definitely. But right now I think the best thing is just to hope for the best.

[mrsyamada.livejournal.com]

i was pissed seeing that!

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

Me too >__<;

[mrsyamada.livejournal.com]

gosh why does this situation have to give me such mixed feelings?!! i wanna be happy for Genki and getting this opportunity but it shouldn't happen this way...i hate this it hurts my heart terribly!

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

Nothing about this is really an opportunity for Genki, though. Putting him with Marius and Sou only makes fans who don't want Marius and Sou with juniors angry and have unnecessary negative feelings towards him, and it makes him less the center of attention. If it was just juniors, he would be the top junior, but add in Marius and Sou, and he becomes secondary. Genki is already hugely popular among junior fans and well known with anyone who watches Shounen Club. I really don't think that this is even really helping him, to be honest. I think it's hurting everyone.

[mrsyamada.livejournal.com]

yeah i agree that it's hurting everyone~ i haven't heard of any hate towards the jrs involved thank god! but yeah you might be right about that~ I really don't want to see Genki be hated like that though he's my favorite and i want to see him happy!

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

I don't know; I've heard people saying some unpleasant things about juniors in general (not Genki specifically), so I hope that people don't want to support juniors less because of this ;__; I just hope everything works out.

[mrsyamada.livejournal.com]

people don't like the jrs? O.o how could you not? they are johnny's and everyone was a jr at one point!

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

I think it's more like, they're angry about certain things? Not just that they hate all juniors. They're angry that Marius and Sou are being treated like Juniors. I don't know. :x

[mrsyamada.livejournal.com]

oh ok~ i can understand their anger but the jrs are totally innocent D:

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's sad :

[mrsyamada.livejournal.com]

:( and question do you have your profile pic on a rotation? cause it's always different XD

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

No, I choose a new picture to suit my mood when I post a comment. You just click the drop-down menu that says "Picture to use:" and select something else besides "default." On my journal, it's on the upper right-hand corner of the comment box. There's an opinion to "browse" your userpics, too, to the right of the "default" dropdown menu. You can choose what profile pic you want to use based on the keyword (mine are here, so, for example, this time I chose "Marius: sweet").

I hope that answers your question. ^^

[mrsyamada.livejournal.com]

ohhhhh ok X3 i got curious lol

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

No worries XD Happy to help.

[yomimashou.livejournal.com]

Ugh, why >__< I'm glad that the Johnny's page hasn't changed, and in the end, that's what says who's in Sexy Zone, but yeah... I really hope things get better soon ;__;

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I just hope that the change isn't just because Johnny's is lazy ; It's the KQJ images, which makes me worry that they're going to change it when the new single comes out.

[kazuna-miu.livejournal.com]

this information make my heart relieve a little cause jonnys respond.. i hope i can believe his word..
i just found a petition for keep 5 member sexy zone which share in LJ sexy_zone ... i have been sign this petition but i don't know how can this petition will sent to jonnys.. do u think it will be work?

i hope they are together again and don't slip again anymore :)

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think that this petition will have an difference, and in fact, I don't think anyone in Johnny's will even read it. Certainly, there is contact information for Johnny's, but even if it was emailed to that address, probably, a secretary would delete it. Even if they reach their goal of 100 names, there are a few things to consider:
1) 100 people is literally nothing to Johnny's. When every single CD sells tens of thousands of copies and every single concert is attended by tens of thousands of fans, 100 people is a tiny amount.
2) Johnny's does not care what its foreign fans think. At the end of the day, the foreign fans are not how they get money. What matters to them is if Japanese fans will buy the CD or not.
3) Johnny's upper management simply does not have the time to read every random thing that gets sent to them in the mail. Johnny's gets tons of hate mail every day, as well as mail telling them what to do, or complaining about the amount of screen time various artists get. If they read every complaint, they wouldn't have time to manage. I find in incredibly doubtful that anyone in Johnny's beyond a secretary would ever read it.
4) The petition is misinformed. It is highly unlikely that Sexy Zone's group manager has he power to decide that three members would be removed from a single. More likely, it's Johnny's upper management, like Ijima (who is NOT Sexy Zone's manager) or even Johnny himself. If individual group managers had that sort of power, Johnny's would not be able to be managed as tightly and successfully as it has been for the past 50 years.
5) The comments are all in English, and it is highly doubtful that most of Johnny's management can read English. English ability in Japan is lower than literally any other Asian country besides North Korea, for which there is no data. To understand, they'd have to pay a translator, and why would they spend money paying a translator to translate something that's basically not important to them?
6) Petitions are just not how Japanese culture/society/business works. There is a reason Japanese fans are not petitioning-- because it's just not how it works here. I think that the least (and most likely) the management will just ignore it and throw it out, but at worst, they'll even be offended by it and think poorly of foreign fans because of it.

I think for now, the best thing to do is to speak with our money and not buy the single. For foreign fans, especially ones who don't live in Japan, unfortunately, there's not much more than can be done.

[kazuna-miu.livejournal.com]

thank you to explain me so much about this :)
it really make me more understand about jonnys & japan culture

yes.. jonnys will always think about japan fans and not foreign fans cause jonnys really close his eyes and always treat foreign fans like shadow.. now i just can pray for sexy zone :')

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

No problem. ^^

To be honest, Johnny's ignoring foreign fans isn't really an insult to foreign fans, or anything like that. It's the fact that marketing to foreign audiences would mean changing Johnny's entire image, and they don't want to do that. There's no point, from a business standpoint, of making it easier for foreign fans to be involved if it won't cause significant monetary payoff, and the percentage of foreign fans currently able to buy concert tickets and come to Japan for events isn't enough to make them enough money for that. To get more money from foreign fans, they would have to take pop culture in every other country into consideration and change the image of the idols. For example, in America, it's not acceptable for male pop stars to wear sequins, or bright colours, or basically anything but jeans. So in order to market to American audiences, Johnny's would have to stop wearing sequined costumes or anything other than jeans. That would completely ruin the image of Johnny's. So that's why they don't want to market to foreign fans.

But yes. Let's all keep Sexy Zone in our thoughts.

[britkit27.livejournal.com]

Ugh D: Well, I'm glad the picture hasn't changed, though they may just be being lazy goodness knows, and hopefully this time they're being honest or at least reconsidering about future three-member singles... Keep us posted, I guess :<

Have fun in Tokyo! I know I've not been around much internet-wise since getting back (for a vacation things have been awfully busy idgi) but let me know how dress shopping and stuff goes, and if there's anything good at the shop :D

[faded-lace.livejournal.com]

We can only hope >___<;;; I don't trust Johnny's a lot, but… I'm hoping.

Well, consdiering this post is from Friday, I already am back from Tokyo and went to the shop and stuff. It was all good. The dress fit and I got my junior photos.