IZONE News and Discussion Thread

English is not my first language, and even tough I learned english long time ago, I was never taught about those acronyms that english native speakers use on internet. XD

Well I'll change it to Sukito, sorry if that acronym means something offensive.

 

Spoiler: Off topic

[HIDE]It stands for 'sexually transmitted infection.' Not necessarily offensive but also not really pleasant haha[/HIDE]

 

ENOZI Cam Ep.93:


if the video does not show watch the video here

Inkigayo 210321 MC cut with Yujin:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

So... both Sakura and Hyewon went to Busan and said they decided to go again during summer... Sakura is staying in Korea then? Because summer begins in mid May

 

You do realize K-pop groups are no less risque or unsavory/sketchy don't you? And the majority of the fans in the audience for female K-pop acts' concerts are middle aged or older than middle aged men. Ditto for the folks who attend their launch and fan events. Especially when it comes to the ones they hold in Japan when they shift gears to trying to find success and popularity in Japan because Korea hasn't been receptive to them or when they pursue succeeding in Japan to double up on their success in Korea. On the reverse side the male J-pop and K-pop acts have predominantly female fans ranging from anywhere as low as 3 year olds to 60 year old grannies. Go figure the sexes in both camps enjoy the opposite sex.

@nundi - While this could be a sign that Sakura has no intention of returning to Japan/HKT it could also be a sign she intends to vacation there when she has the time.

@Reveen - I'm also not a big fan of it wiring down to J-pop vs K-pop because they do indeed both have their merits and both can very much be enjoyable. I just think that with how extremely cocky and borderline elitist K-pop fans can get about how superior it is to J-pop it's fair game to burst the bubble in terms of how much of a phenomenon K-pop truly is, or rather isn't.

 

Y'all try so hard with this K-Pop vs J-Pop thing. No one is ever talking badly about J-Pop, they're talking badly about 48G. No one other than wota take them seriously even in Japan and haven't since the Golden Era. There are many amazing J-Pop artists that even K-Pop fans would love and 48G are completely beneath those artists.

 

"48G is a piece of crap that doesn't deserve any consideration and nobody takes them seriously, unlike K-Pop that has lots of fans, fans that appreciate real artists. And yet, I'm here, because fuck you that's why. Now excuse me, my staaaaaaans need 20 thousand more likes on YouTube!"

 

I kinda hate saying this because

1.- I would like Sakura to go and graduate properly (but lol pandemic might take too long to actually do it)
2.- I dislike BigHit

A company like BH would had not commented on them negotiating a contract with Sakura if they didn’t had at least 80% chances of it happening so I guess it was leaked by them to make her actually sign with them showing that the news would go big (and it did), time will tell and tbh I would be happy with whatever she decides bc honestly, it’s her life and if it were me I would do what I find it could help me more in the future, and let’s be real, there’s no much future in the akb groups

 

^LOL. You act like there's any hope of a success story if any idol from Japan with no Korean roots went solo in Korea. Like there would be any hope of him or her succeeding as a soloist there after being in a group there that managed to garner a fair amount of success (for... reasons, TBH I'm still trying to figure out what's appealing about Izone but to each their own) but the fans of the group never really accepted you, putting you on the spot at every turn because "ew, you're foreign" "look at the silly foreigner trying to make it here" etc.

In Japan the societal encouragement to settle down results in many idols male and female alike prioritizing starting and then raising the next generation of their families. They see the majority of their success while they are idols because of it even if they end up staying active in Entertainment and they also often end up choosing one field to focus and specialize on instead of doing a bit of everything like in their glory days as idols. Out of every 100 former J-idols you'll find just 1 that actually becomes more famous post their idol careers.

In Korea there is more laxness about settling down, but so many fans who once swore never to abandon their idols just prove themselves frauds interested in the flavor of the month and move on to the next fresh and hot thing. Despite the laxness a lot of former idols in Korea actually disappear into obscurity because they actually want normal lives and to move on to things like properly dating and potentially marriage plus starting a family.

If they don't disappear they linger trying to succeed in either solo careers or new groups (normally not large in size ones, just a duo or trio, a quartet at most, a venerable fountain of which have been flops and sunk instead of swum) then get dropped by their agencies and disappear into obscurity. I can count on one hand the ones that have managed to not lose ground after going off on their own (be it by choice to graduate, fired/resigned/withdrew (whatever you'd like to call it) due to scandal, or simply their group's time being up and the group being disbanded instead of given an extension on their existence.

 

1.- No one really mentioned she will go solo tho?

2.- honestly speaking would yo go back to HKT48 if Bighit offered you a contract with them? Be honest, bc hell I wouldn’t, see you can love hkt all you want but if you get offered an opportunity like that to go back to a group that will have make you loss the recognition you gained from other countries (bc Japan and their video restrictions will affect), you have to think about your future not just with the romanticism of your youth and the “I will make them bigger”

 

^I'm sorry, if not a solo career after Izone disbands what were you expecting Sakura to do with herself in Korea under one of their agencies and no longer a 48G member? I made mention of how it's not always a solo career that they move on to, but that it's usually no more than a quartet if they do move on to a new group instead of a solo career after their larger one disbands when it comes to K-pop idols if they don't just immediately start losing ground and fade off into obscurity within a year or two.

2: If I'm thinking with my head and not some big dream of being an international megastar I'd definitely stick with what I know. I wouldn't dare sign the contract without examining it with a fine toothed comb. Even if I went home to a group that immediately disbanded I wouldn't care. The past experiences with that group would be something I'd treasure always and assuming all my old friends haven't already left the group I'd have more than enough reason to return to the group.

While going to Korea certainly can be said to have helped the trio from the 48s grow as performers and given them a chance to experience culture of a new country, there's no guarantee they went into this venture looking to fully shift to that country. It's not unlike a foreign exchange program. There's certainly going to be temptation to stay longer and wondering of what they could do if they did, but there would be equal drive to get back to their old groups and see how they could apply all they've learned and all the growth they've made on a personal level as people to those groups.

PS:
if the video does not show watch the video here - This speaks for itself. I cannot imagine Sakura NOT wanting to get back to being able to spend time with Anna via more than just phone/video calls and potentially hanging out once or twice if lucky when Izone was doing stuff in Japan and they could fit it into their respective schedules between obligations to their respective present main groups. And Anna is just one member Sakura was close with from HKT. Then there's the matter of family. Like hell someone who hasn't been able to spend regular time with their family for 2 years isn't going to be aching to go home and be able to do so again.

 

What could she get? Probably more than what she could in Japan right now, let’s nog lie to ourselves she could get more anywhere akb isn’t already dying there’s nothing more to do there for her

Sakura is big enough to be requested by a big company, think again, would YOU say not to that just to go back to perform in the same place were you came from? Don’t you have hopes to get bigger things and better things to do and learn?

Please wake up there’s literally nothing to achieve for her in hkt anymore, she would just lose the hype she managed to get in this 2,5 years, yeah it’s sad but that’s how life and adulthood is, you just won’t stay in that’s place just bc, you need to search for bigger things

 

^Dude if you think adulthood is at all about new places you are in a very small minority. Most of humanity can't afford to go and explore new places. Yes if opportunity knocks you should take it, but you need to be very careful about it. If you just give in to opportunity without thinking it through you'll find yourself in a bad situation very quickly.

Let me ask you a serious question; are you of the mind that if Sakura went back to Japan the Korean fans she's amassed (if they're even real and not posers) would continue to support her? I think she's going to be losing any support from Korean "fans" no matter what she chooses to do. Also while it is an honor and a privilege to be considered enough of a big deal to be scouted by a big name agency with lots of influence and power Sakura would be a fool to think she's not just one in a million prospects. The familiarity of Japan, of home is not a think to look down upon.

PS: Please stop preaching at me to get woke. I'm not of interested in your "get woke, go broke" propaganda. You can stay in your bubble of K-pop, Korea, and Korean Big Name Agencies are the answer to life's greatest question for as long as you like. I'll be over here living in reality and waiting until you dispel yourself of that genjutsu.

 

And thats exactly what im talking about, Sakura just got an opportunity that MILLIONS would die to have and you expect her not to take it to go back hkt as if theres nothing more that she could do? Sakura has nothing to do signing with BH meanwhile she has much to lose if she goes back to hkt48, all the fasn she got in this time, the countries she could go, tehres nothing to lose in BH, its a big company just having her name there will give her fans, didnt you just see how many bh stans began to look out for her just because the news?

Also no one really said she will never go back to Japan anyway

 

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isnot us preaching its reality cmon lets not be blind to reality akb keeps going down and down and specially now during pandemic, canyou tell me, who is more booked, 48g, 46 or niziu in order? can you tell me the amount of exposure they get? who has more known members by the public? dont you think they have desires to go big instead to just do things just because they kno how to do it? whats the point of livig if youre too scared to live? like it or not they will graduate anyway, be it tomorrow or in 2 years, it will happen and if it can happen while you have an offer like the one Sakura got is a dream come true tbh, Sakura has said it she has desire and to do it she has to try doing new things, if idols were the type of people that get scared just because they dont know what could happen they wouldnt be idols

also no one is saying she will be a mega kpop star why are you exaggerating?

 

The problem is that she's literally a dime a dozen to them and she'd be treated as a windup doll, a toy, not a human being. The 2.5 years in Izone should've been more than enough to inform her it's not a good idea to sign with that agency no matter how big they are. Sakura could take the safer route of saving her existing money and any money from royalties she's still got coming her way and then travel the places she wants to get around to seeing and or living in on her own terms, not those of an agency that won't let her be anything close to herself and micromanage her onto the fast track of clinical depression or worse.

Spoiler: This is Getting Dark, Apologies in Advance if You Read the Spoiler & Feel Triggered:

This is dark, but I think it's worth a mention: There are K-pop idols who've been pushed so far to maintain the images their agencies make them live by who have committed suicide. I don't know of any J-pop idols who've been so unhappy under the reigns of their agency that they turned to that extreme. The opportunity is undoubtedly great, but I would fear for Sakura's safety and sanity if she did sign with them especially if she did it without thinking it through.

 

I think youre a bit too dramatic tbh, do you really think Sakura would just leave? yeah the industry is like that EVERYWHERE, do you think it is better in Japan? its bad everywhere and doesnt mean bad things happen to everyone just bc they are there, bad things could happen to anyone SADLY and to answer your question yes there has been celebrities not only idols, idols arent usually that big in Japan to them to persue it until later on and move to acting most times and ofc some get depressed and do things is not something uncommon anywhere, it happen in any country

 

One of the rumors is that BigHit is planning to launch a new idol group in Japan, similar to what JYP did with NiziU.

Again, it's just a rumor, but if true, it takes away one of the downsides of Sakura staying in kpop. She can continue to build her career in Japan and not have to deal with any foreigner stigmas, though the J-Line in Twice seem to be doing fine.

Not going to get in on the 48g vs kpop debate. I appreciate both for what they are and would be happy to see Sakura return to HKT48 as well.

 

Question to the people who is here to brag about k pop.
Do you know anything about AKB.
I can lots of reason that tell that Sakura will return to Japan.
The first reason is that Japan is the second biggest music market in the world.
2 Sakura has been a star since 2012. Why would she sign a contract with an korean company and spend several years away from spotlight and lose both the korean and japanese fanbases
3 With Japan has 120 million and South Korea has less than 60 million inhabitants why should she chose the smaller market for the bigger market in her homecountry.
4 The only people who left AKB at the spot are members who get fired. If Sakura leaves on spot that would lead to consecenses that big hit or any other kpop agency wants.
5 Big hits owner did get a song from AkiP to a BTS release which did not get released because that angered kfans.
She surley knows this and heard horror stories from Izones korean members and from Juri and Miyu too.
Eventually Hybe has offered her a contract for them to represent her i Korea.

 

tbh i dont like bh i think their music is bad and put too much autotune, but theyre a big company and it could help her, bh is trying to open themselves in japan, doesnt mean she will debut in korea or she will still be an idol but it will give her hype since bh stans are zombie like and would like anything with the label on it, and yeah i think she will lose hype if she goes to japan not bc is hkt but bc its hard to find content naturlly fans will drop meanwhile having a company like bh would make that easier

whatever she does i will be happy for her anyway