[GENERAL] The Sakurazaka46 / Keyakizaka46 Thread

Yeah they still have some killer live performances. I can't forget how when they recently did BAN at CDTV, the MC once the performance was over began screaming "saiko!" (the best!). Their choreographies and their dancing are top notch. I mean, people often talk about kpop and how great their dancing is, but try having a group of 15-20 dancers, doing what is essentially a contemporary dance choreography, coordinate. To be honest, what got me into Keyakizaka in the first place were those amazing dance tracks, so I'm glad that's what I enjoy the most about Sakura too (off topic, but I think Hinata are also a great dancing group, and they have shown it in songs such as Konna ni suki, or more recently in Koe no ashiato).

 

I watched the TGC live where they performed nobofa and most replies from kpop fans in the comments where about their beauty (of course lol) but there was also lots of comments about how synchronised their movements are. They work really hard to be synchronised and also they've managed to learn the ability to sing live while dancing too as observed in their latest music performances especially the utacon one with the live band.

 

yes excellent point

 

By the way, which member is always shown unclipping her hair just before the chorus of Eccentric ?

 

That's Kobayashi Yui

 

Eccentric..., Hiraishin, Mou mori, Ambivalent, Fukyouwaon... A long series of amazing choreos that made Keyakizaka / Sakurazaka what it is. No doubt that Hinatazaka choreographies have become more complicated that the initial Hiragana, simplistic moves and Nogizaka always interchange relatively static with relatively energetic choreos (e.g. Influencer, Wildernes world) but Keyaki / Sakura are thousand miles ahead in complexity, furiocity, explosiveness and mania regarding their choreography. It is IMHO their no.1 differentiating point, ahead even of lyrics and overal image.

I may displease Hinata and Nogi fans (both groups which I admire and enjoy watching and following) but this is a truth writen in stone about the ex-green / now white-pink Sakamichi triangle...

 

Phil is going through the 'yearning phase' again, I see

 

Do you think the rebranding was really that necessary ? Even though Techi left, they could still have different members as center for different songs. It would be much more interesting that way, and they could have left the emo edgy image more or less intact. Most fans would have more or less appreciated it.

Also, what wasn't their 9th single released in the later part of 2019 ?

 

It wasn't about the image any more. The girls suffered and were still suffering inder the name. Most of us think they rebranded because Techi left. I don't think so. Sugai's words in the last live said it all. The name keyaki was being hated. Harsh words from antis and haters whenever keyaki is mentioned got way out of control for the girls and the agency. They needed that rebrand, even if we don't think so. They needed to feel confident again and that could be achieved when they start afresh. The 1ki wanted to protect 2ki and under the name keyaki 2ki wld suffer from those criticisms so they had to rebrand for them. It wasn't about us this time. It was about the girls. And so far i think they are happy with it so it worked.

As for the 9th single i figure you're a new fan hence why you don't know. All i can say is that Techi had a huge contribution to that. If you want the whole deets, watch the documentary. Everything is there.

 

Who are those antis and haters actually ? Where do they come from ? Haters will still hate no matter what, and changing image is like giving in to them. Sometimes idols have to be both kawaii and tough too .

And I've been a fan of them since 2016. Just that missed out on recent events, and it is not easy to keep up with j-pop gossip when japanese is your third language.

Also, is it likely they won't be performing Keyaki songs anymore ?

 

Well you missed a lot lol. It actually started with rumors from Bunshun. And antis fuelled such rumors even though they aren't facts. The only rumor that rang true was Techi's part in the 9th single but even with that, they gave a different story. Then there were the scandals which pretty much made things worse. So these things followed the group's name. So when Sugai said it got to the stage where she wanted to close her ears whenever she heard their name, she was definitely speaking for the other members too. It was pretty ugly. So i for one was all in for their rebrand. Of course they will be reminded by those rumors by these antis but at least they have something to hold on dear and a future to look forward to.

As for them performing keyaki songs, 5he girls said they aren't getting away from keyaki. There is also the wkeyaki live coming up so we there is some hope they will perform keyaki songs in the future. But we can't be sure.

 

To quickly catch up with "why", I suggest:

• Watch documentary, out takes, the documentary individual interviews
• Then read these interviews that are taken after renaming announcement: 1, 2, 3, 4
• The Kadokawa interviews that are taken shortly after Last Live: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• Then watch MTV Inside: Sakurazaka. There are three parts (Part 3 still in QC)

 

So it means they literally abandoned Keyaki brand and when those girls can't be as successful as they were, they brought back that Keyaki?

Good move.

 

This is a possible scenario, which is not yet realized and which I strongly hope it will NEVER be the case. Sakurazaka has to succeed, overcome its past, lead Sakamichi again even if it builds upon its present AND past as well.

 

LMAO
This is what a some part of Keyaki fans still thinks so @Torigoya-San when it comest to changes from Keyaki to Sakura, we can give you our opinions (which are pretty different), you can go back and read our heated discussions about it, you can read and watch everything mngmnt decided to release after it and so on.. and then you'll have your own version about how things went and why they went like that.
My personal opinion is that No, rebranding wasn't needed, the girls shown us again and again how not needed it was, and yet here we are anyway.
Hopefully this will lead to a bright future anyway.
No matter what we think, this is the only hope we all share.

About Keyaki songs performed... I hope to see them at the Backs Live. Sakura bside are not qualitatively as good as Keyaki's yet so while I know I'll have to see them performed too I hope we'll also get past songs.

 

Omg lol. Why are you thinking so? This wkeyaki thing is going to be a one time thing and it's revived not because of the reason you gave. Most fans wanted this. They didn't abandon keyaki. I know some hardcore keyaki fans want to think this way but I'm sorry to say that wasn't the case. Keyaki was popular but the girls aren't 'popular' as keyaki as you put it because omg they only have rebranded for less than 1 year. Keyaki itself became popular after a year, after their 4th single. They were inactive for almost a year. That caused a huge downfall for keyaki. Sakurazaka46 are trying to regain their foot. They're still selling well even if it's lesser than their sister groups. A lot of the gp do not know they rebranded yet recent survey still show that they are popular. And again omg, it's been less than a year since they rebranded. Everything takes time.

 

Like you said, everything takes time. I don't think that we can just conclude the wkeyaki thing as a one-time thing just yet.

 

True. That was just my assumption. But why can't we live in the moment now and see what happens in the future when it happens? Hinata was renamed too but they kept singing hiragana songs and no one said anything abt it. Will it be too wrong if sakuzaka also does that? Keyaki songs are their songs too. They will want to visit those days. Lots of artists that rebrand do that. So if in the future they still want to do that I of course will be glad. But saying they are doing that bcos things are going wrong for them is a misconception of the whole thing. I had my fun with keyaki. I still do. But now the group are promoting as sakuzaka and that is all that matters. Give them time to settle in.

 

I am not sure if it's a good thing or not that this discussion is taking place again, but I guess it is inevitable. I just want to say, because there seems to be a lot of talk about why Sakurazaka are not perhaps selling as much as Keyakizaka or even Hinatazaka, that my impression is that to most outsiders who follow jpop (at least from what I've read and seen), Sakurazaka are doing very well, and are in an enviable position as a group. Sure, sales could have been better, and the members could have been getting more work outside the group, but if you look at the bigger picture, and from an outsider's perspective, the positives outweigh the negatives.

Regarding the rebrand, there are of course different opinions, which is understandable since we all have biases, and have been exposed to different information at different points in time, so we all have a different perspective on what Keyakizaka was. For what its worth, my impression from what I have read and seen is that most members struggled a lot with the decision to rebrand. I feel that the 1st generation members were consulted, and eventually convinced, but it was probably harder for the 2nd generation, since there was so much that they didn't have the chance to do with the group they loved so much. Things such as releasing a proper single.

On the other hand, it's not uncommon for artists to rebrand. Hirate, who for better or for worse was the face of the group, left, and new faces would have to come to the front, and while that is common in idol groups, it's not common for groups that had the same frontperson for 8 singles in a row. Let's also remember that 14/25 (15/26 when Sakurazaka started) of the current members were not there during any of Keyakizaka's 8 singles. At some point Keyakizaka had 41 members, and now only 11 of them are left (Hiragana were actually there for all of Keyakizaka's singles, including Silent Majority where Neru was the lone Hiragana member). Sakurazaka at this point consists mostly of girls who grew up watching Keyakizaka.

In the end, it is what it is. The decision was made, Keyakizaka songs could be played again, and they already have (Hinatazaka played Sekai ni wa ai shika nai recently), but we can't go back in time and bring back the group the way it was. Sure, we can ponder on what-if scenarios, but all we can really do is learn from them so that we don't repeat the same mistakes.

 

@iroiroiro thank you. Seeing comments like yours makes me happy. Yeah, it's sad that we always have to go back to these discussions. It would be so much easy and fun if we go with the now sakurazaka than always bring up a past that hurts both group and fans alike. I know its a few of us that brings these up here and there but again, if you follow the group now, even with less tv appearance than their sister groups, they still working hard to reach their goals. They are positive. Jp fans are positive. Most of us are positive. Positivity is what will push the group to surpass their past.