That actually is their favorite approach: - Address the problem the least possible. - Let some time go by and wait for the anger of the fans to abate a little. - Deal with a more manageable remaining backlash. - Go on like nothing happened. The thing is, this time it's a much worse situation, it's not a dating scandal. Making fun of disabled people, telling them to die. Geez. That is enough to shake a stablished celebrity's carrer, possibly ruining it, and Aruno is an absolute amateur. Does she have that much influence to watch her back? What I'd like to know is how big of an uproar is this among japanese fans. Is this spreading like fire and creating a freaking ruckus? Or is it nestled among a few netizens, while some other are trying to hush it? That's what will decide management's stance, if they're going to let it slide or is it big enough that they'll have to take stronger measures about it.
If I was new mgmt, dismiss Aruno from group and issue immediate apology to media. Time is of the essence regarding official statement. Standard stuff. I got 2 options: Replace Aruno with another member with similar vocal talent. Safest route right now would be KuboShi. Add deserving member to fill in senbatsu. Re-record everything to include reshooting MV even if this means taking a massive financial hit. Hopefully CDs aren’t being pressed if so everything needs to be destroyed. Pray none gets out and sold for thousands at yahoo auctions. Still plan on introducing remaining 5Ki at schedule date to help put out the fire/ease pain. Maybe delaying release by a month if cannot meet actual release date. Or Nuke the entire single from orbit and have new title release with new center after Birthday Live in May.
Yeah my fear is they won't do anything except maybe she won't be in senbatsu for the 30th single (and neither will any other 5ki just like with 3ki). Then they'll just sneak her back into the front row and center spot by next year. Am I the only one who wasn't blown away by her voice, especially in this single? I just don't see why any other potential center like Asuka couldn't pull this song off, especially with the techno vibe that it has (i.e. worst case just put a little techno autotune in).
I went out for a drink with friends, came back and management still haven't made some kind of emergency statement after 12 hours? lol I'm surprised tbh, considering this has blown up with jp fans so much. I imagine there will be an update by the time I wake up
Same, if it's just studio recording, any decent singing member can pull it off. I think Asuka's voice will be a good fit for it. And with regards to her "unprecedented singing skill" claim, honestly it's laughable. Aruno can sing but no way is she better than Mahiro or Ikuta. I went back to watch Mahiro omitatekai singing and I find her to be just as good, even with much lower quality audio.
there's nothing special in her voice, management or Aki-P just trying to hype her, even Shibata Yuna can do better.
I hope management take a professional act on this, I fear that this gonna be the start of Yamaguchi Maho-like situation for Nogi, where fans start to lose trust to management and become apathetic with the group.
If Aruno doesn't get terminated, it will be bad for 5th gen, she will be the thorn that might prevent the growth of 5th gen. From here on, I expect 5th gen will be promoted heavily, they may get their own shows the way 4th gen did. But if Aruno continue to be around them, it will be a bad publication. I may be overthinking it, but someone with that kind of negative vibe would only spell trouble for the other 5th gen members. I hope management can really be stern towards her, because I have high hopes with these 5th gen members. I already like at least 5 out of the 8 that has been introduced and that's the most out of any gen being introduced. I really don't wish 5th gen to collapse due to a single thorn.
That's what I fear the most. If she's Aki-P's new apple or if some big fish is indeed behind all these, nothing will happen. This push could be a sign they want to make her big. And if all these things being talked about her are true and they knew even a small part of it, prepare for the worst. Btw, did it already create enough noise that it could reach management's ears? Next performance is Shibuya Note, right? 6 days, let's see if we'll hear something from them.
We don't even want her in Unders lol It's kind of weird that they didn't put other 5th gen members together in this airdrop, only 1 member
Really weird how management hasn't said anything. They quickly put out a statement regarding Tomisato Nao's twitter account but they've been silent about this when it's much worse. Are they waiting for Monday? Or will they just ignore it?
Wow... I knew that Aruno is problematic girl like Suzuki Yuka... but she is even worse... WOW... She must be fired and at least A-side must be changed. Maybe Sony or Zest want to cancel Nogizaka46? Or does she have powerful parents? After all Satsuki in center please.
I don't follow Nogi as much ever since my kamioshi Nanase graduated on the very last day of 2018, but please... don't let Nogi's positive image these past 10 years be tainted with something as avoidable as this. They just celebrated a milestone, a decade in the showbiz, and have cemented their place as Japan's number 1 girlgroup. It's just so weird how the management could afford such a huge blunder that could really well jeopardize Nogi's image. Out of all the talented, sweethearted Nogi members they could choose from, somehow they just had to choose a rookie that people barely knew, who just happened to have the most problematic past/attitude. The things she said and posted on her SM, all of them just scream the opposite of Nogi. And it's just not fair for the other members, especially the ones who've been in the group for so many years, giving their blood sweat tears and youth for the group. They get to be represented in the media during this single, by someone like that. A simple background check would've sufficed, and everything can be found online these days so her SM accounts should've been the very first thing they've analyzed. Besides, isn't that just what almost every company does when they're assessing candidates to fill a position? See how their mental state/personality is? To see if the candidate fits the role, and the company's visions missions/image? And a position as IMPORTANT and CRUCIAL as a Center? This is hands down a result of a power play from the higher ups (ehem Aki-P DOES have that short-haired girl as center fetish ehem lol). Celebrating a milestone while also adding a new Gen should've meant even greater responsibilities to maintain and improve Nogi's image, by choosing the right concepts and the right personnel (especially Center)... instead, they (besides choosing the literal antithesis of a Nogi member as Center) chose to give Nogi who already have an established musical concept something that sounded like a Keyaki/Sakurazaka reject. This is not the change i wanted. They could've chosen any other new concepts to try BUT that (this is just my opinion on the title track, i never liked Keyaki's concepts/songs but i still hope the couplings are just exactly what Nogi are known for). Again, even tho i don't follow Nogi that closely anymore, i still care about the group, especially when they still have some of my fav 3rd Gen members there (my last Nogi rays of sunshine). Nogi era 2014-2018 gave me a glimmer of hope & strength when i was in such a dark place... and the 1st-3rd Gen members during those years gave me something to smile about every day. Don't want the legacy they left behind to be ruined like this. So please management, do the right thing. Do the proper damage control. Material losses are inevitable but it is nothing compared to the lost of trust from so many fans & people who want to be Nogi fans in the future.
^ Indeed, there are rumours who said this is all Aki-P fetish and Sony mgmt actually opposed it. It sounds plausible. From all kinds of angle, there is no way making an unknown 5th gen member centering a Keya-like song a good profitable decision. Especially when she doesn't have that Nogi elegant image (even if they foolishly not known her background). I'm just afraid that old man is too stubborn to mend the mistake and Nogi will suffer like Keya as a result. Let's hope that's not the case and we hear something from them tomorrow.
Something tells me declining sales since the start of the pandemic helped him win the argument. They all likely know something has to be done to mix things up, but I'd guess only a sales flop will deter Aki-P. He probably knew all of this was coming out which is why his media blitz is about to start. He's going to spend at least half the time talking up Aruno as the next big thing.
Deep down we all know that old geezer will say 'i only write the song'. Just FYI, he will be on ANN next week.
I hope mgmt doesn’t try to sweep this under the rug. It would be disastrous if more stuff is uncovered after the single release.
