what i understand is that this statement is completely wrong and i don't see any of those explanations you're talking about. It's the same nonsense when people speculated in 2011 that Antis have voted Yuko in order to take down Acchan. You're just devaluating Sasshi's victory, calling it "2ch trolling win" while Yuko got her career through tremendous effort??? Do you actually realize how much of a hassle it was to recover from her scandal, to regain a decent reputation through japanese media and through HKT promotion? You think Sasshi path in HKT is something Yuko should laugh about because it's nothing compared to Yuko's tremendous effort? Does that make any sense? When in the world there are better idols than others because they "got there by themselves" or "she just got pushed by management"? One path is right and the other one is lame? I just see girls having an opportunity handed over and trying their best with it. Some create their opportunity all by themselves. Others are given to because management trust them. But everyone, and i mean it, use it with full effort. No path is better than the other. Mayu needed 6 years to reach the top. She was a pushed member from management, it didn't make her path easier. Like any popular member, she got supporters and people who disliked her "fake" smile, "fake" character. Sakura doesn't make the unanimity, and i would be highly surprised if she did. Because no one is perfect. To the "i don't understand why Sakura is pushed so much", i can answer it with my words, if opinions still matters to be heard. Because i am amazed by the spirit she's putting doing her activities. Through this spirit, she changed so much you wouldn't even recognize her 2 years ago. She doesn't sing well enough, dance well enough to some people's standard. Fair enough. But her supporters are very receiptive to the energy, she's "sharing" with us. Always this positive attitude that allow her to move forward with us following her. Even though she hasn't immediate assets like Tano Yuka for example, her improvement is mostly why management put so much hopes in her. She's still growing. A potential that can lead to YOUR standards, in dancing, singing and of course Aura. That's something i really wish for.
duh lol.. anyways, I just want something that has somewhat decent acting and something that's not painful to watch. Since Sakura was a child actress I would hope it would be better.. since shes not completely new to it. I will obviously give it a few more episodes to get better.
Of course, I'm open to different points of view and I appreciate your explanation. For some time I thought what the fans find on her and why she is pushed. When she fell at the Tokyo Dome and brought down Ricchan, I thought what a metaphor Anyway, I don't hate her. I guess she is not my type of Idol and even if she improves I don't think I will change my mind. Btw, I like the show, same as the previous seasons. The key is to be there just for the fun of watching your idols without much expectation.
Why are the girls criticized for acting? It's not thier fault the lines are cheesy, stiff and don't make much sense. They're probably asked to act exactly that way.
A lil off topic: I only watched MajiGaku 1 & then went straight to MajiGaku 4. So last night, I watched the first ep of MajiGaku 2...For the Majijo stuff [I'll get to MajiGaku 3 & Sailor Zombie later, I guess]...for the Majijo storylines...MajiGaku 4 is really lazy EVEN FOR CAMP/GRINDHOUSE/B MOVIE entertainment. MajiGaku 2's 1st ep is GREAT. Script is fun, the scenes are well-designed, the choreo for Nezumi vs 4 Majijo girls is *unique*, the characters all pop in interesting ways-- Gekikara turning into Amakuchi? Gakuran getting even more campy with that pomp? Shaku's scenes being *visually interesting* Hell, even the script pokes a LOT of metatextual fun at the members & their other film/drama work. BUT MajiGaku 2 had 2 things going for it: it had characters setup over an entire season, so you'd need the context of MajiGaku 1 to enjoy it as much as I did...and most of the members in MajiGaku 1 had prior acting experience [Acchan, Rena, Kitarie, Miichan]. MajiGaku 2 ALSO had some drawbacks-- namely, Center is fairly one-note, even though her aggressive personality is fun. Nezumi [in ep 1] & Team Fondue gave bland performances...well, except Nezumi's fight which WOW that choreo is REALLY great & fun. All this to say: all-48G bias aside [and I am FULL OF IT, I assure you] MajiGaku 4's first episode [just the first ep we're talking here] is a lazy, thinly veiled rehashed shamble of MajiGaku 1 for AKS to shove more Sakura our way...and it fails, even for camp/grindhouse/B movie entertainment, *partly* because this is Sakura's FIRST character role acting [I use 'character role,' because she's had to do some acting on variety shows & as a child?]. Her script is TERRIBLE, her character is designed as bland, but her acting doesn't even do anything with it. I REALLY hope by midseason, she settles in after all the criticism, etc. Look, Acchan's first ep of MajiGaku was pretty bland too. Her character was designed bland, the script gave her nothing, BUT by midseason, Acchan sold it [her glasses motif & relationship with Daruma really helps, not gonna lie]. Fact of the matter is, Acchan turned a bad situation for an actress into something fun, campy, entertaining, etc-- she *got* what they were going for after awhile. It is up to Sakura & all the other first-time character actresses to step up & make something of MajiGaku 4 [by at least midseason please]. To drive the point home further, "good" actresses can make something entertaining to watch with little to no script, whereas bad actresses crack under pressure & blame the script for having nothing to work with. I use "good " actresses, because even in B movie/grindhouse/camp entertainment, there are people who *get* what they're going for & then there are people who don't. Side note: I tv shows that are "bad in a good way." Watch MajiGaku 2's first ep. THAT is "bad in a good way." MajiGaku 4's FIRST ep was not :/ I'm just waiting for knifehand Kojimako
No. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but before joing AKB48, Sasshi was a H!P wota and 2channeler. She knows the importance of 2ch and how to use 2ch as a tool for stealth marketing and promotion. When she became an idol herself, she didn't suddenly forget all that she had learned. No she knows she gets attention from fans and demand by throwing 2ch some red meat. Sasshi has this great talent of knowing what to say and when to say it. She knows when she annoys some people, there will be other people who will enjoy her and support her. If she doesn't do anything, just stays silent nothing happens. That a problem a lot of members have. You don't hear anything about them because there just isn't really anything to say about them. One way to break the wall of silence is to push the hell out these members. Another way is to make the news yourself. That's where Sasshi's hetare character comes in. Sasshi's hetare ways will get her some antis, but at the same time people will notice her and maybe become her fan. I'm not saying she never got a push by management because she did. But she knows how to work 2ch without management telling her what to do. Yuko's priorities however, lay always with team K, theater performances and handshake events. Those required a lot of effort and attention. Team K always had this strong message about effort and team work. But when Yuko suddenly saw all of that crumble to nothing, because of Sasshi the hetare, it was just a really comical moment. And I'm glad she appreciates it. That's about the same way it will work for me if Sakura is going to win the election one day. It's the same way it works for me now with her being the Majisuka lead. I'm going to enjoy this show.
Now now, no need to bring in 2013 election results and management pushes into this thread. Let's save that for next time. That said, I've been brushing up on my Majisuka and decided to re-watch bits of MJ1 & MJ2. I'm fairly interested in Otabe's character the most this season. In my opinion, she hasn't drastically changed since MJ2. She's just more outspoken now. I wonder what really happened for her to give the presidency to Salt though. Also I'm very curious as to what happened to both center and nezumi. Did they succeed to be Majijo's top? Did they graduate before Salt arrived? Hope that some loose strings can be tied up in the next episodes of MJ4.
Yeah yeah @evile1690 I hope they answer the reason why there are characters from other seasons in MajiGaku 4 in the same way they did in the 1st ep-- "NEVER talk about Otabe being held back" & the Sasshi/Scandal jokes that "never get old." One thing I'm interested in is how they'll answer Minami? Takamina was in MajiGaku 1 as 'Minami' and she was dead. Now she's in MajiGaku 4 as 'Minami' and she's alive? I hope the question comes up & they push it to the side saying Dead-Minami was a totally different girl from a different school OR maybe even "shh SHH it's not gonna matter because she's graduating this year" LOLOLOLOLOOL I just *hope* it's not lazy writing, but instead a setup for a dumb one-off joke later
At the moment, NMB's Teppen Tottande drama version is still cooler than MG4 Even with Fuuchan's cringe-worthy acting kekeke. http://alive.in.th/watch_video.php?v=4Y1YWDGO8K8A&play_list=1157 I'm pretty sure AIDOL had English subs for this but no idea where it is now lol. Who needs yankees when you have mafia?? Imagine if they linked Antonio's and Kobii's background to this! *shot* As if they will lol. Then Fuuchan can act as a ghost again!
@CherryBonchan isn't it already implied that all characters played by Minami in the Majisuka series are different? None of them are related to one another so no loose ends for her whatsoever. Though correct me if I'm wrong but the Minami in MJ4 did say she attended the school. Or just that she knows a lot about it? ------------- Also from : http://www.ntv.co.jp/majisuka4/music/index.html OP SONG : Majisuka Fight ED SONG : Yankee Rock
@CherryBonchan You assertion that this is Sakuratan's first character work is wrong. Had you done your research, or even read earlier pages of this thread, you would know this is not her first TV acting gig. There is a show called Himitsu that Sakuratan had a roll in. And in it she does a much better job, because her charater was written with more depth. And that was in a one shot. And failings in the Sakura character, so far in ep.1, I would chalk up to script and direction, not the actress. Because I have seen better from her.
The show is on par with the previous ones, I guess. But, sorry, I cringe at Sakura every time she's on screen. Her acting... just doesn't tell me anything. Yeah, she's supposed to be blank and all, but it looks like she's trying too hard. And was it neccesary to make her the reincarnation of Acchan? "She has Maeda's eyes"... like, really? Talk about being blunt about a push Even the haircut is the same Acchan used. And it looks like wig on Sakura. Oh, well! Paruru and Ricchan are the ones who surprised me the most for good. And I couldn't stop laughing at Salt's punch at Bakamono.
@CherryBonchan I don't think there are any loose ends regarding Minami. Minami from MJ1 never went to MJ high school. Also, only Maeda's character and Erena's character knew her. The fact that the same person (Minami) is playing two different characters with the same name doesn't mean anything in particular. Minami is a popular name is Japan. @evil1690 She is presented as "マジ女 OG", and according with Aidol's translation that means "Maji-jo Graduate". That would mean that this Minami went to MJ.
@evile1690 @hugoa I mean, yeah, I KNOW Minami 4 is different than Minami 1, but I'd like to see that tongue-in-cheek metahumor back in MajiGaku 4, especially when Paruru & Sasshi are playing different characters in the same world? Sasshi was Wota & now she's Scandal? Paruru was Kanburi & now she's Salt. But Takamina is playing a different character, but with the same name as her previous Majijo role? I'm sure there'll be some joke about it in future eps LOLOLOLL oh yeah, Minami 4 said she went to Majijo? I don't believe Minami 1 went to Majijo though...she went to Acchan's previous school, etc. I just hope they joke about her playing two different Minamis LOLOLOLOLOOL @hjr1891 no, I did the research & edited my words a while ago. I know Sakura was a child actress, but MajiGaku 4 is a "character role," because it's for a camp/grindhouse/B movie tv show. It's a VERY different approach to acting than what she might've been accustomed to when she was a kid or on our beloved 48G variety shows. Look, I do indie film/short casting in LV & LA, blaming the script is the first sign of being a bad actor. Like I said before, a "good" actor can take a bad script/direction & turn it into something entertaining. A bad actor blames the script for nothing to work with at the first sign of criticism. MajiGaku has always had an otherwise untenable acting situation [iffy script/direction/cinematography/production values, especially for a multimillion dollar organization]. But in MajiGaku 1, they made something really cheaply enjoyable by midseason. I HOPE by midseason, MajiGaku 4 picks up & these first time character actresses *get* what MajiGaku is going for. Reiterating [because I know no one wants to sift through 37 pgs of arguing]: the character gimmicks are fun & interesting. Knifehand Kojimako, poisoned honey Milky, magic trick Yuria, KY Tani, RYOKA CUSSING UP A STORM...it should be really fun when it gets rolling. But Sakura, sad to say, they put a LOT of weight on her in this first ep & she does not bring it or anything to the role. AGAIN, first ep. I hope by midseason she *gets* it.
@Togasaki, please stay on topic instead of speculating various things that a member thought of in the past. To everyone else though, please keep discussions civil in the thread. It's totally fine to dislike the cast or the direction or the quality of the show or whatever, but it's not the first time we've seen this in an idol drama (and in this MG franchise in particular) so please try to keep discussions civil and respectful of each other's opinion instead of needlessly bashing it because that's just beating a dead horse and ruins the enjoyment for those who do enjoy watching Majisuka Gakuen.
Watched most of it. Good campy fun again, though the new rappapa doesn't feel quite legit because: 1. They don't look or feel very distinctive: where are the 5 dollar fur coats? Blingy jackets? Super tall girls mixed with the super short girls? I would have trouble picking them out from the mooks at the moment... 2. These are a random mix of girls. Yes they are up and coming, yes there are obvious pairings, yes they have probably been promoting together in some form in every combination ever, but these are not the 5 names I would spill out immediately if I think of...well...anything. Best friends? Regular senbatsu members? Similar generations? Same group? Similar levels of push? Nope, defo not these names coming out in this order... Sure all of them are some sort of a management favourite, but they are definitely on different levels and types of favouritism... 3. Yoga is weird. Don't give Annin such a random weird thing to be her character Shtick. A good actress will struggle to not look awful/hilarious/strange in this role. Is Annin so completely indistinctive that they can't think of a more natural gimmick for her? Can't she just be an ice queen? That's easy! Random thoughts (this will be long, can't find spoiler button): 1. Wow Sakura is self conscious, that is some stiff movement girl! Loving the deep voice though, just work on the facial movement and it will be fine. Silent and mysterious heroines rely so much on your looks it's kind of unfair she got this archetype. I mean, it requires looking thoughtful, serious, calm or in dramatic moments dully surprised. THESE CAN LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME. Paruru couldn't do it well either in the last series, ended up looking bulgy eyed instead of dully surprised and bored/hungry/sleepy instead of the other ones. Only maeda can rock dull surprise like no other, it's kind of her thing. The other emotions were pretty much her resting normal face anyway. 2. SCREW YOU whoever decided Naachan only deserves a mook role. Boo hiss. I'm not a big big fan of hers but boooo hisssss! You suck! 3. Otabe's role is RUINED I tell you! RUINED! The classy, demure and pleasant Kyoto lady who's whip smart, mysterious and would elegantly defend herself is now a class dunce who initiates violence? I object to this! I don't care if there are way too many similar types this season, give back the old Otabe! 4. Paruru can do grumpy/quiet/bored roles well, well colour me surprise. Extra points for the creepy smile though, I did not see that coming and it was super effective 5. Lol at Nyannyan trying to look effective yet classy fighting in a short dress. Those kicks cannot hurt a grandma but props to the girls for enthusiastically throwing themselves at the air in an attempt to look injured 6. Disappointed with Sayanee. I guess I got so used to rainbows and sunshine appearing whatever she does, that when she is merely good in her role as opposed to unforgettable I can only be disappointed. Milky is surprisingly good but my expectations are low and she's just playing a pervier version of herself anyway. 7. I expected more out of Mion for some reason. 8. Kato rena looks super different lately 9. The opening song is super weak sauce this time. Where's the catchiness? The hook? The bass??? I love cheesy catchy songs... 10. Yoga is a weird character. What,is she going to go through a pose every time she appears? Please do the upside down monkey begging for spare change...Try and make that look serious and cool! 11. Big fat lol at the commentary during the fight scene. 'My god! She did big movements on purpose! WHAT IS THIS GOD OF FIGHTING BEFORE ME???' Really loved the look on Sakura's face when she punched the girl at close range though, all 'girl, you a dead woman standing' 12. I wished they kept the old characters the girls had played. It would be nice to have an evolution of the girls and see them move up in the hierarchy from past seasons. It would feel less static at least, it sucks that everyone had their own position in terms of strength and stay that way forever. I couldn't stand how everyone was waiting for maeda to come down on her magical Jesus unicorn to save the day all of season 2. I guess it's a bit much to ask from a silly idol show but still...im sick of the calm perfect fighter, what's wrong with a girl who was crap at fighting but through a moving storyline became the best? Perfection is boring in a drama... 13. 'If you fight the queens first salt will appear' what? Is she a super rare Pokemon? Juri can't just promise something like that! Unless she follows Sakura around with a bag of salt... She is totally not just saying that to lengthen the story, oh no of course not! 14. Ok I'm done. FOR NOW.
