Single Sakurazaka46 7th Single [Shounin Yokkuu] (2023/10/18)

Yes, 363,538 is Sakurazaka's highest-ever first-day total. You can see past results on the Stage 48 Oricon page. This nips out Start Over! (352,384) for 1st place, and re-establishes the gradual growth from BAN on that was briefly interrupted by Sakurazuki. But we are still the region of Futari Saison (353,640) and have not reached the level of the next Keyaki single, Fukyouwaon (456,518). Onward and upward!

Like @watash.Iwa, I'm surprised that this is their best first day ever, after a slight slowing of meguri sales. Surprised but pleased. But I've always thought Keyaki/Sakura got more sales from outside the main male otaku demographic than other 46/48 groups did.

@Philosophy Senpai -- No wars. I took no delight in Runrun falling, just in Karin's beautiful form. And no idols were hurt in this scripted (?) slapping performance. [NOTE: Apparently this is not true.]

 

Uhm.. in the youtube live she did with Shizuki and Airi yesterday, Hikaru did mention after someone asked that they slapped each other for real and that Karin's slap really did hurt ^_^;

Source: https://x.com/toomuchidea/status/1714243535376089199?s=20

Just gonna edit this and say that I really love all the B-Sides, and Shoninyokkyu itself so I'm not surprised that the single now got the highest first day sales of the group so far

 

My 0.02 cent:

1. Shonin Yokkyu: Very good. Compared to Start over, if not a tiny step below, at least flat on the same line...

2. Mamoribito: Also very good. Although no masterpiece music-wise, the lyrics and feelings it conveys puts it among the very top of Sakurazaka so far IMHO. (I see it as the current Sakurazaka anthem W-Keyaki no uta style). Also: third in the line of GREAT 3rd gen songs...

3. Croissant: Cute, girly and idolish. Nothing more. Maybe I need more listenings

4. La vie en Rose: Cute, girly and idolish. Nothing more. Maybe I need more listenings (yes this is a copy / paste - I don't discriminate between those two. Not yet)...

5. Don't cut in line! THIS. I. LISTEN. ON. REPEAT. (Need to say more?)

6. Manhole: This comes shortly behind "Don't cut the line"... What an angry song! Another favourite...

7. Sumikaze yo: And here enters the masterpiece of the 7th single IMHO. Despite the slaps, the symbolism of which I can not grasp at the moment (please help someone on enlightening me on this), I do hope that this masterpiece will act as a slap in the face of many people that may be (dormant) Sakurazaka fans already and don't know it yet...

As a bottom-line: An OK-is main song that regresses between K and J pop, another brilliantly executed 3rd gen song, two "fillers" (idolish songs that add nothing more to the group), a great dancing ear-gasm and a wild head-banger...

 

Sakurazaka's best-ever second-day sales of 46,286 give it a best-ever two-day total of 409,824. (Oricon) Previous two-day highs were Start Over (394,825) and Nobody's Fault (359,724).

I should add that I am following the traditional Oricon sales numbers, which are probably less accurate (and lower) than other counts. But they give us a historical comparison.

 

I'm sorry Miichan went on hiatus because of her health (I presume by her blog translation) but I wonder if this couldn't have been taken in consideration while chosing senbatsu members (and please, remember, I wanted Miichan in)

Also, who is gonna sub for her?

 

...objects at rest... objects in motion... objects at rest... objects in motion... objects at rest... objects in motion... objects at rest... objects in motion...

 

Billboard report 503k at launch https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/130941

 

They're probably gonna do what they did for Pon during Nagaredama period where they just left her space free

 

I assume the hiatus was not in the plans when the senbatsu was getting put together and the MVs were getting filmed

 

I personally hope they let the backs members take her position while she's on hiatus. Gone are the days where we should be treating their positions as 'exclusive', with the senbatsu being the most rotational it's ever been the past 7 years. We have a plethora of really good girls in the backs group who can be promoted into the position to cover her, they can rotate the position so as many backs members get the opportunity to perform too.

 

Let Takemoto lighten her hair a bit more and take Mii's place. Yui, that amazing dancer deserves it.

 

Music Station Friday evening. Or YouTube odd video/sound:


if the video does not show watch the video here

I'm seeing the front line referred to as a ちいかわフロント (chiikawa furonto: "little-cute front").

 

I was confused when I thought Takemoto took over Miichan's spot (Sorry!) as I was looking at an earlier post on lineups and comparing it to the CDTV live. I've checked and Takemoto is indeed in the original lineup. They did leave Miichan's spot empty

Sad that Miichan is on hiatus but hopes she recovers soon! (She's one of my oshii too!)

Manhole is indeed out of the stand-out songs from this single! It reminds me of Tamashii no Liar. I'm just a little disappointed that the senbatsu is the same as the A-side, leaving fewer chances for the other girls to participate and shine.

 

A chart to show how fans raise their budget for each Single.

 

First week sales Oricon traditional count 450,000 units, up from the previous high of 439,000 for Start Over!

Billboard count is 545,944, up from 523,606 for Start Over!

Seven singles, seven first-week #1 hits. As one Japanese comment says: "Congratulations Sakura-chans. Congratulations to you guys. And congratulations, management."

 

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Takahiro has improved his choreography since Natsuno Chikamichi was a turning point for Infinity to move away from frenetic moves to more balanced formation where everyone is Sakurazaka similar to Keyakizaka days.

You can do it fast but the formation doesn't need to be all over the place. Shoninyokkyu is a decent song but the choreography from Takahiro is what makes the song good. Still, we need Bugbear unit, Soulife unit (Nozomu.S/Soichiro.K) and even Jun Aiba (Getsuyoubi no Asa) to take Sakurazaka to new heights when it comes to sound. Nazca did already a good job with Start over.

This single was definitely a downstep from Start over and the sales and streaming numbers increased regardless. This begins to look like Nogizaka's post-Ikoma era from 6th single and beyond where sales will increase or stagnant until the big spike for 10th single or so. Keyakizaka blew up from the get go and peaked too early which Yuipon has been very vocal about in the past they would want their process of growth like Nogizaka than be popular from the start by one member pushing them into mainstream.

Sakurazaka's 7th single is not controversial like Nogizaka's 7th single but it's a decline in quality for the songs. For instance Girl's rule and Start over had only bangers but the 7th single was riding on the success of the predecessor and fandom is growing like a snowball effect.

 

I wouldn't agree more than that... Everything to the point IMHO.

 

This single is NOT a step down from Start over lmao. Start over is better than Shoninyokkyu, yes, but the B sides (apart from Seijaku) are completely mediocre. In that sense Shoninyokkyu is better, although Samidareyo remains Sakurazaka's best single if we're counting B sides too.

 

Personally I referred only to Shoninyokkyu vs Start over (I liked Start over much more but this is entirely subjective) and NOT the rest of the songs which are just great (well, most of them) as I still believe that Croissant and La vie en Rose are both exist to wait for a new anime to have them as starting and ending themes...