Noticed we didn't have one like the other threads so i'm making sure we have one for the next year! Sakurazaka's 1st year predictions Summarization of 2021: What went well? What didn't? 2022: What are your hopes, fears and predictions for the new year?
My last year predictions below~ 2021 The Good: An overall very good year for a rebranded group. While I don't think the group has found their niche yet, they have kept the best traits of Keyaki and improved them. Their performance is still top tier, the music is still good, and their getting prettier by the day. I've noticed new fans who prefer the softer yet still cool image emerging. Management have maintained senbatsu by popularity but also rotated as needed. Thankful we never got too many repeated centers or fixed sakura8. Impressed at the 3rd row senbatsu girls getting a lot of promotion too. BACKS LIVE was great and I hope they make this an annual thing. Unit's!! And finally, perfect send off's for our graduating members. I truly am grateful for what we got this year. The Bad: Now, things weren't all perfect. The continued Sakura8 system means that certain girls will be present in almost every song for concerts for the time being. 3rd single gave us some saving grace, but they need to do more to give the girls a break. W-Keyaki fes was a complete waste of time, and I hope they don't try something like that again. The groups overall popularity isn't nearly as high as it used to be, the single's sales are stagnant and the girls who don't make senbatsu are doomed to not sell out. Sokosaku has been great but a little too repetitive compared to Keyakitte or other sakamichi shows. Overall a lot more needs to be done to promote the backs girls who aren't in senbatsu, and get the groups name out there some more. Overall: Sound year. Some improvements but they're on the right track I'd say. 2022 Hopes: - Continue rotating the senbatsu formation and center. I'd love to see a shake up so that Sakura8 girls don't feel too comfortable and the Backs members feel more driven to rank up. - Yuipon center! Tenchan center!! - Rena and/or Rei into Sakura8. Kira and Hikari in senbatsu. - More Unit songs! We're on a good pace with 3rd single, so I hope we continue to get more units and create new 2ki unit's. - Let the girls who center some songs in BACKS LIVE center during full group concerts. It gives them another chance to shine, and the center's a chance to rest. - Exclusive contracts for 1-3 more members, and consistent model gigs for 3-5 members. - Consistent TV appearances for Sakura 8 and Senbatsu members. 4-5 senbatsu girls appearing weekly on TV would be great. - They bring back the annual Summer live show, covid permitting. They could even change it to an annual Spring/Sakura concert to fit the groups theme. - Unban international fans from meguri? huuuu...... - If there are more graduations, they need to continue the graduation ceremonies. Let's make this a tradition (as painful as it may be lol) - Overall just more promotion for the group. Fears: - Graduations, specifically Yuuka's, Habu's and Fuuchans for 1ki, and Seki for 2ki. I'm worried about Kira without Akanen but I hope Nen talks sense into her lol. - Scandals... somehow I can't see anyone getting into any lol - Management somehow regress to their old ways and don't promote well and make everything unnecessarily difficult for the girls. Predictions: - 3 singles, Ten, Hono and Run. If 4 singles, add Pon - 3ki audition announcement during 2nd anniversary live. - But once again, whatever happens I'll support them throughout 2022 as well
Well, I knew Keyaki but never really cared about them. Heard some of Sakuras songs (love "Buddies"), but before their 3rd singles I didn't really cared either. Now their is Nagaredama.. and I fell in love with it. So since I'm new to this group making any bigger statement doesn't make any sense, but- my hopes are that they continue with the style they used for this single. The music, MV, issho and choreography for Nagaredama are artistically and aesthetically mesmerizing. I LOVE IT Also maybe they can drag some attention from people world wide to the sakamichi groups with their win at VMAs. Well and what I said in the Nogizaka and AKB thread- three singles are absolutely enough. Quality over quantity What I personally wish for is that they upload their show episodes on YT, like Nogi does. Tho I don't really understand anything they say, it's fun to watch and I can figure out the content from the context (if they already do this please tell me ) For fears all I can say is that your favorite member/s graduates Predictions Hmm.. three singles, at least one sells more than 500k
Welcome buddie! If by "show" you're referring to Sokosaku (Soko Magattara, Sakurazaka?), you can get english subbed episodes on KEYAVIDS and discuss each episode on this thread here!
I actually liked the idea of W-Keyaki FES, but the timing is all wrong. They had just disbanded Keyaki, so people didn't have time to really miss it yet. They should have waited for like.. a 5 year reunion kind of thing. Anyway... Hopes (these don't need to be accurate predictions, right?): - More global push for international audiences. Especially with them officially recognizing the ad that was run in New York. Seems like the next logical step. Global push doesn't necessarily mean international releases, but make things more accessible with things like official English subs. Maybe a (geo-locked?) Youtube channel that uploads full episodes of SokoSaku? - Another TV drama. I got a few of my friends into Keyakizaka through Tokudai and I think Borderless was really well done. It would be a good way to introduce the girls to people who don't really follow J-idols. - Yeah I agree, they should being back a "Keyaki Republic" equivalent. Those shows were big productions and they were the most fun to watch. - Keep the graduation ceremony trend. Keep the online live streaming trend a thing for international fans that can't go. - More members allowed SNS. This might be unrealistic d/t mobame, but a person can dream. Fears: - More 1ki grads. I love 2ki but I'm so attached to 1ki, it would hurt me to lose more members. - Management. This will always be a fear knowing how bad it's gotten. - We're steadily approaching Tsuchi and Sawabe's three to four hundred episode tenure. I'm afraid they may call it quits soon, but who knows. Actually this may be more appropriate for 2023, but still. - Kira grad. Although I wouldn't mind if it was to pursue her one true love akanen Predictions: - One more 1ki member grad. I'm predicting Ozeki. Don't ask me why. I don't know why. - 3ki auditions are almost a guarantee at this point. - 3 singles seems likely. - I'm going to throw this one out of left field, but a second Sakurazaka variety show.
>Ozeki I have my fears for Ozeki (and by extension Uemura). >3ki Reinforcements are needed, given how they are bleeding members. >second Sakurazaka variety show Sakubingo would be good.
Hope · Improvement in variety, I wish them steady growth in variety, with Inori, Chukemon & Matsuri being leading figures. Fears · Graduations, I feel like currently they have perfect number of members with best possible chemistry, I wish they would maintain it and further fortify it before adding new members. Prediction · Center, Ozono Rei · Photobook, Matsuda Rina - Moriya Rena.
Hope * Everyone to be healthy and happy!!! * Miichan & Karin dance performance or unit, because they look good together * More outside jobs for the girls in general; but also for Miichan to get an acting job (this is more like a dream but I'm manifesting), if not another radio job, or just any job... please * More unit songs per single * Seconding keeping online streaming for concerts, at least for smaller ones, as I imagine they'd like to sell DVDs/BluRays of bigger concerts * 2-3 more photobooks and modeling contracts this year Fear * Hmm I don't really have one I can think of right now Prediction: * Hikaru modeling contract * 2 singles & 1 full album * A grad announcement towards the end of the year (only because spring is "hiring season" and I imagine this member will get the job she's studying for then) * 3ki audition announcement by the end of the year, 3ki announcement by early 2023 * Various members will also get personal instagram accounts
