Well, 2023 is almost ending so i think it´s time for the annual predictions post before a new year starts. So i wanted to know what are your hopes, predictions and fears for 2024 regarding Sakurazaka46. 2023 was an amazing year for our girls. From a hit song to overseas performances(a thing many international fans have been dreaming since Keyaki days) and english subs to Sakurazaka Channel videos, they were The moment in many events. So i really want to hear what you guys think will happen in 2024. Personally Hopes Another hit song No 2ki graduations Sakurazaka annual event live(just like Hinatazaka has Hinakuri) More unit songs S&F/Sony keep the international push by giving us more overseas performances 1st Group PB 3ki Tv show Predictions Hikaru and Karin 1st PB Shizuki or Airi first main song center Konnagi, Miu and Mio first senbatsu Inori senbatsu comeback Kouhaku again Odakura Reina popularity rise(similar to Renaa in 2022) Fears No more 1ki until the end of 2024 Scandals S&F stop managing them like they are now and go back to doing only the bare minimum like they did in 2020-2021 when all we had was some occasional concert livestream and sokosaku to rely on. Any 3ki graduation No Kouhaku
This was my first time posting, and here we go-- Hopes a hit song! Hono not graduate (yet) Sakura valentine concert Group 1st Dorama Group 1st Documentary More (Deserve) push to 3rd Gen such as pb, dorama, or their own variety show Tenchan comeback as Center Another overseas concert, I'd like to have "Sakurazaka46 Live in shanghai" No 3rd gen centering A-side until mid 2024, I am okay with them centering A-Sides at the end of the year. Esp if the center is Airi Return the saku8 concept and make the 3rd gen as bside center, so they can gradually pushing them as A-side center Kouhaku again More Summer Festival for them!!! Back to Tokyo Dome! Another Variety Show like sakubingo Odakura popularity rise! Mellow or folk concept for their comeback! Backs Album and tour Predictions Karin getting more attention, acting job, center position (Again), and pb (Maybe) Ten-chan Center Triangle Magazine Miu and Mio entering senbatsu Murai Yuu popularity rise All the 1st gen grad Another year with jobless Hikaru (until she realese pb) No more big push like this year Fear No huge promotion like this year Dating scandal Experimental A-Side or "Heavy dance oriented" song More graduation coming, esp from 2nd Gen Management stop pushing them Management couldn't focus on two group
Hopes A real hit song. Not many graduates. Enriko 3ki center Hikari coupling center A new variety show. Backs own single/ Maybe variety like nogi unders had (nogizaka koko i think it's called) A new regular concert, like ani or w-keyaki. - Predictions: Nagisa into senbatsu Mio next 3ki center, than into senbatsu 1ki will be wiped out by the end of the year or 1 remains. more 2ki graduations, but not that many. More content for overseas buddies, they will definetly continue subbing saku content into english. I also think another overseas perfomance. Saku8 returns at the end of the next year, so that a 3ki member can become center. (my guess would be airi) Backs live this year will be a great success. This year we will see some familiair centers back and introduce 1 new. - Fear Overworking Management stops caring for international buddies. Management stops caring in general Mii-chan grad
Spoiler: last year's hopes in-person handshakes resume - rip audiences are allowed to cheer during lives again three singles to make up for last year, one 3rd gen center more unit songs, especially for non-perma-senbatsu members - Shounin Yokkyu is the only single that had actual units (not counting backs/generation songs), and even then they were made up exclusively of popular perma-senbatsu members. (ok, not really, but I'm pretty sure mio and miu will become senbatsu locks starting with the next single) new variety show, either for the whole group or just 3rd gen (or at least youtube/online content) fears they keep using those ugly grainy-looking backgrounds for the members' profile pictures, lol - thankfully the last two singles didn't have them! s&f keeps being stingy and giving them the middle child treatment - nope! quite the opposite, it feels like they've finally started pulling their weight w/ managing sakurazaka this year. hoping they keep this energy for next year too. predictions not many grads this year, i can't really see any of the current members being in a rush to leave - 2 grads and one announcement, could be worse. second point is yellow because yuipon's feels weirdly rushed, despite the fact that it's still two months ahead. more members open up instagram accounts they get invited to kouhaku this year at least one member gets a photobook (rei seems the most likely?) hopes physical handshakes resume. it's 2024 or never, but at this point it's been so long without them, so I'll be cutting down on the hopium a little. 3 singles per year becomes the norm sokosaku streaming on youtube fears s&f starts getting lazy again and we get another year full of nothing all remaining 1ki graduate any 2ki graduation predictions shizuki solo center or shizuki/airi W-center more acting/CM jobs for karin and ten inori and/or yuzu photobooks more overseas performances, even if it's small-scale things like japan expo appearances. sakurazaka is pretty much acknowledged as a "global" group now (lol), and imo it'd be really stupid of s&f to suddenly decide they don't care about throwing international fans a bone occasionally anymore.
