PSA: Sexy Zone only has 3 members

[faded_lace]

Seriously, Johnny's?!I've tried to write this off as marketing, tried to tell myself similar things have happened to older groups like V6 and Arashi, tried to believe it will pass, but seriously, enough is enough. We get it, Johnny's. The other two are young. They can't do as much. They have early curfews. They're not as mature. But does that

Comments

[faded_lace]

Yeah, one of the things that really gets me is that Sou is closer in age to Shori than he is to Marius. And they both have a lot of fans if my students and the people I see at concerts are any indication, so I really just don't get it. I know if must be a marketing strategy, but it seems a little extreme to me, even for Johnny's. At the handshake event in January, they went so far as to introduce Kento, Fuma, and Shori as "Sexy Zone" and Marius and Sou were introduced separately as "Sexy Boyz" equal to Jinguji, Genki, Amu, and Reia (who were the Sexy Boyz-of-the-day back then). Like, they didn't introduce them as members of both. They didn't even introduce them differently than the juniors. Marius and Sou might as well not have been debuted according to that announcement.

I'm curious but also worried. I don't know if it's likely that they'll single one member out. 3:2 with the 3 as the frontmen is always a weird breakdown, and 4:1 seems almost unthinkable as a measure that will have to continue for three whole years until Marius is 16. It will seem even more meaningless if Sou is of age for the Johnny's curfew and yet still is kicked off just because Marius is too young.

[rorychan]

I really don't think there is anything too serious to worry over. It's just something that is gunna piss a lot of people off for a while. It's not like they are going to remove the two from the group. They would tank the group if that happened and they know it. There really must be a simple reason behind it that we just don't know about. With Sou, I definitely think it's because he live a few hours train ride from the company so for sure that is something that keeps him away from a lot, including the whole 4 times he's been on the SZ radio show.

Marius though...I have no idea. I am not tor worried about him either, as he is getting a butt load of acting experience. He's starring in his 2nd movie already! :O

[faded_lace]

I'm not really worried about them getting kicked out so much as the mental/emotional effect on the guys. It's not easy to be in the limelight for such young kids, and then additionally to be shoved to the back and told you're not good enough to be in the front can't help. In an absolute worst case scenario, I don't want anything bad to happen to them before they become of-age... we all know what happened with Ryutaro.

[rorychan]

Well I haven't seen anyone say that they aren't good enough to be in the front except for some haters. XD And I can't say for sure, but we don't know that it's affecting them at all in the way we would think because maybe they see the situation completely different than we do. That is why I don't want to worry too much about it. While I am pissed I don't get to see them more often, I don't want to stress over it because we really don't know the reasons behind what they are doing. And since Marius is getting a lot of attention with his acting the only one I would be worried not having any work is Sou, but he lives so far away from everyone else that it makes work difficult. I wish he had gone to a school in Tokyo.

[faded_lace]

What I mean is that in some ways, the management is saying they're not good enough to be in the front by the choices they make in making most songs, CD covers, and performances only for the three older members. It's true that we have no way to know what they're thinking, but as someone who did semi-professional ballet for many years, I know from my personal experience that being pushed to the side in a performing art doesn't feel good. So while I have no way to say that they're unhappy, I have to think that at the very least, they must be a little bit bothered. We've heard from plenty of Johnny's who have come out and said later in life that they had been unhappy with Johnny's management choices when they were younger, so I don't think it's necessarily out of left field to think that they might be unhappy.

I'm not trying to say that you personally need to worry or that I think you're a bad person for not stressing over them, but I personally worry and stress for their behalf because that's just the way I engage with fandom and Johnny's. ^^;

[rorychan]

I indeed hate the way the company sometimes manages things. It makes me wonder what the company want out of their decisions. I wish there was a way of knowing. It sucks that we have to be left asking why. I'm sure they would love to be pushed more towards the front though. After all, they are both hard workers.

I understand how you worry. I used to as well. I think I just kind of numbed myself to it. @___@

Oh btw, MariSou in the newest Myojo scans are fabulous!

http://31.media.tumblr.com/719e1ad519f6f0e441145e539d57f870/tumblr_mru4k25Tqc1qhknyyo1_500.jpg

[faded_lace]

Yeah, I really don't get it. Sometimes it makes sense (push the more generally popular members for the casual fans, make the hardcore fans worried about their more minor favourite so they'll spend tons of money on him), but Sexy Zone is really extreme, and I just don't understand. Ugh. Johnny's sucks sometimes. Marius and Sou work hard and deserve more!

Awww. @___@; Well... hopefully I can stop worrying soon and Marius and Sou will get some limelight.

Oh wow. I'll get mine on Thursday, ahhh!

[rorychan]

I really love them in this scan. Sou looks manly and grown up. He's becoming so handsome. And Marius is looking pretty. <3

[faded_lace]

Sou really is looking grown up these days. I can't believe he's almost 16!

[rorychan]

Yes he's not looking like a kid anymore. It is always surprising when they suddenly mature on us.

[faded_lace]

Seriously! It's like Shintaro XD;

[rorychan]

Ah yes! Shintaro! He seriously freaked me out. He became tall and buff practically overnight!!! I was like, "Who are you?" In Bakaleya at first glance. XD And since then, he's gotten even bigger.

[faded_lace]

Yeah, seriously. XD I showed a friend Battery and then Bakaleya back to back and they refused to believe it was the same kid. XDD

[rorychan]

Oh my goodness. That would be too much of a shock watching those two dramas back to back. There's no way anyone would believe that there is less than 4 years between the two. His looks aged far beyond that. @___@ And he's just continuing to grow and mature too. XD

[faded_lace]

Yeah, my friend wouldn't believe it. XD;; Poor Shintaro has gotten so big!

[rorychan]

I know right!? And he's even grown about 6cm since Bakaleya! That boy is unbelievable!