Another end of an era...
Aug. 15th, 2016 08:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spsnLast weekend was very eventful, we have the Gold for Singapore from swimming (a very big congrats to Joseph Schooling for his hardwork!!!), and at the same time the legendary Michael Phelps announcing his final bow with the Rio olympic, and so an era has ended. Then the next day we have another legend, SMAP, ending with disbandment by the end of 2016.
While it's kind of expected considering the how hateful that senile grandma towards SMAP, it still makes no sense to me businesswise to kill SMAP. They can be considered as mature product, but nowhere they're at the end of the product lifecycle. SMAPxSMAP is still raking the rating, the members still have CMs every now and then, their concerts is still full house, their albums/singles are still selling (despite the lack of singing, let's be real, they can't sing for their lives) --> still has more sales than V6, so why kill it? I only can see this as the senile grandma's personal vendetta and to set examples to the rest of the herds that she's still in power and it's her company and she can do whatever she wants with it, even sacrificing a marginal income. The only short term gain that we will see is probably the hike of old SMAP albums' sales, but don't think this goes 100% back to Johnny's. As for the marriage thingy, I don't find this as a reason for disbandment. Yes they may want to get married, but the fans age group is also maturing and I don't think the delluded ones make the majority of the pool, and if the management is smart enough they can prepare fans to understand them or do the proper press conference etc thing, whatever. I don't think that's impossible, unless the culture is so hypocritical to maintain the available bachelor image at all times, which kind of loss in translation when the idols are getting older. Still don't find this as a natural case of disbandment as I can imagine the whole lots of batshit office politics going on inside Johnny's.
So what does it mean by SMAP disbanding after 25 years? Other older groups are given the example that the groups' age are capped to 25? Yes they're old but they jolly well still can dance and will probably still be able to for the next 10 years. Look at Madonna, she still kicks ass despite her age. You just should not expect them to do backflips or those tough acrobatic moves. I'm worried of V6 now.
Having said that, thank you SMAP for the long running fun and glitters that you've brought for our entertainment. SMAPxSMAP skits are forever gold!!, Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana is one of the most memorable songs of all time, glorious concerts that I now will never be able to have a chance to even fantasizing of going (I hope Shingo will direct the kouhais concerts in the future), and many other fun moments. All the best for all members' future endavours. And Johnny's, since you're so shitty as a company, from now on, I'll only support V6 until the day you cut them (the money goes more to AVEX than to you), nothing more.
This is yet another sad reminder that there's no fandom that will last forever, everything will have an end someday, so enjoy it while it lasts.
While it's kind of expected considering the how hateful that senile grandma towards SMAP, it still makes no sense to me businesswise to kill SMAP. They can be considered as mature product, but nowhere they're at the end of the product lifecycle. SMAPxSMAP is still raking the rating, the members still have CMs every now and then, their concerts is still full house, their albums/singles are still selling (despite the lack of singing, let's be real, they can't sing for their lives) --> still has more sales than V6, so why kill it? I only can see this as the senile grandma's personal vendetta and to set examples to the rest of the herds that she's still in power and it's her company and she can do whatever she wants with it, even sacrificing a marginal income. The only short term gain that we will see is probably the hike of old SMAP albums' sales, but don't think this goes 100% back to Johnny's. As for the marriage thingy, I don't find this as a reason for disbandment. Yes they may want to get married, but the fans age group is also maturing and I don't think the delluded ones make the majority of the pool, and if the management is smart enough they can prepare fans to understand them or do the proper press conference etc thing, whatever. I don't think that's impossible, unless the culture is so hypocritical to maintain the available bachelor image at all times, which kind of loss in translation when the idols are getting older. Still don't find this as a natural case of disbandment as I can imagine the whole lots of batshit office politics going on inside Johnny's.
So what does it mean by SMAP disbanding after 25 years? Other older groups are given the example that the groups' age are capped to 25? Yes they're old but they jolly well still can dance and will probably still be able to for the next 10 years. Look at Madonna, she still kicks ass despite her age. You just should not expect them to do backflips or those tough acrobatic moves. I'm worried of V6 now.
Having said that, thank you SMAP for the long running fun and glitters that you've brought for our entertainment. SMAPxSMAP skits are forever gold!!, Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana is one of the most memorable songs of all time, glorious concerts that I now will never be able to have a chance to even fantasizing of going (I hope Shingo will direct the kouhais concerts in the future), and many other fun moments. All the best for all members' future endavours. And Johnny's, since you're so shitty as a company, from now on, I'll only support V6 until the day you cut them (the money goes more to AVEX than to you), nothing more.
This is yet another sad reminder that there's no fandom that will last forever, everything will have an end someday, so enjoy it while it lasts.
