The Transformation of Sakura.

[@Taejiu]

Should I do Yunjin next?

[@roroppp8517]

YES

[@Lob00700]

Please

[@wonsandonly]

yesss please

[@jiminlover4350]

YENA TOO PLEASE!! I really love ur style of essays it’s so good!

[@Angelazriel]

can you do wonyoung

[@foxyfuyu3474]

“Don’t underestimate the path I’ve walked” there’s a reason Sakura cried hearing those lyrics. She has had a longer journey than most idols and she’s not wasting it. She shows growth, improvement and real love for what she does.

[@shararafael2984]

which interview is this from?

[@min946]

When did she cry?

[@lunacxx1330]

I was so sad when I heard her sing those lines because yeah people underestimate her. It made it more sad for me when Eunchae sang the lines in the second pre chorus because it made more sense for Sakura to sing that (tho I’m glad she did sing it coz lines 💀)

[@foxyfuyu3474]

@@lunacxx1330 chaewon sang the lines in the second prechorus so it still makes sense, she went through a lot cuz of p48 and izone especially after the rigging scandal so the path she walked shouldn’t be underestimated either

[@lunacxx1330]

@@foxyfuyu3474 I thought it was Eunchae who sang them?

[@paninilist4678]

I think another thing to add is unfortunately sakura is seen as "old" in kpop, as much as I wish more people her age would debut, she is not the teenager that people are looking for in new groups. A lot of people thought she wouldn't debut because of her age and that led to a lot of ageism and more bullying her way, so I'm glad that we can see her grow, improve and be more confident in herself.

[@asurafire5386]

Ageism is wild becuase like the concept of lesserafim fits young adult woman better then teenagers

[@yushii7276]

Many K-pop fans are used to seeing young teens debuting. Bruh there is some company debuting an eleven year old and that is not an issue but someone in their 20s debuting is?

[@tillie_brn]

As someone born in 99 she's EXACTLY what I look for in female idols. It's hard for me to see teenagers as role models or people I could admire, so I tend to gravitate more towards 3rd gen groups simply because they are my age or older. It's so refreshing to see someone a year older than me debut!!

[@paninilist4678]

@@tillie_brn i agree im close in age to her and tbh i dont think shes old so it makes me sad some people think she is

[@biazacha]

If wasn’t LSF lineup I would never give HYBE my attention or money - Eunchae is precious but there’s a reason why I never bothered checking NJ, hella young groups just don’t vibe with me as someone in my late 20s… imo they saw both gaps in the market and hit jackpot with their first step into ggs after the infamous GLAM.

[@metalhead083]

in Harper's Bazaar Japan interview, Sakura said "You have to be fearless. I personally do not consider myself as having been born with many innate talents. But I believe that I do have a notable talent, and that is working hard."
very notable indeed 😍🤩😍

[@ssummerdew]

omg yes she is hardworking as hell that it is a talent in itself.

[@honoredcurse]

she speaks so eloquently, I believe she really is a smart person. Not just "book smart", but street smart as well.

[@vt64]

@@honoredcurseshe really is. When you look at her interacting with people, she is incredible. She can make people feel so comfortable

[@ly_sea]

This is why I love le sserafim.
It's not a group with a concept for aesthetic and trendy purposes. Hybe purposefully recruited members based on their stories besides their talent.
Sakura; an idol with 10 years of experience and yet has so much self-doubt, chaewon; a girl that wanted to breakthrough what she was known for and find her own self, yunjin; a korean-american who didn't know where she belonged and almost gave up her dream of being an idol after 10 years of training and still not getting a chance to debut, kazuha; a girl who invested her whole life into ballet but finds out that her heart yearns for smth else instead, and eunchae; being much younger than the rest and yet with just as much passion to prove herself.
This is why the group feels so genuine and loveable. Their message isn't fake. It stems from them. Which is why all the members are so eager to wait for their chance to be able to put in their contribution to their artistry.

[@Gemstones1000]

OMG you actually said it all perfectly....

[@shalqlsm5578]

This couldn't be worded betterrrrrrr 🫶
And eunchae she s a silence killer , not to demean her presence now , but I feel like she has sooo much more to show offfffffff

[@zzzizouit]

my thoughts exactly

[@myalovesdani]

Where did you find info on Yunjin training for 10 years? I'm pretty sure she trained for half of that. She moved to korea in 2016, went back to the US in 2020, and came back to korea in 2021 to then debut in 2022. That would mean she trained 5 years

[@willyforyourheart]

@@myalovesdaniHe/she is just exaggerating some parts. Yes, you’re right. Yunjin is only five years of training while Kazuha was recruited, and wasn’t sure she’d fit in the idol life.

[@niketsinha18]

Sakura just said in an interview that in Le Sserafim she has been thinking of group first and then herself so she's willing to make sacrifices of center position or lines for others, she said a similar thing in the documentary too.
She's very accommodating for an idol who was scouted personally by Bang PD even before her iz*one contract had ended, for this too I respect her so much, not many idol who hold so much power would think about juniors first before herself.
For me she's one of the most respected female idol in Kpop currently with Irene and Jihyo, these three for me give me vibes of "I will take responsibility, don't worry".

[@ryuxel1369]

what’s this interview called?

[@alexdhamp]

Yoona and Seohyun come to mind, too, for most respected idols.

[@niketsinha18]

@@alexdhamp I wasn't around 2nd gen but I know every member of GG is very well respected in industry but if I have to tell who in present context holds most power and influence among them in SM,I guess it would be Taeyeon.

[@alexdhamp]

@@niketsinha18 I wasn't referring to terms of power and influence, though. I was talking about your initial comment...the phrase "I'll take responsibility, don't worry" perfectly describes the two I mentioned. Those that are familiar with Soshi would understand what I mean. The Maknae and Face of SNSD were always considered the example of being well mannered and well meaning in Kpop.

[@niketsinha18]

@@alexdhamp okay I got what you meant, also I first watched Yoona as actress in K2 and then as idol,I follow her vlog channel and she is a dream idol like she has the most pleasing beauty and there is no way you won't fall for her and I love Seohyun's vocals in a group so well she wasn't just known as maknae but had the qualities to stand out too.

[@meowitsmartha]

The mental fortitude this woman has is absolutely incredible. Thank you for highlighting some of her journey and how she's grown. 💖

[@yunese5292]

Yeah I'm definitely rooting for Sakura. I can't imagine going through what she has gone through from the survival show, to the hate comments and scandals, learning a whole new language, leaving your groups in TWO different countries to seek a new path...like that takes incredible strength.

[@killbethy]

An important thing worth noting is that Sakura wasn't only harassed by IZ*ONE fans during her time in the group, the Japanese public who were fans of her in AKB/HKT turned on her as well. Japanese and Korean idols are very different. Her former fanbase did NOT like her restyling. Japanese forums were full of comments saying she looked too polished and/or perfected, or too artificial (pink hair and even just long hair), that she wasn't natural anymore, tons of plastic surgery rumors that were meant to be cruel and not neutral, and more. So even when IZ*ONE was finished, she couldn't even comfortably return to AKB or HKT really even if she wanted to. You can switch from the J-Pop idol look to the K-Pop idol look, but doing the reverse is pretty much impossible to achieve in any authentic way. When she left AKB and HKT, a lot of people assumed she would just rest on her laurels, try to engage her Chinese fans, and do something else. This wasn't helped when she started her own makeup line which also spurred rumors that her idol career for was totally over. She really got some of the worst criticism, and it wasn't just coming from one side that could be chalked up to nationalism or vocal pedagogy, she was also abandoned by a huge amount of her former Japanese fans as well. And as someone who being an idol was pretty much all they knew from their preteen years onward, that had to be incredibly isolating and discouraging.
Edit: typo

[@niketsinha18]

I thought she was very loved by public even in korea as they adored her journey in Pd48 and for Japanese people who turned against her must be some earnest fans of AKB who didn't wanted her to leave her country and identity, was this the case ?
I came to Kpop in 2021 beginning,I don't know much about what was happening in 2018-19, which section of Izone fandom was hostile to her ?

[@kyokugo6460]

@@niketsinha18 There was a lot of fighting within PD48's AKBGroup girlies fandoms, Many of them were just forced into PD48 and since they got contractual obligations they had to partake, but later on when 48Wotas of the girlies saw the group was not going to be a 48G styled thing and the 48G weren't gonna cross-promote they hated it. Just imagine having been investing in an Idol and then She had to leave, no option, when She was gonna be HKT48's Face... Even tho I do not agree with that (As I follow 48girlies that debuted in KPOP and other JPOP groups after grad) I can understand why they were upset. I remember during Beware Era some fans were even suggesting Vernalossom should buy Kmember's contracts so they could become 48G members (I reckon some wanted Wony to go Team SH, Yena & Yujin to go SKE48 🤭🤣) Definitely, not the best time to be Sakura/Hitomi/Nako

[@killbethy]

@@niketsinha18 @Kyokugo gave a good answer. For the wotas/fans of 48 groups, a big part of it is that the idols don't "seem" perfect. They kind of give them a girl next door image that isn't too perfected in both image and concept. They rarely dye their hair, don't dress them expensively, style them sort of like a cute schoolgirl, etc. In a way, they like to see what K-Pop fans would consider performance mistakes and cheer them on and watch them get better. That's why you can go from that 48G J-Pop image to a more manicured K-Pop one, but you can't really go back. Especially when they saw Sakura with more K-Pop oriented looks, like her long pink hair, they were more put off while K-Pop fans were praising it as a glow up. But it alienated her to a lot of her hardcore Japanese fans. For Nako and Hitomi, it was still possible to go back since they weren't as well known as Sakura beforehand and never really lost that cute and improving girl next door image to the degree Sakura did while in IZ*ONE. But even when they actively returned to their 48 groups, things were a bit different since they had more international visibility... like picking up brand endorsements that would be unusual for a 48G idol, etc.

[@niketsinha18]

@@killbethy Thanks for the description of whole AKB 48 saga,I guess the Japanese Stans who saw and followed Sakura will everything and saw her climb to third position in general elections kind of felt left out as she left for K-pop.
Is Sakura getting back those fans after she debuted with Le Sserafim cause they just debuted in Japan and I feel the response was good.
Well Sakura in pink hair is one for history book, one look of her in Panaroma I understood this girl is going on top tier of my bias list 😅

[@niketsinha18]

@@kyokugo6460 wow they wanted to grab Wony and Yujin 😅😅
How's the response to Sakura now after she debuted in Le Sserafim, are those fans rooting for her now ?

[@zibbitybibbitybop]

The improvement in Sakura's facial expressions while dancing is bonkers, she's top tier at it now and draws your attention immediately. Being in this group with this concept is a godsend for her, it's everything she deserves after working as long and hard as she has to succeed.

[@maluteas]

They ranked her last in stage presence, it’s humorous considering she’s been an idol for all her life and has tried so many concepts

[@carteljameson8395]

She's been vastly underrated, even nowadays to be honest. She's very strong vocally, but she's a bit of victim of comparisons. You don't have to be the best singer in a group to be a strong singer, which I think many kpop fans fail to realize when they dole out their criticisms. Just because someone may be weaker than the strongest doesn't mean they're useless. I also think there's a lot of subtle things she does while performing that people just overlook.
As an example, there's a part in the Impurities choreo where she syncs up the motion of her finger with everyone's shoulder and leg movements, which is something Yunjin actually doesn't do earlier as she does it too quickly to make it sync up. That very well could be Sakura's experience showing through or just her intuitive understanding of what makes something look good in motion. I don't even think syncing up that movement was part of the choreo, it's just something she did naturally. It's pretty clear she isn't the flashiest performer but she's one of the cleanest ones if you pay attention.
Anyway, good video.

[@magdaluxe]

Sakura's maturity, groundedness and mental strength is the foundation for LeSse and I really believe it's why they come across as far more seasoned than your ave rookie group.

[@ssummerdew]

T_T and the younger members say they rely on her for advice. ❤ from the LSF era content you can clearly see sakura's very positive, hardworking mindset too.

[@fiona16720]

Lesserafim made me love Sakura and Chaewon. I am so happy they debuted. For Sakura I started to notice not only someone with good visuals but a really talented girl who is hardworking and energetic. I enjoy her stages and now I know she is being herself and shows her abilities❤fighting Kkura Chan🌸

[@foreverswith9725]

As for the voting scandal with IZ*ONE I am pretty sure that the vote rigging went against Sakura instead of working in her favor. The rumors point to her getting rigged out of placing 1st and being the center. I believe the rumors were members Yuri, Yena, and Chaewon were amongst the members who were most likely rigged in from voting manipulation, and Wonyoung placed more accurately around 7th place and Sakura should have been 1st. However the official placements were never confirmed besides Chowon’s and Gauen’s placements as they were the 2 confirmed to be have made the line up before the votes were manipulated.
No hate to any of the girls I listed IZ*ONE is one of my ult groups regardless of the voting situation.

[@asurafire5386]

Completely agree the Japanese competitors where really popular and more of them probably would have debuted if the screen time distribution wasn’t biased I mean places 15-18 and 20 where Miho Juri Miyu Miu and Miru places 22 and 24 also almost all the Japanese trainees dropped in ranking instead of gaining Kojima Mako for example was 12 originally, Miru was 9th during first vote and miho got 1st in the evaluation before she got eliminated.

[@Cinnamo_eya]

This was what I was about to say. As much as many people accused Mnet of giving Sakura more screen time, I never heard anyone say her position was rigged up, but rather that that it was lower than what she was supposed to have, along with other Japanese trainees

[@maluteas]

If anything, more people were surprised she wasn’t 1st place as she was always high in the rankings

[@foxyfuyu3474]

Yeah looking at it from an international fan’s perspective more people were disappointed in her 2nd place ranking when she was basically everywhere while the show aired. There was always discourse, as all insanely popular contestants had, but when wonyoung won people were shocked. At the time we chalked it up to the Korean fan base just having a preference for a Korean center, but the reveal of her actual placement was the least surprising thing when the rigging scandal was uncovered.

[@ponponderp]

supposedly Minju, Chaewon and Yuri were the members that got rigged into the group (well definitely Yena/Yuri/Yujin had different final ranks as well)
Looking at the top 20... A lot of Japanese members may have made it into the final lineup but missing the vocal powerhouse that is Joyuriz... It kinda made sense to have them in iz*one 🥲 I'm forever grateful the lineup ended up being whoever made it because I wouldn't change it for a single thing.
Also Chowon made a reaction video that confirms she was 6th place, Hyewon was supposed to be 4th place? (big FU to everyone that hates on Hyewon 😤) Waaaah.
Overall I'm just glad to see most of iz*one members are making a name for themselves now in their own endeavors

[@auracampos6409]

I actually read the opposite, about the producer days. She was super popular because of her personality, many people said that she was actually the winner, but the producers weren't going to give the center position to a Japanese and that's why she came second, and it makes sense, she was extremely popular in Japan for the same reason, her personality, maybe she wasn't the best singer or the best dancer but she had that talent to connect with people.
She was super popular on izone, one of the most popular despite having almost no lines or screen time, adding the power and fame that she has in Japan is something else, she was a power house that they didn't know how to use, I'm glad that Her new company gave her the tools to grow, it is seen that the training prior to debuting was extremely strong and with this new group is when we realize how good she always was, but no one took the time to develop her talent, I think They are going to focus on developing her as a dancer and that they know her now for that in addition to her personality

[@jeshkatavas989]

I did the same too and I didn't even watch the show. When I saw their La Vien rose mv, Sakura was the first prevalent name I encountered in the comments. When I learned about the rigging. The popular rumor was that Sakura was supposedly the one who got 1st place not Wonyoung. All these I learned without being a fan of Izone at that time (which I deeply regretted)

[@mishell3099]

I agree

[@kkura09709]

heard izone’s company used to take sakura’s invitations to feature in magazines and either deny them or try to get the whole group the feature instead / theyre doing the same thing with hao from zb1 now

[@ravenmindful673]

The ageism in the music industry is sooo wild. In my country you're still considered a youth when you're 35 lol. And below. Literally seen as adult babies, toddlers, children and teenagers until we reach the late thirties and enter your forties and finally seen as an actual adult.

[@froggers5553]

having been with her since her days in hkt its crazy to see her go from the cutesy girl-next-door type to the star she is now
sakuratans always been an it girl, but shes grown and improved so much as an artist

[@kyokugo6460]

Yes, slaying since day 1 in HKT48🥰

[@terciopelo]

Back in 2011 I was a huge AKB48 fan. That was also the year HKT48 debuted, so I've seen Sakura's journey from the beginning. It's so amazing to see her growth as a performer and I love her determination to always improve and challenge herself. She's been in this industry for 12 years and she's only 24 now!!

[@overthinkingkpop]

It's really interesting to revisit this episode a year later in light of all of the criticism Sakura has received during the "Easy" era. I think it says something that Chaewon has so thoroughly overcome any accusations regarding to whether she deserves her position as an idol but Sakura decidedly has not.

[@meowdim4671]

So it feels like this video has not aged well :(

[@KkuraCherryy]

Yall don't want to give Sakura grace anyone can tell she has improved tremendously she just has confidence issues

[@meowdim4671]

@@KkuraCherryy yeah, it wouldn't hurt to be kinder to idols, but in that case, it creates a lower standard for them. Offering them grace would be overlooking a few performances, or understanding that troubles in their personal life are taking away their professionalism. That's grace, but I don't think we should keep from criticizing something so obvious, i.e. hybe's lack of vocal training. If you cannot ensure your idol's output quality, why would you push out a comeback? Why would you place your idols in such a difficult situation where they'll be open to hate?

[@Nameless_mixes]

Unpopular opinion: Of course she was underutilized. She’s a Japanese idol in a group put together by MNET. Xiaoting says hi. Foreigners aren’t allowed to be the center or the member with the most focus.
Sakura was definitely center material (just like how Xiaoting is). Those are both just my opinions by the way. Either way, MNET isn’t known for their fair treatment of non-Korean idols.

[@niketsinha18]

I think Korean public won't accept it, Mnet knows the consequences so for how much snake they are this isn't all their fault.
Also Sakura at that time was more center material than Wony as she was very young then, Xiaoting also had great charisma as center, hope some agency get her after her contract is done.

[@rdb9673]

​​@@niketsinha18 Wonyoung also didn't have the face she has now back then sane for sakuda's regressed face 😭

[@goodguyamr6996]

I'm honestly so proud of Sakura persisting even through the harsh criticism she received, transforming herself and becoming more confident in Le Sserafim

[@scttschlz]

Well done analysis of Sakura's progress as a singer and dancer over her time in Korea. I do think you're missing one key feature of Sakura's career as idol: she is a variety monster. Groups need people who can go into promotional opportunities and shine, and Sakura was already a pro at doing so when Produce 48 started filming. IZ*ONE ended up with three variety monsters: Sakura, Yena and Yujin all of whom were doing solo schedules consistently during IZ*ONE and bringing attention to the group that way. The interesting question at the disbandment was: what would Sakura choose to do next. You briefly make it sound like no agencies would touch her, and the evidence is quite the contrary. She could have stayed with HKT48 and followed in Sashihara Rino's footsteps into becoming a tarento, but it's pretty clear that as fast as was contractually possible, she was headed to the biggest opportunity anyone could find or want in Korea. IZ*ONE disbanded in May, she did her HKT48 graduation concert in June and she landed in Seoul to be escorted out of the airport by Hybe security in August.

[@Taejiu]

I didn’t talk about variety stuff cause that’s not really important to her career as an idol. As for the agencies hybe was the only big agency to contact her, it was odd that jyp, YG, sm wouldn’t even look at her even with newer groups from them coming out.

[@niketsinha18]

@@Taejiu I think SM would never touch someone they hadn't trained same with YG,Sakura don't fit YG image as for JYP,I think in Nmixx too she won't fit as it's a youthful group with lots of energy.
HYBE wanted members of Izone cause they wanted that fanbase and guarantee of instant success,I swear if Kim Minju would have agreed for contract with Hybe Le Sserafim would have topped IVE in popularity too.

[@chillen8413]

@@Taejiu that’s false it’s reported that other companies really wanted her as well. And sakura was the one izone girl who was constantly reached out to prior to disbandment

[@EverythingxYourexNot]

I would argue that having variety skills could make or break an idol's career. Dahyun of Twice is a great example, she landed her spot in the group because she is naturally hilarious, and that's needed in a group for creating entertaining content outside of stages and acting. Being good with variety is an important skill if you're not a standout beauty, singer or dancer in kpop.

[@seafarer_]

Yes I remember being surprised how quickly she locked down HYBE after her graduation! She left SK and then turned right back around after that

[@Taejiu]

As for her line distribution, she gets more time during their Japanese comebacks, but obviously she will because she's a japanese member.... Like of course they are going to give her more time, we are strictly talking about KOREAN comebacks, mainly because people really only care about their Korean stuff, I didn't mention it in the video so I am here. I say that because I know IZ*ONE fans will be saying "well she had 30+ secs in Buenos Aires!" Of course its a japanese comebacks promoted in Japan, and she's a famous J-pop idol.... Please think that over before leaving your hate comment.

[@user-ov9qd3to6z]

Then why would u she she’s not itulaised

[@Taejiu]

@@user-ov9qd3to6z because she was underutilized pretty heavily in their Korean comebacks, and people act like 25 secs of line distributions for a Japanese member during a Japanese comeback is good? Like no she wasn’t even used well during their Japanese comebacks.

[@user-ov9qd3to6z]

@@Taejiu but she clearly was…💀

[@yushii7276]

In recent groups where mostly (or only) teens are debuting, Sakura is like a breath of fresh air.
Also, Sakura's development is something that shows how much she loves her work I would definitely love to stan her.

[@deGoomyan5538]

I feel Sakura’s transformation is incredibly important to the kpop industry

[@Miraiana]

Honestly, I think Sakura stood out to me the most in their Impurities Performance video... She sounds amazing, she looks amazing, it just suited her so well. 💕

[@ensulalachance8353]

I agree

[@jessisamess4062]

This video is so great! Sakura is one of my all-time favorite idols and I think her mental strength is so inspirational. She really should be getting so much more praise than she has!

[@asurafire5386]

Sakura is a slay and that is fax no printer. She is talented and hardworking she also fits basically everybody’s beauty standards which Is a plus(to me her talent is the most important part) also Chaeyeon and whoever the Lesserafim trainer is taught her well. Light as a feather strong as a storm.

[@vronji]

ngl im glad that these days shes known less as a sidelined izone member with no talent but instead an veteran iconic idol. I remember seeing a tiktok of her getting a battle royale in fortnite and the comments section was full of people saying things like "this girl is on her 500th life" or "this girl is really doing all the side quests" so yeah shes pretty iconic and i love her for that

[@lxttlcrow_1293]

i’ve been looking for a video that does a bit of a deeper dive into sakura’s journey since there’s just mostly compilations of her performances throughout the years.. this is really great!

[@bbi2.052]

Speaking of this, a video on why Iz*one was so successful would be cool 👀 On how they are the best produce group in terms of success.

[@reneelaicecreamxx4179]

ive watched a vid on her intro in produce 48, and i think her biggest enemy is herself, but at the same time her endurance and will to keep improving herself is what makes her the idol she is today
her mentality is definitely sth i look up to

[@deluxis4991]

Sakura is a true embodiment of "True Passion". To still be in the industry after so much s..t, after being called "not talented", after so much critisizim she got from people she still push through with her Passion for music. That takes a really strong personality to do.

[@VC-cx8gf]

i don't really agree when you say people doubted that she shouldve been in izone, i watched pd48 as it was airing and she always got first place in live voting and she was consistently in the top 3 trainees on the show, plus she was the center for nekkoya. if anything people were shocked she wasnt first place. otherwise great video

[@rdb9673]

This RUclipsr missed that important piece

[@zizojaezekeom3565]

I don't think she got second place fair and square and that's my observation but i love the way she improved, the least i can say is that this woman is a freaking beast, the way her dance, facial expression, stage presence and vocals improved is amazing ❤

[@Aysisse]

I really love and admire Sakura.
The fact that she wasn't born with an amazing voice or dance facilities, but still worked so hard to achieve her dream and get to this level is so inspiring. (ofc even people with talent worked hard, I don't want to diminush their work). I'm always thinking things like "Ah, i enjoy doing that, but maybe I should stop since I'm not talented, I must not be meant to do that" so seeing that really help me to stay motivated. Like, it's about what I want to do first.
She had a really long and difficult journey and never gave up. I'm glad to see her so happy on stage. Honestly, her stage presence is really amazing, I can't help but watch all of her fancams!
She gives off that mature and calm aura and always takes care of all the members. She really just seem like an honest and nice person, like, the friend who will always be there to listen to you if you have troubles.
Also Sakura is such a pretty name with a beautiful meaning... It's one of my favorite japanese names. It fits her well.

[@nicktesla1668]

if i remember correctly, the izone members also didn’t really have much additional training. like they did produce which only trained them so much, and then debuted. it wasn’t until she was training to be in le sserafim that she really got mentoring on singing and dancing, which shows in how much better she is in le sserafim

[@justdb4]

Sakura's K-pop journey is like that of a caterpillar. She was seen as something small but was just there in izone. Then after izone disbanded and graduating AKB48 she formed her cacoon doubting her abilities and even her skills due to so much criticism. Then in Lesserafim, she was able to finally shine and have the confidence and freedom to become a Butterfly.

[@kyokugo6460]

Sakura never graduated AKB48, She only graduated from HKT48 as her kennin position was terminated by AKB48's management itself💀

[@justdb4]

@@kyokugo6460 that's f*** up man.

[@kyokugo6460]

@@justdb4 AKS management of AKS was wild at times, AKS wouldn't even tell the girls sometimes about concurrency (Kennun) positions until the official announcement. Also, They would disband teams and even SG (SDN48, OJS48) without much explanation. Nowadays Vernalossom and DH are way more trasparent (Although still sometimes they lacking :( )

[@izumi11]

ive never been a fan of izone or akb so i never knew much about sakura, but this video rly made me want to start rooting for her. she truly deserves so much love and support ❤

[@LastKnight0727]

If you really want to prove how much of a detail oriented dancer Sakura is; look at the match cut during the Impurities M/V. She's the ONLY member that you can't tell has moved, and she's CENTER during that cut so you are focused on her. The other members are all just slightly off but it's noticeable that you can see it if you're looking for it. Sakura is IDENTICAL during that match cut, it legit looks like she just stayed there frozen and allowed them to work around her.

[@thathalyy1332]

i've always been fascinated by sakura, never watched produce and haven't listened to any of akb and hkt's music. however, her very very apparent continuous growth is just so cool to me!! she's just such an inspiration to me lmao and i'm super glad that she's in lessera looking happy :(((( she's just so obviously happy in the group and ughhh it's so heartwarming to see.
thank you for this video, it was extremely interesting and lovely!!

[@aranara_song]

I'll always miss IZ*ONE but it's so cool to see the growth of the members and how they have now expanded. I'm very happy for them and I feel like it goes to show that sometimes even if you don't want things to end, it's for the best.

[@reaperkiss51]

I never knew KNETZ were so delusional bringing up Sakura as one of the “rigged members”. During Produce 48, Sakura was battling with HERSELF for highest fancam views throughout the whole show, so her popularity was no fkin joke.

[@luneseishin11]

Sakura has been one of my top idols over my a little over 5 years of being a kpop fan and I love her so much, I just want her to be happy and successful. She's so hardworking, kind and talented and deserves all the fame she's received. she's always been amazing but nowadays she's a whole different beast

[@sophietessier8998]

it's so weird because in akb48 sakura being a center was always obvious, it was kinda meant to be, she already was the center of many Mv, once in korea her statue being doubted felt weird , really strange, like we all see that she had the it factor, right? And we all know she's not good at dancing neither singing yet you always endup watching her, isn't that the it factor? During produce48 all her fancam have the most view yet people think she isn't popular????

[@paranoiacomplex9680]

I LITERALLY JUST SAW YOUR CHAEWON VIDEO AND CHECKED TO SEE IF THE SAKURA ONE WAS UPLOADED

[@itsfrigginpink]

I'm so ridiculously proud of Sakura and how far she's come and how much she's grown and improved. PRODUCE48 was my first korean show that I'd ever watched, and I loved IZ*ONE so much, they were absolutely one of my all time favorite groups in KPOP, and just seeing her continue to try to get better at everything, it just makes me so emotional. Also I definitely agree that she hasn't even reached her full potential! And that's part of how amazing her growth is, she's already gotten so much better, and she can still keep going!

[@groove-heroine]

I'm rooting for sakura, i haven't seen a Japanese idol transition to a Korean pop idol and props to her. I also think she was chosen for her durability and accessibility, and her ten years as a idol, would or should be valuable to the le serrafim group/team.

[@mmmk6793]

sakura for me is my forever idol. i know she’s not perfect but i know she will improve. she is so resilient and brave and idk you have to really love and be passionate about something to do it so obsessively and sakura wants to perform as an idol like it’s something she has to do i admire her a lot.

[@houseoutwrong2187]

Sakura wasn't rigged into Iz*One , she had the highest fancam views , never dropped out of the top 12. The real no 1. Of Iz*one was likely Sakura or Kaeun, seeing as Chowon came 6th. Chaeyeon was definitely not 12 but placed there for the dramatic moment.

[@allghilliedup21]

She's the backbone of this group. The other members can rely on her for advice, experience, etc. Not just about singing and dancing and visuals. She's the person members like Eunchae go to for comfort.
You need that in a group. That chemistry.

[@takoholic]

I just want to say thank you for making this video. I actually been a Jpop fan since 2005 and have been following Sakura since the begin of her career. She has grown up so much and still powerful! Now I’m also following Kpop groups as well so it’s really nice to see an idol who is both industries too.

[@seafarer_]

Honestly I was never really a fan of Sakura during IZONE (but I did know her during her AKB days), but I have huge respect for the way she works hard despite having so much skin in the game. She’s a role model to me despite being younger than me

[@jennytals_]

Your chaewon video was so good and at the end it had me thinking “wow I really want to see the Sakura video now” and even had me rewatch the chaewon video. your videos are super entertaining and I enjoyed watching it!!

[@g0gin0]

No one ever mentions Sakura would definitely been number 1 if it wasn’t for the rigging.

[@yasminab1843]

It is so funny that people even come up with the argument that Sakura's ranking was too high when she was consistently that high and even took the first rank multiple times. But them alluding to her being in Iz*one via manipulation, whilst is has been proven that she was manipulated out of the 1st rank, naw mate that really takes the cake.

[@pj3101]

These videos have been great. Keep making content and you'll keep growing. The long form videos stand out above the short form or reaction type that everyone else seems to be doing.

[@dianalest553]

Your videos are great! Please do one about Yunjin, I'm starting to follow Le sserafim and I love them, they are an interesting mix of personalities and talents. ;))

[@KkuraCherryy]

Sakura is amazing I can't wait to see her grow more ❤

[@addyvalencia]

Thank you for this video… Sakura is my ult and an incredible inspiration to me. Lovely analysis!

[@chillen8413]

This is the most factuality inaccurate video. She is rumored to have Acually won izone, her fans bought the most albums out of all the girls in izone, she was THE most popular member in izone, she placed 3d in the AKB general election, and is probably the most famous k pop idol in japan

[@niketsinha18]

You know after seeing Le Sserafim sales in Japan, I literally believe Sakura Stans buy like no other in Izone or le Sserafim,they literally emptied everything that was available, soumu keeps restocking they keep emptying, it's literally so much fun now😅

[@maluteas]

There’s so many inaccuracies with this video 😭

[@rdb9673]

​@@maluteas Yes it's so misleading it's pissing me off

[@westangayidols]

Im so happy for her. She fits lessera perfectly and i hope she will continue to shine for a long time

[@skullwarrior13]

Wow I was just going through all your Le Sserafim content too. Good timing

[@jhs2133]

I feel like the rigged voting scandal was misrepresented here. Sakura was always a front runner for #1, and the Japanese idols had an advantage of a preexisting fanbase despite their skills. It’s more likely that Sakura was rigged out of the center position. No hate to the girls of course, they had no idea.

[@Taejiu]

Japanese idols 100% did not have an advantage at all.

[@rdb9673]

​@@Taejiu then don't say it otherwise or make it sound like you did in your video. Sakura was a front runner un pd48 yet this video made it seem like she was one of those highly suspected of being rigged in. Like I said in my comments watch all the pd48 videos and it'll educate you how that portion of your video is wrong or as JHS here said "misrepresented"

[@Taejiu]

@@rdb9673 it’s not, many people thought she was rigged, believe it or not there are people out there that have different outlooks on situations 😵

[@kimberlyrios]

I love how you show the growth of lesserafim members! Keep up the great work~

[@jtmm5957]

My ult since 2018!! So proud of the path she’s paved for herself ❤ Sakura was incredibly famous but underutilized in iZONE and I’m so happy kpop fans are finally seeing how great she is as an idol and as a person.

[@d1roni475]

your lack of knowledge of akb/hkt48 Sakura era show you don't understand her.
their concept is ordinary girls sing and dance.
Sakura always didn't sing or dance the best or average but so all the other girls too ,what she knowing for is her comedian, humour and reality show presence.
Sakura is smart and hard working girl she know in Korea market idols ,you need to dance and sing above average ,so she improve.

[@kyokugo6460]

True, And HKT48's base concept was and still is CUTE girls, So, vocals and dance weren't particularly improtant during her first era under the AKB48GROUP

[@nnnn-sc2im]

this is a video about sakura not akb/hkt48 why would he go in depth about that. That’s why he recommended to watch a video about akb48 before this

[@d1roni475]

@@nnnn-sc2im because she was there from age 13 for 7 years,there she started her “idol” career it shaped her as person and idol

[@oelczretaw4339]

I will always root for her, she is really matured and selfless. I will always hope that one day she will find that confidence for her to have more lines in their songs and be the best version of herself. She got better dont get me wrong. Please listen to their song Choices! She has more lines there! I agree that you dont need to be the best singer or dancer in the group, but she works hard. I also like her voice.

[@cuearesty]

As an Izone Sakura fan - I agree that LS Sakura is a vast improvement. I love that Hybe took care of her. I really feel that IZONE did her dirty to favor WY and Minju, and putting her down (like promising center, or that photo shoot scandal where she was cast aside in favor of Minju, having her know of the backlash). Producers even played favorites when some girls have their own MUA crew.
She and her other AKB peers were used for their celebrity, but her potential wasn’t realized until now.
Good docu, sir. Keep it up.

[@rdb9673]

Ahahahah I spot a fellow Wizone. Yes I was surprised when she said there was a special and very talented make up artist who never did her make up since the MUA was assigned to only Wonyoung and Minju yet Sakura liked her skills so much she bought the MUA make up brush lol.
What happeend during the photoshoot and promised center?

[@NaDee-mh2po]

She was my pick in Produce even before she debuted in IZONE. I was so angry when the public doubted if she was rigged into the line up but then was so satisfied when it was revealed that she was actually the WINNER. I have watched her improve, screamed and cheered for her everytime I watched her improve, and now I cry internally everytime I see her in Lesserafim. She has earned this. And I will never tire of supporting her.

[@tafalagiluapedro4006]

Chaewon video essay was great and came to check for Yunjin but found Kura, great video too.

[@eemamit967]

first off the editing is incredible !! second i love how in depth this is :”) i always rlly liked sakura esp when i found out she supports the lgbtq community as thats rlly important to me, but i never rlly sat down and looked at how far shes come till now. and its just incredible seeing how confident she is now like :”) she inspires me alot to be better and i look up to her alot !! idk if any of this makes sense cuz im 🍃💨 rn but just know this video just made me love her even more

[@AsamiChanVocaloid]

Nearly finished, but your video quality in terms of content and keeping me interested with your opinions is amazing pls continue making these

[@yudhiarma]

The path she walk.. not much people can acchive... idol since young age, back to trainee, compete in survival show not in her country, win the competition, redebut as a fenomenal group, disband, graduate from her old group, back to trainee one more time, and finally debut again.. and now.. she is still struggling be an idol... she is persistance.. i admire her

[@nialampani]

as an avid produce watcher it’s laughable to me that knets would even insinuate that she was rigged in the group when the opposite seems apparent: she was 100% meant to win n1 but they weren’t going to allow a non korean to take that place.
it’s also funny they would say that she was rigged bc she wasn’t a great vocalist or dancer when… there were other prominent centers and visuals in izone who were also not that good.
and thinking that other companies wouldn’t want her because of her skills… she could have gone to any company and they would have bent backwards for her. we all know talent doesn’t equate popularity and viceversa. her fame alone and impressive fanbase are already more than enough to sign her.
knets were just being xenophobic fr

[@strawberryj0475]

Sakura has grown so much. I remember when she debuted in izone everyone argued that she should have been the center because she just had that star power (even all the mentors on p48 said so), she was meant to be an artist. She's arguably the best dancer in lesserafim because she has her own style and she just dances super good. She literally brings in 50% of the album sales (if not more) because she's the most popular member yet source music doesn't give her more lines or screen time. Sakura is such an amazing idol, she has great stage presence, amazing dancer, a stunning visual and THEE center, she never looks tired on stage even if she gives it her all. She's improved so much I don't know why people hate on her so much and why they don't give her the recognition she has worked so hard for. I think her and wonyoung came out of izone being the most hated because they were the most popular members. Our izone centers slay people are just jealous

[@sistersroomco2790]

Sakura's an idol who shows growth and development... Her love on the stage making us amazes by her results... She might not be talented as others... But she's deserved to be an idol because how charming she is.

[@varpureiniaho9330]

Watching this 3 months later, and Sakura is having the least lines and screen time AGAIN in Unforgiven, though people are saying hers are the most iconic. But I think it's HER that makes her few short lines iconic and I feel her skillset and ability to draw people in is underutilised AGAIN.. 😤

[@meheksharma1517]

seeing this now with the release of perfect night, you can really see how much she has grown, both vocally and stage presence. She is much more apparent in perfect night and fits right into the song. Chaewon has rebranded her image, but sakura maintains her same strengths she had as a jpop idol but with much more dancing abilities

[@EverythingxYourexNot]

I have written some criticisms in comment replies, so reserving my comment to say: thank you for taking this time and effort to review Sakura's journed in SK with and for us. It's a lovely video, and I hope Sakura sees many such videos and that makes her feel good about herself. :)

[@user-nw1zt3gk1d]

The embodiment of growth.

[@didipooboo]

Your videos are great - keep it up!

[@myrie1]

I'm obssessed with these videos, please do more in this style you do it very well, I love it :D

[@azra_70s]

Great video! Thanks for making this! ♥️

[@sammykim4907]

I love these videos because it follows the character arc and growth of these idols, creating empathy and humanizing their struggles not just as an idol, but as a human who is constantly shifting in their craft, affected by public scrutiny, but ultimately doing it because they love performing and pursuing their ultimate potential.

[@talusmagana2396]

sakura was one of the most popular contestants in produce 48 the members who rigged in were chaewon and jo yuri love them but they were not popular at all in produce 48

[@LOfficial55]

i have been WAITING for this one !! 🍿

[@minddazed]

Sakura's sense of humor is one of the main reasons I watch Le Sserafim content! Seeing her grow her personality and take zuha and eunchae under her wing has been the most rewarding! I know Chaewon is leader of the group, but I actually think Sakura leads silently

[@kyokugo6460]

Sakura was my oshi in HKT48 but I never understood why she had an AKB48 kennin position until I saw her on PD48 and IZ*One, I am happy to see her now in Lesserafim, She definitely has a lot of potential and has improved a lot and I'm sure She is still consider a role model around new HKT and AKB gens😍

[@katelynkawamura7711]

aaa thank u i was waiting after the chaewon one :)))

[@jester8312]

i am so so proud of her. she continues growing and never gives up and you can tell that. her chemistry both on stage and off with the members is so cute too you can tell shes sure she made the right decision now and i hope she knows so many of us will always support her

[@v0n12z]

i think anyifragile really fits lesserafim a lot more than fearless, they look so good with the confident feminine upbeat choreography and the higher vocals fit their tones a lot more (cough whatchulookingat was too low cough)

[@lunaunuagbon]

is it just me that prefers WHATCHULOOKINGAT then?
I be seeing every saying even though the love the 2 songs, ANTITITITIFRAGILEFRAGILE was their favorite because it's more upbeat. And lol that's *literally the same reason* why I prefer WHATCHULOOKINGAT.
Maybe cuz I have a kinda deep voice and I consider low songs to be cool... especially when they are still power girl songs.
anyway yes I love the two of them just that I prefer fearless ♡

[@EverythingxYourexNot]

@@lunaunuagbon I also like Fearless more, because of its more minimalistic, classy instrumental. For me, it was really refreshing to hear the quieter side of kpop for their debut. And I didn't get Antifragile at first, it sounded very noisy to me, but I got into it after ppl explained that it's raggaeton, it's style is deliberate.
I like both, but I like Fearless better. I also like their Fearless album more.

[@v0n12z]

@@lunaunuagbon i love the song, but they seem more in their element doing antifragile

[@wanderingtin]

I’m happy for her!

[@anderramirez8433]

Sakura it's such a sweet person
I kinda find stupid people thinks she didn't deserve to be on Izone, bc she was almost always in top 5, having the most time in 1st position, tbh if mnet hadn't manipulated the votes at the final I'm pretty sure she would have debuted as 1st one...

[@rykubot]

the confidence with the tongue in the cheek I love it!

[@pastelfluff]

sakura is our improvement queen

[@azra_70s]

Thank you so much for this and for your good comments to her I feel like crying hearing you praise Sakura 🥲

[@catarinamoraes6392]

This vid is so WELL DONE! And now I love her even more, thank you!

[@konradhenkel7284]

Excellent and interesting video! 👍

[@JT-ov2yr]

And to think that IZ*ONE did not give any of their members any vocal training at all including Chaewon, what does that tell you what IZ*ONE was all about? What is there not to 💖 about Sakura. Here is hoping the LE SSERAFIM is around for a very, very long time.

[@user-iy8og6xs8y]

Izone was great, dk what you're implying. They didnt get training because they'd only be active for 2 years and had to promote non-stop.

[@frananderson960]

thank you for making thisd imma share this to my hybe artists page i do for all hybe idols.. this is the best video ive seen out there for explaining everything and very insightful

[@moonlightpaw5868]

They use her popularity, try to milk her fan, and mistreated her. She is like Kepler Bahi. This is the reason why I don't like reality show subgroups. They always favor one person more heavily than another. Can't believe her fan supporting Izone. I would not support a group that mistreats one member and used their popularity at the same time. Love her in soled group le sserafim. She shines a lot and all the members are awesome.