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Didact Taleh

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Everything posted by Didact Taleh

  1. Good observations. It's nice to see how their relationships with each other have evolved, and how they conduct themselves generally. One of the most interesting things for me is seeing more of Jisun's independent woman style. She's cool and kinda intense without being showy or brazen. Another is, as I already mentioned, Seoyeon's puppy-likeness. She wants to cuddle and play, gets hungry and bored, and so the cycle goes. It gives me the "warm and fuzzies." Related to that, I find the dynamics between Seoyeon and Saerom fascinating. Or rather, their relationship is very sweet, I guess. Saerom is like the big sister and Seoyeon the (much younger) little sister. In one vlive I think Seoyeon said Saerom doesn't like being touched, and Saerom affirmed. But she does let herself be hugged by Seoyeon, and during the In the House couch interviews, Saerom was constantly holding Seoyeon's hand. Very heartwarming, I think. All the girls are super, and they care for each other well, it seems.
  2. The channel_9 stuff in the dorm really shows that Seoyeon is a lot like a little puppy. It's so funny...and endearing, I might add...
  3. [Izone cb confirmed for June 15] I like it when I get things right most of the time, but this stings. Kinda wishing those rumors about fromis transferring to pledis and pledis being acquired by bighit had been true. Alas... C'mon 3rd quarter 2020 comeback...
  4. I know a lot of the agencies aren't great at communicating with fans, but a lot of fan "anxiety" could be assuaged with some fairly generic communiques. OTR could have said something along the lines of: "We know you want see/meet fromis, the members want to see you too. We were diligently preparing for Japanese promotions but the global health situation we sadly couldn't do it at this time. As things stand we need time to readjust so that the group can meet fans under more positive conditions. Please wait for fromis as they get ready to prepare for future promotions. We will be releasing content on youtube and social media regularly, and will let you know when we are closer to meeting you once again." That took less than 2 minutes to write. It may be PR speak, but it let's you know something, at least. Instead a lot of fans keep expecting a comeback announcement that won't come (soon), are disappointed, and grow increasingly frustrated. Anyway, I'll keep waiting..
  5. What follows is all conjecture and may have no correspndence to reality: I've been thinking OTR probably had no plans for a late-spring/early-summer Korean comeback for fromis_9. So they didn't have anything for the girls 'cause they might only have thought about starting to plan for Korean promotions only after they were done with the Japan stuff. Maybe they were eyeing a late-July to early-Sept period. If so, that would pretty much confirm fromis as one comeback per year, and probably having to wait till after april 2021. I think OTRs schedule might be something like: late Jun/July - izone late jul to sept - fromis oct/nov - izone march/april - izone farewell Anyway, feels like fromis are getting clc'd; hopefully they don't get pristin'd.
  6. You're probably right. I was already in a foul mood when I read the news, that's why I was so steamed.
  7. So, apparently IZ is getting a summer comeback ... and still no announcements for fromis_9... feels like OTR is letting fromis drown in the shallows... kind of makes me want to let out a string of expletives, but I'll just say this: GARBAGE.
  8. Wild that for group that's about to be 2.5 years old, fully one year will have been spent on waiting on their next comeback.
  9. @satoori Sorry, I was being unclear about my use of DIY. I didn't mean to say for the girls to do everything. I meant that OTR could actually behave like an indy label and allow the girls to participate, get involved, and incur responsibility in the creative and music production process. The onus of the heavy lifting would rightly be on OTR as such, because that is their job. But I don't think it's beyond the pale to have them write most of their songs, at least for minis. As for the merch, I understand that they invest in commemorative products. What I was trying to point out, I guess, is that a dedicated online merch store provides continuous revenue that doesn't depend on promotional/special events. They wouldn't even have to come up with new designs right away either, just stamp already existing logos and designs on stuff. Most of the profit from that would still go to OTR. If OTR is low on resources for fromis, they gotta make due with what they've got, and they have at least 3 potentially very talented songwriters. And I maintain that online merch store is a relatively low-cost way to make some revenue. Anyway, these are all hypotheticals in my head, and very likely a far reach from reality, but it's interesting to think about, at least. I too want OTR to do their job well and diligently.
  10. @satoori I think you're right. OTR, it seems, has never been self-sufficient. Double-agree on the need for the girls' individual activities. I find it hard to believe that at least some people at OTR don't have ins with entertainment execs/producers. I've been thinking about the possibility that OTR's strategy is D.I.Y.ing or indie-izing fromis, especially if Seoyeon's studio stuff is anything to go by. (I, for one, would've liked them to have the girls do more of that kind of stuff earlier, but the past is the past.) If they are going that way they NEED an online merch store, at least with shirts and pins at the beginning. Getting printed band t-shirts to sell isn't that hard or expensive, especially for a Kpop agency. Even if they aren't going for DIYfrom, I still think it would be a good idea to make money, without having to worry so much about album production cost and sales. I bet they could get Hot Topic to carry their merch in the US if they really wanted to. Anyway, yeah, I would buy fromis t-shirts and a hoodie if they had a merch store...
  11. I know covid threw a wrench in a lot of plans, and maybe OTR is sticking more or less to their original Korean comeback schedule, but I think that shows, (as with their listlessness during the IS investigation), at least partially, that they find it difficult to respond/adapt to contingencies. If OTR deemed it more profitable, and better for fromis, to begin splitting time between and Japan and Korea that's fine, but circumstances being what they are, I think it could be a chance for fromis to establish a solid name for themselves in Korea, if OTR proves me wrong and is capable of shifting gears. Also, if OTR keeps doing singles (and one cb per yr) for fromis, that would leave me disgruntled for sure. (And if that were indicative of OTR already looking to a post-IZ group, it would definitely leave me fuming.) For now, I'll assume that OTR is following their original KR schedule, more or less, and maybe they'll manage to surprise us and do something for fromis in the fall. Wishful thinking maybe, but we'll see.
  12. Well, looks like BP is having a comeback in mid-June. OTR either needs to throw their hat into the mix or wait until July/August, by which time I bet groups that promoted in January to early April will start having their second round of comebacks. Sometimes it feels like OTR's handling of fromis is comparable to handling/steering a yacht like it was a freighter.
  13. Me too. I'm guessing OTR saw/sensed something promising in the Japanese market to move forward with a JP debut before a Korean comeback, but with how things are now it's difficult to say. Though at first it looked like Japan had avoided the worst of CV19 it seems it's starting to get bad, and they'll probably be a second wave in the fall. SK seems to have gotten things under control for the most part, so if I was OTR, (in my dreams), I'd concentrate on Korean activities for the remainder of this year, and hold off on Japan 'til 2021. Though if circumstances permit, it would be nice if they held at least one JP fanmeet.
  14. Yeah, the beginning of April looked promising to me too. But I guess (in March) OTR was still more focused on what to do about the postponed Japanese debut and fanmeets (and keeping tabs on how things were going in JP), than pivoting back to Korea as an immediate contingency plan.
  15. You're right, good point. The calendar is stacked with heavy-hitters. Maybe they will decide to have the comeback coincide with the launch of Gyuri's drama for additional exposure. At some point though, it becomes a matter of jumping into the fray or staying home altogether. (Not an accusation, just an observation.)
  16. I'm probably very wrong about this, but I wonder if as of now they're waiting until after Natty's promotions are done. I know OTR and Swing are distinct, but they're both Stone subsidiaries so... I don't know. Like I said, probably not the case..
  17. If they announce a comeback sometime from early May to mid June I'll hold out cautious optimism for a second in October/Nov. Anything past mid June will prob mean no second comeback this year, (though I want to be wrong). I wonder if the new Swing Ent-IZ arrangement will open up room for OTR to do more stuff with fromis_9? We'll see, I guess...
  18. Long post incoming: I'm with you guys, the OTR/Swing/Han Sung Soo thing raises all kinds of questions. Is this mostly Stone/CJ re-structuring internally to demarcate (and divide labor) between temporary group stuff and permanent (fromis) stuff? Is it a move indicating an eventual complete integration between Swing and OTR? Or is it a sign that they don't actually like having to deal with the responsibilities of having their own agency and are planning to dissolve OTR, (and thereby transfer fromis_9)? Now the announcement may also be indicative of a couple of things (which may not be mutually exclusive): CJ/Stone's deal with Pledis is up; Pledis has recovered enough to where HSS can choose what he wants to do in working with OTR; CJ/Stone feel they don't need HSS for IZ any longer and think Swing-OTR can handle it, and/or CJ/Stone want HSS and his team to focus on fromis_9. One thing I think it does show is that OTR has been only nominally a stand-alone (self-sufficient) agency from the beginning. They may have the financial resources that many companies don't, but maybe not the staffing (in experience and number). I do have some thoughts though (caveat: the following is mostly my impressions, who knows if they are accurate to any degree): There has always seem to be discussion about the extent of Pledis' involvement in OTR, and it oscillates between OTR just IS Pledis; or it's mostly HSS and some staff helping OTR produce fromis/IZ. I think the reality is somewhere in the middle. I think that Stone/CJ set up OTR as, I already mentioned, only nominally as a stand alone entity, and basically contracted out a lot of the logistics, managing, producing, and day-to-day to Pledis. Probably all the top execs at OTR and maybe some of the middle management is Stone, but a lot of it seems to be Pledis staff that would've handled Pledis' girl groups (hence the controversy about prstn). Remember Pledis was in financial straits; CJ/Stone probably worked out a deal with HSS/Pledis that would help them out with their debt. This could've included paying Pledis for use of their facilities, for producing, and for managing (meaning Pledis staff would be paid by Stone, rather than Pledis). This also probably meant Pledis/HSS couldn't refuse to take up duties for IZ, (and thus back to the issue of inequity while managing 2 groups at a time). Yet HSS's post says he's going to focus on being Pledis' CEO, so maybe he's done with fromis too, which leaves them where exactly? The announcements make no mention of fromis_9, so I'm hoping CJ/Stone have a team to focus on them, to try to make up for what almost seems like the "lost year" of fromis_9. Anyway, whatever the re-structuring and re-shuffling games are between Swing/OTR/Pledis I hope it doesn't cause any prolonged instability for fromis, we don't need another "Saga of Uncertainty." The girls need to be someplace where they are stable, where they are respected, and taken care of, in a personal and in a business/commercial sense.
  19. It sucks that their Japanese activities had to be postponed, BUT this covid-19 thing is serious stuff. Better play it safe. Three students at the state uni in my area got sent back from Yonsei and have to self-quarantine for 15 days... Anyway, hope they have some content to hold fans over til things start to settle down some.
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