[Column Vol. 17] The Difficulty of the Transition Period During Member Changes

Adding new members is,
basically, good news.

A new voice.
A new expression.
A new position.

The expectation that things might change for the better.
A premonition that something stagnant is about to start moving again.
That in itself is not a bad thing.

In fact, for a group,
it is often a necessary change.

Adding new members is hope.
However, at the same time, from the moment it is announced,
it also becomes pressure on the current structure.

It seems that multiple new members will be joining an idol group.
The number of people will increase from the current structure.

From the announcement to the debut, it is about one month.
In other words, live performances with the current structure will continue.
But in one month, it will be a different structure.
This one month is quite difficult.

A member change,

does not start on the day of the debut.
It has already begun from the moment it was announced.
New members who are not yet on stage,
start to change how the current members are perceived.
Herein,

lies the most complicated part of the transition period.

Learning the new structure while performing the current one

From the idol's perspective,
this period is quite complex.

It is still the current members who perform in live shows.
However, they are not only practicing the current structure.

Choreography for the current structure.
Positions for the current structure.
Song assignments for the current structure.

In addition to that,

choreography for the new structure including the new members.
Positions for the new structure.
Song assignments for the new structure.

Even with the same song, the scenery changes if the number of people changes.
Positions change.
Movement lines change.
Who sings where also changes.

Songs that should have been ingrained in their bodies,
are gradually being overwritten by different forms.

Even so,
what is performed on stage is the current structure version.

This is the difficult part.

Today is still the current structure.
This song still has this position.
This part still has this song assignment.

They know it in their heads.

But their bodies have already started to learn the next form.

If they perform a live show in that state,
mistakes in choreography, positions,
or song assignments can happen.

Of course, as long as they stand on stage,
it is better not to make mistakes.
For the fans who came to watch,
what they saw that day is everything.

No matter how much preparation for the new structure is done behind the scenes,
if the live show in front of them is lackluster,
it looks lackluster.
There is no excuse for that.

However, it is structured in a way that makes mistakes likely.
While maintaining the current form,
they must internalize the next form.
This is not just about the amount of things to learn increasing.

Within the same song,
it is a state where two correct answers exist.

Moreover, what is visible from the audience seats,
is not the burden behind the scenes.
Slightly off choreography.
Hesitant positions.
A singing start that was a moment late.

What is visible is not the effort, but the flaws.
The cruelty of the transition period lies there.

The weight of the word "culmination"

During this period,
idols often say.

We want to show the best live performance with the current structure.
We want to show the culmination of the current form.
We want to cherish this structure until the end.

I think those words are probably sincere.

There is no idol who wants to end what they have built up,
in a sloppy way.
They want to properly leave behind the scenery that can be shown with the current members,
until the very end.

I understand that feeling.
However, those words are quite heavy.
Because in reality,
they are not in a state where they can focus only on the current structure.

There is practice for the new structure.
There is coordination with the new members.
There is a new formation.
There are new song assignments.
The things to learn are increasing.
Their focus is also scattered.

Even so, there are live shows scheduled for the current structure.
There are a number of them.
The number of live shows they can do is limited.
That is why they want to cherish each one.

However, wanting to cherish something and,
actually being able to produce the highest value are different things.
While holding up the culmination of the current structure,
they cannot focus only on the current structure.

Herein lies the contradiction of the transition period.

As words, it is correct.
But as a structure, it is quite severe.

Even if there is passion, it does not necessarily mean it is the best

In fact,
I have seen live shows that held up the culmination of the current structure.

From the announcement of the new member addition,
to the debut, it was a one-month period.
It was a live show at a time when about half of that,
had passed.

The members had passion.
There is no doubt about that.

That they were trying to properly show the current structure,
and that they were not trying to let this period pass sloppily,
was conveyed from the stage.

However, whether I was able to see the best live performance,
is a difficult question.

There were mistakes.
There were also accidents involving members.
There were also minor wavers.

I could see their feelings.
But if you ask if it was a level of perfection,
worthy of the word culmination,
honestly, it had not reached that point.

That was when I thought again.
After all, this transition period is difficult.

The current members have passion.
But a live show is not completed by passion alone.
Having feelings and,
producing the best performance are different things.

They were trying hard.
That is true.

But was it the best?
That is a different story.
It is better to separate these things a bit coldly.

Passion is important.
But passion is not an indulgence.
It was tough during the transition period.
There is also preparation for the new structure.
There are many things to learn.
There were also accidents.
I can understand that.

However, for the people who came to the live show that day,
that day's live show is everything.

The circumstances are not visible.
What is visible is the stage.

That is precisely why,
if you say "we want to show the best,"
you need to show something worthy of those words.

There are people who can only see it today

Of course, there is still time until the last day.
There is still time remaining until the debut.
There are still several live shows with the current structure.

So, they will finish it up by the final day.
They will show the best on the last live show.
I think there is that way of thinking too.

However, that is not the time for everyone.
There are people who cannot make it in the remaining period.
There is work.
There is family.
There are circumstances for traveling.
There are financial circumstances.

For that person,
today's live show might be the last time to see the current structure.
Even if they intended to show the best on the final day,
it has nothing to do with people who can only come today.

For the people who came today,
they want today to be the culmination of that structure.

This is the difficult part.

The idol side,
might be heading toward the final day.
But the fans are not necessarily,
there on the final day.

The people who came to see today's live show,
came to see today's best.

Therefore, if they cannot show the present with all their might,
I end up wondering where the feelings of the people who came to the live show now go.
Preparation to make the next one the best is also important.

But making the present the best is,
equally important.
In fact,

as long as they are standing on stage holding up the current structure,
what is required first is the present.
The final day is not the only current structure.

Today's live show is also the current structure.
This obvious fact,

becomes a little hard to see during the transition period.

Fans are waiting for the next while looking at the end

What is difficult is,
not just the idol side.
The fan side also wavers.

The current structure will end soon.
Live shows with these members,
are only a few more times.
When I think about that,
I feel like I have to go.

This song assignment,
this position,
this way of seeing this song,
will change soon.

So I watch.
So I try to remember.
That is a natural emotion.

On the other hand, there is also expectation for the new structure.
I am curious about the new members.
I am looking forward to the debut day.
I want to see soon how the group will change.

That feeling is also natural.

However, because these two exist at the same time,
the live show of the current structure becomes quite complex.

I want to see it through to the end.
But I am already waiting for the next one.

I want to support the current members.
But I am also curious about the new members.

I want to cherish the current structure.
But the debut day feels more like the real thing.
Here, the cruelty of the fan side appears.

With my mouth,
I say I want to see the current structure through to the end.
But in reality,
there are people who are aiming,
at the new member debut day.
While watching the current live show,
there are people who are thinking about the next structure.

There are only current members on stage.
Even so, the gaze of the audience is already split.
The live show during the transition period,
while being the last live show,
also looks like a warm-up for the next structure.

That is quite cruel.

Of course,
it is not bad for fans to have expectations for the new structure.
A new structure that is not expected is tougher.

However, that expectation,
gradually chips away at the remaining time of the current structure.
Things that have not ended yet,
start to be seen in the past tense.

Herein,
lies the loneliness of the member change transition period.

The fact that the present becomes blurred due to preparation for the new structure

Preparation for the new structure is necessary.
That is natural.

As long as they are welcoming new members,
they must practice.
They must create formations.
They must also organize song assignments.
Toward the debut day,
they must bring it to a certain level of perfection.

I do not intend to take that lightly.

However, if because of that preparation,
the current live show becomes blurred,
that is quite lonely.

In order to make the next one the best,
the present becomes thin.

This is, as a transition period,
the form I least want to see.

The success of the new structure is important.
But what is standing on stage now is the current structure.
There are people who are buying tickets now.
There are people who are adjusting their schedules to come now.
There are people who are coming with the intention of seeing the current structure for the last time.

For those people,
preparation for the new structure, even if it becomes a reason,
does not become a substitute for satisfaction.

"We will finish it by the next one"
is not enough.

I want to see it now.

With the current structure,
I want to see the current best.

So personally,
I think lessons before the few remaining current structure live shows,
should be directed toward the present as much as possible.

It is not a story of,
discarding the new structure.

However, as long as they are performing live shows with the current structure,
first of all, I want them to protect the current structure's live shows.

If the present looks light for the sake of the future,
that change is a little lonely.

I have seen both the good times and the bad

How will the new lineup look on the day of the reveal?
Of course, that is something I am curious about.
But before that,
in the remaining live performances of the current lineup,
can they truly give everything they have right now?

That is what I want to see right now.

I have seen both the good times and the bad.
I have seen the days when everything clicked.
I have also seen the days when things fell apart a little.
I have seen days where they pushed through on pure passion alone,
and days where every detail was perfectly aligned.

That is precisely why,
I want them to properly show the effort and hardships they have built up in the current lineup on stage one last time.
The feelings are there.

That much is coming across.
But,

not just with feelings,
but including the level of perfection on stage,
I want them to make me say it was undeniably the best.
Preparation for the new lineup is important.

However,

the ones standing on stage right now are the current lineup.
The final day is not the only time that defines the current lineup.

Today's live performance is also the current lineup.
What I want to see in the remaining few live performances

is not preparation for the future.
It is the best that the current lineup

can deliver as the current lineup.
That is all

I am thinking about.