On the bayfm radio show “Tonight, Under Sakura’s Tree” (every Wednesday 24:00-24:30), broadcast on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.
Miyawaki Sakura spoke about the “global idol” IZ*ONE from listeners’ messages.
Miyawaki Sakura: Radio name “Muu”.
Listener email: Nice to meet you, Saku-chan.
Miyawaki Sakura: Nice to meet you!
Listener email: I’ve been listening to “Sakunoki” for about a year, but I really wanted to express my gratitude, so I’m sending you my first email this time. I was originally a “48 otaku”, but when my idol graduated five years ago, I quit being an otaku. Since then, I’ve been living without an idol, but I met IZ*ONE and I’m feeling the “happiness of having an idol” again.
I have a younger sister who is five years younger than me, but she has the opposite hobbies and interests.
I liked “48” and she liked “K-POP”.
But I managed to get my sister into the “IZONE swamp,” and now she’s a proud WIZONE fan who supports Yujin (my sister was happy later on that she started liking Yujin without knowing that she was the same age as her).
Since I started liking IZONE, my sister has taught me about Korean idol culture, and I’ve taught her about Japanese idol culture, and we’ve been able to communicate in a way we never had before. My sister and I have been together for 17 years, and IZONE is the first group we’ve both liked. Thanks to that, I think we’ve become closer.
We live apart because of our studies, but thanks to IZONE, we’ve been in contact more than before. As an older brother, I’m happy that I’ve gotten to know a side of my younger sister that I didn’t know before, and that I can talk to her like a friend. I’m really grateful to IZONE. Thank you.
It’s been getting really hot recently, so please take care of yourself.
Both my brother and sister will continue to support you.
Miyawaki Sakura: Thank you.
I’m so glad. I also think that IZ*ONE is neither a “K-POP idol” nor a “Japanese idol”, but a “global idol”. So there are “good points of Japanese idols” and “good points of Korean idols”. I was familiar with “Japanese idol culture”, but I learned about “Korean idol culture” from the Korean members.
So, I think we’re the “strongest group” that combines the best of both worlds… I know, it’s like “don’t say it yourself” (laughs).
I think I want to be that kind of group, and I think we’ve become that kind of group… I would be happy if people who didn’t know much about K-POP before would like IZONE, and of course people overseas who didn’t know much about Japanese idols until now would get to know IZONE and think, “Oh, there are idols like this. They’re wonderful.”