u/BrilliantRun7567

Before anyone jumps at me, I want you to hear the real reason why Sakura was always going to be chosen for Saint satine.

First of all, Sakura had a clear identity, something Ayana was missing. This wasn’t just Son being overly critical, everyone had pointed it out, including her trainers, and even Ayana herself acknowledged it when training. Aoi and Hiori also had identities, so if they had reached the finals alongside Sakura, choosing the final piece would have been much more difficult. Ayana was demonstrating why she deserved that final position, whereas that wasnt the case for Sakura.

This is going to hurt alot of people, but I’m just going to say that you can train talent, but you cannot train star quality. Sakura has so much star quality that it’s undeniable. She still stood out and blended in the group at the same time, unlike ayana who blended in completely with the group and didn’t show a sense of identity during performances.

While we’re on the subject of J-pop, there’s something most people already recognize. The industry tends to favor younger idols and minors. I’m not saying it’s right, but a 20 year old contestant who has already appeared on multiple survival shows is naturally going to have a harder time appealing to the Japanese market, especially since Emily, Lexie and Samara went through the same thing. On the other hand, a youthful 16 year old with a poor background and no previous training? That just appeals more to younger audiences. Sakura had a clear advantage.

Finally, the visual part. [I AM NOT CALLING AYANA UGLY, in fact she is one of the most beautiful trainees ive seen.] But, visual means looking different. They are a global girl group appealing to a global market. Every outfit and every hairstyle from Ayana can be pictured on Lexie which really just doesn’t make a difference. They both have pale skin and black hair, it just doesn’t appeal even if she’s Japanese.

This is not a hate post, I’m just stating why sakura was always gonna be chosen.

Park Seohee - Main Vocalist
Park Seoyeon - Dancer
Kwon Yena - Main Vocalist
Misaki - Dancer
Lee Hani - Main Dancer, Center
Park Seah - FOTG, Visual