Bucho is being fired?! I don’t think so... And here’s why!
So, I was supposed to finish this post around a week ago. I’m sorry I didn’t.
But, sometimes extra time can give us more of a look into things, rather than flying off the handle right away and panicking.
First, let's start with the whole "being fired" thing... On September 1st, the following message was posted on the DEATHRABBITS website:
Even right now when accessing deathrabbits.com, the above image still pops up on screen. Luckily, fellow admin and fan @mastos758 on twitter translated the above for us, which I have taken the liberty of slightly fixing up (good teamwork as always, ne?):
“An Apology I am deeply grateful to you fans for supporting us. Sorry for making this announcement so abruptly, but DEATHRABBITS are finding it hard to continue our activities into the next year. I, Bucho Kanzaki, will be dismissed for spending too much money by making Ramen CD, and the distribution of the free black Ramen. That decision made a huge economical impact for the company. it is not the fault or business of Emi, Yuzu and Karin. but as we are a partners in this Band, our performance at Ebisu Liquidroom on 13 Nov. will be "DEATHRABBITS Last live w". Regardless, we will perform at our very best for our remaining activities in this year! Please support for us, as always! Thank you, DEATHRABBITS Bucho AKA Akira Kanzaki”
Wow! The above is quite shocking, right?!
Well, I thought so, too, at first... But not now! We;re going to have to go back to July 2016...
I remembered something. In a recent entry that you can see by clicking -Here-, I mentioned a mysterious blog entry that went missing. Luckily, I was able to trace a copy for myself, and I can share it with you all today. The entry is dated 2016.07.20, and I have provided a transcript/translation:
"アイドルを続けるのは、とても大変である (To continue the Idol group is very very difficult)
いや、続けるのはどんな事でも大変だ。 (It does not seem possible to continue
大変と言えば、ラーメンだ。 (Speaking of Ramen...) そう。 (Ah, yes...) ラーメン。 (Ramen...) 思い返せば、そもそも、「ラーメン」が、破滅への始まりだったのかもしれない・・・。 (In retrospect, from the beginning... perhaps "Ramen" was the beginning of the end... うううう。 (Ahhhh....) いままで応援してくれ皆様。 (Everyone who cheered for us up until now,) 本当にスイマセン。 (I'm so so sorry. Please forgive me.) また、 (Also...) ゆず (Emi...) えみ (Yuzu...) かりん (Karin...) 本当にゴメンね。 (I'm so, SO sorry...) う (Ah...) ううううううううう (Ahhhhhhhhh...)"
As I said before, this was mysteriously deleted not long after being posted. Why it was deleted is anyone’s guess. I personally think it was to get people to start talking about the whole thing. Keep in mind, this was posted just a day before “The last live w” was announced... it got people talking, for sure.
The next day (07.21), Yuzu made an entry that you can read -Here-, where she explicitly said that she had no idea that the title of the next ONEMAN would be “the last live w”, and she was angry at Bucho, and that she wanted her, Emi and Karin to continue DEATHRABBITS, even without Bucho, once again setting the stage for the announcement in November.
In addition to this, the very next day at their Nagoya LIVE (07.22), Yuzu-Chan made a comment towards the end of the LIVE, where she complained about announcement of 4th ONEMAN, due to its title, but Bucho simply did not respond. (Thanks to @mastos758 on twitter yet again for this information)
On 2016.08.01, Bucho tweeted his shock to hear that Ladybeard had left LADYBABY, and offered to be the “New Ladybeard”, again fitting into the story that he was getting fired:
な！なんだとぉおおおお！ 関係謝様、おぢさん要素が必要な時は直ぐに連絡下さい！！ LADYBABYからレディビアード脱退、れい＆理江は改名して再始動 - 音楽ナタリー https://t.co/tPRoQT2mzO
— DEATHRABBITS 部長 (@DEATHRABBITS190)
August 1, 2016
Carrying on from this, on 2016.08.04, the following tweet was made by DEATHRABBITS Staff:
最近。部長が全然会社におりません。 Twitterも放置し、何してるんでしょうか、 あれ！？ こんな所に、バラバラにされた 部長の一部が、、#ラストライブw pic.twitter.com/Zu6TFbt5H2
— デスラビッツ@1113リキッドルーム (@deathrabbits1)
August 4, 2016
Which translates to:
"Recently, Bucho hasn't been in the office at all! His Twitter has also stalled in updates. Why?! In this place, it seem like Bucho is falling apart... #TheLastLivew"
Once again, this implies that he hadn’t been in the office due to suspension, or other punishment. We later found out on 08.11, that Bucho had simply been on vacation.
Things then went quiet about the whole situation for a little bit, until the following tweet on 08.22, where the DR staff announced there would be an “important announcement”, which we now know is Bucho being “fired”:
デスラビッツのワンマンライブDVD は10月12日に発売☆ その前に9月1日に、部長から大事な発表があるとかないとかwhttps://t.co/rEVMusZNnO pic.twitter.com/oBnhmxHMPC
— デスラビッツ@1113リキッドルーム (@deathrabbits1)
August 22, 2016
3 days after this, on 08.25, the official DEATHRABBITS Twitter account unfollowed everyone but Bucho’s twitter and the twitter of a Japanese comedian that Bucho also follows (Thanks to fellow admin and fan @RabittsuTom on Twitter for the following image) :
It turns out, this was no “mistake”.
According to the following tweet, Bucho "broke into" the account and unfollowed everyone:
先日部長がこの公式アカに勝手にログインし、フォローを全部消してしまったが故に、フォロワー様も盛大に減ってしまいました。。 部長アカウントのフォロワー様数を下回り、部長は隣でガッツポーズ決めてました。 そこ争うところですか？小ちゃい男！部長。 何を企んでいるのでしょうか。。
— デスラビッツ@1113リキッドルーム (@deathrabbits1)
August 25, 2016
Bringing more attention to DEATHRABBITS in the long run.
Right, let’s come back to September 1st. Bucho being “fired/suspended” has been announced, and the following image is posted to the DEATHRABBITS website as their new banner:
As you can see, Bucho is “fading away”, adding more to the “OMG! Bucho is fired! hysteria... but, I’d like to mention the following 2 facts..
1. Bucho was “retiring” on 2015.05.30, and simply didn’t due to a “technicality”.
2. Bucho was also supposed to retire on 2015.11.07, but simply came back as a “new” Bucho, hence his mask.
I hope you’re all following this pattern here. DR Staff like to tease that Bucho will leave on two different occasions now.
On this same day, Bucho once again offered to be part of LADYBABY, once again fitting into the “I have no job” thing:
ゆずちゃん えみちゃん かりんちゃん ごめんよぉぉ～～ さーてっと、 LADYBABY メンバー募集してないかな～～ 11月13日LIQIDROOM デスラビッツ 『ラストライブw』 一般発売開始。 チケットぴあhttps://t.co/vFq0i7TQRg …
— DEATHRABBITS 部長 (@DEATHRABBITS190)
September 1, 2016
On 2016.09.02, Emi, Yuzu and Karin made a very frank and honest blog entry, which can be read -Here-, where they thank everyone for their support, and openly said they don’t want DEATHRABBITS to end, and that they would rather have Bucho leave than the group end. This is also the final entry to their blog, as it hasn’t been posted in since then.
On 2016.09.09, a LIVE was announced for the day before “the last live”. The date of this LIVE is set to be 2016.11.12, and will feature 3 other groups, including LADYBABY. For a company that just said they are facing financial difficulty due to the Ramen fiasco, they sure seem to have enough money to put on a costly LIVE event... of course, Bucho plugged the hole in this, too, by stating he is using “the last of the companies funds haha” in the following tweet:
ラストライブw前日、キャッシュバックの大サービス♪ これが部長、最後の予算使い方(笑) チケット販売を待たれよ！https://t.co/qZFeTVFr72#LADYBABY#夏の魔物#PassCode#デスラビッツ pic.twitter.com/WOjV0CIqKV
— DEATHRABBITS 部長 (@DEATHRABBITS190)
September 9, 2016
In conclusion, I personally think this is a publicity stunt. DR and their staff are masters of this, and know how to keep fans on their toes.
One final piece of evidence I have, is that within the next 24 hours, we will get a new song/video from DEATHRABBITS titled “Anger”... again, from a company in financial ruin! haha
Then this tweet happened:
新曲「Anger 」 は、怒り。 理不尽な大人に対する怒り。 平気で嘘を付く大人への怒り。 怒り。#公式アカウントの固定ツイートRTしてネ pic.twitter.com/TCsKMKs5ca
— デスラビッツ@1113リキッドルーム (@deathrabbits1)
September 9, 2016
Which translated to:
“The new song "Anger" is about anger... Anger against unreasonable adults... anger against adults who tell a lie in cold blood... anger."
Totally not about Bucho and the whole situation~
What do you guys think?! We’ll keep you guys posted!