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The story
On 5ch’s Love Live! board, discontent is spreading over the “upgrade” system that lets ticket winners pay extra to move to better seats after the lottery. This tour offers a CD priority lottery, a fan club lottery, and upgrades, but no ticket resale and no seat-tier pricing. Fans are calling it “double-dipping” and “a de facto price hike,” and comparisons have flown with the concert systems of other franchises like idolmaster and Uma Musume. The topic even trended on X.
It’s trending on X, huh
Source: x.com / original post here
What people said
Worried Liella! is going to fizzle out too
What, only realizing this now? lol
You guys don't spend money, so this is the only way left for them to cash in lolol
You guys don't spend money, so this is the only way left for them to cash in lolol
• CD priority lottery: yes
• Fan club lottery: yes
• Upgrades: yes
• Resale: no
• Tiered seat pricing: no
So this is what a Love Live flagship title looks like now…
• Fan club lottery: yes
• Upgrades: yes
• Resale: no
• Tiered seat pricing: no
So this is what a Love Live flagship title looks like now…
Re: #4
idolmaster's setup is more ideal and fan-friendly.
Maybe it's because they have fewer cast-focused fans than Love Live and character merch sells well instead?
•CD priority lottery: no
•Fan club early-bird lottery: yes
•Upgrades: no
•Resale: yes
•Tiered seat pricing: yes
idolmaster's setup is more ideal and fan-friendly.
Maybe it's because they have fewer cast-focused fans than Love Live and character merch sells well instead?
•CD priority lottery: no
•Fan club early-bird lottery: yes
•Upgrades: no
•Resale: yes
•Tiered seat pricing: yes
"All-media project" sounds nice on paper,
but without game revenue, serial-code tickets and upgrades run wild,
and if any one medium falls apart, the chain reaction really hurts.
but without game revenue, serial-code tickets and upgrades run wild,
and if any one medium falls apart, the chain reaction really hurts.
Total fan numbers just keep shrinking,
so they have to squeeze whatever they can out of whoever's left or it's not sustainable.
so they have to squeeze whatever they can out of whoever's left or it's not sustainable.
Honestly, serial codes rack up more hate than upgrades do, don't they?
Part of it's that I'm out in the sticks so travel costs add up,
and yeah, a big chunk is because I follow a specific member too,
but I'm already stretched thin just on ticket prices — how much are the people buying tons of merch on top of that AND going all-in on "rabukatsu" (heavy Love Live fan activities) even spending on this franchise…?
and yeah, a big chunk is because I follow a specific member too,
but I'm already stretched thin just on ticket prices — how much are the people buying tons of merch on top of that AND going all-in on "rabukatsu" (heavy Love Live fan activities) even spending on this franchise…?
"Anyone may apply" → and somehow the "just bundle a serial code with it" crowd shows up anyway
It's a fan meeting, so it's not that different, come on
It's a fan meeting, so it's not that different, come on
Seriously stop force-bundling merch just to jack up the price
The "Chu-tori-era Live" (a past concert) was 4,000 yen with no merch attached, so this doesn't add up
The "Chu-tori-era Live" (a past concert) was 4,000 yen with no merch attached, so this doesn't add up
Re: #10
Chu-tori-era: 4,000 yen
Sports Festival: 12,500 yen
What is this??
Chu-tori-era: 4,000 yen
Sports Festival: 12,500 yen
What is this??
Saw a post on X about this — even with upgrades, wouldn't total sales at a 10,000-capacity venue in the Kanto/Kansai area barely move?
If upgrades only apply to 10% = 1,000 attendees and you double their per-head price, total sales only go up by about 1.1x.
Sounds like Liella!'s ("Star's") management must be in pretty rough financial shape.
Then again, if attendance drops even 10% it hurts revenue more — makes you wonder if a boycott could actually happen.
If upgrades only apply to 10% = 1,000 attendees and you double their per-head price, total sales only go up by about 1.1x.
Sounds like Liella!'s ("Star's") management must be in pretty rough financial shape.
Then again, if attendance drops even 10% it hurts revenue more — makes you wonder if a boycott could actually happen.
Re: #11
They're now charging for good seats that used to come free with a regular ticket, and it costs them nothing to offer — pure margin.
I'd bet it's more profitable than whatever they lose from fewer attendees.
They're now charging for good seats that used to come free with a regular ticket, and it costs them nothing to offer — pure margin.
I'd bet it's more profitable than whatever they lose from fewer attendees.
It's all JASRAC's fault, really (JASRAC — Japan's music copyright collection society)
The idiot management probably thinks people will just pay for upgrades at every show they used to attend, but nope — now that upgrades exist, I'm cutting all my travel dates.
Paying big money at a crappy venue for an arena-seat gacha, or a guaranteed spot in the back? Are they serious?
Paying big money at a crappy venue for an arena-seat gacha, or a guaranteed spot in the back? Are they serious?
Honestly, the number of touring fans is definitely going to drop. Hasunosora ("Lotus") is doing regional upgrade seats too, but that's in Kanazawa, a venue where you can actually lose the lottery, so it's not exactly reassuring to attempt.
Doing this for Liella!, which already struggles to fill regional venues, just seems like self-sabotage.
Doing this for Liella!, which already struggles to fill regional venues, just seems like self-sabotage.
Re: #19
Feels like all Liella! management cares about is keeping it alive longer than Nijigasaki ("Rainbow"), its senior by three years.
Can't very well fold the junior series before the senior one, right?
Feels like all Liella! management cares about is keeping it alive longer than Nijigasaki ("Rainbow"), its senior by three years.
Can't very well fold the junior series before the senior one, right?
For a sense of scale, I think the Asia tour is a good comparison.
Re: #25
Raising upgrade prices to match that kind of scale would actually make the most sense to me.
Raising upgrade prices to match that kind of scale would actually make the most sense to me.
Liella!'s previous numbered tour stopped in Yokohama and Nagoya, FYI.
Re: #33
Oh right, last time didn't have an Osaka stop either and it was at an exhibition hall, so I skipped it.
Totally forgot about that.
The one I actually went to was the tour before that.
Oh right, last time didn't have an Osaka stop either and it was at an exhibition hall, so I skipped it.
Totally forgot about that.
The one I actually went to was the tour before that.
If they're just raising prices without the performance quality going up, I don't need to go. Love Live keeps getting less fun every year — thinking they can still charge more for it is management seriously fooling themselves.
Sounds like the people complaining just don't want to go unless they're up front.
Either way you're paying the same amount, no?
Either way you're paying the same amount, no?
Re: #41
?
Up until now you had a shot at a front-row seat for the same price.
?
Up until now you had a shot at a front-row seat for the same price.
Once you put a price gap between seats, you also have to think about how fan service is distributed.
For example, if they add a backstage area or use the cart/trolley a lot to look out for the back seats, the upgrade buyers will complain,
but if they completely ignore the back seats, everyone who didn't upgrade will bail.
That's a tricky balancing act to pull off — can Liella! actually manage it?
For example, if they add a backstage area or use the cart/trolley a lot to look out for the back seats, the upgrade buyers will complain,
but if they completely ignore the back seats, everyone who didn't upgrade will bail.
That's a tricky balancing act to pull off — can Liella! actually manage it?
Re: #44
Judging by the recent "Chu-tori" show, doesn't look like they've thought it through at all.
Judging by the recent "Chu-tori" show, doesn't look like they've thought it through at all.
Re: #44
Uma Musume did a seating layout surrounding a center stage once, and the cast kept turning their backs to the most expensive seats, which got complaints.
Probably because of the complaints, it was fixed by the next day, though.
Uma Musume did a seating layout surrounding a center stage once, and the cast kept turning their backs to the most expensive seats, which got complaints.
Probably because of the complaints, it was fixed by the next day, though.
Wait, is Love Live the only seiyuu-live franchise pulling this upgrade business model?
I don't know about the others, so I checked the live event pages for what seemed like the most comparable ones — idolmaster, Uma Musume, and MyGO/Mujica (BanG Dream! sub-units) —
and they have seat grades and stuff, but none of them seem to do post-lottery upgrades.
I don't know about the others, so I checked the live event pages for what seemed like the most comparable ones — idolmaster, Uma Musume, and MyGO/Mujica (BanG Dream! sub-units) —
and they have seat grades and stuff, but none of them seem to do post-lottery upgrades.
Re: #47
I feel like TrySail has done something like that before.
I feel like TrySail has done something like that before.
Imagine an Ichiban Kuji lottery draw (a tiered prize raffle common at Japanese pop-culture events) that used to cost 800 yen
and now they tell you: "From now on, a shot at the A, B, or C prize costs 1,600 yen.
If you only want a shot at the lower-tier prizes, you can still draw for 800 yen like before!"
Who's actually going to draw for that?
and now they tell you: "From now on, a shot at the A, B, or C prize costs 1,600 yen.
If you only want a shot at the lower-tier prizes, you can still draw for 800 yen like before!"
Who's actually going to draw for that?
Re: #58
With that analogy, the lower-tier prizes would stop showing up cheap secondhand, so plenty of people would still draw just for those.
With that analogy, the lower-tier prizes would stop showing up cheap secondhand, so plenty of people would still draw just for those.
Unlike tiered seat sales, upgrades feel like being charged twice, which probably makes the psychological burden bigger.
And you're literally paying handling fees twice too.
And you're literally paying handling fees twice too.
Re: #61
Since there's no resale, skipping the upgrade means a guaranteed back seat, so I bet a lot of people will end up only attending one arena show in Kanto or Kansai in person for Liella!.
This time there's no Kansai venue, and Fukuoka and Aichi are both full-flat floor seating, so I'd guess it ends up pretty empty.
Since there's no resale, skipping the upgrade means a guaranteed back seat, so I bet a lot of people will end up only attending one arena show in Kanto or Kansai in person for Liella!.
This time there's no Kansai venue, and Fukuoka and Aichi are both full-flat floor seating, so I'd guess it ends up pretty empty.
Read between the lines — they're in the red badly enough that they had to resort to upgrades.
If you don't like it, just wait around until the franchise dies off.
If you don't like it, just wait around until the franchise dies off.
Re: #73
With backlash this bad, won't the "zentsuu" crowd (fans who attend every single show) either cut back on how many shows they hit, or drop out entirely — shrinking sales even further?
With backlash this bad, won't the "zentsuu" crowd (fans who attend every single show) either cut back on how many shows they hit, or drop out entirely — shrinking sales even further?
Re: #77
Guess the whole series just ends, then.
Fine by me.
Love Live Fes 2 can be the last hurrah.
Guess the whole series just ends, then.
Fine by me.
Love Live Fes 2 can be the last hurrah.
Re: #79
Just end "Star" (Liella!/Superstar!!) already.
Rainbow (Nijigasaki), Lotus (Hasunosora), and Bird (another Love Live sub-franchise) still have anime coming, so they're not backed into a corner enough to fold yet.
Just end "Star" (Liella!/Superstar!!) already.
Rainbow (Nijigasaki), Lotus (Hasunosora), and Bird (another Love Live sub-franchise) still have anime coming, so they're not backed into a corner enough to fold yet.
Re: #76
Didn't idolmaster's Shiny Colors bundle an earliest-priority lottery serial code with a 70,000-yen live Blu-ray?
Didn't idolmaster's Shiny Colors bundle an earliest-priority lottery serial code with a 70,000-yen live Blu-ray?
Re: #80
Yeah, that's correct.
Shiny Colors bundled a serial code for earliest-priority front-row access to their shuffle-unit live show with the Blu-ray.
Yeah, that's correct.
Shiny Colors bundled a serial code for earliest-priority front-row access to their shuffle-unit live show with the Blu-ray.
Background and key points
The “upgrade” discussed here refers to a system that lets fans pay extra to move from their lottery-assigned seat to a better one. In the thread, users compared Love Live! to other seiyuu-driven live franchises like idolmaster and Uma Musume, both of which offer ticket resale and tiered seat pricing — features Love Live! has neither of — and that gap became a major source of complaints. At the same time, some posters defended the move, arguing that as the fanbase keeps shrinking, expanding revenue streams is simply unavoidable, so this isn’t a case of simple management-bashing. Some posters also worked out that upgrades apply to only a small fraction of winners’ seats, meaning even doubling the price would have a limited effect on total revenue — a gap between the emotional backlash and the actual revenue math that’s easy for readers to miss.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Love Live!) thread “Fans grumble over Love Live! concert upgrade system.”
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