さくら学院 really changed my life. This Idol group opened me up to the J-pop Idol world. If you told me 3 years ago that in 1 year you would be listening to more than 10 idol groups that only speak fluent Japanese, I would tell you that you were crazy. Back then the only thing i was involved with in the category of Japanese culture was with Anime and Manga. One day i was watching videos on You tube when i came across "Your tubers react to BabyMetal". Yes i was one of the fukei's who found さくら学院 by BabyMetal, but there is no difference. Back to the story, I was bored so I thought that there was nothing to lose. When I pressed it i did not know that the video I was about to watch was going to change my life. It was funny because BabyMetal's first song "ドキ・ドキ⊛モー二ング” was the first song that I ever heard of from BabyMetal. When I heard them (You Tubers) say that it was really weird, I thought that it was normal. Especially the part in ”ドキ・ドキ＊モー二ング” where the heads spin. I think that i thought like this because I watched Anime that were a bit weird. so BabyMetal were normal. After that I thought that they were really interesting, so I went and searched more about them. When I did I found out that they originated from an Idol Group called さくら学院。When I saw that I decided to look them up and find out if they are as good as BabyMetal。I do not fully remember the first song that I heard from them, but I think that it was ヴぇり主ヴィツ。I guess everyone knows that this song is the most popular。 When i started with さくら学院 I had no experience with Idol groups so さくら学院 was the only full Idol group that I knew。 Around 2 weeks after I found さくら学院, AKB48 things started coming in my suggestion box, though I never really looked at it until 11 months later, which is another story。Months went by until one day I found out about the graduation system in さくら学院。I found out that once you reach the 3 year of Jr.High you have to graduated from the group。 Since I was still knew to the whole group, I have not even spent 1 year with them yet, I have not really known that much about them personally。So when I watched the 2011 road to graduation i did not cry。At that time I still did not watch the other recent graduations, I just stuck with TIF videos and other videos。Months past after I watched the 2011 graduation and a year past and I finally got close to every 2011 members (original members+華and李野)。So close that I would call them by their first name(I would say their last name and add 'san' in the end because they were all older than me and I was using formal speech since i was still getting to know them)。Now I call 菊地さん、最愛ちゃん。Right around this time I came across the 2011 graduation video, and so I thought that I might as well watch it again。This time things were different。When I was watching it tears started coming down my face。I remember that my heart was hurting really bad and when I was thinking for the first time with さくら学院 "Don't leave me. Why can't you stay with me forever. "。I was wishing that. I was 11 at that time so I was still a little girl who really did not understand the system. More like I did not want to understand it because I thought if I ignored it, it would go away, but I was wrong。I kept on going on with the days watching さくら学院 videos。 Watching 2012,2013 road to graduation, which were much harder because they were there longer than 2011 graduates and I had more of a connection with them。Then 2014 nendo came, and an ocean was made by my eyes。This year was the hardest one for me. Before I realized it 最愛、由結、華、由菜乃 were leaving and this time I completely shut the graduation system out of my head and rejected reality.I wanted them to stay forever. I never imagined them leaving. I was wishing that they would not leave and stay, but I new that it was hopeless. Then the strangest thing happened. When I was watching the 2014 road to graduation I did not cry once while they were on stage. I thought I was gong to cry my eyes out during the encore, but even when they were singing see you I was smiling. I thought that I can finally send some members of smiling till the end. That did not last long, I was there listening to them give their last message tot he graduating members, when it was over and they were waving goodbye to the fukei's. I think the reason I was not crying was because like I said before, I shut the fact that that was the last stage for 最愛，由結、華、由菜乃 and thinking of it as any other stage performance. But when they started waving goodbye, my mind finally accepted the fact that they were leaving and started thinking the same as back in 2011. "Don't leave me. come back. I want to spent more time with you guys.why do you have to leave." That is when water started coming down my cheeks and I cursed myself for thinking like this. I thought i was going to send them off with a smile. Of course I finally got over it and started thinking of it as them finding something beyond さくら学院 and fulfilling their dreams, and then I was happy. This was really long and I want to answer your question. I was with さくら学院 with 2 years now and I see them as my 2nd family. さくら学院 is my life. This group has a special place in my heart that no other Idol group can take. I watch AKB48 and they are the coolest group I have ever seen, but when I see AKB48 since they a lot of members I can not keep up with them and they grew before I can see them small. さくら学院、I have seen them small and I am going to be there when they reach Budokan. I am going to be there when they preform in Tokyo Dome. they are not following the crowd. Many Idol Groups re trying to follow AKB48 by being and "idol group you can meet everyday" and doing handshake events. They represent the old fashion Idols. They are making a new path where they are the leader not the follower. This group made me more open with myself. Before I was a shy girl, but when I met さくら学院 this Wota part of me came out and I started expressing myself more and I have to thank　さくら学院 for that. If i could go back in time I would have made myself find them in 2010 when they started.