Event / Concert Shuku Takahashi Minami Sotsugyou "148.5cm no Mita Yume" in Yokohama Stadium (16/03/26 to 16/03/27)

*weeps gently*

Sweet Light Baby ;A; you shall be missed.

This was feelsier than I expected, I definitely wasn't ready.

Though, I wish we had an announcement regarding no3b... maybe in her graduation stage? ;w;

 

Disappointing. I feel bad for Takamina and her fans. As my first oshimen (and being who she is, despite how much I joked about her fans' sense of entitlement), I hoped Takamina would get some kind of epic send-off. This didn't feel epic or moving at all. Partly because her graduation was dragged out so long. There were so many grads, how could something feel like it was missing?

Maybe she wanted a simple concert, I could understand that. But it really felt like a letdown. No song after Takamina left, either. They usually do a song to "herald the new group without the graduated member" but this time they didn't - maybe it was a symbolic gesture that "Takamina is eternal" but that's stretching it (and also really worshippy). While I did like the song choices, member choices and Takamina's quick-change antics, I zoned out at the end because it was so bad.

DING DONG DING DONG
DING DONG DING DONG

DING DONG

Who thought that was a good idea?

 

Yeah, she had so many quick costume changes between songs that I almost became worried for her. ^^;

My favorite performances were Accel (with Sae and Sayaka!!), RIVER, and, of course, Senaka Kotoba. I was actually surprised that her graduation dress WASN'T pink, but it still looked beautiful anyways.

Yeah, the SnH ding-dong loop was just weird. Fortunately they lowered the volume mid-way, so I was able to tolerate it to an extent.

@Silenka I can see your point. Unlike a few months ago when I was just begging management to give her an epic graduation concert, I lowered my expectations this time. As much as I loved Takamina's grad concert, it unfortunately didn't beat Acchan's as my top favorite grad concert.

 

I think you missed a "song" at the end

 

Bird was JuriMari, Accel was Saeyaka.

 

Fave part...... Takamina performing with each sister group. Only wished JKT and SNH could have joined in to. But still amazing for me to watch. And that Beginner-River set. That I can't wait to see on disc, because reasons.

Definite must buy on BLU-Ray when it comes. And it better....

 

Oh shoot, you're right, why did I mix those songs up?

That was worth a double facepalm.

 

Spoiler: weather

Yes, it must be awful to get paid to be a celebrity and do your job. It's not that cold (it's not Hokkaido nor the middle of winter), and when they aren't performing, chances are they're backstage with some type of blanket or stuck next to a bunch of other girls to get warm. This is their job and they signed up for it (because most girls dont sign up with the idea of just being a theatre girl - they want that and everything above it). If they don't like it, they know where the door is.

I'm not trying to be rude or a smart arse, but some of the comments here and in other places, which I was referring to, are about fans complaining about the cold and saying the concerts would be better if it weren't so cold. If you're old enough to fly to another country and shell out money on a concert, you can afford a real good jacket and some thermals and learn how to use google to check the weather.

In any case, the concert was nice. The stage design was non existant, there were no sakura petals or even anything pretty for a visual as she left (there is a difference between simple and basic) and it would have been nice to have a song after she left. Not only is that the norm, but those bells were stupidly long (a brief hug for each member would have been better imo), then you get one verse and Yui weeping before bye bye time.

In any case, it was nice Taka did songs with each group and both current and graduated members. it was nice that a bunch of other grads came back, rather than just the kimi melody lot.

The album is a nice announcement, but since the single was delayed so long, its kind of obvious and beyond a joke at this point. I was satisfied with the concert and it had a bunch of great songs (would have been nice for taka to have one of her solo songs tho), but I think i would have enjoyed it better if it had been in December.

Myao's MC was great. I liked the live singing and solo lines - not all of them are the best live singers, sure, but it prepares girls for careers after AKB and forces them not to lip synch (I dont care that they do, I care how well or how badly they do it).

 

Those bells...

And the entire graduation seemed a bit like a joke. Partially because of the chat (Thanks guys, was a ton of fun ) and partially because after 1.5 years since the announcement and crying at every opportunity they tried to make this another tear-jerker.

I wonder why the sister groups even showed up, since they all got one song and then ran off again. Actually, where was over 90% of AKB itself? Did they even show up? Also, Takamina's been in the group for 10 years, why were there almost no songs after 2012? We've already heard those songs a million times...

Much preferred yesterday's concert, with Tank-chan, and without 10 minutes of bells. And with a unique setlist (Say what you want about pacing but there were fewer overperformed songs in there).

DING DONG DING DONG
DING DONG DING DONG
DING DONG DING DONG

 

Don't feel bad for me at least, because I think this was amaizing, even better than Acchan's (who was the first AKB48 concert I saw years ago). The little magic and plays during the concert, and symbolism was really nice to see. No majestic but very deep.

And the play with the dress was beautiful

 

I liked a lot of sections - as people have already said, the section with the songs accom. by each group was nice; and the section starting with the dancing and RIVER was awesome.

I did like how the last song sung was the first song released (SnH) but those bells..... those bells man. either quick hug or not as many girls there. they would all have their own private goodbyes anyway having that many on stage just felt waaaaaaaaaaay too drawn out.

The effect with Takaminas dress during Senaka was gorgeous.

Side note from watching the broadcast: I loved that there were a lot of shots of Mii-chan

 

This.... was a wonderful concert setlist from 2012. Really, go through the list, I make it 4 songs from post-2012. It was very definitely living in the past.

The camera work was presumably for the big screens in the stadium, i.e. for the stadium audience more than the stream audience. I am taking this as the reason for it being purely senbatsu the entire way through. I am really hoping they tweak the footage for the DVD to include more shots of the other girls. From the stream you would think 48G has maybe 30 members plus grads, and that's it.

Honestly, I would have enjoyed it 18 months ago. But now, it felt the concert was a massive "AKB will never be as good as it was". There was absolutely zero looking forward to the future. None. I don't feel to do so would have been disrespectful to Takamina at all, they could have had a great story about building on what she worked so hard for, but they didn't, so it comes across more like "well done Takamina but AKB sucks now". I get that she wants her favourite songs of course, but they could have had just a couple looking forward instead of back. Just one or two. It's not much.

I also felt bad for the sister groups who did one song and that's it. And I was super upset by the lack of Tank-chan.

I've just completely run out of feels. I have no more. This has dragged out for so long. I didn't even expect anything different. Really, I would have been so impressed by this 18 months ago, I would have viewed it as a great send off, wonderful, beautiful, lovely farewell, just what she deserves for her hard work. Now? Ehh.

Yesterday's setlist had more variety in the songs, but the pacing was very weird, and again it was very senbatsu focussed. East vs West, ehhhh. Can't find much to say about it.

Maybe next time. As always.

DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG.....

Also the chat was so much fun

 

Yesterday's AKB48 only concert recap from JIJIPRESS


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

On the Flying Get part, who is the one in the rotating platform who is NOT wearing the Media Senbatsu outfit? Yamada Nanami?

 

Yes it's Yamada, she's also the one who centered Flying Get

 

It's Yamada Nanami. She was the center.

 

It IS Yamada Nanami! I guessed it right!

 

I wonder how much time she change her outfit ?
10 second?

 

Another question, who's the one at the right at 4:28? Is that Nagano Serika?

EDIT: From this video:
https://www.facebook.com/AKB48Team8FansClub/videos/967025490033118/

 

Wow! That set list sounds awesome! So much graduate participation. This is the concert I've been wanting to see for years. And, as luck would have it, this is the one concert I was unable to attend. If it happened in December like it was supposed to, that wouldn't have been the case...