Your AKB48 Experiences

Great review Youko.
The whole experience sounds extremely awesome. [rock]

 

^^^@Michi is on the right

 

Warning #1) Long post is long! Warning #2) Hide your eyes kiddies, this is an SDN review! I hope that is okay for this section. I will do my best to keep it as clean as possible.

Okay, I think it's time I do an experience post since I have seen five shows over the past week. And for this entry I'll focus on my new favorite Team...SDN!!!!! But first a couple of observations...

The theater is a lot more crowded lately, and the demographic is indeed getting younger. At first this didn't bother me although I have been hearing a few curmudgeonly comments from some of the older fans. On the surface having a younger fanbase will ensure long-term success. But one big problem is that most of them can't afford the higher ticket items AKB is selling. So on Sunday when they released the monthly (former gaccha) photos and the Budokan box, the line for the pics was 3-4 blocks long, but you could walk right in and buy a dvd set with no wait whatsoever! the second thing is they have turned the cafe/lobby into a pic-trading heaven. It was like that before, but never on the level I am seeing now. It's like the new fans have replaced Pokemon with AKB. It was funny, when i bought my calendar they all swooped down on me to see what "extra" BLT I got, and they all scoffed when I pulled out Amina! Oh, and with the heavier pic-trading comes a lot more female fans. But back on topic...

At this point I have seen five shows, yet none of them have been for Teams A, K or B. in fact, B isn't performing for my entire trip. And you know what? I'm not disappointed. Because I have a new favorite team, which would make sense since Meetan is my Oshimen. So three wins for SDN is a total victory, as far as I'm concerned.

I won all three shows via renban with Hiro@vegas. we sat in Enpou for two of those shows, and the one show we were in the lottery our group got called 2nd to last...Ugghhh. I never have good lottery karma! In fifteen theater shows i have never been closer than 4th row far left.

Gotta love the sexy overture, fits the team well. The pre-show welcome was done last night by Chen. I love listening to her talk, as she has the same intonations and "spacey' personality as JunJun for Morning Musume. Saturday Night Party Team White appears looking exactly like Wonder Girls' "Nobody" MV, complete with the antique mic stands. They are all gorgeous, especially Misa Okochi and Chen. But after a while I am captivated by Chisaki. There is just something about this girl that makes her really special. Since last night was Chaki's birthday show, the audience went nuts when she started singing.

Never begins with Team Red, but White joins in on the first chorus. Chaki just flies across the stage! At that point my adulation for her rose to the next level! The moment I saw Megu I was pissed at whoever the photographer was who took the official site pics. A lot of these girls are much much cuter than those pics indicate. They do a little "rap" as part of the verse which is really cute. And watching Nonti do her solo line just confirmed that SDN is where she belongs!

Black Boy is just plain awesome. Now all three colors are onstage, and that means Meetan!!!! This is the song I voted for in the Setlist 2010 elections. Although now i would consider it my 2nd fave. But it just filled with energy and attitude. Those of you who have seen the Budokan version got a hint of it. You have to see it in the theater...intense! BTW, I spent most of my energy cheering for Meetan, Chaki, Chen-chuu and Sayanee.

Last night's opening MC was the first chapter in the Chisaki cry-fest. And as I was noticing Meetan she had a strange look on her face. I wasn't sure what it was about and wondered if she might not be feeling well. Then again, she is always an emotional rollercoaster (hehe). But the cheers for Chisaki were intense, and she was unsuccessfully fighting back the tears,

Yuuwaku no Garter: Damn these costumes are sexy. They are the ones represented in their logo. But what you don't see is how skimpy the undershorts are. there is a point in the song where they bend over and sort of lift up their skirts, and Yukarin...wow!!! I think you know what I am getting at. Last night Chisaki subbed for Yukarin, and I has in heaven yet again! But the song is typical "sexy J-pop" "I wanna be your pleasure toy!" That is so sexy. Speaking of sexy...

I'm Sure is where this Stage gets even more R-rated. Is just great, a totally seductive verse into an intense rocking chorus. And the girls dance is like a dirtier version of Oshi/Meshi, if you can imagine that. And then ZOMG!!! On the last verse Kana lies down on the stage and Misa mounts her as they sing the end of the song. It is incredible!

All In wasn't one of my favorite songs, but it was fun rooting for Chen and Sayanee. The audience goes crazy for Nonti. One other thing, Reiko is a great singer! And once again, she looks much hawter than her site pic suggests.

Finally Meetan's unit! Jajauma Lady: Although the first show I saw had Nachu leading the unit. The dance on the chorus, the way they sort of "paw" at the audience is sooo cute! Are they suppose to be horses or something? Meetan gets a lot of solo time here, so I got to do plenty of screaming! The end of the song features Meetan chasing Chisaki around the stage with the whip. (hehe) And during last night's show the birthday committee passed out glowsticks for Chaki's birthday to be used for this song.

Nachu/Meetan MC is awesome!!!! BTW, I love Nachu, she is so great! She is all about comedy! She has a different dialect, and she also speaks with a lisp. I love that! Last night i think she was saying something about her pants running up her butt. But the funniest was on Sunday when she was asking Meetan how her legs felt, and when Meetan would give this sexy answer Nachu would smack her in the quad! Don't hurt Meetan! I also think it is hysterical that the audience likes to call her "Natsuko", and she always reacts to it. They end with an "audience participation" chant for...

Ganbarina is full of energy. And it is one of those "hand gesture" songs the audience has a lot of fun with. Some of the girls do acrobatics during the musical portion, and the crowd "whoops and wows"

Futsuu no Anata is also one of my favorite songs. Hiro mentioned to me that the lyrics are particularly suggestive. That's hawt! If you listen to the preview on the official site you will get an idea of how sexy this song is. At one point toward the end of the song where the music slows down half the team closes their eyes and leans forward like they are waiting for a kiss. It is soooooo adorable. I wanted to just run up there and oblige them, especially since Meetan and Chaki were among that group.

Best by: Sexy costumes, I never noticed before what a tiny waist Meetan has. By the time this song came around the first time I watched this stage, I was sold. This is the best Stage I have ever seen!

They do a VTR while the girls get ready for the last song of the main set. One member gets 3 minutes to entertain you. It was usually something sexy or funny. Like the first show i saw had Nachu in the hallway with a rubber hammer, banging on the girls' pics and saying funny things about them...NATSUKO!!!!

Aisareru Tame ni, the "glowstick" song! Kinda like AKB Sanjou, the girls all have green glowsticks (as well as the audience) and they spell out love during the chorus with us following along. this is the one SDN ballad, and it is pretty. Even if it reminds me of Procol Harum's Whiter Shade of Pale

Last night's encore chant was simply "Chaki, Chaki, Chaki, Chaki" it was intense, and it never let up!

Kodoka na Runner is as fast paced as the title suggests. It has a long musical interlude in the middle where the "fire, cyber, diver" chant goes, followed by the Japanese version, followed by a third version of the chant which I had never heard before. But it was great!

Touhikou is most memorable to me for Chen singing her solo lines in Chinese. Actually they are more like spoken word. The short kimono's they wear are the same one's they wear during the post show "high touch" It's a pretty song.

In the final MC last night Chaki got a tremendous ovation, which caused her to cry harder and harder the longer it went. She is beyond adorable, and I am now declaring her my 2nd favorite member besides Meetan. In fact I was compelled to write her a fan letter for her birthday. But then i started to feel like I was betraying Ohori a little bit so I wrote her one too, and delivered them both last night. Speaking of Ohori, she was the next MC after Chaki. When she stepped forward she had a strange look on her face which caused everyone to laugh. But then she started crying too! I think at first everyone thought she was playacting, including the other girls. But then she kept apologizing and something about being affected by Chisaki's reaction to the ovation. So it was totally real. Meetan is so great!!! In fact i noticed in all three shows the girls make constant references to her in MC's. She is definitely one that the other members look up to. It speaks volumes to what a great idol she actually is. And what was this about Meetan treating Serina like a servant??? After the MC the girls rip off the Kimonos into a really sexy costume for...

Vampire Keikaku: here it is. this is my favorite SDN song for so many reasons. The girls all get a moment up front, so you get one last chance to scream for your favorite. But it is the dance routine that makes it so special. On each chorus half the Team lies down on the stage as it rises in the air and they do hip thrusts. Wow, blatant sexual suggestion!!! Another awesome R-rated moment. And toward the end they all pair off for a "bite" (Vampire song, remember?) Meetan was so cute when she bit Kohara. But when she paired off with Yukarin on Sunday she actually kissed her...AWESOME!!! Heartwarming song to end the show.

CHOTTO MATTE!!!!!

It was a birthday show. And what would a birthday be without cake? As Nachu rolled out the cake the Chisaki faucet re-commenced. And after a chorus of "Happy Birthday" the streamers and confetti flew out. It was too much for Chaki, she just lost it. So cute!!!

The first show i saw was on Halloween, so instead of "High-Touch" they had "Trick-or-Treat", which meant you could go up to the girl of your choice and get Halloween candy. I hadn't totally fallen for Chisaki yet, so I chose Sayanee since I saw her in New York, and she speaks English. She tried to talk to me about NYAF, but then the security guys pushed me away. Hehe

For those that don't know, "high touch" is where the girls line up in the hallway, and you pass them as you leave and they all give you an Arigatou and a "high five". I think they do this for every show. On Sunday for "high touch" Hiro and I planned to get me stuck in front of Meetan. As I went down the line of girls giving high-fives the first girl to "sugoi" at my gaijin-ness was CinDy who grabbed my hand with both of hers. Chisaki did the same. But then our plan began to unravel when I got to Nachu, who was committed to having me learn her hand gesture. It caused me to back up the line. When the staff pushed me it made me fly right past Nonti and Yukarin. but I stopped myself at Meetan long enough to make eye contact. And Hiro had told her i was her California fan with the AKB car plates. So she grabbed my hand and gave me a big "Arigatou". Last night went a lot smoother, and Nachu got a kick out of the fact that I knew her hand gesture this time. After ogling Meetan I made sure to give Chaki a big "Otanjoubi Omedettou!" I'll never wash my hand again!

I can't say enough about how much I love this stage! The songs are great, and the dancing is on an entirely different level of anything I have ever seen an idol group do. The entire concept is ingenious! And the "high touch" at the end is just flat out great. Getting to meet all of the members at the end of the show? And since i stand out a bit it makes it even more special.

I had to check myself last night to make sure I wasn't falling for Chisaki at the expense of Meetan. But when they were both on stage together my focus remained with Ohori. There really isn't a bad song in the setlist, but my top 5 are...

1. Vampire Keikaku
2. Futsuu no Anata
3. Black Boy
4. I'm Sure
5. Jajauma Lady (had to include Meetan/Chisaki unit!)

So there ya go. Chen's birthday show is on Saturday night. The Chen birthday committee let me write a message on their birthday card! I am not going as I am seeing Infinity that night. but I plan to go to the theater after to watch the show on the monitors. And that means one more "high touch". Yayyy!

 

Okay, experience post part 2. Saturday with Infinity and SDN48. Warning again, another long post is long. Then again, it was a lonnnnng day...

One last SDN show, and one of the most amazing moments in my fandom!

I love that you can still watch the AKB48 show even if you haven't won a ticket. Probably the biggest thing i will miss when I head back to the states is the awesome girls from SDN48 and their terrific stage. So even if I didn't have a ticket to last night's show, I had to watch it one last time. BTW, I love the theater-style screen and improved sound system in the cafe. It enhances the experience outside a great deal. I couldn't wait to see all of my favorite songs one last time, although by the time I made it there it was past the opening MCs and on to the unit songs. So I missed Black Boy. Good thing I have the Budokan box version to make me feel better.

I waited for the end of the show, standing with members of the Chen Qu birthday committee. They asked if I could help by watching their stuff while they collected all of the glowsticks from the show. Finally Hiro and most of the other guys I have been hanging out with came out of the theater, and it was time for "High Touch" Just to note, I was fully aware this may be the last time I see Meetan on this trip...

As I made my way through the line CinDy stopped me again and grabbed my hand. I thought I heard her say this on Sunday, but now I am sure. As she took my hand she said "I love you". WHAT!!!!!!! CinDy loves me? WOW!!! Actually I imagine she is saying that she loves that I am a fan. But OMG, that was shocking. Hmmm, maybe she does really love me? Sorry Meetan, you weren't quick enough. Meetan was two girls after CinDy. Remember I wrote fan letters to Meetan and Chisaki on Thursday. Whenever I send Meetan a letter i always sign it with a drawing of my license plate. That paid off in spades because when I got to Ohori instead of "high-fiving" me she grabbed my hand and held it tightly. Then she shook it back and forth while smiling and thanking me!!! That was soooooooooo great!!! A few girls later came Chisaki, and she grabbed my hand with both of hers and gave me a huge smile. I could tell she was reacting to my birthday card/fan letter.

So the fan letters were one of the best ideas i have had on this trip. Both of my favorite girls were totally appreciative. I am so happy! Nonti was at the end of the line, and I paused in front of her to say "Arigatou Nonti" Since I sort of skipped past her on the previous events, I was glad to finally give her good focus as I really like her!

Infinity and the Circus also known as the Tokyo Dome Complex

I headed over to Tokyo Dome a bit early because I had never been there before and wanted to get a lay of the land. The housekeeper was also clamoring to get into my hotel room and clean it. When I arrived at Suidōbashi Station I was immediately bombarded with requests for donations by various organizations. They must see American's as a bunch of "bleeding hearts" because they were literally running at me from every direction! But I managed to escape into the complex. So i walk in and it dawned on me...This is the home of the Yomiuri Giants, wow!!! I am a big baseball fan, so this was a tremendous bonus. The stadium is gorgeous, filled with restaurants, shops and attractions. Many of them baseball themed. The second this I noticed...Why the hell are there hundreds of cosplayers hanging around? Is this the Giants/Cosplay HQ? They were everywhere! Just standing around and taking pictures of one another. I took refuge in the Baseball cafe for an overpriced sandwich and beer.

Theater G-Rosso is pretty neat! They were playing the PV for "River" and the CM for Infinity on the wall. i went in early because i saw they were selling the program with bonus pics outside. I figured I would buy two programs so I could get pics for each cast. There were 6 sets available, and only one of the Sayaka/Takamina sets were sold out. So I picked the ones I wanted and went on my merry way. Thirty minutes before showtime the doors opened, so I headed in to find my seat. I was eighth row just right of center. It was perfect because the stage is two-tiered and this had me at perfect eye level for the upper part of the set. I sat next to some very cool akb fans at the show. They were all people I had seen at the theater on multiple occasions but never spoke to before. Finally it was showtime!

I am not going to do a full review of the story, but focus more on the girls performances. You have to remember my Japanese comprehension is not very good. So it was nice to read a full review and synopsis in the Infinity thread by Rui before I went. It's actually a simple story...

(Synopsis w/semi-spoilers, but I wont give away the ending)

Spoiler

It opens hundreds of years ago, as Ruka the vampire stands by on Maria's dying day. After an eternity of loneliness...Flash forward to present day, and Ruka has been living in eternal heartache because he misses Maria. But she has been reborn as a young schoolgirl. Maria hangs out with her friends who are on the high school dance team. Until one day she is attacked by street toughs. But as they threaten her with a knife out comes Ruka to save her by casting an evil spell over the guys. And the courtship begins. At first maria doesn't understand what is going on, but she is mesmerized by the "Blue Rose" (hehe) given to her by Ruka. Her friends are concerned, especially Ai (Iwasa Misaki) and Eri (Nakatsuka Tomomi) and after meeting the vampire hunters they follow Maria into the forest to Ruka's castle. Meanwhile Maria's love for Ruka grows.


After an intermission the four girls with smaller parts, along with Tanamin and Nakayan who play Ruka's maids sing Honehone Waltz, and then the maids do a few quick jokes before Act II begins. The rest of the play is mainly about Maria's struggle to choose what's more important to her, the acceptance of her friends or her love for Ruka. It is also Ruka's struggle to come to terms with what it means to truly love someone. (anyone hear a Sting song in the background as I type that?) Not to mention the vampire hunters are hot on Ruka's trail..

The Cast

It was a wonderful play, and everyone in it was excellent. I want to begin by giving monstrous kudos to Akimoto Sayaka, who seemed like she was born to play this role! her performance bordered on mystical, and they way she belted out the solos on Blue Rose, Kimi wa Pegasus, MARIA and the Infinity theme (which was beautiful)...WOW, just amazing! Her performance in the final scene is incredible! I felt bad for Sae because she has to compete with Sayaka. And Sae chose to play Ruka in a totally different style. While Sayaka was "grand and powerful", Sae was more "brooding and fatal". I actually liked the way Sae did it, and she looked great in the silver wig.

As far as the character of Maria is concerned, I struggled to decide who I liked better in the role. But after thinking about it for a long time I would have to give Yukirin the slight edge. It wasn't that Takamina didn't do a great job. She was wonderful. And she pulled off the femininity and fragility of Maria very well. It's just that Yuki is more of what I imagined the character of Maria to be like.

And then there was Iwasa Misaki...ZOMG! She is absolutely incredible in this!!! Wasamin was really the third star of this behind the main characters, and she played her intense senpai character perfectly! She was also up front in most of the songs, and sang beautifully. Oh, and there is one scene that is supposed to take place in Shibuya where they sing "109". Wasamin comes out in a short black skirt, with a fedora and red wig and looked soooooo cute! This girl is going to be a star once we get the shuffles.

*And it has been decided... After the shuffles, I have two favorite members, both in SDN. So I will need an AKB Oshimen. And after much contemplation, Wasamin wins!!!

Nakatsuka Tomomi was also very good playing the "sweet and caring" friend of Maria. it was nice to see some of these girls get a moment to shine. And they were both excellent actresses. Same with Nacchi, who played Maria's more "flirty" friend"

Tanamin and Nakayan as the maids were so adorable!!! Those blonde wigs they were wearing with the maid cosplay was great!

The biggest WTF moment came in the evening show after Honehone Waltz. Actually, Katayama Haruka had trouble in this scene for both shows. In the matinee I noticed that the bone was falling out of her hair during the song. The problem was that she needed it as a prop a little later. And when she jerked her head forward to grab it the bone flew across the stage. Oops! But I didn't notice how big an issue it was until the evening show. there was Haachan, bone firmly in place. Good! She grabs it out of her hair. Ooohhh, it is suppose to be a phone? But when the four "undergirls" run off stage she slipped and fell hard onto the floor! everyone froze for a second. i was looking toward the right of the stage and saw Uchida Mayumi freeze in a state of panic. But then Haachan got up, dusted herself off. And with her trademark smirk said something that got the audience rolling! then Nakayan said something back to her that also got a laugh. Good save girls!

But the show isn't over yet!

After the show everyone gets one picture of a cast member. And the coolest part is the girls actually hand you the photo. So you get a little face time with the idols. There were three lines, the first was for the Maria character, second for Ruka and third for everyone else. My plan was to go for Wasamin in the matinee and Sayaka at night. The thing is if you pick the third line you pass all of the girls who want to give you their photo. So it is tough to pass them over. For me it was especially tough to pass up Tanamin and Haachan, who are among my favorite members. but I made it to Wasamin. She looked as if she fully expected me to pass her up, and she was startled when i turned to her and growled "Wasamin". She said "Oh!? Arigatou Gozaimashita!" I then said to her "New Yorku, Webster Hall." She said "Ohh?" looking confused for a second, but then she lit up like a pinball machine just as I stepped left from her....'OOOOHHHHH!!!!! Arigatou Gozaimashita!!!" She remembered me, score! as i left I passed Nakaya Sayaka, and she gave me one of those great "ZOMG a gaijin!" looks and reached out at me like she wanted me to come over. But security wouldn't let me go back. She gave me an English "Thank You"!

I was conflicted for the second show. I wanted to see Sayaka to see if she would remember me from New York. But again, I had so many favorite members in supporting parts. Would I choose Tanamin? Haachan? and now Nakayan was a dark horse! but alas i stuck with the original plan. When i got up to her she gave me her patented "surprised" look. "Konba....oh, hello!" the way she looked at me I was sure she remembered me. So I said "New Yorku" to her as well. She replied in English "You are from New York?" Oops, I switched gears and told her she was wonderful in the show and it was great to see her again. As I left she glanced back at me with a quizzical look as I walked to the exit. So maybe she remembered our convo at NYAF when I told her I would be coming to see Infinity. In any case, Sayaka was totally gracious as always!

By the way, the Sae/Yuki performances was their last of the run. Sae got a little sentimental during the closing "thank you's'. So if there is a DVD (why wouldn't there be?) I am guessing that was the taping. There were quite a few cameras in the place.

So there ya go. An exhausting day. But one filled with idol love! But as tiring as the day sounds (it was) I had an awesome time every step of the way