Your AKB48 Experiences

May 1 - Umeda Team B Performance, Nonaka Misato's seitansai

Members that performed:
Ishida Anna, Ishida Haruka, Ichikawa Miori, Iwasa Misaki, Oba Mina, Oya Shizuka, Kato Rena, Kojima Natsuki, Komori Mika, Takeuchi Miyu, Tanabe Miku, Nakamura Mariko, Natori Wakana, Nonaka Misato, Fujie Reina, Yamauchi Suzuran

Spoiler

Before the show
After applying using the iphone app, I won a cancel machi #37. I was having second thoughts if I should go or not since I wasnt able to get inside with the cancel machi #75 I got in a KKS Pajama drive show (last number called was cancel machi #23 in the KKS Pajama drive). That made me really frustrated and thought that entering an AKB show will really be impossible for me.

During the day of the presentation, (It was also a weekday) I had a 2 hour, very tiring meeting. I had second thoughts if I should go or not but I said "I'll try one more time". So after work, I rushed to Akihabara and by the time I arrived at the 8th floor, they were already calling the cancel machi numbers. It was around 30 when I arrived. So I was lucky I was able to arrive before my number was called. My number was called and so I went in line to buy my theater ticket. This was my second time entering the theater after 6 months of trying (my last was a Team B Theater no megami last September 2011).

I was really happy that I could be able to watch again a stage. So after buying my ticket, a wota went to me and gave me a bag. I thought he was advertising something but after looking at the bag, there was a "Super Misato" text written. I forgot the show was a Misato seitansei show. I checked the bag and found 3 penlight, a plastic sunflower and a paper with instructions. The 3 penlight had the colors blue, pink and orange. On the paper, the instruction was "Use blue penlight for Seigi no Mikata Ja Nai Hero, use pink penlight for Gomen ne Jewel and the orange penlight for Yuuhi Wo Mite Iru Ka. And a Misato call during encore call. You can use any penlight for Team B Oshi". I was feeling quite excited since this was also my first time watching a seitansai in a theater.

After waiting for 10mins, the staff started letting people in the theater. For ippan winners, there was a lottery on who can enter the theater first. So seating arrangement is totally random. I checked my number and I have the number 216 in the theater ticket. When they started the lottery and called the numbers 211-219 to enter the theater first, I was like "wow this is one of my luckiest days ever". So I hurriedly enter inside the theater and picked my seat (I can choose any location I want, this was the advantage of entering first in the theater). I wanted to seat in the first row but some wota were already seated and was already full. So I sat on the second row, which was also pretty close to the stage.

During the show
(Im not going to describe every song since this will make the post really long. I will just mention some highlights)

So the show started. For the first song, Shonichi, Misato did the huddle call (sorry I don't know the term used for Shonichi, so I used the football's huddle). During the Seigi no Mikata Ja Nai Hero, everyone in the theater took out their blue penlight and chanted and waved them while the song was performend. I could also hear misato call during the show. As expected, fans were very fired up and I couldn't help myself but be fired up also.

During their MC, Misato said that it was her first time doing the huddle call and was very happy about it. She said that it should be umechan to do it but since she wasn't in the performance, they let misato do it. The topic they talked about during the MC was a memory they had during golden week. Every member shared their memory. When it was Misato's turn, she said she particularly did not do anything special. She remembered that her seitansai was always on golden week and that was all she remembered. So she was happy she was able to have her seitansai show this year.

After the MC, the performance continued. During the Gomen ne Jewel unit, the wota got their pink penlight and did a misato call during the performance. Nothing much happend here.
Then in Yuuhi wo Mite Iru Ka, this time, we took out the sunflower that was inside the bag and the orange penlight. We were waving this in sync with the song. Misato looked surprised that the fans had a sunflower and was waving them.

During the encore call, a misato oshi called for encore. He screamed Misato's name and the other fans (including me) responded with also a Misato's name. I felt sorry for the Misato call lead since he was the only one leading the call and did that for 10mins.
They did the Team B Oshi and as expected, when Misato's name was called in the song, fans screamed her name.

After performing the setlist, they were about to end the show but then, Reinyan interrupted, 2 members (I forgot who they were) and took out the birthday cake. Reinyan then asked the members and the fans to sing a happy birthday to Misato. Everyone was cheering for Misato and fans shouted Misato's name also. Then Reinyan took out a letter and read it. It was a 2 page letter from umechan. Misato started crying when Reinyan was already in the half. During the last 2 lines of the letter, a voice from the backstage also read the letter, stopping Reinyan from reading the letter. To our surprise, Umechan went in to the stage and finished reading the letter. She said her work finished early and went to the theater to surprise Misato. At this point, Misato couldn't stop herself from crying after hearing those warm and kind words from Umechan. Then they said their goodbyes and bowed to us. We were also doing a lot of Misato calls. We got our high touch afterwards and before they went inside the theater after the hightouch, we did a final Misato call and shouted "Omedetou!".

I certainly enjoyed this show since the last time I was able to enter the theater was still September 2011.

Some other observations in the show:
Since my SKE48 Oshi is Anya, my eyes were glued to her. Whenever she was at the stage and I can see her, I would only watch her. But Ranran kept getting my attention. Ranran had the most seductive dance movement. Her shoulder and hip sways were on a different level. I remembered during a dance (I forgot what song it was) where front members would switch places with the back members, other members would just walk backwards while waving their hand but Ranran was different. She sway her shoulders and hips very seductively. I felt she was fishing for some fans. But I definitely enjoyed her dance.

Renacchi also was unexpectedly cute but she looked like she wasn't motivated at all. She had small participation in MC and her dance movement were, as usual, stiff.

And during the hightouch, Ranran was the last member in line and when I was at her front, she hightouched my hand and gripped it. I was like "she really is fishing for fans", told her "Arigatou!" and smiled at her. She smiled back and walked forward.

Here is the picture of the ticket, the bag, the sunflower and the paper with instruction. I already threw the penlights since the organizers of the seitansei were collecting it back to throw it away.

 

Glad to see new posters and experiences. Always get a bit sad when this thread gets bumped from the first page.

Got a lot of write-ups from my latest trip to contribute myself - may as well get started.


My Spring trip to Japan turned out to be another very successful one in terms of AKB48. I had originally planned to come out for cherry blossom viewing as usual, but as part of my effort to attend HS events this year I moved my dates around. Then did it again when the AKB48 Group Fair was announced.

This post covers the first two days - starting with a Friday night KKS show and a full Saturday at the Eien Pressure HS Event.

(spoiler'ing content for length)

Team KKS - Pajama Drive - 4/19/2013

Spoiler

I've never had much luck winning shows during my Spring trips, and I really expected this one to be no different. With the theater closed for much of the week in preparation for the Budoukan shows, I only had a couple of opportunities.

When the email came announced that I had won cancel machi for the Pajama Drive performance, I was happy but nervous at the same time. In December I won cancel machi for a KKS performance and didn't get in (they stopped at number 43, and I had 44). With the Pajama Drive stage still being less than a month old, I was really concerned that a number in the high teens wasn't going to be good enough. The fact that Hirari, Miyupon, and my current KKS favorite Uchiyama Natsuki (Nakkii) were all performing, and I'd be seeing them the next day at the HS event, only made the waiting worse.

Pre-Show

I got to the theater with about 15 minutes to spare, and proceeded to wait against the wall with the other cancel machi winners. I noticed there were way fewer people waiting than usual, likely because everyone knows this is one of the hardest shows to get in with cancel machi. This time I was approached by a staff member, who asked if I spoke Japanese, and then came back again to confirm my cancel machi number (first time that has ever happened). When the call began they numbers went fast, with a heart-stopping pause around 10, but when it was my turn the staff member pointed right at me and waved me in as he called the number. I ended up making it in by 4 slots - they stopped at 22 (and there were 5 no shows… that is how close I came to losing out again).

One cool thing, another fan gave me a big thumbs up and congratulations when I made it in.

My row ended up being called about halfway through the process, so when I got into the theater it was pretty much standing room. Both left and ride side rails were open, but I remember how much the pillar blocked my view the last time. Center rail was only one row deep, so I went there and ended up dead center looking between the two people in front of me. It would end up being a perfect spot.

Show

Kage ana was Hirari, whose voice I recognized immediately. She fumbled the announce a little, but everyone cheered her on. Then it was curtain up and overture time.

Did my usual member spotting/familiarizing during Shonichi. I knew most of the members in this stage, obviously Nakkii, Hirari, Miyupon, Naachan, Moechan, and Saho. I had heard stories about Mikichan, and they are all true. She totally gives all her attention the audience (especially front row). Mitsuki also really impressed me - maybe it was partially her height, but she also has some of the most amusing expressions (especially during MCs).

By the time Hissatsu Teleport started, the energy coming off the stage was incredible. Bonus for me, Nakkii won the janken and proceeded to blow kisses to the crowd. The energy kept ramping up as they progressed through Gokigen naname na Mermaid and into Futari nori no Jitensha. But at the same time - I was getting the feeling that the crowd wasn't putting forth the same level of effort.

The first MC was about getting spoiled. I was able to follow a little of it, but the best part was Hirari talking about being on a diet when all the members had an 'all you can eat' barbecue. When Nakkii did her intro, someone shouted out her name way early (earning a 'hayaii). No, it wasn't me - but I did shout really loud and long after her intro (really loud - kind of surprised when I heard myself on the LOD).

Then it was time for the units:

With Tenshi no Shippo the girls were perfect, but again I wasn't feeling the same from the crowd. Hardly anyone did the 'whoo-hoo' and 'hoo-ah hoo-ah' calls. Pajama Drive was another great performance, but tempered with barely audible mixing. I was really excited for Junjou Shugi, since Hirari just rocks the dance in this unit. I ended up watching her nearly the entire time (sorry Moechan). Then it was the moment I had been waiting for more than anything else - Temodemo no Namida with Nakkii and Naachan.

It was simply amazing to see one of the signature units and performances live in the theater. Being dead center let me experience it to the full effect too. Only complaint being wedged in was that it was really hard to do the gestures. For me, a person that only mixes a little and prefers to clap, the fact that their performance made me want to follow along says a lot. Have to be honest - I barely paid any attention to Naachan…

Miyupon was outstanding during Kagami no naka no Joan of Arc. She has a different presence from everyone on the stage, likely from all her time working with Team K last year. It's the same vibe I've gotten when watching Miichan in the KKS stages.

The next MC focused on inventions you would like to see. Most were food and beauty inventions, but Miyupon had a neat idea of a time-travel window. You could open it and be able to look at things in the past.

The next set is a nice progression from Two Years Later > Inochi no Tsukaimichi > Kiss shite sonshichatta. I really love the lyrics and dances for this set, even if the middle song is more than a tiny bit awkward when sung by KKS.

The next MC was about how they've grown recently. As usual with most MC topics… it turned to food in the end. Then they performed Boku no Sakura to finish the set.

It seemed to take a long time to get the encore going. It was about 2 minutes of silence, but being in the theater made it feel like an eternity. I know you don't jump into it immediately - but it felt like it was too delayed in this case. It also felt a bit subdued compared to other shows I've been at too.

The encore launched into Wasshoi B!, which is now 'Kenkyuusei Let's Go!', then Suifu wa arashi ni yume wo miru followed. Mikichan was totally playing the front row again during the second number.

Then the last MC was just a girl's talk session I think. Hirari was definitely high-tension for this segment. Once again food came up, with Nakkii asking who could cook. She then talked about her hamburger-making skills (for a demo see this video), then Ayanan brought up that she could make roast beef (at which point everyone started shouting 'no way').

Then the show wrapped with Shiroi Shirts and a performance of Tenohira. As they were saying their goodbyes and leaving the stage, Hirari grabbed Mikichan and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. (as I mentioned - she was high tension all night)

Hi-Touch and Thoughts

Was really looking forward to the high-touch, especially since I would be seeing Nakkii, Hirari, and Miyupon the next morning. As Chewy mentioned earlier, the KKS are really enthusiastic during the high-touch, with some actually clasping your hand rather than just a quick touch. I moved pretty fast this time, but made sure I paused just a little and gave a big 'Thank You' to Nakkii and Miyupon. Nakkii's smile is ten times as killer close-up. Hirari was last. She grabbed my hand and I gave her a big thumb's up and said she rocked. She turned and gave me a big wave as I left.

What an amazing performance to see live. For nearly 2 years I've been desperately hoping to score a Team show with Yui. But once the KKS Pajama Drive stages started I really began to think I would trade that for a Nakkii, Hirari and Miyupon performance. In fact, I nearly tweeted that when the show was announced on the schedule. Now that I've had a chance to see it live, I'm really grateful that this is the show I ended up winning this trip.

Eien Pressure HS Event - Makuhari Messe - 4/20/2013

Spoiler

While this was my second HS event, it was the first fully-planned one. The first had only happened because I won last chance tickets, this time I was able to participate in every round and managed to completely fill up my day. Which meant I had to be up early and at Messe by 9:00 AM. Met up with MemoryBreak (to grab some last tickets I had won), then we headed out and arrived about 10 minutes before it started.

Quick Notes
- This time the event was in Halls 9-11. This area isn't as large as the last event, with less amenities (i.e.: sit-down cafes and benches). Which meant that I pretty much ended up standing all day long. (thankfully I have a standing station in my cube at work - so I'm used to being on my feet for long periods of time).

- Because I would be seeing several former Team 4 members, I decided to wear my Hashire! Penguin t-shirt to the event. Turned out to be a good idea, as I got comments about it from a few fans and a few non-Team 4 members.

- This was the first event I attended that had 'open lanes'. Open Lanes is a revival of an old format, where entire blocks of lanes are only partially curtained off. This means you can watch members meeting fans from the main floor, and when you are in line you can several members to either side. If the members aren't meeting fans, you can actually interact with them (if they are willing). About half of the venue was set up this way, primarily the lower-ranked/non-senbatsu members.

- Another great thing was that at the end of each slot, some members would come out of their lanes to say goodbye to the fans. Hirari and Miyupon did this at the end of slot 1 and 2, waving and doing pantomimes to the crowd outside. Several other members did the same throughout the entire day. It really paid off to be hanging around the open lanes especially near the end of the slots.

Slot 1

Kojima Haruna - Decided to see Kojiharu first, as her line was already getting big. Right after I checked in, her curtain closed for what ended up being about 20 minutes. The staff was nice and came out with a couple updates, but I did get nervous that I was not going to make my other HS's for this round. Finally the curtain opened and the line started moving. When I entered the booth, my eyes definitely went wide. She was wearing a pink strapless dress with heart-shaped cutouts, really looked amazing. As I introduced myself, I noticed she seemed a little downbeat. I told her how 'Cloudy Sky' was one of my favorite songs, but she didn't seem to understand right away (and I was speaking Japanese). But when I repeated the song name, it caught and she perked up with an 'ahh - arigatou'. (and true - it's a 2+ year-old song that she's hardly performed). Nice meeting her, even though I think she was a little under the weather.

Uchiyama Natsuki - Next up was Nakkii. If you follow me on Twitter (or read the show review above), you know she's one of my current faves. To be honest, ever since they posted the 14th gen profiles I've been following her. I waited a little bit before entering the lane, and since she was in the open lane section, both MemoryBreak and I could see how energetically she was meeting her fans. Even from that distance her smile was so easy to spot. When I did enter the lane there was a bit of a wait (at which point something cool happened - more on that next). First thing I noticed when I approached her was her outfit. She was in a denim skirt/shorts, with a checked shirt that had pink sleeves that kind of looked like a shawl.



Absolutely stunning and goes well with her personality. Face to face, you really notice that smile too. She grabbed my hands and I got a little look of surprise (that I know so well from LODs), but then broke right back into that ear to ear smile. I don't think she remembered me from the previous night, but I told her I was at the show. She thanked me, and I told her how much I loved her 'Temodemo no Namida' performance, and that she was my favorite Kenkyuusei and I was supporting her. Then my time was up and I was getting pulled out, which I hated, but I got another 'arigatou' and bye-bye as I left. I'm so glad I have more tickets for her on 6/1 and 6/2.

Izuta Rina - As mentioned, before I talked to Nakkii something neat happened thanks to the open lanes. While I was waiting, I saw both Izuriina and Ayaroid were in the next lane over, with absolutely nobody waiting to see them (though I did confuse Ayaroid with Abe Maria). Izuriina noticed me right away and gave me a big "Hello!", and I said "Konnichiwa" and did my usual introduction. She replied in English "My name is Izuta Rina", and then completely lit up when I said that I knew her, and had seen her perform in the theater and loved watching her on AKBingo! We probably chatted for a good 20 seconds before someone arrived in her lane, and I made sure to let her know I would be seeing her in June.

Hirata Rina - I've followed Hirari since she started, having seen one of her first theater shows. It's great to see how she's progressed from then until now. But I was a little worried this HS would be the most awkward of the day. On one hand, she's an AKB48 member, but on the other hand the minute she speaks English she morphs into a typical American teenager. Shouldn't have worried, the minute I stepped into her lane she grabbed my hand and was like "I saw you at the show last night!!!" I told her it was great and how I had seen one of her first shows as a KKS. Also told her how good she is and how so many of us are cheering her on. I wanted to tell her I was hoping for a big surprise at the Budoukan concert, but thought that might be bad luck. As I was leaving I told her I would be back in June, and then she dropped the line that made my morning… "Oh, I saw you on TV too!" Total win and I'm so glad I have 2 tickets for her in June.

Slot 2

Yokoyama Yui - I had three tickets for Yui, but was really unsure what I would talk about for 30 seconds. Decided I would use 2 tickets first, and depending how it went use the other later in the session. Got a big smile when I came in, and as usual she looked amazing. I told her that I voted for Kitaken in NMB Request Hour and was glad it had ranked. She really lit up at that and and then started doing a bit of the Kitaken dance, which I joined in on too. She noticed my Penguin shirt and commented on it, which was neat. I asked her how cat, Bisu was doing. She said he was good (and I think she explained who was watching him). As they were moving me out, I told her I really liked the photos she and Juri took together too.

While it was a great session - I was really on the fence about using the next ticket. I decided to go see the other three members I had in this slot, and in the end it was too late to get back to her line before it closed. Don't feel too bad about it - this let me keep a Yui handshake ticket for my collection. But for me there is definitely a different vibe when meeting senbatsu vs. non-senbatsu members.

Fujita Nana - I wanted to meet Nana because she had stood out at the A6 performance I saw back in October. I had to wait a little and ended up having a pantomime conversation with Kobayashi Kana who was in the next lane. (it was a bit awkward because she wanted to know if I was coming to see her, which I wasn't). Nana was a nice handshake but nothing spectacular. It was just a quick hello and telling her how I had enjoyed watching her perform in the theater.

Iguchi Shiori - Next up was my SKE48 oshimen. While I have tickets for her in June, I had to order tickets for this round before I really had a chance to see her perform in KII (either via LOD or in person). Luckily I was able to win a ticket for Igucchi in one of the 'last chance' rounds. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how tall she really was - and the 6 inch pumps and skirt she was wearing didn't do anything to diminish that effect.



This one was just a quick hello and saying how much I enjoyed seeing her perform at the theater in December. Again - glad I have more tickets from her for the June events.

Omori Miyu - Really glad that after seeing Miyupon so many times in the theater, I finally had the chance to meet her in person. As with Nakkii and Hirari, I let her know that I had been at the show the previous night and how amazing it was. I got a thank you, but as with Nakkii I don't think she recognized me (which again - is not something I expected - but you never know). Wished her luck in the election (since I won't be seeing her in June) before I left.

Slot C

Iwasa Misaki - Between mini-lives and HS events, this is like the 5th or 6th time I've met Wasamin. I'm actually running out of things to say. This time she actually had somewhat of a line, and we had to wait a bit for her to come out. (which made me really happy). Only a tiny bit of surprise this time, so I think she's starting to recognize me now (and not get me confused with Cristafari). I told her it was good seeing her again and then she saw the Penguin shirt and commented on it. Told her that I looked forward to seeing her again soon, and got an 'I love you' as I was leaving (which isn't unusual from her, but a first for me).

Nagao Mariya - First Team 4 member of the day. Mariyagi's line was surprisingly long (at least in my expectation of her popularity), but I can understand why after meeting her. She was really friendly and quite stunning in person. I told her where I was from and how much I loved Team 4. She totally lit up and even more so when I showed her the shirt and told her I gave all my votes to the song. Wasn't able to say much more since they were already moving me out (this tends to be the case with the popular members - they don't even give you chance to sneak seconds either way).

Tano Yuka - Tano-chan was in an open lane - and the minute I walked up to her she got really excited and gave me a huge "Hello!". I told her where I was from and that I loved her and Team 4. Since she saw our first TV show, was kind of wondering if she would recognize me - but didn't appear too (and its been nearly a year). I showed her the Penguin shirt and she got even more animated. She asked me in Japanese if I made it myself, and since I didn't know how to really explain I just told her a friend made it. The entire time she was super-energetic, talking half in Japanese in half in English. Because it was open lane, a fan ended up making a comment about the exchange in 2ch too. I have to say, even though she is petite, her personality is not at all. Kind of want to see her again in the future.

Slot 3

Maeda Ami - Had a little trouble when I checked in for her lane - turns out that when they checked me in for Fujita Nana they marked Aamin's line on the invoice. Luckily it was at the start of the slot so it was clear I couldn't have used the ticket already. Aamin was very excited when she saw me - and I got a big "Hello!". Wasn't really sure what to say to her, but ended up saying how I had seen her perform twice in the theater and how much fun it was. Really nice to meet her.

Kuramochi Asuka - Was a little worried Mocchi wouldn't remember me - it's been over half a year after all. But I shouldn't have worried, the minute I stepped in she grabbed my hands and was like "Genki desu ka?". I replied I was and asked how she was. She said good and then got this concerned look. "Are you cold?" (I was wearing a short sleeved shirt over the Hashire Penguin shirt), I told her I wasn't cold, and then she reached out and gave my arm a quick rub to make sure. Wow! Then she noticed the Penguin shirt and went "Ah!!! Pengin!!!" and started to do the waddle. I tried to tell her in Japanese how I nervous it made me that she applied for the election at the very last minute. Pretty sure she understood because I got a quick 'gomen', but told her that I was supporting her this year. Absolutely blew me away again and I was a little sad I didn't have a chance to congratulate her on the solo debut.

Furuhata Nao - Nao is considered by the members and fans to be an amazing HS experience. If you've seen the Gachi Gase episode with her, you'll know what I mean. She literally jumps from one end of the table to the other to greet the person entering her booth, and then bounces down the length of the table with them before waving them out. Based on that, I went for tickets for her in the last chance round and managed to win one. When I came in and she jumped over and saw me, I got this big look of surprise. I said hello and told her that I saw her on Gachi Gase - and that I really wanted to meet her. She got really excited and started hopping, then I started hopping, and we were both bouncing like bunnies all the way down the table. As she was waving goodbye, we both doubled over laughing from the entire thing. It was definitely one of the highlights of the event.

Slot 4
This slot competed my trifecta of HS Queens

Yamauchi Suzuran - Was already a decent line for RanRan when I got to her lane - but as usual it moved pretty fast. She did a double-take when I came into her booth (more obvious than most), and then grabbed my hands and gave me a big hello. I introduced myself as usual, and in return she introduced herself in English. I always find this amusing, because my immediate reaction is always "Yes - I know. I'm a big fan". Which seems to surprise them more (and always makes me wonder how they think we get HS tickets). I showed her the Penguin shirt which got a big reaction, and told her how the song got all my votes this year. Was a lot of fun meeting her.

When I was heading back up front, I noticed a girl walking really fast beside me on the other sides of the fencing. I looked over and realized it was Sayanee in a very big hurry to get to her lane. When she suddenly grabbed the fence next to me, and moved it enough to slip through, we nearly hit each other. She booked into her booth so fast I don't even think she saw me. You could tell the staff was a little freaked out, because they had no time to react or hold either of us up.

Watanabe Miyuki - Obviously, Milky is known for her epic HS abilities. If you've been following the Experience thread, every Stage48 member who has met Milky has had an incredible experience. So I knew what to expect and felt I was completely prepped in what I would say and do.

Then I walked into her booth…

I am still not entirely certain what happened next. She really didn't have any reaction, didn't look surprised, or even smiled more as she took my hand. Then, as I started to introduce myself, she cocked her head a bit and gave me this weird little confused look/smile. At which point I completely lost whatever cool I had. I literally forgot where I was from... I finally managed to stammer it out, and that's when she completely lit up and started grinning from ear to ear. But it wasn't an "oh - that's nice" smile, more like an "ah-hah - I got you" smile. Then she delivered her finishing move - "I love you". I tried telling her how much I loved her and NMB48 - but I couldn't even remember what group she was in at that point. I barely remember the usher gently moving me out of the booth, and like Nao, she was shaking with laughter as I left.

That was the most surreal experience I've ever had, and I literally felt off-kilter for about 30 minutes afterwards. I've never had this type of reaction to a member - or media personality/celebrity for that matter. The only thing I can think is either she's got pheromones mixed in with the water in her booth's humidifier or has some odd energy field. Guess I'll find out in June when I get a second chance.


One sad thing about this slot. I had tickets for SKE48's Hiramatsu Kanako (Kanakana). She was one of my favorite Team S members, and she'd made an impression on me when I saw S2 back in 2011 at TDC Hall. Unfortunately she announced her graduation earlier in the year, and while she had not officially graduated at this point, none of the graduates attended this event. Really wished that I could have said goodbye before she graduated.

Slot 5

Sato Amina - Amina was as great as she was in the March event. I find her absolutely adorable and to be honest, she is completely my type. Usual happy reaction when I came into her booth, and said it was good to see her again. I told her that I had bought the Kouhaku Blu-Ray, and really loved her part in the acapella 'Oogoe Diamond'. She must have been hearing that a lot, because she actually finished my sentence for me. I told her that I really enjoyed her in 0048, and that I would be supporting her again in the Election. As I was leaving I let her know I would see her again in June.

Ishida Haruka - Harukyan is a member made the two B5 performances I saw very memorable. She always seemed to take the lead when the senbatsu members weren't performing, and would just light up the stage. I know she doesn't have the best reputation with some fans, but I really wanted to meet her in person. After my introduction, I proceeded to tell her that I had seen her perform twice in the theater. For some reason I had switched to English (I tend to do this sometimes without realizing it). Usually when I do this, I'll just get a friendly nod and thanks from the member if they don't understand me. But Harukyan was right to the point and said "I'm sorry - I don't understand". When I repeated it in Japanese she got a huge smile and she thanked me. I also told her - in Japanese, that I had watched all of 0048 and that she was amazing in that too. It was a really fun HS and as with others, glad I have more tickets for her in June.

Nonaka Misato - I've been a fan of Micha ever since I completed her storyline in AKB48 1/48. I think she has one of the best endings in that version of the game. Plus I've been able to see much more of her this year. Micha's lane was packed all day long, as it was her birthday and everyone was giving her best wishes. Since she was in an open lane, I was able to see what she was wearing before it was my turn. It was a little black dress with a lace slip over it - looked absolutely amazing.



When I went in I congratulated her on her birthday, then said that I had bought the Okinawa DVD and her solo Himawari performance was amazing. She looked really happy and thanked me in that bashful little eyes down, soft voice, that I've seen so many times on tape but never up close and in person. Absolutely beautiful. As I was leaving, I swear she said 'kawaii gaijin'. Another member I'm happy to have more tickets for in the future.

Slot 6

Oba Mina - Minarun missed part of a slot earlier in the day because she wasn't feeling well. Luckily she recovered and was able to finish out the day. She has a pretty consistently busy line. When I got into her booth she seemed fine and in good spirits. After my intro I told her how much I loved Team 4, and how I had given all my votes to Hashire Penguin. As with the other members she really liked the shirt and thanked me for my support.

Ogasawaru Mayu - Maachun had been highly recommended by other people, and I enjoy watching her in the concert MCs. Of course her Election video last year was pretty epic too. She was a little downbeat when I met her, but I think the length of the day itself was starting to take it's toll. I told her that I found her interesting and funny in the variety shows and MC's that I saw. I asked her if her election video this year would be interesting, and she said it would be and to watch it. I told her I looked forward to it as I left.

Sato Mieko - Another one of my favorite SKE48 members. She was wearing a nice little denim number and looked spectacular. I told her that I had seen her perform in December, and how I was a big fan and it was really great to meet her. When I was leaving, she asked where I was from and I told her California. She then asked me to come back and see her again. Which I am...

Slot 7
Long day was drawing to a close, but still had two members to meet.

Takayanagi Akane - Was really looking forward to this HS, since I had been following her since the start of my SKE48 interest. Churi was amazing, and just as you would expect if you've seen her on TV and in performances. Very high spirits and for lack of a better word… 'chirpy'. I told her how I had been able to see Team KII3 perform in December, and how amazing it was, especially Cross.

Fan Interlude
While I had been waiting in line, the guy next to me struck up a conversation. He spoke only a little English, but he was really interested in where I was from and why I was seeing Churi. We managed to chat the entire time we were in line, and I was hoping to catch him after his HS was over (Since Churi was his oshimen, he had 5 tickets).

But while I was standing out in the waiting area, I had two other fans approach me. They had been ahead of me in Churi's line and overheard that I was from California. We ended up talking for maybe 5-10 minutes (all in Japanese), and they were really surprised at my knowledge of the group. For example, nearly every Japanese fan I've meet has been pretty shocked when I name Nakkii and Igucchi as top members. It used to be that way with Yui (I remember having to tell so many people what Team she was on), but now she's very well-known. I hated breaking of the conversation, but needed to get over to Miorin's lane.

But that wasn't the end of it. I barely got 15 steps when a woman came up to me and asked me if I was a Wasamin fan. When I said yes, she got really excited and asked me if I was from California. When I said yes, she wanted to know if I had the AKB car and apartment. Yes - she thought I was Cristafari. When I explained that I wasn't, but he was a friend, I think she looked disappointed and kind of lost interest in me. Yes, I met a legitimate Cristafari oshi (and from what I could tell - she knows a lot about him). Literally a few steps later, I had another fan come running up to me. This time he knew who I was, and was really excited to meet me. We talked a little bit and he asked to take a photo with me.

These experiences made me realize that when I'm at these events I'm probably not going as unnoticed as I thought. The problem is that I'm as shy about approaching Japanese fans, as they are about me. I think we both worry about the language barrier. But once a few fans saw that I could speak some Japanese and was approachable, it opened the flood-gates. Definitely going to try to keep my nose not as buried in the phone this next trip.

Anyway - time for my last HS of the event.

Ichikawa Miori - Miorin was a great end to the day. I know she is petite from TV, but when you are standing in front of her it really hits you. She is very much as you would imagine. When I entered the booth, I got the typical Miorin look and exclamation of surprise 'uh-wah!! and the fluttering hands'. I told her I was a big Miorin fan and Team 4 fan, which got a flurry of 'sugoi' and 'arigatou'. The biggest reaction came of course from the shirt, and then I suddenly found myself in Lemon-mode too. I think the last 5-8 seconds was us just 'ahh'ing and 'ohh'ing together. Hopefully next time one of us can be a bit more coherent.

Final Thoughts
My second handshake event was a huge success. I was able to meet so many members, and while it was a challenge communicating, just meeting them in person made it more than worthwhile. One thing I am finding is that with a few exceptions, some of the most memorable HS's are with the less popular members. Now with open lanes, you really start to feel for the members who don't have sold out slots or don't have big lines. It makes me wish I could just buy tickets on the spot, because I probably would spend most of my time hopping from lane to lane.

Really looking forward to the big two-day event in June now. Not only for the chance to meet more members, but to really start talking with the fans as well.

 

Great handshake report, Tensai. I always enjoy reading the reports here in this thread.

And also I kind of envy you since you got great reactions from the members. I usually got a nice nod and a simple 'arigatou' only during my handshake but Im always happy I get to see them. I am also learning from your experinces and someday maybe able to apply them so I could get those kind of experinces you got.

And you're going this June 1st and 2nd? I will also be going to the handshake and probably we could meet and greet. Ive always wanted to meet other AKB fans here in Tokyo

 

yeah, the hashire penguin t shirt effect was a great success.

Great read as always, i'm hoping to do the same kind of report someday. Since i'm asian i don't think i will get the same reaction as Tensai, but this is the kind of experience that send you to heaven.

About the milky parts, i had to read it 2-3 times before get it. Her fishing power catched you, an experienced fan! Damn so the rumours were true after all.

And the sayanee skinship....Total success!

By the way, what's happening in june? You are going to attend the election?

 

I feel the same way. Im also asian and thought that I wasnt gaijin looking enough
By far my best handshake experience was with Ikuta Erika of Nogizaka46 but I used 5 tickets for that handshake. I'll make a separate report for that.

On June 1st, there's a So Long kobetsu handshake event and the next day, the Sayonara Crawl kobetsu handshake.

 

thanks for the hs report Tensai! my first hs is just under two weeks away and a lot of those sounded great. Can't wait :music: . I wasn't able to win milky though

 

This part killed me.
Maybe she thought you were dragged in by a fellow Japanese or something? [think]

I think if I were able to attend this HS events, I'd be one of those bying tens of theatre editions to spend a whole minute with Ricchan or RanRan. And even a minute seems so little.

 

Thanks every for the comments. Realized the Milky report was a bit hard to read (she even affects my writing), so I went in and cleaned it up.

I always make sure I have something unique to say - whether it be a performance I saw, or a song they sang, or even a TV show they were on. It kind of gets them to realize - "whoa - he really knows who I am".

I will be flying out for the 6/1 and 6/2 HS events. Always happy to meet other fans

I always feel bad when a member does this, because my immediate reaction is to reply "Shitteru" (which probably isn't the most polite way of saying it). I think what is happening is that they want to speak English, and it's the first thing they know well that comes to mind.

 

Agreed. In my (albeit limited) experience, it helps a bit if you can sort of think of something that is related to the member/s you're planning to meet. Unless you're confident in your conversational Japanese and can work off impromptu - I know I can't, and couldn't, for obvious reasons . Of course, if they recognise you well enough and they initiate the topics (only in very limited and specific circumstances might I add), then might as well just go with the flow...

Although to be quite honest, some will be (more) surprised enough (than others) that you came all this way from overseas to meet them anyway.

 

I do this but for some reason, they don't really give a good reaction. But I'll still try in the upcoming handshake and hopefully, I could have experiences as great as what Tensai and Cristafari had.

And since they don't recognize me as a foreigner on first sight, I usually start with "Hello Im from the Philippines" statement and usually gets "Oh Philippines" then silence But then I immediately add something the member can relate with and hoping we could have a conversation. But the 10 seconds is really short (considering I introduce myself and where I'm from, then my topic), I usually can't have a full conversation with the member. I kept getting nervous and it affects my already poor nihongo talking skills

 

When i talk to the girls, i typically speak to them in English from the get go unless it's my favorites... then i'll do my typical pleasantries in my broken japanese lol. I've never really told any of the girls where i'm from, as i think it kills time, unless you are meeting someone new. I kinda go straight to the point on what i want to talk about with the girls, but at times they catch me off guard by initiating the conversation first. For example my last meeting with Mocchi, before i even finished saying "Hello Asuka" she was like "AH! It's been a while, you saw me at the last event right? How are you?" completely threw me off... To think that someone like her would remember me out of all her numerous fans, even though it's just for a couple of seconds, it leaves you with a great everlasting impression of that member.

 

why do you think it kills time? Personally i really would want her to know i travelled my way trhough France to just meet her! I'm sure not everyone would do this, won't they? lol.

The idol fandom is worldwide. It is very important that they know. At least it is what i think.

 

Hahaha, the girls get really excited (well, some of them) when they see like people who scream gaijin ie. me, I don't know how will Takamina or Asuka react when I tell them I am younger than them haha, they must think I am older because of my height. Asuka immediately asked me where I was from when I met her though... she was surprised to met a non-American fan, she also seemed to remember she answered me on Google+... I´ll see her again on the 25, hope she recognizes me

 

I try and speak to them in Japanese in all cases (unless it's Hirari, in which case your English will be more than sufficient), however broken it may be. At least it shows them that you've actually taken the time to learn (and perfect, depending on what level your Japanese is at I guess) their language and in fact, some will appreciate and acknowledge it.

I guess if you're a regular to these handshake events (or even just living in Japan as opposed to flying in/out once every year or two) and/or you've met them more than once, then it's probably unnecessary to keep repeating that you're from overseas. But on the flipside, I suppose it doesn't hurt to say so at the beginning - foreign fans going to these sorts of events to meet them in person are quite uncommon, so they'll be happy to hear that you've flown all this way to meet them. Then again, if you look foreign enough (i.e. not Asian), then they probably know anyway without you needing to tell them.

After meeting with Akarin last month, I can relate to and wholeheartedly concur with this statement. This, to me, is why handshake events can be potentially quite special on an individual level.

 

kind of a double short review for today since i actually forgot to post about the last show i saw. (and sorry for the short review this time since i'm really not feeling that well)


Idol no Yoake
NMB48 Team M
May 1, 2013 6:00PM Show



i honestly don't remember much about this anymore, except for maybe that we met team BII girls (konomi, shuu, etc) outside the theater as they were campaigning for their team, then met 2 more (kanako and another one) while going into the theater.

it was also my first time seeing keira...

and she's just toooooo beautiful!!!

(and i refuse to believe she's 13 T__T)

and then ofcourse there was the graduation announcement from hitomin.

the rest are just a blur now so i'll just post some pics i took that day:




Aitakatta Stage
NMB48 Team BII
May 18, 2013 6:00PM Show

pre-show stuff

the things going on before the show have pretty much become a "to be expected" thing, and aside from an nmb wota actually trying to fire-up a loooooooong conversation with me while in line today, i guess i'll just concentrate on the important points:

first off, today was a [family kangei] show, something that translates to "an event being held to welcome families", or in simple terms i guess would be a "family/group priority" show. i still applied even though i was only alone, not because i wanted to ignore the theme of the show, but because i totally forgot to read the entire title of the show. good thing today was not an all-girls show XD, but i guess the ticketing system can already filter those now. so ok, for the family/group priority shows, the rule states that they will let in more than the usual number of people applying in the group or family category, but it is still perfectly valid to enter the show as a normal (ippan) attendee. girls only show and monthly birthday only shows are ofcourse different, with only girls admitted to the girls shows, and only those with birthdays on the specific month for the monthly birthday shows.

next, well, the one thing i feared finally happened... they replaced the ticket with the electronically printed one:



it doesn't have the barcode though, as compared to pics of the akb tickets i have seen around, but what i noticed when i bought the ticket was that there was already a camera set-up at the back of the ticket booth/table that could probably be used, or is actually already being used, to take pictures of those buying the tickets. i'm assuming this is not yet in operation as we still had wristbands... meaning they still had to have a way to identify that we bought the ticket. the ticket does have your name though.. so i kind of got more weird stares this time around during lining-up and when people were asking each other's ticket numbers to find their position in the line. i guess the sight of a gaijin name on the bottom of the ticket was enough to alarm some of the wotas. oh well.

show review

since this was a family show, i was expecting that it would be hell of quiet, and the audience would just be plain dead with sounds of babies crying all over the place. today's audience proved me wrong. somehow we had a pretty hyper bunch of audience for today, which made me think if we were handpicked for the show. still it was a really welcome change of atmosphere from the almost dead audience from the last show i attended.

and today i was also lucky enough to grab a seat on the 3rd row (seat C6 i think), and this pretty much changed my perspective on one of the members - oota yuuri. from what i could research, the girl has been with the team since as a 3rd gen, as was promoted with the rest as team BII, but i really wonder why it was only today that i started to really look at her. anyways, the girl is awesome, and i will probably be reading her g+ too from now on.

for the show, nothing really exciting happened except for how the outfit for koi no plan was already falling apart that haako had to throw stuff to the side of the stage. then there was also the incident when mirei came out of nowhere and joined the initial mc which surprised the hell out of murokana (kanako already raised her hand to introduce herself when suddenly to her left mirei appeared and said "excuse me"). then there's also the part again involving murokana where she was shoved to the back by yuuri. not cool. seriously.

and then there's haako (kurokawa hazuki) for the entire show. this girl should be the model of red bull or something. she just can't stop MOVING!! dancing while others were doing their mcs. waving at the audience while others were speaking. then just dancing INSANELY on the stage... that girl is just too awesome (and she really resembles one of my favorite girls on stage).

the show ended without any graduations this time and at least i didn't have to go home with a heavy heart.

lobby pics

took these pics today. sorry i didn't really have time to go all out and focus stuff though.

 

@Youkokurama: Gratz on the double NMB48 show wins so far this month. Always love reading your reports (even if some are tough to write-up like the graduation show). Please keep writing up your experiences!



Continuing my last trip (need to finish these before I fly out on Saturday for what will likely be my last Japan trip for a long time).

NOTTV - Anta Dare? - 04/23/2013

Spoiler

Monday was an off day for Anta Dare, so I headed down to Akihabara on Tuesday afternoon to try to get into the show. The members today were:



- Ichikawa Miori
- Katayama Haruka
- Komori Mika
- Ishida Haruka

The process hasn't changed much from October. You line up in front of the Cafe theater entrance at 4:00. They used to hand out tickets with you number on it, but now they write it on your hand in permanent marker. (Guess that solves the issue Cristafari saw with people swapping tickets). Then after about 15 minutes they close the line and start the drawing. Today there were about 120 people in line, so I figured my odds weren't terrible.

The draw went pretty quick, only 50 people get in (first 30 get seats, next 20 are standing room). My number was called shortly after they started the SRO call. Then I went and paid my 2000 yen at the take-out window, picked my choice of drink, and lined up for entry.



When I got in, I headed around to the back by the buffet. I ended up near dead center standing behind a couple other people, with a good clear view of the stage. The production team came out and did a basic How-To, then the MCs (Top Reed) came out to warm us up a bit. I was a bit slow when they asked if anyone was from outside the Kanto region. They ended up talking to a guy from Okinawa, but completely missed me. (This turned out to be a blessing in disguise - more on that later). Then we did a little practice of singing Team B Oshi for one of the segments.

Then the show started and the members came out. The intros went on for a bit, since it had been a while since some members had appeared. Miorin had a really hoarse voice, which was leading to all kinds of honey and lemon jokes (since they are good for a sore throat).

The segments I remember are:

Team B Oshi: This is where the members each come up with an alternate version of the other members Team B Oshi catchphrase. They were all really funny - with more ribbing Miorin about her hoarse voice.

What's that Kanji: In this segment, the members have to say a Japanese phrase and correct read some key, but obscure, kanji. Harukyan rocked this segment, while Komorin really struggled. Her combined score didn't top what the other three scored in the first round alone.

Nostrakomori: Komori's starring segment, where she plays the role of a psychic (Nostradamus) and makes up predictions based on questions G+ users post from the day before. The one I remember was the question of what would be the surprise at the Budokan concert, she predicted the name of the group would be changed (I recall maybe Jinbocho48 or Chiyoda48, something like that)



Then they did the random survey at the end, where they ask the members a question and they pick one of two answers. Today it was "How do you prefer to hold hands?", and it was a choice whether to intertwine your fingers or not.

Harukyan was the top performer of the day and got to do the extra MC/Appeal at the end.

At the end of the show they take a photo with everyone. While the members were getting posed on the floor in front, the MC's suddenly noticed me in the back and shouted "Hey - we have someone from overseas!" The members all jumped up, turned around, and looked right at me. (along with the camera). The MC's asked me where I was from, and I explained I had come from California. I ended up getting a round of applause, and the girls all waved and shouted Hello!

Then it was photo time and the show was over.

 

Lately I'm addicted to this thread, thank you SO MUCH for writing your AKB experiences!!!!

 

Wrapping up my latest trip.

I had timed my trip to be around for the AKB48 Group Rinji Soukai. I applied for all the shows along with MemoryBreak, and we managed to win the SKE48 show and the final AKB48 Group show. Since the AKB48 concert was live-streamed, and SKE48 was pretty much all song and no MC, this post will focus mainly on things I observed both days (with a little detour to describe the experience of the AKB48 Pop-up Goods Shop)

Spoilers because they are long

SKE48 - Nippon Budokan - 04/25/2013

Spoiler

SKE48 kicked off the four days of concerts at the Budokan. I spent the morning in Harajuku, figuring I would get to the Budokan at 3:00 when the goods line opened. When I stopped back at the hotel to change around 2:00, I saw people tweeting that the goods line was already insanely long. When I got to the venue, I discovered the Goods line was already out to the street. (which was a long way from the actual booth).



I lined up and proceeded to spend the next two hours waiting. When I finally got to the booth, I bought light sticks, t-shirts, programs, and concert towels. MemoryBreak had arrived while I was waiting, and since the doors had already opened we headed in.

There was the expected ID check, but they were only doing random checks. In fact everyone had their IDs out and would stop to have it checked, but the staff had to keep shouting that it was random and waving people through. I would say that only 1 out of 10 were actually being checked, but this would not be the case later that weekend.

When we got inside, there was a big surprise waiting. There were no arena seats - the stage took up the entire lower level of the venue. Maybe not a huge surprise - there had been some buzz on Twitter that nobody had received arena seating. But it was still cool to know that everyone was going to have a great view of the stage. Our seats were on the 2nd balcony, about halfway back and directly over the SouthEast mini-stage.



As the venue filled up, it appeared that there were a lot of empty seats in the first balcony. Especially the front row, which must have been the seats reserved for VIPs. While they slowly filled in over the course of the concert, it was some of the most lackluster crowd that I've seen at an event. Which is a shame, because they were always visible in the camera shots, and half the time the girls were singing to a bunch of statues it seemed. That wasn't the case in the 2nd balcony - as everyone was very loud and enthusiastic throughout the entire concert.

Kage ana was Kimoto Kanon, and the show opened with everyone coming out and singing Nakama no Uta. When it was done they went right into the first MC - which was a surprise. I actually thought - "wow, there are going to be a lot of MC's tonight". It was good, with everyone excited to be opening the concert series. There was a great bit with Kaotan bragging about her solo debut (and I think teasing Rena and Jurina about beating them too it). Rena went stalking over in mock anger, and everyone got a good laugh out of it.

Then they kicked off the next set with SKE48.

One of the first things I noticed was how they really used the LED floor on the center stage. During nearly every number it had some unique animation, and it was almost as much fun watching as the girls. The next series of songs were the singles, which then moved into units. It was a mix of shuffles and non-shuffles. I did notice that the monitors actually blocked the view of the far stage. When they did Wimbledon, we could only see their boots - the rest we had to watch from the monitor. I will mention that Manazashi Sayonara was awesome, with the girls singing to each other from opposite stages.

I think it was about 10 songs into the set that I really started wondering when the next MC was coming. When the units ended and the new teams started coming out, it became obvious that they weren't going to stop. After the new teams performed, they went back into the single medley. We were getting pretty hot and tired from all our mixing, dancing, and clapping, but the girls kept going.

When it finally ended - as always they began to recite the set list. I can't remember who was reading it, but she struggled to get through it all (a bunch of us started shouting 'ganbare'). The entire place exploded when she was finished. They made it through 31 songs, non-stop, without a single MC or more than a few seconds pause.

They sang Kyou made no koto as the final song and left the stage.

MemoryBreak and I had a lot of fun during the encore call. We didn't start it, but we certainly lead it for our section. He and I were shouting SKE! at the top of our lungs, and letting the rest fill in the 48! We must have gone on for a good 5 minutes, but it was great hearing the entire venue calling in unison.

The encore opened with Hatsukoi no Fumikiri and into Pinocchio Gun. Then it was a really touching performance of Tenohira, with the Dareka Project video playing on the screens and the stage. Then they ended the evening with Te wo tsunaginagara.

Side Trip to the AKB48 Pop-Up Goods Store

Spoiler

This concert series they decided to set up an alternate location for goods in Shibuya. That way fans who wanted to get photos and/or concert goods could go someplace more central, and not jam up the concert lines.

Saturday I headed over to pick up some lights sticks. It was a fair hike from Shibuya station (and if you know Shibuya - you know that it's all uphill). I knew I was heading in the right direction when I saw clusters of photo traders on every corner and in front of every conbini.

I finally got up to where the building was, expecting the goods area to be pretty prominent. I was directed around to the side of the building, and down a of emergency stairs. Several flights of dark and narrow stairs…

When I finally emerged, I discovered I was in the basement of the building. Which was a fairly nice basement with escalators and everything. Very weird way of getting us into the building.

The setup was similar to a HS event, with the various goods separated into sections. I was in and out within 5 minutes, with photos, lightsticks, and another program for a friend. Then it was up another flight of stairs with staff and security guards posted - to ensure I didn't start trying to trade photos. It exited behind the building - on a street that was likewise patrolled. I got shooed away just trying to put stuff into my backpack (move along - move along)

I felt it worth mentioning, only because it was so surreal.

AKB48 Group (Final) - Nippon Budokan - 04/28/2013

Spoiler

Ironically, I ended up meeting up with MemoryBreak early and I took him over to the Shibuya Pop-up Store to share the experience.

I managed to do a good job of avoiding the set list on Twitter, but did check in for announcements. I was happy to see the KKS getting their own concert, but it cast doubt on whether there would be a promotion announcement at the second concert.

Met up with LuckyOne, who had attended the first concert. Everything had sold out at the concert goods booth, so I suggested trying the pop-up shop. Then it was time to head over to the venue.

We could hear sound checks while we were waiting, including Yuuwaka no Garter. Was excited to find out who would be singing that unit. Both of us broke out our Team A Happi Coats - which drew the attention of a couple walking nearby and a father/daughter. Both came up to talk to us (and the father and daughter wanted pictures with us too - lol)



The ID check was no joke this time. They were checking absolutely everyone and with a lot of scrutiny. Even I had a hard time with them trying to figure out my name in katakana. If there was any discrepancy or question, the staff member would shoot up their hand and that person would be escorted by staff or OJS48 for a further check.

Our seats were much better this time. Still in the second balcony, but only 3 rows back. We were dead center over the SKE48 Stage. We could also see the sound check section and the Super VIP seats. About 15 minutes before the concert started I saw Aki-P sitting down there and pointed him out to MemoryBreak. Kept looking to see who else might appear.

Again - not going to go too much into the concert since it was live-streamed. But highlights.

Mayuyu was Kage-ana, and the show opened with Takamina's solo. Which pretty much set the mood for the rest of the show… as in it was going to be awesome.

Yuuwaku no Garter: When the music started it was obvious that Kojiharu was centering, but where were the other two members. Shock - it was a solo performance. What the live stream failed to capture is how LED stage was set up to have roses bloom around her all the way as she walked to the center chair. Highlight of the concert IMHO.

Hashire! Penguin: When I saw a group taking center stage, I had this sudden gut feeling it was Team 4. MemoryBreak nudged me at the same time with the same call. When the music started I went nuts screaming (probably freaked out the guy in front of me). So awesome to see Team 4 perform at least once live.

River: JKT48 totally brought it, the fans went nuts. That's all I think I need to say.

Idol nante yobanaide: There is only one thing I remember about this song… Nakkii was a backup dancer and directly below us. I spent the entire song leaning forward as far as possible to see her. I think I pretty much missed the actual performance ^^;

Kataomoi no Taikakusen: When Moeno came out the place went wild. It was really touching to hear her speech, and then fight back the tears when we all started calling her name. It was really great to see her perform her unit song one final time (I had been lucky enough to see it at RH2012). Really wish I had the chance to see her at a HS event before she had graduated.

The Medley segment was probably the most amazing thing to see live. With all the different groups coming and going, and singing from one section of the stage to another.

Then it wrapped with Tenohira - which completely blew me away. The force of all those girls singing in unison was something you could actually feel - even all the way up in the 2nd balcony.

As organized as the SKE48 encore had been, the AKB48 Group one was a mess. MemoryBreak and I had decided to go all out again. The problem is that the entire venue kept getting out of sync. The couple behind us was having the same problem, and at some point we just gave up. Why there was a problem with 'Encore' and not 'SKE48', not entirely sure.

During the encore performance, I was completely distracted by Nakkii again. Even though she was on the other side of the arena, I could see that smile with no problem. Really happy to see both Shoujo tachi and First Rabbit performed live.

During the final MC, I was looking around the arena for a sign that Togasaki was getting ready to appear. When the staff member ran out with the slip of paper, I thought it was going to be like Yui's and this would be the 12th gen promotions, but then they played the VTR of the Dome Tour instead.

Then it was back to the MC and I really began to think there would be no Togasaki. But then there he was, and in casual clothes! Then the moment I had been waiting for happened…

When he called Hirari's name first, I went a little nuts. I could see her fall to her knees, but she got up pretty quickly. Then Yukarun was called and there was that pause… but then Miyupon's name was called and I shouted for her as well. 12th gen was the first generation that I was around for from start to finish, so it was awesome to finally see everyone finally find their spot on a team.

The place was getting kind of loud, so it was hard to hear the explanation for the KKS concert. I knew they would be there, but it wasn't clear if their promotions would wait for that too. (found out later that it was just that they would be attending).

Then it got really confusing with my limited Japanese. I couldn't tell if the concurrent positions were being revoked or becoming permanent transfers. I'll be honest, for a good 10 minutes I wasn't sure. Everyone was freaking out - so it got harder to hear and pick up what was going on. But in the end it was all sorted out. Everyone was laughing when Sasshi got her concurrent position as Theater Manager - but in a good way (kind of like - nobody can manage Sasshi, so we're going to have her manage everyone else).

Nito Moeno did the closing announce. When she was done, we all started the Moeno chant again that went on for at least a minute or so. Then it was over.

In summary, another great trip, another great series of shows and concerts and events. I was thoroughly exhausted, but I knew I would be back in less than 30 days to do it all again.