Your Sakurazaka46 / Keyakizaka46 Experiences (HS, fan meeting, concerts, etc)

I can finally post something here! I got to participate in the online M&G today, 12/13, for NoboFa release.

As a first timer I only applied for my 1ki and 2ki oshis, and today, 12/13, was yaRenaaa day. Rena has been a quiet favorite of mine since she joined, and undeniably she has become my 2ki oshi.

Barely slept due to excitement, and had to wake up early anyway due to the time zone difference (around 5 hours earlier than JST). I applied for 15 slots for yaRena and got 13, which is not bad considering she eventually sold out all her slots.

Due to certain problems, I really only met Rena twice, but I was supposed to have 5 slots with her. Nevertheless that ain't her fault (its not nobody's fault too, don't @ me, LOL) as she is simply wonderful.

Spoiler: YaRena M&G Part 1

*Rena pops up on screen. I froze for like 5 seconds. She is THAT beautiful.

Rena: Hajime mashite
Me: Ohayou gozaimasu
Rena: (reading my name) Rain-san? (I melt)
Me: Hai, sekai desu *lag*
Rena: Konnichiwa
Me: *trying to speak*
Rena: *speaking but the effing lag makes it hard to understand*
END

Spoiler: YaRena M&G, Part 2

Me: Moriya-saaan
Rena: Haii
*BRUTAL LAG*
Me: Rena san kikkoe nai
Me: Burikko onegaishimas, sukoshi desu ka?
Rena: Eh? *lags again* (here she said a lot of things but I didn't get any because of the lag, and then*
Rena: KOTS!
Me: AHH URESHI ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!
BRUTAL LAG AGAIN
END

I literally felt like a high schooler again talking to this girl LOL, I guess I want to play it more cool next time

Unfortunately, round 3 was a mess and I just got an image of a tired Rena frozen on my screen, and we could not hear each other. And rounds 5 and 6 were cancelled, as nobody could get in (I tried 12 times to queue and it just kept returning to the home screen)

Overall, it was an up and down experience. Rena was super wonderful, and she was full of energy in our interactions (I just wish the lag was more forgiving). She knows how to get fans, and keep them. I would not call her a fisher, because she knows she doesn't have to haha.

I hope they fix all the issues and compensate those affected. I still wish to participate in an in-person HS soon, possibly next year, when the pandemic leaves our collective senses. And of course, I would buy tickets for yaRena - how can I not?

 

Oh no!

I only participated in the first slot (I had tickets for Morita and Endo) and didn’t experience much, if any, lag. Sorry to hear it turned into such a mess for everyone.

I was surprised to find exactly how nervous I was when I was in the queue for Morita. I think I’d have been far less nervous in person, even. As a result, I can’t say that one went super well. I was only able to win two tickets for her, and I didn’t give her much time to say anything at all! That time goes by so fast.

I was less nervous when talking to Endo, but the problem there was that my Japanese isn’t very good. However, where Morita switched to English when I said I was American, Endo stuck with some fairly lengthy Japanese sentences that I just couldn’t understand. I felt so bad! She was really talkative and seemed happy to be hearing from a foreign fan. Definitely left a good impression despite my poor Japanese language ability.

Next week I have Uemura(1ki oshi) and Kousaka Marino since it’s the day after her birthday, so I figured I should definitely buy some tickets for that day.

 

The last time I was this nervous....I was confessing to a girl in person.

I know exactly what you mean - the minutes whittle down, the number of people in line seem fewer, and then that countdown starts and its go time.

Curious to find out if people had the same experience regarding the video and audio lag, and of course, curious to read more fanboying/fangirling from everyone who participated!

 

I also got to participate in the online M&G and it went...badly T_T
I was so nervous I could not say anything and in the end I felt so frustrated and mad against myself that I could not sleep after
I only had 3 ticket for Uemu and it kinda went like that

Spoiler: Uemu M&G

Uemu : こんにちは　Konnichiwa
me : こんにちは、はじめましてkonnichiwa ! hajimemashite
Uemu : (reading my name) ...san ?
Me : はい...　Yes...
Me : .... (Big blank as I was trying to speech but due to nervosity I wasn't able to produce any kind of sound)
Me :....
Uemu : Do you understand Japanese ? (I don't remember exactly how she asked me if I understood japanese)
Me : はい...き-緊張しす-す-ぎ-ぎますけど yes... but I'm too nervous (I said while stuttering because of nervosity)
Uemu : 緊張してる？[I don't really remeber what she said but It was something like it's ok/don't worry]、ありがとう。また来てね　You're nervous ? that's ok, arigatou matekite ne
*FADE OUT*

In the end my own stress kinda ruined my experiance as I was not able to say anything.

I can only agree it's really like talking to the girl you like, being so nervous that you can't say anything and you end up just looking weird ^^'

 

It sounds like you’re being a bit too harsh on yourself. There are a lot of moving parts to these online meet & greets, so there’s a lot to try to keep cognizant of all at once. While I’ve never met a Keya/Saku member in person before (tho I did see Hono at that haunted house last summer), I’ve met other idols and Japanese pro wrestlers I’m a big fan of and wasn’t nervous at all. However, I was -super- nervous with Morita and it seems like a lot of the foreign fans were similarly nervous for their calls based on Twitter. It’s just more natural and, to me, easier to just go with the flow in person.

I pretty much didn’t give Morita a chance to say more than a couple words, and it’s definitely embarrassing, but I’m sure she gets it. Same with Uemura, it sounds like there was some warmth there and I’d still come away from that conversation feeling pretty good about it. We show support the best we can and some of us have more obstacles to overcome than others (language barrier, technical issues...) but at the end of the day, a 30 second conversation isn’t going to be perfect even under ideal circumstances.

Sorry for the rant, I just hate to see somebody being undeservedly hard on themselves. I’m looking forward to talking to Uemura myself, tho I was wrong in my post above. I actually have tickets for Kira and Marino next session, for some reason I went with the last day for my Uemura tickets.

 

Don't be too hard on yourself! I kind of failed during mine with Yumiko managed to get one thing out before becoming a flustered mess... but the members are understanding! I think they appreciate that they have fans from overseas visiting regardless, you could tell from their kind expressions

 

I know I can be hard to myself In the end I'm just disappointed with myself because I could not say what I wanted But let's be positive I've got a other shot next week. I just hope I'll be able to say what I wanted

 

Online meet and greet with Moriya Akane (slot 1 & 2), and Masumoto Kira (slot 1)

Spoiler: Moriya Akane (Slot 1)

私「Moriya-san!」

Akanen「Hey!」

私「My name is Anthony! I happily support you from America!」

Akanen「Thank you so much!」

私「You're so beautiful It's such an honor to meet you!」

Akanen「Thank you!」

私「You're so beautiful! I love you so much! *I start crying for some reason, i dunno i really, really love her*」

Akanen「Oh, thank you! I'm happy!」(She responded in English)

Spoiler: Masumoto Kira (Slot 1)

私 「Kira-chan~」

Kira「Oh, good afternoon！*waves*」

私 「My name is Anthony！」

Kira「Amazing！」

私 「I drew you！I hope you like it! *I show her my drawing of her I did*」

Kira 「Oh! Thank you!!」

私 「You're so cute! Please continue to do your best！」

Kira「*starts clapping and smiling*」

Spoiler: Moriya Akane (Slot 2)

私「Moriya-san! Good afternoon!」

Akanen「Good afternoon! *waves*」

私「I drew you！I hope you like it! *I show her my drawing of her I did*」

Akanen「Eeeh?! You're so talented!」

私「Please always continue to do your best! I will always support you!」

Akanen「Thank you so much！*waves goodbye and smiles*」

Meeting someone I have a massive love for in Akanen, and someone who I really, really enjoy seeing in Kira, it was a memorable first experience for me. I'll be back for Fuuchan and Rikopi next week, and Nogi girls starting with Mukai in January! I'm forever grateful for such a great time. Akanen and Kira really made me happy.

 

Well I personally will cut @Woorg some slack, its kinda nerve wracking for the first timers, myself included. You just don't know what to expect at these things, but I think now that we have an idea, we can be prepared better next time.

In hindsight it was a great idea for me not to start with my oshi at this M&G.

And it seems those of us who got shut out of rounds 5 and 6 are getting a transfer event soon.

 

Mad respect and congrats to all of you who shared your experiences! While it sucks to have troubles with connection or being unable to tell everything you wanted, surely there is a brighter side - you still got to notify the members of your existence so it's all good. Even simply getting to know that they have gaikokujins willing to go through all the hassle is enough to make them happy. I'm sure of it.

As for speaking with members directly, I can only imagine the general excitement and the pressure to convey what you want, especially if you are not that fluent in Japanese. I was losing my shit already just ready your dialogues Once again, huge props for doing this. The closest I've ever got was Nagasawa-kun responding to my comment during one of her YouTube streams. I was the smuggest motherfucker to walk the Earth on that day, I'll tell you that

So yeah, you have all the rights to be proud of yourselves, while we, mere mortals, are humbly waiting for more stories to hear. Kore kara mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu, you lucky bastards!

upd. I don't know if it's a legit advice or not, but you can check the Yuugata paradise radio broadcasts for them sweet handshake simulations. The MC gets to play different fan characters while speaking to members as if it was a real event. Simply good fun and maybe you can even pick up some insight from this.

 

I don't care how hardcore you are, when Moriya Akane responds to you in English saying she's happy, and smiles at you, it'll melt your heart. I still haven't recovered!

 

I have 1 ticket for Nen on the 23rd because I want to personally thank her for her resolve and strength as VC in KeyaSaku but if she does her tongue thing I don't think I'll be able to speak normally (mobame subbers will understand)

With the corona vaccines apparently effective (let's not debate on whether it is or it isn't as that is a long rabbit hole haha) I reckon that maybe late next year the in person HS may resume, so jumping on this chance for the online M&G was my best bet, because the chances of them doing an M&G for international fans are slim. Like it or not we are still the last priority in management's eyes.

I do agree with @heatsignature though that through all the accounts I have read the girls seemed to really appreciate getting in touch with their international fans, and RunRun and others aspired to perform in other countries, so I guess maybe the direction will tilt slightly? We never know.

 

To date, Nogizaka46 has performed overseas three times (FR, SG, HK*), though not with all the members I think. There is some hope for Sakurazaka doing kaigai performances post COVID. One of the most well known media export from Japan is anime*, and by that extension, the largest Japanese related conventions overseas tend to be anime related. If they can generate enough interest among the convention organizers, they might get invited. Of course, the group's management must be willing to cooperate. Case to point, Nogi's performances at SG and HK are within an anime convention**. I personally think that is the best way to get them to perform overseas.


As an aside, I get this vibe that many younger Japanese females (those born in the late 80s and beyond) taking a lot more interest in the rest of the world and wanting to learn English. It seems more so than the males.

*With the rise of Kpop, Jpop's popularity has waned quite a bit, especially in many parts of East Asia. In contrast, anime and manga remains pretty popular, as a result, seiyuus as well, which reflects the trend within Japan itself.

**I was amazed that Sozo didn't completely F it up.

 

Did my transfer tickets today for the first two slots for Moriya Rena again, there was an update for the app and the servers were more stable as of this writing and I hope for everyone's sake, it doesn't crash in the later rounds again like last week.

Anyway, on to yaRena, had 2 blocks with her today:

Spoiler: YaRena~ Day Part Deux, Block 1

Rena: *super cute in a Santa hat*
Rain: Rena~ nice to see you again!
Rena: Nice to see you too!
Rain: Hope you are doing well
Rena: Yes, I'm well!
Rain: Let's eat bread, its french toast (I messed up, I meant to say grilled cheese as it was actually grilled cheese)
Rena: *eyes light up* uwaa sugoi!
Rain: Say aaaahhh *at this point I tried to feed her virtually but I got embarassed and pulled it back*
Rain: *takes a bite and chews for 2-3 seconds*

END

Yeah, I realized I just did the old Nanase and tried to feed her the bread, pulled it back and bit into it without thinking. Hey, had to show her it was edible at least.

Spoiler: YaRena~ Day Part Deux, Final Block

I readied my guitar once the countdown started, and also wore my Santa hat:

Rain: *sings* Happy birthday yaRenaahaaaaa! (her birthday is on January 2)
Rena: *claps*uwaaa thank you!
Rain: Its your birthday next month, happy birthday! (showed her my Santa plushie)
Rain: I promise to see you in Japan, ganbare, I will always support you!
Rena: Uwaaa sugoi, thank you, I'm really happy! (mecha ureshi means really happy right?)

END

I'm very lucky to pull 3 tickets each for these last two rounds and was able to tell her a lot of things.

Its clear that she is very enthusiastic, and just a joy to talk to. She enjoys her work and has really nice reactions too. I hope everyone who sees her gives her a chance as she is not just a pretty face, but a very kind girl too.

On to Risa next month!

 

aaaah At least this time I was able to speak but I almost got refused at the identity check. Last time they accepted my Belgian ID card immediately but this time I had 3 staff talking to me before the M&G and they let me do it this time but they want me to use a passport the next time.

Spoiler: Uemu 20/12

Uemu : Konnichiwa
Me : konnichiwa
Me : last time I wasn't able to talk because I was too nervous...
Uemu : you're nervous ?
Me : But I wanted to say I'm your fan since Keyakizaka's debut
Uemu : Oooh ! Nihongo jouzu desu ne
Uemu : Arigatou, matta kite ne
END

I didn't say much but at least I was able to say something. Strangely enough thanks to the staff talking to me I was able to calm down a little

 

My report from today, slightly mixed experiences (3 tickets for each member):

Harada Aoi
I managed to work out how to use the app and I got through the ID check without any problems. Aoichan looked very pretty, indeed the camera images of all the members today were very clear, but it soon became obvious that there was something of a time lag in the conversation, not something I'd experienced in other online HS apps. Therefore our conversation was a little slow, I told her I was from England and that I'd been a fan since Silent Majority. I wished her 'ganbatte' and said 'arigato' but that was it, the end came a little sooner than I expected.

Matsudairo Riko
Rikopi very quickly became my favourite 2ki member when she debuted, I think she's very pretty, lovely and funny and she was indeed very lovely in chat today. She seemed to understand me OK and she was happy to have an English fan. She was wearing a hair band with some sort of cute animal which she pointed to which I said was 'kawaii'. I said I liked 'Buddies' and then we exchanged some 'love' and 'hearto' signs. I do hope she can become more popular, I do like her so much!

Moriya Akane
Akanen is my kami-oshi in the group and I met her at a 'real' HS event in May last year in Yokohama. She seemed a little quiet then and she was again today, I didn't get very much reaction from her when I said I was from England. She obviously didn't remember me so I said "Kyonen Nihon de o aishimashita" and "Pacifico Yokohama" but she still looked blank and she said in English "Speak Japanese is better". So I just had time to tell her she's my oshimen and that was it. Anyway she really did look very beautiful and she'll continue to be my favourite member.

Uemura Rina
I'm sorry to say that I also found Uemuu to be rather quiet with little reaction when I introduced myself. I had a copy of the recent issue of MARQUEE in which she had a photoshoot so I held it up open at her pics and I said they were beautiful but again not much of a reaction. There may have been comms issues, I don't know, but sadly for me it wasn't the best of my chats today.

Takemoto Yui
But in contrast I had my best chat of the day with TakeYui! She was very lively throughout and definitely very pleased to have a fan from England. She looked very Christmassy with a reindeer hairband which I complimented her on. I then tried to do that 'Pistacho' thing which she did on the most recent edition of SokuSaku by holding my finger to my mouth which she thought was funny and she taught me how to do it properly! She then said "Thank You" and "Love You" in English and I just had time to reply before the end.

So my best chats were definitely with the two 2ki members and as I do enjoy watching that Gen in variety shows I'm sure I'll choose to buy more tickets for those members next time. But it was still good fun generally!

 

@Woorg Nice redemption! You really got everything across as well as can be expected, given the natural limitations of these calls. Sounds like a pretty smooth conversation.

Is your Japanese truly good? I ask because that staff encounter would not have worked out for me, or at least I don’t think it would have. I did have staff get on mic the first time I tried to enter a queue last week. I couldn’t understand them, so I pulled the classic move where I just say “hai” when I can tell I’m being prompted for a response. It worked - either because all they needed was an affirmative response or because they could tell the conversation was going nowhere and just pushed me through.

Ironically, I also got a “nihongo jouzu” but from Marino. Though, as my story above illustrates, my Japanese language ability is rather poor. Still, that doesn’t stop me from continuing to talk way too much on these! I’m a natural chatterbox, even when speaking a language of which I’m not very skilled. I’m like a bad MC who wants all the attention and doesn’t give the members a chance to shine.

As for the Marino M&G in general, I was a bit surprised to find at the start that I didn’t actually have 6 tickets like I thought I did. Turns out the other tickets I bought were for another day. Obviously, couldn’t quite say everything I had in mind with only half the time I expected, but it was a pleasant talk. Mainly just wanted to wish her a happy birthday, anyway. I hope she got a lot of support! Looking forward to next time.

I also used 3 Kira tickets, though I talked about that experience in her individual thread. In retrospect, it was a bit of an awkward talk(in a fun/funny way) and I feel like that’s exactly what you want from a Kira Experience.

Looking forward to 1/9, where I have... Karin and Hono. Getting nervous in advance tbh.

 

No my japanese is bad too but I was able to get most of what they were saying and I just replied with small answer (things like "Hai', "Kikoemasu", "mottemasu", "mottenai desu").
Good luck with the next date.
I couldn't get a passport before the first 2 date because of corona. I just hope I'll be able to get it before the first january date since it seems they got stricter

 

Here's my reports for Saito Fuyuka (slot 4), and Matsudaira Riko (slot 5)

Spoiler: Saito Fuyuka (Slot 4)

私「Fuu-chan, good evening！*waves*」

Fuu「Good evening! Ah, where are you from? *waves*」

私「I'm from America! I am happy to support you from America!」

Fuu「Eeeh？！Thank you so much！」 (She said thank you in English)

私「I'm a big fan！*waves*」

Fuu「Thank you! *waves*」

Spoiler: Matsudaira Riko (Slot 5)

私 「Rikopi-chan, good evening!」

Rikopi「Good evening! *heart pose*」

私 「I am happy to support you from America!」

Rikopi「*smiles and waves*」

私 「What is your favorite song from Nobody's fault?」

Rikopi「Blue Moon Kiss!」

私 「Thank you! Please always continue to do your best! *waves*」

Rikopi 「*blows a kiss and waves goodbye* Thank you!」

Fuu-chan's M&G was very simple but she looked super pretty and her meguri video was decked out with a Christmas tree! It looked very festive and she was super sweet! Rikopi's experience was something else. As a huge idol lover, having an idol blow you a kiss can make your brain short-circuit. Especially from somebody as cute as Rikopi, I feel like I still haven't fully recovered. She did more than I could've ever asked for!

I really hope I can go into the Nogi meet and greets easy this time. I'm kinda worried about that but I'm still forever grateful I got to meet four amazing women in Sakurazaka46.

 

When you say you got stopped six times, what do you mean? Questioned by staff?

Also, it feels like I’m seeing a lot of positive experiences with Rikopi. She honestly wasn’t a member I had in mind, but maybe that’ll have to change next time - whether online or (ideally) an irl handshake event.