And I thought today would be a humdrum day. Boy was I wrong! the day started with my visit to Odaiba that I spoke about in the previous post. And for evening entertainment my AKB friends advised me that AKB48 Team K's Umeda Ayaka makes a weekly appearance at Tokyo Tower as a DJ. So after a short rest I headed to Hamamatsuchō, and my long walk to Tokyo Tower!
This was another excellent suggestion! I had been to Tokyo Tower before, but I had never gone up to the observatory. It costs about 800 yen, and you go up about 150 meters to a two-story panoramic observation deck, complete with a restaurant, gift shop, and Club 333. That is where Umechan would be appearing.
BTW, Christmas is in full force in Tokyo already. Ayaka, along with Kobayashi Kana and Oku Manami attended the official Tower holiday festival the other day. So like Akihabara and my hotel, the tower is already set for the holidays!
Umechan was just sitting at a table reading notes as the engineer spun songs. It was a really nice selection that fit the mood of the place really well. Sort of a romantic, but cool set of music. And Ayaka has an extremely soothing speaking voice. It created the perfect atmosphere for the romantic setting. Here are a couple of pics from the mid-span of Tokyo Tower...
What a romantic place. My favorite view was the one of Odaiba where you could see the ferris wheel there changing color in a carnival of lights. Unfortunately it was to far away to show in the picture. Oh I wish i had a girl with me. Well, I had Umechan. But that doesn't really count, does it? There were about 10-20 fans standing by the DJ table while I was there. At one point she kept glancing at me. I couldn't tell if she was thinking "This guy is an AKB fan?" or maybe it was "Who is this weirdo that is watching the show?" In either case, I had enough atmosphere for one night, so I headed to the elevators.
EDIT: I found out later that my friend Hiro had sent her a message on her blog that day to look for me at the event. And since I was the only non-Japanese I could see hanging out in the vicinity of Club 333, that must have been why she kept looking my way. Had I only known!
When you leave they don't let you all the way down, but instead let you off on the 4th floor. That way you have to pass through the mall and all of it's shops and restaurants to get out of the place. I was already thinking about food as I hadn't eaten a morsel since that "Jambalaya" I had in Odaiba. So when I turned the corner the answer to my hunger pangs were right in front of me...
After that i headed back to Shinagawa and my hotel. For a day that started out as nothing, I sure had an awesome time! I went to the land of Idoling!!! in the morning. Saw Umechan's live appearance at Tokyo Tower, And then topped it off with a slice from the restaurant chain that Buono! made famous to international fans!!!
Yes, it was awesome. Now I just need to rest up for my big day tomorrow. Seeing Infinity twice. Wish me luck!
CK in Tokyo
It is already Christmas in Akihabara! Actually I don't have much to report for day 5, although I did see AKB48 Team Kenkyuusei on Wednesday night. But I will report on that in another post. Hey, I didn't promise this stuff would all be in chronological order! So I am going to work backwards a bit. Beginning with today, which isn't over.
I didn't have anything planned that was J-pop related today. So I deferred to my AKB brethren for advice on what to do with the day. It didn't necessarily need to be associated with AKB, or Idols at all for that matter. I was merely looking for something fun to do. And they had recommended Odaiba.
Odaiba? Oh yeah, that's supposed to be a fun place. I had never been there before. And how could i forget it? After all, it is the mystical land of...
Wow, that is such a cool structure! But first I wanted to go check out that miniature Statue of Liberty they have. This is also where that giant Gundam used to be. But it is gone now. The general area around the Fuji television building is filled with shopping malls, restaurants and amusement attractions. I had lunch in this cute little tex-mex restaurant that was supposed to be like a silver mine. 500 yen for the Japanese version of Jambalaya and all the soda you can drink.
After lunch I did a little exploring and found the store that sells Idoling!!! goods. The only problem was that the selection for my favorite member, Erika Yazawa was kinda "picked over". So I ended up with a T-shirt. They had another T-shirt design that was much cooler, but there were none in my size for Erika. I checked Asahi Nao too, but no luck. Oh well. It was still a cool little excursion.
It is still mid-afternoon at the time of this writing, so I may end up doing something tonight. The tentative plan is to head to Tokyo Tower, as the Tokyo Tower girl makes regular Friday night appearances. And of course the Tokyo Tower girl is none other than AKB48's Umeda Ayaka!
Warning #1) Long post is long! Warning #2) Hide your eyes kiddies, this is an SDN review! 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 my buddy Hiro. 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.
BTW, if you want to follow along you can find previews of all of the songs here on their official site
Gotta love the sexy overture, fits the team well. The pre-show welcome was done last night by Chen Qu. 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 Hatakeyama. 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 3rd 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 I would find out what was up a little later (I think). 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" The song ends with the line "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!!! A heartwarming song to end the show.
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 who don't know, at the end of each show the girls line up in the hallway. As you leave they all give you a "high-five" and Arigatou. I believe 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!
Yes, now I have another autographed Meetan B.L.T. 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? How amazing! 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, I still have tons going on this weekend, including AKB Infinity on Saturday and Morning Musume on Sunday. So this trip is far from over. Until then...
CK in Tokyo
I truly read each and every comment and PM left here taking everything to heart♥~ and although I know I've been late so often recently (ノロ≦。)！with replying it's really your comments and messages that have meant so much to me being here and writing this blog♥....I truly wouldn't be here without you♥~writing to me. *Thank you* so much for everything~!
♥MB o(*´∀｀)o゛♥♥♥~!
Finally a post that is focused on Hello! Project. But first...
I love that all of the idol groups seem to be omnipresent around Japan. I was walking through a department store yesterday and they had Kimagure Princess playing in the store's audio system. I was LOLing at that. And on the JR trains I have seen a video ad for some website featuring Idoling!!!, and a promotion for Kojima Haruna's upcoming photobook. But what I really love are the billboards!
The first one I noticed was this ad for Pino featuring Perfume at Tamachi station. I haven't big as big a fan of them as some others, but I love the ad. Really cute! The next one is a little dark because I took it in bad weather at night...
I was walking to dinner with some friends in Ueno, and I grabbed this pick quickly as they weren't interested in hunting for Idol stuff. But that is AKB48's Fujie Reina and Chikano Rina promoting...ice cream??? I think that is what it's for, I'm not sure. Finally...
I think the funniest thing about this Manoeri ad is that it is right next to the AKB48 theater! (hehe)
Berryz Saiko! (clap clap clap clap)
Okay, I finally got to do something H!P related other than hunting for pics at the H!P stores. I was a little bit disappointed because I tried to strategize the day so I could see both AKB48 and Berryz Kobo. But the AKB48 email system screwed me up by sending me a phantom message hinting that I won a show, then it turned out I didn't. Some sort of glitch in the system. Whatever, I was kinda tired yesterday, so two shows would have definitely wiped me out! But I made it to Tokyo Koseinenkin Keikan in plenty of time, bought my Maasa shirt and photoset, and I was ready for action!
As I got to my thirteenth row seat i was a little bit further to the left than i thought I was going to be. That's okay, I was still in front of the stage. The best gauge is whether I am paying more attention to the monitors or the girls on stage, and I was definitely focused on the live action. Scanning the audience, most of the people around me were either Risako or Momo fans. Although there seemed to be a good mix of all the girls different colors. I would say the least represented color there was for Captain, but I did have a Saki fan right in front of me. A girl, and her wotagei-ing was as intense as anyone's! behind me was another girl in Yurina colors, to my left was a Miyabi fan, and to my delight another Maasa fan sat down on my right!
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After Madayade and Munasawagi Scarlet, they did a cute little skit (starring Maasa again, see a pattern forming here?) and went into Chinami's solo. As high a voice she has, I was a bit surprised she was having trouble hitting the high notes. So I was slightly disappointed, unlike the next two "unit songs". I especially like Helation Summer. But one of the coolest performances of the night was the "beatbox" version of Dschingis Khan. In fact I will go as far as saying that this version is better than the original. Chinami and Captain voiced the percussion parts, with Miyabi doing the bass. It is really cool!
And for those of you who know the setlist and were wondering, Momoko did an excellent job with Very Beauty. She is just a fantastic performer, and makes it look easy the entire show. The next great moment came in Special Generation. Huh? I usually complain about that song being overplayed. But the Sea Breem cosplay costumes were hilarious. And they kept wearing them during Nigiyaki na Fuyu, which I had never heard before. I loved it!!!
I was excited about the "special medley" because it had so many great songs in it. I only wish they had done more of Kiche Desse. And unlike what it says on H!O, it was Momo on the Xylophone for this show, But Maasa carried it onto the stage. Hehe, Maasa is strong! Suhada Pichi Pichi was another great performance, especially by the fans. For some reason my hangover came back during Monkey Dance. I dunno, maybe it was the song itself. I quickly felt better once they started singing Rival. And for the encore...
BTW, what is it the fans say during the encore chant for Berryz? "Berryz something or other" Whatever it is, I thought it was cool, just like the "Berryz saiko!" chant after the show. Clap was a nice song to end with.
Keep in mind that I watch the show with "Maasa colored glasses" on, but I thought she was absolutely sensational. She is a totally different performer from when i saw Berryz Kobo live last year. The only bummer is that she seems to be taking the leadership role away from Captain, who barely said a word throughout the show. I was also impressed with Risako. Her singing has gotten much better, and she was always smiling when I watched her. I think she is becoming slightly less self-conscious, which may have been her problem before. And Momo is always great! Miyabi is a great singer, but she just doesn't stand out to me for some reason. So at the end of the day I adore Maasa even more than before, and Riichan takes a huge leap in my BK pecking order. Who'da thunk it? Oh, and the coolest part...at the end of the show the guy to my right shook my hand as he was glad to meet another Maasa fanatic. Partners in battle!!!
So there ya go, Berryz are great. My next H!P review will be Morning Musume this Sunday. That will surely be an awesome show! between then and now i have more AKB fun in store, and you never know what surprises might pop up. I will leave you with another pic of my latest infatuation, the adorable Chisaki Hatakeyama from SDN48. I have also been checking out her Ameba blog, very nice!
CK in Tokyo
Hmmm...I'm a bit hesitant to open up the sealing on Momusu's latest single "Kimagure Princess" (._.;)! as I'm a bit worried that this may be the very first single by them that I'm not going to like? (*´艸`)！！While I'm yet to hear a single note or vocal from this single I've just been reading a lot of not so good thoughts on it so I'm very hesitant to listen as their singles stare at me from across the room......
And Yay~! a complete pv collection from Arashi♥ is finally here~!!! o(*´∀｀)o゛So many awesome pvs that we can finally watch whenever we want too♥~! I haven't watched "Sakura sake" in such a long time...(´⌒｀。)！！So many pvs♥ here to love so I think I'll just play them over and over until someone♥ makes me stop!!…(^q^)!! If you don't hear from me for awhile you now know what happened.....(。ーωー。)！
I was really happy (pun maybe intended (*´艸`)！) with so many of the happy/*Smile* T-shirt designs~ from the latest H!P concert tours~!! (*´∀｀*)。。。。。so the real dilemma came from which ones to choose??? (・c_・;)？Colors are important so that was one consideration but more importantly which members to choose as I was only allowing myself two member shirts from these releases~ (人∀`*)。
I really wanted two group shirts for sure...those being Momusu's and C-ute's and I really really so *adore* those happy face icons for each member on Momusu's...so so cute too!! as you first guess which belongs to each member from the front and then on the back of Momusu's shirt are the complete list of member's names next to their happy (^o^)'s~! Sort of like answers???.....maybe my imagination is much too strange~…(^q^)!
I ended up choosing Koha♥chan's solo T-shirt set and it really became an easy decision as this is perhaps her very last T-shirt set as a member of H!P...(;´□｀)！！！This most likely will never be worn as it's rather like a last collector's item from one of Momusu's most *adorable* members~ and definitely their most energetic!!! っo(*´∀｀)o! Momusu's included a nine photo set while Koha♥chan's came with a two photo set (always ♥ the fighting pose~!!!) as well as a cute wristband which also bears her happy face icon~♥ ＾ ＾。
Here are the accompanying member photos...once again in order♥:
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Matsu♥Takako's latest single release utilizes this very technology~ and here we're given 3 most *beautiful* songs to listen to~ っo(*´∀｀)o!
Both the title track "Kimi to nara" ("When I'm with you") as well as track two "Kitto tsutaete" (I'll definitely tell [you]" ) are very relaxing and *sweet* light contemporary jazz compositions while the third track "500 Miles" falls more as a standard ballad~. A full arsenal of musicians were assembled for these recordings and it really gives each song so much depth down to the subtle strings~.... the sometimes "Brubeck" like jazz piano chords~ as well as the light tingling of the percussion~. Matsu♥Takako's vocals shine so sweetly as she's become so accomplished in this sense with such an elegant delivery, but perhaps it's her song writing that's so very impressive as she continues to pen much of her own music as she composed both lyrics & music in entirety for tracks one and two~. More on Matsu♥Takako and her beginnings and history in drama, movies and music can be found here~....with additional posts here ＾ ＾。 I apologize so much for the now broken video clips in some of those linked posts (;´□｀) but perhaps one day I'll be able to redo them~.
Matsu Takako's "Kimi to nara" can be ordered here at Cdjapan.
Matsu Takako's "Kimi to nara" can be ordered here at YesAsia.
Matsu Takako's "Kimi to nara" can be ordered here at HMV Japan.
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(click play~! above)
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Links from my Friends
CK & CJ Marsicano's most *wonderful" Meetan fan site~! Ev...
Very very *cute* and fun blog♥ by ladybird~. ＾ ＾
Artist/group/miscellaneous ...
The little link which used to sit atop this page is now h...
Yep, the “secret project” CK hinted about in his IntlWota...
Wotaku Now! has a new *lovely* home here. =)
