Headed out to Tokyo today, mainly because of the AKB48 stage performance. Unfortunately the whole day was rainy, and more like the rain associated with proper "rainy weather" (i.e. not like the poor effort on Sunday), so I didn't take too many pictures.
First stop was lunch, which was at a restaurant specialising in Kobe beef. Expensive, yes (I went for a $38 AUD lunch set), but the meat was something special. There's this texture and flavour that stands out amongst other beef like Wagyu or Angus. Almost melts in your mouth.
Because I had some time to kill, I decided to empty out my wallet a bit more. Went to one of the lesser-known (compared to Akihabara) otaku shopping areas first, that is, Nakano, just to check out what idol goods were on sale at Trio. There was this really nice blue Akari Suda ("Akarin") 2010 BLT T-shirt on sale. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to leave it there instead of taking it (as I was still browsing), and then came this guy (presumably another Akarin fan considering he bought one of her other (XS) shirts in stock) who took it after I was ready to buy it. Feeling incredibly miffed at myself, I decided to quickly head down to Akihabara in order to possibly make amends.
I went to the Trio store in Akihabara to see if there were any shirts that could particularly interest me. But lo and behold, that exact same guy I saw earlier was also present, browsing through the numerous member photos on sale. He left soon after. However, to my surprise, there was an innocuous looking yellow shirt behind an AKB48 Tokyo Dome Concert. To my surprise, it turn out to be Akarin's 2011 birthday T-shirt (see below). Quickly, as if having learnt my lesson just moments before at Nakano, I bought it. It was an appropriate size for me anyway. I also bought a Shiori Ogiso shirt and photo for my friend back in Melbourne, who asked me to help him buy it.
Feeling a bit more happy about the affair and having a bit more time on my hands before they started to sell the AKB48 tickets, I went and explored Akihabara a bit, despite the horrid weather. Ended up buying another shirt - this time, an SKE48 x Crewz one - and Minami Takahashi's solo debut single, which came with a giant poster.
4:30pm came, and it was time to go and collect my ticket. So I went up to 8/F at Don Quixote, where the escalator was open and proceeded to the front lobby desk. Told them my winning application number, showed them my ID (passport), paid the show cost (2000Y) and got my ticket.
Now I've already been to the AKB48 theater lobby before this trip, but it was my first time entering those doors into the theater proper. Because I had an hour or so before I could enter into the theater, I grabbed a quick bite at the local MOS burger and proceeded straight back to the theater.
Despite being a Kenkyuusei show, it was a full house as you'd expect. Observing the people, I'd figure around 80% male and 20% female. A surprisingly diverse range of age groups, with most being around 20-30 years old. A few salarymen straight from work, parents and kids and middle-aged were also there. As for foreigners, I noticed a few Chinese nationals too, two of which also got Enpou. No Super Enpou winners, so those front row seats were taken by the Ippan applicants.
Finally, we entered the theater, and boy, it was great just being there and absorbing the theater spirit. Realising that it was only 7 years ago that current (and ex-) top-notch senbatsu members like Acchan, Takamina, Kojiharu etc. stood on that gleaming wooden stage just right in front of your very eyes. From the two pillars and the seven pink tapes, to the revolving stage doors and blinds and the blue MC light behind you. Everything looked so remarkably familiar from the various TV shows and LODs, yet I got to see it all in person. As for me, because I won Enpou, I sat in the very back, just in front of the standing room crowd. Not that it was an issue - far from it, as the seat rows are raised and also you get to really experience the wota crowd behind you cheering and MIXing.
Then the kage-ana and the overture came. Glow stick in hand, I was ready. The moment I've long been waiting for finally coming into fruition. As soon as Shonichi opened, I knew I was in for something special. And it really was indeed. You can watch as many, or as few, LODs as you like on a screen, but nothing ever can replace seeing the members perform their hardest on stage, with blaring music, a few dozen stage lights and an enthusiastic crowd MIXing in front and behind you. Oh, and you finally get to turn your head and choose where to look, instead of letting the LOD camera dictate that for you.
Without going through each and every little minute detail - I'm sure it'll be uploaded somewhere on the Internet - I'll just pick a few points of interest:
- Saki Kitazawa had to be taken out during the first MC (according to her Google+ post after the show, she cited anaemia as the reason), before she even got to be introduced. She came back later for the unit songs though.
- Favourite songs? Of course, there were well-known classic unit songs like Junjou Shugi, Temodemo Namida and Pajama Drive, which were great, but what really struck a chord were seeing Kagami no Naka Jeanne D'Arc, Inochi no Tsukaimichi and particularly Suifu wa Arashi ni Yume wo Miru. The Kenkyuusei really do these songs justice, it's incredible - even more so seeing it live.
- You may have screamed and shouted with glowsticks in front of your computer countless of times, but being with the crowd as one doing the KKS rendition of the classic Wasshoi! B (here titled as "Let's Go! Kenkyuusei") is simply irreplaceable.
- Everyone will be asking me, "Who's your favourite member?" Now I'm only a Kenkyuusei noob, but I'll just say this: Yurina Takashima's funny, Nana Okada's an incredibly sharp performer, Mogi Shinobu's cool and Miyu Omori's solid (especially during Jeanne D'Arc). But if there was one I had to pick, it has to be Miki Nishino. A blend of fierce performance on stage and a bubbly character - what's not to like?
- They sang Tenohira ga Kataru Koto (short ver.) at the end, and then showed the PV.
- At the end of the show, we got a high touch. It was kind of cute when some of them tried to clasp hold my hand as I passed through.
I never really cared too much about Kenkyuusei before that day, but if that didn't make me a Kenkyuusei fan by now (or at least going to start to pay more attention to them) I don't know what else will. Their rock-solid rendition of the classic B3 gave me a million smiles and almost made my eyes wet with happiness. If you ever intend to apply for a show here whilst in Japan, don't deny yourself the opportunity to see them perform "just because they're Kenkyuusei". You will be pleasantly surprised.
After those brilliant 2 hours, it was time to leave and also time for me to go back home. Fairly heavy rain awaited me outside but despite the drench, I managed to make it back to Nagoya. On the way, I bought an ekiben to eat (I didn't have dinner yet). Turned out to be the exact same one I bought last time I was in Japan and bought an ekiben.
To round off the day before I went to sleep, I managed to catch the first episode of the new season of SKE48 no Sekai Seifuku Joshi.
Breakfast: Melonpan
Canned coffee of the day: Suntory BOSS (3.5/5 - a decent blend of sweetness and rich coffee taste)
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