DJ_MaiMai’s Neighborhood

It's too bad that Ohori Megumi is born in August, because so many of my favorite idols celebrate their birthdays in mid-fall.  And I am proud to celebrate the birthday of one particular Idoling!!! member who captivated me from the moment I saw her...

So what better way to celebrate than with a mini-picspam of Erika looking totally hawt and showing off one (actually two) of the biggest reasons why she is such a great idol!!!

As much as it is a big part of her appeal, Erika has a lot more to offer than what sits on her chest.  She is one of the funniest idols in the business.  Her quick wit and playfulness go a long way in making her a must watch member on Idoling's television program...

During my recent visit to Odaiba I couldn't get over the fact that I was treading in "Yazawa's neigborhood".  One of these days I will finally get a chance to see Idoling!!!, and my favorite girl Yazawa live.  Until then I will just have to collect as much of her stuff as possible.

CK in California

I have made it back to California, but not before my traditional last-minute dash into Shibuya to find the newest releases to take home with me.  I had three items on my shopping list.  Fortunately I found two of the three, the only elusive product being Kojima Haruna's new photobook.  "Sold Outo" was the response I usually got.  I guess that is good news for Kojiharu, but bad news for CK...

Yes, I added the new CD/DVDs from Berryz Kobo and Watarirouka Hashirtai.  Each one had multiple versions to choose from.  Since I am not a big believer in buying multiple versions of the same CD, I chose version A for Watarirouka because it had the girls on the cover as opposed to the associated anime.  For Berryz I chose the Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama cover since I prefer that song to Ryuusei Boy.  I always like to see what the big push items are at the stores on Tuesday.  In front of Tsutaya was a booth with a girl carnival-barking for the new Mr. Children. 

In front of Tower Records was a display for the new Otsuka Ai.  When I walked into the store a familiar song was playing.  But I am embarrassed to say I didn't know who it was.  I was wracking my brain and finally asked the clerk who pointed me to Ai's CD.  That's it, it is Sakuranbo!!!

I was torn whether or not to invest another 4000 yen on her new CD, which was a "best of"  Instead I decided to pick up the old cd/dvd single.  I headed back to Shinagawa for one last meal in Japan and my shuttle to Narita Airport.  I always get choked up when I leave Japan.  I'm not exactly sure why at this point as I visit often enough.  I'm sure I will be back in the next six months or so.  I think it's just that I am so happy while I'm there.  It's like "This is where I belong!"  Going back to California is such a letdown.

At risk of sounding like a broken record, this is the best trip I have ever been on in my life.  I know I have said that on every trip I have gone on.  But if you read my day to day activities you would have to agree this one was pretty special.  Per usual I squeezed a ton of fun into 11 days.  Again I found new areas to visit and new activities to do...

I saw 9 concerts/events, which is one less than my last trip...

SDN48 was the greatest find I had while in Japan.  I saw them three times, and watched a fourth show on the AKB48 Cafe Monitors.

AKB48 Team Kenkyuusei: I managed to win two AKB48 shows, although they were for the "research students"  I was slightly disappointed I got shut out on Teams A and K (Team B never performed)  But Team RS has lots of cool girls in it, and they performed B4, Idol no Yoake which is the current stage I have seen the least.  I did watch one Team A show in the cafe.

AKB Infinity:  I am so thankful that I got to see both versions of this super play.  My seats were great, and it gave me a chance to explore the amazing Tokyo Dome complex, complete with it's stadiums, shops and amusement parks.  My only regret is at the end of the day I should have gone to meet Tanabe Miku instead of Sayaka.  Oh well, next time!

Berryz Kobo:  This show was so much better to me than the Berikore show I saw last year.  My seats had something to do with it.  But give the girls credit, they were on fire that night and it was a super setlist.  And Maasa, oh baby!

Morning Musume:  All I can say is Reina's Birthday show...awesome!  I have to be honest, I have been getting a little bored with MoMusu as of late.  I'm not sure how that will manifest itself in the future.  But I am glad I got to see my favorite wonky-girl celebrate her birthday, and it was one last chance to see Koharu perform.  Plus I always have a great time when I am with Celestia!

In addition to concerts I got to visit some great places and eat some amazing food.  My visit to Tokyo Tower was amazing.  The view from up there is incredible, especially while listening to to soothing DJ stylings of AKB48's Umeda Ayaka.  I loved having manja dinner with my new friends in Ueno.  Odaiba was tons of fun, hopefully they will have more Yazawa collectibles at the Idoling!!! store when I return...

I always pack as lightly as possible because I know I am going to be bringing home a crapload of new merchandise.  This trip was no exception.  I was overwhelmed when I unpacked and arranged everything all over my bed...

DVDs
AKB48 Budokan Box Set
AKB48 Team K 4th Stage
AKB48 Team K 3rd Stage
Ohori Megumi Pre-AKB Gravure DVD
Erika Yazawa "Yazapai School" DVD

CDs
AKB48 Team A 5th Stage
AKB48 Team K 5th Stage
AKB48 Team B 4th Stage
AKB48 Team A 2nd Stage
AKB48 Team A 3rd Stage
AKB48 "River" Reg. Version
AKB48 "River" Theater Version (x2)
AKB48 "Iiwake Maybe" Theater Version
AKB48 "Namida Surprise" Theater Version
AKB48 "Sakura no Hanabiratachi" Original Version
Watarirouka Hashirtai "Ganpeki Guu no ne" Ltd Version A
Berryz Kobo "Ryuusei Boy" Ltd. Danna Sama-Version
Morning Musume "Kimagure Princess" Ltd. Closeup Vers.
Otsuka Ai "Sakuranbo" Ltd. Version
Idoling!!! "Kokuhaku" Ltd. Version

PBs
SKE48 Complete Book
Erika Yazawa "7ban Second Yazawa" (autographed)

Idol T-shirts
AKB48 NHK 2008 AKB-SKE
Idoling Yazawa #7
Berryz Kobo Fall 09 Tour "Maasa" (w/ Bandana)
Tanaka Reina 20th Birthday T-shirt (w/ wristband)

Misc.
AKB Infinity Playbill (x2)
AKB48 2010 Calendar (x2)
Ohori Megumi Biographical Book (Autographed w/ 2 personal pics)
Nissin Soup Mugs w/ AKB Autographs (x3, Tomochin, Tomo-mi, and Myao)
Ohori Megumi Ameba Pigg Uchiwa (2 versions)
Hatakeyama Chisaki Futsal Uchiwa (autographed)
Assorted Magazines and Newspapers Featuring AKB48

Then you have the pics.  This is dangerous territory for me.  I have never been much of a pic collector.  But I have found people have given me so many that I have started to develop a collection anyway.  Most of these were given to me as gifts, and many of them come with the DVDs and Calendars.  But I also found myself purchasing a few on my own...Oh no!!!

Pics
Iwasa Misaki x2
Tanabe Miku x2
Komori Mika x1
Ishida Haruka x1
Ohori Megumi x12 (1 autographed)
Infinity Cast A (2 pics)
Infinity Cast B (2 pics)
Akimoto Sayaka "Infinity"
Iwasa Misaki "Infinity"
Tanaka Reina (3 sets of 2)
Sudo Maasa (2 sets of 2)
Takahashi Ai (1 set of 2)
AKB October Team A (1 set of 5)
AKB October Team K (2 sets of 5)
AKB48 Budokan Set (5 pics)
AKB48 Calendar Set (6 pics)

Errr, that makes 62 pics in total.  No, I'm not a collector of pics.  Really I'm not.  You believe me, don't you?

Most of the AKB48 fans have always said to me that the handshake events are the best thing about AKB.  And now I think I see why.  What made this trip so extra-special was that I got closer to some of my favorite idols than ever before.  Most of you know my favorite idol in the world is AKB48's Ohori Megumi.  And to be able to "high-five" her three times.  And each time it was a warmer experience because she then knew who I was.  Seeing some of the AKB girls reaction to my being a fan, like Urano Kazumi, Iwasa Misaki and Nakaya Sayaka was awesome!  And the fact that Hatakeyama Chisaki was wondering why I wasn't at her promotional futsal event just made me even sorrier I couldn't attend.  I had never seen Chisaki before, and in just a few days she rocketed to the top of my idol pecking order.  That's how incredible she is!

At the end of the day I am just a happier person when I am in Japan.  I keep hearing the echoes of my friends "You are here often enough, why don't you just move here", "You should have an easy time finding work here".  Obviously it would be different if I lived there.  Life can't just be about seeing concerts and buying stuff.  But the fact is that I have been home for slightly more than 24 hours, and I am already counting the days until my return....Sigh

Pardon me while I go check the flight prices

CK in California

 

Earlier today I received some very exciting news from Anise & Cloves and this really involves one of J-Pops♥ most prestigious stars～☆！She debuted with such honors garnered through record breaking firsts in numerous sales and age categories~..and although I must shamefully (*´艸`) say that I've followed her music only through her early years from her debut with "Automatic" up till her third album (._.;)!....this is just such overwhelmingly exciting news for all Hawaii J-Pop♥ fans~! ＼(^o^)／☆ We truly haven't experienced an artist of this magnitude since Amuro♥Namie which seems so so long ago (;´□｀)！

From Anise & Cloves I've heard the early details that Utada's concert will be held on January 15th, 2010 at 8 pm at our very own Pipeline Cafe....(which has hosted past H!P events) furthermore tickets will go on sale this coming Saturday and are only and I say only $30! ＾　＾！I have a prior engagement at this time but I'm hoping to reshuffle something in my calendar to be able to attend too~.

I just returned to my hotel from my last evening in Japan.  Let me just say that my friend Hiro has been a true saint on this trip.  And even before that.  He has been instrumental in making sure I had a great time here.  He introduced me to so many other fans., showed me some of the post-show wota hangouts.  And all the while he has done a great deal to make sure Meetan knew I was her big California fan who had been sending her letters and gifts.  So I really wanted to take him out for a big night of dinner and drinks before I left Japan.  And then, just when I thought he could do no more to make my latest to Tokyo so awesome...

ZOMG!!!  An autographed Uchiwa from none other than Hatakeyama Chisaki, complete with sweat stains from her futsal match that night!  Accordine to Hiro, she even asked why I wasn't at her event.  Awwwwww?  I so wish I could have been there!  Chaki is so awesome!  If you ever get a chance to see SDN48 perform, you will know what I am talking about.

Okay, the big story for this post is obviously about Morning Musume.  I had the opportunity to attend the last show of the weekend at Nakano Sunplaza.  And it didn't dawn on me until I arrived that this was Reina's birthday show.  ZOMG x2, another birthday show?  And for my favorite member of H!P no less.  This was surely going to be great.  But before I get to that, i had another new experience in Japan.  One that I have been wanting to do every time I have come here.  And no, it isn't a visit to Kabukichō.  It was...

You may or may not know that back in the old days I used to be an employee of Disney.  Part of my family lives in Orange County, CA and I still have family members employed by the company.  So Disney holds a special place in my heart, even at my adult age.  I have been to Disneyland probably a hundred times in my life.  So I wanted to get a glimpse of a part of Disney that was unique to Japan.

The moment i passed through the gates and into the facility, I knew this place was special.  Wow!  What a beautiful park!  Once again the Christmas decorations were already up, adding even more beauty to the occasion.  I must have taken a hundred or so pictures of this place.  Oh, and just about every female in the place was wearing minnie Mouse ears.  I was dying, they were all so cute!

The rides...well, it is Disney.  They focus more on themes and detail rather than thrills.  And I felt myself getting very sentimental while I was there.  The Christmas music played a big part of it.  But I think a lot of it had to do with Disneyland being a big part of my youth.  Couple that with this being my last day in Tokyo and I am surprised I didn't break down and cry.

Anyhow, thanks for indulging me for that moment.  I just want to point out that there is never a shortage of great things to do in Tokyo.  Okay, let's get down to business!

Morning Musume "Nine Smile" Tour at Nakano Sunplaza...Tanaka Reina Birthday Special

After a full day of rest I headed over to Nakano.  I wanted to get there early because the Tokyo shows have a tendency to run out of merchandise, and I wanted to make sure i didn't get stonewalled like last Spring.  It turned out that all of Reina's tour shirts were sold out, as well as her 11/08/09 photo.  Drats!  But wait...There was a new shirt on the board, one that just came out for this weekend...

I have seen the birthday shirts before and always admired them.  And now I have one!  It is hard to believe that Reina is no longer a teenager.  It seems like yesterday when she was a spry thirteen year old cutting her teeth with MoMusu.  And look at her now, a gorgeous and sexy adult.  Also, great Engrish!  The front of the shirt says "This is my twentieth birthday and want to thank everybody!"

While I waited for Celestia I decided to take a walk around Nakano.  There is a new restaurant that opened in the mall across the street.  And for the grand opening these guys showed up...

I don't know about the Michael Jackson guy, but the Jack Sparrow was almost a dead ringer for Johnny Depp, albeit a little tall!  That said, nobody was better, or hawter for that matter than this girl...

ZOMG x3!!!  It is the famous Tanaka Reina cosplayer!!!  She is soooooo adorable.  Actually, when you get really close to her she looks less like Reina.  But from 20 feet away?  I could have sworn it was actually Reina!  That girl is so awesome!  The things I would do to spend a few minutes "quality time" with her!  But alas, on with the show...

I met Celestia, and we headed in to the venue.  This is the third time she and I have gotten together for a concert.  Hi Celestia!  It was awesome to see you again!  There were also a few people there from JPH!P and Hello! Online in attendance.  I got to meet Pete, who attended Eurowota 2009.  It was his first time in Japan seeing Morning Musume, so he was having a blast!  Our seats were in the 5th row, far left.  There were advantages and disadvantages to this.  Since the first two rows don't go to the sides we were actually in the third row.  And whenever one of the girls danced to the far side, they were practically on top of us.  that made it easier to get some one on one face-time with the girls.  And since we were right next to the speakers, it made the show sound even more intense and loud!  The disadvantage was that we watched much of the show in "semi-profile".  But we could see 90% of the stage and the video screen, so all was cool.

The show opened op with 3,2,1 Breakin' Out into How Do You Like This Japan? and wow! The show was already off to a breakneck pace.  The girls were wearing cowhide costumes, and Koharu and Gaki were immediately dancing over to our spot to rev us up.  At one point Risa looked directly at us and waved, but I think that was more at Celestia, who was decked out in Risa-green!.

After a rockin' VTR, it was time for the new single.  Kimagure Princess was alright, it was funny to watch them sing with the sped up voices, heheh!  What was more impressive were trhe jeans and chaps the girls were wearing.  And to make it even more fun, after the song the girls were talking about their outfits.  And in the process there was plenty of turning around and showing it off from the rear!  It was like "Look how cute my butt looks in these"  That was great!

I loved Nanchatte Renai live!  I think it may be my favorite single from this lineup.  After that there was plenty of playacting for Genki+, a song I had totally forgotten about and really like.  LinLin was near us for most of this song, and had a priceless look on her face the whole time.  I am honestly bored of Ame on Furanai, so thankfully they did an abridged version.  Sukiyaki is one of my favorite MM songs.  Risa and Koharu did a duet on it in similar costumes to those worn for GuruGuru Jump last spring.  I enjoyed it of course, but would have really loved if the entire group performed it.

The rest of the unit songs consisted of Eri/Aika on Haru Beautiful Everyday, which had the throngs of Eriwota in a frenzy.  Ai and Reina performed the High-King B-side, which was fine.  I enjoy any moment when Tanaka is onstage.  Finally Sayumi came out and solo'd the first part of Aruiteru.  I honestly don't care for that song, but for some reason I enjoyed it live.  Sayu's voice was cracking through some of it, so I guess it was a good idea to have the rest of the group come out and "save" her for the rest!  And poor Sayu!  Under the bright lights you could really see how bad her skin is getting. 

Celestia reminded me of how much she didn't like Aki Urara.  And Shouganai Yumeoibito I had seen before.  But I was really anticipating the Sakura/Otome Gumi set of Sakura Mankai and Yuujou ~Kokoro no Busu ni wa Naranee!~  Those were my two favorite songs from those shuffles.  And to me Yuujou was the best performance of the 2008 Winter show, the first live H!P concert I ever attended.  I loved that the audience had their pink fans for the Sakura Gumi song so they could play along with the girls.  And I thought it was even cooler that the Sakura Girls kept using the fans through the second song.  It was really hawt, and on my shortlist of favorite performances of the night. 

Dekai Ucchu ni Ai ga Aru never gets stale to me, and everyone had their "smileys" from the tour logo.  At the end they perfectly formed the happy face logo at the center of the stage, so cool!  The "Coupling Medley" was most of the recent B-sides.  And the best part had to be during Gaki's solo in Bonkyu Bonkyu Bomb Girl, where she changed a line to yell "Happy Birthday" at Reina, much to her shock!  By the way, when JunJun came over to our end of the stage I noticed her  legs are even more impressive than Aichan's.  I get so used to seeing skinny legs on idols (Hello Reina)  So I find it sexy when they have such muscles in their thighs and calves.

Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari was great, and might have been my favorite performance.  They did a new version of the song.  And while I had trouble understanding any of it it was still cool to watch the rest of the groups' antics on stage when one of them was soloing.  I also thought it was cool that the stage would turn the members' color when it was her turn.  The main set ended with two songs I am getting bored of, Naichao Kamo and the neverending Resonant Blue.  But now it was time for some real action...

The Reina encore chant commenced while the entire venue began to fill with blue light.  Since the Reina Birthday Committee handed me blue glowsticks and mine were beginning to dim, i freshened up!  It was quickly back to business as usual with Songs.  I was waiting to see if Reina would react to the sea of blue, but she took it in stride and kept focused on the song.  She of course thanked everyone during the closing MC's, and what would a MM show be without Love Machine?  Fun version, mainly becasue it closed the show...

Or did it?  The Reina encore chant resumed in full force.  Celestia gave me a quizzical glance, and I responded "Hey, the doors aren't open yet"  And after a couple of minutes out popped Reina.  Hell yes, double encore!

She did a five minute solo MC talking about turning 20.  I think deep down she is really sad that she technically isn't a lolli anymore.  She said something to the affect that she hopes her fans don't abandon her because she is getting older.  Awwww, Reina my dear that will NEVER happen as far as I am concerned!  She also kept saying she wanted to perform one more song for us, but sadly that didn't happen.  I guess they had nothing queued up in the DAT player!  She thanked everyone one last time and that was it.  I tried to get her attention as she went off stage right in front of me, but alas she didn't turn.

Celestia and I went out for a post show meal and reminisced about the show.  It is so cool that she gets to live here and see so many shows, while I have to fly across the globe to get there.  She laughed about that.  "Geez, you are here often enough, are you sure you don't live here?"  Hehe, maybe one day.  After dinner we headed back home, separating at Shinjuku Station where we head in different directions.  i always get a little sad when that happens.  Awww, hopefully I will see you again this Spring Celestia!  Heck, you know I'll be around!!!

This ends my reporting from Japan as my plane back to California is scheduled to leave this afternoon.  But as always I will do one more summary post when I get home.  It was another wonderful time spent here in Japan, one that I will never forget!

CK in Tokyo    

Today was all about connecting with the idols...

After an amazing Friday I had a HUGE Saturday planned.  I had a ticket to each of the performances of AKB48's Infinity at Theater G-Rosso.  After that I planned on heading to Akihabara to see SDN48's show one last time on the theater monitors.  Given the time parameters, there wouldn't be any time to rest.  So I would be spending over 8 hours at the Tokyo Dome complex, then straight to the Don Quijote.  I swear this trip is going to do me in!!!

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

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

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

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

I headed over to Tokyo Dome a bit early because I had never been there before and wanted to get a lay of the land.  The housekeeper was also clamoring to get into my hotel room and clean it.  When I arrived at Suidōbashi Station I was immediately bombarded with requests for donations by various organizations.  They must see American's as a bunch of "bleeding hearts" because they were literally running at me from every direction!  But I managed to escape into the complex.  So i walk in and it dawned on me...This is the home of the Yomiuri Giants, wow!!!  I am a big baseball fan, so this was a tremendous bonus.  The stadium is gorgeous, filled with restaurants, shops and attractions.  Many of them baseball themed.  The second this I noticed...

Why the hell are there hundreds of cosplayers hanging around?  Is this the Giants/Cosplay HQ?  They were everywhere!  Just standing around and taking pictures of one another.  I took refuge in the Baseball cafe for an overpriced sandwich and beer.

Theater G-Rosso is pretty neat!  They were playing the PV for "River" and the CM for Infinity on the wall.  i went in early because i saw they were selling the program with bonus pics outside.  I figured I would buy two programs so I could get pics for each cast.  There were 6 sets available, and only one of the Sayaka/Takamina sets were sold out.  So I picked the ones I wanted and went on my merry way.

Thirty minutes before showtime the doors opened, so I headed in to find my seat.  I was eighth row just right of center.  It was perfect because the stage is two-tiered and this had me at perfect eye level for the upper part of the set.  Finally it was showtime!

I am not going to do a full review of the story, but focus more on the girls performances.  You have to remember my Japanese comprehension is not very good.  So it was nice to read a full review and synopsis on Stage48 by Rui before I went.  It's actually a simple story...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tanamin and Nakayan as the maids were so adorable!!!  Those blonde wigs they were wearing with the maid cosplay was great!  I don't know where the following pic came from (it was given to me by Hina from no akb no life) but it is so cute!

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

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

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

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

So there ya go.  An exhausting day.  But one filled with idol love!  But as tiring as the day sounds (it was) I had an awesome time every step of the way.  I am taking a little rest this morning.  but in just a few hours I am off to Nakano to see Morning Musume.  I'm sure it will be great!

CK in Tokyo
    

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...

Yes, there is a Pizza-LA at Tokyo Tower.  And yes, they are playing a Promotional Video by Buono! on the restaurant screens.  So it gave me a warm feeling to see Momo, Airi and Miyabi while I mowed down a slice of Camembert pizza with a side of french fries.  Slice, soda and fries for 680 yen.  I must admit the first moment I saw the restaurant I thought "this will be great for the blog!"  So here is a pic of what a Pizza-la slice actually looks like.

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...

So I took that cool little tram from Shimbashi over to the island.  Like seeing the wizard's castle for the first time, there it was!  The Fuji TV building and home to Idoling!!!

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!

This is my review of SDN48 after seeing them three times this week.  I posted this at Stage48.net earlier today as well...

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