Henkka’s Neighborhood

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 before, but now I am sure 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 drawong 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!!!  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 a pic 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.  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 catholic 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 here 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.

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 was 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!

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 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
    

                                 Tracklist
                                  01.사랑할 줄은 몰랐어 (Creating Destiny OST)

(Click a la imagen para descargar)

                                              Tracklist
                                               01. 바람
                                               02. 그립고 그립고 그립다
                                               03. 반복일 뿐이야
                                               04. Hypnotism feat. Outsider
                                               05. 눈물 연못
                                               06. 사랑해 반대말
                                               07. 끊었던 담배
                                               08. 필름이 끊겼다
                                               09. 이별 몰랐던 날
                                               10. 초콜릿 (Project: Color Chocolate) with MARIO
                                               11. My Last Love
                                               12. 사랑 후유증
                                               13. 다시 사랑하면 안되니
                                               14. 사랑한단 말을 못해서 (Soul Special OST)
                                               15. 나무
                                               16. 소원 (Great King Sejong OST)
                                               17. 내 가슴이 운다
                                               18. 그립고 그립고 그립다 (Instr.

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

 

Está fue la semana AKB48 de plano, jajajaja, bueno espero que les gusten todos los Photobook’s que he ido subiendo, en esta ocasión les dejo en descarga el PB de "Kashiwagi Yuki"

Kashiwagi Yuki "Ijou, Kashiwagi Yuki Deshitatsu"1st Photobook/柏木由紀ファースト写真集 Download      
                             Nombre    :  柏木由紀ファースト写真集「以上、柏木由紀でしたっ
                            Contenido:  78 paginas
                            Credito:by bambu /RaySource