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Your SKE48 Experiences

Discussion in 'General SKE48 Discussion' started by ithebigc, Jan 1, 2014.

  1. sophcaro

    sophcaro Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2015
    Location:
    FRANCE
    Oshimen:
    matsuijurina
    [​IMG]

    I realized I never posted here my HS report when I went to Japan back in last April.
    It was my first time in Japan, so it was obviously quite a big deal for me.

    I went to the HS in Nagoya on April 7 2018 at the Nagoya Dome with Tuhis.

    I have to say that I felt it was really well organized and the fact that you could seat while waiting was really appreciated. For the tickets, you also didn't need to go to any information booth, you just needed to go to the line, where the staff would check your passport/tickets and that's it. The lines also moved really, really fast, which was appreciated.

    I had 24 tickets in total: 15 tickets for Jurina, 3 for Nao, 3 for Churi and 3 Rara.

    I will mostly report about my experience with Jurina, as she happens to be my oshi so it was the most memorable moment for me.
    As I arrived on the previous day, I was honestly quite tired and still jetlag, but Jurina's cheerfulness was communicative!
    She was really nice, smiling and really good with me, even though she couldn't speak French (the only word she randomly threw at me was 'pain' (with means bread), when I told her I came from France lol).

    Her English was not that good either tbh (she only threw some 'I love you' once or twice), but thankfully I had prepared some stuff/questions in advance to say. Amongst the trivial stuff (where I come from, it's my first time in Japan, she's my oshi, the usual stuff, right?) here are a few interesting exchanges we had together:


    Me: What is Jurina-san favorite SKE songs?

    Jurina: Eh, my favorite? (Thinks a lot) Aozora Kataomoi… and Glory Days!

    Me: I like Kataomoi Finally! (To be honest, I didn’t really know which one to pick as I love many, many SKE songs, but for some reason that song was the first that came to mind)

    Jurina: Kataomoi Finally! Kakkoi song!!

    Me: What is Jurina-san favorite character? Center, Nobunaga or Hollywood?

    Jurina: (again, thinks for a while) Cabakura!

    Me: Eh? (I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting that answer lol) Mine is Nobunaga! (I like Center a lot too, but I also have a soft spot for Nobunaga’s coolness)

    Jurina: Nobunaga is kakkoi!! (Yes, it seemed her favorite word today lol)

    For the next question (it was my only mention/question about Rena during the whole HS), I heard so many negative/contradicting things since Rena's grad when it comes to their relationship, that I felt there was nothing better than going directly to the source to know the truth.

    Me: Is Jurina-san still in contact with Rena-san?

    Jurina: Yes, I love her! (Answering happily)

    Me: Oh, you do? (Surprised) On Line?

    Her: Messages! We send each other messages!

    And that’s it for the most interesting parts with Jurina.

    For Rara, Churi and Nao, I honestly had not really prepared any questions (and I only had 3 tickets anyway), so I went with the basic stuff. All three girls were really adorable, and Nao granted with me with her fanservice towards female fans by caressing my cheek randomly lol.

    Overall, even though it was a long day (I was there from 11am until 6Pm and awfully jetlag LOL), it was really a great experience and it was nice to finally be able to meet those girls face to face.
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2018
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  2. jaylitt

    jaylitt Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2015
    Location:
    Aichi
    Oshimen:
    sugawaramaya
    Twitter:
    nickjaylitt
    I went to the handshake event on July 15 in Osaka. (SSK single)
    27106.jpg
    I had been to Intex Osaka two years ago and this was my first time at Kyocera Dome.
    As far as handshakes go I’m really mixed about baseball stadiums. You can sit down but they feel so cramped when you have all the 48 groups present. I’ve never had too much of a problem at Nagoya Dome even when it was crowded, but it felt like there wasn’t enough space or seats at Kyocera Dome. It was hellishly hot but Kyocera Dome felt pretty cool for most of the day. In comparison Nagoya Dome always feels like a furnace.

    I went by bus and I arrived hours in advance in case there was any traffic. I had only bought tickets for Maya but I had four hours to wait until her slots opened so I decided to oshimashi six of my tickets.

    Takagi Yumana x 5
    DiJgDc3UcAABlBq.jpg
    I’ve been a fan of Yumana’s for a good four years now but I’ve never been to a handshake. I introduced myself and told her that I’ve been watching her for years and that I wish her the best and that there are a lot of people like me who don’t come to her lane for whatever reason but are cheering her on. I told her not to give up and the usual stuff. She asked me who my oshimen was and I told her it was Maya, and she looked confused so I told her I followed KII since my previous oshi was Churi. She laughed a lot and called me an oshihenner and thanked me for my words. Maybe five tickets was a bit overkill but I said what I wanted and she’s exactly as I expected (and incredibly beautiful).

    I'd like to go see her again since we have a lot of hobbies in common.

    Nomura Miyo x 1
    DiIZ2NmU0AASdwp.jpg
    I never have much to tell Miyo since I don’t follow her social media much so I always get a single ticket or so per event. She never fails to *impress as she’s a very sharp and good talker. She was wearing her glasses so I told her they look good on her and I saw her Showroom where she was wearing them recently. She then compared my arm with her own, saying I’m so white and she’s jealous. I feel like she tells me this every time I see her, except this time she noticed that my arm is long (I have no idea why but I’ve heard this from Maya too – I have long limbs in proportion to my body I guess). I had a bit of a blank expression and she giggled a lot and she called me handsome (who are you kidding) and asked me to come again.

    As you can see you can get a lot done with a single ticket when you go to see Miyo.

    Sugawara Maya x 61
    DiJn5AdVAAArdLF.jpg
    There were three blocks so I’ll divide them. As always this is a bit long and I wrote a little rant too.

    You can only use three tickets in the first thirty minutes of a block, so I used three tickets to say hello. I told her to bear with me today since I didn’t have much prepared to talk about. She told me that she can talk to me for a long time and it’s no problem and she asked me how many tickets I have and she flipped out when she heard. She thanked me a lot for my votes. Like Miyo she had to mention how white I am.

    I spent some time thinking about topics before going back in, however I got in too late and right as I was about to enter I got cut off by a staff person. We had gone over the allocated time and the next block began right after, so he gave all of us these redo forms to give in at this other area where they would redo our tickets or something. I tried asking him some questions but he didn’t know anything and just told me to go there. Of course I could have read the paper I was handed which clearly indicated that I should go to the desk in 30 minutes but I was just furious and foaming at the mouth. All my animalistic brain could think was to go over to that desk and just get this over with ASAP. I went over and lined up another twenty minutes only for the person to tell me the next block’s “stuff” hadn’t arrived yet so he asked me to line up again.

    At this point I had been lining up for a good hour straight and had nothing to show for it so the red mist really started to descend. I started arguing with him and told him there was no way I could line up again at this line since there were far too many people and the same thing would happen again, where I wouldn’t be able to use my tickets by the time I got the makeup ones. He started giving me a bunch of alternative dates to use my tickets on and I told him to stop and just give me tickets for the next block as I had asked since the beginning. He again told me there was a “problem” but he wouldn’t specify it and honestly I was getting a bit fed up because I needed to meet my idol right NOW.

    I could see the lightbulb going on in his head as his highly rigid and disciplined German Idealist mode of thought analyzed my barbaric way of thinking. He knew there was absolutely no way our two modes of thinking could ever be reconciled and he decided to invoke the Holy Rule of Japanese Bureaucracy and call his boss to ask him what to do. At this point the other Maya fans and I were beating our chests like apes and we were ready to jump over the counter and take our tickets with our own hands.

    “Ah the tickets have arrived” he exclaimed as no tickets arrived and he simply wrote over my pre-existing tickets and apologized profusely as the accumulated sweat on his brow gushed onto my tickets, soiling them.

    By the time we had achieved victory the lanes were accepting 3+ tickets so I scurried over there since I didn’t want to experience that again. I got to bond with the other fans who were in the same circumstance and we talked together for a bit. Honestly it felt a bit like surviving a terrible disaster, you build bonds with the other survivors as you exchange stories and try to find a way forward.

    Although the line looked short it took me a good forty minutes. Since I was combining the tickets of two blocks I had 40+ tickets which meant I was about to talk to Maya for a bit over seven minutes.

    We started off by talking about me since I never really introduced myself to her before. I had to retell the whole oshihen story again, which she was happy to hear. We talked about the past and the future (personal stuff).

    She asked me how many languages I speak and I taught her a general greeting in French (salut) which she asked me to use every time I see her. (I forgot to use it after) She asked me where I lived and it turns out she knew quite a lot about the city even if it’s in Aichi. She told me to eat a dish that’s famous here so I guess I will have to.

    She asked me what I miss about Canada and I told her I miss my cats and she told me she doesn’t like cats since they scared her as a little girl. She doesn’t want any pets but if she had to pick an animal she likes it’d be a bulldog, since they are so ugly they’re cute.

    The conversation went on and she talked to me about Miyagi and other things and it was time to go.

    Unfortunately my friends entered later. They have a bad habit of talking about their exotic gaijin friend when they’re out of ideas and I think this rubbed off on Maya, as this time she decided to praise me and talk about me to them so they were understandably a bit pissed. They started to insult me and tell Maya that I’m all sorts of bad things and my Japanese is crap but she defended me from the bullies like the angel she is.

    At the end I talked to her about how there weren’t that many events in August and I’d probably see her in September. We talked about upcoming events and her hopes for them. She asked me what event I want to see the most and I said I’d like to see her live recording of the niconico show. I didn’t know that the next recording will be in the SKE theatre so told me to come. She then took my arm and compared skin tones and said I’m like Egochan. She asked me what my secret was and how I don’t get darker and I told her I just get red for a few days. I decided to lay down the wisdom and tell her that we always want something we don’t have/can’t have and that in many Western countries people want darker skin. This blew her mind. Unfortunately I let slip that I went to Miyo’s lane that day and Miyo told me the same thing and I had to tell her that I only go once in a while and with friends only. I swear!

    I had a lot of fun and it was a totally different experience as five tickets were the most I’ve ever used in one go before. You lose all notion of time and can just talk freely. I was honestly worried that I’d reach a “limit” with my Japanese but everything went perfectly fine. The real highlight was getting a front seat for Maya’s expressions. I’m so easily amused by her little mannerisms and reactions.

    Of course it was an absolute blast to talk with my fellow fans, including some new people I met while lining up. People were really friendly and there was a good mood that day. The Maya fan group has some really cool stuff planned (as always) so I'm looking forward to see how things will turn out.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
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  3. Tuhis

    Tuhis Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2008
    Oshimen:
    Furuhata Nao
    Not having a proper keyboard I won’t go into details but I am now a member of the elite club of ”People felt up by a top Nao-chan.” It feels good.
     
  4. Tuhis

    Tuhis Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2008
    Oshimen:
    Furuhata Nao
    OK, after finally getting access to proper keyboard I can write down some highlights. They are a bit one-sided since I had only bought tickets for Nao-chan but let's not allow it to stop us. Some of these events are from several weeks ago so I don't remember all the details.

    July 15, Teacher Teacher HS event at Kyocera Dome

    I was crazy jetlagged, and also I had woken up way too early that day since my flights were to Tokyo and I had to make it to 6:26 Hikari to Shin-Osaka. Met @Sakuraism and had some lunch. Anyway felt mostly like shit but I wasn't going to let it stop me since I was going to meet the best member.

    Background: After looking at Nao-chan's sousenkyo poster and its text I got an idea. Thanks to @Riina providing advance information I had learned that Japanese fans had not gone that far, I ordered a red leather collar from Amazon, and attached some Nao-chan goods on it. In the end I wore it to 4 HS events around Japan and saw zero others. I did hear some "Ii ne"s in the queues or at the site when people thought I wasn't looking or listening.

    Slot 3:
    It needs to be said that either I am memorable person or Nao has an excellent memory for faces, because I had not been at her HS events after early April and she greeted me instantly with a happy "Osashiburi!!" Of course there was the required "Sousenkyo omedetou"s etc and yes, she did notice what I had around my neck. After looking closer the comment was "Honmono da! :O" MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

    Slot 4:
    Since I had booked tickets to Port Messe HS for the following day, of course I had to tell Nao-chan in advance. I didn't tell it to her straight, but with a little bit of angle. "Tomorrow, I'll go the idol group SKE48's handshake event to meet the most lovely member!" Nao-chan replied simply with "Daree~?" in a tone that turned me into pink blob of happiness on the spot. Of course it was her! :D

    After which I had only a single ticket left which was for slot 6 but at that point I was so tired and weary I wasn't able to wait a couple of hours. I was thinking of oshimashi but Komi's line was too long so I got off and got back to Tokyo.

    July 16, Ikinari Punchline HS event at Port Messe
    Once again, an early wake-up and morning shinkansen. Got to Nagoya in time for Slot 1 and was considerably less tired but not perfect either.

    Slot 1:
    After last speaking to Nao-chan, I had learned that I had won tickets to the kanshasai concerts. So naturally first thing to discuss was kanshasai and how I had won tickets to best member's oshi seats and Nao-chan was super happy with high fives "Yattayatta!!"s.

    Slot 2:
    I had gone to the merch sales area and bought a new Ikinari Punchline ticket holder and fashioned it as a leash to the collar. I then proceeded to tell Nao-chan it is to be yanked in times of bad behavior. She told me it would probably be painful, and I told that's why that is Nao-chan's special privilege. (By this time, dear reader, it should be obvious that contrary my normal self I am quite M when it comes to Nao.)

    Slot 3:
    I asked her about Janken Taikai, and whether she'll go with Okapars again, or sexy solo idol Furuhata Nao. At that point it was a still a secret but now we know how it turned out. We talked about my schedule since she liked that I was first in Osaka, next day in Nagoya to chat with her, go spend a couple of days at Okinawa and then come to chat with her again at Makuhari Messe HS events next weekend.


    July 21-22, Teacher Teacher HS events at Makuhari Messe

    July 21/Slot 1: Nao-chan asked about my trip to Okinawa, what I was doing and so on. Also, I mentioned my birthday was coming up and the present I want most is Alface mini-album. (If I understood correctly it'll be out in the winter.) Also I mentioned I want to see KII perform in the theater but always lose. She did encourage me to keep applying.

    July 21/Slot 2: Among other things I mentioned I had studied some Japanese to be able to chat with her. (Which is btw true.) It sparked a good reaction and she complimented me on my Japanese. (Note: I speak very little and the moment a more complicated or faster sentence comes up, I'm screwed.

    July 21/Slot 3: The heat was getting to me and I had only a little bit thought in advance so with great regret I have to admit I blanked out after some small things. After which I cursed not planning in advance and left.

    July 22/Slot 1:
    There was one important thing I had saved, and as it was my last HS event with Nao-chan for this trip it was time. I thanked her for all the motivation I've received from her. After a little bit more examples about the motivation she proceeded to feel me up by poking.

    July 22/Slot 2:
    There was something I had wondered for a while, which was whether Nao-chan disliked neoki dokkiris, so I thought might as well straight up ask. After the Matsui Rena dokkiri in Hawaii she had always had always avoided neoki dokkiris, for example Zeroposi. She did not give a straight answer whether she disliked them or not, but told a bit of background story for the Hawaii and Zeroposi ones.

    July 22/Slot 3:
    Discussion about how that was the last chance to talk with her. Also discussion about kanshasai concerts and how I'd be the one cheering the loudest.

    August 2, Senbatsu Sousenkyo Kanshasai at Yokohama Arena
    Now, I had Nao-chan oshi seat which was almost as far away as possible from the stage but at least I was among Nao-chan fans. I won't go into detail about the concert, only that I liked it and cursed myself for being stingy and not dropping money to get stabilized 10x binoculars since 8x won't cut at those distances. However, my seat was perfect for the part fans get to whip out smartphones and take pics, since my seat was right by the stairs and nobody between me and the passage.

    Except, what turned out is that once that part of the concert came, Nao-chan went down the stairs and back up again with her back towards me. To be honest this made me curse my luck in a major way.
    Then it was omiokuri time. I saw how the exit gates had been arranged, which was in an idiotic fashion since Nao-chan's gate was second most farthest from the corridor her fans exited. So I proceeded to power through a massive crowd and was likely the first of her fans to reach her gate, since there was nobody there before me. The moment Nao-chan saw me, I got a super happy "Aah! I saw you among the fans earlier!!" And I can say with honesty that I went from cursing my luck to super happy at such light speed, that to this day I have no clue whatsoever what I replied, if anything at all. :D

    After which my SKE events for this trip were over and all I could think was "I want more."
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2018
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  5. Cristafari

    Cristafari Stage48 Admin Staff Member Stage48 Admin

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2008
    Location:
    Saitama, Japan
    Oshimen:
    Iwasa Misaki
    Twitter:
    Cristafari
    Team E 'SKE Festival' Stage Live at the SKE48 Theater (2018/08/20)

    ske2.jpg

    I don't often apply for SKE48 Theater shows, although I would love to go more often. For one, it requires a Shinkansen (or overnight bus) ride to Nagoya, and I can only go on the weekend or when I am on vacation. Moreover, I am only really interested in going when either Kaotan or Tani are in the cast. Well, two Team E shows with Tani were scheduled for Monday, and I was on holiday, so I pulled the trigger and applied. Frankly, I never get my hopes up when I apply for SKE shows since I have only ever won twice, the first time in 2011, and the second time a year ago April. Suffice it to say it was a big and pleasant surprise to get the winning email for Monday's matinee...

    This would be my 46th Theater show, and my third time seeing a show at the SKE48 Theater. Previously I had seen Team S and Team KII, so now I had seen each team once. Moreover, this would be my first time ever seeing Tani performing live at any theater. Twice I watched her perform on the monitors at Hawks Town Mall in Fukuoka, and could even hear her yelling during High Wave as I stood just outside the theater doors, but that was as close as I had ever been. I have mentioned to Marika on more than one occasion that I really wanted to see her in the theater, so I was so happy to finally be getting the chance.

    I considered taking the overnight bus, which would have lessened the cost of my travel to Nagoya. However, I had such a long day Sunday that by the time I came home I was exhausted, and didn't feel like turning right back around and heading to Ikebukuro to catch a bus. Not to mention all of my electronics needed to be charged. I ended up oversleeping on Monday and left my apartment much later than planned, although I still got to Nagoya with plenty of time to spare. I went straight to Sakae, purchased my ticket, and looked for somewhere to grab a quick lunch. By the way, the are opening up a McDonalds right next to the theater on the second floor. It doesn't open until next week, but it will be interesting to see what kind of promotions they might team up for. Anyway...

    ske5.jpg

    After storing my backpack, I found my queue spot. I will spare you the play-by-play of the lottery call. I had ticket #106, and they post a board of the draw in order that fans can photograph after the show...

    ske3.jpg

    Ugggghhh, we drew in 21st out of 23. The bummer is that the SKE Theater has a lot of seats, and you can probably score a seat as long as you draw in the first 18 groups. Instead I went for the left side standing area, and would have gotten a decent viewing spot, but some jerk pushed past me and took the spot I was going for. It was really a dick move on his part, and I wanted to call him out on it, but I decided to not cause trouble in the theater. In the meantime people were crowding into the standing area, and I was getting pushed around a little bit. At first I was like "Oh well, these are the perils of the standing area," until I realized what the guy to my right was doing. He was slowly trying to move me out of my spot and push in front of me. I had already been pushed almost a foot to the left before finally having enough. I used my elbow and shoulder to push him back, and reclaimed my spot. After that every time I felt him trying to move back to the left I would lift my right elbow to "subtly" remind him that I wasn't letting him get away with it, LOL.

    The Show

    ske7.jpg
    Tani

    This is one of the stages that I have wanted to see for a while. I am a big fan of Team Surprise 1st Stage, so I was excited to see some of those songs performed live. This stage has all my favorite Team Surprise Songs, with the exception of Suiyoubi no Alice. Plus, it has Team Z's Koi no Onawa, another favorite. I don't remember if I noticed this when I saw Team KII last year, but unlike at the AKB48 Theater, the fans do not do the "Tiger, Fire..." chant during the overture. As the curtain opened I was committed to focusing and cheering for Marika the entire show. Despite being in the rear of the theater, hopefully she would notice me. In fact a few times it did seem like she was looking at me during the show, but at that distance I can't be sure. Nevertheless, I screamed her name as much as I could, directing my voice into the ear of the guy who pushed past me, my small dose of revenge. I also 'accidentally' smacked him with my lightstick once. (Hehe) When I wasn't cheering for Tani, I was cheering for Sato Kaho.

    ske9.jpg
    Kaho

    The Members

    It wasn't until I won this show that I realized I don't know very many of the Team E members. Out of Team E I have met Tani, Sato Kaho, Saito Makiko, Takahata Yuki, and Nishi Marina. (I have also met Rara and Dasu, but they weren't there.) Technically I have also met Ida Reona and Sugawara Maya, but I don't really know them. The one member who really stands out is Shirayuki Kohaku with her long blonde hair. I honestly think that is a really nice look for her. Kurashima Ami also stands out since she's so tiny. The member who unexpectedly caught my eye the most during the show (aside from Shirayuki) was probably Suenaga Oka. It helped that there were a lot of her fans in my immediate vicinity.

    ske8.jpg
    Shirayuki

    The Setlist

    I was pleasantly surprised when the second song started, as Kimi ga Omotteru Yori is also part of the AKB48 Idol Chugyou Chu! stage which I have seen multiple times. For the most part I liked all the units, which is often the most interesting part of any show. Kimi no c/w was cute, and the members synced their dancing very well. My favorite unit was probably Namida ni Shizumu Taiyou, mainly because Kahochan looks incredibly sexy in that gold dress. I'm pretty sure this was the first time I had ever heard Hungry Lion. Cute song. "1994" isn't among my favorite TS songs, but I do think Tani fits it quite well. As for Oteage Lullaby, I was trying to figure out if Makiko was singing live. For one, she sounded a lot like Takamina, and 2) she was moving demonstratively but her voice seemed unaffected. I would get the definitive answer to my question during the encore when she actually did sing live. This was pre-recorded. In fact, I am not completely convinced it wasn't Takamina's voice, LOL.

    The main set ends with two songs I like, Heart no Vector, and my #1 favorite Team Surprise song, Kinmokusei. It is such a beautiful ballad, and I love the music video for it. That said, I don't think the song works quite as well with a full group. I would instead prefer to see this song done as a 3-person unit, but I am glad I got to see it. We were treated to an extra-long encore, beginning with Koi no Onawa, which I thought was the best performance of the show. Great dance choreography and a lot of fun. The reason the encore was so long was because they threw in two songs from SKE's current single, Ikinari Punch Line and Kimi wa Ramune the Team E unit song. 'Ramune' is alright, not one of my favorites. BTW, this is where I heard Saito Makiko's live singing voice as she took Jurina's part in 'Punch Line', and sounded completely different from her solo unit. There was also a costume change break where one of the kenkyuusei came out and warmed up the crowd. I'm not 100% sure, but I think it was Negai Fukai. She also participated in the 'High Wave' at the end...

    High Wave

    ske6.jpg

    Dasu was in the evening show group pic, but wasn't at the matinee performance.

    They took quite a while to set up for the final goodbye, and offered to let people leave early who didn't care to participate. Around a half-dozen fans left. In the meantime I scouted where the members I like were seated. Pretty much all of them were crowded in the middle. Instead of waving I decided to hold up the "Team E" hand sign as I walked by, which got a fairly uniform reaction. Girls were yelling "E!" at me. That included Tani, who I thought would be slightly more animated by my presence. She basically said "Yeah E!" and that was it. I got more personable reactions from Makiko and Kaho, as well as a few members I don't remember. And with that I left the theater, grabbed my bag and jumped on to the next train back to Nagoya Station.

    So I can finally cross this stage off of my list of Setlists I really want to see live. Frankly, I still say they should let some of the teams perform the Team Surprise Setlists in full as a nice change of pace. As for Tani, I have two tickets to see her at the SKE handshake event this weekend at Makuhari Messe. I plan on bringing up the show. Perhaps I will get a more personal comment one on one. Oh, and check out this amazing shot of Mt. Fuji I got on the way back to Tokyo. The clouds have wrapped around the top almost like a halo. It's an amazing looking shot!

    ske4.jpg
     
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  6. Cristafari

    Cristafari Stage48 Admin Staff Member Stage48 Admin

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2008
    Location:
    Saitama, Japan
    Oshimen:
    Iwasa Misaki
    Twitter:
    Cristafari
    SKE48 Ikinari Punch Line Individual Handshake Event at Makuhari Messe (2018/08/25)

    I originally did not intend to go to this event, as I initially only purchased tickets for October. But when I knew I would be in town I decided to purchase a few last-minute tickets. What I had forgotten was that the event fell on the same day as former SDN48 member Hatakeyama Chisaki's final performance before she went on a maternity hiatus. I have not seen Chaki perform in quite a while, and I really wanted to see this event as well. But I couldn't do both, and I already bought these tickets, so it was decided. Sorry Chaki.

    To further complicate matters, I came down with a case of the flu late Thursday evening, which kicked in even harder on Friday. I wasn't even sure if I would be healthy enough to do anything on Saturday. When I woke up in the morning I didn't feel any flu symptoms anymore, but my body felt considerably weak from fighting the virus. To be honest, I didn't feel totally up to taking the long ride out to Makuhari, but I only had five tickets in a two-hour window, so I thought I could handle that. I left for the venue in the early afternoon, plenty of time to make my first ticket at 2pm. I got my first surprise of the day when I arrived at the station...

    ske11.jpg

    BLACK PINK IN THE AREA

    Everywhere I looked I saw Black Pink gear. Shirts, Oshi towels, pins, hats. It seems like it has become something of a tradition, but whenever SKE does an event at Makuhari, there is usually a K-Pop or other foreign group also performing there. Got7, Ariana Grande, and now Black Pink. Instead of going straight to the SKE event, I sidetracked over to the other hall to check out Black Pink's goods. Ultimately I didn't see anything I was willing to plunk down 3000 yen for. Eventually I backtracked to Halls 10-11 for SKE.

    Lunch Slot

    Tani Marika (Lane 16) I really wanted to see Marika today because I saw her perform in Nagoya on Monday, and wanted to give her some of my thoughts about the show. Plus, she has been slightly salty with me lately. I wanted to see if I could break that cycle. I entered her booth flashing my Team E hand sign, and she said "Team E, Yeah!" I told her that I had a lot of fun, and despite having a bad seat, I cheered for Tani the entire time. She pretty much nodded and gave me a thumbs up, and I was on my way.

    Matsumura Kaori (Lane 11) Kaotan's line was longer than Tani's. In the meantime I took my Tani ticket necklance off while I snaked the line. I noticed people were wearing a ticket necklace I had not seen before. It was then it dawned on me that this was the first Tokyo event for Ikinari Punch Line, so there would be new goods. As I got closer to the front I noticed Kaotan had on the same top as Marika, a green "Kagawa" jersey. However, I merely told Kaotan it was a cute outfit, and then reported on my trip to Nagoya. When I told her I won a show she was like "But not Team KII!" She then lightly slapped my hand and told me I am supposed to come for her team. I told her next time as I got pushed out.

    ske15.jpg

    While I waited for the next slot I purchased a new Kaotan ticket holder necklace, and then watched one of the members playing badminton with fans. Later I ran in my friend Will. We were chatting over by Tani's lane when a fan noticed I was wearing Tani's necklace. I ended up talking to him for a few minutes as he as interested in how I came to like Marika. Later we queued up together, and this was around the time Yuasa came out and made his announcement about the SKE48 Request Hour. He also made an announcement about Jurina, although I didn't catch it. It seemed like he was basically thanking everyone for their concern. The funny part was that all the members were crowded behind the lanes near where Yuasa was talking, which is right were I was. I noticed a lot of the members were looking at me, LOL.

    Slot 3

    Tani Marika (Lane 16) So one more shot with Tani. Would I talk about my favorite songs in the stage? Perhaps her unit? Although the name of that song is quite a mouthful. I had mentioned the Jersey both she and Kaotan had on, so I asked Tani if it had anything to do with Summer Koshien. She said it did, but somehow I doubt her answer. Was it an AKB49 thing? I don't know. Anyway, I also told her that I was impressed by her dancing in the show, and again I got the similar thumbs up affirmative reaction. I don't know, Tani just seems a lot more aloof lately. I don't know if it's just me, or her demeanor in general.

    Hidaka Yuzuki (Lane 13) I only ever get tickets for Yuzuki when it is an SKE exclusive event. So I never really get into a good rhythm with her, instead always starting the conversation with the obligatory "hisashiburi" Anyway, like with Kaotan I told her I had been to Nagoya earlier in the week and saw a Team E show. And...like with Kaotan she scolded me for not winning a Team KII show. (Like it's sooooo easy, right?) I promised her next time I would be sure to come for KII. I have a 50/50 chance since I only ever apply for KII and E anyway. While she was still talking to me the guard tried to push me out quite hard, but she was still saying something. So I planted my feet and wouldn't budge until she finished what she was saying.

    I had an hour until my last ticket, so I decided to head back over to the main halls to people watch. K-pop has some of the cutest fans. Usually with the boy bands, but even the girl groups bring out some insanely pretty girls. I also grabbed something to drink since it was exceptionally hot and humid today. Oh, and they again had the booth where girls could try on the official outfits. Here were to two outfits they had on display outside, from the 20th and 23rd singles...

    ske12.jpg ske14.jpg

    Slot 4

    Matsumura Kaori (Lane 11) One last visit with Kaotan. This time I was wearing my new Ticket Holder, LOL. So I was telling her that after the show I was looking for good tebasaki in Nagoya, but didn't know which restaurant was best. She initially suggested Furaibo, which I had heard of and considered going to. However I told her I hadn't ever been there. She then suggested Yamachan, which I have been to and really like. She then asked why I didn't go for some unagi, and somehow got the impression I don't like unagi. I told her this wasn't the case, but I was in the mood for tebasaki. In the meantime the guards had called time ages ago, but weren't even trying to push me out. So she confirmed that I like Yamachan, and I then told her I also like Akakara (another Nagoya-based izakaya chain) And she was like "Yeah, you can get both of those in Tokyo!" So I guess next time I will go to Furaibo. I actually passed one near Nagoya Station, but ultimately didn't go in.

    And with that I caught the JR Keiyo Line back to Tokyo. I was reading my book, and at the next stop an old friend of mine got on the train. Talk about a coincidence! My friend Suzuka actually used to occasionally work the 48-group handshake events as a check-in guard. Suzuka-chan saw me sitting there and was like "Huhhh...Why????" She was like totally in shock. What are the odds you would run into to someone you know on this train in the middle of Chiba? Anyway, we chatted the whole way back to Central Tokyo, a nice end to an interesting day. And, my flu-like symptoms and general lack of strength and energy seem to be all better. Yatta!

    EDIT: And it turned out the jerseys did have something to do with an amateur baseball team...

    ske17.jpg ske16.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2018
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  7. hermionepj1

    hermionepj1 Member

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    that's a nice ticket holder, is it like that for all the members or only senbatsu?
    and what's up with Tani?
     
  8. David61

    David61 Under Girls Stage48 Donor

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    I found Tani to be a little salty when I met her back in May at a 2-shot, she was definitely not as cheerful as when I last met her 2 years ago. Also what's with the thumbs-up? That's how she posed in the photo even though I selected the peace sign. (wishing now that I'd had a ticket for Kaotan instead...)
     
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  9. Nory

    Nory Member

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    I think the last 2 years weren't so good for Tani. From what I remember she was planning to graduate 3-4 years ago but kept on when she ranked 23rd in ssk. after that she kept getting lower ranks so idk, my guess is that she's thinking about graduating.
     
  10. Cristafari

    Cristafari Stage48 Admin Staff Member Stage48 Admin

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    All the members have them.

    And yeah, I suspect that Tani is sorta mentally checking out. Not in senbatsu, declining ranking, shorter handshake line, less opportunity to showcase her personality. Sometimes I want to blame myself for not bringing enough to the handshake. At the same time, it's a two-way street. Sometimes it is up to the idol to provide a good handshake experience too. At the end of the day I am starting to re-think the amount of tickets I get for her. If it isn't fun to go see her then what's the point? Although I would feel badly abandoning her since I still like her.
     
  11. jaylitt

    jaylitt Kenkyuusei

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    I'm not doubting any of this stuff about Tani but I'd like to paint a happier picture based off my own experiences.

    I haven't been to her handshakes since I went two years ago, but I've been next to her lane a lot, so I get to look at her interactions. She has some very fun interactions with people and is plenty energetic. I see a lot of people leaving her lane with a big smile, so she must be doing something right. Of course I'm sure she has some off days, but during the time I've seen her she's been quite genki.

    Judging from her social media she tends to have some bad days, but I've noticed that for years now. She gets emotional and tired. I often wonder how long she'll continue, as she's among those who I wouldn't be surprised to hear a graduation from whenever I go to the theatre. However she's still funny during the MCs and she greets me and other fans in a loud voice during the bye-byes. So that's a "thumbs up" from me.

    I agree with you on both counts. The money you put in can be quite substantial so you want something out of it, but it still feels crummy to ditch them. I told myself I never want to be doing something where neither I nor the idol is having fun. I don't want to end up like some people who only support a girl because it's their tradition while they're numb to it and bored. As a result some fan groups feel lethargic and uncreative while others remain fresh, which makes it fun for everyone involved. (I guess this is how I justify my oshihen)
     
  12. Tuhis

    Tuhis Member

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    Furuhata Nao
    Since money is involved, you can look at it as good or bad customer service, and as always bad experience leaves an impression. I've done a HS with certain members who managed to instantly make sure I'll never buy a ticket to them or spend an event ticket at their lane. (Nothing offensive, they just made it feel like it did not matter whether I was there or not.)

    On the other hand, I have zero problem spending money on 50 HS tickets for Nao-chan because she makes it feel like "I am genuinely happy that YOU of all people came to meet me today!"
     
  13. David61

    David61 Under Girls Stage48 Donor

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    I have zero problem spending money on tickets for any members of SKE48 as I've had some great experiences meeting them, including Jurina, Dasu, Kaotan, Nao, Ryoha, Masanya and Azumarion. Indeed my meeting with Tani two years ago was very memorable as we high-fived several times as I left her booth! My encounter with her this year wasn't really that bad but I guess I expected something rather better. I do agree with @Tuhis that a bad experience leaves a bad impression. (which is why I won't be buying tickets again for Myao or Renacchi...)
     
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  14. jaylitt

    jaylitt Kenkyuusei

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    AKB48 SSK handshake in Nagoya 9/1

    I hadn’t been to an event in about a month so I was looking forward to it.

    Since it was the sousenkyo single I only had tickets for Maya. Her slots were in the morning so I got there in advance of the first slot. I was third in line. Maya came out around 9:00 along with the other members but she didn’t look energetic at all. She greeted me with a good morning and told me she wasn’t good at mornings and she was tired. (That much was obvious)

    No one was there early and I didn’t want her to have nothing to do so I went with another ticket. I showed her a badge with her face on it a friend got me from Hong Kong at SKE's event there last year. She was really tired and just mumbled and remarked that it was cool. It was the first time she’s ever been that way so I knew something was up, and the other fans all got similar reactions.

    Her first slot got cancelled and her second as well. She wasn’t feeling well, and it’s no wonder. She has a really busy schedule recently which she hasn’t really experienced before and it’s taken a toll. Her goal has been to get more jobs though, so she isn't complaining about it at all, but it seems like she was just completely exhausted.

    I couldn’t use my tickets for these slots, and I had a ton. Apparently we couldn’t reuse these for the third or sixth slots, which means I either refund them, go to a later event in Tokyo, or oshimashi them. I decided to try to oshimashi and then refund the rest.

    I went to see Maya again during the third slot. I didn’t have a chance to say anything and she started her usual stuff about how she’s jealous of my skin tone and how the lights make me look really bright. I ignored that asked her if she was ok, to which she said yes and not to worry, she needs to do what she has to and doesn’t want to throw in the towel. I was in a worried frame of mind so I asked her what she wants from me as a fan and what I should do better. She just said to keep supporting her the way I am until her graduation and after… and not oshihen. (Said with a big grin as if she knows my darkest thoughts)

    While I knew it wasn’t Maya’s fault I was upset that I couldn’t use my tickets. I had prepared a lot to say and I had to throw it all out. I think I was most frustrated that AKS doesn’t offer to redo the tickets at a later date in Nagoya, given that the event was taking place there. I won’t be able to go the next Tokyo date, but let’s see what they announce. A ton of other members cancelled, which led to a lot of people who wanted to oshimashi their tickets. I suppose I have to be grateful you can oshimashi at least.

    I really don’t know how they decide who to open oshimashi for. Some members have huge dead periods and could use some oshi mashis. SKE didn’t have many members available, so the ones who were available had hundreds of people lining up. I noticed other members like Tani not having many people, while the lane for Amichan and Nishichan they opened up to oshi mashis became flooded. I think they could balance things better.

    Right after the previous Maya encounter I sneaked into Donchan’s lane. I used three tickets and said hi. Although I’ve never been to her lane once she knew me as a Maya oshi from the theatre. I told her I love her MCs and other stuff in the theatre. She asked where I’m from and then asked me to speak English. I asked her what and she told me to GO, GO, GO! So I said random words with a “nice to meet you” at the end and she said it back and starting laughing. I should have added two more tickets to ask her to do her impression of the Nagoya subway in Chinese.

    I had two slots to wait after and nothing to do. I went to the aforementioned Amichan/Nishichan double lane, and just told them I like their performances at the theatre and to keep it up. They just said thanks. The lane was just huge and it was tiring.

    Given my mood I needed some black coffee and I found the perfect remedy: Nakai Rika. I know she’s quite hated and this is a SKE report so I won’t go into detail but it fit my mood and was just what I needed. I recommend it if you go in ready for anything and to laugh.

    Afterwards Maya had her last slot.

    -I popped in briefly and she asked me what I was doing during the interval. I said I ate some food at the conbini, she told me she gets hungry during the events. She told On the way out she started laughing and told me she remembered something! I need to go to the gym. One of my friends keeps telling me that I need to go to the gym and I told him I’d go only if Maya told me to. So he went to her handshake in Tokyo last week and told her, and she relayed the message her.

    -But I’m lazy so I went back and asked her if I really needed to go the gym. To summarize the conversation she told me to flex for her and she told me something along the lines of “Yeah, nothing’s there.” I told her that gyms are a bigger thing in North America than Japan. She asked me if I ever went and I said no, I run. "Oh yeah that's why you have such nice legs (???)" She just gave me a pep talk about how sick my gains will be etc.

    -She asked me if I was coming the next day. I said no, she scowled, I said I was going next week so she asked me to look forward to her in a yukata. I told her I was, and she asked me if I’ve ever worn one. I haven’t, so she said I should, because she’s sure I’d look great in one. I protested and said it’d be weird for me to wear one, I’m embarrassed, etc. and she told me no, you need to wear one, you’re in Japan so make the most of it. I’m still unsure and embarrassed to wear one but my Japanese friends are encouraging me to do it, so I think I will.

    I still had a lot of tickets left over so I stayed after and went to Yumana’s lane. You can only use up to five tickets at a time for oshimashi but I was able to loop three times during the half hour.

    -She remembered me from Osaka (the only previous time I met her) and she asked me why I chose to see her of all people. I told her I’ve liked her for a long time and she was happy. I also told her I run as a hobby, and she remarked we have the same hobby. She told me she’s doing a marathon next week so I wished her luck and said I’d like to run one someday. She asked me who my oshi is, I told her again that I oshihenned from Churi to Maya and she burst into laughter and asked me why as I was leaving. I told her because I got into E’s theatres a lot.

    -I told her I was really impressed at how she did university at the same time as SKE, since I only studied without doing anything else and it was time consuming and difficult. She asked me where I was living, how long I’ve been in Japan, how long I’ve been a fan. When I answered where I was from she beamed and said she really wants to go to Canada.

    -I asked her where in Canada she’d like to go, and she told me she wants to go some quiet place where there aren’t many Japanese speakers. She heard that there are more Japanese speakers in Toronto/Vancouver so I recommended she come to Quebec where we speak French so she’s totally lost. She asked me if French was my mother language and I told her I speak both languages. I wanted to ask her about her recent trip to Hawaii but she asked me to come again to her lane since it’s a lot of fun talking to me.

    I don’t think I’ve ever had a member who seemed as interested to talk to me as Yumana. She was really excited and spoke very fast. Yumana really likes meeting foreigners, as she’s written blog entries about meeting fans from China, Thailand and Vietnam (if I recall correctly) at a photo event this year, and I think she wrote some similar stuff some years ago. She likes travelling and she’s interested in the world. It was a really satisfying handshake, since it was exactly what I imagined she’d be like. (During my previous handshake I didn’t have much time and she didn’t say much given the time) I think she's the member I have the most in common with, so I'll get more in the future. She wrote in her blog about how she's happy people came to her in oshimashi and were so interesting, and asked people to come by during oshimashis and national handshakes to try her out.

    By the way, the pusher for her lane was the most brutal one I’ve seen. He really took the pushing seriously and tackled people out of the lane. People would be shoved against the fence and wall they put up and it would make a sound every time they were shoved on it. A lot of people nearly fell or tripped on the way out. I had to preemptively dodge him as he came charging and slowly walk out.

    There were no more SKEs left after to oshimashi so to cap off my day I went to see Ma Chia Ling from AKB. I don’t really know her but I wished her good luck and told her it’s nice to see a non Japanese do well in the group. She thanked me, asked where I’m from, and told me to come again. She was pretty and it was kind of surreal to talk to someone else whose native language isn't Japanese at one of these events.

    With that said, I still have 24 tickets remaining that I will hopefully be able to refund. That'd make those 24 votes free.
     
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  15. jaylitt

    jaylitt Kenkyuusei

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    sugawaramaya
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    nickjaylitt
    18/09/08 SKE48 Ikinari Punchline Handshake @ Port Messe Nagoya

    This handshake felt like it came a bit fast, only a week after my last one. Last Saturday Maya asked me to wear a yukata or jinbei to the next event, and my friends urged me to wear one so I ordered one on Rakuten. Thankfully the shipping here is fast and I got it the day before the event. I was a bit shy at first but I got a very positive reaction from everyone, getting a lot of kakkois etc.
    img_tenji-2.jpg thumbnail_tenji1.jpg
    My usual handshakes at Port Messe are held in hall # 3, but the event this time was held in hall #1, which is the hottest hall I’ve been to. It’s very wide and spacious, and fans were set up everywhere. In addition there were stations handing out free water/tea bottles, shaved ice cream, and popsicles. I think this is the first time I get anything free at a handshake event, and it was quite nice to not have to leave the venue to get something.

    I usually only go see Maya, but after going to so many Team E performances I felt like going to see some of the members since I’ve grown to like them a lot. In addition I went to see a former oshi…
    40047824_323058588251189_4575765653204581433_n.jpg
    My first handshake of the day was with Nacky (Kamata Natsuki). There is a very kind Japanese Nacky fan I know who connects with the international fans in English, so I hit him up before going. He was very nice and introduced me to some other fans and Nacky. I was a bit nervous since I kind of idolize her more than the other girls on a personal level. The nice guy introduced me, she recognized me from the theatre and I said I liked her performances. She was wearing her seitansai shirt and her flower wreath.
    Dmka2APU8AAOTyP.jpg
    Next I went to see Maya (Sugawara Maya). Of course she was wearing her yukata and some other fans wore some too, while some wore jinbei. I actually thought about buying a jinbei at first but a friend told me you can’t wear that in public since they’re like pajamas and what you wear to take out the trash. I don’t think they’re that shameful, since Maya was surprised to see me in a yukata and asked me why I wasn’t in a jinbei. I answered that this just seemed cooler, I don’t know. Anyway she liked the design a lot and said it went well with my skin tone. Next time I went she asked me how her yukata was, I said it was cute, then I asked how my cosplay of a Japanese person was. She said the colour and design were really nice and she felt the fabric up. Next up she asked me if I’m going to Request Hour. I said no since I spent too much on the sousenkyo. She apologized but asked me if I’ll help her next year. I said of course, and she said she’s aiming for #11.
    DmkmpvhUcAAp4xq.jpg
    I went to see Ouchan (Suenaga Ouka) after. She was cosplaying as Roux Louka from Gundam Double Zeta. I bought tickets just to see her cosplay and talk about Gundam. As far as cosplay outfits go it felt a bit budget but it was cool to see her with that wig. I said hi, and told her I came because I like Gundam. She asked which series I like, and she guessed correctly: Gundam Zeta. She laughed and said “Kamille!” and I told her my favourite character from that show is Paptimus Sciroco. She said ah, and then told me about her cosplay. This was my first handshake where you hold hands cross-wise.

    DmlQu8eU4AAEXhD.jpg
    I went to see Nacky again after. I wished her a belated happy birthday and told her I read her blogs and they’re my favourite out of all the member blogs. She was surprised that I could understand them, since some members like Kitano Ruka apparently can’t read them. She uses some difficult vocabulary, and I told her it’s why I like them since I can learn a lot from them. She was happy.
    DmkmqduVAAIViIb.jpg
    Afterwards I went to see Ouchan for the last time. I noticed her Double Zeta Gundam gunplay model she had with her. I told her I want to start building one of my own and she asked me which ones I want to make. I told her the Messala or Zeta Gundam. She told me she was thinking of bringing the Zeta Gundam today too. I guess she will bring her models from the original series on the 30th when she cosplays an Earth Federation soldier.
    40003248_315857865848471_7778526003185319936_n.jpg
    I went back to Maya, and she was berating my friend who went first. I couldn’t stop laughing so she brought me over “You like laughing huh? You were laughing back there, I saw you. Was it funny, am I funny?” I answered of course, and told/asked her something I forgot about. Next time I did the stupidest thing ever, telling her my next ticket is the last one. “Last for this block, today, or life?” No no no, just today, I don’t have any for the next block. “Oh ok…”
    For my last time she told me I was the spitting image of a handsome Japanese man today and asked me to bring my own yukata next year. I informed her that this one was indeed mine, and she was surprised since she assumed I borrowed it from someone. I told her I’d be lending it to my friend next.
    Dmm699OUwAE9hxa.jpg
    Before taking it off I went to see Churi (Takayanagi Akane). The fans went nuts at seeing me in her lane after so long, yelling “The Sugawara wota has come!”, “Why are you here?”, “That ticket suits you well”, etc. It was nostalgic lining up with them again. As always Churi said it had been a long time, she said the yukata looked super good on me, I said thanks, she asked me if I only had one ticket today, I said yes, and I was shoved aside. It was nice to see her again.

    I lent my yukata to my friend since he wanted to wear one to see Maya today and ask her on a yukata date… He predictably got turned down pretty hard. The verdict is that it doesn’t look as good on him as me. She even complimented the way the belt was wrapped around, and he was forced to say I did it for him. I think the lesson to learn here is to not be a massive gachikoi in front of the member.
    DmkuscIU8AIkRye.jpg 40261426_166543387568712_5328789497893128055_n.jpg
    Unfortunately that meant I wasn’t able to show it to Kumachan (Kumazaki Haruka), who I went to next. The man in front of me must have told her it was his birthday because she sung him the happy birthday song. Her outfit was just way too cute and she has a strong grip. It was my first time meeting her so I wanted to say nice to meet you, but she interrupted me with a “I KNOW YOU! You’re always at the theatre!” I said yeah, you give such nice performances and I see you a lot during the bye byes. She thanked me, and extended her other hand cross-wise. She asked me to shake it and come to see her more. I shook and she said it was a promise. I told her I’m coming on the 30th. It was a good thing I only had one ticket for her, I would have died or oshihenned on the spot otherwise. It's just not fair.
    DmfsVfVUwAAS4wr.jpg
    I went back to Nacky afterwards. The guy I was with made sure she was aware of my change of clothes and she couldn’t stop laughing. She was practically wheezing at the sight of me in shorts and t-shirt in contrast to the yukata. I told her I lent it to my friend now and she said I’m very nice. Next time we went she kept laughing at the guy before since he kept talking about me to her and she found it funny how he was doing this elaborate introduction of me every time. I told her I like history and jogging, hobbies that we share, and she was happy to hear that. I told her I’m not marathon-ready yet and she told me that if she can run a marathon anyone can and encouraged me to try. Finally she remarked how many times I came and said thanks, I told her I’m coming again on the 30th, and she said she’s looking forward to what outfit I’ll have. We laughed and she told me my normal clothes are fine.

    I’ve been getting really awesome handshakes recently, with a lot of pretty genuine reactions from everyone. I should probably think of more topics to tell Maya, but when you go with one ticket at a time there really isn’t much time. I had a lot of fun with Nacky so I ordered some more tickets after the event.
     
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  16. Cristafari

    Cristafari Stage48 Admin Staff Member Stage48 Admin

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  17. jaylitt

    jaylitt Kenkyuusei

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    I forgot to take a picture and the lighting sucks in my apartment. The stock photo is a bit misleading since a) I'm caucasian and b) the yukata is darker. I didn't like it at first glance but it looks better than the stock photo.
     
  18. jaylitt

    jaylitt Kenkyuusei

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  19. Cristafari

    Cristafari Stage48 Admin Staff Member Stage48 Admin

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    SKE48 Ikinari Punch Line Individual Handshake Event at Makuhari Messe (2018/10/06)

    ske8.jpg

    Jurina? Is that you???

    It was nice that there was a six-week separation between SKE's Tokyo handshake dates, as opposed to being back to back like last single. This was originally going to be the only event I would attend, since I wasn't sure if I would be in town for the August event. I ultimately ended up getting a few August tickets for Tani, Kaotan, and Yuzuki. For this event I had tickets for a few more members, although I was kinda disappointed that I didn't have any tickets for Sato Kaho, but that's what happens when you have to apply so far in advance.

    I arrived at Makuhari around noon, since I had strategically planned all my tickets from 12:15 to 4:45 pm. Since I had plenty of time I went to check out some of the special features of this event. The goods booth had a few new items for the 10th Anniversary. There was also a special area with drawings of 'monster versions' of the members, I think made by themselves. I'm not sure what that was about. They had the usual random member costumes on display, plus costumes girls could try on. Today the featured costumes were Koko de Ippatsu, which obviously made me happy. Finally, they had their badminton court set up, although I never saw it being used as long as I was there. Anyway, let's get into the action...

    Pre-lunch Slots (B2/B3)

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    Tani Marika (Lane 16) This would be my first of two interactions with Tani, and I was looking forward to talking with her about all the excitement going on in her life right now. Her booth was a bit quiet. In fact, the crowd was kinda sparse throughout the venue. Anyway, I congratulated her, and she responded by thanking me and saying that she would do her best. I told her I had been slightly worried about her. She asked why, but I got pushed out before I could properly respond.

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    Obata Yuna (Lane 18) Obata is one of those girls who I really like, but don't spend much time talking to. So I am always a bit nervous about what to say to her. I finally decided to tell her that when I saw Team KII in Nagoya that I loved the way she smiled on stage, and that she makes for a really good center. It was so cute, her smile got increasingly wider as I was making my little speech, and she thanked me at the end.

    I took a break around this time and had lunch. Ya know, this "Jekyll and Hyde" weather can be annoying. It was quite warm today, and I was dressed as if it was not so warm. I wish I had worn shorts and a light T-shirt. When I returned I noticed a huge crowd on the left side of the venue. It turned out Suda Akari came out to promote her photobook, and was joking with the fans. It was odd though, they weren't selling it at the venue. To me this was really a blown opportunity, especially if they wanted to boost the sales. However, I think she had to leave the venue early since she only had two slots originally scheduled (As did Jurina before she went on handshake hiatus)

    Lunch Slot

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    23rd Single Outfit, plus Koko de Ippatsu

    Matsumura Kaori (Lane 10) Since Kaotan will be graduating soon, I relish every opportunity to see her. I mentioned that I had seen the Koko de Ippatsu outfits, and admitted that my favorite outfit is Matsumurabu, which I had photographed when it was on display in Akihabara. She seemed surprised by this; "Really, you have a photograph of it?" Yes! My last ticket of the day would be for Kaotan, so I would see her in a little bit.

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    Yamauchi Suzuran (Lane 6) This would be my second meeting with Ranran since I saw her perform at Horipro Matsuri. She has long been known as a "fisher," and I got my first up-close example of her tactics. The moment I walked into the booth she grabbed on to my Kaotan ticket holder. She seemed really happy that I was a Kaotan fan. (Ya know, I have some really cool favorite members, as I also get a similar reaction whenever a member finds out I am a Wasamin fan) Anyway, we mainly talked about the beret she was wearing. I have noticed a lot of idols (including Wasamin) have been wearing berets lately, so I told her it was really cute, and noted their popularity among idols. I cute thing was a) the way she pulled me close to her during her interaction, and b) the soft and demure way she was responding to me. I really got how fans would consider her a top member to visit at events.

    I had been looking for @Tuhis all afternoon, and finally ran into him just before the next slots started. He and I have passed each other at events multiple times, but had never stopped and talked with one another ever before today. It was good to spend a few minutes talking about our event experiences, and of course our experiences in Japan. However, he had a lot of tickets since he was also doing make-ups for the cancelled event from last weekend, and I had a potentially long line to deal with, so we parted ways...

    Slots A3/B4

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    Hidaka Yuzuki (Lane 12) With Kaotan graduating, it is quite possible that I will upgrade the amount of tickets I get for Yuzuki going forward. But I screwed this visit up royally. Struggling with what to say, I decided to mention that her drawing was the easiest to spot, even from a distance since she used the Chunichi Dragons uniform. She was like "Yeah, I guess that would be easy." Except at some point I must've called her "Mizuki" since she got this dissappointed look and her face and said "But I'm Yuzuki!" Oh shoot, I called her by the wrong name! I think I did that before at least once with another member, but she was the first one to ever call me out on it. Later on some friends tried to make me feel better by saying that they have called members by the wrong name in the past, and have been corrected. But I was bummed out that I had made a slightly bad impression. I need to make it up to her at some point.

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    Tani Marika (Lane 16) My second visit with Tani, I told her that I was excited because I originally became her fan by watching her on television. Odekake, AKBingo, Ebishow, and a few others. She said she was going to do her best. I responded in English with "Never Give Up!" It's a phrase I know she is familiar with, and she enthusiastically repeated it back to me.

    Slots A4/B5

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    Hirata Shiina (Lane 19) This is one of these tickets I sort of bought on a whim, and when the time came to use it I was like "Why the hell do I have this ticket?" I originally met Shiina at Yokohama Arena when she debuted at the Zenkoku event. She was my favorite of the SKE draftees. But that was around nine months ago. I hadn't had any interaction with her since, and I have no idea what she has been up to. She had a relatively long line, as did a couple of the other draftees. So she must be doing something since she has cultivated a bit of a following. Anyway, when my turn came I reminded her that I met her at Yokohama Arena, and that I was impressed by her. I also told her I liked her drawing, but I got caught between saying cute (kawaii) and cool (kakkoi) so it came out all wrong. She kinda laughed, and said she hoped I come back to see her again, which was very nice. Maybe I will after all.

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    Matsumura Kaori (Lane 10) One last visit with Kaotan before I called it a day. I decided to tell her about my trip to Sadogashima last weekend, which was cut short due to the Typhoon. Ever the detective, Kaotan had a ton of questions about my trip. Why did I go? (to see Wasamin) Who did I go with? (members of the fan club) When I told her that Wasamin performed on the ferry boat, she seemed totally shocked. "She sang on the boat? Honto???" Yes, and it was a lot of fun. I told her I would see her soon, and hightailed it out of the venue and back to the train station.

    I'm not sure how I am going to deal with SKE events going forward with Kaotan leaving. I mainly go to these events to see her and Tani. I mean there obviously are a few other SKE48 members I enjoy visiting, but losing Kaotan means losing my #1 motivation for the SKE exclusive events. When they post the schedule for the next single, I will decide what I want to do, but it will probably result in fewer tickets purchased, and I already purchase a small amount.
     
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  20. Tuhis

    Tuhis Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2008
    Oshimen:
    Furuhata Nao
    Back home so might as well write my report for the last week.

    9/29: Seishun Girls @ SKE Theatre

    I was lucky enough to get my first outright win, with SKE Mobile. It was not all clear anyway, since it was matinee performance and my plane landed that morning which meant any delays would be critical. Fortunately even with the typhoon coming Finnair got me there on time. Got through immigration swiftly, got my baggage quickly and took the μ-SKY to Nagoya. Dropped off my luggage at my hotel in Sakae and was at the theater with an hour to spare.

    Important things first, as I had a late birthday present for Nao-chan to deliver at the theater. Found someone who understood enough english and my broken japanese to sort out the process for handing in the present and then I got in the line to get my ticket. Once that was sorted out and I had my ticket in hand, I could finally accept as a fact I finally got to see SKE Theatre with my own eyes. (It wasn't KII but I'll take what Ticket Center gives me and be happy about it.) Behind me on line was a dude from Shanghai who seemed curious of a westerner in the theatre. Had a nice chat and then, off to see the show. Got in relatively early, got a seat from about 5th row.

    The member who shined the most was Sugiyama Aika. It seemed to me she was a head above others in performance charisma.

    The stage was great, omiokuri was fun as members didn't expect to see a westerner but took it in stride.

    Then I was off to freshen up at my hotel and up to next thing on my menu:

    9/29: メ〜テレ秋まつり2018 BOMBER-E秋まつりスペシャルLIVE

    This did not go well for me. Typhoon 24 was coming so there was plenty of rain coming down and no, I did not have rain gear except an umbrella which wasn't sufficient. Also, the tickets for the actual performance area had been distributed the same morning about the same time my plane landed so no entry for the actual area at Hisaya Odori park. I did hear them and saw a glimpse of the screen with Nao on it, unfortunately only place I could see even the screen was on an area where you could not stand so I decided I was good. (And needed to go buy at least some rain gear.) Night on an airplane wasn't super restful either.

    9/30: Ikinari Punchline HS at Port Messe

    FU TYPHOON FOR GETTING THIS CANCELLED (It turned out OK in the end anyway.)

    10/4 SKE 10th Anniversary celebration @ SKE Theatre

    I did not win any tickets to the performances, or to the viewing outside. However I wanted to be there and at least buy some of them goods. The goods line also had a display and speakers set up so we could watch the performance while in the slow-ass line. Before I got to the line I suddenly heard a commotion: A WILD JURINA APPEARED. Suddenly cameramen and Jurina go past me at about 1,5 meter distance and yes, she was looking good. After this it was time to go wait in the line and buy stuff.

    10/6 Ikinari Punchline HS at Makuhari Messe

    Now, this was my last Japan trip this year (unless something exciting happens) so I had bought plenty of tickets. I had also to sort out the problem of the tickets to the cancelled event since I wasn't looking forward to sorting out the refund process.

    I had decided to get nicely dressed again and had a fresh suit and tie and accessories too. Only problem was that I showed up at Makuhari the night before at about 21:00, and noticed I had suit, tie, accessories but in the rush I had earlier the day forgotten to pack a dress shirt. GODDAMMIT and a lot of Finnish equivalents for four letter words later I realize it's either back to Nagoya (not an interesting idea) or go check out the Lawson downstairs. Aaaand Lawson is now my favourite konbini for having a shirt of exactly right size in stock, for 2000 yen.

    Then it was the matter of the tickets for 9/30 event. Management had announced those tickets would be usable at 11/4 HS event but that was useless for me, so needed to figure out something. So I went to the information booth and found a very helpful person who unfortunately did not understand english. I was however able to explain in my broken japanese that I am leaving the following morning and not back in Japan in several months. After a bunch of words I did not understand and "please wait a moment" where the staff went away with my tickets, I was given instructions which I understood was "sort it out with a japanese friend who has a japanese bank account." Which was wrong because what it apparently meant was "use what you can today and refund what you cant with a japanese friends". Next thing I know my tickets have dates changed and stamped. THANKS MY FAVOURITE STAFFU-SAN.

    I now had 51 tickets for slots A1-A4 to chat with Nao-chan so I was off.

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    I can't/won't go in detail of all the things we chatted about (which range from RH results to it being cold in Finland) but maybe the most important piece of news was that her mini-album comes out in the winter. I very much recommend people to go chat with Nao-chan, she sure knows how to make sure fans leave happy. I know I did. Only unfortunate part is that I noiw expect my HS costs to go up now that I am able to sort out 50 tickets worth of discussion for one day.

    Also, did some photo trading and it was nice meeting @Cristafari after being in the same event for probably the fifth time. :D

    After having burned all my tickets, it was time for me to get back to Nagoya with my feet killing me and get ready for my morning flight back home.

    Note: It is amusing how much faster one can burn through tickets in the earlier slots. I burned 19 tickets during A1 in probably about the same time it took me to burn 5 at A3/A4.
     
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