Your AKB48 Experiences

July 20, AKB48 チーム８舞台「KISS KISS KISS」
I was fortunate to get a matinee ticket with guest start Yuiyui. Unfortunately my Japanese is too lacking to give an accurate description of the story but it had all the necessary components: kisses, violence and singing+dancing. I was able to enjoy it even without understanding most of the story. There sure are new Team8 members to look up once I get around to it.

July 31, 「アイドル修業中」公演　7月度お客様生誕祭
This was actually my last shot of getting a ticket to theatre. So far all I had gotten was one cancel machi to SKE theatre which did not get me anywhere. So when I got the e-mail about winning cancel machi #58, it was quite something. This stage was a special for fans with July birthdates, so they had nice surprises present. Also, being the sceptic I am, I refused to believe I'm getting in before I saw the pillars.
Once I got to the theatre, there weren't that many people present. The announcement was that there were 39 cancellations that day. They started calling the numbers and surprisingly quickly the number reached 57. They at that point took a break before calling any more people but once they resumed I was in - before the lottery. SCORE! I had ticket number 248 and with small stumbling found the correct queue. 240s were called in after the seats were full, but I was able to sort myself out with a front row standing seat on the left side. The pillar blocked the center stage quite badly, but at that point I did not care, just enjoyed being in the theater just once. I did decide to focus on the left side of the stage.

Now, I don't consider myself competent to judge the girls' performances, so I'll just say I enjoyed what I saw a lot and there will again be cute girls I will be looking up in the future. High wave was nice, several girls seemed to get a kick that a foreigner appeared and there was a bit of appeals too. After which we all got handwritten birthday cards at random, mine was Michieda Saki's. There was a lot of trading going on after the show but I decided to go with what I had, and go enjoy some dessert and tea at (of course) AKB48 cafe.

August 1/2, AKB48 Group Kanshasai
These have been covered in detail elsewhere so I'll just say I enjoyed myself. For Aug 1 I was sitting at Macharin oshi seats and shamefully I do not have video of Macharing losing it and starting to cry when making the rounds. Otherwise the concerts were a lot of fun, except I had managed to cheap out with the binoculars and with my crap vision 8x does not cut it at a place like Yokohama Arena, 10x stabilized is the way to go. Shame those are 500€ and beyond.

 

Time to do some report, since I have 3 events I haven't wrote anything yet
But since some others already wrote about Teacher Teacher HS and Kanshasai, I'll put them in spoilers.

Spoiler: Makuhari Messe Individual HS 7/21

Only had few tickets for that day, so this will be short.

(this is for those who are yet to go to HS)
How to get the ticket?
Well, this is an individual HS. So no brainer that you need to buy the theater edition from chara ani.

How to go to the venue?
You can get to the venue by bus or train. Easiest way is by train from JR Tokyo station using Keiyo Line to the Kahimmakuhari station. If you are arriving at the same time as the crowd, just follow where they are going to find the venue (around 5-10 min walk from the station). But if you got ticket for later sessions (4 and above), there may not be many going there from the station. So, after exiting the station just follow the canopied walkway towards the shopping center, turn right to go around the shopping center. After that you will see a pedestrian crossing bridge, go up and then turn right on the intersection. Just go straight until you find the venue (around 500 m).

Getting inside
Entering the venue you will see many fans' booth before the security checkpoint. Either they are trading photo cards, or there are stands for birthday messages. You can write the message now or later if you have several tickets for later sessions. After the usual security check (show your ticket, drink the water, open your bag, etc) go in, and down the stair you will see the member's booth number. Don't forget to show your ID and stamp all of your tickets before going to the booth (usually near or at the information booth where you can see a long table with 4-5 officers stamping tickets, and the same number of people behind them with laptops.

Do the HS
Go to the booth at the designated time. You can opt to directly go in, or a bit later, just remember that the line will close 30 minutes before the session ends. If you are late, find other lanes with a star sign, it is oshimashi lane which you can use other members' ticket from that day to go in after the first 30 minutes of each session. In the lane you need to show your ID and all the tickets you want to use for that session. Get in the queue, put your belongings on the provided baskets, give the tickets to the staff, and then meet the member(s)

My experience that day
I went to my oshimen Okabe Rin's lane. As usual her lane is quite long. After the initial banter about happy to meet you again, I talked about her guest appearance in Team 8's KISS KISS KISS stage the day after that HS and then her Janken unit. She said she didn't know about the Janken unit yet and tomorrow she will not be present in HS so she will not met that many members to talk about it. (and to my surprise, one day after that they announce the akuma unit for janken ). When the time is up, she pull my hand and make sure I will watch the KISS KISS KISS stage where she appear and then said bye.After the session I hang around in front of her lane and get acquainted with some of her fans. We exchange name card and twitter account, to prepare for next year RH and SSK.

After her session I went out of the hall back to the station because there was an T8 open stage at Smile Fes Chiba. 3 members from the T8 Kanto show perform that day and the day after. Honda Hitomi should be at the first day performance and also the HS but as she just got back from Korea, she cancelled all activities that day (same as Sakura, Juri, etc.) and replaced by Shimizu Maria who appear alongside the show MC Yoshikawa Nanase and Yamanashi rep Hidaritomo Ayaka. They perform around 6 songs, which full event fancams you can find in T8's thread around that day (Hidaritomo replaced by Saitama's Takahashi Ayane for the second day). After the performance finished, I went back to the HS venue.

The second member I saw that day was Hashimoto Haruna, the T8's Toyama representative. Even though she is not that popular, she has decent queue in her line as it is never empty. After introduction, as it is my first time seeing her, I asked about Eito no Hi and why it was announced that she will not be present that day. She apologized for the absence as she has to do some exams. And when the time is up, she wish me to support her fellow Chubu members in Eito no Hi and said she will come to the next event, so please come again.

Since I spent all my ticket that day, I just hang around in front of the lanes to talk to other eito fans and interact with the members from afar if their lane is empty. The Meeting to talk about Global Warming's fans are the funniest I met that day. And yes, it is not just a janken unit name, but the unofficial name of some new members of T8. The fans even have shirts printed with their group name and illustrated characters. They already have this name even before janken unit announcement. As they are fairly new, their lines are sometimes empty. However they are a funny bunch of people. If there are no people in their lane, they will just dancing together in their booth to the song played in the background (Teacher Teacher A and B sides, as well as some other live stage from previous HS). And they do it together with their fans in front of the lanes For those who do not know, they are Okuhara Hinako (Shimane), Okumoto Hinano (Hiroshima), Kawahara Misaki (Saga), Harumoto Yuki (Tokushima), and Yamada Kyoka (Ooita). Pretty sure putting these kusogakis' HS booth side by side sometimes cause trouble to the staff I also see Takahashi Ayane's line to be quite busy, no wonder she is getting pretty good push recently by included in Majimuri Gakuen cast, several theatrical stage, and individual jobs. Being a lesser theater goddess (while Yuiri's reign is still strong) before the shuffle surely bring some popularity.

PS: I saw Cris, from quite afar, in front of Yahagi Moeka's lane, but as he is going somewhere and I have to get efficient with my time that day, I did not say hello.

Spoiler: 17-100 ranked members AKB48 Group Kanshasai

Most have been covered in other posts, so I'll just share how to go to the venue. Easiest way is to arrive at Shin-Yokohoma station, and then follow the markings to Yokohama Arena. But from Shibuya there is a direct line which station is around 20 min walk from the venue (Kikuna station, Tokyu-Toyoko Line).

That day I was seated at Okabe Rin's section on the third floor, but got first row seat from the aisle where the members will go through. Even though she ranked #58 I was quite surprised to found that her section is actually quite big, around 6 sections of 50 people. One thing I learn is to read your oshimen SNS (usually 755) before going to the event. I was having no clue why the others in her section turn their LS to yellow, not dark blue as usual. The lady beside me said that earlier that morning she was wondering what color would be good to distinguish her section, and the result is Yellow. And as Tuhis said, consider to invest in a good binocular if you go to concerts.
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1024595577449766912
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1024823375892373504
For the fancam session you can find it on my twitter https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1024827584066928640/pu/vid/720x1280/KjuAA1Yc6KnZ80kN.mp4?tag=5

August 8, Eito no Hi (The day of eight)
I bought tickets for all 4 concerts and all day matsuris. Much to everyone demise, there was a typhoon approaching that day, so the matsuris are cancelled and we need to queue in the rain before entering the venue and to buy the goods.

How to get the ticket? Same as other 48G produced event, through the AKB48 ticket center.
How to get to the venue? This year they go back to their "home turf", Toyosu PIT near Odaiba. Go to Toyosu station on Yurakucho line, and then 1 station using the Yurikamome to Shin-Toyosu overground train. Then you can see the venue from the station, just walk there (2min).
Getting in the venue. As Toyosu PIT is quite small the queue is long enough until you need to cross the bridge to queue. Luckily they assign certain section for each group to queue. So just wait until they call your group to come in. Mine was 1300ish, 800ish, 1100ish and 1800ish. The 800ish one is a direct win using nihonbashiranokai and the rest are cancel machi. Also, this is an all standing event.

Full setlist of all 4 stages can be found here
http://stage48.net/forum/index.php?posts/1511987/

Morning PIT
The members will greet you at the queue and at the gate while distributing bread for breakfast. You just need to pick which member you want to receive it from.
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1027032267720278016
And then you will be met by a wall with signed paper fans. Go in to the section where your ticket indicate. This stage was performed by all available members. All 9 members who managed to rank in SSK were assigned a follow camera for the entire stage as a reward. Actually last night there was a rerun of the morning stage on Yahoo! Japan, and the archived video will be available in a few days.
The units are performed by area.
Hokkaido-Tohoku: 2 aces, 3 prominent members, and 1 newbie. The skill gap is quite prominent with the newbie Ito Kirara (Fukushima), however their performance is actually my favourite.
Kanto: The region of aces. Combined, the Kanto 9 arguably have the biggest fanbase.
Chubu: Currently the weakest region with 3 members absent from the event.
Kansai: Make way for queen Onishi! She deserve that spot.
Chugoku-Shikoku: With 4 new members out of 9, they are actually great. The new ones mostly are ex-idols, In 1-2 years they may become prominent members.
Kyushu: Led by Kuranoo, they are pretty good. Need to recover from losing Shimoaoki Karin. But 48G members from Kagoshima so far are great.
Pics & Fancams:
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1027399127099817984
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027379955879931904/pu/vid/1280x720/zoIrXnwpdWkOd95k.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027382618348613632/pu/vid/1280x720/vNjfpc9IieUXiM30.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027384960678686721/pu/vid/1280x720/VvuPWZWyUEvTcIgQ.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027388536150884353/pu/vid/1280x720/UgSyuo9oUMmhU7LZ.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027396180848701441/pu/vid/1280x720/hQPPFcL-teFlk6sr.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027396505076871168/pu/vid/1280x720/4o_3QiTzbMwmDxlz.mp4?tag=5


Day PIT
Basically a cute stage. Cute members with cute songs on the setlist. Nearly all new members are assigned here. The first time they introduce the new Yamagata rep, Mitomo Mashiro who sang Soredemo Suki Dayo after short konto by some members. The funny part is when loli-looking Takahashi Ayane and Yoshikawa Nanase who are old enough protesting why did they got assigned here and then a bit intimidated knowing the new member's age is nearly half their age Tear jerking moment came when Shimoaoki Karin came to perform at the encore centering her unit Glory Days, and get the last call for 47 Suteki Machi.
Pics and fancams:
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1027412505914617856
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1027416618811310080
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027404520412733440/pu/vid/1280x720/r0rFc2VXXwwES5oN.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027404949603344389/pu/vid/1280x720/WIPBW3tOFwTT2a0r.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027411935195586561/pu/vid/1280x720/lRRwGBavdN5HL2Km.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027412301731622912/pu/vid/1280x720/dG_6UyH0Ho6zsIHM.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027416045793861632/pu/vid/1280x720/Wm8xukOSm3W_L_vt.mp4?tag=5
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1027416559235395584

Snack PIT
My favourite out of 4 stages, the Cool PIT. They went full dance heavy from the beginning. Another introduction to the new Yamagata member and promotion of members' incoming gravure and theater stages. Closed with UZA 2017 remix version. New announcement of zenkoku tours in January (Fukuoka) and March (Yamaguchi).
Pics and fancams:
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1027428073619128320
https://twitter.com/SunnyHighland48/status/1027437288882548736
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027427529949204480/pu/vid/1280x720/M7EvlsxplpMv9o7-.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027427815531003905/pu/vid/1280x720/8q9ZZ4BMF_u13VWa.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027430847505346560/pu/vid/1280x720/gLXBeCJmnB6HkZgk.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027431093874487297/pu/vid/1280x720/gNo0OUKTsjWHD4_n.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027436687813537792/pu/vid/1280x720/raRUZKAn-LYSAiJo.mp4?tag=5
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1027436983377833986/pu/vid/1280x720/hQN4fs7O7VYfgJco.mp4?tag=5

Night PIT
Kageana by the new Kochi rep Rissen Airi. For the last performance they go with sexy concept, pretty much like SDN's stage back then However I got the section so far in the back, so I do not have decent enough video and photos to post, mostly are blurred or the members look too small. Maybe investing for a clip on zoom lens for smartphone will be a good idea.
The memorable ones are Yuuwaku no garter centered by Okabe Rin, Zipper by Takahashi Ayane, Rissen Airi, Hattori Yuna, and Amai Kokansetsu by Onishi Momoka. Announcements are new stage production for Shimizu Maria.

My Take from Eito no Hi
- T8 is popular, as even with all-standing venue they sell out all 4 performances with around 3000 tickets each and some audience cannot even get in the standing area because it is too crowded, so that they need to stand in the aisles. Therefore the members cannot go down to the aisles like usual. And this is not even their anniversary concert.
- The new members are fitting in quick enough and can be greater than their predecessors. Some of them already perform together with their senpais on adult and cool stage which have more difficult songs to do. This is even Rissen Airi's (Kochi) first ever full concert, but she already looks like a pro in units and MC session. Kawahara Misaki (Saga) is another notable new member.
- Noda Hinano (Mie) finally crack out of her shell. She was the youngest 2 years ago when she joined, and hardly can do anything. But now her performance has been matured a bit and she found a new chara that fits her. The loli anime chara that previously (or still) held by Takahashi Ayane even though she will be 21 this year. Nano is still 14 after all but her monomane impersonating anime character sounds like from a real anime.

There you go, all three events I went in the last 3 weeks.

 

7/15, 2018 AKB48 Teacher Teacher Kobetsu Handshake @ Kyocera Dome

Yahagi Moeka

Spoiler

Yamamoto Sayaka

Spoiler

7/29, 2018 NMB48 Yokuboumono Kobetsu Handshake @ Intex Osaka

Shiroma Miru

Spoiler

Yamamoto Sayaka

Spoiler

 

I've not done any write ups but I decided I'd give it a shot. I've been to 4 handshakes this year and I'll do some quick comments on each based on the notes I took on my phone and my memory. It's worth noting that my Japanese level is low-intermediate. My comprehension is quite good but my speaking ability is not the best. I'm also kind of shy so that is clearly reflected in my experiences. All the conversations I reference are in Japanese unless otherwise noted. With a talkative girl, 10 seconds goes by VERY fast. If neither of you have anything to say, 10 seconds can be uncomfortably long to be holding hands. My best experiences are with members who have things to say, rather than the ones who mostly just listen.

6/3 Yokohama
(1) Yuiyui - Yuiyui is cute. I introduced myself and I congratulated her on the center for Teacher Teacher. She said thank you and then was saying goofy stuff about her panda shirt and time was pretty much up.
(2) Yoshikawa Nanase - I went into this unprepared. I didn't have anything to say to her so after I introduced myself we stared awkwardly at each other. She asked if I watched her on SR and I said yes. She's pretty but I was a bit disappointed. I need to try her again.
(2) Yokoyui - I introduced myself and congratulated her on getting center for the T8 B-side. I said it's a great song. She thanked me and time was up.
(3) Onishi Momoka (3 tickets) - I won two autographs with this so I got a lot of time since she signed pretty slow. I introduced myself and told her I always watch her SR stream. She asked me where I was from. She made small talk while she signed which as a kinda shy person I really appreciated. She's really easy to talk to. After she signed both things we had a brief handshake and then I was dragged off.
(4) Morishita Maiha (3 tickets) - Maiha is not super popular so basically any ticket you buy for her is an auto-win for all the raffles. I introduced myself to her by my SR name, and she got really excited since she recognized me from SR. She said she really can't speak English at all. I said my Japanese is bad, too. Time was almost up and she said "You sent me a letter before too, right?". I was really impressed that she remembered because I sent it right after STU's debut, so more than a year before this event.
(4) Ikumin - Ikumin immediately said some basic things in English and I introduced myself in Japanese. As I was being dragged away she asked if I could understand Japanese and I said a little.
(5) Hattsu - I won a 2 shot with her. It was my first time so I was a bit nervous and intimidated by the time, so it was kinda awkward and the picture came out weird. She's adorable, though.
(5) Odaeri - This was another kind of awkward one. I introduced myself and then she kept trying to tell me her name (in English) as if I didn't already know who she was, having bought a ticket to meet her. I'll give her another chance in the future but this was probably my worst experience of the day.
(6) Cho - Cho is VERY pretty. I thought it was going to be awkward but she is surprisingly easy to talk to. Some of the members who are more outgoing than her ended up being far more awkward than she was.
(7) Yamada Nanami - Another one that is very easy to talk to. I told her I saw her stage early in the day and that it was really fun.

7/15 Osaka (I didn't take notes on this one - scored each one after it happened, so I won't have as many details).
(1) Ogiyuka - Super friendly and super popular. I introduced myself and that was about the end of it.
(1) Hana - She's friendly and super cute. I don't remember the details but it was a good experience.
(1) Miku - This one was not so good. I told her I watch her SR and her dogs are really cute. I got kind of an awkward vibe from her but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say maybe she didn't understand what I was saying.
(2) Hama (oshimashi) - I had a ticket for Erii but she was in Korea. Hama was in a lane with Kocchan and one other member that I forget. Hama is extremely energetic and loud, as you can probably imagine. Their line was empty so they saw me walking up and when I got to the front and the staff said it was 1 ticket for Hama she got excited and cheered. I like her though her energy is a bit much sometimes.
(2) Macharin - Anyone who has watched videos of her knows her deer-in-headlights expression. She had that from the moment I walked up. I lived in Taiwan for awhile and my Chinese is a bit better than my Japanese so I went with that. She definitely wasn't expecting a very pale white guy to be speaking Chinese to her. I greeted her and she went "Eh?" and I told I lived in Taiwan but my Chinese is still pretty bad, but I like to watch her SR. She just stared wide-eyed the entire time and as I got dragged away she kept staring and said it was amazing. It was VERY funny. Her fan in that was in front of me and was exiting had heard me speaking Chinese so he waited in the line for me and we chatted a bit in Japanese. Macharin fans are very nice.
(2) Hiwatan - Hiwatan fans are even nicer than Macharin fans. I'm VERY glad that I got this ticket because not long after this she announced her hiatus. The guy in front of me in her line was asking about me and after I told him it was my first time to meet her he spent his entire time with her telling her everything he just learned about me talking in line so that she'd know a bit about me first. It was VERY nice of him. Hiwatan is very nice. She asked how I knew about her but my Japanese failed me as I was trying to parse what she asked me. I told her I watched her SR but I also wanted to compliment her Bingo performances. Didn't manage it though. 10 seconds really is too short.
(3) Fuu - Fuu is very pretty but her line was very long. She was friendly but I don't recall exactly what was said.
(3) Shimizu Maria (oshimashi) - Miu was in Korea was I used my ticket on Maria. Maria is very cool. Introduced myself and I told her I like her cooking streams on SR. She told me she's studying English. She looked a little bewildered as I was being dragged away so I wonder if she wanted to try speaking English. I'll try again.
(4) Satone - Just as cute as you imagine. I personally think she wears too much makeup, and also she had lipstick on her teeth, but she's adorable anyway. A really nice girl.
(4) Zukki - Zukki is very cool. I congratulated her on ranking in during SSK. I don't recall what else was said but I scored it as a very good experience.
(4) Kawano Nanaho - I told her I'd been watching her SR since the auditions. She thanked me and said my Japanese was really good. I said it definitely isn't and got dragged away. She's really cool.
(5) Morishita Maiha - She remembered me and thanked me for coming and always watching her SR. I only had one ticket this time so we didn't talk much.
(5) Yamane Suzuha - What a goofball. I introduced myself and she asked where I was from. I told her America and she got really excited and said "American hamburgers are.... BANNN" and gestured really big. I laughed and got dragged away.
(5) Okappa - She's a strange child. I really like her. She complimented one of my physical features (the one I'm most self conscious about) so even if she was just being nice she made me feel really good.
(6) Emiri - I introduced myself, she asked where I'm from. I told her I liked watching her on Odekake and she did the little odekake pose.
(6) Nagi (T8) (oshimashi) - Bibian was also in Korea so I lined up for Nagi. It was a better experience than I expected. I'm not really her fan, though I have nothing against her. She asked if I studied Japanese on my own and seemed impressed. She's very easy to talk to so I'm looking forward to trying her again.
(6) Seina - Don't honestly recall this experience and I marked it pretty low so I think we just didn't click.
(7) Onishi (3 tickets) - I don't think she remembered me from the previous month, but I can't be certain. I congratulated her on ranking in and said I was in Nagoya and was really happy I got to see her rank in. She said she cried a lot. Once again very easy to talk to and makes conversation so the burden isn't only on you. I told her that her new short hair was cute. She asked me if I liked it long or short. I said that I prefer it long, and she said to wait for it to grow out again.
(7) Yuiyui - Remembered me from the previous month. She's a real pro. Her line is always packed so it's really amazing that she remembered me, considering how many people she meets. I congratulated her on her rank and said she will definitely get senbatsu next year. She was really happy and said she'll work hard.
(8) Megu - Another kind of unimpressive experience. She's really pretty but I put it down as a kind of unpleasant experience. Like Seina, I think we just didn't click.

8/11 Chiba (Only had a few tickets for this day since I knew I wasn't going to be able to get to Tokyo until after noon)
(4) Morishita Maiha (3 tickets) - Same deal as before - all tickets are winners for her lane. I got three 2 shots. She changed up the poses and used some props. It was cute. She leaned really close to me when we were doing the two shots, closer than any other member has. Recognized me of course and was happy/surprised to see me. Asked if I'm living in Japan now and I told her I was and what prefecture I live in. I live in a pretty unpopular/lesser known place so she was pretty surprised.
(5) Miu (T8) - This was really weird. It's 100% my fault, I know, but it was really awkward. She's not my oshi or anything but I was completely tongue tied and I think she just didn't know what to make of me. I introduced myself and that's basically it.
(5) Yuuna - Really cool and easy to talk to. After Miu I was expecting this one to be really bad, too (They're both some of the prettiest members, in my opinion), but it wasn't. Yuuna is really friendly.
(6) Nojima Kano - I won a 2 shot with her. She's really cute and friendly. Didn't have much time to chat since the picture took all my time, but she tried to talk to me in English as I was being dragged away. I will definitely get a ticket for her for a future event.
(7) Ogiyuka - Definitely did not remember me, but I can't blame her. She's friendly and energetic and fun. They were doing the janken prelims and her team had just lost so I told her it was too bad and she agreed and said she really wanted to compete in the tournament.
(7) Okappa - Remembered me. I really like her.
-Maho- I didn't have a ticket for her, but when I was waiting in line for either Ogiyuka or Okappa, Maho was in the next lane and had an empty line. She looked directly at me and started hamming it up. She's really goofy and funny. She was looking at me long enough that I felt kinda embarrassed and looked away cause I'm a shy/awkward person. She's good at her job. I'll buy a ticket for her next time.
(8) Onishi (5 tickets) - won two 2 shots. I asked her to choose the poses so we did a hand heart and then one where she got super close to the camera. She remembered me this time and as always is really easy to talk to. I told her that I've been too busy at work and was sad that I'd been missing her SR streams.

9/1 Nagoya (Tons of members were sharing lanes this event which is pretty intimidating for me. It negatively affected some of my experiences. I did a bunch of oshimashis so my notes are not totally accurate and they're out of order, I've marked the slot with a ? if I don't remember when it was).
(1) Onishi (3 tickets) - Recognized me immediately. She said she wants to learn English. I told her I visited Nara last month - I guess she didn't know how to respond or maybe I wasn't clear, cause her response was a little strange. She then asked where I'm living and I told her and she was surprised. She asked how I came to the handshake event, but I didn't understand the one of the words she used so I was a bit confused but she patiently clarified. I told her I took a night bus and she was kind of shocked.
(1) Hama - Waved at me when she saw me in line. Definitely remembered me from July, which surprised me. I told her I watched her on Kansai Hakusho and that she's really funny. She was with Ayane and one other member I don't remember.
(2) Ruka - Ruka is really friendly and although I only had time to introduce myself it was a good experience. She asked where I'm from.
(4) Ayane - My ticket for her was for slot 2 but I used it during slot 4 because I wanted to see her when she wasn't sharing a lane with Hama. She's very cute. I told her her outfits are always cute and she thanked me. I forget who she was with during this slot.
(4) Morishita Maiha - Only had one ticket for her this time so it was pretty quick. She greeted me by my SR name as soon as she saw me and introduced the member she was sharing a lane with and told me she's from the same prefecture I live in now. I apologized for not being able to watch her SR recently. My time was up so I got dragged away. As I was walking away I could hear Maiha telling the other member about me.
(4) Hattsu - Tried to give her another shot and this one was just as awkward if not more so than the first time. She's adorable but I probably won't meet her again. I have a ticket for her next month that I'll probably use to meet somebody new.
(?) Erii - I had a ticket for Cho but she missed the 3rd slot and none of her other slots were available for oshimashi so I met Erii since I missed her in July. Erii was with 2 members I don't know. I introduced myself and said I liked watching her SR. She's cute and tall. She wears too much makeup.
(5) Ikumin - I don't think she remembered me. I told her I liked her new hair color. She was with Nanase who joked and said it was the same as my hair color.
(5) Yokoyui - I really like Yokoyui but I didn't have anything to say to her so it wasn't a great experience. My fault, naturally. She's friendly and cute. I don't think she remembered me.
(6) Hiichan - I can't remember what I said to her other than introducing myself. She just stared at me so we just stared awkwardly at each other for the remainder of the time.
(6) Kocchan - I saw her when I first met Hama and they were sharing a lane, and she's really pretty. I introduced myself to her and she asked me where I was from. I said I'm American and she said I'm cool. She's really easy going.
(6) Mai - My ticket for her was for slot 8 but I was exhausted so I used it early. I introduced myself and said I watch her on SR. She thanked me. She's really cute but not as engaging as I expected considering her reputation.
(7) Goto Moe - Unremarkable. I introduced myself and said I watch her SR stream. She didn't have anything to say and I had nothing else to say so we stared at each other for a few seconds and then it was time to go.
(7) Miu - Last time wasn't a fluke. For some reason I am 100% incapable of talking to Miu. I tried and failed.
(7) Yuuna - I was nervous about this one because I had had a couple rough slots so far that day. I decided to just ask her to recommend food to eat in Gifu. She got really excited and engaged. Way easier to talk to than Miu.

Well, those are my experiences so far this year. Your own personality plays a pretty big part in how well handshakes go. I have the best time with members who engage me and ask questions and say things themselves. I'm not a super talkative guy even in my native language. I think a lot of girls just assume I can't understand Japanese at all and don't say anything after I've said whatever I planned on saying. My original plan was to work my way through most members, but I may not actually do that as I now see how painful some encounters can be if you don't have something specific to say to each girl and there are only a handful of members that I know well enough to do that with. I'm going to handshakes in October and December so I'll post those experiences, in better detail, after the fact. I'm recording this for myself as much as anything, as writing this up helps me to determine which members I want to make "regulars" as I continue to meet new members.

 

@tuxedo_gin I was interested to read about your encounter with Macharin, exactly her same reaction happened to me. My Chinese is even more limited than my Japanese so for a moment I thought I might have made a mistake but it was soon clear she was just surprised to see a westerner speaking Mando. Still nice to meet her though!

 

this was the most heartwarming story I read in 2018

 

Sailor Moon The Super Live - Musical Note team shonichi

(Kasai Tomomi is Sailor Moon, so it's relevant I swear! ) This report is a more condensed version of my tumblr report, so it's more Chiyuu focussed.

Spoiler

September 7th (first performance, musical note team)
Place: Aiia Theatre
Placement: Row 8, Seat 32 (first row, second block, roughly middle)


Show part
As a quick cast comparison, personally I like this group’s vocals. I haven’t checked but they probably are more musically trained. Chiyuu was an idol for six years or so, and is still continuing her solo career, so it’d kinda make sense if the note team was made of those with a musical background. I did think the vocals were a bit more towards “we’re senshi” side; the heart team was more “we’re teenagers who moonlight as senshi” type vocals (lighter? I guess? Higher pitched?). However, all of the vocals were a lot more stable in this team, with none of the mic issues etc of heart team.

Kasai as Moon was AMAZING! The other Moon stuck to the script, but Kasai kept adding in natural sound? I guess? She made the dialogue flow more, by adding a few extra words or cried more or whatever. It made it seem less like a play, and more real. She definitely got the dreamy side of Usagi down, and she held the confidence of Moon against Beryl, which I adored. She was honestly the perfect Usagi and I’m so glad she was able to have this opportunity. If this is released on dvd (note, no camera at shonichi or tonight, but there was a camera for the last show of heart team), I hope they release a version with her team

The only mistake came from Tuxedo Mask. He couldn’t get the veil into Usagi’s hair. In the end he was like ‘well who cares lmao’ and put it on one of the horses lmaoooo Oops, sorry, another lie. Moon accidentally turned the moon rod on for a brief second. I still think the rod should have been painted so it wasn’t as ugly and it should have been kept on tbh. Overall, it was a flawless performance.

As for the differences in the performance, apart from Usagi being more vocal in the best way’s possible, it was essentially the same show. There was still no dialogue from the leaving students, though Haruna stamped her feet, in what I’m assuming is a “Usgai get your butt out of this classroom NOW” type thing. Shame, because that bit of ‘see you’ ‘oh we have homework’ type thing did the same as Usagi – make it more human and natural.

I’m going to be biased and say my favourite part was when Usagi runs through the audience at the start yelling that she’s late. I currently have blue hair, so I stick out, and I was right where she runs past. When she’s running, she talks to a few audience members. Standing out, she pointed at my necklace.


“Wow! That necklace is cute! How much was it?”
Me: -doing my best goldfish impression because Kasai Tomomi si ridiculously cute in person and talking to me?????-
“WOW! A million dollars?! EXPENSIVE!”

She then ran off, remembering she was late. (All of this was in Japanese.)

So considering she was the reason I came, I more than feel like I got my money’s worth from this show XD


Song part
The crowd was really interesting. A lot of the crowd was male, and there for Tomomi (a lot of female fans were too). However, a lot of the dudes had no idea what Sailor Moon was meant to be about (beside magical girl) so while waiting before the show (which started 15 minutes late? Everyone was getting low key annoyed) and after, waiting for the high touch, a lot of girls were trying to explain to these middle aged business men what the show was about. So shout out to the Sailor Moon community for being cool with new people coming into the fandom, even if it is for just a moment.

High Touch
The line up was Jupiter, Mercury, Mask, Moon, Mars, Venus.

I barely had any time with Jupiter, but she has a pretty smile so who cares. I told her today was great and she was happy with that. Mercury commented that we had the same colour hair so I stan her for life now. She’s so cute! Mask remembered me from the other day~ (I mean, how many blue haired foreigners have come to see the show?? ;; There was a little bit of a hold up, so I was able to hold her hand~ I told her today was amazing and I’d continue to support her, and the returning smile I got killed me.

Tomomi also remembered me! “Oh! It’s you from earlier!” Again, told her it was great and I’d support her. She looks so good as Moon? Like, really natural. I forgot how short she was tho ;; She’s a good 12cm shorter than me lol

Tonight I got Mars as my bookmark thing, so I’m super happy! Overall, this experience was fun! Tonight was an amazing night, and Chiyuu did such a great job as Moon, so I’m sure by closing night she had it seriously nailed. The whole three times were great fun, and I had debated getting a forth ticket. Not only is that slight overkill, but the rest of the shows were only giving goods away, so not worth it. But a great night was had and I’d highly recommend the show. Go see them in France if you can!

 

Sorry for the long delay.. Too busy IRL. Reporting only the JKT/BNK session.

On 9/24 I went to AKB48 handshakes in Makuhari Messe. But, there was something unusual yesterday. Stefi from JKT48 and Mobile from BNK48 had a free handshake session on the 4th session, lane# 85. Both shared a single lane. Unlike the usual shared lane at individual handshake in which you should choose whom you like to shake hand with, this was done in national handshake mode, which you spend few seconds in front of each member. In this particular occasion, they gave you 10 sec (longer than the 3-5 sec at the usual national handshakes) for each of the girls, for free (you still need a valid ticket to enter the venue tho). Some of Japanese JKT48 fans borrowed our tickets to enter the venue (they are JKT48 fans so they don't usually buy AKB handshake ticket).

Before the 4th session started, since the 3rd session, quite a lot of fans formed a 3 fold lines in front of the lane (they couldn't make a queue inside the actual lane since the # 85 lane was Yuiri's lane on the 3rd session, the JKT BNK lane borrowed her lane while she was taking a break). There are some Japanese JKT48 fans handed out flyers about what to say to the girls (the girls couldn't speak Japanese properly, so..). They (or she, yes, a female fans), enthusiastically explained to every incoming fans regarding JKT48 and such.



Because I was relatively free during the 4th session (I only got a member to meet on that particular session), I decided to visit their lane. I went with a fellow Indonesian (that legendary Naachan oshi). She only has a member to see on the 4th session as well, so we decided to go together. Both girls share a single lane. Unlike a normal kobetsu handshake event (which it was one), fans could see both girls (national handshake style), 10 sec for Stefi, 10 sec for Mobile.

First loop:
Stefi>>

My friend went in first and said that both of us came from indonesia.
Me: (Indonesian) Hi. I'm from Indonesia..
Stefi: Thank you. Who is your oshi?
Me: Jurina and Odaeri. Did you talked already with Odaeri? (as Odaeri said she talked with her)
Stefi:... (cannot grasp my word. she didn't seem comfortable with the fast paced handshake event in Japan. The handshake session in Indonesia is much slower paced than this one.)
Me: Bye..

Music>>
I wondered which language should I use to talk to her.. So..
Me: (Japanese) Hi.. I'm from Indonesia..
Mobile: ....
Me: (English) I am from Indonesia..
Mobile: (English) Wow.. Thank you..
Me: Bye..
Mobile: Bye..

I went to Noza's lane using an oshimashi ticket. She asked me whether I met Stefi already or not, and I said yes. Then I went back to Stefi/Mobile lane again.

Second loop:
Stefi>>
This time I was alone, my friend went to another girl.
Me: (Indonesian) Hi again.. I talked to Odaeri recently, she said you were her neighbor during the flight..
Stefi: .... (confused)
Me: ....
Hagashi: (time out)
Me: Bye..
Stefi: (still couldn't grasp the situation.. seemed it was too fast for her.)

Mobile>>
Me: (Japanese) What's your favorite Japanese food?
Mobile: ...
Me: (Japanese, a simple one) Favorite food, what is it?
Mobile: ...
Hagashi: (time out)
Me: bye..

Third loop:
Stefi>>
Me: (Indonesian, repeated my question) Hi again.. I talked to Odaeri recently, she said you were neighbor during the flight..
Stefi: Oh.. I was alone during the flight..
Me: Ah.. I see.. Bye..
Stefi: Bye..
(hence my confusion on Odaeri handshake report)
Read the report here

Mobile>>
Me: (English) What's your favorite food?
Mobile: Food? (confused)
Me: (Japanese) Food..
Mobile: (Japanese, while gesturing a bowl and chopstick) Ahh.. Food..
Me: ...
Hagashi: (time out)
Me: Bye..
Mobile: Bye..

After the 3rd loop, the lane was already closed. By the closing time the queue wasn't that long already. There were still some fans lining up yet the queue was not overflowing.

Conclusion: They were fun for one or two tickets. Language barrier was really the problem. Even with Stefi, whom I can talk in my own language, the fast pace of akb zenshu style handshake confused her so much. She couldn't understand my word, which was in our native language.

 

so you were really the last person before the cut off, that’s lucky!
great review as always, and the girls doing ookami to pride are steffi from jkt48 and mobile from bnk, they are doing a one month transfer, like sayaya in jkt48.

 

10/7 Individual Handshake @ Intex Osaka
This may be the worst venue I've been to for a handshake event. There were three halls spread across 2 floors (1st and 3rd floor) so you had to take two very long escalators to move between floors. One of the halls had food trucks in it, which they've been doing recently and is a good idea, but one of them was doing BBQ meat and the entire hall was full of smoke and the smells got kind of annoying. I felt bad for the members stuck in that hall, and of course their fans who had to spend most of the day there. I forget which groups were in there - two of either SKE, NMB, or HKT. Anyway, fortunately I only had to go in that hall twice. Also, there was no seating anywhere inside the security check at this venue. Some venues have limited seating, some have pretty decent seating available. Being on your feet for 10-11 hours is pretty rough - only choices were go in and out of security all day long and try to find an open bench outside the venue or sit on the ground, which many people were doing.

I was not at my best - I had a rough couple weeks at work and the typhoon threatened to make it impossible for me to go to Osaka. It took me three times longer than it should have (and probably around three times more money, too) to make it to Osaka. So, I was exhausted and off my game, not that I'm the best conversationalist to begin with. This time I went with mostly girls I'd previously met. The only two I met for the first time at this event were Bibian and Hongo Yuzuha

(1) Macharin (2 tickets) - She didn't seem to remember me from July. She was once again super shocked at a white guy speaking Chinese, but she actually talked this time instead of standing in stunned silence the whole time like last time. She was really excited when I said I had studied Chinese in Taiwan, and got even more excited when I said I had lived in Taichung. She said that was her hometown and I said I knew that. She was really, really happy. I think she's genuinely one of the sweetest girls in 48G right now and I'll probably make a point to visit her every time I go to a HS event. She comes off as honestly appreciative of fans and seems just happy to be living the life she's living.

(1) Hama - She remembered me. I told her that her hair is cute and we went back and forth on that. She said I had been coming often recently and thanked me. I love Hama.

(2) Mahoho - I bought a ticket for her because back in July(?) I had seen her from another member's lane while her lane was empty, and she was goofing around. She made eye contact with me and pulled some funny faces and was really cute. So, I got a ticket. I won a signed photo this time around. I don't actually know anything about her and I didn't have enough time to explain why I'd come to see her, plus she's very pretty so I was a bit tongue tied. She asked how long I've been in Japan and when I said a year she acted surprised and said my Japanese was really good. I said it definitely is not good but she insisted that it is. I didn't feel too much of a connection but she's nice, and very pretty, so I may see her again.

(2) Shimizu Maria (3 tickets)- I don't think she remembered me from July, and I honestly was a little disappointed about that. I won two signed photos. She signed faster than most of the other girls I'd seen, so the time went pretty fast. She asked where I was from and why I'm living in Japan. She nodded knowingly when I said I just wanted to live abroad. One of the things I like most about Maria is that she's really casual and genuine. She's cool but not in an intimidating way. She's a real girl next door kind of idol, and doesn't come off as fake at all. I'll get tickets for her again in the future. She's easy to talk to, even for an introvert like me.

(3) Cho - I wiffed this one. Cho is very cute and pretty but is not super personable, so it's a bit awkward. She's sweet, but hard to make any kind of connection since we're both kind of introverted and she probably prefers to just listen at handshakes. I like the members that are really talkative.

(3) Nagi - Don't think she remembered me. I said I always watch her Showroom streams. She thanked me. She asked if Japan was fun and I said it was, and that was the end of my time. Not as good as the first time I'd met her - she was much more talkative then.

(3) Mishima Haruka (STU) - She was sharing a lane with Maiha last month, and Maiha introduced her to me, so I thought I'd give her a try. She definitely didn't recognize me at first, when I said I met her last month with Maiha, but after I introduced myself a bit she suddenly got really excited and kept saying she remembers. She's really cool.

(3) Hana - Saved her for last on this session and her line was insane. It ended up going well over the end of the session and they were rushing people through at around 5-6 seconds each. I greeted her and said her earrings were cute and she said come see her again. She obviously didn't remember me but I'm not surprised with how popular she is and how long it'd been. She's a real pro. Bright, cheerful smile, even when going longer than most of the other members without a break. She's a good girl.

(4) Ogiyuka - I love Ogiyuka. I almost stopped getting tickets for her because I figure it would be near impossible to be remembered by her with how popular she is. I'm glad I saw her again, though. She's so cute and she loves being an idol. I told her that both her center singles are the best. She was really happy. She asked where I'm from and I said America but living in Japan now. She said my Japanese is good and I insisted that it isn't. I left happy. She's cheerful and sweet. I'll probably see her again because I can't imagine having a bad experience in her lane.

(4) Okappa - Okappa is always super cute. For someone that has a reputation as being strange, she's surprisingly easy to talk to. She always has a compliment ready. She's a good girl. She said she remembered me but I'm not 100% sure she did.

(5) Bibian - Finally met her after missing her before when she was in Korea. She's cute and friendly. I'll need to try again. Nothing really special - I miss her trademark hair. I really like her so I hope it'll be more fun if I continue visiting her.

(5) Morishita Maiha (3 tickets) - This is the first time that I've had to press the lottery buttons, so I guess she's getting popular enough to not be an auto-win anymore (or else her lane was busier than usual because her birthday was two days before). I had something I had planned to say to her but in the end I kinda just hung out and watched her sign my two photos. She asked me if I'd had lunch yet (I hadn't) and she said she was hungry. I walked away a little disappointed. She wasn't as cheerful as she normally has been, but I can't blame her cause I was tired and out of it myself.

(6) Zukki - I won a 2 shot with Zukki. I don't think she remembered me since she seemed really surprised that she had a foreigner in her lane. She's like a doll - really pretty and her hair/face are always perfect.

(6) Emiri - Didn't remember me. She changed her hair again so I commented on that. She asked where I'm from. She's really friendly. I'll likely visit her again.

(6) Miu (oshimashi) - I hadn't planned on meeting Miu again, but I wasn't satisfied with how terribly I'd done the previous times I'd met her. But, I had a ticket for Hattsu and decided to try Miu again instead, but both my previous meetings with Hattsu were unbearably awkward. I was able to actually talk to Miu this time, which I'll count as a win. I don't know what it is about her but I find her very intimidating. She's obviously very pretty, but I guess she's not as friendly as some of the other pretty members, so she is kind of hard to talk to. She's a bit cold. I'm not sure her spike in popularity from P48 will help that any.

(6) Hongo Yuzuha - I almost forgot I had this ticket. It was with my slot 7 tickets for some reason and I didn't notice it until the absolute last minute. I made it right as they were closing off the lane, and I'm glad I did. She's very cute and real nice. Didn't have much time to do more but introduce myself. I will definitely visit her again.

(7) Yuiyui - There wasn't much gathering room in front of Yuiyui's lane because there was a wall, so people couldn't line up in an orderly fashion before the lane opened. Turns out Yuiyui fans aren't the kindest bunch. There was some pushing and harsh words and multiple lines tried to fight for position. A fellow Onishi fan was kind enough to let me in front of him. Yuiyui is a really sweet girl. She's a real pro. She remembered me. Besides Maiha and Hama, I think she is the only girl that has always remembered me, which is surprising considering how popular she is. She pointed to my shirt and said "MOMO?" (I was wearing Onishi's shirt from the post-SSK bag - it's a simple and very low-key shirt that just says MOMO and a small symbol across the breast, no other words or images). I told her it was Onishi. Don't know why but I felt a little guilty after that - she obviously would have prefered I was wearing her shirt. I told her that her shirt was really cute (it had cookies with smiley faces on the front) and she got excited and said it was a Country Ma'am shirt and turned around to show me the logo on the back. She's a really good girl. I went to her lane the first time because I figured I should try all the most popular members, but she's converted me. I'm a Yuiyui fan. I'll keep going back.

(7) Nojima Kano - She didn't remember me so she was surprised when I greeted her with 久しぶり. I told her we met about three months ago. She was wearing a beret and her ears were on display (they were hidden by her hair last time). I told her it was cute and she asked if I liked berets. I definitely do.

(7) Yokoyui - Didn't remember me. I really like her but I never have anything to say. I said I watch her showroom and insta, and that she's always very cute. She denied it, of course, but it's the truth. She's a sweet girl. I wish I had more to say to her.

(7) Onishi (3 tickets) - Bad luck at this event. Onishi and Maiha are my two favorite members and both meetings were not as great as previous ones. I saved Onishi for last since she's my kami. She's casual and really easy to talk to, like Maria. I wished her a belated happy birthday. She was happy, and she saw I was wearing her shirt. I told her I bought her photobook and that it's really great. She was being really humble about it, but I insisted that it was good. I won two signed posters so I only got about a second of actual handshake time. Probably would have been better if I hadn't won the posters - conversations are more meaningful when they aren't distracted by writing on photos. So, not our best interaction but she's my girl and I ended the day happy.

All said and done, I won one 2 shot and 7 signed pictures (from 4 different girls). I've been to 5 HS events this year (moved to Japan in May), and I've got one more planned in December - so 6 total.

 

How come you are so lucky with all those wins mate? Which button did you pressed?
I lost all my gimmick session draw in Makuhari I'll write about it later on.

 

Pro tip:

If you are in the Hidaritomo Ayaka lane just smash that Hidari button

https://twitter.com/otanao_ayaking/status/1048921318492528640

 

What Showroom streams?

 

She used to stream

I often just press the third button, but sometimes I just press randomly. I honestly don't think it matters. It's just statistics and luck. I wish I didn't hit multiple wins on the same girl so much. 3 of my 8 wins were doubles. I'd rather have had that luck go to other prizes. I don't need two of the exact same photo signed. Some girls are good and take their time and write a quick different message on each, but most it ends up the same.

 

I went to Nagoya for another concert and decided to stop by the National handshake in Nagoya today. It was my first ever HS event in my life. I was quite anxious before the event and had to ask some of the members here for tips.

Compared to my expectation, everything went smoothly. If you're a girl I suggest to take advantage of all the perks and it will make everything easier.

I went to the venue probably around 11am as I had nothing better to do and I managed to get a great spot for the concert, 2nd row in the girl's section. I could clearly see everyone. It was a pretty surreal experience seeing everyone there. I came for Miu but Yukirin really blew me away during the concert. Every part of her being just screams idol.

For the HS event, I got really lucky. We were asked to line up first and when I went to the HS area, Yukirin's line was still very short I was the 8th one in the line. I lined at the Yukirin's first then Lane 3 - Miu, Okabe and Naru. Everything went by so fast. I used 1 ticket for Yukirin and 5 for Lane 3. I could only use 1 ticket at a time so I went 5 times to Lane 3.

As to the HS impression, lane 3 was Rin - Miu - Naru. I did not have really a lot to say to Rin so I just apologized to her around the 3rd time for having nothing to say. Rin is very charming. I did better with Narumi's. She's so small and cute. I managed to tell her that I got impressed by her performance in that one video I saw and that I wanted to know more about her. I spent most of my time talking to Miu so when I got to Naru I had so little time so that's about the extent of what we talked about. My impression is that despite not having a lot to talk about, both Rin and Naru were very engaging. I understand why they're one of the top sellers. Heck, I am even thinking of going to Naru's again. But I have to know more about her before going back. I managed to talk a lot with Miu although she couldn't really respond as much because everything was so fast and she talks and reacts slower. lol Miu looked so stunning though.

All in all, I think it was great first time HS experience. I got to shake hands with Yukirin so that alone was a great win for me.