Chuo Dori

It has been years since I have “won” shows so close together. I won a ticket to this stage only eight days ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to see another ‘winning’ email in my inbox on Monday. Granted, it was another Cancel Machi, but I am used to that by now.  I always get Cancel Machi, never win outright.  The difference this time was that my Cancel Machi number was significantly higher than the last three I have won. On the other hand, I have been monitoring how high Cancel Machi has gone for this stage lately, and I knew I had a decent shot at getting in anyway.

So I had Cancel Machi #90. Within a couple hours of receiving the email the cancellations had already reached 20, and the morning of the show they had reached 40. In all of my wins, I had never seen the number get that high so early before, so I figured I was good to go. I headed to Akihabara and had some lunch before going to the theater. Downstairs I ran into my friend Caster-san, who is another Wasamin fan. He said “You won?” When I told him I had Cancel Machi #90 he kinda grimaced, but when I told him the pre-cancellations were almost to 50 he said “You will probably get in then.” In fact, I was so confident at that point I stored my backpack in a locker. I got a bit discouraged when a huge crowd of people jammed the ticket queue at the last minute. Would this be my doom?

The cancel machi call started, and the guy just glided through the 50’s and 60’s with no sign of slowing down. When he got close to 80 he began checking his clicker. Well, at this point I figured at least I will get into the “final ten” group that goes in last. But after a few minutes of re-counting the queue, he started back up again. 87, 88, 89…90! Sweet, I made it to the seat lottery! In fact I just made it as the next guy behind me ended up getting the last spot. As for the last chance winners, it went to #109. (And the evening show went all the way to #150, so all cancel machi got in) Let this be another lesson that even a very high cancel machi number can get you into the show. In fact…..

I had ticket #246, which was in the last group. They started calling the seat lottery. #70-79, #180-189, #240-249. We were third called, Score-a-rooni! I breezed through the metal detector and grabbed a seat in the front row, just left of the pillar. For me this is the perfect spot since Ran-chan (Kobayashi Ran) spends most of the show on this side of the stage. In any case, this was my 45th Theater Show, and my fifth time seeing this stage.

The last three times I saw this stage I was on the right side, so I would be getting a vantage point that I hadn’t seen since the first time I saw Idol Chugyou Chu! Kurumin did the Kage-ana, and the overture began. Here are a few thoughts….

Kobayashi Ran: It took Ranchan less than a minute to spot me in the first row, so I was assured of getting a lot of opportunities to play with her over the next couple hours. Don’t get me wrong, she plays with and appeals to everyone in the audience, but pretty much every time she was near me at the very least I got a glance and a smile.

The Units, and Lip-Synch: At one point early in the show I had Taguchi Manaka right in front of me, close enough that I could actually hear her singing. She sounded quite good. It made me wonder how much of this stage is lip-synched. While watching Blue Rose, Kurosu Haruka was in front of me, and Otake Hitomi right next to her. Hitomin looks like she is singing live, but t’s a very loud song, so I wasn’t sure. I am reasonably sure the vocals on Nage Kissu de Uchi Otose are pre-recorded. Shinkirou might be live, but my mind always ‘fades out’ during that song, LOL. The most obvious was Tsundere. Now on one hand I love this performance since the members are all so animated and funny. However, Yasuda Kana is so busy expressing herself, her lip-synching is completely off, like not even close. Plus, Sato Shiori stumbled and almost fell during her line in the first verse, but there was no stumble in the vocals. So that song seems to be completely lip-synched. As for Moeka and Mushi no Ballad, I want to believe she is singing live.

Left Side Appeal: Aside from Ranchan, the MVP of trying to get my attention during this show was Honda Sora. I lost count of how many times I was looking at her and she was staring back and smiling. She was directly in front of me during Sobakasu no Kiss, and I was mimicking her and the hand motions throughout the chorus. Taya Misaki was making faces at me, as was Sato Shiori. In fact, this was the first time I remember Shiori trying to play with me, even a little. On the other hand, Hitomin never really acknowledged me at all, despite her being directly in front of me quite often. On one hand I don’t think she toys with the audience much during the show. However, even in High Wave at the end I didn’t get much of a reaction. My biggest reactions during High Wave were from Yasuda Kana, Inagaki Kaori, and of course Ranchan.

Okada Rina

Newbies: I think this was the second time I have seen Okada Rina perform. The first time I noted how awkward I thought she was. She was a little better today, although she went a bit “gangster” with the way she blew off her opening MC appeal time. She introduced herself, said one short sentence, and was like “That’s it, next…” I think this girl needs some emergency lessons in appealing to fans. On the other hand, I am pretty sure this was the first time I have seen Ishiwata Sena, who is another chibi draft member. She is quite cute, but to be honest I barely noticed her throughout the show.

Since I was in the front row I was one of the first people to go through the ‘high wave’ line. I quickly purchased the Team Photo, grabbed my backpack, and was down the escalator and out. I had a bit of time to kill before I had to head up to Saitama for Wasamin’s furage CD event. So it ended up being a full day. And hopefully this theater win frequency is becoming a trend. As I have said before, I have no luck winning the concerts, but as long as I can see the group in the theater I don’t care. I much prefer the Theater to huge venues.

CK in Tokyo

Wow, my second win in July, I hope this becomes a trend. Moreover, it was my second consecutive “win” where I originally got a low number cancel machi, and there were enough cancellations to turn it into a win before I even left my apartment. I had cancel machi #23, and the cancellation number was at 15 went I went to bed Sunday night. However, it ballooned to 37 by Monday, and ultimately the cancel machi went all the way to #117. So just because a cancel machi number isn’t good, doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get in. Although I do think the fact that Yahagi Moeka cancelled her performance was a factor, the evening show, which was a seitensei, did not go nearly as high. Anyway…

This was my 44th theater show, and my 4th time seeing this stage. I arrived early to grab lunch in Akihabara, and then sat down for coffee across the street at Excelssior Cafe, making it into the theater around 6 minutes before cutoff. I received ticket #165. Middle of my group. We’ll see how lucky this number is. I didn’t bring a backpack to Akiba, so I had to put everything I was carrying into the tray for the metal detector. I put everything in a plastic bag so I wouldn’t waste any time removing my stuff from the tray. The VIPs, women, and enpou all entered the theater. It was time for the seat lottery….

1. 60-69
2. 210-219 (cancel machi peeps always seem to get a good draw)
3. 80-89
4. 230-239 (again cancel machi people)
5. 120-129
6. 180-189 (the guy calling the numbers looked at our lane when he announced this, I thought we were good to go)
7. 160-169 (Score-a-rooni!)

So my group gets called in 7th (well, 6.5 since 230-239 is only 3 people) I wanted to sit somewhere on the left because that is where Ranchan usually hangs out, but as I walked in Junji-san was directing people to the right side, saying it was practically empty. Sure enough, only the first row was filled, the second was empty. So I quickly grabbed the exact same seat I had at the last show, the end seat in the 2nd row, right next to the little side stage. It’s funny though how most people try to get the inside seats in this row, not realizing that the further inside you are the more the pillar blocks your view. Also, this odd fan was sitting in the back row congratulating people who passed him. Not sure what that was about. Eventually it was showtime, Inagaki did the Kage-ana, and the curtain opened.

So normally I focus on individual members for this report. However, aside from my usual interactions with Ranchan, I wanted to see how Hitomin reacted to me since I met her at the handshake event a couple weeks ago. The other interesting aspect of this show was the performance of Mushi no Ballad, since Yahagi was out. I was interested in who was going to sub in for that song, since it is such a powerful solo. In fact, I think the unit section is one of the strongest aspects of this stage. It has a lot of energetic and fun songs, and I think for the most part the members do a great job. I think the members in the Tsundere unit fit the song perfectly, as I have a feeling that all three of them (Yasuda, Sato, Taguchi) are probably all a bit tsundere in real life. Blue Rose has all of the “mature members”. Granted, Shinkirou is my least favorite song of the units, but it does kinda serve as a palate cleanser between the energy of the other four. And Nage Kissu is one of my all-time favorite “cute unit” songs, plus it has Ranchan…

Mushi no Ballad

I’m not sure, but this may have been Taya Misaki’s first ever public performance of this song. Between this stage, an the original K5 Stage which I saw like 8-9 times, I have seen quite a few different members perform it. For the first time out, I thought Tacchan did quite well. She projected nicely, and for the most part stayed on-key, although she did have a bit of trouble when she had to hold a note, her voice would wobble a bit and go flat. Also, she didn’t over-emote, which I though was a good choice given her lack of experience with the song. It seemed as if she mainly focused on singing it well. Ultimately, with a bit of practice I think she could easily iron out the kinks and be a capable second-stringer for Moeka.

Member Notes

Kobayashi Ran: Since I was on the right side, I figured I wouldn’t see much of Ranchan util the second half of the show. To my surprise she was on my side of the stage quite a bit throughout the show. The first time she came over she didn’t notice me, but the second time she locked on to me and gave me a thumbs-up and a big smile. I didn’t react quickly enough, so she did it again. This time I gave her a thumbs-up. From the point forward any time she was right in front of me she locked on to me until she had to dance away. Also, in one of the late MCs the members were talking about their Janken units, and Ranchan was the only one on stage at the time who hadn’t yet submitted a Janken entry. Everyone was worried about her, so I am glad to read that she now has a 2-member unit with Shimoguchi Hinana.

Hitomin, with Kaori and Saori

Otake Hitomi: Since I met her at the handshake event a couple weeks ago, I wanted to see if I could get some good reactions from her during the show. Unfortunately, Hitomin doesn’t really interact much with the audience during the performance, instead focusing on the performance itself. So she never really reacted to me at all until the very end, where she finally spotted me and waved. I think she is one of the strongest performers in this group. Both she at Sorachan make a great duo. Speaking of which…

Honda Sora: There is just something about this girl, she looks like she would fit perfect in the original SDN48. I’m trying to figure out who in that group she reminds me of, but quite a few members come to mind. She is definitely the most “mature” of the draftees. She is definitely one to watch.

Shiori

Sato Shiori: Ya know, the last time I saw this stage she wasn’t in the cast, and I really missed seeing her. I find myself quite often focusing on her during MCs, since her reactions to the other members are often very funny. She is definitely from the “Tani” school of idols, which I usually like. Plus, she just relished her role in Tsundere. She is the next draftee I want to try and meet. I think she would be a fun handshake experience.

Kyoka

Tada Kyoka: Another group comedienne. Like Yasuda Kana, Kyoka is always looking for audience members to flirt/fish/interact with. I fact, at one point she was right above me on the side stage, and I was watching the way she expresses her self with her eyes.

Saito Haruna: I’m not sure, but I don’t remember seeing her perform this stage before. So this is the 3rd Gen Draftees with the “cute and shy” chara. From the looks of it, she has the potential of being extremely popular. Although during the first MC she said something to the effect of wanting to shed the her current “chara” and be a bit more well-rounded. We’ll see how that goes…

High “Wave”

There were three members I wanted to be sure and interact with, so I scouted where they were beforehand. Hitomin was in the middle, and Inagaki and Ranchan were at the far end, almost next to each other. Hmmm. As I made it down the line I finally got the reaction from Hitomin I was looking for. I also got big reactions from Kyoka and Tacchan. When I got to Kaori-chan, I slowed down enough and just blurted out her Janken unit name (Orenai Kokoro) I wished I had time to tell her why I like her unit so much (she is teamed with Yukachan) but just saying the name got a good reaction. Unfortunately that interaction almost got me pushed passed Ranchan, but I slowed up enough to smile a call out her name the way I do during the show. As I looked back Kurosu Haruka was still looking at me and smiling.

Ranchan and Kurosu

And with that I quickly purchased the commemorative photopack, and scurried down the escalator before the lobby got too crowded. Since I don’t have any AKB handshake tickets for a while, I hope I can win more of these shows as I love interacting with the new members. I am starting to like the draftees as much as I like 16th gen. With this stage, I get a bit of both.

CK in Tokyo

 
Lanterns line the outside of the UDX building behind the Donki, bringing a very festive atmosphere to Akiba

Things are beginning to look up, ticket center-wise. It had been slightly more than two weeks since my last cancel machi (and eventual theater win) for AKB’s Idol Chugyou Chuu! stage, and after waking up Wednesday morning I saw the email that had again won cancel machi for Friday Night.  It was a great number. (#6) With a cancel machi number that low, I would undoubtedly win. In fact, when I checked my ticket center account, it already said that I had won the show, which meant at least six people had cancelled overnight. Yatta! This was going to be my 43rd Theater Show!

So of course I was excited to be seeing Ranchan again. I just hoped that I would get a good draw in to the theater so I was close to the stage. Fast-forward to Friday; I headed over to Akihabara in the mid-afternoon after sweating (both literally and figuratively) my way through three Kanji tests. My brain felt like jelly, so I looked forward to blowing off some steam in the theater. But first I headed over to The Hub for a couple of pre-show cocktails. Eventually I made it over to the theater. I was kinda hoping to get a high lottery number, since I have noticed the times I have been in the theater that the high numbers are often called early. I mean it is supposed to be completely random, but personally when I get a good draw-in, it is often with a high number. The theater wasn’t very crowded at all, so I stored my backpack, and eventually queued up to buy my ticket. I had ticket #121, which meant when my group was called I would be the 2nd person in.

They also had some sort of special event in the lobby, where Inagaki, Yasuda, and  Suzuki Kurumi came out and did a Dare ka no Tame ni donation collection with the fans. I was a bit out of position, so I didn’t get to participate, but everyone cheered for them. It all took about a minute or two. Eventually it was time to call the lottery for seat draw…

1st: 10-19 (Wow, the early birds got one for a change!)
2nd-4th: 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 (Again wow, right in a row, and again the earlier arriving fans)
5th-6th: 230-239, 210-219 (Cancel machi peeps get a good draw)
7th: 130-139 (Damn, just missed!)
8th: 120-129 (Yatta, not bad!)

Okay, I should at least be able to get a seat. How good a seat though? It didn’t help that I set off the metal detector for some inexplicable reason, which slightly delayed my entrance. I wanted to be on the left side of the stage, but that section was beginning to fill up. I wasn’t sure, but the right side seemed relatively empty, so I walked to the other side. Sure enough, only the first row was taken on the right, so I headed over to the second row. First I took the inside seat, but it was next to the pillar, and blocked half the stage, so I moved to the far end of the row, next to that little side stage the girls sometimes dance on. It was further from the center, but a much better view. I brought a lightstick for a change, so I was ready to go. Eventually we heard the Kage-ana, and the overture, it was showtime!

Per usual, since most of you are fairly well-versed in the stage setlists and such, I will focus on my impression of the members. Obviously my focus will be on Ranchan. But I have cultivated a bit of familiarity with many of the 16th gen girls in this show, and there are a couple other draftees I kinda like too, and since Ranchan was going to be on the opposite side of the stage for a lot of the show, I could focus on other members for a bit. So let’s start with….

Members who fished me:

Tada Kyoka: I had never really noticed her before, but I got a closeup view of her last week at the handshake event since her lane was next to Zunchan. She always has a big smile on her face and is often ‘working’ the audience members. She looked at me quite often during the show, and more than once mimicked my response. She’s really not my type of idol, but I gotta give her points for the effort.

Yasuda Kana & Inagaki Kaori: I have been interacting with these two for quite a while now, and Kana is always scanning the audience for who she can fish, she is super-energetic and genki. I have to give her credit for being one of the most dynamic girls on the stage. Inagaki, kinda like Suzuki Kurumi, has really blossomed since I started seeing both of them in the ‘Let’s Go Kenkyuusei’ stage. I am also amazed how popular she is. Inagaki easily gets the loudest reactions throughout the show. Speaking of reactions…

Member who made a big impression…on somebody

Taguchi Manaka: I didn’t even see her name on the performance roster, but she was there, and it seems like she gets at least close to center position on many of the songs. She was also getting great audience reactions. She seems to be a good singer, but I have personally never been drawn to her. She also does an amazing job centering Tsundere!

Draftees who I came away with a great impression of (Besides Ranchan)

Otake Hitomi: Okay, I have to admit, I find this girl totally hawt. Adorable face, nice figure, great energy and dancing on the stage. She is a lot of fun to watch. I found myself suddenly really wanting to meet her at a handshake event. There is just something about her face, she looks mature and cutesy-kawaii at the same time. Just my type, sexy and cute. And, she has a husky voice. Love it!

Honda Sora: So yeah, I have been talking up both Hitomi and Sora since the first time I saw the draftees perform, and I have had the same impression each time. Both of them are really cute, and have great stage presence and energy. I actually expect good things from both of them in AKB’s future.

Katsumata Saori: This is the first time I had ever noticed her, but she was in front of me quite often during the show, and I found myself drawn to her stage presence more than once.  She reminds me a bit of HKT48’s Yamamoto Mao.

And then there’s…

Kobayashi Ran (Ran-chan!) I was there to root for Ranchan, but could only get a peripheral look at her for the first half of the show. She slid over to my side a couple times, but only briefly, and our eyes didn’t meet. It wasn’t until Saishuu Bell ga Naru that our eyes finally met, and she locked onto me for a good 5 seconds or so. It was awesome, totally focused on me. From that point forward, she would find me whenever she slid over to my side of the stage. A nice setup for when I meet up with her at the handshake event next weekend.

Notes on other members…

I am used to getting fished by Taya Misaki, but she left me alone for the most part, despite being in front of me for much of the show. Yahagi Moeka did not get as big an ovation as I am used to her getting, and I noticed she fiddles around with her outfit a lot when the MCs aren’t focused on her. But per usual, her singing is top notch. This was the first time I had seen Okada Rina, and she seemed like she wasn’t too comfortable on stage. In fact, her introduction MC was one of the shortest I have ever seen. Oddly enough, she sorta reminds me of a young Meetan.

I wasn’t in the front row, and I wasn’t in the center, but 2nd row far right does have its perks. Probably the biggest is when the girls go to the side stage. At that point my seat becomes temporarily a front-row seat. This is particularly evident during Shinkirou, where Inagaki did her first verse just a couple meters away from me. But the members also dance on the side during Kanojo ni Naremasuka and Sobukasu no Kiss, so I was in a great position for that. I also want to echo what @Riina said a couple weeks ago. The black, red, and silver outfits the members wear for RIVER are awesome!

Eventually the show ended, and it was time for “High Wave,” as I like to call it. I get the usual enthusiastic, and sometimes English greetings. I also tried to make a connection with Hitomi, but I blew past her fairly quickly. I was really waiting to get to Ranchan, who was second from the end. Of course it was my best reaction, and we are really connecting now that she has seen me at three shows and multiple handshake events. I feel sorry for Tacchan though, who was at the end. I was so focused on Ran, that I pretty much ignored her. Oh well.

I headed out to buy the Group pic, and it wasn’t until I got home that I saw the inside has little messages from all the performing members. Another really nice touch, which to me has become an essential part of the theater experience. I am developing a small collection of those Team Picture booklets.

My next scheduled 48-group events are the Teacher Teacher handshake event next weekend, and then HKT’s handshake event in early August. I also have an application in for the #17-#100 SSK thank you concert at Yokohama Arena. We’ll see how good my luck is on that one. In the meantime, this will be a busy weekend as I am seeing both Wasamin and Minyo Girls. Should be a lot of fun.

CK in Tokyo

I originally didn’t plan to attend this event, instead opting for the May and July Jabaja events at Makuhari. However, for some reason Kaotan is not participating in the July event, which kinda left me in a quandary since she is one of my top handshake members. I ultimately decided to go to both June and July, just with fewer tickets. I am glad I made that decision too, as they announced this week that they would be selling some Sousenkyo goods at the event, including the little poster pin badges.

Getting the badges was high on my priority list, but I didn’t really plan it properly arriving at Pacifico 10 minutes before the opening of Slot 2, and my first two tickets. I checked the goods queue. It wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t short either by any means. I could’ve opted to come back later when I had more time, but last year I did that and when I finally got around to getting goods Akiyoshi was sold out. I decided to tough it out, at worst it would cause me to lose out on one of my Slot 2 tickets. Finally, 45 minutes later I made it to the front of the line and got what I wanted.

I affixed each one to my two ticket holders, and I was off to do handshakes…

Slot 2

Matsumura Kaori (Lane 53) Kaotan with a morning slot? That’s unusual. Her line wasn’t very long, so maybe I could make it to my second ticket. The big gimmick of the day were these resumes the members wrote. And honestly, they were the most WTF “prize” I think they have ever offered. The members essentially autographed and wrote a message on a photocopy of the resume, which was like 17×11 and then put into a large envelope. And yes, I won the prize. So I was getting her signed resume…

I told Kaotan that I was watching the video on her Twitter feed, and got worried for a moment. She asked “Why, because everyone was crying?” Yes, and then I explained that somebody in the comments wrote “Kaotan is graduating?” She immediately responded “NAI NAI NAI!!!” She finally asked if I voted for her. I anticipated this question, and didn’t want to be a liar. So I answered. “YES! I voted for you!” What I didn’t tell her was that it was once. (I split my two fan club votes, one each for Kaotan and Yukachan) She made a comment as she handed me the resume about my not being able to read it, but I said I would do my best, especially since I am now taking a Kanji class. She asked if I could read kana, and then I told her I could read some kanji too.

So I was done, and there was still five minutes before gates closed. I was considering doing oshi-mashi with my second ticket, and the member I was considering was in the next lane over. I decided to check which lane might be smaller. Whaddya know, both of them were practically empty.

Yamauchi Mizuki (Lane 103) <oshi-mashi> I have met Zukky a few times now, but I feel I am really beginning to click with her, and I wanted to keep that momentum. Meanwhile, the ticket I gave up was for Komiyama Haruka, who I have never done a handshake with before. Though I do have another ticket for Komiharu coming up, so not the biggest tragedy.

Like I mentioned, Zukky’s line was empty and she waved to me as I was checking in. It was a quick handshake. I admitted to her that it was an oshi-mashi ticket, but I really wanted to see her today. She seemed satisfied with that. I mentioned I have a proper ticket for next event too. Ya know, the great thing about Zukky is that she is kinda shy and reserved, almost like she doesn’t know she’s an idol.

During the break between the slots I was roaming down the outside hall to see if there were any birthday cards I wanted to sign. I thought about signing Orin’s, but never got around to it. When I got to the far end, the Ricopi committee caught me eyeing their booth. Smelling blood, the grabbed me and brought me over. I explained to them that I do know Ricopi, and have met her multiple times. I also happened to have a ticket for her today. They tried to hustle me for a vote or two, but I explained any vote I have will be going to Akiyoshi (or Kaotan) I exchanged Twiiter handles with them and was on my way. They said they looked forward to seeing me in the queue. BTW, here is the cover of a flyer they gave me (more pages of it toward the bottom of the post)

Slot 3

Fuchigami Mai (Lane 3) Since Tomonaga Mio was again out for this event, Maichan was my only Slot 3 ticket. I waited until the slot was half over before heading back in, and Maichan’s line was fairly short. I didn’t win the 1-shot video prize, but I think I already have a couple of those with her. In any case, when it was my turn I congratulated her on the preliminary SSK result, and told her I would be really happy if she made Senbatsu this year. Of course she pointed out that I could help her out with that too, LOL. Anyway, she said she would work hard for it.

After that I took a look at the two “walls” they had built in the Hall. On the far right side of the hall were the election posters, with the members campaign promises. On the far left side were all the members’ resumes, so you could see them whether you won or lost. I took a few pics, and then decided to pre-queue for the line I thought might be the most troublesome since I had three tickets for three different members in the next slot…

Slot 4

Yamane Suzuha (Lane 108) By pre-queueing I managed to be second in line. Since they let us in 10 minutes early, I had some time to 1) read some of Zunchan’s signs that she posts all over her lane, and 2) get a firsthand look at the insanity going on in the lane next door. More on that in a moment. In the meantime Zunchan came bouncing into the lane with her cards for signing, which by the way I didn’t win, nor did the fans in front of me and behind me. When it was my turn I mentioned to her again that I enjoy reading her signs, as it is good Japanese practice for me. She puts so much effort into them too. Then I mentioned her “Majime” face on her poster. She asked how I liked at, and I said “Kawaii!” And with that I was off to the far opposite side of the hall for me second ticket…

I mentioned the lane next door, which was probably one of the craziest lanes I witnessed all day. It belonged to none other that Yahagi Moeka. Her line was gigantic. In fact, after they closed it I saw a couple of people wait for the guards not to be looking and jumped the rope into the queue. People had stacks of tickets they were using to oshi-mashi for her. Oh, and watching her with fans, WOW! Talk about Kami-Taiyou. She gets so close to the fans while talking it is almost like she is about to give them a kiss. Seriously, she gets her face inches away. So yeah, I am starting to get part of her appeal. Not that I want to deal with that queue, but the first time I met her she did come across as a fisher, so not totally surprising…

Akiyoshi Yuka (Lane 4) Finally getting to see Yukachan. However, when I entered the queue she wasn’t there. Instead Fukagawa Maiko was in her lane signing a HUGE stack of autographed resumes for a fan. It took over five minutes from when I arrived. I’m not sure who long they had been there already. I wasn’t worried as I was 6th in line and still had plenty of time for my third ticket. Oh, and I won the prize. It was a choice of selfie or video. This time I chose the video, and I saw a cute little phrase that I thought would be a lot of fun. In fact, when Yuka-chan read it she giggled…

Looks like I have a dinner date! Meanwhile I congratulated her on her preliminary result and told her that I hadn’t yet voted, so she had more votes coming from me. She thanked me as I told her I would be back in a bit.

Kobayashi Ran (Lane 92) <oshi-mashi> I actually planned to use my Mio ticket here, regardless of whether or not Mio was at the event. I waited five minutes for the half-hour mark to pass, and then entered the lane. Actually, quite a few people jumped into her queue at that point, so she is already starting to cultivate a following, Yatta!

She was wearing cute little cat ears, so I came in saying “Neko-Ranchan!!!” She immediately exclaimed, “You came back a second time!” Yes I did, and I told her that I bought some Ranchan tickets for the Teacher Teacher single too, so I would be seeing a lot more of her. Meanwhile, the guards were trying to hastily push me out, and she was desperately holding onto both my hands. Finally she let go. I asked if I get a business card. She said she couldn’t give me one if I was oshi-mashi. Ahhhh? So I guess when I got one last week it was totally by accident. Well, lucky me I guess.

I had an hour until Slot 5. I decided to go back to the goods booth just to see if either Kaotan or Yukachan had sold out of the badges. Neither of them had, and there was barely a queue. I guess I could have waited after all. The same couldn’t be said for the AKB48 Cafe. I was wondering why they had such a huge line, and it was because they were giving away the SSK poster-coasters with drink purchases. In the meantime I ran into my friend Nori, shortly before both of us headed back inside.

Slot 5

Akiyoshi Yuka (Lane 4) Again I pre-queued since this was my last slot of the day and I wanted to get home early. I was second in line. (There’s a guy who insists on being first in line for every Yukachan slot. In fact he queues up over an hour in advance to claim it) In the meantime I won the resume prize. When it was my turn I noticed I actually had a choice of three different items to be signed. Two were resumes, and the third was a big card. I chose one of the resumes since it looked like she worked hard on it, although to be honest her writing is quite sloppy, LOL.

She also signed the envelope

I had forgotten before, but I wanted to tell her how cute I thought all those “Calcium NOW” tweets were that she made while she was nursing her injured foot. I also called her “Hidarikiki.” Yukachan knows I am also “Hidarikiki” and asked me how to say it in English. At first I rattled off “Left-Handed” quite fast, and I don’t think she got it. But when I said it slowly she still had trouble with the “ed” part at the end. She understood “Left” and “Hand,” but that last part really threw her off, LOL. I got another “I love you so much” at the very end, which always melts my heart, and I said I would see her soon.

Sakaguchi Riko (Lane 18) I headed over to Ricopi’s queue, and was immediately greeted by a couple of her fans who saw me at her seitensei booth. When I entered the lane I didn’t notice who was in the next booth over. It was Bibian. She got a good look at me too. She didn’t smile, or wave. Perhaps she was wondering why I haven’t been in her lane to visit lately. To Ricopi’s right was Ogiyuka’s booth, and it was fun watching her be super-genki with everyone. In the meantime, I ran into another Wasamin fan in the queue. It happened to be one of the guys who also won the duet with Wasamin at her Karaoke Party yesterday. (The Temodemo guy) Funny coincidence, especially since I specifically mentioned him in my post about that experience. And we both agreed that it was awesome to sing with Wasamin. Anyway, back to Ricopi…

“Kurisu! Long time-no see!” Actually, I did see her at the 2-shot event, so not that long ago. I told her that I made friends with some of her birthday committee members today. “You did???” And then I told her that I loved her poster, and it was like a cross between E.T. and Die Hard. She immediately laughed. E.T. Yes it is!!! I was halfway out of the lane at that point. I wished her the best and was on my way. And btw, more pics from the Ricopi flyer I was given…

I still had a lot of Japanese homework to do, so I headed home. AND, I found a quicker route home that Hyperdia (an online guide to Japan’s rail system) has never given me. It was slightly cheaper too. What the heck? In the meantime, I don’t think I have any 48-group related stuff on my schedule until July (my last Jabaja event) So this will be a little 48-group vacation, unless I win some theater show. I do have some Wasamin (and Minyo Girls) events coming up in two weeks, so I am looking forward to that.

CK in Tokyo