Japan 25-29 Oct 2014 Day 3

Day 3

On this day I try to squeeze a little sight-seeing in between my Wota Adventures. Sendai is just 25min away from Matsushima. Said to be one of the 3 most Beautiful Scenarios in Japan. The train ride is only 400yen so I thought, why not? Turns out, my train journey there ended up being 1 hour because the 25min is only for express trains. Just my luck that on that Lazy Monday Morning, there were no express trains.

My impression of Matsushima is that it is a small but extremely touristy seaside village. Lot of people from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Westerners (I can't tell the difference between Westerners) and also many Local Tourist.

A gorgrous day

 Upon reaching, I felt a little lost because there was too many things to see. Due to limited time, I opted for a 50min Ferry Ride(1500yen) to see the Landforms around the Bay Area. I would actually recommend this to people with a little more time, like maybe a whole day at Matsushima. So this was not the best choice I could have made. 

 Anyhow, I do enjoy the Ferry Ride. There are 2 Levels on the Sight-Seeing Boat "Ninomaru". The first level is for normal ticket holders and the 2nd level is for Green Ticket Holders. When I bought the ticket, there no indication that there was to be a first class "Cabin", but upon stepping on the boat, I realize that first level of the boat is so packed that it would be impossible to see anything. So I immediately bought the Green Ticket(600yen) and went to the upper floor where it is much roomier. No regrets there.

The whole area reminded me greatly of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam which I had just visited. This is more submerged than Ha Long Bay though. And Ha Long bay has more Greenery on the Islets as well which made for nice stops. 

This is the Guardian of Matsushima Bay. When Godzilla comes to wreck havoc on Japan, he will rise up and defeat the beast with Lasers shooting from this eyes

 There are names and explanations of all the little islands around the Bay Area in English and Japanese. Matsushima was the strong hold of Warlord Date Masamune, if you are a Japanese History buff, you might get many of the significant events. The only Date Masamune I know is from the anime "Sengoku Basara", so once again as the saying goes, "In one ear, Out the other". 

It is very windy and slightly chilly on the boat. But the weather is really perfect. I think its because Maimi has left Sendai

There is still a little time for me to explore when I disembark from "Ninomaru" I visit a nearby Island, peek at a busy looking Shrine and walk the shops.

 A bridge linking one of the islets to the Shore 

Mission Accomplished: Selfie at Matsushima Bay

I have to catch my highway bus back to Tokyo at around 12 so I regretfully leave the place. I wish I had a little more time here, but I won't be coming back. It is a little too touristy for my liking.

The bus journey is supposed to take 5.5hours. However, there is a jam on the highway (AGAIN!) and it is delayed by 1 hour. I reach Tokyo at 6.30pm instead of 5.30pm. My event at Shibuya has already started. I previously had a bad experience trying to find live houses in Shibuya so I was all prepared to get lost. Surprisingly, I find the Live House (Shibuya Glad) without incident. Thanks to the very well down Map on their Website.

Managed to google up a Picture Reference of the Live House from the Stage point of View. A very effective layout. Why can't more live houses be like this?

The layout of this live house is very friendly. The floor area can fit about 100 people. Then there are 2/3 Step Terrace standing area for the not-so-brave, This terraces are very tall so if you stand there it is very easy to see the performer. I love this place instantly.

18:55～19:20 椎名ぴかりん

When I enter Pikarin is already performing. She sings live and dances so awkwardly. She is very very cute though, so I will forgive her. At least she tries unlike some other idols.

There is a group of young girls (JK) standing right in front of the stage wearing very Fashionable clothing and cute hair. I suppose they are fans of her Modelling

Before she starts Toroamachu, everyone on ground level kneels down. This is very comical

19:20～19:45 寺嶋由芙 

Terashima Yufu. I did some research on her before coming so I thought I knew what to expect. Her songs have a little country style pop in it. In real life it is not as boring as I thought it would be, and she has her own mix. She has a good voice too.

She mentioned that Mainya, Kikka and her have a Line Group chat (Which they rarely use anyway).

Googled out a picture of her wearing Fuasshi Theme. FTS I WANT THAT TOO!

19:45～20:10 小桃音まい

I was very keen on seeing Mainya in real life for the first time. When I watched her videos on youtube, I was kind of skeptical that she sings live because it sounds a little too good to be true. She really does sing live, but with a soft backing vocal track. Her voice is very thin though so I think that even if she goes off key it is not very noticeable. Her songs are completely IDOL-like songs. She is so comfortable on stage and it is really a pleasure to watch her perform.

I love her songs. Her live is also very interactive as she gets the Wota to participate during the Marching Parts. Many of the Kikka fans around also actively participate in her performance.

I am very impressed. I would love to see her again.

After the whole thing I take a cheki with her. The first thing she said to me was "Hajimemashite" Its 

such a simple thing to say yet only less popular idols can say this because they probably can remember every single person they handshake with. Even such its nice to hear such a thing, and is really one of those words I hear that make me wan to take to her more.

I tell her Im from Singapore and I like her songs. 

My Gosh she is so tiny in real life. She doesn't look small at all on stage  

20:10～20:35吉川友(※握手会＝20:35～) 

When Mainya leaves the stage all the Kikka wota rush to the front. Im standing in 2nd row wearing my Kikka T shirt. But the Ojisan in front of me insists for me to stand in front. I'm not too sure whether its because I am a girl or because he wasn't wearing Kikka T. Probably both.

I am real happy to stand in front. Because its a live house, she is SO NEAR. Such an awesome live from Kikka. She didn't have any problems with her mic this time so her singing is great. As she is already the 2nd last performer and having to perform AFTER Mainya is very good for her too. The audience is so pumped up. She sings my All Time FAV Kikka song "Zutto Zutto Zutto Kimi ga Suki da"

I am right in front so we make eye contact at least 10 times. Lol!

She tells us that she will get busy with her Stage plays in the coming months so she won't be having lives during that period. She also speaks about why she likes being a soloist (Since this is a Soloist event)

After her live, there is supposed to be a handshake session, but since all the performances ran late, she had to rush off for her SHOWROOM streaming at 10pm. I was sad that I couldn't speak to her to tell her what a good job she did. I am sure she gained some new fans from this event. This is the kind of event that Kikka really shines and outdo her competitors. 

20:35～21:00 小池美由

This is a crazy idol. I generally don't like to diss idols because I like being diplomatic. But this idol is really not my type. 

When she says "OK! The next song is gonna be my last song!" NORMALLY the audience gots "EEEEEH" but for Koike Miyu, the wota are well trained and all say "YAYYYYY" Best part ever.

I love Soloist idols, and I have come up with a couple of reasons why they are superior to other idols

Reasons Why Soloist are the best Idosl 

1. Their fans are the nicest people ever. No rivalry within the fanbase
2. Their MC is great. They have to entertain all by themselves
3. They are very "Strong" people. They have no one to rely on but themselves
4. Their Dancing and Singing skills have to be a notch higher than others. Having the stage all to themselves, there is no chance for other members to "distract" you from their lacking in abilities

The very purpose of having a Idol Group is to have diversity. Some members can be good at a certain thing and bad in certain things. It makes things interesting. Because Soloists don't have this, they have to be good at everything. If they make a mistake, there is no one else to cover it up. All the attention is focused on them

They are very attuned to the wota because their MC is very dependent on it. Whereas Idol Groups tend to talk among themselves during MC and ignore the Wota. Soloists can't do this, thus their MC skills and ability to think on the spot and react to the Wota is at a different level than most Idols in Groups.

For these reasons, Soloists have my greatest respect. Well, Kikka that is. She is the best Soloist in the industry at this point.

My Dinner at Royal Host. At 11pm, you can hardly call it dinner.

By the time the live ends, it is about 11pm. In Shibuya at that timing, it feels really dodgy. I go to Royal Host to have my dinner and then head to Ikebukuro to look for my hotel.

Japan 25-29 Oct 2014 Day 2

Day 2

Today is C-ute day! And Kikka day, but then again, everyday is Kikka day.

My breakfast

I sleep in a little and around noon I head back to the Tower Records I was at the day before. Kikka is there in her Samba outfit again. She wears this literally everyday. I wonder how she washes it actually cause its so fiddly.

She performs a few songs. And also one of her earlier songs "To Be..." which is a extremely underrated Kikka Song. (To be fair, I think all Kikka songs are underrated). And "Twinkle Days", a Vocaloid song from her album "Vocalist". This song is so difficult to sing as it has many falsetto parts. Not your usual Idol fare. Kikka has a little trouble with this. But I'm so in love with this song that I couldn't less.

And of course her 2 new single songs.

After I go back to Singapore, she starts using a new Outfit (ABOUT TIME! She was using the outfit since Summer! Obviously not a very suitable outfit in Winter) Her new outfit is as a "Hunter" with lots of black and white feathers. A really outrageous looking thing if you ask me, not unlike her Samba outfit. Coincidentally, Hunting in Japanese is also pronounced as (Kari) (狩). Just riding on UUG's wave up, not a bad plan.

During MC, she asks everyone if they know what Local Specialty Food she ate in Sendai. Since the most popular Local Speciality in Sendai is Gyuu Tongue, everyone mumbles "Gyuu Tongue". But Kikka proclaims proudly "No~!" She ate some Mochi thingy.

Also she asks the wota, who is seeing me for the first time? This is a fairly common question for Idols to ask, but not common for wota to answer truthfully. Coincidentally, all the people who raise their hand were standing on 1 side of the area by the CD Shelf, presumably so that they can make a quick exit. So Kikka says "I see~ This is the new people corner then". Kikka never fails to entertain.

I buy a handshake again knowing I won't be collecting the CD.

Kikka "Thank you very much"
Me " Do you recognize me?"
Kikka "Yeah I remember your face."
Me "I'm from Singapore!"
Kikka "Oh Yeah, Singapore!"
Me "Do know where that is?"
Kikka "Yeah... My geography is not that good but I think I know where it is"
(I can tell she is just trying to smoke me, I'm pretty sure she has no clue)
Me "Its where the Merlion comes from!"
Kikka "..? OH the thing that spits out water...?!"
Me " YEAH!!"
Kikka " Does it also have gold stuff? Cause I always imagine that lions spitting out water in gold and stuff"
Me "????"
Manager "That's wrong."

At this point I am laughing already, not just at Kikka's fail but also at the Manager's very tact put down of Kikka.

"Bye Bye~"

Awesome stuff

Now I go to C-ute!

I am taking everything from 2CH for reference cause I don't remember the exact details, just the rough story

セットリスト
OA テーブル席空いててもカウンター席／ハロプロ研修生　※1
01. The Power (BD：曲途中から研修生全員)
02. 愛ってもっと斬新
MC
03. ジュリエットジュリエット (BD：アウトロで浜浦加賀)
04. 「大好き」の意味を教えて!
05. ひとり占めしたかっただけなのに
06. FARAWAY
07. 【チャレンジアクト】
08. ベーグルにハム&チーズ (BD：研修生全員)　※2
09. YES! しあわせ
10. 誰にも内緒の恋しているの
MC【モンスターなエピソード】
11. 【ソロメドレー回替わりシャッフル】
12. Big dreams
13. 最高級のエンジョイGIRLS／中島岡井萩原
14. ディスコ クイーン／矢島鈴木
15. Midnight Temptation　※3
16. 最高ミュージック
17. Love take it all
18. 世界一HAPPYな女の子／鈴木萩原 (BD：浜浦小川加賀)
19. 都会の一人暮らし／矢島中島岡井 (BD：浜浦小川加賀岸本)
20. 都会っ子 純情（2012神聖なるVer.）
21. 悲しきヘブン (Single Version)
22. Kiss me 愛してる
23. Danceでバコーン! (BD：研修生全員)
ENCORE
24. まっさらブルージーンズ（2012神聖なるVer.）
MC
25. SHINES (BD：研修生全員)

I bought this C-ute Pen Light

I am sad that they didn't perform Iza Susume Ready Go as it is one of my fav encore songs. Instead they sang SHINES, which is great as well, just not as good.

One of the songs that left a great impression on me is "FARAWAY". I have not heard this song before as it was a B-Side to one of their earlier singles. This song awesomely showcases their singing. I do hope they sing it again.

Setlist wise, not great... Because they haven't had a new album since Sep 2013, they sing mostly recent singles and OLD album/b-sides. Also, there is no REAL concept for this Tour. The concept is supposedly "Monster" and Halloween-centric but they hardly do anything related to this topic. They do some acrobatic stunts, I know that Nakky injured her Head while practicing this, but on stage it really isn't that impressive like the Flag Dance or the Treasure Hunting thingy.

I really do wish that Up Front will give them a new Album. I know that Tsunku is not well, but this timing is so critical for C-ute's future success in the coming 1-2 years.

元気くん→舞美
手毬唄→中島
都会のネオン→愛理
雨→まいまい
輝け放課後→千聖

They take turns to sing each other's song. Maimi sings Yuke Genk Kun (MaiMai's Solo Song) which I have been tortured over and over by MaiMai's singing. I guess this is what they call Karma. Nakky does a terrible job at trying to sing Airi's, (laughs) I don't blame her, that song is too difficult.

MC Monster Episodes

MaiMai talks about her taxi experiences:
1. Ojisan Taxi Driver says MaiMai is cute as asks her if she is a Model.
2. MaiMai asks the Ojisan Taxi Driver to turn back halfway as she has forgotten something. Ojisan Taxi Driver does so without complaint and says "We must go back to get that Import Item" MaiMai spazzes over how cute said Ojisan Taxi Driver is

Nakky overslept. She woke up at the timing that she is supposed to be at the Shinkansen Station. Manager calls her and tells her if she doesn't reach by T-time, she won't make it for the Aomori Shock On event (At Aomori duh). Nakky gets ready in a shockingly short time (5 min, Chisato says thats impossible and it should be closer to 10 mins) and has her parents sent her to the station. On the way to the station, she searches the internet (Our equivalent of Yahoo!Answer) for the quickest way from Platform X to Platform Y. And viola! Someone has asked the same question before. She uses the route recommended and gets on the Shinkansen just in time. BRAVO JAPANESE INTERNET USERS

At the very end, Maimi cues the whole of C-ute to say “C-ute deshita!” but instead she says “Arigatou Gozaimashita”. People, this is the future leader of H!P

In between the Afternoon and Evening concerts, I go to a nearby Shopping Mall to eat my dinner.

Mentaiko Pasta and Salad

On my right is a Ichioka Rena (KSS) Ojisan Ota. He goes BATSHIT CRAZY whenever Ichioka comes out. This is one of the few times I am turned off by a KimoOta. Everyone stares at him when he goes into his "ICCHAN ICCHAN ICCHAN" mode.

元気くん→千聖
手毬唄→舞美
ネオン→まいまい
雨→中島
輝け放課後→愛理

Now Maimi attempts Edo Temari Uta II. She does a halfway decent job though I wouldn't recommend her to sing it again. Airi sings Nakky's Kagayake Houkago PERFECTLY. Nakky must have been backstage crying.

Also bought this C-ute no Hi Maimi Towel. So cute!

MC Monster Episodes

Airi frequently oversleeps. To combat this, Airi's mum will give her a wake up call where ever she is. So one day while she is on tour, she accidently fell asleep without informing her Mum of the wake up time! Amazingly, the next morning Maimi calls on her hotel phone to wake her up! And there are about 40 miss calls on her cellphone from her Mum.

Apparently, Airi's Mum became very worried that Airi couldn't wake up so she phoned Maimi's Mum who phoned Maimi(who doesn't require wake up calls to wake up on time XD) to give Airi a wake up call.

At which MaiMai interjects "So when are you gonna stop relying on your Mum to wake you up?"

(Wota erupts with laughter)

Airi laughs and says that she has started to train herself to wake up on her own from now on.

I want a wake up call from Maimi too...

I am really impressed with MaiMai's Tsukkomi here, it's just too perfect.

Chisato's family is commenting on how cute MaiMai is recently. Chisato's 7 year old Sister says to Chisato "MaiMai is too cute lately, you are in trouble"

Stories about Chisato's family are always entertaining.

Looks like this but the words are in white

After the Evening Con, I see a Young Tall Ikemen Maimi Oshi wearing the same Pink "New York" Beanie that she wears on the tour. I am insanely jealous.

As it is my last night in Sendai, I buy a Gyuu Tan Bento to eat. Just for Lulz. Kidding, I love Gyuu Tan

Inside of the Gyuu Tan Bento

Japan 25-29 Oct 2014 Day 1

Day 1

I finish up work and head to the Airport. This is my first time in ages taking SIA so I'm excited! I was also really looking forward to this trip because my schedule is packed with Lives and Events.

The tricky part is when I arrive. My flight is scheduled to arrived at 8.00am the next morning. In order for me to catch the free UUG mini live and handshake at11.30am in Sendai, I have to catch the Keisei Morning Liner at 8.15am from Narita Airport Station. That means I have less then 15 minutes to exit the plane, clear immigration (No check in Luggage) and rush to the train station to catch my train. I am fully aware of how impossible that is.

When I reach immigration, there are not many people. There is still hope! However, there are few counters open at such an hour. I do my best to rush through, but as expected, I reach the train station at 8.16am and my train has just left. I console myself by telling myself that I tried my best. I have no choice but to wait for the next morning liner at 8.35am.

Not a stock Photo

I reach Ueno to take the Shinkansen to Sendai. However the first 2 trains departing to Sendai are full (Even Jiyuuseki, the man the counter asks me if I don't mind standing. I say "no thanks".) I have no choice once again but to take the train half an hour behind the one I had intended to take. 15 Minutes behind schedule from Keisei Line and 30 minutes behind schedule for Shinkansen, that's 45 minutes late for my event.

As expected, the train is full. I even had a hard time looking for a Jiyuuseki. By the time I reach Sendai it is 12.15pm. Although the Event Venue is just next to the train station, it still takes me about 10minutes to reach the Tower Records where the event is held. As I arrive, UUG are just saying good bye to the wota and the area is packed. All the wota are using their phones/cameras to take pictures of the girls. This is surprising because normally Photo Taking is not allowed. I sadly say Bye Bye to them.

Managed to take 1 photo before they left

After checking into my hotel, I still have some time to kill before Team Makenki Live. I take a slow walk to see what Sendai has in store for me.

A Park I walked past

The trees are considerably more brown than when I was in Japan earlier in the month

I arrive at the venue and buy 2 CDs. 1 for a chance to win a Signed poster (which I didn't win) and 1 for handshake. For the previous Makenki Live in Osaka 2013 (At that time they weren't called Team Makenki yet), as long as you buy any goods, you can get handshake with that groups members. Because I had bought a Kikka T, I shook hands with Kikka 3 times and UUG 1 times. But for this Makenki Live, handshake tickets come only for selective items. This is sooo irritating for me because I have items I wanted to buy but now decided not to because they don't come with handshake. I settled for 1 time handshake with UUG, because there are 7 of them which makes it seem like a better deal.

I eat lunch before my handshake. Tempura Don and Tofu

Surprisingly, The Possible has the longest Handshake queue, followed by UUG and then Kikka. As I am lining up for UUG handshake, I can just see Kikka next door with the same few Yuu-Friends (What Kikka wota call themselves) looping her handshake. I regret not buying her handshake, but as I am wearing Azusa's orange, its not very nice.

Azusa gets very excited to see me again. She is so cute and we jump together. Maana says "Hisashiburi" to me, I tell her I'm surprised she remembers me. I wish her good luck for her Solo Event the day after. I am pretty sure the other members don't recognize me. Yet.

After this we all line up to enter the Venue. My ticket number is pretty good at 150+. I see the same guy from @Jam HK (Miiko Oshi). He insists to give me his ticket, which he said is an extra ticket, the number is 127 which is not much lower than mine, so I refuse at first. BUT this guy is so sneaky, he tells all the wota around me that I am from Singapore and so I should stand in front. I am so embarrassed now because everyone is looking at me and urging to go to the front. So I say Ok, ok and thanking him as we move up the queue. As if this is not enough, he then announces AGAIN to everyone around my new queue number that I am from Singapore. We make small talk and he leaves to join his friends. Paiseh Max. But he is a really nice guy.

Congratulatory Flowers for Kikka from Yuu Friends

Later on I find out that since there is a girls only area, that small advance in queue number doesn't really make a difference since I am still standing next to the girls who were from my previous queue number. There are 2 girls in front of me from the stage and both of them are short (most Japanese girls are anyway) So I am very happy with my position. Most of the girls are UUG fans with a few Posi fans scatter around. 2 of the girls in front are Posi Wota. There are no girl Kikka Wota which is sad. (However, at subsequent events, I see some of these girls again, but wearing Kikka Ts, so I guess they are H!P/Ex-Egg DDs)

宮城 仙台Rensa　セットリスト

As in their 3 Man live last year, they drew lots to decide the order of performances. Kikka wins so she goes last. As they have mentioned before, this is not really ideal. UUG should be last cause their performances are most "High". Posi should go first to bring up the mood, followed by Kikka's which will be considered a "Resting Time"

MC-wise, the people who have the most sense at MC are Kikka, Robin, Gotuu and maybe Hashimon. Unfortunately all of UUG are terrible at MC. Konatsu and Maana might have a little over the rest, but they are still boring as hell. I might be bias but some of the things Kikka says are the darn-est. And with Robin as tsukkomi, it makes for an entertaining MC. Much different from UUG solo lives.

歌う順番を決めるくじを引くメンバーが前に出るシーン
When deciding the order of Performances by drawing lots

新井「うちは仙台出身の仙石が行きます」                                                              Maana "Sengoku comes fron Sendai so she will do it"

吉川「仙石が行くなら吉川行きます」                                                                      Kikka "If Sengoku goes Kikka goes too" 

橋本「二人が行くなら私行きます」                                                                    Hashimon "If the 2 of you do it, I will do it too" 

（会場歓声） (Wota laughs) 

吉川「わがままボディーです！」                                                                             Kikka "Wagamama Body desu!" 

仙石「マシュマロボディーです！」                                                                           Miiko "Marshmallow Body desu!" 

橋本「爆弾ボディーです！」                                                                              Hashimon "Bakudan Body desu!"

（会場大歓声） (Wota laughs) 

吉川「後ろで見てる人達は謙虚ボディーということで～」                                                Kikka "So the people behind us are modest Bodies~"  

（会場爆笑） (Wota explodes with laughter) 

新井「何も言い返せない・・・」                                                                    
Maana "I have nothing to say..." 

Yeah I admit it, I took this from 2ch. You don't expect me to remember every single thing right!?

１．無限、Fly High!!

This song. Kikka is the only one with solo lines so this song is fantastic for Kikka wota. Everyone is really familiar with this song by now so its great fun. The moves are also very simple so those who wan to Furi Copy can do so whole-heartedly.

２．イタダキを目指せ!

３．イチバンガールズ!(ショート)

４．UPPER ROCK(ショート)
５．ジャンパー!
６．チョッパー☆チョッパー
７．アッパーカット！

８．Beautiful Dreamer

All at once we are treated to an Amazing setlist. I'm totally in love with the 2 new songs "Itadaki wo Mezase!" and "Beautiful Dreamer" I notice that Azusa is very obviously becoming the 1 true center (and Ayanon/Miiko sub center), whereas in the past it might have been Miiko/Akari due their Egg status. Akari has been clearly push to the back lines now, its such a pity because I love her singing voice. Moritty had also mentioned in Showroom that she was very disappointed not to have any solo lines in "Beautiful Dreamer"

Maana has the first line in Beautiful Dreamer but her rhythm sense is quite terrible actually so she misses the timing for her first line. Maybe after they perform this a few more times she will get the hang of it.

As I mentioned, UUG MC are kind of Bland compared to the others.

※曲順は正解かどうか不確か。ショートver.のものもあり。 

(The ordering is not confirmed. There are short versions too)

９．勇気スーパーボール！

１０．恋がダンシン！
１１．Lovely! Lovely!
１２．なんじゃこりゃ？！
１３．希望と青春のヒカリ
１４．さぁ来い！ハピネス！
１５．全力バンザーイ！My Glory！

I am not a Posi fan so I only have heard some songs before but not knowing the title of the Song. I remember Nanjya Koreya just being so epic. Akkyan's face is smaller in real life than in her pictures. There was one point where the took her water and turned around to drink, she gave this SUPER DOYA GAO (Dao Face in Singlish) I fell in love with her at that instant.

Posi's singing is so freaking solid. They can sing well and they know it. UUG has SO much to catch up on. At this point only Azu can fight with them in terms of singing (besides Mororin and Gotuu) The rest of UUG needs to really work harder.

Also all their songs have the old-school-H!P-feel, so good singing is vital to their songs. (Think MM around Sexy 8 beat)

In one of Posi's songs, Akkyan and Gotuu have a solo segment where they say Lovey Dovey things to each other. Honestly I have never heard this song before haha. Just at this moment, Azusa and Ayanon run out from backstage to separate the 2 and the song cuts off. They each insist that Akkyan loves them more than Gotuu. Gotuu just stands there giving her innocent smile. They then ask Akkyan to choose who she likes best out of the 3 of them. Akkyan is boring, she says she likes all 3 of them. lol.

For the rest of the song Azusa and Ayanon join in Posi though it is clear they don't know the song very well. XD

１６．URAHARAテンプテーション

１７．「すき」の数え方
１８．世界中に君は一人だけ
１９．ダーリンとマドンナ
２０．Sweetie
２１．あまいメロディー

Yay Finally Kikka. She has some problems with her Mic. I think that she might not have been able to hear herself sufficiently, she kept signalling to the sound room to up her Mic. As a result she sings relatively un-confidently and doesn't hold her high/long notes. Its such a pity because Kikka's real draw is her soothing voice and this was a big chance for her to gain new fans. Even as such, she does not go out of tune.

I love her "Sekai jyuu Kimi wa hitori dake". It's got the Kikka essence, the kind you get goosebumps when you hear it. And her usuals "Darling and Madonna" and "Sweetie" the crowd please-rs. Pleased me plenty too :D

She mentioned that when having her lives, she likes to walk along Shoutengais' when she has free time. Conveniently, just outside the Sendai Rensa is a Shoutengai! Before the live, she took a walk along it to see what kind of reactions she will get from her Samba outfit. Surprisingly nobody reacted to her because it is near Halloween and everyone else was dressed up as well.

２２．ヤングDAYS！！
２３．水色
２４．永遠ファイヤーボール！
２５．ずっとずっとずっと君がスキだ
２６．全力！Pump UP!!
２７．サマービーム

Now its collab time. Everybody gets on stage and gets a few lines of each song. The interaction between groups is great. You would expect Kikka is stick to Miiko the whole time, but no! There was 1 time where they were singing together and Kikka was obviously Ignoring Miiko and giving the Annoyed face when looking at Miiko (SO FAKE)

And another time Kikka had cornered Miiko and just stared Miiko down while she cowered next to wall. All while singing. Kikka also keeps trying to put her hand around Miiko's waist but Miiko keeps trying to push her away.

All this is hilarious but I feel kinda sorry for Miiko. Kikka is wearing really high heels while Miiko is wearing short platforms so Kikka is at least a head taller than Miiko. But if its Kikka maybe I wouldn't mind.

For Summer Beam (Although its not Summer at all), There is a part in the middle that goes like this "OOO-na hito te wo tatake" *clap* *clap* So they make up new lyrics to suit all members of Makenki. Apparently they tried to prank Moritty by call her out when she wasn't informed to do so, but she was too blur and walked out anyway without realizing it was a prank.

２８．ライとも（チーム・負けん気新曲）

This song didn't have an impression on me at all. Or maybe I was just tired

Im so hungry I try to eat the box. Chirashi Zushi @ 20% off !

My Dinner and Deserts and Snacks

Idol Analysis 1

I spend a lot of time thinking about Idols. I spend my day dreaming time speculating about Idols and the Industry in General. So I will put down some thoughts here

This Week's theme: Good Looking Idols.

Not all Idols are good looking. The truth is, as long as you have the will to be an Idol, with much practice and luck, you can be an Idol. In Japan, there are TONS of good looking people. When I go to Japan, I often see VERY good looking people around me. Many of these people are much better looking than some "Famous" idol. So what does it take to become a "Famous" Idol?

First off, to give you a gauge of which Idols I find Good-Looking, I will give you some examples

	Incredibly Good Looking Idols	Good Looking Idols	Average Looking Idols
Hello!Project	Michishige Sayumi Mano Erina Abe Natsumi	Kudou Haruka Yajima Maimi Kumai Yurina Kikkawa Yuu	Sayashi Riho Sato Masaki Natsuyaki Miyabi Sekine Azusa
48 Group	Shiraishi Mai Miyawaki Sakura	Watanabe Miyuki Maeda Atsuko Tomonaga Mio	Watanabe Mayu Sashihara Rino Matsui Jurina
Stardust Groups	Akimoto Honoka	Sakura Nao Tamai Shiori	Takagi Reni Sakamoto Haruna
Idol Street	Nobody	Maeshima Ami Takeda Maaya	Katsuta Rino
Others	Hashimoto Kanna Arai Hitomi	Aizawa Risa Ogino Karin Tominaga Mimori My Wife (Rena from VB)	Naruse Emi

Highlight Names: My Oshi

Majoriy of the Idols I know fall into the Average to Good Looking Group. Only the Select Few mentioned above belong to the Incredibly Good Looking Idol Group

Incredibly Good Looking Idols: These people have perfect features and small faces.

Good Looking Idols: Theses people have small flaws in their features but otherwise good ratios Eg. slightly Strong Jaws, slightly Flat face, Pudgy cheeks, Slighty Big Faces, Oversize Nose 

Average Looking Idols: These people have major (I use this term loosely) flaws in their features. Eg. Single Eyelids, Flat Faces, Too Strong Jaws. BIG FACES (Just about everyone else)

The Purpose of this is not for me to diss your idol. It is to show you that my I don't necessarily find my oshi the best looking. There are definitely more good looking people than my Oshi(s).

I do not talk about Body Shapes because that is another control I have to deal with. I like to focus on face for now. Beside, there is no limit to the amount of Bra Padding or Photoshop on Cleavage idols can have, so it is not fair to compare this. For now I focus on Natural Facial Features

In case you are wondering, the Idol I find with the most perfect face is Shiraishi Mai.

I'm not being very fair to Idol Street Groups because I don't know them very well. Sorry, I just don't see anyone I particularly thought was incredibly good looking with my limited exposure

How I choose my Oshi

1. I must like the group sufficiently much to have an Oshi. If I am not too into a group, I will not choose an Oshi. I will have girls I like to look at more often during performances, but I do not call them my Oshi
2. Once condition 1 is cleared, I immediately eliminate some members of the group due to them being too "Average Looking"*
3.  I like "Hard-Workers" or at least the impression that they are 努力家. I have ZERO tolerance for idols who "can't be bothered"
4.  I like idols who look like they are genuinely having Fun while they perform. How I tell if they are genuine:
   a. They smile with their eyes
   b. Even when they think nobody is looking, they still look like they are having fun. (They don't give bitch face when they think nobody is looking)
   c. They are not too awkward when dancing or speaking. i.e. Decent Confidence level

* If I like the idol sufficiently much, I will over-look the fact that they are "Average-Looking" 

This is the reason why I took so long to find a Morning Musume Oshi after Eririn left. For more than a year, I didn't obtain a new MM Oshi because I just couldn't decide.

On the other hand, there are some traits so bad that make me "non-oshi" an otherwise perfect idol. Example being Suzuki Airi: She is Good Looking and her singing re-known to be one of the best in the industry. But she has a severe speech problem. I cannot stand listening to her speak more than a few sentences. No matter how much I like her, I cannot oshi her.

I can safely say that most of  the Incredibly Good Looking Idols are the “Popular Members” in each group. If they are not, they have traits/talents other than looks which help them to gain popularity. But after all this is Entertainment Business and looks do matter greatly. There are certain idols whom I have no idea where they get their popularity. I sometimes think that it depends on the Company they come from. 

For example, since I am a H!P wota, I generally "get" why the popular members are popular. Because most Hello Wota think alike. However, for a 48-Groups, I have not idea why "member A" is so popular because I do not think like a 48-Group wota. My priorities and focus is very different.

Having said that, different people are attracted to different "Types" of Idol depending on their priorities and preferences. But... that is another topic for another day

Japan 1-6 Oct 2014 Day 6 and Wrap Up

Day 6

My last day is spent shopping and chilling. My flight is at 6pm so I do not have much time. In the morning I go to Harajuku for a quick walk along Takeshita Dori but due to the typhoon, most of the shops are not open.

After having Omurice at Harajuku, I proceed to Akihabara to visit the H!P shop and other Misc shopping. I buy my new camera at Yodobashi Camera here. It is much more expensive than Big Camera. Since my camera died in Okayama, I had been researching on a new camera to buy and thus settled on Nikon Coolpix S6600. Big Camera was apparently selling it at 12k yen but as I went to check about 2 Big Cameras (Okayama, Osaka) and other electronics stores, they seemed to have sold out . The price was greatly reduced as a new Model is coming out in end of the month (Nikon Coolpix S6900) The reason why Yodobashi Camera still has it because the price is not great. It is still cheaper than in Singapore (SGD340) (18800yen + Tax) so I buy it

It has a flip screen to take selfies and its PINK!

I visit the H!P shop and buy some small Merch. As usual I cannot resist the Gacha Machines.

I also visit the 2nd hand Idol Goods store at Akiba Culture Zone, Trio. I buy more stuff for other people.

This is the very first picture I took with my camera. On Keisei Skyliner.

By this time it is getting late so I go back to Ueno to take Keisei Line to the Airport (2.4k yen for Skyliner as I am running late)

Wrap Up

For this trip, I admit that I was too ambitious. I tried to go for too many events in far away prefectures. Let this be a note to myself to not try a repeat of this trip.

Having said that, I still enjoyed myself tremendously. I don't regret going for a Single event. Yes, even the Berryz Naruchika in freaking Okayama. After all, that might have been the last time I get to see them. Paying SGD600 to fly to Japan and knowing my idols are just a bus ride away (12.5hour bus ride), I can't help it but sacrifice a little of my sleep and energy just to see them. No Idols No Life!  

Japan 1-6 Oct 2014 Day 5

Day 5

This was undoubtedly my most hectic day in the history of my Japan Trips.

I woke up around 5am to catch a 6am highway bus from Osaka to Nagoya. Surprisingly I didn't get lost.

Upon reaching Nagoya 3 hours later, I deposit my luggage at Nagoya station and buy my Shinkansen ticket to Yokohama later on in the day. I am kind of Familiar with Nagoya already since I have been there many times. (Not always willingly)

I then head to the Airport(Nagoya Chubu Airport) about 30mins away for my C-ute Group Cheki. Revenge for my failed cheki the day before!! I am wearing my Team C-ute (gold) Black T today. I arrive kind of late (Not late actually, only time. Just that I am normally early) So I am about 30th in the queue. There are still signs around warning about Airi's eye patch. For group cheki, you are required to show some Photo ID because the ticket has your name on it. This is quite strange for foreigners I think because the people there have no way to verify your name, so it is a little dodgy. I show my passport with my English name on it this time to match the the English name on my ticket. BUT for previous group chekis, my name on the ticket is in KATAKANA, whereas my passport in in Alphabets. But I always get through somehow.

Before you go in, you have to tell the staff what pose you want. I try to tell the staff that I want that degree symbol and C, but he doesn't understand. (Obviously not a C-ute Fan). So when I go in I motion to the members and they all understand immediately.

I am not wearing a Maimi T today so everyone smiles at me (haha). Sadly Maimi chan is sitting in the Back row with Airi on my left and Chisa on my right. It is over in a flash and I have to say bye bye to Maimi chan for the rest of the trip :(

As usual I am glowing after any meeting with Maimi chan. I smile creepily as I look at my cheki. I head back to Nagoya station to collect my luggage and catch the bullet train to Yokohama

This is my first time in Yokohama so I have a little trouble navigating my way around. Plus, my next event is at shopping mall from which is a bus ride away from an unfamiliar (small) station, and I have my luggage with me. When I reach the station, it is pouring.

Yes, I know that my no.1 Oshi and my other High Ranking Oshi whom I am going to meet are both Ame Onna, so I should be prepared for Typhoons. (FYI both C-ute and Kikka have release UMBRELLAs as part of their tour goods)

I walk to the bus stop where I am supposed to board the bus, but am confused by the signs. My bus doesn't seem to be operating... I ask the staff nearby and confirmed that my bus is not operating at the moment. Oh dread. It is raining and the time for the event is about to start.

I then make a quick decision to take a Taxi to the venue. Honestly I advise AGAINST taking taxis ANYWHERE in Japan because the price is just too incredibly high to justify the means. Comparatively, Taxis in Singapore are cheap. But dire situations call for dire measures. With a wave of a hand, I am safely in a much welcomed and dry taxi. There is quite a Jam to the Shopping Mall. As I arrive at the Shopping Mall and rush to the center stage, Kikka just starts singing her first song. I am just that lucky.

She sings only 4 songs, including her new single's song. There are only about 20 Wota around. Kikka looks a little unsure while performing, but nevertheless she still delivers her songs very well. Actually I have never heard Kikka go out of tune before. Since the first time I saw her in 2011 Hello Con as opening act, nothing fazes her. Her MC is entertaining as usual.

This is when I have the time to look around and realize that this Shopping Mall mostly caters to Young Children.  And how odd it must be to have and Idol such as Kikka to hold her event here. Kikka's recent songs are a touch more "sexy" then your average idol. Not to mention the Samba Outfit that she wore is definitely not "Kid-Friendly". The wota certainly look out of place here. I would have preferred for her to wear a slightly more conservative outfit here. But anyhow, Kikka plays along and tries to get the kids involved, not that there are many near the stage.

When it is time for handshake session, the staff tell me handshake is only when you pre-order the CD. They will mail the CD to you or you have to go back to the same shopping mall to collect the CD when it is released. Both options are not viable for me. Anyhow I pre-order the CD because I want to speak to Kikka. I tell Kikka I am from Singapore (She gives the WOW! SINGAPORE) and that I took a taxi here.

Now I would like to say something about Kikka. She is not the iyasare-type idol. She is the loud in your face HEY HEY LOOK AT ME. type of Idol. BUT, her live has such a calming effect on me. When I listen to Kikka sing, I feel like I am elevated (not quite sure how to explain this). Especially so when she sings songs like "Mizuiro" and "Sweetie". It is a very strange but peaceful feeling which I enjoy very very much. It is funny because once her MC starts, you are brought back to earth. Her MC is usually very clumsy but at the same time very endearing. It makes her very human and relatable.

I swear I took this exact same picture with my now defunct camera phone.

Everything gets a little fuzzy from here on because Im running low on fuel. I take the local train back to Tokyo (25mins), deposit my luggage in yet another locker (my 3rd locker in 1 day). And head towards Odaiba's Tokyo Diver City for UUG mini live and handshake

It is still raining now. I had already changed into my UUG T which I bought at the T-Palette Kanshasai. When I checked UUG blog for details on the venue, it stated Event Plaza. This is next to the giant Gundam which is OUTDOORS. I take a look outside and its still POURING. So despite the rain I run outside to find nothing there! (Gosh I must have been really tired) I check the UUG twitter and they updated that due to the wet weather, they have shifted the event to the Mini Tower Records on the 5th floor.

Cursing my silly-ness, I rush to the 5th floor to find already about 50 people there = =

From the picture, you can tell that it is called "MINI" for a reason. This shop is tiny!! The put a stage on the right side of the picture, facing the inside of the shop. And all the wota crowd into the shop. UUG come out to do a 1 song rehearsal on a TINY stage. Its really funny because they have hardly any space to move about. They shuffled their feet and made small hand movements instead. They told us wota to not jump (as if there was space) or shout (and use our facial expressions to convey our excitement LOL!) so as not to disturb the other neighboring shoppers and tenents. So throughout the live the wota just fist pumped. A very interesting experience. Even during Pump Up when the audience usually goes crazy, everyone just silently fist pumped. Even then you could feel the excitement of the wota buzzing in the air. They performed about 4 songs.

For the handshake, again you need to pre-order a CD. I do so again knowing that I wouldn't be able to collect the original CD. I give away the CD form to another wota for collection. I tell everyone I'm from Singapore. I already know that Ayanon loves Singapore and she tells me again she wants to come to Singapore. When I get to Azusa, even though I am not wearing her orange, she tells me she remembers me from @Jam Hong Kong. We do the excited Jump Together thing again (this is becoming a normal for Azu/Me handshakes) I tell her I like her new hairstyle and she seems genuinely happy (I hope haha). When I get to Maana, I tell her that I have a Indo Friend who really loves her.

After this I go to the food court to grab a bite and stone a little cause I am really exhausted. Just as I am finishing my food, I see UUG running through the Food Court, presumably to go home? I stand up (still wearing the UUG T) and wave at them, they all see me and wave back XD (I try to wave harder at Azu) 

Before my energy left me entirely, I take the train back to downtown Tokyo, check in to my Hotel in Ueno and reward myself for completing the day in 1 piece. Believe, me its no joke trying to look for your hotel late at night, while it is raining heavily and dragging around a luggage.