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