Sunday, 30 June 2019

May Japan Trip (Is this the Final??) - Completing The List


Apart from the graduation event, I did attend other lives within the vicinity. To be honest, I got nothing much to do and most of my favourites arent performing (or their tickets sold out). Coupled with the fact "planning" with people, plans do get changed here and there, cancelled even. So I made a list (ala Norman Osborn style) of whom I want to meet instead.


The LIST!

So how many from that list I managed to see? Lets find out!

Day 1
I was too dead tired to move anywhere. Once checked in, plonked on my bed and never recovered. Well I did land at 1AM and I got nowhere to chill till 3PM. So did the next best thing: Maidreamin. Ohohoho, I know how the places work, I am not going to get a Dreaming Set with Bunny Ears lol. Place seems too quiet, so I ordered a live. What song? Hatsukoi Cider! Place filled max to the brim with gaijins. Alright time to be the most denegerate gaijin in the vicinity. Naturally I was the only one who clapped and cheer thus inviting curious and condescending stares.

Photo loots from Maidreamin

Ughhh, I dont have the feels of Maidreamin anymore. Its like everything is routine and meals are quite pricey. No more meido kissas for me! Honest!

Coincidentally today is Wyenra's CD release. No fate to see Takky then.

Day 2
Comrade WM, one of the most dependable wotas (mainly because I am shit in nihongo, need translator) invited me to try Idol Content Expo. The groups attending?


Whoaaaaaa, looks like I am able to strike some names from my list. BenjaminJasmine seemed to be the most interesting because of their weird name. First song they unfurled? Joudan Janai. It literally started once we entered the venue. Alright, my wota blood starts boiling, its gonna be fun!



Stayed all the way for SAY-LA - 7land - Ready To Kiss. So naturally missed SAY-LA buppan, I'm sad cant meet Izumin. Or Shiomaru. Ready To Kiss brought back all the lost feels left in Thailand. Awesome, they sung STARLIGHT, one of my favourite. Went out after RTK's set for a smoke break and back just in time for Maneki Kecha. This is the first time I witness a Chiai-less Maneki live, to be honest, I kinda miss her power vocals. It seems... so different. And guess what song they ended with? Thats right, Joudan Janai. I am getting an earworm....



The collet groups held buppan inside the hall whereas the others outside. Got ourselves 2 free tokuten tickets as we initially reserved entry tickets under Ready To Kiss.

Alright, time to meet the "Strawberry Lover" Uehara Ayuko whereas WM went to "smack" Amau Kisumi. Ayuko doesnt command a long line in Japan too. Approached and her and boy, she was so listless. Its like she cant be bothered to reply anything I said. LOL, expected. Next is Makino Hiromi aka Hiromin. First thing she asked "Eh? Where is Kai?" Kai being a local wota I know. Told her I came alone and randomly she asked what did I eat here and whats my favourite food. "Ahhh... Takoyaki?" Clueless expression ensued. She recommended Ramen but I told her "Ramen tabenai, buta dame". "Eh? Buta oishi!". Ya, Hiromin, I cant eat pork.

Got my cheki with Ayuko and Hiromin, there strike 2 out of my list. I remembered I kinda regretted not getting Miho's cheki in Thailand, so went for her too. Tried to enter venue for the Collet groups, nah, got denied entry. NOOOOOOO, no chance with Haruppi too... Amazingly even I queued for cheki 4 times, my comrade just finished up cheki with Kisumin.



Oh, I managed to get book featuring Kisumin with some photosets too. Errr.... impulsive buy...



Day 3, its AKSB time. You can read about it in my other article.

Day 4, its a Saturday "post-Yuechi grad"! Went with WM and Douglas to Akiba and chilled till late afternoon. Our next agenda? Some free live at Shinjuku. Ah Shinjuku... again... I really hated that place with a passion.

List of groups for the "Muryo Live Event"

Got dragged to places in Akiba that you shouldn't enter if you're underage. Ya know, "lup sup" places, all because someone wants to get some "special limited goods". The surround sound there is IRRITATING. The same moan kept playing over and over. Some of the goods sold really baffled me. Underwears and panties as gachas? WTF? Afterwards went to KFC, based on their feedback the taste kinda underwhelming.

Walked around Shinjuku and Douglas brought me to this place called Luvpia, some sort of a cafe/bar. They were having a collaboration and he wanted to meet a certain cosplayer. My navigator is bad with directions but we did manage to arrive venue ahead of schedule. Cosplayer in question is Nyaaruma, was told she visited Singapore for AGM events a number of times. She asked for my name, the reply goes "Errr... Neko?" and hilarity ensues.



Got to know this well-known megane cosplayer too. Her name is Komidu! Spoke in a mixture of English and Japanese, since she studied English to a certain degree. She is really cute! Really look good in "meganes". Had some banter about anime and stuff. Cant believe she liked "Rurouni Kenshin" too.

Ah!! Overextended our stay and we rushed off to AniLive Station! Shin Okubo AniLive Station is a hell place! Literal hell. Quite suffocating with no air-conditioning and hordes of wotas littered all around. Well, expected since its FREE (drinks coupon not inclusive). Whats my purpose there? Its this group!



Zettaichokkyu Joshi PLAYBALLS!!「絶対直球女子！プレイボールズ」
Finally experienced them live! Thankfully they played their signature "Diving Catch" as the last song.

Thankfully had Hong Kong wotas helping me translate. Manager-san was helpful too and shoved some CDs to me. Finally, met face-to-face with Shinozuka Tsugumi! Gahhh, she's sooo adorable!! Some friendly banter afterwards, she proceeded to ask where I am from. I can spy Nana Matsui nearby immediately turning her head when I replied I am from Singapore. Tsugumi seems genuinely excited to meet gaijins, in fact exclaimed to her manager after our cheki session. Something that goes "Hey Hey! He's from Singapore! Wah!" Manager-san shouted "THANK YOU!!!" OK, loads of eyes staring at me now.

3K worth of tickets for signed cheki of Tsugumi

chuLa was also one of the groups performing and I saw Daiyu in the crowd. He is the fan that went Singapore when chula were invited to STGCC here. Kinda nice he still remembered us. Unfortunately, the venue became too unbearable for me, I have to leave immediately afterwards. So no cheki of Nana Matsui or chuLa.

Day 5:
My back is killing me so opt to walk around Akihabara and dump my luggage into the nearby locker before my flight later in the day. Theres an Iketeru Hearts one man live in the day but opt to not go (no Karin cheki then... sad). Instead, spent my last few hours in Japan meeting a friend in Asakusa.

Prior to that, went pokemon hunting since theres a special Lapras raid event. To be honest, I got alot of shinies within a span of 5 days just by being in Japan. LOL!! As opposed to few shinies every few months here in Singapore during Community Days.

Good haul

Head over to Asakusa and we tried out the Halal ramen. Owner of Naritaya still remembered me even I after no-showed for almost 2 years. Took a commemorative photo. Was informed he is doing some renovations upstairs. I guess he already took ownership of the place proper.

At the exterior of the Ramen Stall

Ramen with Tsugumi!

And just like that, Japan trip is over~~ Any regrets, cant feel anything as Yuechi's graduation took the full brunt of it. Looks like Tsugumi could be last idol ever I meet in Japan. In the end I managed only to clear 3 names from my list. Well I could've got Izumin and Haruppi but no such opportunity.

Pokemon seems fun, lets see wheres the nearest Go Event will be.

Oh, August. Yokohama. Gahhhhhh.



Chekis Obtained:
2x Ayuko
1x Hiromin
1x Miho
1x Yuechi
1x Komidu
1x Tsugumi
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