(no subject)
Now it's time for an entry about yesterday, which was awesome! I met up with Kaille in the afternoon and we did karaoke. I sang the obligatory GazettE, Big Bang, Gaga, etc. Much to my surprise there were also a couple of exist+trace songs available to sing, so I tried my hand at singing "TRUE", even though I can't match Jyou's vocals. After that, we ate conbini food for dinner at the park in Ikebukuro, while Kaille fed the stray cats her chicken nuggets.
Then, it was time for me to go across the street so I could wait outside Brand X for the exist+trace in-store event! Kaille waited with me for a little while. I also saw Aki and it turned out that she was waiting for the event, too. It was nice to see a familiar face because it made me a bit less nervous. Kaille left me to my event, so Aki and I chatted while we waited. A few short minutes after Kaille left the band arrived in front of the store. Aki and I weren't paying attention and all the sudden we turned around and the band popped out of a large white van that had just pulled up to the curb! The girls waved to us and headed down into the store. I always forget that the band is actually somewhat short because y'know, they're smallish Japanese women. I'm usually used to seeing them towering over me on stage. XD
There were forty or so fans who arrived for the event. According to Aki the last exist+trace event she went to had about ten people, so this definitely shows that the band has become more popular. I noticed a number of people that I usually see attending the exist+trace lives, too. We lined up outside the store according to our ticket numbers. The staff called us into the store in small groups. Somehow we managed to fit about forty fans, plus a few staff members, plus the band into the tiny Brand X store. They sat the band behind the area that's usually used as the counter for the register. The rest of us got to sit on tiny stools in the main area of the store. The band looked great in their new outfits. I'm not quite sure what it was, but there was something about Jyou that was even prettier than usual.
The event started and the girls introduced themselves. After they talked a little bit about the album, everyone (the band and the fans) completed a written quiz about the band and about their latest album VIRGIN. It contained questions about everything from which ear Jyou has pierced (right ear), to who Ginger-kun is (the owl in the "GINGER" PV), to the subject of Mally's latest tweets, to questions about the American tour. I knew the answers to some of the questions and a couple of nice gentlemen sitting beside me helped me with the more difficult questions and kanji. After we took the quiz, we went over the answers and the band discussed them. I somehow managed to get 86 points on the quiz. Omi and Naoto were the only ones who got 100% on it! The other girls all got a question or two wrong. Then we took a poll about everyone's favorite songs on the new album. It looks like Omi's song (that she composed) "二つの声" was the most popular. It is a pretty great song, but "HONEY" is still my favorite.
The signing (and handshaking) was the next part of the event. They had all of us fans go back outside to wait while they readied the store for the signing. By this time my nerves were really kicking in. I knew it'd be fine since I'd met the band before, but thinking about what I'm going to say to the girls always makes me nervous because I have to remember how to say it in Japanese. We were led back in the store. The girls were standing behind the counter and us fans lined up to wait for our turn with each member. I'd decided to have the band sign the booklet for my VIRGIN CD.
First in line was Mally! She's probably the one that I have the second hugest crush on in the band. She asked me where I was from and I told her that I was from Chicago, but right now I live in Japan. She seemed pleased by this and said that she hoped to see me at more events! Omi was the next one in line. She may be quiet, but she always seems so pleased to talk to the fans. I was able to keep myself from blathering on like a fangirl this time. ^_^; I told her that I often read her blog, even though it's a bit difficult for me. She was happy to hear that. Also, Omi still has the best handshake. She usually takes your hand in both of hers and holds onto it for a bit. *dokidoki* She's great. Jyou was next. There was a bit of fumbling as I tried to figure out what to hand her first, my CD booklet or the quiz. She presented me (and all the other fans) with an official certificate for completing the exist+trace quiz that she filled out with my name. I thanked her and told her that I'd be coming to the live next month. She asked me to please look forward to it. Next in line was Miko. While she was shaking my hand she asked if she'd seen me before. I didn't quite catch it, but she mentioned something about a time before in Ikebukuro. She noticed that I looked a little confused. I told her that I had met the band before at the Vanguard live in February and I think a look of recognition popped onto her face. She asked me if I was coming to the next Vanguard live (in August) and I told her that I definitely want to go. Naoto was last in line. She's another quiet one, so I wanted to make sure that I had something prepared to say to her. I told her that I was looking forward to the live next month. She said she hoped I'd enjoy it and told me to please take care on my way home. And with that I was done. I'd met the band again and obtained their autographs!
Aki was waiting for me outside the store and we walked to the station together, talking about the event. She's also going to exist+trace's concert next month, so I'll probably see her (and Tomonori?) there.
My certificate and my autographed CD. The silver smudge on the album title is from when I nervously took my booklet back from Mally and accidentally put my thumb on her signature before it dried. (Luckily, it didn't smudge the actual signature.) ^_^;
It was a fun event and it was great to meet the girls again! Definitely looking forward to the concert next month!
Then, it was time for me to go across the street so I could wait outside Brand X for the exist+trace in-store event! Kaille waited with me for a little while. I also saw Aki and it turned out that she was waiting for the event, too. It was nice to see a familiar face because it made me a bit less nervous. Kaille left me to my event, so Aki and I chatted while we waited. A few short minutes after Kaille left the band arrived in front of the store. Aki and I weren't paying attention and all the sudden we turned around and the band popped out of a large white van that had just pulled up to the curb! The girls waved to us and headed down into the store. I always forget that the band is actually somewhat short because y'know, they're smallish Japanese women. I'm usually used to seeing them towering over me on stage. XD
There were forty or so fans who arrived for the event. According to Aki the last exist+trace event she went to had about ten people, so this definitely shows that the band has become more popular. I noticed a number of people that I usually see attending the exist+trace lives, too. We lined up outside the store according to our ticket numbers. The staff called us into the store in small groups. Somehow we managed to fit about forty fans, plus a few staff members, plus the band into the tiny Brand X store. They sat the band behind the area that's usually used as the counter for the register. The rest of us got to sit on tiny stools in the main area of the store. The band looked great in their new outfits. I'm not quite sure what it was, but there was something about Jyou that was even prettier than usual.
The event started and the girls introduced themselves. After they talked a little bit about the album, everyone (the band and the fans) completed a written quiz about the band and about their latest album VIRGIN. It contained questions about everything from which ear Jyou has pierced (right ear), to who Ginger-kun is (the owl in the "GINGER" PV), to the subject of Mally's latest tweets, to questions about the American tour. I knew the answers to some of the questions and a couple of nice gentlemen sitting beside me helped me with the more difficult questions and kanji. After we took the quiz, we went over the answers and the band discussed them. I somehow managed to get 86 points on the quiz. Omi and Naoto were the only ones who got 100% on it! The other girls all got a question or two wrong. Then we took a poll about everyone's favorite songs on the new album. It looks like Omi's song (that she composed) "二つの声" was the most popular. It is a pretty great song, but "HONEY" is still my favorite.
The signing (and handshaking) was the next part of the event. They had all of us fans go back outside to wait while they readied the store for the signing. By this time my nerves were really kicking in. I knew it'd be fine since I'd met the band before, but thinking about what I'm going to say to the girls always makes me nervous because I have to remember how to say it in Japanese. We were led back in the store. The girls were standing behind the counter and us fans lined up to wait for our turn with each member. I'd decided to have the band sign the booklet for my VIRGIN CD.
First in line was Mally! She's probably the one that I have the second hugest crush on in the band. She asked me where I was from and I told her that I was from Chicago, but right now I live in Japan. She seemed pleased by this and said that she hoped to see me at more events! Omi was the next one in line. She may be quiet, but she always seems so pleased to talk to the fans. I was able to keep myself from blathering on like a fangirl this time. ^_^; I told her that I often read her blog, even though it's a bit difficult for me. She was happy to hear that. Also, Omi still has the best handshake. She usually takes your hand in both of hers and holds onto it for a bit. *dokidoki* She's great. Jyou was next. There was a bit of fumbling as I tried to figure out what to hand her first, my CD booklet or the quiz. She presented me (and all the other fans) with an official certificate for completing the exist+trace quiz that she filled out with my name. I thanked her and told her that I'd be coming to the live next month. She asked me to please look forward to it. Next in line was Miko. While she was shaking my hand she asked if she'd seen me before. I didn't quite catch it, but she mentioned something about a time before in Ikebukuro. She noticed that I looked a little confused. I told her that I had met the band before at the Vanguard live in February and I think a look of recognition popped onto her face. She asked me if I was coming to the next Vanguard live (in August) and I told her that I definitely want to go. Naoto was last in line. She's another quiet one, so I wanted to make sure that I had something prepared to say to her. I told her that I was looking forward to the live next month. She said she hoped I'd enjoy it and told me to please take care on my way home. And with that I was done. I'd met the band again and obtained their autographs!
Aki was waiting for me outside the store and we walked to the station together, talking about the event. She's also going to exist+trace's concert next month, so I'll probably see her (and Tomonori?) there.
My certificate and my autographed CD. The silver smudge on the album title is from when I nervously took my booklet back from Mally and accidentally put my thumb on her signature before it dried. (Luckily, it didn't smudge the actual signature.) ^_^;
It was a fun event and it was great to meet the girls again! Definitely looking forward to the concert next month!