Beautiful World 2012.01.08 Nagoya Dome
Warning: Contains unpopular opinions. Just because I criticize them doesn't mean I don't love them. In fact, I love them more because of their flaws. But really, it's nothing bad.
Arrived at Nagoya Dome Mae Yada subway station just before 3:30pm. It was about a 5-10 minute walk to the dome. Yumi-san and I just followed the crowd. Saw lots of girls holding signs asking for tickets but no scalpers.
Please excuse the poor quality of the pics since I took them with my iPhone.
Once we arrived at the dome the staff took our tickets (they didn't ask for ID) and did a half-assed quick bag check. They basically felt my 5x10 eco bag and asked to look in my purse. They didn't ask to look at / measure my uchiwas. I had 2 of them - Ohno's BW uchiwa and a light sign that I got made 3 years ago but didn't use coz I didn't have legitimate tickets until now.
Canada Loves Arashi (stolen from my sister's twitter)
I've seen light signs at concerts in other countries (HK / Taiwan) but not in Japan. I asked Yumi-san if it was OK, and she said it was as long as it's smaller than an official uchiwa. Glad that no one gave me dirty looks or asked me to put it away. I only turned it on when the guys came over in their floats / carts. Not sure if any of them saw it, but Ohno pointed in my direction at one point.
My seat was at gate 1, 3rd base side, section 32, row 27 (lower stands, behind home plate). Pretty good considering the size of Nagoya Dome (I would be happy even if it was at the back of the dome). I was glad they took down the netting behind home plate. I heard sometimes they don't, which would obstruct the view.
There were 3 stages - the main stage in centre field, the moving stage, and the front stage near home plate. I can see the front stage pretty clearly from where I was sitting (where the guys get off-stage to prepare for their solos). Yumi-san advised me to bring binoculars, which were put to good use when the guys were performing on the main stage.
The concert started promptly at 4pm. The lights dimmed, and fans went wild. Arashi came up to the main stage via a trapdoor at the bottom.
Boku ga Boku no Subete
Believe
Kotoba Yori Taisetsuna Mono
Oh Yeah
Greetings
Didn't catch much of what they said since my Japanese is not very good, but their greetings were similar to those of previous concerts. The order was Jun, Nino, Aiba, Ohno and Sho.
Jun: Hey Nagoya! Happy New Year! (in English). It's been a while (久しぶり).....
Nino: Welcome! (いらっしゃいませ).....
Aiba:....
Ohno: Hi! Hi! Hi~! Today is the Nagoya festival! (名古屋まつり)
Sho:.....
A.Ra.Shi
Rock This
The guys were suspended in the air above the main stage as they sang. (My binoculars were put to good use here, LOL)
Always
Yes? No?
I was surprised they included it in the set list, since it's an old song and not considered a classic. I used to not care for it until I heard it live at AAA 2008 in Taipei. Glad to hear it again and it sounded so much better live.
Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki~
I've always found the choreography for this song to be hot. There was a one-second silence towards the end where Nino was supposed to come in with his solo line "nemurenai yoru ni". Not sure if Nino forgot to come in or if the staff forgot to turn his mic on. Not surprised if they lip synced the chorus since they sounded exactly like the CD.
Lucky Man
Shake It
It reminded me of his w/me performance (though not as extreme). He was shakin' it (literally) and I was laughing throughout (but Ohno's hip thrusts are sexier, sorry Jun). The bottom half of his shirt was unbuttoned at the start of his performance and he unbuttoned the top half as the performance went on. At one point he was tugging on his shirt, as if he was going to strip. In my mind I was thinking "脱いで!" (strip!) and was disappointed he didn't.
Ashita no Kioku (full song)
My first time hearing the full song live. Was pleasantly surprised since they usually just sing the short version, plus I love hearing their solos in the 2nd verse. Guess they had to give Jun enough time to change after his solo. He came out during his solo in the 2nd verse.
Furusato (1st verse only)
Hero
Aiba went off the front stage sometime during the 2nd half of the song and back on towards the end.
Janakute
It was a cute performance. Aiba was doing a dance routine with chairs. His outfit was very shiny (gold, I think, not sure if it was his jacket or pants though).
Kono Mama Motto
I was thinking "OMG it's so cheesy" throughout the performance I couldn't even focus on Sho's singing. It was as cheesy as Nino's "Tokubetsu" in "scene" - replace the balloons with feather fans. Sho's outfit consisted of white polka dots - his grey pants, black shirt and grey vest were all covered in it, plus a straw hat to top it off.
Everybody Zenshin
Not a fan of this song. Still don't like it after hearing it live. Ohno and Jun came over in their floats / carts, so that was nice.
Kitto Daijoubu
Happiness
Meikyuu Love Song
Apparently Sho & Nino kissed / hugged at some point? Whatever it was I totally missed it. The audience went "kya~!" and I was clueless. I missed a lot of members' interactions throughout the concert, but I definitely saw through my binoculars that Ohno touched Nino's butt towards the end of this song.
MC
Again didn't catch much of it. Sho asked us to sit down coz they'll be talking for a while. Nino talked about how Aiba messed up during Meikyuu Love Song, and even showed how Aiba grabbed his leg at one point, when there's no such choreography. Aiba explained he messed up and hit his leg (ouch). Aiba also talked about how he locked himself out of his hotel room in Nagoya a second time. Jun pimped his drama, Lucky Seven, and he said something along the lines of "I think it'll be interesting" (面白いと思います). Ohno and Nino promoted Kaibutsu-kun. They asked the audience who saw it, and talked about watching in 2D vs. 3D. Lastly, Sho talked about how they'll be doing 24hr TV for a third time.
Negai
Lotus
Niji no Kakera
Aiba came over to my section on the float / cart. Ohno went off the front stage to get ready for his solo and came back on towards the end.
Hung up on
Nothing much to say except the choreography was hot.
Doku ni Demo Aru Uta
Nino played the guitar as he sang. He sounded a little off / out of breath at the start of the 2nd verse, but overall he sounded pretty good. I was worried he'd go off-key, since he has a tendency to do so when singing live.
Attack It
Sho sang Nino's first line before he came back out.
Morning Light
Dance VTR
It was pretty cool, pretty similar to the CG in Kouhaku.
Mada Minu Sekai e
Love Rainbow
Troublemaker
Ohno and Jun were on the floats / carts while Sho was on the main stage. Yama totally failed at making their heart (on screen) at the end.
Hadashi no Mirai
Sakura Sake
Thank you speeches
They did it on the front stage. The order was Sho, Ohno, Aiba, Nino and Jun. Again didn't catch much of it, they all said things like "thank you very much for today" and "it was a lot of fun".
Hatenai Sora
Tooku Made
Fans didn't try very hard to get Arashi to come out for an encore. Probably coz they knew there'll definitely be one? The "Arashi" screams were weak at best.
1st Encore
Love So Sweet
A Day in our Life
Sunrise Nippon
Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi
This was the first time I heard Ohno falter live. I've never doubted Ohno can sing, perhaps he was tired as it was near the end and age is catching up to him. His voice cracked and he ran out of breath during the last "yeah~" in Love So Sweet, off-key during the last "yeah~" in A Day in our Life, and his solo at the beginning of Sunrise Nippon was shaky. Not that I mind - I'd much rather hear him sing live and off-key than lip sync.
2nd Encore
When they came out for the 2nd encore, Jun said "it's really the last song". The audience goes "eh~?" Then Jun goes "we're going home!".
Zekkou Chouchou
It made sense to end on this song, since the last line is また、明日. Personally, I don't like concerts ending on such an upbeat song and prefer something more mellow. Out of all the concerts I've been to, the best ending IMO was AAA 2008 in Taipei (2nd night), during which they ended with Hero in the 3rd encore (they ended the 2nd encore with Gori Muchuu).
I was really happy with the view from my seat. Especially when the guys came over in their floats / carts. Ohno came by my section the most (which I'm grateful for), followed by Jun and Aiba. Sho and Nino didn't come by as much.
I really like how they had a good mix of old and new songs. I like listening to their old songs in concerts coz it's very nostalgic, and it brings me back to the time when they're not popular. I was disappointed they didn't sing Pikanchi Double (one of my favourites), but I guess they can't sing everything.
I almost gave up on going to their concert this time around. Had to do a lot to make it happen. It's like the stars have to align in order to see an Arashi concert. A lot can go wrong in the process - concert cancelled / postponed, flight delays (which did happen on the way back, good thing it didn't happen on the way there), etc. Therefore I treasure every opportunity I get to see them, especially since tickets are so hard to get nowadays. Another thing I've come to realize over the years is that if I truly love them, it doesn't matter where I sit. I've sat in row 6 of the lower stands as well as the back of the dome, and both times were just as fun (though I have to admit the view wasn't the greatest, but the atmosphere makes up for it). I don't know when or if I'll see them again, but I'll always have my memories.
Arrived at Nagoya Dome Mae Yada subway station just before 3:30pm. It was about a 5-10 minute walk to the dome. Yumi-san and I just followed the crowd. Saw lots of girls holding signs asking for tickets but no scalpers.
Please excuse the poor quality of the pics since I took them with my iPhone.
Once we arrived at the dome the staff took our tickets (they didn't ask for ID) and did a half-assed quick bag check. They basically felt my 5x10 eco bag and asked to look in my purse. They didn't ask to look at / measure my uchiwas. I had 2 of them - Ohno's BW uchiwa and a light sign that I got made 3 years ago but didn't use coz I didn't have legitimate tickets until now.
Canada Loves Arashi (stolen from my sister's twitter)
I've seen light signs at concerts in other countries (HK / Taiwan) but not in Japan. I asked Yumi-san if it was OK, and she said it was as long as it's smaller than an official uchiwa. Glad that no one gave me dirty looks or asked me to put it away. I only turned it on when the guys came over in their floats / carts. Not sure if any of them saw it, but Ohno pointed in my direction at one point.
My seat was at gate 1, 3rd base side, section 32, row 27 (lower stands, behind home plate). Pretty good considering the size of Nagoya Dome (I would be happy even if it was at the back of the dome). I was glad they took down the netting behind home plate. I heard sometimes they don't, which would obstruct the view.
There were 3 stages - the main stage in centre field, the moving stage, and the front stage near home plate. I can see the front stage pretty clearly from where I was sitting (where the guys get off-stage to prepare for their solos). Yumi-san advised me to bring binoculars, which were put to good use when the guys were performing on the main stage.
The concert started promptly at 4pm. The lights dimmed, and fans went wild. Arashi came up to the main stage via a trapdoor at the bottom.
Boku ga Boku no Subete
Believe
Kotoba Yori Taisetsuna Mono
Oh Yeah
Greetings
Didn't catch much of what they said since my Japanese is not very good, but their greetings were similar to those of previous concerts. The order was Jun, Nino, Aiba, Ohno and Sho.
Jun: Hey Nagoya! Happy New Year! (in English). It's been a while (久しぶり).....
Nino: Welcome! (いらっしゃいませ).....
Aiba:....
Ohno: Hi! Hi! Hi~! Today is the Nagoya festival! (名古屋まつり)
Sho:.....
A.Ra.Shi
Rock This
The guys were suspended in the air above the main stage as they sang. (My binoculars were put to good use here, LOL)
Always
Yes? No?
I was surprised they included it in the set list, since it's an old song and not considered a classic. I used to not care for it until I heard it live at AAA 2008 in Taipei. Glad to hear it again and it sounded so much better live.
Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki~
I've always found the choreography for this song to be hot. There was a one-second silence towards the end where Nino was supposed to come in with his solo line "nemurenai yoru ni". Not sure if Nino forgot to come in or if the staff forgot to turn his mic on. Not surprised if they lip synced the chorus since they sounded exactly like the CD.
Lucky Man
Shake It
It reminded me of his w/me performance (though not as extreme). He was shakin' it (literally) and I was laughing throughout (but Ohno's hip thrusts are sexier, sorry Jun). The bottom half of his shirt was unbuttoned at the start of his performance and he unbuttoned the top half as the performance went on. At one point he was tugging on his shirt, as if he was going to strip. In my mind I was thinking "脱いで!" (strip!) and was disappointed he didn't.
Ashita no Kioku (full song)
My first time hearing the full song live. Was pleasantly surprised since they usually just sing the short version, plus I love hearing their solos in the 2nd verse. Guess they had to give Jun enough time to change after his solo. He came out during his solo in the 2nd verse.
Furusato (1st verse only)
Hero
Aiba went off the front stage sometime during the 2nd half of the song and back on towards the end.
Janakute
It was a cute performance. Aiba was doing a dance routine with chairs. His outfit was very shiny (gold, I think, not sure if it was his jacket or pants though).
Kono Mama Motto
I was thinking "OMG it's so cheesy" throughout the performance I couldn't even focus on Sho's singing. It was as cheesy as Nino's "Tokubetsu" in "scene" - replace the balloons with feather fans. Sho's outfit consisted of white polka dots - his grey pants, black shirt and grey vest were all covered in it, plus a straw hat to top it off.
Everybody Zenshin
Not a fan of this song. Still don't like it after hearing it live. Ohno and Jun came over in their floats / carts, so that was nice.
Kitto Daijoubu
Happiness
Meikyuu Love Song
Apparently Sho & Nino kissed / hugged at some point? Whatever it was I totally missed it. The audience went "kya~!" and I was clueless. I missed a lot of members' interactions throughout the concert, but I definitely saw through my binoculars that Ohno touched Nino's butt towards the end of this song.
MC
Again didn't catch much of it. Sho asked us to sit down coz they'll be talking for a while. Nino talked about how Aiba messed up during Meikyuu Love Song, and even showed how Aiba grabbed his leg at one point, when there's no such choreography. Aiba explained he messed up and hit his leg (ouch). Aiba also talked about how he locked himself out of his hotel room in Nagoya a second time. Jun pimped his drama, Lucky Seven, and he said something along the lines of "I think it'll be interesting" (面白いと思います). Ohno and Nino promoted Kaibutsu-kun. They asked the audience who saw it, and talked about watching in 2D vs. 3D. Lastly, Sho talked about how they'll be doing 24hr TV for a third time.
Negai
Lotus
Niji no Kakera
Aiba came over to my section on the float / cart. Ohno went off the front stage to get ready for his solo and came back on towards the end.
Hung up on
Nothing much to say except the choreography was hot.
Doku ni Demo Aru Uta
Nino played the guitar as he sang. He sounded a little off / out of breath at the start of the 2nd verse, but overall he sounded pretty good. I was worried he'd go off-key, since he has a tendency to do so when singing live.
Attack It
Sho sang Nino's first line before he came back out.
Morning Light
Dance VTR
It was pretty cool, pretty similar to the CG in Kouhaku.
Mada Minu Sekai e
Love Rainbow
Troublemaker
Ohno and Jun were on the floats / carts while Sho was on the main stage. Yama totally failed at making their heart (on screen) at the end.
Hadashi no Mirai
Sakura Sake
Thank you speeches
They did it on the front stage. The order was Sho, Ohno, Aiba, Nino and Jun. Again didn't catch much of it, they all said things like "thank you very much for today" and "it was a lot of fun".
Hatenai Sora
Tooku Made
Fans didn't try very hard to get Arashi to come out for an encore. Probably coz they knew there'll definitely be one? The "Arashi" screams were weak at best.
1st Encore
Love So Sweet
A Day in our Life
Sunrise Nippon
Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi
This was the first time I heard Ohno falter live. I've never doubted Ohno can sing, perhaps he was tired as it was near the end and age is catching up to him. His voice cracked and he ran out of breath during the last "yeah~" in Love So Sweet, off-key during the last "yeah~" in A Day in our Life, and his solo at the beginning of Sunrise Nippon was shaky. Not that I mind - I'd much rather hear him sing live and off-key than lip sync.
2nd Encore
When they came out for the 2nd encore, Jun said "it's really the last song". The audience goes "eh~?" Then Jun goes "we're going home!".
Zekkou Chouchou
It made sense to end on this song, since the last line is また、明日. Personally, I don't like concerts ending on such an upbeat song and prefer something more mellow. Out of all the concerts I've been to, the best ending IMO was AAA 2008 in Taipei (2nd night), during which they ended with Hero in the 3rd encore (they ended the 2nd encore with Gori Muchuu).
I was really happy with the view from my seat. Especially when the guys came over in their floats / carts. Ohno came by my section the most (which I'm grateful for), followed by Jun and Aiba. Sho and Nino didn't come by as much.
I really like how they had a good mix of old and new songs. I like listening to their old songs in concerts coz it's very nostalgic, and it brings me back to the time when they're not popular. I was disappointed they didn't sing Pikanchi Double (one of my favourites), but I guess they can't sing everything.
I almost gave up on going to their concert this time around. Had to do a lot to make it happen. It's like the stars have to align in order to see an Arashi concert. A lot can go wrong in the process - concert cancelled / postponed, flight delays (which did happen on the way back, good thing it didn't happen on the way there), etc. Therefore I treasure every opportunity I get to see them, especially since tickets are so hard to get nowadays. Another thing I've come to realize over the years is that if I truly love them, it doesn't matter where I sit. I've sat in row 6 of the lower stands as well as the back of the dome, and both times were just as fun (though I have to admit the view wasn't the greatest, but the atmosphere makes up for it). I don't know when or if I'll see them again, but I'll always have my memories.