[Report] Kansai Johnny's Jr. Spring Special Show 2015 - March 31st - Introduction
>>> Part 1 <<<
>>> Part 1 (2) <<<
>>> Talk Parts <<<
>>> Part 2 <<<
>>> Encore <<<
One post wasn't enough to contain my many many many feelings that need to be poured out so this first part is going to be kind of an introduction post. There are countless things I want to say regarding this concert, many details I want to be written down or else I will forget them, and of course I need to talk about Tôma, which I will mainly do in this post.
So, as mentioned in my previous one, on March 31st, after a 15 hours long trip from France and a 12 hours long night of sleep, I headed for the Shochiku-za theater in Osaka to attend the last performance of the Kansai Johnny's Jr. Spring Special Show 2015, aka the most emotionally intense Johnny's show I have ever attended so far.
I cried A LOT during SHOCK last year (I was literally sobbing out loud in my handkerchief throughout the second act both days) but I knew I would. This time, I was just like "Yay, I'm happy to go see the boys after so long! Let's have fun!" so my heart WAS NOT prepared for what actually happened that evening.
First of all: it was not clearly stated at any moment during the show it would be Tôma's last stage. I learned about the sad news on the next day. I was about to go out with my roommate, checked my phone one last time before leaving and I literally had to sit down in shock to take in what I was reading. This show I went to see happened to be Kaneuchi Tôma's last stage and I didn't know about it.
When I still was in France, I think it was on the second day of the show? I read that rumor of him leaving. I didn't pay any attention to it because why would he leave when there are concerts going on...? It didn't cross my mind even for a second he could actually leave once they would be over. Also I avoid reading any report of a show I am to attend so maybe he hinted it during the first days, maybe some people knew, maybe some were more or less expecting it. I definitely wasn't.
It was a real shock. Since I became a Junior fan 4 years ago, many boys I liked have left. But with MaiJani, I got terribly emotionally attached to the Kansai boys, so I feel like this is the departure that has affected me the most so far. Tôma wasn't my biased but I liked him - and still like him - VERY much. It sounds stupid but since the concert, I sometimes find myself thinking about it, about him, about Kansai Jr. and I get teary-eyed. I haven't watched the last MaiJani episode Tôma was in yet. Listening to my recording of the show alone makes me cry, so I already know that episode is going to break my heart...
I thought about it a lot and actually...I don't think I would have enjoyed the concert that much if I had knew it would be my last time seeing Tôma on stage. In a way, it's better things ended this way. There were tears, both from the boys and from us fans, but it wasn't sad. (I will talk about it more in the last part of this report!) Because really, the concert was A LOT of fun. And after what I saw that evening, I am really really proud of Tôma. Whatever the reason he left, wathever new path he chose to walk in, I'm sure he enjoyed that last stage to the fullest and I know he's not leaving because he wasn't happy or he hates Kansai Jr. or anything like that. I'm deeply thankful for everything he has done as a Kansai Jr.. I'm happy I supported him for the past two years. And I sincerely wish him all the best for his future ♥
Although I didn't know about The Tôma Issue, there were many moments especially during the MC, the curtain call and the last greetings I felt from what the boys said, from how they acted, that something was "wrong". And there was also that one "event" that only a few of us seating at the first balcony witnessed that should have hinted me this wasn't going to be a "normal" last show. The following part is going to be about what happened from the moment I took my seat to the moment the light went down. I know, doesn't sound interesting, but I'm still going to write about it anyway :p
When I go to see a show, I'm the kind of person who likes to enter the venue first. Some fans wander around the hallways, talking to their friends, playing on their phones and go to their seat only at the last moment. It's fine, but I prefer being among the first to be inside and just sit and look around (...sounds a bit creepy aha!). It was my second time going to the Shochiku-za. First time was last summer for Johnny's WEST's stage play Typhoon DREAMER for which I had a first floor seat. This time, I was at the first balcony, center block 6th row, just behind the aisle, which I think was a quite good seat! The Shochiku-za is so small anyway that I'm sure you can see well even from the second balcony.
So I was sitting there for maybe about 10 minutes, happily singing along to the music that was being played (instrumental version of Kanju songs like Romantic, UME Goin on!, Bang Bang!!, Happy Happy Lucky You,...). Our block was still quite empty when a man entered. I'd say he was in his early fifties. He was wearing a black suit, had grey hair and...he looked kind of out of place. Of course anyone can be a Johnny's fan (I'm kind of out of place myself among most of the Kansai Jr. fans who are sooooo young, and I'm only 22 8D; ) so I don't mean it in a bad way, but it was unusually funny. As he went to take his seat at the front row, third seat from my right, I was wondering who he could be a fan of.
A few minutes after that, two girls came walking from the front rows and one of them said to the other "He said he was Tôma's father!" I was like o___o !!?? and turned around when my eyes met with the two girls who were behind me. One of them asked me "Is it true?" How on earth am I supposed to know who Tôma's father is??? xD
Shortly before the show began, I went to the toilet (how exciting!) and when I was washing my hands, two women who once again didn't look like typical Johnny's fans entered the room. I'd say the first was in her late forties. She had quite a lot of makeup on, was veeery slim and had long thin light brown hair sligthly curled. She was wearing a long white furred coat, white high heels and a white mini skirt. The other one had a more "classic" style: blue jacket, blue jeans and a brown hat. I remember the first woman said to the other "I should have done like her..." but I couldn't just stay here because I wasn't thinking anything apart from the fact that it was funny Kanju had fans like that so I went back to my seat.
A while after that, the two women entered the first balcony. They were trying to find their seats and the furred woman was talking quite loudly. After some "I think we're here...?" "No it's here!!" they happened to also be at the front row, two seats away from the earlier man. Between them was a young couple, maybe in their late twenties? The guy had a Johnny's-like hairstyle, he was wearing a brown leather jacket and beige pants. I don't remember about the girl, but both of them were quite fashionable.
When the furred woman turned around to lower her seat, her eyes met with the two girls behind her. Each of them was wearing a colored bow headband. She smiled at them and told them they are cute. She then said something pointing at herself but I only overheard "I am OO" to which the two girls went "EEEEEHH!!!???" very loudly. One of them asked if it was true and the lady confirmed saying 「ホンマでござるわ!!」
And that's when I got it. The is-this-really-Tôma's-father earlier thing, the fact that the woman seemed to be around the same age, the girls reaction: she was very most likely Tôma's mother. I would have NEVER imagined any of the boys' mom to look like that, and I definitely wasn't picturing Tôma's mom as a slim white furred lady. And because she was so extravagant looking, I really don't understand why she got mad at Tôma for THIS hairstyle xD
One of the two girls asked for a handshake. She accepted with a big smile. She seemed to be enjoying herself maybe a bit too much as she started to introduce the persons next to her (I was too far to hear properly though) and they didn't look that excited about it x) She even introduced the couple so I guess they were also relatives but Tôma only has a younger brother right? The guy looked older than him so I wonder who these two were...
And that guys, is why you should enter the venue early and not wander around ;p
Sorry for the randomness but I really wanted to write about all this :3 It's already quite long for something that's not even directly related to the concert so I'll leave it here for the first part! The rest is coming very soon~
>>> Part 1 (2) <<<
>>> Talk Parts <<<
>>> Part 2 <<<
>>> Encore <<<
One post wasn't enough to contain my many many many feelings that need to be poured out so this first part is going to be kind of an introduction post. There are countless things I want to say regarding this concert, many details I want to be written down or else I will forget them, and of course I need to talk about Tôma, which I will mainly do in this post.
So, as mentioned in my previous one, on March 31st, after a 15 hours long trip from France and a 12 hours long night of sleep, I headed for the Shochiku-za theater in Osaka to attend the last performance of the Kansai Johnny's Jr. Spring Special Show 2015, aka the most emotionally intense Johnny's show I have ever attended so far.
I cried A LOT during SHOCK last year (I was literally sobbing out loud in my handkerchief throughout the second act both days) but I knew I would. This time, I was just like "Yay, I'm happy to go see the boys after so long! Let's have fun!" so my heart WAS NOT prepared for what actually happened that evening.
First of all: it was not clearly stated at any moment during the show it would be Tôma's last stage. I learned about the sad news on the next day. I was about to go out with my roommate, checked my phone one last time before leaving and I literally had to sit down in shock to take in what I was reading. This show I went to see happened to be Kaneuchi Tôma's last stage and I didn't know about it.
When I still was in France, I think it was on the second day of the show? I read that rumor of him leaving. I didn't pay any attention to it because why would he leave when there are concerts going on...? It didn't cross my mind even for a second he could actually leave once they would be over. Also I avoid reading any report of a show I am to attend so maybe he hinted it during the first days, maybe some people knew, maybe some were more or less expecting it. I definitely wasn't.
It was a real shock. Since I became a Junior fan 4 years ago, many boys I liked have left. But with MaiJani, I got terribly emotionally attached to the Kansai boys, so I feel like this is the departure that has affected me the most so far. Tôma wasn't my biased but I liked him - and still like him - VERY much. It sounds stupid but since the concert, I sometimes find myself thinking about it, about him, about Kansai Jr. and I get teary-eyed. I haven't watched the last MaiJani episode Tôma was in yet. Listening to my recording of the show alone makes me cry, so I already know that episode is going to break my heart...
I thought about it a lot and actually...I don't think I would have enjoyed the concert that much if I had knew it would be my last time seeing Tôma on stage. In a way, it's better things ended this way. There were tears, both from the boys and from us fans, but it wasn't sad. (I will talk about it more in the last part of this report!) Because really, the concert was A LOT of fun. And after what I saw that evening, I am really really proud of Tôma. Whatever the reason he left, wathever new path he chose to walk in, I'm sure he enjoyed that last stage to the fullest and I know he's not leaving because he wasn't happy or he hates Kansai Jr. or anything like that. I'm deeply thankful for everything he has done as a Kansai Jr.. I'm happy I supported him for the past two years. And I sincerely wish him all the best for his future ♥
Although I didn't know about The Tôma Issue, there were many moments especially during the MC, the curtain call and the last greetings I felt from what the boys said, from how they acted, that something was "wrong". And there was also that one "event" that only a few of us seating at the first balcony witnessed that should have hinted me this wasn't going to be a "normal" last show. The following part is going to be about what happened from the moment I took my seat to the moment the light went down. I know, doesn't sound interesting, but I'm still going to write about it anyway :p
When I go to see a show, I'm the kind of person who likes to enter the venue first. Some fans wander around the hallways, talking to their friends, playing on their phones and go to their seat only at the last moment. It's fine, but I prefer being among the first to be inside and just sit and look around (...sounds a bit creepy aha!). It was my second time going to the Shochiku-za. First time was last summer for Johnny's WEST's stage play Typhoon DREAMER for which I had a first floor seat. This time, I was at the first balcony, center block 6th row, just behind the aisle, which I think was a quite good seat! The Shochiku-za is so small anyway that I'm sure you can see well even from the second balcony.
So I was sitting there for maybe about 10 minutes, happily singing along to the music that was being played (instrumental version of Kanju songs like Romantic, UME Goin on!, Bang Bang!!, Happy Happy Lucky You,...). Our block was still quite empty when a man entered. I'd say he was in his early fifties. He was wearing a black suit, had grey hair and...he looked kind of out of place. Of course anyone can be a Johnny's fan (I'm kind of out of place myself among most of the Kansai Jr. fans who are sooooo young, and I'm only 22 8D; ) so I don't mean it in a bad way, but it was unusually funny. As he went to take his seat at the front row, third seat from my right, I was wondering who he could be a fan of.
A few minutes after that, two girls came walking from the front rows and one of them said to the other "He said he was Tôma's father!" I was like o___o !!?? and turned around when my eyes met with the two girls who were behind me. One of them asked me "Is it true?" How on earth am I supposed to know who Tôma's father is??? xD
Shortly before the show began, I went to the toilet (how exciting!) and when I was washing my hands, two women who once again didn't look like typical Johnny's fans entered the room. I'd say the first was in her late forties. She had quite a lot of makeup on, was veeery slim and had long thin light brown hair sligthly curled. She was wearing a long white furred coat, white high heels and a white mini skirt. The other one had a more "classic" style: blue jacket, blue jeans and a brown hat. I remember the first woman said to the other "I should have done like her..." but I couldn't just stay here because I wasn't thinking anything apart from the fact that it was funny Kanju had fans like that so I went back to my seat.
A while after that, the two women entered the first balcony. They were trying to find their seats and the furred woman was talking quite loudly. After some "I think we're here...?" "No it's here!!" they happened to also be at the front row, two seats away from the earlier man. Between them was a young couple, maybe in their late twenties? The guy had a Johnny's-like hairstyle, he was wearing a brown leather jacket and beige pants. I don't remember about the girl, but both of them were quite fashionable.
When the furred woman turned around to lower her seat, her eyes met with the two girls behind her. Each of them was wearing a colored bow headband. She smiled at them and told them they are cute. She then said something pointing at herself but I only overheard "I am OO" to which the two girls went "EEEEEHH!!!???" very loudly. One of them asked if it was true and the lady confirmed saying 「ホンマでござるわ!!」
And that's when I got it. The is-this-really-Tôma's-father earlier thing, the fact that the woman seemed to be around the same age, the girls reaction: she was very most likely Tôma's mother. I would have NEVER imagined any of the boys' mom to look like that, and I definitely wasn't picturing Tôma's mom as a slim white furred lady. And because she was so extravagant looking, I really don't understand why she got mad at Tôma for THIS hairstyle xD
One of the two girls asked for a handshake. She accepted with a big smile. She seemed to be enjoying herself maybe a bit too much as she started to introduce the persons next to her (I was too far to hear properly though) and they didn't look that excited about it x) She even introduced the couple so I guess they were also relatives but Tôma only has a younger brother right? The guy looked older than him so I wonder who these two were...
And that guys, is why you should enter the venue early and not wander around ;p
Sorry for the randomness but I really wanted to write about all this :3 It's already quite long for something that's not even directly related to the concert so I'll leave it here for the first part! The rest is coming very soon~