GR8EST in Taipei: My First Johnnys Concert!
Last June 11 2018 marked my first international travel- TAIPEI! Yay! I was so ecstatic about this because I have been dreaming of travelling outside the country for decades and because I have awesome friends who made me believe that I CAN, they made sure to book the flights on my birth month, when can be the most appropriate to check this off from my bucket list more than my birthday right? That 5-day trip was so magical and life-changing. YES. It made me more confident, that I am more what I thought I could do. Yes, I fvcking made it out of my country with my own money! okay, so fast forward...
July 2018- Ryo Nishikido and Tadayoshi Okura made it to the headlines of online japanese sites. They visited Taipei and I am like, "WHY JUST RIGHT AFTER I WENT HOME???".. and what's more surprising is they suddenly announced that they will be going to Taipei to do a concert! I had to read it again just in case my eyes read it wrong or I was so out of myself like I usually am.. and yes, the article clearly says KANJANI8 TO HOLD A 2-DAY CONCERT AT THE TAIPEI ARENA ON SEPTEMBER 22-23. September, huh. SEPTEMBER?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? LIKE, JUST 3 MONTHS AFTER I SPENT MY WHOLE SAVINGS?
I don't usually write blogs here because I am that lazy bitch who promises herself each year to be more active in LJ but fails terribly. I am more and definitely active on twitter, instagram and facebook. Most of my mutuals know that I am an Eighter (Kanjani8 fan). If I rank Johnnys groups according to my fandom:
1. NEWS (this isn't even a question)
2. Arashi and Kanjani8 (it's a fvcking tie!)
3. KinKiKids, SexyZone,Kinpuri,V6
so there you go, my second favorite Johnnys group is doing a live outside Japan. This is happening in 2018 of the year of our lord. Okay, so if someone.. just in case you know someone bothers to read this and isn't familiar with Johnnys idols let me explain why I am so stressed with my life decisions. LOL. There is an idol agency/company in Japan who produces MALE idol groups who are extremely and crazily popular in Japan. Their top artist, Arashi have 2MILLION OFFICIAL FANCLUB MEMBERS just to give you a picture of how big they are in their country. So these Johnnys idols doesn't have any social media accounts -what is facebook, instagram,twitter? They also don't stream their music outside Japan- what is spotify, itunes or youtube? The Johnnys fandom( how we fans of different groups from Johnnys Entertainment/ Johnnys & Associates collectively call ourselves) have to purchase magazines/photobooks (because you can't even find much pictures in the internet too), CDS/DVDS in Japan if we want HD content. LOL. And for concerts, buying tickets on ticketing sites is not our way. JE has their own ticketing system through the fanclub which means that for someone to be able to get concert tickets, he/she needs to register as a fanclub member so they could ballot for tickets BUT here's more! you can only register if you have a valid japanese address and japanese phone number plus they only accept payment through japanese banks/convenient stores. What does it say? It tells an international fan to be super awesome to find ways to get through all that shit and register as an FC member of her fav group so she could watch them in Japan. They don't go outside of Japan girls! you have to visit to experience the dream. hahahahaha!It's very rare for JE idols to go outside of Japan to do shows.. only a few groups did that like Arashi,NEWS,HSJ,SMAP and KAT-TUN which are only one-time shows and never happened again.
First, I am not a fanclub member YET. Yes, because this girl is gonna work her ass off until I become a member of NEWS fan club. That's on my bucket list!!! anyway, so now Ryo-chan and Tacchon is telling me they are going to Taiwan to have a concert.. tickets are open for ALL. HELL YES! it will be through a ticketing site, tixcraft? (I don't remember it anymore lol) So, I was in full panic mode on how to figure out my life. LOL. I messaged my friend,Reg and funny thing was she was also in panic mode when she heard the news and told me she was also seriously thinking about it but we came into an agreement that we will grit our teeth to watch Kanjani8. We won't let this god-sent opportunity to see our boys pass us by! So come the ticketing day... I almost choked at how the ticketing worked... THERE IS A FVCKING QUIZ BEFORE YOU GET TO BUY THE TICKET. I am not joking. When you try to buy the ticket, there is a question in chinese ( yeah, I had to ask for help of my friend who studies chinese to translate it for us) the question is WHEN IS THE NATIONAL DEBUT DATE OF KANJANI8? and you have to input your answer before you could choose your seat. I never thought something like that is possible for a ticketing site? THIS IS JUST ON ANOTHER LEVEL OF WOTA. hahahahaha. and guess what, it was just 3minutes in the ticket selling and 2 shows are already sold out. YES NOT 1 BUT 2 SOLD OUT IN 3 MINUTES. This is Taipei Arena, 15k capacity and 2 shows mean 30k capacity sold out. So we had to go around everyone we know to ask for extra tickets. My friend has a japanese friend who has a vietnamese friend who have 2 extra tix for the 9/23 show (2nd day) (the things we do for our boys is really...epic.) but HELL YEAH! WE ARE WATCHING NOW NO MATTER WHAT. We have tickets!!
Because Reg and I are working adults we had to plan our leaves. I wanted to travel 9/21 so I get more rest before watching the concert but my work just wont let me because I have to attend an important meeting on a Saturday. I had to book my flight 11PM Saturday which mean I will arrive in Taiwan by Sunday, the day of the concert. GREAT. Plus, Reg have to fly before me because she needs to meet the ticket seller by Friday which means I have to travel alone but I CAN'T because I just can't travel alone! but I was just blessed with awesome friends, one of our friend DJ, obliged to go with us in Taipei even if shes not a fan. LOL. She just want to spend her birthday there. Thank you DJ. I love you.
I came on full make up and OOTD at the airport because who knows? I might bump into Tacchon or Ryo-chan in the streets of Ximending. LOOOOL.
this is the freshest I could look from a night shift. LOOL.
touchdown Taiwan!
After finding our hotel, I just slept for good 4 hours and prepared for the biggest day of my life to date.
Reg and I are on our way to Taipei Arena via train! GREEN is my color of the day for my precious green ranger TACCHON and Reg is just full on white for his black ranger Yoko!
9.23.2018: D-DAY. The sight of Taipei Arena right in front of me made my stomach hurt. I was so fvcking nervous. I didn't expect that at all.
The sight made me so nervous!
We went to IKEA first to get our lunch ( the food there is A+) I need to go back there soon.
IKEA. DJ wanted to go here so bad so we went here for the birthday girl and no regrets because place is nice and food is awesome.
YUM!!!
After lunch, we headed to the merch shop where we were supposed to buy our uchiwa and lightstick which is like a requirement for every Johnnys concert. This is also my first time buying a lightstick only to be greeted by the japanese staffs' apologies, ALL GOODS WERE SOLD OUT. Johnnys fans sure have a lot of moneyyyyyyy. I was so frustrated. I saved up to buy the goods! but oh well, won't let this ruin this precious day. We were kinda lost where we should be entering because the ticket is printed with chinese characters. A pretty and kind Ryo fan helped us get to our seats and I was so surprised about our seats, it was at the middle and so near the extended stage. Good seats!!! and as I walk through the arena to go to our seats, I saw the screen text "GR8EST IN TAIPEI" and I am already tearing up. I have to hold myself together. I wont fvcking cry now! the show hasn't even started yet!!ROFL.
Look at the 2nd stage just a few rows in front of us!!
When the lights were finally out, I lost it there, It was a view I will never forget. The penlights were so beautiful in colors of eito like so beautiful. I don't think cameras will be able to justify how beautiful it was.
EITO COLORS- red, orange,green,white,blue,violet
This is a Taipei concert so I was not expecting so much in the production thinking that maybe they'll not be able to pull what they do in Japan but I was wrong, the opening was so magical- They appeared in gold suits with fireworks and amazing lighting effects. I silently thought to myself- THIS IS HOW IDOLS SHOULD LOOK LIKE. Something out of a dream. Something you will never get in real life!
The stage is so pretty!
They are this close to me when they moved to the extended stage!
Everyone was hyped up. I almost jumped when they sang Musekinin Hero aksjdksjxjsksjdks I always dreamt of seeing this live. Let me talk about the solos/pair performances because I am so happy with the songs. Yassu was first, he appeared at the center of the stage with his guitar and guess what? He performed WATASHI KAGAMI. How many years has it already been since I heard him sing it? It was a song that was always on loop on my playlist. Yassu slayed my life like that.
Yasu with his guitar is a sight to behold!
my heart is so soft for this performance. His voice is so good.
Then Ryo and Tacchon appeared in suits and performed TORN. that is my fav Ryokura duet of all time. I was dying inside. I am watching it live now. Seeing the ending pose live with my own eyes forever changed my life. It was so sexyyyyy.
FML talaga! taena. hahahahaha
SAW THIS LIVE WITH MY OWN EYES. I AM BLESSEDT.
Maru and Yoko performed Panpanda. I will not get over this perf. It was the cutest thing ever. Both men are in their 30s and they still look adorable performing this song I wanna squish them.
UWU!!
The last solo was Hina's Love and King. SLAY IT HINAAAA LIKE A BADBOY RAPPER.God, this performance was so hype and fun! with Tacchon and Ryo as backupdancers LOOOL.
I was laughing too hard because instead of swag.. they all look shady ghettos! rofl.
The MC part was so funny. Everyone was introducing themselves using their chinese names and there goes Tacchon and Hina failing miserably. Hina even revealed that when he went out in Taiwan to buy something he just used signs to communicate. LMAO. Hina,come with us! Maru was singing a lot of random songs it was so cute to watch. I am often turned off by cheesy comedy or just flat comedy but Maru is different.. He is trying to be funny but he is already funny and its so cute to watch!!! I think I can watch maru do gags all day. I am really doting on Maru so much. Also, I appreciate it when Yassu took off his glasses for us. He's showing us that he's only getting better and recovering now. We love you Yassu. I was waiting for them to finally do the band and when they did I was literally blown away. The energy eito has when they do band is so amazing. Its enveloping and engaging. I was on edge. They are so good. They sang Zukkoke Otokomichi in band! That is my energy song and it just got better and Yoko leading the vocals was a good move!!~ I was singing my lungs out.
and for a moment,I just knew they were going to sing LIFE next .. I have been waiting all my life to hear this song live.. all my feels. Tacchon has this moment in his solo part where the camera zoomed in him while he is singing and playing the drums- he was smiling so beautifully, it was so he was legit shining. It will be forever engraved in my mind.
THAT SMILE IS MY LIFE.
Both Tacchon and Ryo were so emotional while singing LIFE. I am crying.
Tacchon I love you so much.
When a familiar music started playing, I already started sobbing so hard. It was OSAKA ROMANESQUE. I know it was going to be an emotional song for all eighters for so many reasons but it was different hearing it and seeing it live... it was heart achingly beautiful. All the memories I had with eito just flashed back. This was the song that tells the story of eito and we all know it in our hearts. The last song was Koko Ni. Ahhhh, I totally felt it. This is indeed Kanjani's sound. I am happy they didn't changed at all even with 6 members remaining. It felt like we are really starting all over again and I hope eito knows that we are with them. We are still here after everything. We are staying!I loved how eito ended the show- they asked fans to hold hands and do the final greetings
K8: ORETACHI GA KANJANI-
Fans: EITO!!!
I almost choked after doing it. The solidarity I felt with everyone like we are one big happy family and they said bye, left the stage. But the fans were still chanting EITO!EITO!EITO! so loud and without stopping even if there was already an announcement that the concert is already finished. We never stopped chanting though I know nothing will come out of it. I've been to a lot of concerts and at the end of the shows, no matter how much you call for the artists they just don't comeback on the stage anymore because concert is finished.duh. but whatever, I still chanted along with the fans and then BAM~! KANJANI8 WENT BACK ON STAGE with faces all so amused and touched and speechless. They asked: WHY ARE YOU NOT MAKING US LEAVE? /you know whyyyy!!! we don't want this to end! and I was already a sobbing mess. I was literally ugly crying at that moment with Reg because one, I was fvcking touched that they bother to go back on stage to hear out the fans and say goodbye one last time. I felt this was not all business, there is love. They love us. And God knows we love them too. so much. And two- it hit me so hard without warning, it felt like this will be the first and last time I'll ever see them. There was this uncertainty that sits in the pit of my stomach it hurts so bad that I couldn't stop crying. This was the reality of being an international JE fan but I am really thankful. KANJANI8 , THANK YOU FOR MEETING ME.
After the concert, I don't know what sad ghost possessed me because I was literally sobbing outside Taipei Arena. I was so sad I don't even know what to do with myself and my friends were doing everything to calm me down. THIS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME. My friends started asking other fans if they have extra Tacchon uchiwa. They thought it could make me feel better. I know, I am blessed with best friends ever. After I have calmed down my emotions, we decided to visit the Kanjani pop up store near the arena, it is almost closing time but I have to go there atleast buy one eito goods.
I went there!!
with my boys!
The line of fans was a bit long but the hell I care, I need to see anything kanjani8 no matter what before I leave Taipei. Right behind us were fans from Hongkong who asked where we were from (they prolly heard us speaking filipino) and they were surprised that there were kanjani8 fans in the Philippines. We chit-chat for a bit until I was crying again because I miss Kanjani. I am so dramatic that day. Sorry not sorry. I bought Koko NI single to support my 6nin Kanjani8 and the lady at the store was kind enough to give me a kuchibiru sticker as freebie. :)
I suck at ending any blogpost that I have, but that's all! One thing is for sure, I'd like to see them again soon! I will work harder and meet you all again Tacchon, Ryo-chan, Maru, Hina,Yoko and Yasu!