Mom likes Makaze Suzuho of Hoshigumi
Yo. Jet lag bit us in our behinds today after we rather spontaneously decided to try for Napoleon toujitsuken and had to get up at 6:30am.
Mom didn't want to spend too much money on the show, and so we declined a scalper's offer of row 23 S-seki. When we had almost reached the ticket window I realized there were two lines, one for the 1:30 show and one for the 6:30 show. I let mom hold our place and checked with the 6:30 window if they had any seats left, and low and behold, we got row 9 S-seki, middle block!!! That's the closest to SS that I've ever been.
While waiting for the ticket counter to open, we observed some of the irimachi rituals and mom was kind of hooked, she kept walking away to take pictures (very carefully and unobtrusive, as I had instructed her, even though it meant curbing her ambitions as a documentary photographer). :D
The show itself was unexpectedly entertaining (a "big cosplay fest", as mom called it). Mom reached for my binos rather often and after the show I learned why: mom had picked a favorite - Makaze Suzuho. :D :D
She really had quite a presence on stage and I kind of see why she picked her. "She could dress as a man and walk out of the theater without anyone noticing." (Mom at demachi.) "But I'm pretty sure she's a pretty women, too." XD (Confirmed after looking at some offstage pictures.)
I myself know next to nothing and no one in and about Hoshigumi and I was simply amazed by the experience of being *this* close to the stage. Absolutely breathtaking. I don't know how you can ever go back to A or B if you had this view once. :P (Looking at my wallet I do actually know how you can go back to cheaper seats, but it'll never be as satisfying an experience. :P)
In the morning I had offered mom to pay her the difference between the toujitsouken B-seki we had planned for and the S-seki we actually bought, but after the show she said she's quite happy and doesn't regret spending that kind of money on the show. PHEW!!!
Between getting the tickets and seeing the show we went to the Edo-Tokyo Museum to meet up with our volunteer guide. She was a very sweet elderly lady who clearly enjoyed showing us around the museum. Unfortunately, we hadn't slept much and were too tired to make it a full 2 hours tour. I think our guide was a little bit disappointed, but we really needed to get some sleep before the show. :(
For dinner mom ate ramen with chopsticks. And it's only her 3rd day in Japan. I think we'll be fine. :P