JAPONISM FEELINGS
I watched the concert today alone in my living room in the middle of the day sipping at vodka coke and dancing stupidly in my pajamas - yay staycation! But something I did with Japonism this time was really try and stay away from any details people were posting online throughout the tour and beyond. I vaguely knew about the solos because people naturally get excited about those, but for the most part I was able to avoid a lot of photos or descriptions - and didn't read the set list on the back of my bluray either.
So it all felt very new after a long wait, which was excellent! And I had so many unexpected big feelings that I can't contain them and livejournal was the only place I could think to bring them. No screencaps or gifs below - I haven't gotten around to grabbing a digital copy, so this is really just flailing. If you're interested for whatever reason, then full speed ahead!
ABOUT THE SOLOS
Ohno: I admit his solo on the album is not one I find myself listening to often. It's so different that I have to be in a certain mood to appreciate it, otherwise it just sort of hangs there for me. So I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from a performance of it and I have to say this might be my favorite Ohno solo ever. I was so immersed in everything he was doing, he had my absolute attention from start to finish. His voice was so smooth and clear and beautiful, and his movements matched that perfectly. Can you say someone is naturally otherworldly? Because that's what it feels like!
Stunning. I'm just in awe of him. And while some of his other songs are more my style for in the car with the windows down, as far as a bluray experience in my own little home theater world - this was unreal. Instant fave!!
Nino: HOW DID I SURVIVE.
How. HOW. Ninomiya, King of the Ruffles, Wizard of my Soul Soul.
Aiba: I love that Aiba was like Emperor of the Juniors. They follow him with these big grins like "We're in the Aiba brigade!" and that made my heart so warm ;____; Aiba has been doing this sneaky thing with his solos lately where he's like "I'm a character~" and then pulls a crotch grab or a hip thrust or a NO SHIRT kind of deal and leaves me blushing and squeaking and going "AIBA-CHAN FOR REAL?!"
I'm really impressed with him though. Mr. Funk is one of my favorite songs from Japonism! And even though I knew he wouldn't die, I was still anxious as hell at the end. A PRECIOUS LIFE WAS ON THE LINE UP THERE.
Jun: Jun's was noooot really my favorite this time around (I have a feeling what was !!! in person didn't translate to screen?), BUT with a capital B, he wins me over with the amount of effort you can see him put into his performances. When he was finished he was sweating a glimmering, wondrous waterfall and I was INTO IT. Also the song was one I first went "No plz what is happening" to when I first got the Japonism album, and then like all Jun solos it wound its way into my heart and mind and now I enjoy it for the ridiculous pop gem it is. THANKS JUN!!
Sho: I owe Sho a big time apology. As a former percussionist, I've seen my fair share of drumline performances and when I heard that was what he was doing I was pretty skeptical it would be interesting. I was an idiot, I was wrong, and I take it all back. Sho managed to make drumming SEXY again for me, it was eye-opening. I didn't realize that drumming and rapping at the same time was a thing that made my heart stop? But apparently it is now? So that's nice. ALSO HIS SUIT. PLEASE SHO. Let a girl breathe.
OTHER THOUGHTS
Speaking of Sho he was FEELING HIMSELF this whole concert and I was FEELING THAT TOO. He had all these moments he decided to do his own little dance moves and I was like "Wait those are Sho's hips. Wait, that's Sho cutting loose. WAIT THAT'S SHO RIGHT THERE!"
They are all always so 1,000% at concerts though, damn. You know they're hot, you know they're sexy, you know they can be that fantasy prince or whatever they want to portray - but when it all hits you full force it's a very powerful thing. It's like they win me over as a fan all over again every time. ARASHI.
I had a lot of fun OMG, JUN I UNDERSTAND YOU NOW moments when watching where I could see very obviously where all the Digitalian lights were in the crowd instead of the Japonism ones. I kept seeing one and going "YOU!"
It seemed like the concert got off to a slow start to me personally. The occasional like "Oh, you got me all hype with your words just to launch into that mellow song??" But it wasn't bad so much as confusing for my vibe. But as time moved on it built and built as it should and I appreciated that!
I love that they tossed in some concert classics for us, but I also was really into the fact that Japonism was just... different. It didn't feel like the typical Arashi concert to me, kind of like when I first saw Popcorn? Something in the energy - maybe the various tributes to other Johnny's performers and senpais, the theme, the way the set flowed - was new. In a way it made me miss certain aspects of how an Arashi concert goes, and in another way it was like... GOOD. Keep changing it up, keep trying new things, keep surprising me!!
THE BOLERO DANCING.
I hate the blue suits, they are my enemy and they stayed in them way too long. HOWEVER: I loved basically every other outfit change. I especially loved the one right after the MC, but it didn't stay on very long much to my dismay.
At some point Jun either had a wardrobe malfunction or made the actual choice to have one sleeve and one no-sleeve and I was alarmed. But it made for A LOT of armpit hair moments for Atsujun and I like that very much, thank you.
I fangirl screamed a strangely high amount for Sunrise Nippon.
Lots of cute dorky moments with all the members! A BIG RETURN FOR SHO AND NINO DANCES. When Nino couldn't help laughing at Ohno getting confetti stuck on his lips - and also them waving at each other cutely. A lot of Arashi acknowledgements of one another, which are my favorite little moments, so hooray!
Sometimes I am amazed at how they keep doing this year after year. Putting on such incredible concerts, being at each other's side and supporting each other through doing that when they all have so much else to do. When they announced the arena tour I genuinely thought they were gearing up for a break - which I would have understood, and then NO. They announce yet another tour. I'm in awe of them and their willingness to keep adding shows and doing MORE for fans. I don't always feel like I deserve it. But man, I'm glad it's there.
8 years a fan and I'm getting teary eyed at the end of a concert bluray all emotional and old LOL And at the same time it felt almost like I discovered them for the first time how excited I became again at just getting to watch them for a few hours.
Sorry for the crazy length of this post I highly doubt many people will get through it, but I just needed to send the emotions somewhere. ♥
Last - I love the music. I really do. I'm ready for the next! :D That end of the year madness approaches and I'm all for it. Let's end on a high note, 2016!
So it all felt very new after a long wait, which was excellent! And I had so many unexpected big feelings that I can't contain them and livejournal was the only place I could think to bring them. No screencaps or gifs below - I haven't gotten around to grabbing a digital copy, so this is really just flailing. If you're interested for whatever reason, then full speed ahead!
ABOUT THE SOLOS
Ohno: I admit his solo on the album is not one I find myself listening to often. It's so different that I have to be in a certain mood to appreciate it, otherwise it just sort of hangs there for me. So I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from a performance of it and I have to say this might be my favorite Ohno solo ever. I was so immersed in everything he was doing, he had my absolute attention from start to finish. His voice was so smooth and clear and beautiful, and his movements matched that perfectly. Can you say someone is naturally otherworldly? Because that's what it feels like!
Stunning. I'm just in awe of him. And while some of his other songs are more my style for in the car with the windows down, as far as a bluray experience in my own little home theater world - this was unreal. Instant fave!!
Nino: HOW DID I SURVIVE.
How. HOW. Ninomiya, King of the Ruffles, Wizard of my Soul Soul.
Aiba: I love that Aiba was like Emperor of the Juniors. They follow him with these big grins like "We're in the Aiba brigade!" and that made my heart so warm ;____; Aiba has been doing this sneaky thing with his solos lately where he's like "I'm a character~" and then pulls a crotch grab or a hip thrust or a NO SHIRT kind of deal and leaves me blushing and squeaking and going "AIBA-CHAN FOR REAL?!"
I'm really impressed with him though. Mr. Funk is one of my favorite songs from Japonism! And even though I knew he wouldn't die, I was still anxious as hell at the end. A PRECIOUS LIFE WAS ON THE LINE UP THERE.
Jun: Jun's was noooot really my favorite this time around (I have a feeling what was !!! in person didn't translate to screen?), BUT with a capital B, he wins me over with the amount of effort you can see him put into his performances. When he was finished he was sweating a glimmering, wondrous waterfall and I was INTO IT. Also the song was one I first went "No plz what is happening" to when I first got the Japonism album, and then like all Jun solos it wound its way into my heart and mind and now I enjoy it for the ridiculous pop gem it is. THANKS JUN!!
Sho: I owe Sho a big time apology. As a former percussionist, I've seen my fair share of drumline performances and when I heard that was what he was doing I was pretty skeptical it would be interesting. I was an idiot, I was wrong, and I take it all back. Sho managed to make drumming SEXY again for me, it was eye-opening. I didn't realize that drumming and rapping at the same time was a thing that made my heart stop? But apparently it is now? So that's nice. ALSO HIS SUIT. PLEASE SHO. Let a girl breathe.
OTHER THOUGHTS
Speaking of Sho he was FEELING HIMSELF this whole concert and I was FEELING THAT TOO. He had all these moments he decided to do his own little dance moves and I was like "Wait those are Sho's hips. Wait, that's Sho cutting loose. WAIT THAT'S SHO RIGHT THERE!"
They are all always so 1,000% at concerts though, damn. You know they're hot, you know they're sexy, you know they can be that fantasy prince or whatever they want to portray - but when it all hits you full force it's a very powerful thing. It's like they win me over as a fan all over again every time. ARASHI.
I had a lot of fun OMG, JUN I UNDERSTAND YOU NOW moments when watching where I could see very obviously where all the Digitalian lights were in the crowd instead of the Japonism ones. I kept seeing one and going "YOU!"
It seemed like the concert got off to a slow start to me personally. The occasional like "Oh, you got me all hype with your words just to launch into that mellow song??" But it wasn't bad so much as confusing for my vibe. But as time moved on it built and built as it should and I appreciated that!
I love that they tossed in some concert classics for us, but I also was really into the fact that Japonism was just... different. It didn't feel like the typical Arashi concert to me, kind of like when I first saw Popcorn? Something in the energy - maybe the various tributes to other Johnny's performers and senpais, the theme, the way the set flowed - was new. In a way it made me miss certain aspects of how an Arashi concert goes, and in another way it was like... GOOD. Keep changing it up, keep trying new things, keep surprising me!!
THE BOLERO DANCING.
I hate the blue suits, they are my enemy and they stayed in them way too long. HOWEVER: I loved basically every other outfit change. I especially loved the one right after the MC, but it didn't stay on very long much to my dismay.
At some point Jun either had a wardrobe malfunction or made the actual choice to have one sleeve and one no-sleeve and I was alarmed. But it made for A LOT of armpit hair moments for Atsujun and I like that very much, thank you.
I fangirl screamed a strangely high amount for Sunrise Nippon.
Lots of cute dorky moments with all the members! A BIG RETURN FOR SHO AND NINO DANCES. When Nino couldn't help laughing at Ohno getting confetti stuck on his lips - and also them waving at each other cutely. A lot of Arashi acknowledgements of one another, which are my favorite little moments, so hooray!
Sometimes I am amazed at how they keep doing this year after year. Putting on such incredible concerts, being at each other's side and supporting each other through doing that when they all have so much else to do. When they announced the arena tour I genuinely thought they were gearing up for a break - which I would have understood, and then NO. They announce yet another tour. I'm in awe of them and their willingness to keep adding shows and doing MORE for fans. I don't always feel like I deserve it. But man, I'm glad it's there.
8 years a fan and I'm getting teary eyed at the end of a concert bluray all emotional and old LOL And at the same time it felt almost like I discovered them for the first time how excited I became again at just getting to watch them for a few hours.
Sorry for the crazy length of this post I highly doubt many people will get through it, but I just needed to send the emotions somewhere. ♥
Last - I love the music. I really do. I'm ready for the next! :D That end of the year madness approaches and I'm all for it. Let's end on a high note, 2016!