A SPECIAL TSUBASA CON REPORT
Hey, everyone! I don't think I mentioned it, but recently, I was
TOUCHED BY TSUBASA
*_________________________________________*
About a month ago when I called the fan club to find out if I hit for tickets, I heard that I'd hit for both of the Tokyo dates, even though I only remember balloting for one. However, I don't doubt my hand's capacity for following insane impulses, so I'm sure I did ballot for both. And oh how I'm glad I did. *____*
I went to Tuesday's show alone and stood in the back of the second stand (probably they overbooked?), and then on Wednesday, my friend and I had seats in the arena. *___* (Pardon the starry faces - they're going to be a feature in this report. XD)
We got to Tokyo City Hall with about an hour to spare before the show began, and we went right into the lobby and straight to the DVDs. I was 98% sure he'd do a fanmeet the way he's done after every concert so far, and even though I'd already gone to one in Osaka, I totally wanted to do it again (because, you know, reasons). We saw the banner for the Takitsuba DVD but we weren't sure if we had to buy that or Tsubasa's DVD to get the MEET YOUR VERY OWN TSUBASA pass, so we decided to wait until after the con to see what everyone else was doing.
We went down many flights of stairs, into the depths of awesomeness, and found our tickets' assigned door on the bottom floor. We walked into the arena and I pretty much lost all sense of composure from then on. Since I'd been standing on my toes all night Tuesday trying to see over people's heads, the thought of being in the arena where the stage was right there, was a bit giddymaking.
We found our seats, which were right on the aisle and far enough back that we still had a good view of the stage. It turns out we were lucky - when the concert started, I heard the girls behind us closer to the middle complaining that they couldn't see him at all. The only downside to our seats is that whenever he'd go to his knees I couldn't see the lower half of his body, but I endured this hardship bravely (hardship XD).
To keep myself from bouncing out of my seat, I looked around and pointed out to my friend the darkened corner I'd been standing in the night before and, as I was turning to face the stage again, I saw a huge video camera that could knock out a baby rhino. I showed my friend that, too, and we discussed the possibility of it being a DVD camera. We'd known from lovespiral that the wideshows would be taping parts of the concert for the morning news shows, but this thing was massive, and there were two others like it. And I don't think he announced his DVD last year, so I'm just going to go ahead and assume he's releasing this con as a DVD, too. XD /HINATIVE
Since January fuyukoi, lovespiral, and I were talking about when Takki would visit. We were fairly sure it'd be one of the Tokyo cons, and since he skipped the Valentine's con, it had to be Wednesday. I was certain he'd be there - they usually visit each other at least once, and Tokyo's convenient. Plus, with all the cameras there for the wideshow reports, it just seemed like the perfect setup.
Then, ten minutes before the show began, a flock of eight or nine photographers showed up next to us with enormous cameras. My friend kept going, "WHOA," and staring at them, which was really, really amusing. XD I wasn't directly next to them, so I recovered fast enough to find it really funny.
Then the call happened and the lights went out and we watched Tsubasa's pre-con video. It's basically just black and white footage of last year's con, so it's a good preview of the new hotness soon to be beheld. *___*
Having my friend there was wonderful because we're about the same level of loud, so there were often two people screaming in a way that means, "YEEEEES INDEED YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF," and, "YOU ARE VERY ATTRACTIVE," and, "MAKE OUT WITH YOUR HUSBAND NAKED THE NEXT TIME YOU SHOOT A PV." Plus, I just liked hearing someone else experiencing out loud what I was too mesmerized to vocalize. Namely, "UNGH," and, "WOW," and "YES MORE OF THAT." She is excellent. :D
OKAY SO.
Ten seconds into the opening MC, a dude in the first stand yells, "TSUBASA!" and Tsubasa got all giddy about having a male fan there. And as he's saying hello to that guy, another one elsewhere went, "WHOOOO!" and Tsubasa got this really adorable smile like, "Heeee, I have male fans."
A little later, he made the mistake of complaining about the heat, so we advised him to lose the clothes.
TSUBASA: When did Takitsuba fans become so perverted?
Around the time you put on a collar and chain to perform a song called "DO ME CRAZY," perhaps.
Or when you titled a song "Slave of Love."
Or when you posed naked in bed with your husband.
Or when you - no, you know what, always. Always we have been perverts, and he totally knows it. (I'm waiting for the day he reveals himself to be a secret sponsor of the Takitsuba doujinshi community. If not a secret doujinka himself. His failed attempts at drawing are all clearly bluffing.)
Joking aside, Tsubasa is such an incredible performer. He's genuine and kind when he's addressing his fans and he's got the sweetest demeanor about him. He brought up Takki a lot again, and he looked and sounded so content while he talked about their tenth anniversary. :}
Okay! Song highlights!
• "Chance to Dance" has grown on me a lot, in large part because the choreography is adorable. The little wing flap he and the dancers do as well as the clapping, it's just really cute. XD Plus the lyrics: "in rainbow sky" and "like birds in sky high" are really adorably funny.
• "BACKBORN." NGK. ... That's about it. XD
• "Imagine" is still the most impressive and filthiest dance I've ever seen from him. *____* His hips. He has them. And they move in this way that's just, like. NGK. Tsubasa's really, really, really hot.
This is what happens when I wait four days to write a con report. XD (Sure, because I'd have been way more coherent about him sinking to his knees and rolling his hips with his neck arched back the day after I saw it. Uh huh. Self, stfu.)
• "¡Vamos! Ala" is really catchy. My friend and I have both been singing it on and off XD and yesterday we had it on loop while we packed to travel back to the stupendously awesome land of Kansai.
• He cried again during Mihatenu Yume. <3 He said the song has a lot of memories of Takitsuba attached to it and so it means a lot to him. He gets so into that song, it's really touching.
Gif from last year's con performance:
(I wish he'd sing "Tada" just once. It's my favorite solo of his and it's gorgeous.)
There was a change in the VTR with Tsubasa's alter ego Tsubaemon! (I think that's it? It's not Tsubako anymore, but I forget what he's calling himself in that sketch now. XD) In the Osaka show curiosa_cabinet and I saw and the Tokyo con I saw on Tuesday, Tsubasa is all, "SO I'M SURE TSUBASA WHO ISN'T HERE RIGHT NOW WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU DEFINE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM," and eventually he gets Takki to say they're like a married couple, but during the Wednesday con, instead of the married couple bit, this happened:
TAKKI: I'm here to advertise Kakumei, right?
TSUBASA: Yeah, sure, later.
[More talking. Later:]
TAKKI: Can I advertise it NOW?
TSUBASA: Sure. I have a mock-up of it here. *picks up giant copy of D&R 2011 DVD cover*
TAKKI: E-eh? That's not-don't you have one of Kakumei?
CAPTION: They don't have one.
TSUBASA: ...*looks at staff off camera* Ah, we don't? Huh. Well. Here you go.
TAKKI: Eh! But what about Kakumei?
TSUBASA: You can do it after you do this.
TAKKI: All right. XD *promotes*
TSUBASA: Aaand that's all the time we have!
XD
Also! The heel-clicking thing he does to make the words appear changed, too. In Osaka and on Valentine's Day it was a fairly normal one, just your typical, "Are you having fun?" and "There's a good vibe tonight, right?" kind of thing. But on Wednesday, it was changed back to the "Who's his lover?" bit. Which made me really real amused and even more sure Takki would show.
Then Tsubasa sang the hard rock version of Samurai and was super hot. Then he started Yume Monogatari. He got to the second chorus and then I saw something shift at the back of the stage and looked and oh, it's Takki. OH. TAKKI!
So I screamed with everyone else and jumped up and down with my friend and squeezed her hand really hard because FEELINGS and EXCITEMENT and GLEE. He and Tsubasa finished the song and, if you've seen the furitsuke of Yume Monogatari, remember the part at the end of the chorus where you make a W with your fingers and lift it? They each made a V and put them together to make a W and I can't remember who initiated it except that it was something they've clearly done before because it looked like such a natural move. XD
Then the song ended and he and Tsubasa hugged until the lights went out. Then they came back on and Tsubasa introduced Takki and everyone lost their minds again cheering and going "OOOO~!" in the pervy way to which we are accustomed.
Takki laughed and said, "Eh? What's with the 'ooo'ing."
Tsubasa got all emphatic, like, "Right? Right? It's been a while since you heard it, right? It's been like a Takitsuba concert."
I'll admit, I missed a lot of what they said because I was very much in a, "TAKKI'S HERE," mindframe. He was wearing the Barcelona-style con jersey and he looked suuuper hot. *___*
Here's one of the wideshows with a clip of Takki's appearance. :D
TAKKI: I've been watching from the beginning.
TSUBASA: *skeptical* Oh yeah? What was the beginning like?
TAKKI: *mimics overtly sexual legs-spread hop thing*
TSUBASA: XD
TAKKI: It was all of a sudden you did that at the beginning. I was startled.
TSUBASA: Well, what, isn't that okay?
TAKKI: No, it's fine, it was just really sudden. It's interesting to see that side of you.
TSUBASA: Really?
TAKKI: Yeah. XD It was hot.FANS: *AGREE/COO*
Then Tsubasa was like, "Where were you watching from?" and Takki said, "From my seat," and Tsubasa tried to make him say where it was, but Takki wouldn't do it, so Tsubasa was like,
TSUBASA: Why don't you sit in the front row? They'll move a little bit for you.
TAKKI: XD No, it's okay, I'll watch from my seat.
TSUBASA: You could just stand there next to me and watch.
TAKKI: *laughs* Isn't that weird?
TSUBASA: Not at all.
They talked about a special event they're holding on 3/31 next month in Osaka and on 4/1 in Tokyo for the fans, and then Takki left and Tsubasa did the same trolly thing he did on Valentine's Day, his whole, "WITH MY DVD YOU WILL GET A POSTER, A WRISTBAND, AND TAKIZAWA," shtick. And he was like, "Take of him freely, for he is mine to give away." XD
Then! The con ended and my friend and I collected the giant heap of streamers at our feet and went to buy the DVD. :D
We were directed back into the theater to wait for our turn and while we were waiting, the staff played T&T music and switched on the screen above the stage to show us live footage of the fanmeet going on. My friend and I were really amused. Also, a lot of the fans were doing the furitsuke for the different songs from their seats - even with little "whoo!"s when the furistuke called for throwing your hands up. Really, really cute. XD I really love what I've seen of Japanese Takitsuba fans. :D
Then our section was told to go and my friend and I started to freak out. In Osaka we were led on a merry maze of looping angles but this time we literally turned a corner and there was the partition set up with the wristbands and Tsubasa handing them to the fans. We had a quick conference on what to say and I decided on Spanish since, well. Yeah. XD
My friend went first. He gave her the wristband, she told Tsubasa he was hot, and he thanked her. :D Then me. He basically sort of palms the backs of your hands as he's giving you the wristband. Really cute. I thanked him in Spanish and he smiled and said it back. :D
Guys, he's a beautiful human being; he has such a sweet smile. :)
And of course as soon as I was clear of the partition I went, "EEE!" and some Japanese fans nearby laughed and went, "RIGHT?" and then we laughed more because we are crazy people for this man. XD
So, in essence,
I CAN HAS TOUCHED TAKKI by proxy. :DDDDDD
The next day, my friend and I were in her apartment listening to Recomen (and playing a decidedly fucked up game of Oregon Trail including Sanbaka/T&T). Tsubasa's radio show To Base started and we listened with half an ear until we heard him say, "Foreigners." and we both looked up and made O___O faces at each other. He said, "Foreigners have been coming to my shows. And not just Asian foreigners from places like Thailand or China - from America and Europe, too. It's made me really happy."
:DDDDDDD YAY FOR MAKING THE IDOL YOU LIKE HAPPY! :DDDDDDD
He's remembered us! curiosa_cabinet and me and silvertsubasa! :D
So that was an amazing concert experience. :D It's really, really amazing to be in a venue full of people who are also tremendously fond of the idol you like. :)
I am now going to spend the rest of this month in comparative solitude consoling my wallet until it speaks to me again.
And writing porn, because "Imagine" is stuck in my head.
*SLEEPS*
TOUCHED BY TSUBASA
*_________________________________________*
About a month ago when I called the fan club to find out if I hit for tickets, I heard that I'd hit for both of the Tokyo dates, even though I only remember balloting for one. However, I don't doubt my hand's capacity for following insane impulses, so I'm sure I did ballot for both. And oh how I'm glad I did. *____*
I went to Tuesday's show alone and stood in the back of the second stand (probably they overbooked?), and then on Wednesday, my friend and I had seats in the arena. *___* (Pardon the starry faces - they're going to be a feature in this report. XD)
We got to Tokyo City Hall with about an hour to spare before the show began, and we went right into the lobby and straight to the DVDs. I was 98% sure he'd do a fanmeet the way he's done after every concert so far, and even though I'd already gone to one in Osaka, I totally wanted to do it again (because, you know, reasons). We saw the banner for the Takitsuba DVD but we weren't sure if we had to buy that or Tsubasa's DVD to get the MEET YOUR VERY OWN TSUBASA pass, so we decided to wait until after the con to see what everyone else was doing.
We went down many flights of stairs, into the depths of awesomeness, and found our tickets' assigned door on the bottom floor. We walked into the arena and I pretty much lost all sense of composure from then on. Since I'd been standing on my toes all night Tuesday trying to see over people's heads, the thought of being in the arena where the stage was right there, was a bit giddymaking.
We found our seats, which were right on the aisle and far enough back that we still had a good view of the stage. It turns out we were lucky - when the concert started, I heard the girls behind us closer to the middle complaining that they couldn't see him at all. The only downside to our seats is that whenever he'd go to his knees I couldn't see the lower half of his body, but I endured this hardship bravely (hardship XD).
To keep myself from bouncing out of my seat, I looked around and pointed out to my friend the darkened corner I'd been standing in the night before and, as I was turning to face the stage again, I saw a huge video camera that could knock out a baby rhino. I showed my friend that, too, and we discussed the possibility of it being a DVD camera. We'd known from lovespiral that the wideshows would be taping parts of the concert for the morning news shows, but this thing was massive, and there were two others like it. And I don't think he announced his DVD last year, so I'm just going to go ahead and assume he's releasing this con as a DVD, too. XD /HINATIVE
Since January fuyukoi, lovespiral, and I were talking about when Takki would visit. We were fairly sure it'd be one of the Tokyo cons, and since he skipped the Valentine's con, it had to be Wednesday. I was certain he'd be there - they usually visit each other at least once, and Tokyo's convenient. Plus, with all the cameras there for the wideshow reports, it just seemed like the perfect setup.
Then, ten minutes before the show began, a flock of eight or nine photographers showed up next to us with enormous cameras. My friend kept going, "WHOA," and staring at them, which was really, really amusing. XD I wasn't directly next to them, so I recovered fast enough to find it really funny.
Then the call happened and the lights went out and we watched Tsubasa's pre-con video. It's basically just black and white footage of last year's con, so it's a good preview of the new hotness soon to be beheld. *___*
Having my friend there was wonderful because we're about the same level of loud, so there were often two people screaming in a way that means, "YEEEEES INDEED YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF," and, "YOU ARE VERY ATTRACTIVE," and, "MAKE OUT WITH YOUR HUSBAND NAKED THE NEXT TIME YOU SHOOT A PV." Plus, I just liked hearing someone else experiencing out loud what I was too mesmerized to vocalize. Namely, "UNGH," and, "WOW," and "YES MORE OF THAT." She is excellent. :D
OKAY SO.
Ten seconds into the opening MC, a dude in the first stand yells, "TSUBASA!" and Tsubasa got all giddy about having a male fan there. And as he's saying hello to that guy, another one elsewhere went, "WHOOOO!" and Tsubasa got this really adorable smile like, "Heeee, I have male fans."
A little later, he made the mistake of complaining about the heat, so we advised him to lose the clothes.
TSUBASA: When did Takitsuba fans become so perverted?
Around the time you put on a collar and chain to perform a song called "DO ME CRAZY," perhaps.
Or when you titled a song "Slave of Love."
Or when you posed naked in bed with your husband.
Or when you - no, you know what, always. Always we have been perverts, and he totally knows it. (I'm waiting for the day he reveals himself to be a secret sponsor of the Takitsuba doujinshi community. If not a secret doujinka himself. His failed attempts at drawing are all clearly bluffing.)
Joking aside, Tsubasa is such an incredible performer. He's genuine and kind when he's addressing his fans and he's got the sweetest demeanor about him. He brought up Takki a lot again, and he looked and sounded so content while he talked about their tenth anniversary. :}
Okay! Song highlights!
• "Chance to Dance" has grown on me a lot, in large part because the choreography is adorable. The little wing flap he and the dancers do as well as the clapping, it's just really cute. XD Plus the lyrics: "in rainbow sky" and "like birds in sky high" are really adorably funny.
• "BACKBORN." NGK. ... That's about it. XD
• "Imagine" is still the most impressive and filthiest dance I've ever seen from him. *____* His hips. He has them. And they move in this way that's just, like. NGK. Tsubasa's really, really, really hot.
This is what happens when I wait four days to write a con report. XD (Sure, because I'd have been way more coherent about him sinking to his knees and rolling his hips with his neck arched back the day after I saw it. Uh huh. Self, stfu.)
• "¡Vamos! Ala" is really catchy. My friend and I have both been singing it on and off XD and yesterday we had it on loop while we packed to travel back to the stupendously awesome land of Kansai.
• He cried again during Mihatenu Yume. <3 He said the song has a lot of memories of Takitsuba attached to it and so it means a lot to him. He gets so into that song, it's really touching.
Gif from last year's con performance:
(I wish he'd sing "Tada" just once. It's my favorite solo of his and it's gorgeous.)
There was a change in the VTR with Tsubasa's alter ego Tsubaemon! (I think that's it? It's not Tsubako anymore, but I forget what he's calling himself in that sketch now. XD) In the Osaka show curiosa_cabinet and I saw and the Tokyo con I saw on Tuesday, Tsubasa is all, "SO I'M SURE TSUBASA WHO ISN'T HERE RIGHT NOW WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU DEFINE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM," and eventually he gets Takki to say they're like a married couple, but during the Wednesday con, instead of the married couple bit, this happened:
TAKKI: I'm here to advertise Kakumei, right?
TSUBASA: Yeah, sure, later.
[More talking. Later:]
TAKKI: Can I advertise it NOW?
TSUBASA: Sure. I have a mock-up of it here. *picks up giant copy of D&R 2011 DVD cover*
TAKKI: E-eh? That's not-don't you have one of Kakumei?
CAPTION: They don't have one.
TSUBASA: ...*looks at staff off camera* Ah, we don't? Huh. Well. Here you go.
TAKKI: Eh! But what about Kakumei?
TSUBASA: You can do it after you do this.
TAKKI: All right. XD *promotes*
TSUBASA: Aaand that's all the time we have!
XD
Also! The heel-clicking thing he does to make the words appear changed, too. In Osaka and on Valentine's Day it was a fairly normal one, just your typical, "Are you having fun?" and "There's a good vibe tonight, right?" kind of thing. But on Wednesday, it was changed back to the "Who's his lover?" bit. Which made me really real amused and even more sure Takki would show.
Then Tsubasa sang the hard rock version of Samurai and was super hot. Then he started Yume Monogatari. He got to the second chorus and then I saw something shift at the back of the stage and looked and oh, it's Takki. OH. TAKKI!
So I screamed with everyone else and jumped up and down with my friend and squeezed her hand really hard because FEELINGS and EXCITEMENT and GLEE. He and Tsubasa finished the song and, if you've seen the furitsuke of Yume Monogatari, remember the part at the end of the chorus where you make a W with your fingers and lift it? They each made a V and put them together to make a W and I can't remember who initiated it except that it was something they've clearly done before because it looked like such a natural move. XD
Then the song ended and he and Tsubasa hugged until the lights went out. Then they came back on and Tsubasa introduced Takki and everyone lost their minds again cheering and going "OOOO~!" in the pervy way to which we are accustomed.
Takki laughed and said, "Eh? What's with the 'ooo'ing."
Tsubasa got all emphatic, like, "Right? Right? It's been a while since you heard it, right? It's been like a Takitsuba concert."
I'll admit, I missed a lot of what they said because I was very much in a, "TAKKI'S HERE," mindframe. He was wearing the Barcelona-style con jersey and he looked suuuper hot. *___*
Here's one of the wideshows with a clip of Takki's appearance. :D
TAKKI: I've been watching from the beginning.
TSUBASA: *skeptical* Oh yeah? What was the beginning like?
TAKKI: *mimics overtly sexual legs-spread hop thing*
TSUBASA: XD
TAKKI: It was all of a sudden you did that at the beginning. I was startled.
TSUBASA: Well, what, isn't that okay?
TAKKI: No, it's fine, it was just really sudden. It's interesting to see that side of you.
TSUBASA: Really?
TAKKI: Yeah. XD It was hot.FANS: *AGREE/COO*
Then Tsubasa was like, "Where were you watching from?" and Takki said, "From my seat," and Tsubasa tried to make him say where it was, but Takki wouldn't do it, so Tsubasa was like,
TSUBASA: Why don't you sit in the front row? They'll move a little bit for you.
TAKKI: XD No, it's okay, I'll watch from my seat.
TSUBASA: You could just stand there next to me and watch.
TAKKI: *laughs* Isn't that weird?
TSUBASA: Not at all.
They talked about a special event they're holding on 3/31 next month in Osaka and on 4/1 in Tokyo for the fans, and then Takki left and Tsubasa did the same trolly thing he did on Valentine's Day, his whole, "WITH MY DVD YOU WILL GET A POSTER, A WRISTBAND, AND TAKIZAWA," shtick. And he was like, "Take of him freely, for he is mine to give away." XD
Then! The con ended and my friend and I collected the giant heap of streamers at our feet and went to buy the DVD. :D
We were directed back into the theater to wait for our turn and while we were waiting, the staff played T&T music and switched on the screen above the stage to show us live footage of the fanmeet going on. My friend and I were really amused. Also, a lot of the fans were doing the furitsuke for the different songs from their seats - even with little "whoo!"s when the furistuke called for throwing your hands up. Really, really cute. XD I really love what I've seen of Japanese Takitsuba fans. :D
Then our section was told to go and my friend and I started to freak out. In Osaka we were led on a merry maze of looping angles but this time we literally turned a corner and there was the partition set up with the wristbands and Tsubasa handing them to the fans. We had a quick conference on what to say and I decided on Spanish since, well. Yeah. XD
My friend went first. He gave her the wristband, she told Tsubasa he was hot, and he thanked her. :D Then me. He basically sort of palms the backs of your hands as he's giving you the wristband. Really cute. I thanked him in Spanish and he smiled and said it back. :D
Guys, he's a beautiful human being; he has such a sweet smile. :)
And of course as soon as I was clear of the partition I went, "EEE!" and some Japanese fans nearby laughed and went, "RIGHT?" and then we laughed more because we are crazy people for this man. XD
So, in essence,
I CAN HAS TOUCHED TAKKI by proxy. :DDDDDD
The next day, my friend and I were in her apartment listening to Recomen (and playing a decidedly fucked up game of Oregon Trail including Sanbaka/T&T). Tsubasa's radio show To Base started and we listened with half an ear until we heard him say, "Foreigners." and we both looked up and made O___O faces at each other. He said, "Foreigners have been coming to my shows. And not just Asian foreigners from places like Thailand or China - from America and Europe, too. It's made me really happy."
:DDDDDDD YAY FOR MAKING THE IDOL YOU LIKE HAPPY! :DDDDDDD
He's remembered us! curiosa_cabinet and me and silvertsubasa! :D
So that was an amazing concert experience. :D It's really, really amazing to be in a venue full of people who are also tremendously fond of the idol you like. :)
I am now going to spend the rest of this month in comparative solitude consoling my wallet until it speaks to me again.
And writing porn, because "Imagine" is stuck in my head.
*SLEEPS*