T&T in Yamagata -CON REPORT-
~ TACKEY & TSUBASA ~
| YAMAGATA 11/29 |
When T&T's tour schedule was released, I said to myself, "FOUR TIMES WE WILL GO, SELF. It's their tenth anniversary, it'll only happen once, and I finally have Sundays free, which are prime concert days! Okay, so where are these concerts taking place?" I started looking up the venues one by one and then realized: "...Fuck me, all of these are far away and there's nothing in Kansai at all. ...Maybe three, then." O__o
And then, y'know.
Eight.
Combined with Tokyo Dome's two events, that makes ten, which is record-level obsessive for me. XD I thought seeing K8 four times was a show of passionate devotion, but uh. Ten. That's...a thing I did.
Just to compound this (because, unless it's not coming through clear enough, I'm actually kind of proud of this new development in my crazy), here's how the traveling and time worked out.
Tokyo Dome (2) - night bus (first time), 8 hours
Sendai - night bus, 12 hours
Niigata - night bus, 11 hours
Nagoya (2) - day bus, 3 hours
Sapporo - airplane, 2 hours
Tokushima - day bus, 1.5 hours
Tottori - train, 3.5 hours
Yamagata - night bus, 12 hours / train, 1 hour
...If anyone wants tips on night bus travel, I'll be over here in my crazy tree. Knock twice or my squirrel army will come after you.
SO!YAMAGATA!
This con got off to a beautiful start. XD
Takki took a sip from his water bottle, then put it down on the stage. Then Tsubasa grinned, crossed the stage, picked up Takki's water bottle, and took a long sip from the straw (to the audience's very, very loud approval). Takki laughed, which set Tsubasa off a little bit, and then Takki picked up his water bottle again, cradled it a bit, and then took the straw pretty far into his mouth and took a longer sip.
Because my idols really care about their fans taking away memorable imagery from their concerts. *___*
And man, this con definitely had the coziest feeling of all the cons I went to. During the MC, the audience was basically having a conversation with T&T onstage. XD
TAKKI: So, yes, my drama airs tomorrow at 9-
FAN: ARE YOU GONNA WATCH IT?
TAKKI: Eh?
FAN: ARE YOU GONNA WATCH IT?
TAKKI: Huh. Well, I mean, I think we'll be at the concert. Right?
TSUBASA: Yeah.
FAN: WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE CONCERT?
TAKKI: Well...I don't know if we'll be able to.
TSUBASA: I have it set to tape on my DVR at home so I'll watch it when I go home.
FAN: WATCH IT TOGETHER.
TAKKI: *has sudden burst of laughter* Hang on a second. You all feel very at home right now, don't you? Shouting out all casually. I guess we're all friends here, huh?
XD The MC was full of little tidbits of adorableness.
When 4U arrived, Tatsumi talked about how much he didn't want the tour to end. T&T poked fun at him because he was tripping up a little on his words, but Tatsumi started getting really, really emphatic about how much he'd enjoyed the tour and how much he loved touring with them. ;___; Tatsumi, I adore you, and I hope your group debuts. MAKE IT SO, T&T. YOU TOO, KOICHI.
AND THEN: EPILOGUE.
God, "epilogue." Okay, so, "epilogue" is technically the "last" song in the set list (not counting the encores), so T&T walked out onto the stage and we all just broke out cheering and calling their names as loud as we could. Not the T&T chant, just fans at random shouting, "TAKKI!" and "TSUBASA!" and even though Takki raised his mic to introduce "epilogue," we kept calling their names, and you could see both of them getting really emotional. Tsubasa was already tearing up a bit. Finally, Takki managed to introduce "epilogue" as an old and beloved song of theirs, and they started to sing.
Throughout Takki's opening verse, Tsubasa was openly crying and occasionally mouthing the words, particularly, "I'll be there for you." It's "epilogue" so crying was bound to happen, but it's always really moving when he does.
In Tottori, Takki'd gradually and almost hesitantly turned in Tsubasa's direction while they were singing, until at the same moment they turned to face each other and sang the song to each other. This time, in Yamagata, they turned to face each other at almost the same moment, and it was so much more powerful this time. For one thing, they both had their eyes closed for most of it, and for another, they both kept doing that emotional reaching thing at each other. They were a lot closer than they'd been in Tottori, too, so there was a point when I really thought they were going to hug in the middle of the song.
There was more, absolutely, but those were the highlights I can remember, because the next bit sort of eclipsed everything that happened before it. XD
But first! A small story of facepalm. XD Throughout this tour, I've become even fonder of T&T's fanbase than I was. There's such a warm, connected feeling among the fans and everyone is so considerate of each other. I always want to promote a good image of foreign fans when I go to concerts in Japan, but particularly at T&T's concerts, in large part because the fanbase already has such a good reputation. I realized that where my seat was put me in a prime location for the streamers, so I decided to only keep two (one pink, one blue) for myself and then bring the extras to fans that the streamers didn't reach. So! During the encore, the streamer cannons fire and there's a flurry of pink and blue above the audience. I collected the pile at my feat and made sure to get the ones on my chair, too. I was focused on it, making sure I had them all, and when I straightened up and faced the stage, I couldn't see Tsubasa. So I looked to the side stage close to me and OH, there he was. XD He was looking in my general direction but he didn't see me. I said facepalm story because I can just imagine he recognized me later as the foreign fan paying more attention to the streamers than him. XD
Anyway! When the first encore ended and the T&T call began again, I left two streamers in my bag and sprinted up the steps. I hadn't realized how big the venue actually was - I went up the stairs up to the very last row and handed the reams of streamers to a very surprised older fan. I said, "Here you go," in Japanese and gestured to the whole row and she went, O__O and nodded and said, "Thank you very much!" and then I smiled and nodded and hurried (jumped step-by-step) back to my seat.
I tell this story pretty often, but my very first interaction with a T&T fan was when an elderly woman approached me out of the blue and sold me a ticket to Tsubasa's World Wing Premium 2008 when I could barely string enough Japanese together to tell her I was waiting in front of the theater just on the off chance that I'd see a scalper or a miracle ticket lying on the ground. Ever since then, I've felt an extraordinary fondness for T&T's fanbase. It means a lot to me that so many fans have been so warm to me, and I want to repay that kindness whenever I can.
So, the second encore happens and it's then that Tsubasa announces that handshaking will be taking place as we exit the hall. It was clear from the smattering of surprised screams that most of us knew beforehand, but still, being reminded just put this surge of anxiety through me. I'd been waffling with different things I could say to them, and I stil hadn't decided on anything. Friends of mine suggested saying something in Spanish, telling Tsubasa that I'd written him a note on the lobby message board in Spanish, but I knew it'd take too long to calm myself down to say it coherently, so I decided on "今日感動した" which has some easy alliteration in it and very basically communicated what I was thinking (maybe? XD). I probably should have commited the polite version to memory, since I'm not just a fan but also younger, but I wasn't going to ask too much of my terror-addled brain. XD
As we waited in our seats to be called row by row to exit the theater, 4U and T&T's stage manager (I thiiiink that's what she is? I keep seeing her making announcements after T&T's cons and she does have a name but I always miss what it is - it has a "tsu" or a "su" in there somewhere together, so it trips me up XD) talked to us. I remember hardly anything because I was having a panic time. XD The only thing I remember is Matsu doing an impression of Tsubasa and cutting himself off halfway into it because: "He's usually standing right here, so I can get a sense of his reaction, but he's out there and I'm afraid to do it now." And then when the fans started filing out, Tatsumi shouted after them, "MAKE SURE YOU TELL THEM WHAT MATSU IS DOING IN HERE, 'KAY?" because Tatsumi is an amazing person worthy of excellence in his life.
Finally they called my row and we went outside into the hallway and I realized for the first time that I was alone for this. The first time I shook Tsubasa's hand I was with curiosa_cabinet and the second time I was with another friend - then, in Sendai when I shook Tsubasa's and Takki's hands I was with luin_lote. I had friends in Yamagata, too, but we were in different parts of the hall, so they were already gone by the time my row was called. At one point I actually put my fingers on my pulse in my neck at one point because I curious just how fast it was going (pretty damn, it turns out).
We walked to the lobby in a massive swarm of *___*ing. The woman behind me was having trouble breathing she was so nervous, and as I totally understood what she was going through, I turned around and smiled and said, "Me too," in Japanese. She smiled back and someone behind her said, "That was sweet of her!" One thing I have to say about this tour is that it underscored how much I love the fans. I've come to deeply appreciate how kind T&T fans are to each other. :') While we waited, we just kept having small exchanges like that - we were all overwhelmed by actually getting to see them face-to-face so we were all having flurries of "NEED A MOMENT TO MAKE EMBARRASSING NOISES TO MYSELF."
I remember during Tsubasa's solo tour and in Sendai when luin_lote and I shook their hands, there were staff girls opposite T&T to physically nudge the fans so they wouldn't stop for long, but this time in Yamagata, the staff were hanging back and just letting the fans decide on their own how long they wanted to stay. Of course, no one stayed longer than a few seconds, but I thought that was a nice demonstration of how much T&T and their staff trust the fans to be polite and well-mannered. The T&T fanbase is always being complimented on being well-mannered, but I think it's just as much a reflection of how they treat us as it is how we are naturally. They're just very kind people, and I think they bring out equally positive feelings in their fans.
So, I let that positive feeling sink in a bit and instead of rushing forward to shake their hands just to get it over with before my heart gave out on me, I let some people go ahead of me. I watched a family with two kids go, and T&T both leaned down to ask the kids about the concert and both they and the parents laughed at whatever the kids said. I noticed a lot of the fans in their thirties and forties just shook hands nervously and ran off as fast as possible, but I really, really wanted to say something to them directly.
Still, I just hung back and watched T&T shaking hands. I was struck by seeing them in person just...shaking people's hands. You build up your idols so high in your head, it's jarring when they're standing right in front of you. No different from anyone else, just more aggressively promoted. Takki was standing closest to us, so he'd be the one I'd shake hands with first, and somehow that seemed less intimidating than shaking hands with Tsubasa. In Sendai, I'd shaken Tsubasa's hand first and he'd had such a bright smile of recognition I hardly had the sense to process Takki's reaction. Whatever it was, it wasn't as strong as Tsubasa's, so when I was preparing to shake hands with him in Yamagata, I just reminded myself that Takki wouldn't have as big a reaction as Tsubasa, so I shouldn't freak out too much. Finally I'd inched forward enough that I couldn't put it off anymore and I stepped into line behind an old woman in a kimono. She took a long moment to talk to Takki, and then it was my turn.
He'd already been leaning down to talk to the old woman, so he was looking down at my hands when he took them in his. I said "ありがとうございました" and he looked up, did a tiny O__O face, and then he got the brightest and sweetest smile. He looked delighted, and I grinned back like an idiot because Takki. I've always been extraordinarily fond of Takki, but he really does have a powerful presence, and having him smile so disarmingly at me just made me even fonder of him. XD
He kept eye contact for this long, long moment, even after I let go of his hands and started walking over to Tsubasa. I wasn't expecting any reaction from Takki at all, so it completely threw me. I really think he felt moved. His smile was so genuinely kind, I got the crazy feeling that I just knew how good a person he is.
And then I shook hands with Tsubasa. I was kind of rattled from Takki's smile (IT'S REALLY POWERFUL IN ITS ADORABLENESS I DON'T KNOW HOW TSUBASA DEALS) so I might be remembering this wrong but I could swear Tsubasa had a momentary expression of, "Oh, god, come on, not you, too, it's just Takizawa." Or he'd already recognized me while I was going :DDDD at his husband, because he totally didn't look surprised by my being not Japanese. XD I said, "今日感動した" and then he lit up with this big smile and said, "Thank you," in English. I've been really touched by that, actually - he's always actively tried to speak English to me (except the time when I spoke Spanish). His eyes are so gorgeous, and it's so overwhelming making eye contact with your hero, I couldn't really keep any more details than that commited to memory. XD
I was deliriously happy while I was in front of them and then nearly started crying as soon as I was out of their sight. I thought I loved them as much as I could, but as it always does, it got even stronger.
I left the hall and joined the massive crowd outside. No one seemed to be leaving, so I took a seat on the raised pedastal of a statue and immediately typed out as much of what had just happened in an email to fuyukoi. Eventually, the last of the fans left and everyone hurried close to the windows to wave to T&T one last time as they left the lobby.
The next morning, I woke up early and walked to the station to catch a 9:10 shinkansen called, I kid you not, Tsubasa.
The perfect finish to an amazing tour. :D
Also! Burn the Floor has begun their final leg of their world tour in Japan! If you've been reading along with reports of T&T's tour, you'll know Takki's been unhappy with the "pair dancing" portion of Burn the Floor, and now there's a visual to assist his nightmares. XD
His dancing partner is indeed quite awesome. She was in the BtF rehearsal special, and she was really looking out for him. He looked terrified in that special, too. Throughout the whole interview in the car he looked like he wanted to jump out and sprint across the ocean back to Tokyo. And then when he was watching them rehearse his voice was catching and just - you want to hug the poor guy.
Especially after you read what he said in an interview recently: "In Johnny's, I'm kind of like middle management since I debuted ten years ago, but in this production I'm a total newcomer." This really was putting a whole new kind of challenge in before him. Playzone was huge, too, but that was still Johnny's-based. This is the biggest step he's taken in his career by far, and he seems to be excelling at it.
And the dancers seem to have been so kind to him. In that same interview he said: "During rehearsal they'd shout, 'Tsubasa, that's perfect!' in Japanese, and that relieved a lot of tension." He admires them all so much, I'm just so happy they've embraced him so warmly.
I've been seeing reviews of the show calling him a world-class dancer and it just makes my heart so happy to hear that kind of praise knowing how hard he works constantly to improve himself. This is why he's my role model, this is why he's my hero, and why I look up to him. He kept talking in con MCs about how difficult it's been getting the hang of this, but he's attacked it with such energy and determination, and now more and more people are seeing him for the incredible person he is.
I'm so proud of him. :)
Aaaand I'll end the Feelings Parade here. XD