NAKAMARU IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND. OR SOMETHING.
So, I am still alive after the backstage tour, even though I started getting nervous like, 2 hours before I even got to Tokyo Dome.
How did this happen, you ask?
I don't have any other explanation except for luck. Lucky that I have friends (ina ♥) who gave me their Birth CD codes, lucky enough that I had my work phone with me when I realized I was running out of time to submit the application and you could only access the site with a normal phone, not a smartphone, lucky enough that I was actually selected to meet KAT-TUN backstage.
And also so terribly lucky that I have friends who got me tickets to meet Jin and talk to him a month before, so now I have met all 6 KAT-TUN and ex-KAT-TUN members. This post will have lots of flail, lots of incoherency, but at the end of the day, it's the account a fangirl who got to do what she could only imagine or dream of - meet her idols in person.
I got to the meeting place, the staff entrance at level 1 of Tokyo Dome, at 1.55pm, and the registration started at 2pm. Everyone was really normal looking, so I feel like I stood out a lot with my pink hair extensions :| They were extremely strict with the ID check - you have to use the code on your phone to register, and then show them the confirmation email with your name on it, along with a photo ID, just so they can check that you're the person who registered and got chosen.
We were then ushered into Tokyo Dome in groups of 10 or so, and made to stand in rows of 6. When all 200 girls have come in, the staff in suit (he spoke in Kansai-ben, wore glasses and was pretty cute!) gave us a very interesting and entertaining briefing about how we're all lucky people, and we should look forward to the time we are going to spend meeting the boys and talk to them. We were also told that each of our tags are unique and there's only one in the world (it has the venue, date, and our registration number on it). The staff all told us to have fun, not be nervous (yeah right, like that's possible dkhfjdsh). And then we were led into the venue proper.
Coming out of the first floor entrance below gate 22, we got a full frontal view of the stage, and then off we go onto the stage. We spent a lot of time walking around the hanamichi (walkway connecting the three stages), the centre stage, hanamichi, and finally on to the moving stage. From the stage and the hanamichi, you could actually see how close the audience was, and if you walk around the arena like the boys do, there is basically no seat that you cant see clearly. I can imagine people sitting in them, and with lights on, they'll be really visible. That's how clear the boys can see the fans in the arena when they're on stage.
Walking along the sides, you could actually see maybe the first 20 rows of the stands? And being uplifted on the crane things would actually give them a good view of everything.
We went on the main stageand stood in two rows. I was right in the middle, in the back row. They told us about the moving stage, how it's the biggest they've had for Johnny's, and that it's the size of a regular primary school pool (which Koki also said during the con on 22 Apr).They then showed us the lights in different mode, and how if the lights shine on a certain part of the audience, the boys will be able to see very well.
We were then made to swap positions with the people in front, so I was right in the middle, right in front of everything. They told us they want us to experience the blaze erupting from the stage, Rescue style, and that we needed to dance because they were gonna film us! I was in front, right in the middle, and was really embarrassed. The blaze, though, was amazing. Not as hot as I expected, but REALLY scary. I also spoke to a woman in her forties beside me, who didn't raise her hand when the staff asked who was going for the concert that evening, and found out that she had come in place of her daughter. The daughter was using a smartphone and couldn't register, and so asked her mom to do it, but her mom accidentally registered her own name T__T Poor Kamenashi-fan daughter T___T
Next, we were ushered down through the tunnels which connect the three stages, walked through where their "changing area" is (not a room, just a small area under the stage), then out to the back of the arena area. Then the staff talked a bit more, then interviewed row by row, asking each fan to say something to the boys (who might or might not hear *shrugs*). There were a lot of "Daisuki" and "Hyphen de shiawase". I said, "Singapore kara kitandesu. KAT-TUN fan de shiawase nanode, KAT-TUN mo shiawase de ite kudasai" (I am from Singapore. I am very happy I'm that a fan of KAT-TUN's, and so I want KAT-TUN to always be happy as well). The mention of Singapore got a pretty loud gasp from the staff and the other fans XD
Then ushered out to the area between the gates and the concert hall, and there was a partition separating the boys from us. Could hear Taguchi’s voice the most lol. Before I continue, let me remind you that I do stupid things when I panic, and I also realized I have a predisposition to distribute food to my idols (I gave a Tokyo Banana to Jin. Subconsciously, I may be thinking they all need to eat more, or that they need me to mother them...).
So, in the order I met them:
Junno - I pushed the rusk into his hands, and he grabbed both my hands and went “Tokyo Rusk da! Arigatou!”. REALLY BIG WARM HANDS, WARM SMILE.
Ueda - No memory of shaking his hand. He was wearing a mask. Told him his hair is cool and he looks otokomae. He said arigatou. I left the rusk on the table.
Maru - Pushed rusk on the table, shook his hand, told him "I have a Malaysian friend (*coughs*alienashi*coughs*) who likes you a lot, and uhm, she calls you OPPAI". YES. FREUDIAN SLIP, OR WHATEVER. I WANTED TO SAY OPPA GDI. I realized too late what I had just said, covered my mouth in horror. I could hear Koki snickering beside him, then Maru stared and then pointed at me and said, "Ima sore, kanzenni shimoneta talk jyan!" (Wasn't that totally dirty talk just now?!") T___T Koki laughed somemore. I think I died, and just said sorry and that I meant OPPA while stumbling all over my Japanese T___T
Koki - So so smiley (probably because he was laughing at me? T___T), I stared at him for a while (while being pushed from behind) and asked "Hon mono desuka??" (Are you real??) and he was like, "Hon mono desu yo" (Yes I am). I think I may have touched his hand but I was too dazed to remember. Then I said "Koki-kun no rap daisuki desu" (I really like your rap) and he said arigatou and smiled somemore. (He was the most natural of the lot T__T ♥)
Kame - Ohgod Kamenashi. I was still talking to Koki when I got pushed to stand in front of him. And it dawned on me that I was standing in front of Kamenashi Kazuya the second before I turned and looked at his face. And he just stared at me. Not blankly, no. He stared with the intention to intimidate, omg. Like, deliberately. I wavered for a while, and only managed to get "YOU HAVE A LOT OF FANS OVERSEAS" out. He stared like he wanted you to drown in his eyes. And I gave him the rusk, touched his palm only with my fingertips (lifelong regret T___T), then waved goodbye desperately as I was pushed out. AND HE SMIRKED. ONE SIDED SMIRK. T___T JUST RECOUNTING THIS IS KILLING ME T___T
Kame also had NO makeup on. VERY WHITE SKIN. No acne, but can see his pores and moles ldsjfljdsfl
T______________________T
T______________________T
T______________________T
We were then showed the way out. While being in a daze. We all went in not knowing each other, 200 strangers. But came out making a lot of new friends. It was the most AMAZING thing ever. EVER. EVER.
THANK YOU, KAT-TUN. THANK YOU FOR THIS CHANCE. I WILL NEVER FORGET IT. ハイフンで幸せ。一生付いていきたい。
Keeping this public in case anyone wants to share :)
How did this happen, you ask?
I don't have any other explanation except for luck. Lucky that I have friends (ina ♥) who gave me their Birth CD codes, lucky enough that I had my work phone with me when I realized I was running out of time to submit the application and you could only access the site with a normal phone, not a smartphone, lucky enough that I was actually selected to meet KAT-TUN backstage.
And also so terribly lucky that I have friends who got me tickets to meet Jin and talk to him a month before, so now I have met all 6 KAT-TUN and ex-KAT-TUN members. This post will have lots of flail, lots of incoherency, but at the end of the day, it's the account a fangirl who got to do what she could only imagine or dream of - meet her idols in person.
I got to the meeting place, the staff entrance at level 1 of Tokyo Dome, at 1.55pm, and the registration started at 2pm. Everyone was really normal looking, so I feel like I stood out a lot with my pink hair extensions :| They were extremely strict with the ID check - you have to use the code on your phone to register, and then show them the confirmation email with your name on it, along with a photo ID, just so they can check that you're the person who registered and got chosen.
We were then ushered into Tokyo Dome in groups of 10 or so, and made to stand in rows of 6. When all 200 girls have come in, the staff in suit (he spoke in Kansai-ben, wore glasses and was pretty cute!) gave us a very interesting and entertaining briefing about how we're all lucky people, and we should look forward to the time we are going to spend meeting the boys and talk to them. We were also told that each of our tags are unique and there's only one in the world (it has the venue, date, and our registration number on it). The staff all told us to have fun, not be nervous (yeah right, like that's possible dkhfjdsh). And then we were led into the venue proper.
Coming out of the first floor entrance below gate 22, we got a full frontal view of the stage, and then off we go onto the stage. We spent a lot of time walking around the hanamichi (walkway connecting the three stages), the centre stage, hanamichi, and finally on to the moving stage. From the stage and the hanamichi, you could actually see how close the audience was, and if you walk around the arena like the boys do, there is basically no seat that you cant see clearly. I can imagine people sitting in them, and with lights on, they'll be really visible. That's how clear the boys can see the fans in the arena when they're on stage.
Walking along the sides, you could actually see maybe the first 20 rows of the stands? And being uplifted on the crane things would actually give them a good view of everything.
We went on the main stageand stood in two rows. I was right in the middle, in the back row. They told us about the moving stage, how it's the biggest they've had for Johnny's, and that it's the size of a regular primary school pool (which Koki also said during the con on 22 Apr).They then showed us the lights in different mode, and how if the lights shine on a certain part of the audience, the boys will be able to see very well.
We were then made to swap positions with the people in front, so I was right in the middle, right in front of everything. They told us they want us to experience the blaze erupting from the stage, Rescue style, and that we needed to dance because they were gonna film us! I was in front, right in the middle, and was really embarrassed. The blaze, though, was amazing. Not as hot as I expected, but REALLY scary. I also spoke to a woman in her forties beside me, who didn't raise her hand when the staff asked who was going for the concert that evening, and found out that she had come in place of her daughter. The daughter was using a smartphone and couldn't register, and so asked her mom to do it, but her mom accidentally registered her own name T__T Poor Kamenashi-fan daughter T___T
Next, we were ushered down through the tunnels which connect the three stages, walked through where their "changing area" is (not a room, just a small area under the stage), then out to the back of the arena area. Then the staff talked a bit more, then interviewed row by row, asking each fan to say something to the boys (who might or might not hear *shrugs*). There were a lot of "Daisuki" and "Hyphen de shiawase". I said, "Singapore kara kitandesu. KAT-TUN fan de shiawase nanode, KAT-TUN mo shiawase de ite kudasai" (I am from Singapore. I am very happy I'm that a fan of KAT-TUN's, and so I want KAT-TUN to always be happy as well). The mention of Singapore got a pretty loud gasp from the staff and the other fans XD
Then ushered out to the area between the gates and the concert hall, and there was a partition separating the boys from us. Could hear Taguchi’s voice the most lol. Before I continue, let me remind you that I do stupid things when I panic, and I also realized I have a predisposition to distribute food to my idols (I gave a Tokyo Banana to Jin. Subconsciously, I may be thinking they all need to eat more, or that they need me to mother them...).
So, in the order I met them:
Junno - I pushed the rusk into his hands, and he grabbed both my hands and went “Tokyo Rusk da! Arigatou!”. REALLY BIG WARM HANDS, WARM SMILE.
Ueda - No memory of shaking his hand. He was wearing a mask. Told him his hair is cool and he looks otokomae. He said arigatou. I left the rusk on the table.
Maru - Pushed rusk on the table, shook his hand, told him "I have a Malaysian friend (*coughs*alienashi*coughs*) who likes you a lot, and uhm, she calls you OPPAI". YES. FREUDIAN SLIP, OR WHATEVER. I WANTED TO SAY OPPA GDI. I realized too late what I had just said, covered my mouth in horror. I could hear Koki snickering beside him, then Maru stared and then pointed at me and said, "Ima sore, kanzenni shimoneta talk jyan!" (Wasn't that totally dirty talk just now?!") T___T Koki laughed somemore. I think I died, and just said sorry and that I meant OPPA while stumbling all over my Japanese T___T
Koki - So so smiley (probably because he was laughing at me? T___T), I stared at him for a while (while being pushed from behind) and asked "Hon mono desuka??" (Are you real??) and he was like, "Hon mono desu yo" (Yes I am). I think I may have touched his hand but I was too dazed to remember. Then I said "Koki-kun no rap daisuki desu" (I really like your rap) and he said arigatou and smiled somemore. (He was the most natural of the lot T__T ♥)
Kame - Ohgod Kamenashi. I was still talking to Koki when I got pushed to stand in front of him. And it dawned on me that I was standing in front of Kamenashi Kazuya the second before I turned and looked at his face. And he just stared at me. Not blankly, no. He stared with the intention to intimidate, omg. Like, deliberately. I wavered for a while, and only managed to get "YOU HAVE A LOT OF FANS OVERSEAS" out. He stared like he wanted you to drown in his eyes. And I gave him the rusk, touched his palm only with my fingertips (lifelong regret T___T), then waved goodbye desperately as I was pushed out. AND HE SMIRKED. ONE SIDED SMIRK. T___T JUST RECOUNTING THIS IS KILLING ME T___T
Kame also had NO makeup on. VERY WHITE SKIN. No acne, but can see his pores and moles ldsjfljdsfl
T______________________T
T______________________T
T______________________T
We were then showed the way out. While being in a daze. We all went in not knowing each other, 200 strangers. But came out making a lot of new friends. It was the most AMAZING thing ever. EVER. EVER.
THANK YOU, KAT-TUN. THANK YOU FOR THIS CHANCE. I WILL NEVER FORGET IT. ハイフンで幸せ。一生付いていきたい。
Keeping this public in case anyone wants to share :)