about 053221 - NEWS LIVE TOUR STORY 2020
あけましておめでとうございます.
With the conclusion of NEWS LIVE TOUR STORY 2020, performed in Nagoya on May 23rd, NEWS and their fans were finally able to reach the closure of this chapter of their story. As one of them, who attended the online concert from Brazil, at 5:30 in the morning on a cold Sunday, this is a personal report of my feelings regarding the day. This was originally written in my scrapbook, that I have been keeping since early 2020 for the purpose of noting down STORY's events and situations.
A little bit of context:
I am a Brazilian fan, who's been following them since 2013. I went to Japan in 2015, but I missed going to their WHITE tour for a couple of weeks, since my trip had been planned before they released their dates. Since then, I have been saving up money and trying to find time to reach the other side of Earth to make my dreams come true. In 2018, during the celebration of their 15th anniversary, I got scared and told my mum I wanted to see them, I wanted to go. But considering all things, it wouldn't be easy; I had the money, but I'd probably lose my job since the concerts happened mid-semester and I couldn't take those many days off. I was almost done with university and this would probably affect it too. So, in the end, I gave up my only chance to have watched 4nin NEWS perform.
I was set to go to Japan in 2020. I had been planning it since the end of 2019, talking to my boss, hoping for dates near July, when I could take enough days off close to my official vacations. Little by little, everything fell into place: friends helping me with tickets, Nagoya concert being announced as the closure for the tour on a perfect date for me; I would even be able to attend Tokyo Dome's concerts, although extremely jet-lagged and probably half-dead from the 30-hour flight. Little by little, I was getting close to reaching the place of my dreams.
And just like that, little by little it crumbled down to pieces.
The scrapbook I had been registering all my plans and happy achievements from the trip got a new entry on June 19th, marking forever on those pages the day Tegoshi left NEWS and my feelings.
Almost a whole year later, after a brief entry covering November's Koyashige COVID situation, this is what I wrote regarding the final concert in STORY TOUR, May 23rd.
After so long, the time to watch STORY finally came. We (Agnes and I) woke up at 5am, getting up from the warm sheets in a cold Sunday morning, and took them to the sitting room. I was feeling excited, but mostly sleepy and cold. My hair was terrible. I had no penlight, no uchiwa, just my Quartetto hoodie keeping me warm. During the wait, animal sounds played over the NEW STORY instrumental. "What's up with that lol"
Then it started. The opening was so beautiful. And there they were. At first, it seemed like watching a DVD, but it was not. They were really there, at that exact moment, while I shivered in my blankets.
Koyama Keiichiro. Masuda Takahisa. Kato Shigeaki.
NEWS.
This was not how I expected my first NEWS concert to happen. I saved up for 5, 6 years to go meet them at their grand finale, and many things went wrong. But I was watching it with Aggie, connect with friends from various countries. And I was with NEWS.
There's a part of me that regrets not going to Strawberry concerts in 2018. If I knew the future, I think I'd have ignored everything and went. But I don't regret how things turned out in the end. There are things I wish were different right now, but I don't hate it.
On the contrary, how can this love grow even more?
How come you can make me feel more and more each time?
Each song they sang, each joke they made; Massu saying he wants to sing with Shige and Kei-chan forever; they reassuring us that there's more to come, that NEWS is here. I really cried a lot. I expected it, but the tears just endlessly streamed down my face. Even though it was so different from what I had planned, what I had wanted. I am just so happy, proud and relieved that I could be there.
I am just happy that NEWS is here.
When it came to it, with overflowing feelings, all I could think was
"Ah, this is love"
"It feels like home"
I really think NEWS is my 居場所 (いばしょ - ibasho). My safe place. Where I can always return to. Even though I might wander around, my tired feet will make their way back hre, and it will always feel like home.
The NEWS that fought, that lost, that fell and that is back on their feet, shining more brightly than ever... I love it.
I love it all.
Keichan, Shige, Massu.
I'm sure our voices and feelings reched you during the surprise, as we could see in your earnest tears and touched faces. But let me say this again, as it's a feeling that just overwhelms me:
Thank you for protecting NEWS.
Thank you for being NEWS.
Thank you for being here.
I am thankful for living in a world I could meet and love you so much. Despite the hurt, the tears, the hard moments, I got many precious things and happiness from you. I'm glad I am Team NEWS.
We finally finished, together, our STORY chapter. No matter until how far, no matter how many times, I'll always follow NEWS in your path of dreams.
Now, I wonder what never ending wonderful story comes next?
Let's meet again ♥
With the conclusion of NEWS LIVE TOUR STORY 2020, performed in Nagoya on May 23rd, NEWS and their fans were finally able to reach the closure of this chapter of their story. As one of them, who attended the online concert from Brazil, at 5:30 in the morning on a cold Sunday, this is a personal report of my feelings regarding the day. This was originally written in my scrapbook, that I have been keeping since early 2020 for the purpose of noting down STORY's events and situations.
A little bit of context:
I am a Brazilian fan, who's been following them since 2013. I went to Japan in 2015, but I missed going to their WHITE tour for a couple of weeks, since my trip had been planned before they released their dates. Since then, I have been saving up money and trying to find time to reach the other side of Earth to make my dreams come true. In 2018, during the celebration of their 15th anniversary, I got scared and told my mum I wanted to see them, I wanted to go. But considering all things, it wouldn't be easy; I had the money, but I'd probably lose my job since the concerts happened mid-semester and I couldn't take those many days off. I was almost done with university and this would probably affect it too. So, in the end, I gave up my only chance to have watched 4nin NEWS perform.
I was set to go to Japan in 2020. I had been planning it since the end of 2019, talking to my boss, hoping for dates near July, when I could take enough days off close to my official vacations. Little by little, everything fell into place: friends helping me with tickets, Nagoya concert being announced as the closure for the tour on a perfect date for me; I would even be able to attend Tokyo Dome's concerts, although extremely jet-lagged and probably half-dead from the 30-hour flight. Little by little, I was getting close to reaching the place of my dreams.
And just like that, little by little it crumbled down to pieces.
The scrapbook I had been registering all my plans and happy achievements from the trip got a new entry on June 19th, marking forever on those pages the day Tegoshi left NEWS and my feelings.
Almost a whole year later, after a brief entry covering November's Koyashige COVID situation, this is what I wrote regarding the final concert in STORY TOUR, May 23rd.
After so long, the time to watch STORY finally came. We (Agnes and I) woke up at 5am, getting up from the warm sheets in a cold Sunday morning, and took them to the sitting room. I was feeling excited, but mostly sleepy and cold. My hair was terrible. I had no penlight, no uchiwa, just my Quartetto hoodie keeping me warm. During the wait, animal sounds played over the NEW STORY instrumental. "What's up with that lol"
Then it started. The opening was so beautiful. And there they were. At first, it seemed like watching a DVD, but it was not. They were really there, at that exact moment, while I shivered in my blankets.
Koyama Keiichiro. Masuda Takahisa. Kato Shigeaki.
NEWS.
This was not how I expected my first NEWS concert to happen. I saved up for 5, 6 years to go meet them at their grand finale, and many things went wrong. But I was watching it with Aggie, connect with friends from various countries. And I was with NEWS.
There's a part of me that regrets not going to Strawberry concerts in 2018. If I knew the future, I think I'd have ignored everything and went. But I don't regret how things turned out in the end. There are things I wish were different right now, but I don't hate it.
On the contrary, how can this love grow even more?
How come you can make me feel more and more each time?
Each song they sang, each joke they made; Massu saying he wants to sing with Shige and Kei-chan forever; they reassuring us that there's more to come, that NEWS is here. I really cried a lot. I expected it, but the tears just endlessly streamed down my face. Even though it was so different from what I had planned, what I had wanted. I am just so happy, proud and relieved that I could be there.
I am just happy that NEWS is here.
When it came to it, with overflowing feelings, all I could think was
"Ah, this is love"
"It feels like home"
I really think NEWS is my 居場所 (いばしょ - ibasho). My safe place. Where I can always return to. Even though I might wander around, my tired feet will make their way back hre, and it will always feel like home.
The NEWS that fought, that lost, that fell and that is back on their feet, shining more brightly than ever... I love it.
I love it all.
Keichan, Shige, Massu.
I'm sure our voices and feelings reched you during the surprise, as we could see in your earnest tears and touched faces. But let me say this again, as it's a feeling that just overwhelms me:
Thank you for protecting NEWS.
Thank you for being NEWS.
Thank you for being here.
I am thankful for living in a world I could meet and love you so much. Despite the hurt, the tears, the hard moments, I got many precious things and happiness from you. I'm glad I am Team NEWS.
We finally finished, together, our STORY chapter. No matter until how far, no matter how many times, I'll always follow NEWS in your path of dreams.
Now, I wonder what never ending wonderful story comes next?
Let's meet again ♥