Taidan only happens once... or three times.
A day in the Mura with ekusudei, sumire_no_hana and wao_wao.
Jen was there ridiculously early for Masaki irimachi. Manda and I showed up for lunch. We had okonomiyaki at Mai and chatted for an hour and a half.
Then at 2:00PM I had Alice-chan irimachi with Harada-san and Fukuda-san, and Manda and Jen went for shopping and tickets.
Mostly what I learned at iri was that any time Alice-chan shows up in the play (which I hear is mostly just the beginning and the end >___<) she's partnered with Micchan. ♥ She's also Micchan's arm candy in the revue prologue, but she couldn't tell me what the prologue was like other than "we sing the theme song". :P
Met back up with Manda and Jen to see Kinsmen; Jen and I for the second time, Manda for the first time. I will write about it in detail at some point. Suffice it to say Manda and I both cried at the end. And Masaki picked on Shimon for the "mini mini interview", and she had to talk into someone else's mic. Shimon was on our side of the stage, and I think she might have seen us and waved at the end. I certainly waved at her (and Saki Akane next to her ♥).
We loitered briefly in the lobby afterward and saw Chigi. Or at least I did, and whispered in excitement to Manda and then hid behind her. I'm such a nerd. ^^;; Chigi still has bright blond hair, and she was wearing glasses. ♥ She went through the door to go backstage, of course. ♥ ♥
Then we watched Bow demachi in the rain. The highlight was probably Isono-san nodding and smiling at Jen. :D
Right before Masaki came out, I got word from my club that Alice-chan was about to leave. Harada-san wasn't going to make it, and she said actually Alice-chan might have already started walking, but I had permission to go up to her if I saw her. I didn't. :( Harada-san mailed me again to apologize, saying she had missed when Alice-chan first mailed her about her departure time, and now she was already at the train station (where were she going?!).
Sometime during Bow de Nishi-san had appeared and told us that it was the last day of Hoshigumi rehearsals, so I wanted to stay and watch because it would be my last time to see Touko, Asuka, etc. Manda and Jen also seemed to think this was a good idea.
I'll skip all of the other Hoshigumi, Yukigumi and Soragumi people we saw leaving. Although I should mention Koma in the gold space boots, and then some younger baby wearing matching silver space boots. (At first we thought it was Seshi, but we saw her come out later. So it was some other Yuki baby who possibly has a club.) Oh, and Chigi coming out AGAIN after having already been seen leaving the Bow stage door.
The rest, you shouldn't read if you're not prepared to cry about Hoshigumi retirees.
For a little while Touko Cult and their 300-bazillion members just stood around taking up the entire back of the Hana no Michi. Then at some point they filed off toward Isolabella / Garden Fields.
Asuka came out first, sometime around 7:15PM? She was wearing a beautiful white coat, and something black and long-sleeved underneath.
Her daihyou came up and gave her a huge bunch of white, heart-shaped balloons. Asuka also had a bouquet of red roses.
Mizu Cult clapped for her and every taidansha thereafter ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Approximately 35 people came up to walk behind Asuka, but they kept walking straight when she turned the corner and headed off with her daihyou (and her balloons ♥) toward Garden Fields.
We were a bit confused until a cheer was heard from Touko Cult ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Next came Kin-san, who may have had white or yellow flowers. Mari Yuzumi was walking behind her with a small video camera.
And Susshii-san and Ayumi-san came out with her too ♥ ♥ ♥ Her batchmates ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ I wanted to cry, as if Asuka hadn't been enough ;_______; ♥ ♥ ♥
Kin-san Supporters went around the back way to the company parking lot.
Next was Kazu. She had a bunch of bright pink daisies... and a wreath of the same flowers on her head. X3 Her club was waiting down about where Micchan's fans wait for iri (maybe 30 people?), and it sounded like they did a little chant for her ♥
Then Shun-chan. She came out with some kind of bizarre gift in her hand -- a rod with something white and furry wrapped around it and a small ferret-like head at the top. Since she came out with it, I'm assuming it was a gift from troupe-mates...? ^^;;; Anyway, her daihyou gave her a bunch of red roses and a red wreath for her head, which Shun-chan duly put on. ;) I can't remember how many people were there for her.
Shii came out at some point after this? I don't think she had any flowers, and I don't know how many people were there for her -- she met her fans around in the parking lot. All we could hear were cheers going up at various points.
Later, I think it was Suzuno Katsuki who came out with a bunch of pink flowers. At first I thought no one had come for her, but then a lady walked up to take her bags ♥
Shiran Masumi might have gone around to the parking lot door with flowers, but I'm not sure.
So lastly... Touko.
It felt like a long wait, but she came out around 8:00PM. Her and her beige coat and her sunglasses and her three staff members, they all walked off toward Garden Fields. Manda and I (and loads of other people) rushed over to the back fence to watch from a distance, while Jen stayed behind. We could see that they had set up an archway made of white flowers. Didn't really catch how the letters were collected, but it must have just been in several bags. Once she'd gotten them all and stood back by the archway, she blew her fans a kiss ♥ And they cheered, of course ♥ ♥ ♥ Then the staff must have told her that the club was going to do a chant, because Touko took off her sunglasses to listen to it ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I don't remember the first part, but it went something like this (corrected by jenebi):
Touko-chan, saigo no okeiko otsukaresama deshita!
Anata wa watashi-tachi no hokori desu!!
Touko-chan, daisuki~!!
Itterasshai~!!!
And Touko thanked them and waved and bowed and presumably was led off to her car while the club staff fought off the gallery of picture-takers.
Right after the chant, two onlookers in front of us were saying "ah, I'm going to cry~!!"
*sniffle* ;_____________;
Jen was there ridiculously early for Masaki irimachi. Manda and I showed up for lunch. We had okonomiyaki at Mai and chatted for an hour and a half.
Then at 2:00PM I had Alice-chan irimachi with Harada-san and Fukuda-san, and Manda and Jen went for shopping and tickets.
Mostly what I learned at iri was that any time Alice-chan shows up in the play (which I hear is mostly just the beginning and the end >___<) she's partnered with Micchan. ♥ She's also Micchan's arm candy in the revue prologue, but she couldn't tell me what the prologue was like other than "we sing the theme song". :P
Met back up with Manda and Jen to see Kinsmen; Jen and I for the second time, Manda for the first time. I will write about it in detail at some point. Suffice it to say Manda and I both cried at the end. And Masaki picked on Shimon for the "mini mini interview", and she had to talk into someone else's mic. Shimon was on our side of the stage, and I think she might have seen us and waved at the end. I certainly waved at her (and Saki Akane next to her ♥).
We loitered briefly in the lobby afterward and saw Chigi. Or at least I did, and whispered in excitement to Manda and then hid behind her. I'm such a nerd. ^^;; Chigi still has bright blond hair, and she was wearing glasses. ♥ She went through the door to go backstage, of course. ♥ ♥
Then we watched Bow demachi in the rain. The highlight was probably Isono-san nodding and smiling at Jen. :D
Right before Masaki came out, I got word from my club that Alice-chan was about to leave. Harada-san wasn't going to make it, and she said actually Alice-chan might have already started walking, but I had permission to go up to her if I saw her. I didn't. :( Harada-san mailed me again to apologize, saying she had missed when Alice-chan first mailed her about her departure time, and now she was already at the train station (where were she going?!).
Sometime during Bow de Nishi-san had appeared and told us that it was the last day of Hoshigumi rehearsals, so I wanted to stay and watch because it would be my last time to see Touko, Asuka, etc. Manda and Jen also seemed to think this was a good idea.
I'll skip all of the other Hoshigumi, Yukigumi and Soragumi people we saw leaving. Although I should mention Koma in the gold space boots, and then some younger baby wearing matching silver space boots. (At first we thought it was Seshi, but we saw her come out later. So it was some other Yuki baby who possibly has a club.) Oh, and Chigi coming out AGAIN after having already been seen leaving the Bow stage door.
The rest, you shouldn't read if you're not prepared to cry about Hoshigumi retirees.
For a little while Touko Cult and their 300-bazillion members just stood around taking up the entire back of the Hana no Michi. Then at some point they filed off toward Isolabella / Garden Fields.
Asuka came out first, sometime around 7:15PM? She was wearing a beautiful white coat, and something black and long-sleeved underneath.
Her daihyou came up and gave her a huge bunch of white, heart-shaped balloons. Asuka also had a bouquet of red roses.
Mizu Cult clapped for her and every taidansha thereafter ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Approximately 35 people came up to walk behind Asuka, but they kept walking straight when she turned the corner and headed off with her daihyou (and her balloons ♥) toward Garden Fields.
We were a bit confused until a cheer was heard from Touko Cult ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Next came Kin-san, who may have had white or yellow flowers. Mari Yuzumi was walking behind her with a small video camera.
And Susshii-san and Ayumi-san came out with her too ♥ ♥ ♥ Her batchmates ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ I wanted to cry, as if Asuka hadn't been enough ;_______; ♥ ♥ ♥
Kin-san Supporters went around the back way to the company parking lot.
Next was Kazu. She had a bunch of bright pink daisies... and a wreath of the same flowers on her head. X3 Her club was waiting down about where Micchan's fans wait for iri (maybe 30 people?), and it sounded like they did a little chant for her ♥
Then Shun-chan. She came out with some kind of bizarre gift in her hand -- a rod with something white and furry wrapped around it and a small ferret-like head at the top. Since she came out with it, I'm assuming it was a gift from troupe-mates...? ^^;;; Anyway, her daihyou gave her a bunch of red roses and a red wreath for her head, which Shun-chan duly put on. ;) I can't remember how many people were there for her.
Shii came out at some point after this? I don't think she had any flowers, and I don't know how many people were there for her -- she met her fans around in the parking lot. All we could hear were cheers going up at various points.
Later, I think it was Suzuno Katsuki who came out with a bunch of pink flowers. At first I thought no one had come for her, but then a lady walked up to take her bags ♥
Shiran Masumi might have gone around to the parking lot door with flowers, but I'm not sure.
So lastly... Touko.
It felt like a long wait, but she came out around 8:00PM. Her and her beige coat and her sunglasses and her three staff members, they all walked off toward Garden Fields. Manda and I (and loads of other people) rushed over to the back fence to watch from a distance, while Jen stayed behind. We could see that they had set up an archway made of white flowers. Didn't really catch how the letters were collected, but it must have just been in several bags. Once she'd gotten them all and stood back by the archway, she blew her fans a kiss ♥ And they cheered, of course ♥ ♥ ♥ Then the staff must have told her that the club was going to do a chant, because Touko took off her sunglasses to listen to it ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I don't remember the first part, but it went something like this (corrected by jenebi):
Touko-chan, saigo no okeiko otsukaresama deshita!
Anata wa watashi-tachi no hokori desu!!
Touko-chan, daisuki~!!
Itterasshai~!!!
And Touko thanked them and waved and bowed and presumably was led off to her car while the club staff fought off the gallery of picture-takers.
Right after the chant, two onlookers in front of us were saying "ah, I'm going to cry~!!"
*sniffle* ;_____________;