Two years ago today. Happy anniversary to me.
Two years ago.
Today.
July 27th, 2014.
Kyocera Dome, Osaka.
My first Johnny's concert ever.
It's like, huh it's been only 2 years? It certainly felt longer though.
I was a total newbie who knew next to nothing about Johnny's. I didn't know they had members' colors, I didn't know how to watch a concert, I didn't know anything. And I practically had no one to tell me stuff that time. I went to Kyocera Dome knowing nothing at all. I didn't have any serious intention to watch it at first, but since they were coincidentally having a concert while I was in Japan, so I thought, why not? I've always wanted to watch a Johnny's concert at least once, just out of curiosity. Why? You see there's this friend of mine, she was once into to K-Pop fandom but eventually went back to J-Pop. She flew across countries to watch this K-Pop group's concerts, and she's also watched a Johnny's concert. It was NEWS' 10th anniversary concert. Then I remembered she said that Johnny's concert was better than those K-Pop ones. It intrigued me.
Before I heard her stories, never did I imagine, I'd be able to watch a Johnny's concert. Although I didn't know the details, but I at least knew they don't do concerts outside Japan and you had to join their fan club to get the concert tickets. Then she told me that it's not totally impossible to watch a Johnny's concert. That was how it started.
That time I just started to like Kisumai. Well not even Kisumai the group. I just started to like Tama. I happened to check their concert schedule around May timing and saw it matched my itinerary. So I thought, let's just give it a try! And I liked Kisumai's songs as well, so it should be fun! It was a new experience for me, watching any concert, and being in a fandom.
I remembered I arrived at the interchange station - the Nishikujo Station - after rushing back from Universal Studios Japan, giving up an attraction I queued up to half to catch the concert. Everyone was already queuing for the train, wearing Kisumai accessories (I didn't even know they're called goodies!!!) like the hair shushu, the tote bag, the T-Shirt, and everything. I was like, where the hell did these people get those stuff from? How come they were all ready and fully equipped??? Then as I watched them, I realized the girls' outfits were all color-themed. And I was green from head to toe. Damn whose color was green again??? I didn't remember at all except guessed that Tama's probably yellow. Saw him wore yellow a lot in the Ougon Densetsu and Kisuhama TV episodes (yes, Kisuhama TV was still airing that time).
That day, I wrote like this in my blog.
Many people wear their accessories already, it seems they're going to the dome. I'd just follow them.
Did I dress wrong? I just realized. Was I supposed to wear yellow...?
Shoot. It's the first time in my life I felt wearing green is wrong.
I arrived at the dome like 3:30PM, the concert would start at 5. Then I lined up for the goods, it only took me half an hour, and I also didn't know what to buy. So I just bought stuff that I thought I can use, like T-Shirt, tote bag, Tama's uchiwa and Kisumai bear as well. Well, uchiwa wasn't exactly useful but I've always wanted an uchiwa!!! Then I entered the dome, found my seat and just sit there. I remembered it was like an hour before the show. I spent time to absorb the view, the stage set and everything. I kept thinking how cool it was, how grand it was, and I was so dokidoki imagining how the concert would be.
I had never watched any Kisumai concerts before, not even the DVD. I haven't watched their previous concerts, let alone another groups', be it in DVD or in real performance. The only thing I remembered was back then in early 2000, I watched a KinKi Kids and a J-Friends concert video that time. But of course you can't compare 2000's set to 2014's one. So basically the whole thing was really new to me.
After that, just as you've heard the story before, the performance blew my mind and I fell in love. With Tamamori Yuta, with a group called Kis-My-Ft2. I initially planned it to be a casual thing, just like a once in a lifetime experience, I was just curious on how a concert was like. But damn, those 3 hours changed everything. Those 3 hours was really wonderful I couldn't get them out of my mind. Reading my blog again that day, I wrote like this.
Omg. I am dreamy. So dreamy that I’ve decided not to get back to USJ for my Harry Potter time slot. I want to playback the concert again in my mind. I want to re-picture Tama in my mind.
OH. MY. GOD. IT WAS THAT… GREAT!!! I am almost speechless…
Damn Tama was gorgeous. Damn Tama was super kawaii. The stage set was so cool. I love their songs more and more. And surprisingly Mitsu and Miyata turned out quite cute. And Nikaido also quite ikemen. But what's with Fujigaya...!? He's ugly and I don't like him, he acted like he's all cool when he's actually not. But well he seems to have the most fans. He got most screams when he did anything.
Oh well I’m not talking about him.
Damn I should’ve done it years ago. Watching concerts, I mean. It was a very fun 3 hours (almost). I lost my voice, my head is dizzy and I'm dreamy, but it was so fun!!!
Surprisingly, I already had an eye for Miyacchi and Nika that time, huh, I didn't remember LOL. Sorry Gaya but I really didn't like you back then!
I really didn't want the 3 hours to end. That time, I didn't know the setlist, I wasn't following Twitter, I didn't even know that I had to buy a penlight to watch a concert, I didn't know that I had to prepare a pair of binoculars, otherwise I won't be able to see anything, the dome was so huge. I thought Bokura no Yakusoku was the closing song. Yes it was but I didn't know there would be an encore after that! So I was watching Tama very intensely, thinking that song would probably be the last song. Then as the end grew closer, I grew sadder, I really didn't want it to end!! You know there's this lyrics in Bokura no Yakusoku.
Until the day we meet again, we'll be walking on our respective paths
Even tears fall, the journey to the future continues on from these foot steps
No one knows how the future would turn out to be
Let's gather our steps one by one and continue progressing forward
And then like this-
Let's meet again in this place
That "kono basho de aou~" (Let's meet in this place) line just happened to be sung by Tama. And in that instant, I immediately screamed like "Aimashouuu!!! Let's meet again!!!" It felt really like a promise. To me, whose real life was a total hell that time, the song had a really big impact. The words pierced deep and I cried.
We will always stay as one, please hold on to the memories of today
The days when tears are about to fall, let's walk towards this place again
And continue our journey
Until next time, let's meet again in this place~
I really couldn't get them out of my head. I immediately looked for their next concert schedule, then I saw there's a Fukuoka performance in the following week, and I would still be in Japan by that time. The next day, I immediately contacted the person who provided services to buy tickets, luckily the Fukuoka tickets were still up. The seats were already out by then so I had to pick a certain seat, but I really had no idea whatsoever about the seating. I didn't know at all what stands or arena seat meant. I asked so many stupid questions to the service person. In the end I just left it to her advice. She got me an arena seat. It was pricey. Hesitated a bit to pay, but I didn't know if I would ever get the chance again, hell, I didn't even know what would happen once I got back home. Better do it when I still have the chance. And that, was my first arena experience.
Then the day after Osaka, I went to Yodobashi Camera and got me a pair of black binoculars. With those binoculars and yellow Kis-My-Journey T-shirt, I was all set for the Fukuoka performance! I didn't buy the penlight though, didn't feel the need to buy one LOL. But I think I'm more well-equipped than when I watched the Osaka one.
Looking back now, 2 years after, surprisingly I'm still in this fandom. Ever since that moment I tried my best to be there. Well I can say I almost hadn't missed anything (Except Shinshun event and JCD - but practically JCD wasn't their event anyway). Went back there again that year for Doribo, well Doribo was also my first butai ever, I also didn't miss Kis-My-World, and this year I'm coming again for I SCREAM. Man, I really love this group!
Today.
July 27th, 2014.
Kyocera Dome, Osaka.
My first Johnny's concert ever.
It's like, huh it's been only 2 years? It certainly felt longer though.
I was a total newbie who knew next to nothing about Johnny's. I didn't know they had members' colors, I didn't know how to watch a concert, I didn't know anything. And I practically had no one to tell me stuff that time. I went to Kyocera Dome knowing nothing at all. I didn't have any serious intention to watch it at first, but since they were coincidentally having a concert while I was in Japan, so I thought, why not? I've always wanted to watch a Johnny's concert at least once, just out of curiosity. Why? You see there's this friend of mine, she was once into to K-Pop fandom but eventually went back to J-Pop. She flew across countries to watch this K-Pop group's concerts, and she's also watched a Johnny's concert. It was NEWS' 10th anniversary concert. Then I remembered she said that Johnny's concert was better than those K-Pop ones. It intrigued me.
Before I heard her stories, never did I imagine, I'd be able to watch a Johnny's concert. Although I didn't know the details, but I at least knew they don't do concerts outside Japan and you had to join their fan club to get the concert tickets. Then she told me that it's not totally impossible to watch a Johnny's concert. That was how it started.
That time I just started to like Kisumai. Well not even Kisumai the group. I just started to like Tama. I happened to check their concert schedule around May timing and saw it matched my itinerary. So I thought, let's just give it a try! And I liked Kisumai's songs as well, so it should be fun! It was a new experience for me, watching any concert, and being in a fandom.
I remembered I arrived at the interchange station - the Nishikujo Station - after rushing back from Universal Studios Japan, giving up an attraction I queued up to half to catch the concert. Everyone was already queuing for the train, wearing Kisumai accessories (I didn't even know they're called goodies!!!) like the hair shushu, the tote bag, the T-Shirt, and everything. I was like, where the hell did these people get those stuff from? How come they were all ready and fully equipped??? Then as I watched them, I realized the girls' outfits were all color-themed. And I was green from head to toe. Damn whose color was green again??? I didn't remember at all except guessed that Tama's probably yellow. Saw him wore yellow a lot in the Ougon Densetsu and Kisuhama TV episodes (yes, Kisuhama TV was still airing that time).
That day, I wrote like this in my blog.
Many people wear their accessories already, it seems they're going to the dome. I'd just follow them.
Did I dress wrong? I just realized. Was I supposed to wear yellow...?
Shoot. It's the first time in my life I felt wearing green is wrong.
I arrived at the dome like 3:30PM, the concert would start at 5. Then I lined up for the goods, it only took me half an hour, and I also didn't know what to buy. So I just bought stuff that I thought I can use, like T-Shirt, tote bag, Tama's uchiwa and Kisumai bear as well. Well, uchiwa wasn't exactly useful but I've always wanted an uchiwa!!! Then I entered the dome, found my seat and just sit there. I remembered it was like an hour before the show. I spent time to absorb the view, the stage set and everything. I kept thinking how cool it was, how grand it was, and I was so dokidoki imagining how the concert would be.
I had never watched any Kisumai concerts before, not even the DVD. I haven't watched their previous concerts, let alone another groups', be it in DVD or in real performance. The only thing I remembered was back then in early 2000, I watched a KinKi Kids and a J-Friends concert video that time. But of course you can't compare 2000's set to 2014's one. So basically the whole thing was really new to me.
After that, just as you've heard the story before, the performance blew my mind and I fell in love. With Tamamori Yuta, with a group called Kis-My-Ft2. I initially planned it to be a casual thing, just like a once in a lifetime experience, I was just curious on how a concert was like. But damn, those 3 hours changed everything. Those 3 hours was really wonderful I couldn't get them out of my mind. Reading my blog again that day, I wrote like this.
Omg. I am dreamy. So dreamy that I’ve decided not to get back to USJ for my Harry Potter time slot. I want to playback the concert again in my mind. I want to re-picture Tama in my mind.
OH. MY. GOD. IT WAS THAT… GREAT!!! I am almost speechless…
Damn Tama was gorgeous. Damn Tama was super kawaii. The stage set was so cool. I love their songs more and more. And surprisingly Mitsu and Miyata turned out quite cute. And Nikaido also quite ikemen. But what's with Fujigaya...!? He's ugly and I don't like him, he acted like he's all cool when he's actually not. But well he seems to have the most fans. He got most screams when he did anything.
Oh well I’m not talking about him.
Damn I should’ve done it years ago. Watching concerts, I mean. It was a very fun 3 hours (almost). I lost my voice, my head is dizzy and I'm dreamy, but it was so fun!!!
Surprisingly, I already had an eye for Miyacchi and Nika that time, huh, I didn't remember LOL. Sorry Gaya but I really didn't like you back then!
I really didn't want the 3 hours to end. That time, I didn't know the setlist, I wasn't following Twitter, I didn't even know that I had to buy a penlight to watch a concert, I didn't know that I had to prepare a pair of binoculars, otherwise I won't be able to see anything, the dome was so huge. I thought Bokura no Yakusoku was the closing song. Yes it was but I didn't know there would be an encore after that! So I was watching Tama very intensely, thinking that song would probably be the last song. Then as the end grew closer, I grew sadder, I really didn't want it to end!! You know there's this lyrics in Bokura no Yakusoku.
Until the day we meet again, we'll be walking on our respective paths
Even tears fall, the journey to the future continues on from these foot steps
No one knows how the future would turn out to be
Let's gather our steps one by one and continue progressing forward
And then like this-
Let's meet again in this place
That "kono basho de aou~" (Let's meet in this place) line just happened to be sung by Tama. And in that instant, I immediately screamed like "Aimashouuu!!! Let's meet again!!!" It felt really like a promise. To me, whose real life was a total hell that time, the song had a really big impact. The words pierced deep and I cried.
We will always stay as one, please hold on to the memories of today
The days when tears are about to fall, let's walk towards this place again
And continue our journey
Until next time, let's meet again in this place~
I really couldn't get them out of my head. I immediately looked for their next concert schedule, then I saw there's a Fukuoka performance in the following week, and I would still be in Japan by that time. The next day, I immediately contacted the person who provided services to buy tickets, luckily the Fukuoka tickets were still up. The seats were already out by then so I had to pick a certain seat, but I really had no idea whatsoever about the seating. I didn't know at all what stands or arena seat meant. I asked so many stupid questions to the service person. In the end I just left it to her advice. She got me an arena seat. It was pricey. Hesitated a bit to pay, but I didn't know if I would ever get the chance again, hell, I didn't even know what would happen once I got back home. Better do it when I still have the chance. And that, was my first arena experience.
Then the day after Osaka, I went to Yodobashi Camera and got me a pair of black binoculars. With those binoculars and yellow Kis-My-Journey T-shirt, I was all set for the Fukuoka performance! I didn't buy the penlight though, didn't feel the need to buy one LOL. But I think I'm more well-equipped than when I watched the Osaka one.
Looking back now, 2 years after, surprisingly I'm still in this fandom. Ever since that moment I tried my best to be there. Well I can say I almost hadn't missed anything (Except Shinshun event and JCD - but practically JCD wasn't their event anyway). Went back there again that year for Doribo, well Doribo was also my first butai ever, I also didn't miss Kis-My-World, and this year I'm coming again for I SCREAM. Man, I really love this group!