Tokyo/Dame!Arena-Con, 12-13 May 2007
Oh my goodness, this report is SO SO SOOOOO long overdue! *flails massively*
And I warn you; I hardly took ANY photo's this time, because I fail like that and had too much to think about to remember to bring my camera when I left the hotel-room most mornings! ^^;;; I hope it won't be too boring! m(_)m
But, however - somehow, I'd managed to get a week and a half off from work (Thank you, boss-san! ♥), to go to Tackey & Tsubasa's additional Dame-tour concerts in Yokohama Arena. I left May 7, and went back home May 15.
This time, I had no one who could go with me, at first, so I was planning to take the trip by myself; that gave me a little panick in and out of itself - Me. Alone. Tokyo. I was 110% sure I'd get lost already in Amsterdam where I had to transfer airplanes from Shippol to continue on ahead to Tokyo. I'd be lost and wander around Shippol-airport for a week and a half before anyone would even realize that I was gone. XD
So. Yes. Panic.
So, I ballotted for tickets to some of the shows through a friend's friend, and a few weeks before I left I'd gotten the result. I'd gotten two tickets through the FC - One CENTER-seat (!) for the last show (!), and one stand-seat for the second show of the first day.
The other two tickets, I got at first through the yahoo-auctions - it was a mess, that, though, but more on that later! XX_X And the last ticket I missed, I got from the Harajuku-shop soon after arriving in Tokyo!
So, my 2nd trip to Tokyo begun...
DEPARTURE
Surprisingly, I managed to get myself to Tokyo in one piece, without any misshaps happening along the way! And, luckily enough - especially since I'm one of those who needs company as much as I can possibly get - a friend of mine was already there, also there for the Tackey & Tsubasa concerts. So the first thing I did when I got to the hotel on May 8th, was to take a quick shower, and then me, my friend and a few friends of hers went out to eat dinner in Roppongi!
The rest of the days before the concerts were spent just wandering around Tokyo again. it was so fantastic to be back!
...Isn't it strange how you can miss a city so much?
0h well, of course, I didn't just walk around aimlessly...
The first day - a Wednesday - I went to Harajuku; there I bought a ticket for the concert I didn't have one forä yet. Speaking of tickets... I'd won an auction for a center-ticket to one of the concerts via Yahoo-auctions, bidding through the Rinkya-bidding service. I'd been happy, as the ticket hadn't turned out very expensive, and the seat was quite a good center-seat! But, just a few hours before my plane were to leave Stockholm, I got an email from one of the staff-members at Rinky, saying that the person I'd won the ticket from had cancelled the auction! So, suddenly, I missed not one ticket, but two! TOTALLY DAME!
I was soooo angry at the seller, but what was really fantastic was how helpful the Rinkya-staff was! They were really apologetic about what had happened; and even though it wasn't their fault in the slightest they actually helped me to get a new ticket!! I would've never expected them to be as helpful as they were, but they emailed me several times, and even called me a few times to ask me about the tickets and what kind of seat I wanted, what I was ready to pay for in a new auction. So while I was travelling, they actually sat checking other auctions for me, bidding on tickets!
So, just a few days later, they'd taken care of everything, gotten me an even better ticket - which turned out to be a little more expensive, though. So, in good time before the concerts, I'd gotten the ticket sent to me at the hotel.
When I got home and emailed them a long thank you-email and asked what I owe them for the all trouble, all I got back was, "We're happy you enjoyed the shows - and don't worry about the payment! ^^"
So, I din't have to pay any extra for the ticket, AND I didn't even have to pay for the shipping!
So, this is my statement for the day: RINKYA IS WONDERFUL AND AMAZING, AND IF YOU EVER NEED TO USE A BIDDING SITE, USE THEM, BECAUSE THEY'RE FANTASTIC!! ♥
So, anyway! In Tokyo, I spent many hours at ♥Starbucks♥, (we don't have Starbucks in Sweden, at all!) drinking Caramel Frappuchino (I quickly got addicted!) and just enjoyed the feel of being back home again, because honestly, that's what it feels like there, for me. I love the people, the atmosphere, the life, the everything! So, to me, it really felt like to be back home. Ahh.
So, anyway... I surprisingly shopped a lot. Went to the Johnny's shop in Harajuku, of course. The que was insane, of course. X_X I just don't get the deal with the Johnny's queing-system. This time too, we were passed through, down to the basement. Even though we weren't going to buy anything there, we still had to go down there to stand in line, before we could get up to the real floor, with the cashiers and the things and the Tackey & Tsubasa photos!
This time, I bought over 350 photo's, as I had to buy so many for friends, too! So first we stood in line out in that park for about an hour and a half. Then we had to stand in line in the basement for another thirty minutes or so. Then we chose our photo's and stood in line again, to get to the cashiers desks. X_X When I was finally there, I'd of course gotten someone who must've been a newly hired shop-assistant. ^^;; So where the J-staff is usually SUPER-quick to click in all the photo's, this one was really slow and she clicked wrongly several times. When she'd finished at the register, she went down to the back-room to go and get all the photo's... and that, oh my god, it took SUCH a long time, I was thinking I was going to die or get a panic-attack and run out of there, or something! But, somehow I managed, and I'd finally gotten all the photo's and I was out of there. Then, as soon as we'd gotten out of the J-shop "domain" (^^;;;), a man approached us, asking if we wanted to be on television, on some kind of morning-show, because he worked with TV and was so faschinated to see non-asian fans there. But, we kindly declined, because really... ^^;;;;;;; Thank you, but no thank you. *lol*
Other places I went to was Nakano Broadway - aka. Heaven on earth:
Spent several hours in the TRIO-shop, of course! ♥♥♥ Then just wandered around randonly, checking out the different mandrake's and such. (The doujinshi-store STILL didn't have a singlt Takitsuba doujin! So sad!!)
This time, I even managed to find the time to go to Tokyo Tower; as I went there by myself, I didn't dare to go up in the tower - I'm a tad bit afraid of heights, so. ^^;;, But I went there to check it out, and oh my goodness, it's SO BIG! The surroundings didn't at all look as I'd imagined them too, though - The tower is, like, in the middle of a slope! So unexpected!!!
But as the old CLAMP-fan I am, of course it was nostalgic to see it. And somehow, it Is quite pretty. I used to really love - or still love, just not very active in the manga-fandom anymore - X and even more so, Tokyo Babylon. (Subaruuuuuu! ♥) And, of course, Card Captor Sakura, too.
Oh, and also, when I was standing there, looking up at the tower, awestruck by it's size, a man came up to me, saying "Neesan?". Me, "O_O hai?"
But he was so sweet, and freely offered to take a picture of me below the tower with my camera, so you could se me with the tower in the picture! Sooooo kind! So without hesitating, or worrying that he'd run off with my camera as soon as he'd gotten a hold of it, I handed it to him. He took a picture of me, smiled, and we thanked each other a lot, and then he drove away on a moped into the sunset. LOL!
I won't post the picture here, though, because I make the wierdest facial expression in the history of ever! XD
I was in Roppongi, too, one late evening, and if you've ever been to Roppongi, you know what kind of place it is. I must say, of all the places I've been to in Tokyo, Roppongi must be my... least favorite? It's a little too shabby and clubby and hysterical for me. But it has it's charm too, I guess.
Like the 24hrs-open department store! It was the oddest place... you could buy everything from hamster-costumes to exercising-tools, to sex-toys to "authentic" prada-bags (?) to Hello-Kitty-slippers to make-up to food to... anything you can ever think of!
And I almost died when I saw this outside of the store;
Always remember, kids; Don't strike a tank!
Oh, and that fish-thing is real and alive and actually BIGGER than it seems to be on the photo!!
And here, have a photo of Jimbocho's book-street, because I like it there. ♥
Now, here comes the actual CONCERT-REPORT!
Which maybe will be slightly boring now, because I don't have any good photo's - neither official or paparazzi - yet. I was going to wait buying them until I go the next time, so when I get back from my October-trip, I'll scan them in, and add pictures here so you can see what the outfits looks like and... well, a report is always more fun if it's full of colors and have photos added!! ♥
CONCERTS!
Standing in line, buying stuff - ohmygod, it's a HADAKA-poster, I bought so muchs tuff, one of everything for me, and things to friends, I was loaded with stuff...
and then I was inside the arena, finding my seat, sitting down, flipping through the phamplet - it's so gorgeous, stylish, beautiful!! The clock was ticking closer, it's almost time...
When are they coming? When, when when?
"TAKKI!" clap clap "TSUBASA!" clap clap "TAKKI!" clap clap "TSUBASA!" clap clap... and the lights goes out!
If you've ever been to a Johnny's concert - or maybe been to any concert, I don't know anymore, I don't remember what other concerts are like - but I bet you know the feeling? The excitement is rising for every passing second, the tension is so massive that you can almost touch it. Everyone is talking, clapping, calling for them!
The screams rise to become ear-defening, they're Coming!
But where are they? Neon lights are flashing everywhere and the intro to Crazy Rainbow starts playing!
Where are they, where are they, where are they? The music is pumping, everyone is looking for them, standing on their tiptoes, craning their necks, looking up, looking down, looking at the big stages, at all the other stages... then, people are pointing to the ceiling! And there they are!!
They come sailing down in one cage each, one on each side of the runway going around the center-seats. I was on the right side, so Tsubasa was just above me! So, Tsubasa on one end, Takki on the other, wearing blue, shiny coats, with some kind of rainbow-colored feather-side, and as the concert opens, Tsubasa is justa few metres from where I'm standing! He looks gorgeous, his hair has gotten so LONG, but he is so pretty and the coat is so shiny, and colorful and - tacky - and it reminds me of something they would've worn during their junior-years; it's so colorful and feathery, just like those old times!
And they walk around the runways and they smile so widely and they look soooo good, and soon they've switched sides so Takki is closer to me now, and he too looks sooo good, so good!
How is it possible to forget just how perfect they look in real-life?
As Crazy Rainbow ends, they're up at the big-stage in front of all of us! The feathery coats are gone, and beneath were the silver suits; Takki wore a pink shirt under his, and Tsubasa wore a purple one! And with the silver-suits, it was of course time for... X~dame~!
I still love Dame just as much as when I heard it during Kuricon, the first time, and the furitsuke is still SO cute!!
After Dame, they sung VENUS still up at the main stage.
Then, when finishing Venus, they removed their shiny silver jackets, and started down the big runway, on their way to the round stage in the middle of the Arena! As they were on their way, they looked at each other, small smiles on their faces, and then they stood poised, as if they were ready to have a race down the runway, to see who were the quickest! They seemed ready to sprint and then they... started skipping down the aisle, together, and were all smiles and laughter, hopping together, and it was soooooooooo cute!!!!
Time for one of my favorite songs! Ho!Summer
There were rising platforms on the center-stage here, I think? So as they rose, they were singing Ho!Sama, and this was when the audience-screams reeeally begun! Everyone was doing the dance, and T&T were both wriggling their butts to no end, and *dies*!
After this, I think the hall went dark for a short while? And when they appeared again, they were at the stage in the further back, now not wearing their shiny shirts, but instead grey-glittery tank-tops and pink glittery coats with black straps and details. This outfit was my favorite, by far! They looked SO gorgeous in them, and the coats themself were really really cool and pretty at the same time!
And the music for To be or Not To Be started playing!
GAH, I LOVE "TO BE"!!! I love the melofy, I love the song, I love the dance! And they actually did the original dance, and as I'd never seen that one live before, it was sooo amazing to actually get to do so now!
Hips, and legs and gah, I couldn't tear my eyes away!
They went to a rising lift each as Sora no Screen were about to begin, and the lifts started to move around and ahead of us, so we could see them waving down at us, and kyyaaahhhhh~! I don't think either of them spotted me then, though - it didn't seem like it. I didn't use my towel, either, to wave around with, but only used my penlight and my hands. ^^
Then it's time for... Aishiteru ze, T&T!
Ah, I admit that I don't remember perfectly what was said and where it was said, but Takki asked Tsu's mother, "Tsubasa wo Kudasai!" and Takki being jealous of Tsu-niece, and they're marrying and lots of MOE~and KYA~worthy stuff!
Takki is still wonderful and charismatic and witty, and Tsubasa is still the master of Ero-voices while speaking during this song! (Makes me curious about how it will sound in the Best of album!?!)
Then there was the name-calling battle! It's always soooo funny, and you scream as loudly as you can again and again and again! Again, I'm not sure about the order about things anymore, and who-did-what-when, but this was for sure included:
-Tsubasa folded up the hem of his pants, to show us some... er... skin? (Leg-hair, more like it, hohohooo!)
-Takki pretended to strip, but only took of his jacket! Booo!!! We want to see more skin during these battles!
The best thing was, of course, how they went out in the audience to borrow uchiwas from the fans.
At first, Tsubasa took a Takki uchiwa from a fan, and looked at it with a really sad expression - I think he pretended to be sad because it was a Takki-fan? And then he smiled at it and... kissed it! KYAHHH~
Takki then ran to get a Tsubasa-uchiwa and patted it lovingly, stroking his hair... before pouting as big as he could, before... kissing uchiwa!Tsuba on the lips! SOOOOO CUUTE!!!
And another time, Tsubasa took a Takki-as-a-junior-uchiwa and as he saw it he looked sooooo cute! He looked at chibi-Takki as if he was the most adorable thing in the whole-wide-world and I'm sure that's what he thought too, and kyyahhh!
During some point, I think, Tsubasa took another uchiwa too, and just as he was about to kiss it, he realized that he'd taken the WRONG uchiwa! It wasn't a Takki-uchiwa, but some random junior on it!! Sooo funny!
And Takki some time took a Tsubasa uchiwa, and instead of putting the Tsuchiwa face to face with his own, he put it in front of his face, using the uchiwa as some kind of "mask", and did some kind of Tsubasa-impersonation/parody and it was soooooo funny, that too, I thought I was going to die from laughing so hard!
And that's what I remember from the name-calling. XD
I don't remember ANYTHING from the Mini-MC, as I've somehow mixed every MC up, so in my mind all the short AND long MCs have turned into one single long MC. So I'll talk about that later! ^^;;;
And now... Kakko Tsukanai Tonight!
This time, they sadly didn't go as close as they used to to before, so it didn't look as if they were about to kiss... instead, they stood facing each other during the "me to me" bit, and sort of... jumped closer to each other all the time! It was cute, too, though. ^^ (but I prefer the almost-kiss... XD)
Ending KTT, they continued on with a ballad this time! Natsu no Kaze which is always incredibly beautiful! Just like during KuriCon, Takki finished this one by himself, as Tsubasa went to change for his upcoming solo song which was...
TORIKO!!!
I looove Toriko! Lovelovelove!! This time, too, Tsubasa wore a dark suit, playing a guitar in the middle of the stage, his legs wide apart and guh! I can't understand how he can be so perfectly androgynous most of the time, and then sometimes just ooze of pheromones, like he's the most manly man that ever... manned? It's just... he's out of this world, really!! His voice is deep and sultry as he sings this song, and it's so... guuhhh!!!
But I MUST admit that I'm soveryvery jealous of the fans who went to the Osaka-shows, as Tsubasa sung Toriko SHIRTLESS there!! OMG!! *nosebleeds at the thought*
And after Toriko the mood in the Arena changed completely. From raw, intense sex, there came a soft tune from a piano, and in the back of the center-area, Takki was standing on a moving cart, with a small junior behind him, playing the piano. Time for Ki.Se.Ki...
Takki was wearing a white sleeveless shirt; I think there was buttons in the front, too? And dark leather pants, and a red scarf. He looked utterly beautiful.
And then he started singing, and god, I get goosebumps just remembering it! It's one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. His voice was just... so full of emotion and there was something there. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but he's never sung like that before! It was perfect, and I think anyone who'd have heard it would agree with me! It's just... it was SO SO fantastic and amazing!!
The arena went dark, and you could see shadows moving on the center stage, to which Takki had went on the moving cart! When the lights went on, they'd gotten new jackets on. They had no sleaves, so they were a bit like... long vests, or something? And they were in the same material as the leather-lika pants Takki wore during Kiseki. They were now on the round center-stage, and it was time for... Pride. And it was the usual dance, and Pride is ALWAYS amazing...
... Especially coupled with Diamond! This dance... the hips, the moves, the everything! Nothing can really be said about those two songs, they just are.
This is really the dance-song-part of the concert, for now came Real DX. The same thing is true for DX, as for Pride/Diamond... Real DX just is. It's always been special.
I think this was where there was some sort of Jr-medley. I think Kisumai performed Kiss My kiss Me, or whatever it's called? I think this was where Yabu and Hikaru (Ya ya yah's) performed Itoshi no Playgirl, too? Or IDK. ^^;;;
And then Love Lucky started playing, and we knew it was time for the carts going around the arena, between the arena seats and the stand-seats!
After LL, they switched carts, and that's when Hey! Listen to the Music started!! I LOVE this one! It's really fun to clap along to it, and it's a really cute song. I've always thought it would do a good encore song, because it's so happy and sweet; a little bit like Love Spiral!?
And the "New Single" (it was new then, okay!? ^^;;; ) was performed for the first time! SAMURAI. During all the shows but the first, they wore these... japanese-style-outfit in red/black, I think? With many layers and what seemed like very much fabric and thongs and such. But the first show, maybe the outfits weren't finished yet, because I'm almost certain they didn't wear those outfits for the first show?? I think they wore only dark pants and red tanktops, then?
And they performed Samurai, and there was fire everywhere, and it was very hot and rockish. ^^’
After Samurai, the lights went on, and they started talking; MC-time!
Everyone already know what was said, but they talked about their new song, Samurai, and announced that they were hosting 24 hrs TV, talked about a best-of album and a concert-DVD being made out of the dame-arena-cons! YAAAY~~~!
They also talked about Tsubasa's then newly-born niece, and then they said they were going to sing an old favorite, form their junior days... and the scream when Koi Yo begun was MASSIVE! And to hear it now... to hear how they've grown and how their voiced have changed. And not only how they've grown themselves, but how they've grown TOGETHER, that they are STILL together, still meaning so much to each other, still working so hard together... of course I couldn't help but crying, because I'm an emotional spazz... but, god, it really is so amazing. Their story is amazing.
Time for solo-songs again!
Takki sung his new solo from the Dame-single; Sadame. He was wearing a white tank top, and I think a grey vest? And a hat. I LOVE Sadame, and the dance (which he performed on the main stage) was sort of... roboty, but not at all roboty? <- total fail at explaning it.
Then... ohmygod *nosebleeds*
EDGE!!!! EDGEEDGEEDGEEDGE!
Slave of Love during Kuricons was erotic, sexy, amazing... but I wonder if I don't actually think EDGE was even better? Maybe because EDGE is one of my absolute favorite Tsubasa-songs, and I've been yearning to see it live since... since forever, and OHGOD, he is SO amazing! He wore a white t-shirt/tanktop/whatever, dark faded jeans and a white unbuttoned shirt. There was this particular leg move he made, where he sort-of-but-still-didn't crouch-down, his legs wide apart, and it was soooooooooooooo perfect and he is sooooooooo sexy and gorgeous and I LOOOOOVE HIM SOOOOO!!!!
The thing he does in the 23-24 DVD, where he stands over the wind-machine blowing out red smoke and light during EDGE - he did something similar here, after running out for about half the center-runway, and gaahhhhhh... *_*
I wonder what Takki thinks when he sees Tsubasa doing these dances during rehearsal? If he gives himself the extra-super-duper-close front seats always... if so, how does he manage to not trow tsuabsa down and have his wicked ways with him? Or, ahh, what do I know; he probably does!
Anyway, EDGE! Was sex-on-a-stick, and Tsubasa is Sex-on-legs, and EDGE was perfect and I still diieeeeee thinking about it!!!
Ahh, EDGEEDGEEDGEEEE! *_*
Another junior-corner? Oh, when I think about it, it might've been here Kisumai sung Kiss My Kiss Me!?!?
When Takitsuba got back on the (center) stage again, they sung Kamen! Tsubasa now wore a black sleeveless vest instead of the white-shirt, but other than that, his outfit was the same as during EDGE. Takki wore something similar with dark pants - thogh I think this was leather? - and a matching dark vest and a white tanktop! I love the Kamen dance, and it was just as good as it always is. ♥
Now we're almost at the end... Kamira Tamara! This is where they are pulled around in little carts, shooting smoke with their smoke-guns at the audience! ANDI THINK TAKKI SAW HE HERE! I was just maybe 2-3 metres away, and he looked STRAIGHT into my eyes, and then he smiled REALLy widely, and gave a small wave, UWAAHHHH!!!!! OMGGGG!!!!!! TAKKIII!!! ♥
Then it was time for One Day One Dream But honestly, I don't remeber ANYTHING from this song. O_O But I'm sure they did the regular furitsuke, but I have no idea about where/on which stage they were, or anything at all, really... O_O
Then, the T&T song of all other T&T songs. The song everyone knows, and the song everyone loves. Yume Monogatari They sang it the a'capella way first, just like during KuriCon. And then when the regular YumeMo started everyone just started jumping and screaming and dancing and, YumeMo is the PERFECT live-song! So much energy, so much fun, so much love for the fans, for each other, for doing what they do!
Then the concert ended, but of course there was still more... :3
The first, regular Encore was... the-most-beautiful-song-in-the-whole-wide-world... Epilogue
Epilogue is always perfect. There's just nothing more to say.
They wore white suits for it, with some kind of silver-glittery edging, and they both looked very very handsome!!
They also sung Love Spiral and some kind of single medley with short version of many of their singles - like Venus, Ho!Sama, YumeMo and some others, ending with - of course - X~dame~!
The concerts were wonderful, all four of them! So, thank you, Takitsuba, for always working so hard to make us, your fans, have a great time, where we always get so much of everything! So much love and so much happiness!
AISHITERU ZE, T&T!
And this was all for my report this time. It's not as great or spazzy or funny as it would've been if I'd finished it immediately after I got home but... Real life happens. Sadly.
And I find it slightly boring to write my reports without adding any photo's at all... but I'll scan and add them as soon as I get them home, yes yes? ♥
And I warn you; I hardly took ANY photo's this time, because I fail like that and had too much to think about to remember to bring my camera when I left the hotel-room most mornings! ^^;;; I hope it won't be too boring! m(_)m
But, however - somehow, I'd managed to get a week and a half off from work (Thank you, boss-san! ♥), to go to Tackey & Tsubasa's additional Dame-tour concerts in Yokohama Arena. I left May 7, and went back home May 15.
This time, I had no one who could go with me, at first, so I was planning to take the trip by myself; that gave me a little panick in and out of itself - Me. Alone. Tokyo. I was 110% sure I'd get lost already in Amsterdam where I had to transfer airplanes from Shippol to continue on ahead to Tokyo. I'd be lost and wander around Shippol-airport for a week and a half before anyone would even realize that I was gone. XD
So. Yes. Panic.
So, I ballotted for tickets to some of the shows through a friend's friend, and a few weeks before I left I'd gotten the result. I'd gotten two tickets through the FC - One CENTER-seat (!) for the last show (!), and one stand-seat for the second show of the first day.
The other two tickets, I got at first through the yahoo-auctions - it was a mess, that, though, but more on that later! XX_X And the last ticket I missed, I got from the Harajuku-shop soon after arriving in Tokyo!
So, my 2nd trip to Tokyo begun...
DEPARTURE
Surprisingly, I managed to get myself to Tokyo in one piece, without any misshaps happening along the way! And, luckily enough - especially since I'm one of those who needs company as much as I can possibly get - a friend of mine was already there, also there for the Tackey & Tsubasa concerts. So the first thing I did when I got to the hotel on May 8th, was to take a quick shower, and then me, my friend and a few friends of hers went out to eat dinner in Roppongi!
The rest of the days before the concerts were spent just wandering around Tokyo again. it was so fantastic to be back!
...Isn't it strange how you can miss a city so much?
0h well, of course, I didn't just walk around aimlessly...
The first day - a Wednesday - I went to Harajuku; there I bought a ticket for the concert I didn't have one forä yet. Speaking of tickets... I'd won an auction for a center-ticket to one of the concerts via Yahoo-auctions, bidding through the Rinkya-bidding service. I'd been happy, as the ticket hadn't turned out very expensive, and the seat was quite a good center-seat! But, just a few hours before my plane were to leave Stockholm, I got an email from one of the staff-members at Rinky, saying that the person I'd won the ticket from had cancelled the auction! So, suddenly, I missed not one ticket, but two! TOTALLY DAME!
I was soooo angry at the seller, but what was really fantastic was how helpful the Rinkya-staff was! They were really apologetic about what had happened; and even though it wasn't their fault in the slightest they actually helped me to get a new ticket!! I would've never expected them to be as helpful as they were, but they emailed me several times, and even called me a few times to ask me about the tickets and what kind of seat I wanted, what I was ready to pay for in a new auction. So while I was travelling, they actually sat checking other auctions for me, bidding on tickets!
So, just a few days later, they'd taken care of everything, gotten me an even better ticket - which turned out to be a little more expensive, though. So, in good time before the concerts, I'd gotten the ticket sent to me at the hotel.
When I got home and emailed them a long thank you-email and asked what I owe them for the all trouble, all I got back was, "We're happy you enjoyed the shows - and don't worry about the payment! ^^"
So, I din't have to pay any extra for the ticket, AND I didn't even have to pay for the shipping!
So, this is my statement for the day: RINKYA IS WONDERFUL AND AMAZING, AND IF YOU EVER NEED TO USE A BIDDING SITE, USE THEM, BECAUSE THEY'RE FANTASTIC!! ♥
So, anyway! In Tokyo, I spent many hours at ♥Starbucks♥, (we don't have Starbucks in Sweden, at all!) drinking Caramel Frappuchino (I quickly got addicted!) and just enjoyed the feel of being back home again, because honestly, that's what it feels like there, for me. I love the people, the atmosphere, the life, the everything! So, to me, it really felt like to be back home. Ahh.
So, anyway... I surprisingly shopped a lot. Went to the Johnny's shop in Harajuku, of course. The que was insane, of course. X_X I just don't get the deal with the Johnny's queing-system. This time too, we were passed through, down to the basement. Even though we weren't going to buy anything there, we still had to go down there to stand in line, before we could get up to the real floor, with the cashiers and the things and the Tackey & Tsubasa photos!
This time, I bought over 350 photo's, as I had to buy so many for friends, too! So first we stood in line out in that park for about an hour and a half. Then we had to stand in line in the basement for another thirty minutes or so. Then we chose our photo's and stood in line again, to get to the cashiers desks. X_X When I was finally there, I'd of course gotten someone who must've been a newly hired shop-assistant. ^^;; So where the J-staff is usually SUPER-quick to click in all the photo's, this one was really slow and she clicked wrongly several times. When she'd finished at the register, she went down to the back-room to go and get all the photo's... and that, oh my god, it took SUCH a long time, I was thinking I was going to die or get a panic-attack and run out of there, or something! But, somehow I managed, and I'd finally gotten all the photo's and I was out of there. Then, as soon as we'd gotten out of the J-shop "domain" (^^;;;), a man approached us, asking if we wanted to be on television, on some kind of morning-show, because he worked with TV and was so faschinated to see non-asian fans there. But, we kindly declined, because really... ^^;;;;;;; Thank you, but no thank you. *lol*
Other places I went to was Nakano Broadway - aka. Heaven on earth:
Spent several hours in the TRIO-shop, of course! ♥♥♥ Then just wandered around randonly, checking out the different mandrake's and such. (The doujinshi-store STILL didn't have a singlt Takitsuba doujin! So sad!!)
This time, I even managed to find the time to go to Tokyo Tower; as I went there by myself, I didn't dare to go up in the tower - I'm a tad bit afraid of heights, so. ^^;;, But I went there to check it out, and oh my goodness, it's SO BIG! The surroundings didn't at all look as I'd imagined them too, though - The tower is, like, in the middle of a slope! So unexpected!!!
But as the old CLAMP-fan I am, of course it was nostalgic to see it. And somehow, it Is quite pretty. I used to really love - or still love, just not very active in the manga-fandom anymore - X and even more so, Tokyo Babylon. (Subaruuuuuu! ♥) And, of course, Card Captor Sakura, too.
Oh, and also, when I was standing there, looking up at the tower, awestruck by it's size, a man came up to me, saying "Neesan?". Me, "O_O hai?"
But he was so sweet, and freely offered to take a picture of me below the tower with my camera, so you could se me with the tower in the picture! Sooooo kind! So without hesitating, or worrying that he'd run off with my camera as soon as he'd gotten a hold of it, I handed it to him. He took a picture of me, smiled, and we thanked each other a lot, and then he drove away on a moped into the sunset. LOL!
I won't post the picture here, though, because I make the wierdest facial expression in the history of ever! XD
I was in Roppongi, too, one late evening, and if you've ever been to Roppongi, you know what kind of place it is. I must say, of all the places I've been to in Tokyo, Roppongi must be my... least favorite? It's a little too shabby and clubby and hysterical for me. But it has it's charm too, I guess.
Like the 24hrs-open department store! It was the oddest place... you could buy everything from hamster-costumes to exercising-tools, to sex-toys to "authentic" prada-bags (?) to Hello-Kitty-slippers to make-up to food to... anything you can ever think of!
And I almost died when I saw this outside of the store;
Always remember, kids; Don't strike a tank!
Oh, and that fish-thing is real and alive and actually BIGGER than it seems to be on the photo!!
And here, have a photo of Jimbocho's book-street, because I like it there. ♥
Now, here comes the actual CONCERT-REPORT!
Which maybe will be slightly boring now, because I don't have any good photo's - neither official or paparazzi - yet. I was going to wait buying them until I go the next time, so when I get back from my October-trip, I'll scan them in, and add pictures here so you can see what the outfits looks like and... well, a report is always more fun if it's full of colors and have photos added!! ♥
CONCERTS!
Standing in line, buying stuff - ohmygod, it's a HADAKA-poster, I bought so muchs tuff, one of everything for me, and things to friends, I was loaded with stuff...
and then I was inside the arena, finding my seat, sitting down, flipping through the phamplet - it's so gorgeous, stylish, beautiful!! The clock was ticking closer, it's almost time...
When are they coming? When, when when?
"TAKKI!" clap clap "TSUBASA!" clap clap "TAKKI!" clap clap "TSUBASA!" clap clap... and the lights goes out!
If you've ever been to a Johnny's concert - or maybe been to any concert, I don't know anymore, I don't remember what other concerts are like - but I bet you know the feeling? The excitement is rising for every passing second, the tension is so massive that you can almost touch it. Everyone is talking, clapping, calling for them!
The screams rise to become ear-defening, they're Coming!
But where are they? Neon lights are flashing everywhere and the intro to Crazy Rainbow starts playing!
Where are they, where are they, where are they? The music is pumping, everyone is looking for them, standing on their tiptoes, craning their necks, looking up, looking down, looking at the big stages, at all the other stages... then, people are pointing to the ceiling! And there they are!!
They come sailing down in one cage each, one on each side of the runway going around the center-seats. I was on the right side, so Tsubasa was just above me! So, Tsubasa on one end, Takki on the other, wearing blue, shiny coats, with some kind of rainbow-colored feather-side, and as the concert opens, Tsubasa is justa few metres from where I'm standing! He looks gorgeous, his hair has gotten so LONG, but he is so pretty and the coat is so shiny, and colorful and - tacky - and it reminds me of something they would've worn during their junior-years; it's so colorful and feathery, just like those old times!
And they walk around the runways and they smile so widely and they look soooo good, and soon they've switched sides so Takki is closer to me now, and he too looks sooo good, so good!
How is it possible to forget just how perfect they look in real-life?
As Crazy Rainbow ends, they're up at the big-stage in front of all of us! The feathery coats are gone, and beneath were the silver suits; Takki wore a pink shirt under his, and Tsubasa wore a purple one! And with the silver-suits, it was of course time for... X~dame~!
I still love Dame just as much as when I heard it during Kuricon, the first time, and the furitsuke is still SO cute!!
After Dame, they sung VENUS still up at the main stage.
Then, when finishing Venus, they removed their shiny silver jackets, and started down the big runway, on their way to the round stage in the middle of the Arena! As they were on their way, they looked at each other, small smiles on their faces, and then they stood poised, as if they were ready to have a race down the runway, to see who were the quickest! They seemed ready to sprint and then they... started skipping down the aisle, together, and were all smiles and laughter, hopping together, and it was soooooooooo cute!!!!
Time for one of my favorite songs! Ho!Summer
There were rising platforms on the center-stage here, I think? So as they rose, they were singing Ho!Sama, and this was when the audience-screams reeeally begun! Everyone was doing the dance, and T&T were both wriggling their butts to no end, and *dies*!
After this, I think the hall went dark for a short while? And when they appeared again, they were at the stage in the further back, now not wearing their shiny shirts, but instead grey-glittery tank-tops and pink glittery coats with black straps and details. This outfit was my favorite, by far! They looked SO gorgeous in them, and the coats themself were really really cool and pretty at the same time!
And the music for To be or Not To Be started playing!
GAH, I LOVE "TO BE"!!! I love the melofy, I love the song, I love the dance! And they actually did the original dance, and as I'd never seen that one live before, it was sooo amazing to actually get to do so now!
Hips, and legs and gah, I couldn't tear my eyes away!
They went to a rising lift each as Sora no Screen were about to begin, and the lifts started to move around and ahead of us, so we could see them waving down at us, and kyyaaahhhhh~! I don't think either of them spotted me then, though - it didn't seem like it. I didn't use my towel, either, to wave around with, but only used my penlight and my hands. ^^
Then it's time for... Aishiteru ze, T&T!
Ah, I admit that I don't remember perfectly what was said and where it was said, but Takki asked Tsu's mother, "Tsubasa wo Kudasai!" and Takki being jealous of Tsu-niece, and they're marrying and lots of MOE~and KYA~worthy stuff!
Takki is still wonderful and charismatic and witty, and Tsubasa is still the master of Ero-voices while speaking during this song! (Makes me curious about how it will sound in the Best of album!?!)
Then there was the name-calling battle! It's always soooo funny, and you scream as loudly as you can again and again and again! Again, I'm not sure about the order about things anymore, and who-did-what-when, but this was for sure included:
-Tsubasa folded up the hem of his pants, to show us some... er... skin? (Leg-hair, more like it, hohohooo!)
-Takki pretended to strip, but only took of his jacket! Booo!!! We want to see more skin during these battles!
The best thing was, of course, how they went out in the audience to borrow uchiwas from the fans.
At first, Tsubasa took a Takki uchiwa from a fan, and looked at it with a really sad expression - I think he pretended to be sad because it was a Takki-fan? And then he smiled at it and... kissed it! KYAHHH~
Takki then ran to get a Tsubasa-uchiwa and patted it lovingly, stroking his hair... before pouting as big as he could, before... kissing uchiwa!Tsuba on the lips! SOOOOO CUUTE!!!
And another time, Tsubasa took a Takki-as-a-junior-uchiwa and as he saw it he looked sooooo cute! He looked at chibi-Takki as if he was the most adorable thing in the whole-wide-world and I'm sure that's what he thought too, and kyyahhh!
During some point, I think, Tsubasa took another uchiwa too, and just as he was about to kiss it, he realized that he'd taken the WRONG uchiwa! It wasn't a Takki-uchiwa, but some random junior on it!! Sooo funny!
And Takki some time took a Tsubasa uchiwa, and instead of putting the Tsuchiwa face to face with his own, he put it in front of his face, using the uchiwa as some kind of "mask", and did some kind of Tsubasa-impersonation/parody and it was soooooo funny, that too, I thought I was going to die from laughing so hard!
And that's what I remember from the name-calling. XD
I don't remember ANYTHING from the Mini-MC, as I've somehow mixed every MC up, so in my mind all the short AND long MCs have turned into one single long MC. So I'll talk about that later! ^^;;;
And now... Kakko Tsukanai Tonight!
This time, they sadly didn't go as close as they used to to before, so it didn't look as if they were about to kiss... instead, they stood facing each other during the "me to me" bit, and sort of... jumped closer to each other all the time! It was cute, too, though. ^^ (but I prefer the almost-kiss... XD)
Ending KTT, they continued on with a ballad this time! Natsu no Kaze which is always incredibly beautiful! Just like during KuriCon, Takki finished this one by himself, as Tsubasa went to change for his upcoming solo song which was...
TORIKO!!!
I looove Toriko! Lovelovelove!! This time, too, Tsubasa wore a dark suit, playing a guitar in the middle of the stage, his legs wide apart and guh! I can't understand how he can be so perfectly androgynous most of the time, and then sometimes just ooze of pheromones, like he's the most manly man that ever... manned? It's just... he's out of this world, really!! His voice is deep and sultry as he sings this song, and it's so... guuhhh!!!
But I MUST admit that I'm soveryvery jealous of the fans who went to the Osaka-shows, as Tsubasa sung Toriko SHIRTLESS there!! OMG!! *nosebleeds at the thought*
And after Toriko the mood in the Arena changed completely. From raw, intense sex, there came a soft tune from a piano, and in the back of the center-area, Takki was standing on a moving cart, with a small junior behind him, playing the piano. Time for Ki.Se.Ki...
Takki was wearing a white sleeveless shirt; I think there was buttons in the front, too? And dark leather pants, and a red scarf. He looked utterly beautiful.
And then he started singing, and god, I get goosebumps just remembering it! It's one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. His voice was just... so full of emotion and there was something there. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but he's never sung like that before! It was perfect, and I think anyone who'd have heard it would agree with me! It's just... it was SO SO fantastic and amazing!!
The arena went dark, and you could see shadows moving on the center stage, to which Takki had went on the moving cart! When the lights went on, they'd gotten new jackets on. They had no sleaves, so they were a bit like... long vests, or something? And they were in the same material as the leather-lika pants Takki wore during Kiseki. They were now on the round center-stage, and it was time for... Pride. And it was the usual dance, and Pride is ALWAYS amazing...
... Especially coupled with Diamond! This dance... the hips, the moves, the everything! Nothing can really be said about those two songs, they just are.
This is really the dance-song-part of the concert, for now came Real DX. The same thing is true for DX, as for Pride/Diamond... Real DX just is. It's always been special.
I think this was where there was some sort of Jr-medley. I think Kisumai performed Kiss My kiss Me, or whatever it's called? I think this was where Yabu and Hikaru (Ya ya yah's) performed Itoshi no Playgirl, too? Or IDK. ^^;;;
And then Love Lucky started playing, and we knew it was time for the carts going around the arena, between the arena seats and the stand-seats!
After LL, they switched carts, and that's when Hey! Listen to the Music started!! I LOVE this one! It's really fun to clap along to it, and it's a really cute song. I've always thought it would do a good encore song, because it's so happy and sweet; a little bit like Love Spiral!?
And the "New Single" (it was new then, okay!? ^^;;; ) was performed for the first time! SAMURAI. During all the shows but the first, they wore these... japanese-style-outfit in red/black, I think? With many layers and what seemed like very much fabric and thongs and such. But the first show, maybe the outfits weren't finished yet, because I'm almost certain they didn't wear those outfits for the first show?? I think they wore only dark pants and red tanktops, then?
And they performed Samurai, and there was fire everywhere, and it was very hot and rockish. ^^’
After Samurai, the lights went on, and they started talking; MC-time!
Everyone already know what was said, but they talked about their new song, Samurai, and announced that they were hosting 24 hrs TV, talked about a best-of album and a concert-DVD being made out of the dame-arena-cons! YAAAY~~~!
They also talked about Tsubasa's then newly-born niece, and then they said they were going to sing an old favorite, form their junior days... and the scream when Koi Yo begun was MASSIVE! And to hear it now... to hear how they've grown and how their voiced have changed. And not only how they've grown themselves, but how they've grown TOGETHER, that they are STILL together, still meaning so much to each other, still working so hard together... of course I couldn't help but crying, because I'm an emotional spazz... but, god, it really is so amazing. Their story is amazing.
Time for solo-songs again!
Takki sung his new solo from the Dame-single; Sadame. He was wearing a white tank top, and I think a grey vest? And a hat. I LOVE Sadame, and the dance (which he performed on the main stage) was sort of... roboty, but not at all roboty? <- total fail at explaning it.
Then... ohmygod *nosebleeds*
EDGE!!!! EDGEEDGEEDGEEDGE!
Slave of Love during Kuricons was erotic, sexy, amazing... but I wonder if I don't actually think EDGE was even better? Maybe because EDGE is one of my absolute favorite Tsubasa-songs, and I've been yearning to see it live since... since forever, and OHGOD, he is SO amazing! He wore a white t-shirt/tanktop/whatever, dark faded jeans and a white unbuttoned shirt. There was this particular leg move he made, where he sort-of-but-still-didn't crouch-down, his legs wide apart, and it was soooooooooooooo perfect and he is sooooooooo sexy and gorgeous and I LOOOOOVE HIM SOOOOO!!!!
The thing he does in the 23-24 DVD, where he stands over the wind-machine blowing out red smoke and light during EDGE - he did something similar here, after running out for about half the center-runway, and gaahhhhhh... *_*
I wonder what Takki thinks when he sees Tsubasa doing these dances during rehearsal? If he gives himself the extra-super-duper-close front seats always... if so, how does he manage to not trow tsuabsa down and have his wicked ways with him? Or, ahh, what do I know; he probably does!
Anyway, EDGE! Was sex-on-a-stick, and Tsubasa is Sex-on-legs, and EDGE was perfect and I still diieeeeee thinking about it!!!
Ahh, EDGEEDGEEDGEEEE! *_*
Another junior-corner? Oh, when I think about it, it might've been here Kisumai sung Kiss My Kiss Me!?!?
When Takitsuba got back on the (center) stage again, they sung Kamen! Tsubasa now wore a black sleeveless vest instead of the white-shirt, but other than that, his outfit was the same as during EDGE. Takki wore something similar with dark pants - thogh I think this was leather? - and a matching dark vest and a white tanktop! I love the Kamen dance, and it was just as good as it always is. ♥
Now we're almost at the end... Kamira Tamara! This is where they are pulled around in little carts, shooting smoke with their smoke-guns at the audience! ANDI THINK TAKKI SAW HE HERE! I was just maybe 2-3 metres away, and he looked STRAIGHT into my eyes, and then he smiled REALLy widely, and gave a small wave, UWAAHHHH!!!!! OMGGGG!!!!!! TAKKIII!!! ♥
Then it was time for One Day One Dream But honestly, I don't remeber ANYTHING from this song. O_O But I'm sure they did the regular furitsuke, but I have no idea about where/on which stage they were, or anything at all, really... O_O
Then, the T&T song of all other T&T songs. The song everyone knows, and the song everyone loves. Yume Monogatari They sang it the a'capella way first, just like during KuriCon. And then when the regular YumeMo started everyone just started jumping and screaming and dancing and, YumeMo is the PERFECT live-song! So much energy, so much fun, so much love for the fans, for each other, for doing what they do!
Then the concert ended, but of course there was still more... :3
The first, regular Encore was... the-most-beautiful-song-in-the-whole-wide-world... Epilogue
Epilogue is always perfect. There's just nothing more to say.
They wore white suits for it, with some kind of silver-glittery edging, and they both looked very very handsome!!
They also sung Love Spiral and some kind of single medley with short version of many of their singles - like Venus, Ho!Sama, YumeMo and some others, ending with - of course - X~dame~!
The concerts were wonderful, all four of them! So, thank you, Takitsuba, for always working so hard to make us, your fans, have a great time, where we always get so much of everything! So much love and so much happiness!
AISHITERU ZE, T&T!
And this was all for my report this time. It's not as great or spazzy or funny as it would've been if I'd finished it immediately after I got home but... Real life happens. Sadly.
And I find it slightly boring to write my reports without adding any photo's at all... but I'll scan and add them as soon as I get them home, yes yes? ♥