The Idoling!!! Discussion Thread

[miitan]

The shows are held at Yoshimoto Prince Theater about 5 minutes walk from JR Shinagawa station. http://www.yoshimoto.co.jp/ypt/theater.html
You can get the tickets on the day the show is held(but only limited to second floor seats). The ticket counter opens at 10:30am and usually fans line-up at around 9:45am. The tickets costs 3000yen.

Thanks a ton! I will be in Tokyo on 9/3 so I'll certainly try to attend that show. I leave for Kyoto that night but I have a JR Pass if I need to come back on the 4th. Wish me luck! 

[hellguard89]

Thanks a ton! I will be in Tokyo on 9/3 so I'll certainly try to attend that show. I leave for Kyoto that night but I have a JR Pass if I need to come back on the 4th. Wish me luck! 

Contact me if you have any questions. I might be free on the 9/3 so I might attend the live as well

[Hatix]

The shows are held at Yoshimoto Prince Theater about 5 minutes walk from JR Shinagawa station.

Be careful when the last shinkansen for Kyoto is (which is around 21h I think for JR Pass holders), but since they all stop at Shinagawa anyway, you don't have to go to Tokyo station first

[miitan]

Thanks to this helpful forum, I achieved my goal of seeing Idoling!!! in person. Perhaps my very top members were not there but, honestly, I was happy to see any 8 girls from the group. On top of that, they do a great live show. I may have to do it again! 

[hellguard89]

Thanks to this helpful forum, I achieved my goal of seeing Idoling!!! in person. Perhaps my very top members were not there but, honestly, I was happy to see any 8 girls from the group. On top of that, they do a great live show. I may have to do it again! 

Details for Yazawa's dvd release event:

http://a.sofmap.com/topics/exec/_/id=4230&sid=11091118_a

Date:September 11th
Time:17:45
Place:Akihabara Sofmap Amusement Kan Event Space 8F http://www.sofmap.com/tenpo/topics/exec/_/id=shop/-/sid=akb-amuse

Event:
Talk segment
Photo session
Handshake event

How to participate:
Buy at least one copies of her new dvd. You get a signed cover of the dvd for each copies you buy.
If you buy two copies, you get to take a photo together with her(cheki size)
For three copies, you get an autograph on the cheki photo plus a signed cap(limited to 20 people)
You can buy the dvd at the Akihabara Sofmap Amusement Kan 7F

I hope you can make it to this event She'll be glad to see another gaijin at her dvd release event

[miitan]

Details for Yazawa's dvd release event:

I am 90% sure I can do this. I may PM you with some questions. Thanks for the info!

[Hatix]

Yeah, you should really try it! A dvd release event is a wonderful experience. You'll likely be only the second gaijin after me to attend one of her release events  (or any other Idoling!!! solo dvd release event except for me with Yazawa and hellguard89 with Ruka, that I know of)


@hellguard89 : how is the system now for Sofmap? When you went to Ruka's dvd event, you had to buy them at a certain date, but not for this one? Or is it just different for each event...

[miitan]

Yeah, you should really try it! A dvd release event is a wonderful experience. You'll likely be only the second gaijin after me to attend one of her release events  (or any other Idoling!!! solo dvd release event except for me with Yazawa and hellguard89 with Ruka, that I know of)


@hellguard89 : how is the system now for Sofmap? When you went to Ruka's dvd event, you had to buy them at a certain date, but not for this one? Or is it just different for each event...

Oh so you don't buy them at the event? I've only been to one release event and at that one you bought the CD's to get in.

[hellguard89]

Yeah, you should really try it! A dvd release event is a wonderful experience. You'll likely be only the second gaijin after me to attend one of her release events  (or any other Idoling!!! solo dvd release event except for me with Yazawa and hellguard89 with Ruka, that I know of)


@hellguard89 : how is the system now for Sofmap? When you went to Ruka's dvd event, you had to buy them at a certain date, but not for this one? Or is it just different for each event...

Oh so you don't buy them at the event? I've only been to one release event and at that one you bought the CD's to get in.

You are supposed to buy them before the event but when I went to Sofmap yesterday there are still event tickets left. So I think it is not too late to buy the dvd now.

[miitan]

  Woot! I got my ticket for the 2-shot, etc!  I'm normally not thilled with any photo that has me in it but i can't pass up an attempt to interact with Yazapai. The Segaclub next to Sofmap had an Idoling!!! Gatchapon so I fed it until i got a Yazawa charm. It only took 5 cranks so It was a good day all around. 

I hope to make it to the Friday Shinahachi but I'm not sure I can get there early enough from Kyoto.

[Hatix]

Woot! I got my ticket for the 2-shot, etc!  I'm normally not thilled with any photo that has me in it but i can't pass up an attempt to interact with Yazapai. The Segaclub next to Sofmap had an Idoling!!! Gatchapon so I fed it until i got a Yazawa charm. It only took 5 cranks so It was a good day all around. 

That's great! Have fun!
A few tips:
- During the photo shoot session, you'll gather in front of her with about 7 people and you get 90 seconds (no less, no more), she will keep switching between every person and do different faces/gestures/poses. Don't be shy and just click away, even when she's not looking in your direction so you'll have plenty of pictures. I had about 40-50 pics and I only started taking pics also when she wasn't looking when I noticed others just kept clicking away. There was one guy who had about 200 pics, she commented on it and asked how many ;p
- I don't know how tall you are, but Yazawa is quite small (1m50), so when you take the 2-shot together, bend a little bit through your knees. Otherwise you'll tower out above her and that's not such a nice composition in the resulting picture Do know that checki's are very small, but you can scan them at high resolution and print it out enlarged afterwards

[miitan]

Thanks for the tips. I am a pretty serious photographer and I've shot hundreds of models and wannabe models. This will be my first idol to pose for me though. Do they allow flash? I'd rather not use it unless the light is weak. I'm 33cm taller than her, it would be a better shot if my head was cut out of it but I guess I'll get at her level. Do you choose a pose?

Btw, where does line form to get in?

[Inferno]

Whatever you guys do, try not to look as nerdy as the basic idoling fan.

[Hatix]

Thanks for the tips. I am a pretty serious photographer and I've shot hundreds of models and wannabe models. This will be my first idol to pose for me though. Do they allow flash? I'd rather not use it unless the light is weak. I'm 33cm taller than her, it would be a better shot if my head was cut out of it but I guess I'll get at her level. Do you choose a pose?

Btw, where does line form to get in?

Here's my blog post of the release event that I went to. In the last picture, you can see the 2-shot chekki. Don't pay too much attention to the system of how to get in in my post as it is likely a little different, seeing that you have to be there only 15 minutes in advance in your case.
Seems like you're about the same height as me, I'm 32cm taller than her  , so bend a bit through your knees
Yes, they allow flash, some even had huge gear with them. The light conditions were okay, though they could be a little bit better (but then again, mine was at Ishimaru, not at Sofmap). And yes, you can choose a pose for the 2-shot chekki if you want
You might be surprised, but there will probably be a few female fans at her release event (there were a few at mine)

[qwiksXnd]

Whatever you guys do, try not to look as nerdy as the basic idoling fan.

Lol, this post compelled me to share my impressions of the two Idoling x YGA concerts I went to in July. I guess I should explain that while I'm a big Idoling fan, I'm not a "hardcore" fan (hardcore defined as someone who buys every single and dvd) and definitely not a wota. As for YGA... I'm a fan of Hinata Sayo, but outside of her I don't follow the group.

I went to the July 17th and 18th shows. The 7-17 show was Ai's birthday and the 18th was something like "Fonchi" day (a lot of her fans were in attendance and she performed a solo song, Ayumi Hamasaki's "Seasons"). On the 17th I was in row 4 and on the 18th, I had front row (this info is relevant for part two of my write-up.) I was surprised at how few songs Idoling performed. I think they did 5 at both shows, and then Ai (or Fonchi) did their solo songs. YGA on the other hand performed 8-10 songs. It was a lot easier to get into their set because they performed more songs, they're higher energy performers, and Idoling has a tendency of constantly breaking into a MC segment after 2 songs. YGA just went straight through their music. Just pointing this out for overseas fans of Idoling who want to go to a Shinahachi show. If you are fluent in Japanese I'm sure the variety segments would be more enjoyable though.

Now on to what I really wanted to write about. There is some weird stuff that happens at these shows though that I wanted to share. Which is why I found the quote about nerdy Idoling fans amusing. Their Japanese fanbase truly are nerds . There is a pretty interesting dynamic at these shows because they involve two pop groups that are very different. There are the Idoling-only wota, the YGA-only wota, the wota of both, and then the fans of both, fans of one or the other, and then YGA haters (lame, I know, but also kind of funny). There are also no girls at these concerts. Outside of the girl that handed me glowsticks for Ai's birthday, I think there were only 1 or 2 other girls in attendance. I saw PASSPO the night before and there were hundreds of girls. Obviously that was a bigger concert, but there are different demographics among the idol groups.

I think it is common knowledge, but if not, at the Shinahachi shows Idoling and YGA alternate sets, sometimes YGA opens and Idoling finishes, and vice-versa. Depending on which group is opening, the wota's are wearing either their Idoling or YGA t-shirts. And there are a lot of them, particularly in the front area where I was located. Once one group finishes, there is about a 2-3 minute break until the other group takes the stage. During that period something weird happens. The wotas that are fans of both groups rip off their shirts and grab a towel out of their bags (you can bring bags into this venue btw) and frantically try to clean all of the sweat off them, and then put on the shirt of the group that is coming up. It was weird and gross to suddenly be surrounded by a bunch of sweaty wotas changing their clothes. The guy sitting next to me also didn't like YGA so during their set, he sat down with his back to the group (this was when I had 4th row seats, so I don't know if the group could see him.) It is also common for fans of only one group to just leave when their group finishes.

Another weird thing that that happens is constant seat changing. If someone is a huge fan of one of the girls, and they have a solo coming up, that fan is going to ask a total stranger to switch seats with them for that song. And they usually agree. Maybe it's the polite thing to do, but when a Fonchi fan from who the hell knows where asked me to switch seats during her solo, I politely refused (I don't like Fonchi but why should I have to switch out just because someone asked me to? For all I know he could have come from the balcony). I don't get why someone would ask the only white guy in attendance to switch seats. Obviously mass-seat switching occurs between Idoling-only and YGA-only fans during their sets. For both shows, I was constantly sitting next to a different wota .

After the show is over, the handshake line starts to form. For those that don't have a ticket, they just relax in their seat... and take off their shirts again and towel off their sweat. Nerds

edit: After re-reading what I wrote, I hope I didn't give a negative image of either Idoling or YGA or possibly discourage anyone from seeing a Shinahachi show. If you are a fan, I would definitely recommend it  . I just wanted to point out some stuff that I found interesting. Also wanted to clarify that owning a Idoling/YGA shirt doesn't make you a nerd or wota... although I think at the shows I went to that was the case .

[hellguard89]

I would like add on some things:

There are only a few number of girls at Shinahachi. I've seen girls at every Shinahachi that I went to but because the male fans heavily outnumbers them they didn't stand out much.

YGA doesn't have many songs to choose from but almost all of them are intense, upbeat songs while Idoling!!! have a bigger pool of songs to choose ranging from different genre. It is easier for a wota to remember all of YGA songs because you see the same performance in every live. Having less songs also made YGA performance more polished than Idoling!!!.

From the Shinahachi that I have been to, what I can grasp is giving out front row seats to fans of certain member/group is seen as wota manerism. I noticed that some guy is in the front row of every YGA live and I'm pretty sure that he doesn't get those front row seat tickets every time. Also too add, these front row fans are also the jumpers that you can see on Shinahachi episodes

YGA MC is pretty boring in my opinion. Their MCs are heavily scripted while Idoling!!!, clearly having the experience in variety shows did unscripted MCs. Idoling!!! MCs are pretty much free talk between members on the topic that they had decided beforehand.

Like qwiksXnd said, they are fans of both group, Idoling!!!-only fans, YGA-only fans and haters. It is sad to see these haters just sit down and doing nothing during the live. What a shitty way to spend your money. Fans taking off their shirts and toweling off is a common sight at Shinahachi

After the show, if you stay inside for a while, you get to see the members closer during the handshake event in the lobby outside even though you have no tickets

PS. Me and Ayabie went to the show on the 18th but I certainly didn't noticed any foreigners in the crowds

[kei_86]

in regards to switching places during a concert,

this is a practice common in underground idol live. If you have been to some small scale idol's show, you'd get to know each other pretty quick due to the small amount of attendance. Because of that, everyone helps each other so that they can get to see their favorite idols as close as possible or at least make them noticeable to the idol that they like.

I have friends who are a big fan of @gumi and he did mentioned that if they already know you like certain members even if you didn't do anything, they would push you up to the front so that you could be there for your idol during her solo. Its a standard procedure for a small gig/live. I had no idea about this at all when I was at the Shimokita FM gig last year and only towards the end that there was this Japanese guy who knew I came to see PASSPO pushed me all the way to the front when they were performing. No one complained, it was pretty cool IMO.

[qwiksXnd]

Yeah, you can see the girls up close when you exit (for me it was "stare at Ami and permanently lock in a mental image" time)

For the first show I arrived late (I sat down at my seat and the show started a few seconds later) so I wasn't able to buy a handshake ticket. When the show ended I got in the handshake line though. I thought it was the exit line, oops. I'm glad I figured it out before getting too close and embarrassing myself. The theater is easy to find except if you arrive in Shinagawa station and the show starts in 5 minutes . And this is your first time in Shinagawa. And the only directions that you memorized are "it's across the street".

in regards to switching places during a concert,

Seat changing was definitely done in the spirit of comradery, so I thought it was a nice thing for fans to do. Although I don't think the regulars should ask obvious foreigners to trade, since we're not necessarily aware of the practice and we pay a lot more for the ticket than they do. Westerners are also very territorial. I had already claimed my chair as a U.S. territory.

Was the Shimokita FM gig with PASSPO the event that Rumi co-hosted?

edit: Aww that sucks, sorry to hear that. I'm a huge Rumi fan also.

[kei_86]

oh no you just hit the traumatizing phrase....

yeah that was the particular gig except I went to the morning gig which was co-hosted by Noto Arisa. I had no idea at all that Rumi is going to be co-hosting the evening gig. I realized about the fact on the next day and it was like the worst crushing feeling ever, missing Rumi by just a few hours...

[Hatix]

I've been to 2 Shinahachi lives and I must say most of this sounds familiar 
I like to join the wota-ing during the live, and I make sure I'm wearing a t-shirt and/or scarf of my favorite one (in my case a yazawa t-shirt & sakacchi scarf). One small part of wota fandom that I experienced was that when you sit next to someone who has the same favorite member as you (because he sees your t-shirt/scarf) he will shake hands with you and say that she's also his favorite
I didn't notice the switching seats at all actually, probably because I was too thrilled to see the live ;p
But the changing shirts certainly is obvious  It already starts when they arrive with their work clothes on and start undressing to change into a t-shirt of their favorite member. It's the Office-Worker-Into-Wota transformation cycle *henshiiiin* 
There were indeed a few girls in the audience when I went.
But Idoling!!! only 4-5 songs? I thought it was much more on my first shinahachi, but a few less at my second. But then again, both my Shinahachis had no cameras present, which may be why there were a little more songs.
I still remember each face from the hand shaking and when I think about it..     
I'm looking forward to be able to go to another one!

Edit:
Some extra wota fandom that me and kei_86 experienced was at the 9th live. We were just lining up for the goods (well in advance), and suddenly a guy comes at us asks us who our favorite members are and he went off. A little later he came back and gave us toreka of our favorite member for free. I find that an excellent example of wota helping each other. I'm certainly taking along my double toreka too,if I get the chance to go back again