[Event] JPH!P X AKB48 @ Paris Japan Expo 2009

[frblckstr1]

“The stars from Battlestar Gallactica!” D’OH! Haha. Seriously, there were more guys here than at the AKB48 concert, haha.

Who where there? Any pictures from that??

[SomethingWild]

“The stars from Battlestar Gallactica!” D’OH! Haha. Seriously, there were more guys here than at the AKB48 concert, haha.

Who where there? Any pictures from that??

Jamie Bamber and Kandyse McClure.

Only got one test pic:



The guy on the left in the pic was the interpreter.

[SomethingWild]

The Girls of Team France

Kitahara Rie: I was never really into her, because I never saw anything special in her. When I first saw her at the concert I noticed she looks somewhat different than on tv and in magazines. (Actually, this is something which is true for a lot of them). She was quite pretty, a good dancer and she seemed to be high in spirits the entire time. A pleasure to look at. She definitely goes up in my ranking.

Sato Amina: I never really noticed her and always considered her ‘one the new Team A girls’. From the pics it looks like one of her eye is twice the size of the other eye. In real life it’s not that bad. Her talking voice is extremely high pitched, which is kinda cute actually. Like Rie, she seemed to be high in spirits. Thanks the these two I have some faith in the future of Team A.

Takajo Aki: Again a new Team A girl. She didn’t really stand out during the concert or during the signing. I think she was the only one who did her introduction in Japanese, and it was pretty corny, but kinda cute. I think she feels more at ease in Japan.

Minegishi Minami: The best known Team A girl in France. I’m not a big fan, but I liked her in Men-dol so it was cool to see her. Her voice is LOUD and as you probably know she’s an amazing dancer.

Akimoto Sayaka: She seemed to be the leader of the concert and got to talk a lot. She’s really easy to spot and great stage presence, and an amazing voice of course. She’s really serious and professional, but never forgets the occasional smile and wave at the fans.

Ohori Megumi: What a character. I wonder if her voice really is like that or if she does it on purpose to make her sound sexy. I don’t think she’s pretty. She really looks old compared to the rest :p. She does enjoy being on stage and gave the fans plenty of looks and smiles which I appreciate a lot.

Kasai Tomomi: WOW! GORGEOUS. Seriously, I did not expect her to be this cute in real life. When she sings and dances she really gets into the song and has excellent facial impressions and hand movements.  Her legs are endless.

Kuramochi Asuka: I was really exited to see her, but she didn’t shine as much as I’d hoped. She seemed reaaally nervous and talked very softly. Her dancing during himawari was out of sync, not sure if that was on purpose. During the signing session she smiled a lot and she really is pretty. She needs more confidence, because she has amazing potential.

Kobayashi Kana: Horrible! She looked angry, uninterested and unmotivated the entire time. During the concert and offstage.. what a boring girl, I hope she graduates asap.

Noro Kayo: I think she is very sweet. When we called her name she waved and smiled a whole lot. During the concerts she showed she can can dance and sing. Besides, she really is in charge of laughter. She needs to watch her ‘off mode’ a bit, because she tends to look really uninterested when she’s not talking or performing. Nonti reminds me a bit of Ogawa Makoto: funny, but sometimes just spaces out.

Urano Kazumi: Even though she is the big sister of the coolest Team out there, she failed to impress me. She looked tired and old. She did try her best during her stage song, but it just didn’t come across right. Also during the signing session she did not out or did anything memorable.

Kohara Haruka: I didn’t really know her, but she impressed me! Great smile, great energy and another crazily high pitched voice. Very very cute. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on her from now on.

Sashihara Rino: It was hard for me to spot her during the concerts. She did ok, but she really shines offstage. She is quick, funny, cute.. everything you want in your idol. When someone spoke Japanese her eyes pop out in true Yukirin fashion. Plus she did a bit of her wota dance. Awesome awesome girl!

Nito Moeno: The opposite of Rino, they would make a great team. Moeno is kinda shy offstage, but very sweet. On stage she’s just awesome. Really easy to spot, and good dancing and singing. The future of AKB48 needs a lot more Sasshi and Moeno!

I’ll skip the research students, because most of them didn’t perform due to their age. Sorry Kikuchi.

Tsukina Takai: Sadly I only got to see her twice, very briefly, when she walked by the queue for the concert.

Matsui Rena: Massive WOWs all around. She shines! Absolutely amazing. Cute voice, AMAZING dancer and very pretty. Her duet with Kasai was unbelievably epic. Even off stage she’s the best, can’t stop smiling, enjoying everything that happens around her. Like I said in the review, she was the one I connected with the most.. she might just be my new favorite.

Yagami Kumi: Same story as Tsukina. Very pretty girl though. She smiled and waved when I yelled her name, so massive points for that, haha. Would’ve loved to see her perform, because I still think she’s among the best three girls in SKE.


General ranking of the girls who performed at the expo (excluding RS), based on everything:

01.   Matsui Rena
02.   Kasai Tomomi
03.   Nito Moeno
04.   Sashihara Rino

05.   Haruka Kohara
06.   Kitahara Rie
07.   Akimoto Sayaka
08.   Kuramochi Asuka
09.   Amina Sato
10.   Noro Kayo

11.   Minegishi Minami (she's good and fun, but just not my type)
12.   Takajo Aki

13.   Ohori Megumi
14.   Urano Kazumi
15.   Kobayashi Kana

[s4tsuk1]

Barrie-v, you've far outdone what I'd written down to post!  Hats off to you, my friend!

What were you wearing at the conference?!  I was in the front row, girl with red hair and purple top on.  If I got a bit pushy, I do apologise, it really was nothing personal!  I was shaking so much from the excitiement!  Also, I was probably right in front of you for the queue into the gig - my mate Dave was first, I was just by the girls shouting from the overture!

On the first day, we queued up at 10:15 for the concert.  Although we were waiting for hours and hours, it was well worth it, we were so close to the stage that my camera couldn't zoom out far enough to get the whole lineup of girls in!  I used to be impartial to the Overture, but as soon as it came on, chills ran up my spine!  The opening song of Aitakatta was very fitting, as we'd wanted to meet them all, too.  10nen Zakura and Namida Surprise! were great, but a lot of my mind is a blank from those two songs, I was highly emotional and very excited.

The MC was very boring, not too much outside of "are you having fun!?  We're happy to be here, etc."  The middle songs were great - I don't usually like Glass no I LOVE YOU or Nage Kiss de Uchi Otose! but they've quickly become two of my most played tracks...^.^;;  Kinjirareta Futari was great, the girls really sang with emotion and the French bits were great (more on this in a bit...)

I hadn't really listened to the Himawari stages, but after the performance of Himawari, this has changed.  They're quickly becoming some of my favourite stages.

The English versions of Oogoe Diamond and Bingo surprise me a bit, but I enjoyed them.  I was just a bit sad that I couldn't sing along.  Still, I did my best to dance along.  The chorus of Sakura no Hanabiratachi was very good in French - I am constantly surprised by the girls' ability to speak French as well as they did.  For native speakers of a language with no concept of the differentiation between "r" and "l", they did extraordinarily well. 

I wasn't sure who most of the girls outside of Team A were - but they were all so cute!  I couldn't believe how, well, PERFECT they all look in reality.  You expect blemishes or something, but they really are gorgeous.  Sayaka showing a bit of flesh made me a lot bit jealous and a little bit intrigued.  I swear that my idol love will turn me gay...

At the conference, I managed to make eye contact with quite a few of the girls - Sayaka and Mii-chan were the ones I was most concerned with.  I got a little wave from Mii-chan, I was nearly sick with nerves/excitement at that point. 

The signing sessions for both days were VERY messed up.  On the first day, there were 100 tickets for the signing, on the second day there were 40 tickets.  Both days, we turned up precisely when we were told and all the tickets had been given out early.  We were lucky on the first day - a randomer walked up and gave us a ticket, so at least one of us got to go up.  On the second day, despite arriving at the information booth for the tickets many hours before, checking back later on, and arriving early for the distribution, we couldn't get one.  According to the girl at the information desk, people had started to queue up and it was a safety risk, thus the tickets had to be given out early.  I was furious, but I still got to sit so close to them at the conference, so I just swallowed my annoyance.

The second day was filled up by the Puffy Ami Yumi concert, then a run back outside to join the queue for AKB.  The queue wasn't that long when we got there, and we managed to get quite close again.  It wasn't as close as the first day, but not bad.  Unfortunately for me, I'm quite short, and I couldn't see much more than a fragment of the stage because there was a very smelly French guy in front of me, and tall people further on in front.

During Oogoe Diamond, I got quite emotional and tears welled up in my eyes.  I'd finally realised that THIS WAS IT!  This was what I'd waited for and watched and loved and now I was taking part!  During Sakura no Hanabiratachi I got emotional again.  Nearly took one of my friends' faces off because he made fun of me for doing the dances along with the girls!

All in all, this was one of the best two days of my life.  Morning Musume have taken a back seat in my idol love, and I intend to see the AKB48 girls a lot more - off to Japan in a month for a year's study abroad.  Studying Mii-chan and Sayaka's legs more like.

Pics to follow..maybe.

[SomethingWild]

Thanks (for your comments on my review and for writing your own)  

I was wearing a green/yellow/purple Ai Otsuka shirt with some AKB48 stickers on it. We must have met, but I have no idea what you look like. A pic would help  

Yes, I quickly gave up on the signing session as well. I'm glad I didn't waste any time trying to get in. Even though it would've been epic to meet them up close.

So you've seen Puffy too? What did you think of their concert?

Please post your pics. Just zip them up and put them on sendspace/mediafire.. let the computer do the work  

Morning who?   j/k. I'm actually thinking of selling most of my H!P collection now.. but I might regret it later.


edit: @Sh15uya, sorry i didn't get any pictures of Kanon. I really wanted to see her, but during her appearance at the Harajuku Fashion show I was at the AKB conference and I missed her concert on the 5th because we had to get to the train station. There are some cool vids of her concert on YT.

edit 2: To get an idea of the English version Bingo!

akb48 live japan expo 2009 n°09

[Blu-Cherri]

On youtube someone is uploading multiple camera angle versions of the concert.
So far the intros(the first MC), Aitakatta and 10nen sakura have been done.
It's really good everyone watch
Aitakatta AKB48 Aitakatta live in France
The rest are linked at the side, 10nen sakura was only just up today so they could keep going at the video a day pace or not.  Here's hoping

[frblckstr1]

^ That almost looks like what could go on a concert DVD 

Some of the angles look like from the camera's that where in front of the fans between them and the stage...

[sh15uya]

edit: @Sh15uya, sorry i didn't get any pictures of Kanon. I really wanted to see her, but during her appearance at the Harajuku Fashion show I was at the AKB conference and I missed her concert on the 5th because we had to get to the train station. There are some cool vids of her concert on YT.

it's ok don't worry ^^
anyway, I hope you enjoyed your trip here :3

It's really good everyone watch
Aitakatta AKB48 Aitakatta live in France
The rest are linked at the side, 10nen sakura was only just up today so they could keep going at the video a day pace or not.  Here's hoping

wow nice vids Oo' thanks for the link!

[s4tsuk1]

Here are most of my pics from the event!  I couldn't get any from day 2 as I am too short and was too far back    Still, I think I got some decent ones of the first event, although I'd turned my flash off so the images may be a bit shaky.  If any are crap because of digital zoom, I apologise!  Also, I would have taken more, but I was combination dumbstruck and trembling with joy/excitement/nerves, so these few will have to do!

My pics

Barrie-V: Me?

C'est moi.  I didn't look like that at the convention, I looked sweaty and uncomfortable, but hopefully gives you an idea.  I think I remember you, you were behind me maybe one seat to the left.  If I remember, you stuck some stickers on you at the beginning of the conference.

The Puffy concert was pretty good!  I hadn't ever really listened to them before (apart from the Hi Hi Puffy show theme song...) so I was a bit of a P.A.Y. virgin.  Still, I was suitably impressed and bought their album before leaving for the day.  I've been told that they played a mix of old and new stuff, but I thought it was all really catchy and I got into it.

[s4tsuk1]

AKB48 MC in French


TRANSLATION

Be forewarned, this isn't perfect!  Although I speak both French and Japanese (the former better than the latter), I couldn't catch all of what they said.  Crowd noise and plain old speaking too damn fast caught me up sometimes!  Still, I hope this helps all those who couldn't understand!

Sayaka:Okay!  AKB48!  We've come from Akihabara to debut in Paris! (she points to Kobayashi...)
Hana:  Hi!  I'm Hana Kobayashi, merci, ureshii, tanoshii* ????** yoroshiku onegaishimasu!  
Rie:  Hi!  I'm Rie Kitahara, please call me Rien!  Please have fun today.[
Sayaka:  Hi!  Are you having a good time!?  I'm Sayaka Akimoto, call me Sayaka!
Rino:  I'm Rino Sashihara!  One, two, three, I love Paris, you love Paris, we love Paris, yay!
Nito:  Hi!!  I'm Moeno Nito, have a good time!
Tomomi:  Hii!   I'm Tomomi Kasai, please call me Chiyuu!  I love Paris!  Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
Rena:  Hii!  Minna san, yohooi!!  Hi, thank you, I'm Rena Matsui!  Thank you!  Today is ???? (her Japanese went too fast, and I can't understand it T_T)
Minami:  Hi!  I'm Minami Minegishi, please call me Mii-chan!  Thank you, thank you!  I really like Paris, have a good time today!
Amina:  Hi!  I'm Amina Sato, yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
Aki:  Hii!  Thank you!  Ryokucha, Mugicha, oolongcha demo yappari...Akicha!^  I'm Aki Takajo, please call me Akicha, thank you, have fun!
Urano:  Hi!  Thank you, umm, I'm Urano Kazumi, call me CinDy!  One, two, three CinDy!  Thank you!  I love France!
Haruka:  Hi, I'm Haruka Kohara, call me Kireru!  Kyou wa miru power de morya arimashou! (I can't make out all of her Japanese, but I think that's right.  No idea about translation.)
Ayaka:  Hi!  I'm Ayaka Kikuchi!  Everyone okay!?  Today, I'll do my best, yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
Kayo:  Hi!  I'm Carla Brunei!  Oh, I'm so sorry!  I'm Kaya Noro!  Have fun, yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
[bgcolor=#ffff00]Asuka[/bgcolor]:  Hi!  I'm Asuka Kuramochi, call me Mocchi!!  Thank you, please have a good time with us. (Don't have to tell me twice...)
[bgcolor=#00ffff]Megumi[/bgcolor]:  Hi~!  I'm Megumi Ohori!  Call me Meshibe!  I don't get her next bit.
[bgcolor=#ffff00]Asuka[/bgcolor]:  Now, this song!  Let's go!

*Thank you, I'm happy and having fun
**I think she messed up and said je m'appelle, but it sounds sort of like "gentil".  I really don't know and I can't hear it very well in this video.
^It's a play on her nickname Akicha - "cha" in Japanese means "tea".  So, it goes "green tea, barley tea, oolong tea, but finally....Akicha"!

Phew!  So yeah, they didn't say much interesting, but I'd hate not knowing what they said anyway!

[SomethingWild]

^Loved the MC. Even though they didn't say anything interesting, it was cool to hear them speak. Lol @ Rena's Yahoooi! and Miicha is so loud  

Ah yes, I think I've seen you. Too bad we didn't know at the time, we could've talked a bit.

Thanks for sharing the pics!  

Puffy was pretty cool indeed. I got their new album before the expo and I think they performed at least 4 tracks of it; the first three and dokidoki. The show theme rocked the house.

If I remember, you stuck some stickers on you at the beginning of the conference.

lol, yeah. We were having a discussion where to put them. I didn't want to them to ruin the print on the shirt. Throughout the conference I was telling my friend who to take pictures of 

[daigong]

GJ Barrie! Blu! s4tsuk1!!


FUCKING EVERYWHERE WE GO.
Veni, vidi, vici

[SomethingWild]

Thanks Dai! We had an EPIC time. From what I've read and seen so far you guys had a blast as well!  

Be sure to read the full re-cap with pictures if you have the time   (if you haven't done so already  ) --> http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=19319.msg581970#msg581970

Btw, there are rumors of an AKB48 show in NY in September '09. It would be amazing if we all could make it there as well.  (not sure if there the peepz who were in LA are actually AKB48 fans though, probably not  )

[SomethingWild]

Rina:  Hi!!  I'm Moeno Rina, have a good time!

Nito! her name is Nito!!  

Call me Merci-Me!

That would be "Meshibe," the name she used for her solo project. No idea what she said afterward either.

Thanks for the rest of the transciption!

[Blu-Cherri]

For anyone that didn't go, that's the MC from the second concert, the first one was slightly different.
They didn't introduce nicknames except for CinDy I don't think...also Nontii said a different name, Sophie someone and indicated for everyone to boo her.  It's why the booing on saturday started so quickly and loudly.

edit: For Megumi I'm pretty sure she translates what 'meshibe' means as she mentions something about flowers.

[s4tsuk1]

Ahah, cheers guys, sorry for mistakes.  I'm not that knowledgeable on the members of AKB48, but after the JE experience, I daresay I'll force myself into starting the "who's who" all over again.  _Insert nightmares of learning past/present MoMusu and H!P members here_

[Blu-Cherri]

^I still don't know everyone >____<
I'm still not sure exactly who noticed me in the concert, I think it was Rie but she looks a lot like Rino(I think, unless I've totally messed up)

[Sayange]

edit: For Megumi I'm pretty sure she translates what 'meshibe' means as she mentions something about flowers.

Meshibe is "pistil" 

[Blu-Cherri]

^Ah thanks I couldn't remember which flower part it was >_<

[SomethingWild]

Found another good quality vid: part of Namida Surprise and Glass no I love you:

akb48 japan expo 2009 hd extrait

I'm pretty sure this is from the first concert.