I apologise for the delay of this post as I've been busy travelling around Taipei these couple of days. Anyway, here's my report of Day 2's performance! Once again, feel free to use my photos but please link back to this post
Day 2 (13 April 2013) - AKB48 1-hour PerformanceFirst and foremost, the setlist was wonderful as it was entirely made up of fan favourites and catchy singles. We were treated to new songs such as So Long!, First Rabbit, and Tenohira ga Kataru Koto. Heavy Rotation was the theme song for the event so it was a given that they would kick things off with that. Surprisingly though, Kawaei Rina took center position for the song. I wasn’t expecting her but then again, among these 16 members, who was I expecting? I wasn’t sure too
It had been a long time coming – not just the hours of queuing and waiting but it had been about a year since AKB48 last performed in Singapore. The moment the overture started, you could feel the explosive energy as fans shouted the mix with great gusto. Who cared if we were squashed like sardines in a can? We wanted the girls to hear and feel us and we succeeded. The rousing reception gave more strength and confidence to the girls because man, I was blown away throughout the entire hour-long performance. I had attended several of the stage performances at *SCAPE back in 2011/2012 and trust me when I say the energy was on an entirely different level this time. The girls danced song after song with the most brilliant smiles ever while the fans sang along and shouted the mixes and calls earnestly. Never once did I stop despite the fact that I was still recovering from a cough and dry throat. It was high tension all the way! And boy, who would’ve thought they could squeeze 11 songs into an hour? I think most of us were expecting just eight at most.
From this live, it was evident that the management is pushing the newer gen members even in overseas appearances. Ricchan was center for many of the songs despite the presence of more senior members in the lineup. She did a pretty decent job but I thought her moves could’ve been sharper. Sayaka was center for Tenohira ga Kataru Koto. She might be known as the gorilla or the one with the abs but her moves were graceful and suited the soothing and sombre mood of the song. And it was obvious the fans really love her. During her self-introduction, we broke into a powerful chant of her name. We were not going to let her graduate without knowing how much we appreciate her. The best thing was, the name chant happened again (twice, I think) later on when the girls were thanking the fans. I could tell that she was really touched by our support.
And before I forget - the encore. After Tenohira ga Kataru Koto which was supposed to be the last song, the girls left the stage and almost immediately, the fans broke into shouts for encore. We wanted more and wouldn’t be satisfied if everything ended right there. When the emcees didn’t appear on stage to announce the end of the event, I knew the possibility of having an encore was high as long as we didn’t give up. It was a pretty long and tense wait but we persisted with our cheers and just kept yelling. Finally…
One, two. One, two, three, four!Our prayers were answered when the girls reappeared on the stage with mic stands in hand. It was Heavy Rotation again and everyone went wild!
Great job, fans in Singapore! We earned the encore. I have a hunch that if we didn’t persevere with our encore calls, the management might not have let the girls back on. Anyway, the girls were very grateful for the enthusiastic response and I’m positive we left a very good impression on them. Let’s hope that after this passionate reception, the girls will be back to our sunny island soon!
An Eye-opening ExperienceAfter the two-day event, I realised how much I have grown to appreciate the girls after a long time of not seeing them. I didn’t care if the lineup did not include a single senbatsu member; I just wanted to watch them perform and be immersed in the electric atmosphere again. Maybe it was because I attended this live with a more open mind or the girls simply put up such a fantastic show, I found myself falling in love with the group all over again. In the past, I always focused on the members that I was more familiar with, e.g., Sayaka and never truly bothered about the ex-Team 4 members such as Shimada Haruka and Tano Yuka. However, they caught my attention with the effort they put into every single dance move and their interactions with the fans. Now, I see their potential to carry on the spirit of AKB48.
Give the new generation some more time and the future will be in good hands, I'm sure.
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More photos of the members during Sunday's meet and greet session and MC segment:
Topic: [2013.04.12-13] AKB48 at Tokyo Auto Salon, Singapore (Read 8082 times)