By: Brian Mah
Many of the audience members shouted “Encore! A-K-B-48! Encore!” The members finally arrived on stage wearing “I love NY” shirts on stage. The crowd loved the shirts and began to cheer. They sang two Encore songs, “Ju Nen (10 years) Sakura” and “Oge Diamond.” These were very well known among the hardcore supporters. The group left the stage and had a second Encore. This was much to the jubilation of their dedicated fans.
After the concert, many of the Japanese and NYAF press converged to the front of the hall. The group appeared and they took pictures of the group. AKB48 then turned to their fans where they waved. They then boarded their big white bus.
The concert was a once in a lifetime opportunity for AKB48 to venture outside Japan to meet their international fans. Maybe AKB48 will travel to other US cities and meet their ever-growing fan base.
Many sincere thanks to the people behind NYT for organizing this fantastic concert for the dedicated fans of AKB48. NYAF also did a fantastic job having an anime convention in the NYC area for 6 years. Afterwards NYAF will merge with NY Comic Con later in the year.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
AKB48 in NYC (Part 3)
By: Brian Mah
After the introductions the group broke up in the separate units. Each set up varied between each group. There was the tropical wearing group singing “Cherry Boy.” They all danced together during the catchy dance song.
Various veteran members, lead by Sayaka Akimoto, wore leather short-skirts and other heavy metal accessories during the performance of the song "Blue rose." The mature sultry dancing and hard-core singing had a positive reaction with their followers. Incidentally, NYC is still a place where hard rock musicians like Blondie and Pat Benitar are still respected.
In contrast to the leather clad team K was a team dressing in animal clothes and dancing to the song, "Ame no Doubutsuen," much to the delight of their supporters. The next set had some other members dressing up as robotic ballerinas. No doubt the mixing of robots and idols has long been a staple in many anime series, such as Macross Plus' Sharon Apple to the newest virtual idol, Miku Hatsune.
The group then re-organized wearing black and white dresses. They asked all of the audience members to get out the red scarf they got before the event. When the group sang some of their most popular songs, such as Sakura Hanabi Okachi, they waved together with the group. At the end the group said, “We wish to come to NYC again,” which drew a huge response from the audience. The group left the stage. The crowd began to chant.
After the introductions the group broke up in the separate units. Each set up varied between each group. There was the tropical wearing group singing “Cherry Boy.” They all danced together during the catchy dance song.
Various veteran members, lead by Sayaka Akimoto, wore leather short-skirts and other heavy metal accessories during the performance of the song "Blue rose." The mature sultry dancing and hard-core singing had a positive reaction with their followers. Incidentally, NYC is still a place where hard rock musicians like Blondie and Pat Benitar are still respected.
In contrast to the leather clad team K was a team dressing in animal clothes and dancing to the song, "Ame no Doubutsuen," much to the delight of their supporters. The next set had some other members dressing up as robotic ballerinas. No doubt the mixing of robots and idols has long been a staple in many anime series, such as Macross Plus' Sharon Apple to the newest virtual idol, Miku Hatsune.
The group then re-organized wearing black and white dresses. They asked all of the audience members to get out the red scarf they got before the event. When the group sang some of their most popular songs, such as Sakura Hanabi Okachi, they waved together with the group. At the end the group said, “We wish to come to NYC again,” which drew a huge response from the audience. The group left the stage. The crowd began to chant.
AKB48 in NYC (Part 2)
By: Brian Mah
In the concert the audience was a mix of age groups and genders. The audience was enthusiastic and grateful that AKB48 had their first US concert in NYC. The audience was allowed to enter the concert area at about 5pm. The VIP guests were escorted to the upper level, while the general audiences were in the lower level in the pit.
They were cheering and had a lot of energy during the start of the concert. The concert started a little later than planned, but that didn’t bother them. Many of who were waiting patiently to view their favorite group.
The dancers and singers arrived on stage with the loud vocal approval of their admirers. The first number was the song, " Aitakatta!" The first costume change for the group had the members dressed up in Scottish-type school uniforms. The group sang and danced in unison like they would in their Akiba show.
They sang their most popular songs, "I love you baby" and their rendition of "Happy Birthday." Each set drew louder and louder cheers. In the end of the second song, each member introduced themselves in their best English. The youngest member, Misaki “Wasami” Iwasa (14), Research Student, said,” I will put all of my energy in the concert.” That drew a loud roar from the crowd. One of the veteran members, Sayaka Akimoto (21), team K, said to the crowd, “I will do my best. Enjoy the show!” She also said the mission of AKB48 in English, which is “Idols you can meet everyday around.” Many other members were in awe of coming to NYC. “NY is very exciting,” sums up the words from another team K member, Sae Miyazawa (19). Tomomi "Tomochi" Nakatsuka, team B, admired the NYC skyline. “I love beautiful night in NY,” she said in English. One of the more humorous moments in the introductions came from Reina Fujie (15). She said, “I am very surprised with how big the drinks are.” That drew a few snickers from the older audience member. She was probably referring to the huge size of soft drinks are in the US compared with the size of soft drinks in Japan.
In the concert the audience was a mix of age groups and genders. The audience was enthusiastic and grateful that AKB48 had their first US concert in NYC. The audience was allowed to enter the concert area at about 5pm. The VIP guests were escorted to the upper level, while the general audiences were in the lower level in the pit.
They were cheering and had a lot of energy during the start of the concert. The concert started a little later than planned, but that didn’t bother them. Many of who were waiting patiently to view their favorite group.
The dancers and singers arrived on stage with the loud vocal approval of their admirers. The first number was the song, " Aitakatta!" The first costume change for the group had the members dressed up in Scottish-type school uniforms. The group sang and danced in unison like they would in their Akiba show.
They sang their most popular songs, "I love you baby" and their rendition of "Happy Birthday." Each set drew louder and louder cheers. In the end of the second song, each member introduced themselves in their best English. The youngest member, Misaki “Wasami” Iwasa (14), Research Student, said,” I will put all of my energy in the concert.” That drew a loud roar from the crowd. One of the veteran members, Sayaka Akimoto (21), team K, said to the crowd, “I will do my best. Enjoy the show!” She also said the mission of AKB48 in English, which is “Idols you can meet everyday around.” Many other members were in awe of coming to NYC. “NY is very exciting,” sums up the words from another team K member, Sae Miyazawa (19). Tomomi "Tomochi" Nakatsuka, team B, admired the NYC skyline. “I love beautiful night in NY,” she said in English. One of the more humorous moments in the introductions came from Reina Fujie (15). She said, “I am very surprised with how big the drinks are.” That drew a few snickers from the older audience member. She was probably referring to the huge size of soft drinks are in the US compared with the size of soft drinks in Japan.
AKB48 in NYC (Part 1)
By: Brian Mah
(Outside the famed Webster Hall in Lower Manhattan, NYC)
On Sunday, September 27th was the American debut of the hit Japanese Idol group known as AKB48, which was sponsored by the Japanese satellite company, Sky PerfecTV. AKB48 had a private concert located in NYC’s famous Webster Hall, where many noted musicians played. New York Anime Festival VIP and New York Tokyo guests attended the exclusive concert. The concert had over 500 fans from the New York metro area, other locations in the US, and fans from Japan. Many fans waited for several hours before the doors open at 4 pm. Several members of teams A, B, K, and Students got the opportunity to travel to NYC.
AKB48's home theater base is located on the 8th floor at Akihabara’s Don Quijote building. AKB48 always draws large numbers of fans. To buy tickets for their Japanese concert, the tickets have to be made in advance through the troop’s web site.
In addition to the fans, there were a number of Japanese press people. A number of the well know TV stations in Japan, such as MTV and NHK, were on hand to film the concert. In addition to Japanese press, there was also a reporter from South America. A few South American countries, such as Argentina, have a large dedicated fan. Several small US press agencies, such as Project Nippon, were on hand to record the concert.
(Outside the famed Webster Hall in Lower Manhattan, NYC)On Sunday, September 27th was the American debut of the hit Japanese Idol group known as AKB48, which was sponsored by the Japanese satellite company, Sky PerfecTV. AKB48 had a private concert located in NYC’s famous Webster Hall, where many noted musicians played. New York Anime Festival VIP and New York Tokyo guests attended the exclusive concert. The concert had over 500 fans from the New York metro area, other locations in the US, and fans from Japan. Many fans waited for several hours before the doors open at 4 pm. Several members of teams A, B, K, and Students got the opportunity to travel to NYC.
AKB48's home theater base is located on the 8th floor at Akihabara’s Don Quijote building. AKB48 always draws large numbers of fans. To buy tickets for their Japanese concert, the tickets have to be made in advance through the troop’s web site.
In addition to the fans, there were a number of Japanese press people. A number of the well know TV stations in Japan, such as MTV and NHK, were on hand to film the concert. In addition to Japanese press, there was also a reporter from South America. A few South American countries, such as Argentina, have a large dedicated fan. Several small US press agencies, such as Project Nippon, were on hand to record the concert.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Mandarake (Part 5)
By: Brian Mah
(Note: All photos were taken with permission of MANDARAKE INC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.)
(The Mandarake store in Akihabara.)
When asked where Mandarake will be in 5 years, Mr. Naotsugu predicts that there will be a lot more stores around Japan. He also thinks that the Nakano store will not move to another location, but rather expand to other shops in the shopping mall. Mandarake is very loyal to the Nakano area.
With stores in almost every region of Japan, there appears no slowing down for this humble bookstore. Mandarake has come a long way from its simple beginnings to being one of the most well known stores in Japan today.
(Note: All photos were taken with permission of MANDARAKE INC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.)
(The Mandarake store in Akihabara.)
When asked where Mandarake will be in 5 years, Mr. Naotsugu predicts that there will be a lot more stores around Japan. He also thinks that the Nakano store will not move to another location, but rather expand to other shops in the shopping mall. Mandarake is very loyal to the Nakano area.
With stores in almost every region of Japan, there appears no slowing down for this humble bookstore. Mandarake has come a long way from its simple beginnings to being one of the most well known stores in Japan today.
Mandarake (Part 4)
By: Brian Mah
(Note: All photos were taken with permission of MANDARAKE INC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.)
(Various cosplay dresses at the Nakano store)
Along with anime and manga, there are shops devoted to video games. Many of the Mandarake stores are stocked with old Famicom, Super Famicom, Neo Geo, and Sega Genesis game consoles. There are rows upon rows of old game cartridges. Tucked away inside a private area in the video game store in Nakano was a shelf of gold plated game cartridges.
These game cartridges are in fact, according to Mr. Naotsugu, "game trophies." Game trophies were awarded to the lucky gamer who got a high score when they participated in a video game competition. When asked if these gold plated games can be played on a video game console, Mr. Naotsugu chuckled, "Yes these can be played, but only a little bit."
In addition to the video game consoles, there are various types of watch battery operated video games. Most commonly called "Game and Watch." Throughout the early 1980's Nintendo created these tiny game systems. They were the predecessors of the Nintendo DS. Now these systems are valued over 10,000 Yen (US$ 100). One game, "Ball," is valued at 26,250 Yen (US$ 260).
(Note: All photos were taken with permission of MANDARAKE INC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.)
(Various cosplay dresses at the Nakano store)Along with anime and manga, there are shops devoted to video games. Many of the Mandarake stores are stocked with old Famicom, Super Famicom, Neo Geo, and Sega Genesis game consoles. There are rows upon rows of old game cartridges. Tucked away inside a private area in the video game store in Nakano was a shelf of gold plated game cartridges.
These game cartridges are in fact, according to Mr. Naotsugu, "game trophies." Game trophies were awarded to the lucky gamer who got a high score when they participated in a video game competition. When asked if these gold plated games can be played on a video game console, Mr. Naotsugu chuckled, "Yes these can be played, but only a little bit."
In addition to the video game consoles, there are various types of watch battery operated video games. Most commonly called "Game and Watch." Throughout the early 1980's Nintendo created these tiny game systems. They were the predecessors of the Nintendo DS. Now these systems are valued over 10,000 Yen (US$ 100). One game, "Ball," is valued at 26,250 Yen (US$ 260).
Mandarake (Part 3)
By: Brian Mah
(Note: All photos were taken with permission of MANDARAKE INC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.)
(Vintage mech figures at the Akiba Store.)
The more popular items are in the front of each shop, while the not so popular shows are stored in the back. When asked what is the number one selling item among foreign fans. Mr. Naotsugu states, "Whatever was shown in their home country." He goes on to say that the French are fans of the anime series Saint Seiya. For many North American fans, the Transformers are still very popular.
Japanese fans have many different tastes like their counterparts in other countries. One series that stands out for many fans is the series Kinnikuman. Kinnikuman was a show that involves wrestlers with weird special abilities. The series was very popular among fans. The items that made Kinnikuman so popular were the Gachopon Keshigomu. These were essentially 100 Yen toys that came out of vending machines. Gachapon is the sound a capsule makes after it hits the metal tray. The most valuable Kinnikuman at the Nakano store is the figure Satan Kurosu. The value of that item is 105,000 Yen (US$ 1,000). Last year Kinnikuman celebrated it's 29th anniversary. The number 29 can be read in Japanese as "Ni-Ku." That year there was a DVD box set of the entire series of toys, which retailed for 100,000 Yen (US$ 1,000). The same used box set was valued at 10,000 Yen (US$ 100).
(Note: All photos were taken with permission of MANDARAKE INC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.)
(Vintage mech figures at the Akiba Store.)The more popular items are in the front of each shop, while the not so popular shows are stored in the back. When asked what is the number one selling item among foreign fans. Mr. Naotsugu states, "Whatever was shown in their home country." He goes on to say that the French are fans of the anime series Saint Seiya. For many North American fans, the Transformers are still very popular.
Japanese fans have many different tastes like their counterparts in other countries. One series that stands out for many fans is the series Kinnikuman. Kinnikuman was a show that involves wrestlers with weird special abilities. The series was very popular among fans. The items that made Kinnikuman so popular were the Gachopon Keshigomu. These were essentially 100 Yen toys that came out of vending machines. Gachapon is the sound a capsule makes after it hits the metal tray. The most valuable Kinnikuman at the Nakano store is the figure Satan Kurosu. The value of that item is 105,000 Yen (US$ 1,000). Last year Kinnikuman celebrated it's 29th anniversary. The number 29 can be read in Japanese as "Ni-Ku." That year there was a DVD box set of the entire series of toys, which retailed for 100,000 Yen (US$ 1,000). The same used box set was valued at 10,000 Yen (US$ 100).
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