AKB48 and "The Call of the Wota" (edit)

**edit**  Originally this was a track-by-track review, but I thought it was overlong, so I pared it down**

It feels like Christmas time around the CK household...

No, I don't mean I still need to take down the lights and the tree.  It's as if I "feel" like a kid at Christmas, and the postman is my personal Kris Kringle.  A new J-pop product has been in my mailbox just about every day this week.  Hmmmm, every day?  Maybe it's more like Hanukkah, Oy Gevalt!!!

Two CD singles from The Possible ~ I've already reviewed them here

Two H!P Concert DVD's ~  Summer 2002 and Summer 2004.  The Kago/Tsuji graduation is an amazing concert, for so many reasons.

Two Ayaya Concert DVD's ~ Spring 2005 and Autumn 2007.  I was so impressed with her latest concert.  It was far better than I expected.

I ordered most of these almost a month ago, so the wait was excruciating, but worth it.  I am highly satisfied with these purchases, and look forward to writing more about them in the coming week.  And I got one more...

AKB48 Team A

Team A 4th Stage - Tadaima Renaichuu

I have always wanted to get an AKB48 DVD, but could never figure out which one.  Team A is my favorite AKB48 unit, but I also like many of the girls in Team K as well.  I've considered getting "First Concert Aitakatta", but never pulled the trigger.  The reason I chose this was made easy after reading the great review of it posted by Aitakatta!  After reading part 1, I immediately bought this DVD.  It has also occurred to me that I have never really posted anything about my experience seeing AKB48 in person.  There are a few reasons for this.  I had just arrived in Japan when I saw them.  It was my first time ever in an Asian country.  The language, culture shock, jetlag, and concert experience itself were so overwhelming.  I felt as if I really couldn't give a well-detailed impression.  This won't be a total track-by-track review, but the beginning of the show was the best part of the entire DVD... 

Tedama Renaichuu ~  One neat thing I immediately noticed is how many songs AKB48 has in their arsenal that we rarely get to hear.  Without experienceing the "Stage" material we only get to hear the singles, and the "Set List" CD is mainly a compilation of those singles.  This is the first time I've heard this song, and I like it alot.  The "Oh Oh Oh" part is very Brazilian, straight out of Carnaval.  There are no big solo lines here, but Minami M. keeps catching my eye.  She looks like she's having a great time!

Kuma no Nuigurumi ~  Is this in the AKB48 Theater?  That place is absolutely TINY!!!  Shibuya AX, where I saw them, was much larger by comparison.  Another great thing about the "Stage" DVD is getting to see lesser utilized members.  Ohe Tomomi is far and away my favorite member, as she is almost never seen in any PV.  She looks absolutely adorable here.  This is a very cute "Doo-Wop" song.  I'm not sold on the polka-dot skirts.  Some of them look cute, but the one's that go up to their chests make the girls look chubby.  The stand-out performance goes to the Teddy Bear that they tossed around.

Cute Ohe Tomomi

Only Today ~  Three songs I've never heard before, and I love each one!  Apparently one of the Wota agree (more on this guy later)  Minami M. is catching my attention again.  I've always thought she was sorta strange looking, but I am quickly changing my opinion.  Mariko's singing and Kayano's cheerful dancing also stand out.  This is great!  I am finally going to learn all of their names!

The next five songs split the team into smaller groups.  This is nice because we really get a chance to see each member up close.  The first two songs were very pretty ballads.  I epecially liked that Ohe got an early solo line, even though Atsuko dominated the first song.  Oshima Mai looks alot like Erika Umeda, only much cuter.  But I really love Hoshino.  Haru ga Kuru Made sounds like it's from the Burt Bacharach collection!  I really liked it.  And then along came...

Junai no Crescendo ~  Pretty strong grouping of the Minami's and Haruna.  Sexy outfits.  Now about "that guy"...

There is one particular Wota in the audience who is screaming throughout the entire performance.  And he is especially vocal here.  I mean this dude sounds like he is being disemboweled in the theater.  Is this really appropriate?  There has been alot of talk on the posts about the role of the Wota in the J-pop phenomenon.  Santos blogs about it often on his site.  Broomhead just did a post about it.  Whenever I read these articles, I always say that "I am not Japanese, so maybe I just don't understand the culture" ...

You know what?  The hell with that!  This guy is an idiot!!!  If someone acted like that at a concert in the US, they would drag him out of the arena strapped to a stretcher and take him straight to Bellevue!  And America is the biggest collective champion of idiocy on the planet.  This a$$hole isn't even listening to the show, he is just screaming like a moron.  But alas, it is a scene I remember all too well... 

Just getting into Shibuya AX was an ordeal, as we had to line up in groups.  I first had to figure out which group I was in.  Then they literally call you to the gate by number, ONE AT A TIME!  I am glad I had brushed up on my Japanese counting (I was #240)  When I got in it was literally a "free for all" for spots.  I didn't want to get crushed so I stayed to the side near the exit.  Even before the show, you could see these guys "getting ready" to go crazy.  It was like being in the Greasers' clubhouse in "The Outsiders" before the big rumble with the Soc's.  Once the show started, it was like being inside an insane asylum.  There were quite a few young schoolgirls in the crowd, and looks of "sheer terror" on their faces were pronounced.  It is no wonder dickheads like this give the whole J-pop scene a bad name.  This is not a good example of Japanese culture, it is "Jackass" culture.

Other than that, this was a nice performance, very cool song.

I didn't like Faint or Kikyou much at all.  I've always liked Rinatin, there is something so sweet about her disposition.  But frankly she hasn't stood out to me in this show.  As a performer, I much prefer Mariko here.  She has a certain allure to her, while Rina just relies on being cute.

The rest of the show was a good mix of "Stage" songs and singles, and what I thought were great outfits one after another.  First we had the schoolgirl outfits we all know and love.  Then cute, casual and summery, which might be my favorite type of outfit they wear.  They wore them here on BINGO!, one of my favorites.  BTW, Kayano seems like she was the best dancer in Team A, which isn't a huge accomplishment...

Another song I really liked near the end was  Love Chase.  BTW, Would someone tell that guy to shut up already!!!  This is the biggest "rock" song of the night.  Lets see who the headbangers are...Rinatin?  Finally that girl woke up!  Little Kayano, I figured that.  And again, the Minamis.  I just noticed that I have hardly mentioned Atsuko Maeda at all in this review.  Even with all of times she is pushed to the front, she seems kind of boring.

 It's settled, Takahashi and Minegishi are the two best performers in Team A .

They end the night with Nante Suteki na Sekai ni Umareta no Darou.  An AKB48 lullaby sung in their cute little Nightgowns...super-kawaii!!!  And a few of them get teary-eyed as this is the "farewell" performance for Hoshino Michiru.  This is a very sweet "end" of the set.  The Encore is Hoshino soloing on Ganbare! while the rest of the team look on.

You know what, I had alot of fun watching this.  It made me want to see more "Stages", as there is so much more to learn about AKB48.  This show made me a fan of members I never noticed as much before.  Of course I loved getting the chance to see Ohe perform.  I think she'll always be my favorite.

Something that came up for me in this performance was my personal debate of whether or not I am a Wota.  Sure, I have Wota tendencies.  The maniacal collecting of merchandise, the overwhelming desire to see the concerts, and of course I'm blogging about it.  But if this jerkoff who almost ruined the DVD in an example of Wotaism at it's best, I am happy to say I have at least not crossed that threshold...yet!

It is okay to be a fan...but you don't have to be a DICK about it!

CK in California