meimichi: (arashi + kitto gonin de iru darou)
[personal profile] meimichi
The finale.



+ Same setlist,except for the final encore.

+ No DVD taping. Guess they're saving it for Kokuritsu. I can deal with this as long as they keep the solos for Kokuritsu, as I want Gimmick Game and Hip Pop Boogie on DVD like burning.

+ Sapporo Dome is SO SMALL compared to Osaka and Tokyo! I was so shocked!! *_* I left my homemade uchiwa at home because I thought there was no point in risking it getting bent on the plane trip when I was sitting in the 39th row in the stands anyway, but it was still so close, I should have brought it!!

+ Jun fiiiiinally did his "shiawase ni shite yaru yo!" greeting this time. <333333333333333 That was my first time hearing it live, I am aware how lame I am for being so happy at that, but whatever.

+ Audience seemed amazing in general, about on par with Tokyo's second day. But I was the very last row in the first tier of the stands, and nobody in my row was dancing and looking very bored on the whole, sitting down constantly, with the girl next to me totally laughing at me. The girls in front of me were perky enough that it didn't really get me down though, and anyway I'd gotten on a freaking plane for this so like hell I wasn't gonna scream my lungs out and dance like crazy. The bored-looking people left their trash all over the row, so I picked it up on my way out. Sigh. But really, the audience was absolutely amazing aside from my row.

+ I don't know what Jun has done to his hair, but it makes me sad.

+ I had a lot of trouble hearing the MC this time, this is the worst it's ever been for me. The sound quality just wasn't great where I was and they kept talking on top of each other. ><

+ They were talking about how Aiba still was having issues with the choreography, and Matsujun had been drilling him ten minutes before the show. Matsujun was like, AND HE STILL CAN'T GET IT RIGHT, and to shut him up Aiba air-kissed him. Jun was like, THAT BRINGS ME NO JOY WHATSOEVER, and then Aiba did it again. XD

+ As soon as Aiba did that, all eyes went to Ohmiya in expectation, who gazed silently at each other, and then said, "We'll do it later. <3"

+ Ohno remarked that the first shows are always tough because they don't quite have the choreography down at the beginning. So they were having trouble at Osaka. But because of Sho's injury, everyone really brought their A-game to the table, and at Nagoya they were all able to dance their own parts absolutely perfectly to make up for Sho's injury. Aiba said, "Sho-chan, see, your injury wasn't in vain!! It had a purpose!!!"

+ Sho said, "I don't want to turn this into a hanseikai, but I have some serious issues with my parade costume." Remember the hilarity of the Time MC where he messes around with that stupid feathered jacket? IT WAS LIKE THAT BUT MORE AWESOME. I'd never realized how awful Sho's costume was, because frankly I've been too busy gaping at Nino's fug. But Sho has this ridiculous plastic-looking pink-and-yellow coat that has one of those upturned vampire-style collars. He looked like a neon Count Chocula.

He put it on and demonstrated that if the collar flips up into full vampire-mode, his entire line of vision is blocked and he can't see the audience to wave to them. But besides that, he said, IT DOESN'T SUIT ME AT ALL. He went to take it off, and the audience screamed for him to keep it on. He looked sort of baffled at the reaction, and then was like, "...okay, so I'll keep it on!"

He did, but kept bitching that Matsujun got to look all cool in his costume and he was stuck with this stupid thing (ONE: Jun does not look cool even a little bit in shocking pink feathers, and TWO: they all seem to be missing the issue that at least they are not stuck with Nino's outfit).

Nino insisted the coat wasn't so bad on its own, it was just that Sho couldn't pull it off. They made Sho take it off, and had Aiba put it on. Aiba put it on, then turned around posing cutely, and somehow the stupid collar looked absolutely adorable on him. The audience screamed bloody murder at the difference. So then they made Sho put it back on and do his own cute pose, and everyone in the audience burst out laughing at how lame he looked. Sho looked totally wounded.

Nino asked, "Who do you think it suits more?"

Everyone screamed, "AIBA-CHAN!"

"Who thinks it suits Sho-san?"

"*crickets chirp*"

Sho looked totally betrayed after the reception he'd gotten before with the demands for him to keep wearing it, and so took it off and threw it backstage. Poor Sho. XD

+ Sho will be doing Zero from Sapporo tomorrow night, apparently commenting on the summit? Jun said, "It's amazing that we have someone doing that in the same group as us..." to Aiba, and then added mock-generously to Aiba, well, of course, we also have you with your animals. Aiba was like, DO NOT KNOCK THE ANIMALS, ANIMALS ARE HARD TO DEAL WITH, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOOOOW.

+ They spoke a bit about 24 Jikan Terebi. Sho asked if Aiba would write a letter again this year, and Aiba said he wasn't sure, and anyway, last time it took him days to write the last one. Aiba said he wasn't sure he wanted to do it again anyway, because he felt badly that he'd cried so hard last time he wasn't able to sing "Hero." Jun objected to that, saying he'd found the fact Aiba couldn't even sing to be really touching, and he smiled and said that Aiba's letter had really gotten to him. It was a really, really nice moment.

+ Ohmiya SK was REALLY short and Nino was being a total brat by REFUSING TO SET OFF THE CANNON ALTOGETHER when Ohno signaled for it. He said, "It's funnier if it doesn't go off!" and made Ohno do increasingly ridiculous poses until setting it off finally when Ohno was still in mid-jump from his last ridiculous pose, and then Nino was rolling around on the floor laughing his ass off.

No kissing. They didn't even do anything past the cannon act, and Nino said they were done and the audience screamed, "EEEEHHHHHHHH!" and he yelled, "Do you want to see us keep going, or do you want to hear more songs from Arashi-san! You can't have both!" They ran offstage, and we were still screaming, "EHHHHHHHH!!!" as the other three came back. I think they could have placated the audience with an act that short if they'd finished it off with Final Love. ;P

+ Hana Yori Dango: Jun talked about the private jet tour next weekend. Sho asked, "Will you be appearing during the tour as Matsumoto Jun, or as Doumyouji?"

"I'll be Matsumoto Jun."

"The whole time? You won't be Doumyouji even for part of it?"

"I'll be Matsumoto Jun the whole time."

"You won't be Doumyouji even a little bit? I mean, it's okay if you're not, because Doumyouji is scary."

"No. Doumyouji... The Hanadan special, that was the very last time for him to ever appear." (It hasn't totally sunk in 100% to me that Hanadan is really, truly over forever, but him saying this made it sink in a lot more.)

+ Jun treated the audience to his Maou impression. I DIED. YOU ARE SUCH A DORK, JUN. Sho was like, "So, Matsujun, you watched the first episode?" and Jun went, "Yup..." and struck the Maou pose and did the face: "MATTERO...HIDEO...!"

Everyone was like, "..."

Sho went, "And what part left the greatest impression on you?"

"Dakara." Pose. Face. "MATTERO...HIDEO...!" (DORK.) Then he went back to normal and said they need to just watch it for themselves. XD

+ There were a few messups tonight... I think both Sho and Jun (maybe just Sho?) totally fucked up the Fight Song lyrics. Sho still would not spin, and they made him apologize to everyone at the end. XD I feel like there was another point of serious fail, but I can't remember where or who.

+ At the end of "Green," they showed the logo for the G8 summit on the screen. Nice touch.

+ Hip Pop Boogie... Seemed really mixed-up? Like I remember when he was injured at Osaka, he just stood on the stage without dancing. But in Tokyo, he danced on the moving stage the whole time. This time, he stood on the stage and then danced a bit at the very end once he got down to the juniors. I couldn't really figure out why, it was much better and more smooth at Tokyo...

+ Hello Goodbye furi: I FINALLY GOT IT DOWN. \o/ I still can't say enough about how cute that dance is.

+ Naked: I was more impressed with this the second night of Tokyo, too. After I said he'd cut down significantly on the spazziness, he...went right back to being a spaz. T-T

+ Aiba was really close to breaking down during "YOUR SONG" at his solo, but managed to keep it together enough to keep singing. "YOUR SONG" was just as incredible as the second night of Tokyo. I really hope they keep this song in rotation for future tours.

+ Ohno and Sho continued to do their cute exit at every encore. The last one, they leaned in as if to kiss, and then dashed offstage. XD

+ EVERYONE went into the crowd at the end!! Sho was also dancing like a complete and utter dork during "Do my best," totally making a show out of shaking his ass. It was excellent.

+ I was surprised they didn't do more for the final encores, especially since Ohmiya SK got cut down so much: I was hoping for either "truth" or "How to fly."

But.

It didn't really matter.

Because...

After they finished with "Pikanchi Double," we kept calling, and they came back out.

Jun thanked the audience, saying, "We've gotten so much power from seeing you. And I hope that you've gotten power from seeing us, and that you're able to keep doing your best until the day we meet each other again. But this is where we end it for today."

The audience screamed, "EHHHHHH!" indignantly, and Jun made a show of looking all affronted.

Nino laughed at Jun, and said, "Apparently, your thank you was not good enough for them."

So Jun thanked the audience yet again, saying again how truly grateful he was to everyone, but that it was over. The audience still called out in protest: people near me were screaming, "SING IT, PLEASE SING IT!"

Nino said, "I think words aren't enough in this case. We need to do something for them to show them how we feel, right?"

Jun agreed, and said, "Okay, then: one more song. The very last song of Dream-A-Live...hit it!"

Of course, there was only one song it could be.

The music started, and Sho was absolutely screaming the rap right away: "TAKE A SOUL SOUL!"

The audience exploded. I couldn't even hear Arashi singing near the start, that is how loud it was. The two girls in front of me burst into huge grins, and hugged each other tight in total glee as the song began.

I can't really explain it. The whole Dome was just this screaming mass of penlights going absolutely crazy, singing along as loud as their lungs would allow, still unbelievably loud even as it wound down to the very end...

"You are my soul soul, itsumo sugu soba ni aru..."
"Yuzurenai yo, daremo jama dekinai!"
"Karadajuu ni kaze wo atsumete..."
"Makiokose! A-RA-SHI! A-RA-SHI...!"
"For dream..."


It was absolutely amazing and perfect and I think just about everyone there was crying because you couldn't not.

From there, they walked off the back stage and out the back door, waving goodbye to everyone. Jun waved, making a bit of a show of looking lonely, and said, "Please come meet us again? Please?" as Nino was being a dork right behind him, trying to get in the way and strike poses as Jun was talking. And then they all walked out, calling for us to come see them in September.

And on their way out, they did the "L" sign from the Hanadan special to us, and all of the audience did it back to them.

I got on a plane to come see this because I hoped it would end this way, and I hoped it would be this perfect, and it was all worth it and everything I hoped it would be. Perfect.

I'm completely exhausted and need to sleep so I can get up to catch my plane tomorrow, but how am I supposed to sleep after all that?!

Date: 2008-07-06 03:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] goldengutgirl.livejournal.com
I'M NOT EVEN HALF OMG BUT THIS FILLS ME WITH SO MUCH GLEE AND LIKE OMG I AM DREADING THE PART WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT A.RA.SHI BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO MAKE ME CRY DKJFKDDHGKJDH


THANK YOU SO MUCH

Date: 2008-07-07 12:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kunimaki3567.livejournal.com
OHMYGOD! I wanna see Aiba-chan dance~!
THANKS!

Date: 2008-07-06 04:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rininjapan.livejournal.com
Aaaawwwww so adorable! Thanks so much for sharing! Trust Aiba to be able to pull off Sho's outfit better than he! ;p

*kicks Sho for not spinning*
*kicks Jun for being a Maou dork!*
*kicks Ohmiya for not kissing - considering they fully pashed at Fukuoka*
*hugs Aiba for being so adorable*

Date: 2008-07-06 04:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chikage-eiji.livejournal.com
yay!!!!
They finally sing A.RA.SHI
Thank for the concert report

Date: 2008-07-06 04:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabechid.livejournal.com
Thank you for the report. You had me laughing so hard at your description of Sho looking like Count Chocula. Hilarious.

I'm so happy that they sang A.ra.shi

Date: 2008-07-06 04:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blood-opal.livejournal.com
I... Are you really serious about no DVD taping? Because I really really REALLY want A.Ra.Shi at least. T_____T I just. OMG, JOHNNY-SAN, PLEASE INCLUDE A.RA.SHI IN THE DVD.

Date: 2008-07-07 08:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nyonyo.livejournal.com
They absolutely didn't tape it for DVD, it's impossible to miss the equipment when it's there. I think there's absolutely no question that they'll tape Kokuritsu, though.

Date: 2008-07-06 04:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] o-happyday-872.livejournal.com
Thanks for typing all this out! And the way you described it made me feel like I was experiencing it for myself (though, not quite :P)

It sounds absolutely amazing. I can't believe there won't be a DVD!

Date: 2008-07-06 05:20 pm (UTC)
ext_404092: (Default)
From: [identity profile] woelvs.livejournal.com
Thanks a lot for this summary, though it just makes me with more and more that I could've been there! But oh well, at least now I kind of know what happened which is better than nothing ^o^

Date: 2008-07-06 05:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] miserabilities.livejournal.com
THEYSANGARASHITHEYSANGARASHIZOMMMGGGGGGGG

This sounds stupid, but I nearly started tearing when I read that.

The con sounded lovely though :) thanks for the report!

Date: 2008-07-06 06:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] litany-sh.livejournal.com
It's amazing how happy things seem now...
Just because they sang A.RA.SHI
<3
The entire MC sounds awesome. I can't get over the Maou impression. And Sho's continued costume woes. Actually, thinking about Nino's costume, I mean, it's horrible for Nino, but I think if Nino and Sho switched, the costumes might suit them better. ^^;

kyyyaaaaa
Aiba air-kissed him. Jun was like, THAT BRINGS ME NO JOY WHATSOEVER, and then Aiba did it again.
Jun is like... Chopper from One Piece. 'That doesn't make me happy at all!'
XDD

Thanks so much for writing this all out! You are fantastic, and I hope you get back safely/without trouble.

Date: 2008-07-07 08:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nyonyo.livejournal.com
OMG NO. The only other person who could have pulled off the nightmare Nino was wearing is Aiba, and that's because (as tonight proved), Aiba looks freaking adorable in pretty much anything. Nino OWNED his fug costume to the point of changing the lyrics to Love Parade to make fun of it, whereas I think Sho would have collapsed under the shame.

Thank you! I'm back home now. XD

Date: 2008-07-07 06:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] litany-sh.livejournal.com
...but Sho's puffy chipmunk face would look so nice next to the flowers, and we could have Mimura flashbacks!
Elsewise, yes, I agree Nino did indeed own that fugly thing. He probably even brought it home with him. X_x

<3

Date: 2008-07-06 06:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tomoyodesu.livejournal.com
a'sdkja'sdasdhlaj THEY SANG A.RA.SHI
and your description of Sho's horrible costume was A++

thanks for the report♥♥♥♥♥

Date: 2008-07-06 06:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] everystarrfall.livejournal.com
fljldaflsfkfl;sdk AHHH.

I had other comments about your write up but after the ending I just need to flail a bit. dlfjldsfalsd. They finally did A.Ra.Shi, thank goodness. I can't believe they went that entire tour without it.

No dvd taping sucks, but I was half expecting it; hope that means they'll be doing one later in the year, though? Because especially those solos--need those on dvd. ♥

Thanks for posting this! :D ♥ ♥ ♥

Date: 2008-07-06 07:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] okenakab.livejournal.com
I am SO GLAD you went to this concert, I love reading your reports ♥

Sho vs. Aiba cuteness battle = total win!

Ending with A-ra-shi = PRICELESS ♥

Thank you so much!!

Date: 2008-07-06 08:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] divid-chan.livejournal.com
A HUGE "Whut?" goes to your row!! Are they even fans? Because judging from their behavior they look like some dafuyas who couldn't re-sell all the tickets... D: Good thing you ignored them!
Oh, and, of course, thank you for the report!! <33

Date: 2008-07-07 08:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nyonyo.livejournal.com
I don't think so, this isn't the first time I've seen this during this tour: the popularity boom has resulted in a lot of people now coming to concerts who just aren't very hardcore. (Except in Osaka, it was like that with the people in the very front rows unmoving and without penlights, which was much sadder.) The girl who started out laughing at me eventually started copying me a little more than halfway through, though. ^^

Date: 2008-07-07 09:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] divid-chan.livejournal.com
Hmm... I guess for a person who just got into JE, all of this might look a little strange. xD I personally found it rather funny too at the beginning~ Well, at least you got to some of them! ^^

Date: 2008-07-06 09:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] camaronzin.livejournal.com

OMG!!! I envy you so much!!!

Yo got to hear A.RA.SHI!!! Finally Jun agreed to sing it!!! T.T

It sounds so great!! i really really envy you, and it's so glad when you take a long trip just to watch something and it was totally worth it!! so happy for you!!!

I when makushimusm Kyaaaa!!! when i read they sung A.RA.SHI!.. i knos i've said that alredy but ...omg.. Finally!!


Thanx for make us fans outside japan really happy!!! :)


Take care!!

Date: 2008-07-06 09:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mtraversim.livejournal.com
I didn't know a fan report from a concert I've not even been could make me this happy. Arashi is truly amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. :)~

Date: 2008-07-06 11:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] genkitelch.livejournal.com
i nearly cried...
finally. A.Ra.Shi~~ :)

i hope the deafening A.Ra.Shi crowd power was captured on tape and would make its way to the DVD...
but still, even if it was not, reading your report of it (and all of it, actually) was so so much fun.

thanks for sharing! ^^

Date: 2008-07-07 12:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] luckypurple.livejournal.com
amazing....u really make me hv tears in my eyes reading the A.RA.SHI part..!
thank you *glomps*

Date: 2008-07-07 12:58 am (UTC)
bell: rory gilmore running in the snow in a fancy dress (Default)
From: [personal profile] bell
Awwww, I'm glad you got that payoff at the end. The plane trip was worth it, then! ♥

I reaaally want to see that MC. Specifically the Aiba air-kissing Jun, Jun being nice, and Aiba looking cute in the terrible Count Chocola coat. ;____;

Date: 2008-07-07 01:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tinybluemarble.livejournal.com
I went to the performance in Sapporo Saturday. No Ohmiya kiss, though the Ohmiya SK was still pretty funny. The encores weren't too exciting. No thank yous and no "Arashi" at the end. So that's awesome you got to see that!

I still remember Jun making the Maou face. Honto ni niteita. XD

Glad the concert was perfect for you.

Date: 2008-07-07 05:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fabfangirl.livejournal.com
Yay!!! OMG! i can't tell you how happy i am to hear that they sang A.RA.SHI. ♥ just reading it made me teary eyed. I knew that they couldn't end the tour without singing it once. Its their song. And you are so raki to have seen it. i wish i could have been there to sing scream along to it too. i bet the atmosphere then was amazing! Thanks heaps for this con report! ^_^

Date: 2008-07-07 05:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paranoid-faery.livejournal.com
ohhh this just made me teary-eyed. T_T

AR.A.SHI.!! for dream! Thanks for your report!

Date: 2008-07-07 06:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] anti-sociality.livejournal.com
Brilliant.

If this is the reaction to A.Ra.Shi. in their ninth year. I would give just about anything to be there for the tenth year anniversary.

Date: 2008-07-07 07:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tokyofish.livejournal.com
You have the uncanny knack of making descriptions of things that I'm not even interested in interesting. XDDD I'm glad it was perfect. <3

Date: 2008-07-13 04:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nyonyo.livejournal.com
Thank you! XD Especially for commenting when you're not interested?! ♥

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