My original plan, upon returning to Japan, was to head straight to Kyoto. Then I learned that Apink just released their new Japanese album, 'Pink Doll', and that moreover they will be holding launch events across three cities: Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka. Usually the sort of people who chase idols like this are a bit on the crazy side. But their schedules fitted in so well with mine...that I couldn't help it.
Apink held their first launch event at Lazano Kawasaki, which is a shopping mall halfway between Shibuya and Yokohama. This was on the 21st of December. The track-list looked fairly promising: there were going to be about 7-8 songs in total. Obviously there'd be 'NoNoNo' and 'MyMy' (both were hits when they were re-released in Japan), but a few new songs would be there too.
I got to the venues about three hours before it started. Turns out it wasn't early enough. There were about two hundred people crowded around the stage already. I guess what was really surprising was how polarized the fans here were. You were either a high school/middle school girl who came here after school (quite a few working women as well) or a fifty to sixty-year-old uncle fan. Bit weird.
Lots of merchandise on sale. Bit different from the stuff I saw at the concert. They had stickers and fans for sale, which I couldn't spot in Korea. The girl gave me a weird look when I said 'Park Chorong' instead of 'Chorong-chan' when she asked for which fan I wanted to buy. I guess I forgot this was Japan, after all. It's mostly female fans here so I have to treat my noonas with respect.
What was really interesting was just how many versions of the same album they had here. So for Pink Doll, for example, they had two collectors editions, six regular editions for each individual member, and an ordinary edition. Whereas Dear only had two editions: an early edition, and a regular edition. I heard if you bought everything, you get to pet Chorong on the head. Well, a boy can wish.
Still, I was surprised at just how many females there were. I supposed in Korea Apink is marketed as potential girlfriends, whereas in Japan they are more like role models? High school girls seem to love it, though. One girl was showing her friend the video for 'Cause You're My Star' (followed by gasps of kawaii). Another one had Lovelyz Kei as her wallpaper. Another had a few Twice badges on her bag. K-pop sure is popular.
Apink themselves also had to change tactics. Japan has its own slew of idols (AKB48, Nogizaka, not to mention the likes of Aqours) so Apink had to go down the cutesy route. In Korea, Apink mostly grew out of the cute phase after 'MyMy', but in Japan it felt a bit like debut all over again. Lots of pink, cutesy dresses, hearts, and forced aegyo (more like forced kawaii). Can't say I don't love it.
The photo is from the official twitter. Cameras/drones weren't allowed, and surprisingly everyone followed rules. I guess this is Japan, after all. The concert started with an opening act by a nugu group. Then a wave of crazy screaming (amidst shouts of 'Apink saranghae') erupted from the fan girls. Apink was here. Chorong and Bomi seemed particularly popular, followed by Naeun. Eunji looked very happy and goofy in that pink dress.
Namjoo hurt her ankle a couple days ago at the Seoul concert so she couldn't dance. I was surprised at how great she looked in that pink dress. I called her name out loud (remembering to say 'Namjoo-chan' this time) and I think she waved at me. Or at my general direction. In either case this concert felt a lot closer than Seoul since there were only about a thousand people in total. Still a lot.
They handed out free pink penlights for the people who came. They were distributed voluntarily from person to person and I was pleasantly surprised no one tried to hoard anything. This is Japan, after all - no cameras, no rubbish, no bad behavior at concerts. I never opened my penlight. It's still in my drawer and I'll take a photo, along with all the other Apink merchandise I bought, some other day.
They only performed like three songs, though, before disaster struck. Some random Japanese comedy duo that I couldn't care less about jumped on stage and did their skit. I just wanted to see Apink, goddammit. But the concert was cut short and it was over in less than half an hour. I got pretty upset. And so was the uncle fan next to me who decided to come dressed in all pink. Kind of adorable.
I bought the collector's edition of Pink Doll, which was twice as expensive as Dear. Really goes to show how much more expensive being a K-pop fan is in Japan. Anyway, with every album you get a ticket to a proper fan-meet. The first fan-meet is going to be at Osaka, the day after tomorrow. I will be at Kyoto the day after tomorrow. Somehow, luck has it that I'll be a crazy fan for one more day.
