C-ute at Budokan

Well today consisted of three things: a) meeting with Japanese b) shopping c) C-ute concert at the Budokan. Not much pictures to show from today so instead I'm going to bore you with yet another concert report :D

Japan sure is land of extremities btw. Yesterday it had been blazing hot on day but come the night I was shivering up in my bed. Come the morning and I was still shivering. COOOOOOOLD! Autumn came properly to Tokyo it seems. Good thing we are to receive extra blankets for winter season tomorrow. Guess it could be handy...

First up was the meeting though. Originally we had planned to go to Yoyogi park(which I had suggested as I had been itching to go there again) but with weather being rainy and cold...Yeah skip that. So instead we went for tea&some window shopping(nearly turned to real shopping when I found out pretty and not that expensive tea set. But how to get those things to Finland...).

After this I still had some time so went to look for used book store I had found on google map(success!). I also went to buy yet another(and last) concert ticket for end of the month. I still had some time before concert would start but didn't have much better things to do so went there. Remembered there was large part and I had book with me to read while waiting.

Hadn't occured to me before there could be possibility of guided tours to Imperial palace but after Kyoto checked that too. Too bad next available time would be on december...Well guess I still have things to do in Tokyo. Luckily reservation seems to be doable online so I can do it while in Finland.

 Outer area to the national garden(which houses the Budokan).

 Edo castle's outer gate.

Former Edo castle's inner gate.

 Beyond the wall is some sort of garden. I think it's not off-limits for general public but is open only for certain part of day which I had missed(when I came to it it was closed for the day). Though whether that is still part of the tour you need to have permission for I don't know.

 Map of the area.

 No idea who he was.

 But he seems to have had roughly the same rank as Mannerheim had.

Now that's a nice lightpost :D

 Then to the concert part. Concert was held at Budokan so first time I would be going there. Nominal capacity is 16,000 or so but 1/4 of hall didn't seem to be used(instead holding background and screen. I think it's possible to have 360 degree coverage but now was more like 270 degree) so I guess some 12,000 or so seats with not much empty seats. That's a lot of noisy fans!

 Big looking building but actually was smaller hall than I expected. 16,000 fits into surprisingly small space(especially when they are in 3 layers. Arena, 1st floot, 2nd floor).

 As said it was rainy and cold so bought this hot drink for warming up. Apart from walking a lot!

 I like the overall shape of the building a lot.

 That's the crowd around the concert good salepoints. It had been going on steadily for a while(not sure when they were opened. Before I arrived anyway). Not visible here but there's actually snakeline waiting queue at the left that loops back couple times. Whee. Wonder how many yen's are spent here? Million+?

Photographing was forbidden but I figured no harm done sneaking in one before concert began. Still early up so places are empty. Went inside as soon as I could if for no better reason than it was lot warmer inside!!!

Quick rundown of C-ute members from oldest to youngest:

Maimi Yajima(band colour red)
Saki Nakajima(blue)
Airi Suzuki(pink, my 2nd favourite)
Chisato Okay(green)
Mai Hagiwara(yellow, favourite).

At least this time I shouldn't have moral issues enjoying view even if they happen to have particularly bold outfit/dance routines as even youngest has reached 18 year by now.

Before concert began properly trainees chosen for this concert(5 of them) came and performed song which I presume is new song for trainees(they get those about once a year it seems). At least never heard of it before. Can't find it from youtube so instead another kenkyuusei(trainees term) song. Outfit for them was same one. Only one I can actually recognize(though barely. Damn those kids change fast at that age) is the one that starts the video. Saw her last year as well.

After that we waited for a moment and when lights suddenly went dark deafening roar came up. 12,000+ crazy fans make quite a noise O_o.

I had heard this one only once before as it's their newest single. For initial outfit they had white dresses that continued all the way down on back, short on front with black overlayer that you could see through over their arms. Black&white feather like head pieces as well.

Continuing with another recent single. Not my favourites. They got rid of the black clothing for this song.

"I miss you". This is bit unusual song(second song from newest single) as it has at times 2 or even 3 lines sung by alterating turn or even at the same time. Makes for bit of confusing to follow though interesting idea.

They got rid of even more clothing after this(I think) now revealing short top and skin tight trousers.

This I mistook for another song but it seems this is sort of pre-cursor to the song they eventually released.

This song I enjoyed a lot as I liked it a lot when I heard it first time at last years spring concert. Am I mayhap little negative personality as I like the sadder songs more than the happy songs :D

Likewise. This I'm not sure has it even been performed in concert before? Don't remember seeing it mentioned in anywhere. B-side of old single from 2011 but I like this a lot so was happy to hear it.

Next girls went for clothing change while the kenkyuusei's came back to stage to perform one song from C-ute's song list(standard procedure in these concerts in recent years). Song they had been given was Crazy Kanzen na Otona.

Video is actually from the c-ute tour last spring that I saw.

While they sang it okay clear difference in quality was still audible. Well they ARE still trainees.

Next song. C-ute members were in pajamas(though not exactly revealing ones) "sleeping" and kenkyuusei's(who went and picked up wings and "magic wands") were waking them up. Wtf?

After this they had quick change of clothing(in pieces) to what was basically t-shirts and mini-skirts. Maimi had black top, pinkish skirt. Saki had white shirt, green skirt. Airi white/blue, Okai white/red and Mai green/purple.

Old video. Think it even has members that haven't been part of group for quite a while so from 2008-2009?

Another clip from last years concert that I saw.

After this came solo medley so every member sang song starting with my favourite.

Unfortunately song is one I dislike of :( 2 kenkyuusei's as backup dancers.

Next my 2nd favourite and much better song and change of backup dancers.

Third song is one of those songs that haven't caught me. Without set list from net wouldn't even have been able to tell what song it was.

Best of the solo songs. Hearing this first time nearly changed favourite.

And another "never heard" type of song.

Honestly...Still can't remember this song. Without setlist I found this would have gone "poof" from me

I was nearly blown off my feet when melody started up as this was about last song I had expected to hear. It's not been used in concerts often(found in just one dvd plus was performed as alternative set list in one concert tour as far as I know) plus it's about 4 years old. But as it's my favourite song from these happy surprise.

VTR was shown here. Originally 2007(so when girls were 11-15) shown video(dunno where) had been done again and there was both versions visible for comparison. Something about girls going to kaiten sushi restaurant. The one part that struct in mind was leader having huge pile of sushi plates. Sheesh. Even I might have trouble eating all those plates!

Unsurprisingly this moment was used to change clothing to these long red trousers and shortish top revealing midrift. Also lots of golden sparkles in the trousers.

One of my least favourite songs from group and seems Japanese fans seems to agree as this is their least selling single. As such bit surprised this was performed at the Budokan concert.

 Fairly new single. Not much for me to say about this one.




This song usually has something weird in the middle due to exceptionally long break. Well this time it was dance shown including sommersaults from higher level to lower level. Okai Chisato reputedly had originally injured her nose doing practices based on reports from tours earlier day where she had nose taped up.

Continuing Airi & Maimi did 2-girl version of this song. Went from favourite song to "bleh" song.

Better. Okai, Mai and Saki did version of one of their very first singles. Girls had switched to new clothing. Short skirts and tops made of clothing that looked more like camoflage military with black leather jackets(open from front). Saki had long trousers instead of skirt. When other 2 came to next song they had similar except Airi had short skin tight trousers instead along with what looked like army baret while Maimi had more normal hat instead.

The 2 girls doing singing in this song were lifted up in the center(they used that before as well but forgot which song) while remaining 3 danced around the raised platform.

Fan favourite.

Another often performed songs. Kenkyuusei's came along as well. This time without guitars like last year so were just air-guitarring it.

With this show was "over" and steady "KYUU-TO! KYUU-TO!" shouts started up in the darkness. After long wait the girls came back for the encore.

Oh bummer. Not my favourite songs. Find the choreography tad tastless(especially when you think youngest wasn't even 10 when this was first done...). Encore clothing was multi-coloured short skirts(though red dominated) with blue backside and top(can't recall colour) with blue edges. Maimi had pink hat(with new york reading) while Airi had blue one.

Wouldn't be my choise for final song of concert. Lights came up for this as everybody(but me it seemed) picked up hand towel and started the swinging that seems to be standard in these concerts for the final song.

But wait. It was NOT the end yet. I was starting to pack my things after girls left when everybody started shouting band name AGAIN! Double encore? First time I see this one! Well again wouldn't have been my first pick of final song but better than last one at least for that. Girls were lifted quite high during the song in the elevator.

Then came final bye byes and exit. And time for me to head home. Probably got reputation for being crazy as I walked home in t-shirt while everybody else was wearing lots of clothing :D But actually temperature had picked up so it was quite pleasant walk actually