Event Inoue Kikuko on Cafe City Yokohama Location Minato Mira 21 Studio (Yokohama) Date 1994.02.04 Time 12:00 - 12:30 Guests Inoue Kikuko (井上喜久子) Raspberry Cost free

• Report version 0.9 by Hitoshi Doi, 1994.02.11
• Report version 1.0 by Hitoshi Doi, 1994.02.14
  [I'll update this after I watch a video of the TV show.]
• Report version 2.0 by Hitoshi Doi, 1994.05.25
• Report version 2.1 by Hitoshi Doi, 1994.06.12

On February 4, 1994, Inoue Kikuko made her first TV appearance on the show "Cafe City Yokohama", which is aired on a Yokohama local TV station. This show is broadcast live from a studio called "Minato Mira 21 Studio", which is located on the B1 floor of the Yokohama Sogo department store. "Cafe City Yokohama" is aired from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM.

The studio was just a very small stage, about 10 meters wide and only a couple meters deep. There were a lot of TV screens in the back wall. There were 3 or 4 rows of seats, with each row seating 7 or so people per half. The main TV camera was in the middle, and there was a secondary camera that moved to take pictures from various angles.

When I arrived at 10:10 AM, a little more than half of the seats were taken up. (probably around 40 people) I could have sat in the second row or so, but since I didn't want to crowd into a tight place, I took a seat in the back row (4th row). This way I would be able to stand and take pictures. I think this was around 10 meters away from the stage.

I saw a strange group of people in one corner. Some of them had balloons of sunfish, and other Inoue Kikuko related goods. They were probably the people from some computer network. (^_^;)

I met some people from various MLs (that I participate in), so we talked and looked at pictures from other events to pass the time.

At around 11:30, a staff person came out and said that flashes and video cameras weren't allowed. But we were allowed to take pictures without using the flash. The stage was pretty well lit, so it wasn't a problem. The staff person also asked the audience to clap for the guests.

I was using 400 film with a 135 mm lens and no filter. I also brought a 35-70 mm lens, but that would make the pictures too small so I didn't use that.

At around 11:40, the idol group Raspberry came out for their rehearsal. They sang and danced one song, and then left. Then we waited for Inoue Kikuko to come for her rehearsal. But she didn't appear! We waited and waited, but when it got close to 12:00, the staff person came out again. Where was Kikko-sama!?

I think a total of 80 to 90 people had come to the studio area, by the time the TV show was going on air.

But just before 12:00, the announcer came out onto the stage. Then Raspberry came out. Then Inoue Kikuko came out! Ah.. Kikko-sama.. the most beautiful girl in the world!!

I quickly took a couple pictures.

When the TV program started, the announcer introduced the guests, Raspberry and Inoue Kikuko.

After some introductory conversation they went to the commercial, and Inoue Kikuko left the stage. As she was leaving, Kikko-sama bumped into one of the Raspberry girls.

The first half of the TV show was Raspberry. [who cares ^_^;] But they were very cute in person, much cuter than in the pictures.

After Raspberry's song was over, they went to a commercial, and Inoue Kikuko came back onto the stage!

Then the second half of the TV show began. [The BGM was Mama ga Kanashimukara.] The announcer mentioned that this was Kikko-sama's TV debut, and Kikko-sama said, "I've never appeared on TV before, not even on a curbside interview." The announcer introduced Inoue Kikuko as Belldandy, and they showed some clips from Aa Megami-sama episode 4. When the announcer said that she looked like a bird, Kikko-sama said that she was a goddess. "Usually she's dressed like a normal human, but she's a goddess." She also said, "The picture is so beautiful. I'm happy that I was able to do this role. I get a great feeling out of just looking at the pictures."

The announcer asked what other TV shows she had done, and Kikko-sama answered, "Oi Ryouma, Nadia, Ranma 1/2" The announcer asked if she had a fan club, and Kikko-sama said, "Yes, there is a fan club. There is a bulletin, and I write a little bit in it." Then the announcer mentioned that Kikko-sama had just released her first solo album on 2/2. The announcer said, "The jacket is so nice." Kikko-sama said, "It has a filter on it. It would be awkward if the images are clear."

The announcer said, "The title of the video is Yuubina Osakana (elegant fish), and I hear you have some relationship with fish."
Kikko-sama said, "Yes, in a previous reincarnation, I was a fish."
The announcer asked, "Do you feel that yourself?"
Kikko-sama said, "I remember it."
"How?"
Kikko-sama said, "For a long time I've always wondered why I was so bad at everything on land, while I was very happy when I was swimming. Then one day when I was swimming in the ocean, the memory came back to me. It was very natural to me."
The announcer asked, "So that fish was a sunfish? There are people holding sunfish balloons."
Kikko-sama said, "I'm not certain if it was a sunfish, but I feel like it was. It wasn't like a flying fish, or something that swims fast."
The announcer said, "This is the first time that I met someone who says something like this."
Kikko-sama said, "Really?"

Then they showed a video of "Yuubina Osakana", the title song of her new CD (which went on sale 2/2). She will have a video/LD containing this and some other songs coming out on 3/2.

The video was an artsy video with images of Inoue Kikuko and fish all over the place. The announcer said, "It's like a fish."
Kikko-sama said, "Maybe you'll get sea sick."

But I wish she would have sung the song live..

After the video, Kikko-sama went off stage.

At the end of the program, Inoue Kikuko and Raspberry came back onto the stage and they had a quiz corner. They selected one person from the audience to go up to the stage to answer the guest's question.

The first quiz was by one of the Raspberry girls. After that it was time for Kikko-sama's quiz, and she was holding an autographed CD as the present. They selected a guy who was sitting in the first row. When he went up to the stage and the announcer told Kikko-sama to ask the question, she said, "Umm.. Oh I forgot.." [very funny!]

Then she remembered, and asked what movie she had done a voice in recently. The guy quickly answered that it was The Nightmare on Elm Street and got the CD.

Also for the TV viewers, Kikko-sama had the question, "What was I in my previous reincarnation?"

At the end of the show, the announcer asked Kikko-sama, "Are you happy when you are swimming?"
Kikko-sama answered, "Yes, I'm very happy."

my comments and impressions - H.Doi

It was my impression (from looking at the pictures that I and another person had taken), that Inoue Kikuko was staring at the TV monitor (that was faced toward the stage) a lot when she wasn't talking. Since this was her first TV appearance, maybe she didn't know what else to do. Of course she did look around sometimes, and even waved to the crowd.

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