Komorichan Aki Matsuri

Event
Komorichan Aki Matsuri
Location
ORC 200 (Osaka)
Date
1997.10.04
Time
Event 15:00 - 17:00
Handshake 17:30 - 19:00
Guests
Komori Manami
Toyoshima Machiko (Ë­Åè¿¿Àé»Ò)
Cost
free
  • Report version 0.5 by Joe Petrow, 1998.11.12

The first Komorichan Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival) took place on October 4th, 1997 in the Osaka Resort City 200. This event featured two radio show tapings and a mini live, and anyone could watch the show for free.

I left home a little after 4:45am, to catch the 6:13am shinkansen to Osaka. I arrived at the event location a little after 9:30, and there were a few dozen people there already. The event area was a giant open air plaza with a large glass ceiling. It was surrounded by a second floor mezzanine, from which people could see the event.

At around 10:00 they started assembling the set. At 11:00, they set out about 40 chairs, and when they gave the word, everybody started fighting for a chair!

[I got one in the third row...]

Once I reserved a chair, I was able to look around the place. There were several restaurants and game centers in the area, making this an ideal place to wait around for an event.

The wind was pretty strong, and it rained throughout the afternoon, but the set was far enough under the roof so that it wouldn't get rained on. By the time the event started, there were many people around the event area, and hanging out on the overlooking second floor. Once the rain let up, people began lining up behind the stage as well. I think there were over 1,000 people watching the event at one point or other.

The event began right at 15:00. One by one the guests were introduced. Toyoshima Machiko came onto the stage in a kind of "two-layered" dress, short all-black dress under a brown and black polka-dot top, with the cuffs flaring out on the sleeves; both were about knee-length. She wore very large brown platform boots, which caused her to almost lose her balance on the stage. (^_^;) She also had a new haircut, about the same length as at the Iina event. Komori Manami wore a blue dress, sort of like the blue seifuku in Tokimeki Memorial, and her hair in pigtails, identical to what she wore at the Komorichan Natsu Matsuri event in August. Also introduced were the guys from the group "Su Per Run", Toyoshima Machiko's partner on the TV Game Radions TV show, and one or two other guys. (^_^;) Su Per Run member Takahashi Naozumi (Per) had apparently just arrived at the event, running all the way from the train station.

After some opening comments, they started the taping for the 1997.10.12 episode of Komori's Radio Caravan show at 15:20. Toyoshima Machiko and her co-host for TV Game Radions R were the special guests.

At 15:50, they started the taping for TV Game Radions R. Komori Manami and her co-hosts on Radio Caravan were the guests on this show. They also picked two people in school outfits to play a small role in the radio drama they did. One wore a male school outfit, one wore serafuku. Both of them were guys... (^_^;;)

At 16;25, they began the mini-live portion of the show. First, Su Per Run sang their song "Nan Tong Zhi" Midway thru, Manami and Machiko came out to dance to the song. The normally very genki Machiko was no match for the human ball of energy that is Komori Manami, so Machiko just sort of moved back and forth while Manami got funky. (^_^;)

After this song, two members of the group started taking off their clothes on the stage to change for their next song (they had their clothes for the next song on underneath)

Machiko: Mou ichimai! (Take off some more!)
Joe: Machirin mo! (You too!)

Of course, I didn't say that loud enough for anybody to hear...(^_^;)

Then they sang their song.

After that, and a few brief technical difficulties, Nan Tong Zhi member Takahashi Naozumi and Komori Manami came on stage to perform their song "Come on the Hero!" Manami reminded everyone of their concert at the Shibuya On Air East on November 23rd.

Then Manami was left alone on stage to perform her new song "Love For You" Then everyone came on stage to help Manami sing the finale, "Eru wo Kimi ni"

At around 17:00 the seiyuu gave their final messages. Machiko told everyone that Girls Be would be having their "first and last" concerts, December 14th in Osaka, and December 21st in Kawasaki, and asked everyone to come.

After the rest of the guys said their goodbyes, Komori talked a little about her new album, then started to cry. She thanked everyone for coming, and asked for their support in the future. Then the show portion of the event came to an end.


Signing and handshake session

After the event, everyone who had bought some goods were allowed to go up to a fifth floor room and have their goods signed, and receive handshakes from the artists. Everyone lined up, and the staff took large groups of people through a back stairway to the fifth floor. After walking through some office area (^_^;) we were led to through the Radio Osaka area, to enter the room with the seiyuu. I finally arrived at the room a little after 18:00.

The room layout was something like this:

 ---------------------------------
 |  Run  |Machiko|   Su  |  Per  |
 ---------------------------------
 ---<----<---\  /\  /*---<-----<------
 |            \/  \/                 |     * - Marks the place where
 V                                   |         my brain went dead
 |     --------         ---------    |
 |     |      |         |       |    ^
 V  /--|Manami|     ----| Goods |    |
 | /  /|      |    |            |    |
 |/  / --------    --------------    ^
 /                         |\     |
---Path->--I-->-Walked->-  ->--|

All of them had changed outfits. Toyoshima Machiko had on a dark blue denim shirt (or jacket) and some kind of blouse (I couldn't see under the table) I can't remember what everyone else was wearing. (^_^;)

As I entered the room, I decided to buy the "Doki Doki On Air" computer game, and the Nan Tong Zhi CD single, which were the only two items that had any connection to Toyoshima Machiko.

First I talked with Takahashi Naozumi. He spoke to me in English! He asked me if I was visiting Japan, and seemed surprised when I told him I had come from Tokyo for the event. He was pretty nice.

I talked a little with the other guy, but since Machiko was so close, I couldn't pay any attention to what he was saying.

Finally, I got to Machiko's area. A week earlier I had learned that Machiko had passed second level in an English proficiency test, so I wanted to hear her speak a little English. Part of the conversation went like this:

Joe: I heard you're second-level English. Is that true?
Machiko: [laughing] Hi!
Joe: I'm Joe, nice to meet you!
Machiko: Nice to meet you!
Joe: You are good after all!
Machiko: [still laughing] Arigatou!

I can't remember much after that, except I shook her hand after she signed my CD single and thanked me for coming. I have no recollection of my encounter with the last guy, except that I just gave him my CD single and didn't say a word.

As I was walking out of the room, a staff member called to me and said, "Don't you want Komori to sign your game?"

I completely forgot about it! I apologized profusely to Manami about my boke, but she was very nice about it. She asked me if I listened to her radio show, and asked me to write her a letter some time.

Then I finally left the room, to hurry to catch my train home.


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