It's been a while since I last wrote here… I've tried to make it look a bit more appealing and I hope I could finish soon. (Hopefully to cater much better to those who often read this.)
Being a "fangirl" is not as easy as watching clips on YouTube, watching out for subbed jdramas (Japanese dramas) and singles or albums and trying to study their language. But it is as hard as finding a cab every Friday night and holiday season.
I've only been hooked with jpop, a little kpop, and Japanese dramas for 4 or 5 years now and along that I've been through every stage there is.
The "otaku" cycle:
First: The effect of viral media
Arashi (嵐) is my "ichiban" or number 1 when it comes to artist I've been a fan since I first heard their song "sakura sake" and how did I get to know them? Easy I was watching gokusen at that time and I saw the guy with the gold streaks on and I searched it on YouTube and right then and there I saw that he was part of the group called "Arashi". YouTube back then is just starting to boom and to us fangirls and members of the forum, that video streaming site is really important to us (along with these are youku.com and veo.com) Most of the fans who live near Japan or have satellite TV with "TBS", "NHK", "BS", "TV Tokyo" will record the videos of their guestings, dramas, PVs, and upload it so everyone can watch. And since the videos are as scarce as pepper corn back in the old century, every little video is important and every little detail that was added to Wikipedia was important and every new CD released and magazine pin-up is as good as gold for us. Those videos that were subbed grew and generated more fans than one could imagine (no wonder they booked Kokuritsu).
Second: The goodies!
Awww…. This is why I was so frustrated as a fangirl, I can afford to buy this stuff. My family is not well off and I only watch videos from the computer lab of our school and save money so I could rent a computer at a computer shop. I got my first computer when I was in 2nd year during college and I was a surplus (it only had 128MB or RAM and 5GB of HD capacity.) I waited 20 mins to get my first Arashi song downloaded to my floppy disk and I'll upload It to my PC. I don't have any credit card so I can't order an album or but their concert DVDs.
During concert tour season they would sell "uchiwas"(fan), penlight, towels, posters, cell phone key chains, slippers, notebooks and t-shirts. I would drool over some other fan's blog whenever I see one, I would love to get one.
I was hard you can watch and listen all you want but you can't get the goodies…. Not until now.
Third: The crazy fan who always waits for cdjapan's email!
It started when I got my credit card (and someone very dear to me will raise her eyebrow O.o?) I bought my very first concert DVD! "Arashi Live in Tokyo 2008 (in Kokuritsu)"
Then I bought the second one: 5x10 All the best! DVD with all their music videos and commentary from the group.
And the latest buy is the photo book that costs me like a fortune! J
That's why Dear Mr. Johnny Kitagawa I'll be waiting for your free uchiwas and towels and also a ticket to their concert of even a backstage pass (crossing fingers). I would also love to be a FC member but I don't live there… but the mere fact that I'm a 2 hr plane ride away and an avid fan, I deserve a treat…. This is an open letter…. I'll be waiting Mr. Kitagawa…… J ja mata ne!
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