Ai Chu event on 10/18/2000
Started around 7:00pm
Ended around 9:50pm
(according to Hitoshi, two hours is normal)

Idols/Seiyuu attending:
1. Akino Hitomi (wore a VERY standard idol outfit, also a VERY minor
seiyuu)
2. Heart Chu (Shintani Sayaka, Takahira Jun, Tsuchiya Mieko)
3. Enomoto Shoko and Shimizu Kaori (seiyuu for Strange Dawn)
4. Tokunaga Ai

General number of fans:
150 or so, *1* girl (the Kira Melo fan)

Overall reaction:
Many people were drunk or on the way as the event started. There were
fans of the host (who is also an idol, apparently), and they heckled her
a little.

It was quite loud. A lot of heckling going on. (according to Hitoshi,
this is also normal). People kept drinking as the night wore on.

Overall, the feeling is quite different from a "normal" concert. It's a
little more "personal" than an event with a big name, with the
"heckling" and such.

Many of the fans seemed to like more than one idol/seiyuu.

Individual reactions:
to Akino Hitomi: Even non-fans were pretty psyched. There was a bit of
friendly heckling. Most were pretty attentive during her first talk. She
had around 10-15 "core" fans. She was pretty good at fighting back
against the fans' "heckling". (apparently she enjoys it) They got very
loud when she announced her next song was her last. (personal note -
she's got spunk)

To Heart Chu: Pretty enthusiastic; crowd occasionally lost rhythm.
(song list: Heart Chu theme, Daisuki, Pride, N'est ce Pas, ?, "Ai need
chu"?, Kira Kira)

KiraMelo info:
11/30 - Heart Chu single: no pre-sale?
11/12 - Kira Melo Daibunkasai

To Enomoto Shoko and Shimizu Kaori: room got REAL quiet. (granted, their
first song was a slow, quiet one) Not as much heckling. Their second
song was also a quiet one; the fans are being quiet. Shoko sang
"Yesterday, Once More" (in English; this is an old Carpenters song). The
fans got loud again when Kaori sang a faster paced song. They apparently
have their own small (maybe not as small as I thought) fan base. Kaori
often referred to herself in the 3rd person; she's 17. They brought out
a guest - Wada Kaoru (the music director for Strange Dawn).

To Tokunaga Ai: things got REALLY loud when Ai came out; a lot of
jumping around and bouncing. Possibly has the most fans of all of the
acts. (was an idol before joining Kira Melo, and is on her own again)
After her first song, she asked for a beer. She seems to nave a pretty
good handle on her fans. Not a bad dancer (for an idol-seiyuu).

Overall feelings (writer's perspective):
Well, man. For such a small group of people, these guys can generate a
good amount of noise. O-o I was there for two reasons ? to get an idea
of what idol fans are like, and because of Heart Chu. (Okay, I like
Sayaka… she’s not quite Chiyomi, but she’s still nice.) Will I go to
another Ai Chu event? I don’t know. Maybe.

--
-Richard "Pocky" Kim (richardkim@chesapeake.net)
--the ORIGINAL Pockyman (accept no substitutes)
--Guest Relations Director for Katsucon
-http://www.chesapeake.net/~richardkim
-http://www.katsucon.com