Event
     Inoue Kikuko @manbow Matsuri
Location
     [2001/5/6] Yamaha Hall, Ginza, Tokyo
Time
     13:00-15:30 (afternoon session, @manbow member only)
     17:00-19:30 (evening session)
Guests
     Yamazaki Takumi (MC)
Cost 
     3500 yen


Event report version 0.7 by 'CuSO4' Yung, 2001.5.10


@manbow Matsuri event is the celebration event of the 1st anniversary 
of @manbow, Inoue Kikuko's offical Offical Site http://www.manbow.com/

Originally there was only 1 session.  However, due to high registration 
request, the event splited into 2 sessions, with the afternoon session 
reserved for @manbow only.

I had applied for the first session.  Luckily, I got a first row seat,
(1F A-15) only a little to the right from the middle.  This may be due 
to my status as a foreigner, or they used teh standard @manbow practise 
for the past member gathering : those who have not attend any gathering 
got the priority.  ^_^

I went to Ginza and line up at around 12:00, when the main street 
just been closed and become pedestrian paradise.  Lots of tourist 
standing in the middle of the street pondering why there was a 
line there.  Some nearby storekeeper and some pedestrian even asked
the @manbow staff on what was happening.

We finally got let in at around 12:15.  Upon entry, the staff stamped
our postcard (ticket) with a cute manbow stamp, and gave us souvenir :
a manbow fan and a box of cake.  The fan had a blue manbow at one side, 
and a pink Wendenyan at the other side.  Wendenyan is Kikuko's pet 
plush dog.  The cake were 2 pieces of doraemon cake with red bean paste
inside, and with a manbow pattern on the round surface.

5 event goods were on sale at 1000 yen each : 2 kind of phone strap, 
postcard set, mug, and a pin set.

At 13:10, the event started with emcee Yamazaki Takumi introduce 
himself and onee-chan (Kikuko).  Kikuko wore a long black one piece 
skirt.  

They start with some talk, and then go into announcing results of the
@manbow member poll.  

The first category was the best character Kikuo voiced.  Rank 3rd was
Electra of Nadia, 2nd was Kasumi of Ranma 1/2, and 1st of course was
Belldandy of Ah! Megami-sama!

Kikuko did live voice performance of each of the above 3 characters.
She got Belldandy's line wrong and had to appologise and started 
again.  ^_^;   

Then came the quiz time.  Everyone in the hall stood up and tried to
answered multiple (binary actually) choice qustion about Kikuko, 
using the dstributed manbow fan as the tools.  Each question would 
have 2 choice of answer, with the blus manbow side of the fan 
represent one answer, and the pink Wendenyan side represent the 
other.  There were around 10 questions.  Anyone answered wrongly
must sit down and could not answer other questions.

The first 3 were extremely easy for Kikuko fans.  Then the questions
changed to first impression that Kikuko would associate when given a
topic.  After all the questions, only a few people still standing.  
They won a signboard, with Belldandy drawn on it and signed by 
Kikuko.   

I wanted the signboard!!  However, I lost on one question : how many
Wendenyan Songs were released.  I chose 5, Takumi said the answer 
should be 6, so I sat down.  He then tried to list them.  However, 
the script he was holding only had 5.  All the audience that were
just sitting down stood up again, while all those standing sat down.
Just then someone shout out the title of the sixth song, so the 
answer reverse agian !  ^_^;;     

The next corner is Snack Time, a traditional Kikuko event item.
Kikuko told us to take out the cake that was distributed to us, 
and then indicated that the rules of the event hall prohibited 
the audience to eat/drink inside the seating area.  However, she
teared off the package and started eating herself !!!!   ^_^;;;;
Takumi was having trouble tearing off the packing.  After a few
minutes's struggle, he gace up and settled for just watching 
Onee-chan eating.  
   
The curtain then suddenly close and 15 minutes interval was 
announced (14:05-14:20).   

After the interval, Takumi came out and pretended to try to find 
the lost Wendenyan.  Then Kikuko came up dressing as an air 
steward (similar to ANA's), and talked with Takumi ending her 
every sentence with the suffice "pulisu" (please).  ^_^  She 
then sang Teresa Tang's enka song 'Airport'.  She went backstage 
after the song.

Takumi came out and talk about Mac/Windows/i-mode.  Kikuko came 
out dressing as a magical girl : white one piece very short 
white dress, long white stockings, and white platform shoes.  
There was a big cross on the front of the dress (similar to 
Erica of Sakura Taisen 3).  There was white wings attached
to the back of her dress, and she was holdng a wand.

The skirt was so short that it was in serious danger of a 
pan-chira.  But nothing really happened even when she was 
dancing in her song.  She sang a magical girl OP medley. 
During the song, she accidentally lost grip of the wand 
and it flew backwards to the back of the stage.  She had 
to walked back and pick the wand up.  She went backstage 
after the song.

An female assistant cam out and announced some new PS2 game.

Kikuko came out again wearing long one piece yellow dress 
with lantern sleeves (similar to Erica of Sakura Taisen 3, 
or Hand-Maid May's uniform).  The style of the dress was 
similar to those rich Philipino lady wore.

Takumi and Kikuko then announced the top 10 songs from the
@manbow member poll.  Kikuko then sang 2 songs : 'Haru' and 
'Hoshi Sora Keiyu de Todoketai'.
 
Then came the presents corner.  Kikuko drew the winners for the 
following items :
* 5 winners got the Promotional Video of the Kurabuchi Dam in 
  Gumma Prefecture, in which Kikuko was doing the narration.
  http://www.pref.gunma.jp/h/05/kuradamu/mov/asf/vide37k.asf
* 4 winners got set of 2 Kikuko posters
* 4 winners got AMG movie poster
* 2 winners got the manbow vest
* 1 winner got Kikuko 2001 calendar
* 1 winner got the @manbow Matsuri Mihata (flag)

2 young female assistants were helping Kikuko and Takumi for 
the present corner.  They both wore @manbow vest.

Curtain closed again.  All the audience clap hands but nobody 
shouted anything.  One of the staff standing in the hall 
looked around and started shouting "An-Ko-Re" (encore) ^_^;;

Onee-chan came out again and said that she was very worry 
because no one wanted an encore.  ^_^;;;;

Kikuko then talked for quite a while about Hou-chan, her 
daughter.

Kikuko and Takumi and both assistants then show the audience
how to do the 'Dendendenden-dendendenden-denchipa' gesture and 
shout.  ^_^;

Kikuko then sang 'Ganbatte Makenaide'.

The event ended at around 15:35.

--
'CuSO4' Yung
cuso4@cuso4.com, cuso4@manbow.com, chyung@hknet.com, cuso4@cuso4.org