Man Oh Man! I can now die a Happy Man

The Autograph Session 7/4

I got to the convention center at 6am for an autograph session that began at 11am and that was the average time fans were getting in line. Some of the Japanese Wota were waiting in line since 2am that morning and were first in line. What they didn't realize though is that they needed a yellow priority ticket which was given out on Thursday which they ended up using for Thursdays autograph session (which I got shafted on) and this would come back to bite them in the ass later on. Met some other cool Hello Project fans of all ages and yes we come in all age and genders and not just older male perverts...well not all of us. The time came closer as they led us all inside to wait around 9am and they started to separate those who had priority yellow tickets from those who didn't. Whereas I was 70th in line when I did a headcount earlier I had moved all the way up to #46 with the cheats weeded out. Felt bad for the Japanese wotas though, they had to have a translator give them the bad news and they were obviously pissed. I thought one of them was gonna go yell banzai and charge the line to get in anyway. Word has it later that some of the J-Wotas cried. Sitting pretty at #46 I started to take pity on of the J-Wotas who had obviously flown all the way from Japan and despite the fact he already got in on Thursday autograph session felt bad he was getting shafted out of this one. So a friend had an extra priority ticket and so I asked him if he would mind giving it to me so I could give it to the J-Wota and he agreed. Below is the J-Wota in question. Come on, who wouldn't take pity on a grown man willing to dress up as Stitch in public all the way from Japan.





















So I walk up to him and give him the ticket and have the translator tell him its just for him and that he should wait in the Priority Line since he wouldn't have a chance in hell waiting in Standby which is where he and his J-Wota buddies were in. Instead he wanted to bring his whole posse in line which was kaboshed and in the end he never bothered joining the line but just hung out with his buddies and missed out on getting an autograph. Damn, if that was me I would take that yellow ticket and get my ass in line asap. Oh well, his loss.

The anticipation grew in the room as it got ever so closer to 11am and I had the chance to mingle with some other hardcore J-Wotas who put my fandom to shame. This dude who had attended 2 Dozen Hello Project concerts and gotten multiple photos and even a letter from Sayumi Michishige herself. Lucky bastard!















Hey Sputnik, anyway of having your wife translate this. Would be much appreciated! Very curious to see what Sayumi writes to her fans. Anyways moving on, the time was getting ever so closer. I had a friend take a photo of me but not going to upload coz I look like such a geek hehe.
Then the moment arrived it was shortly after 11am and they announced they were letting people in 2 or 3 at a time. The energy and anticipation was insane. Everyone around me was geeking out holding their MM merchandise ready to get signed. I was just one room away from myself and the idols who let me just be frank I have been obsessed with the last 3 years or so. How would I react? How would I act? Would I lose it and start crying like a J-Wota who got booted from the beginning of a line? They called in number #44 and #45 and I was next in line...btw they told everyone that if they even thought about taking a photo they would be booted jk. They were pretty adamant about no photos or video once inside that room coz if they caught you with one while in the autograph room you would be escorted out, have the device confiscated and then have your pass revoked. I wasn't even gonna risk an audio recording on my lil Sansa Clip device. They they called in #46......

Inside the Autograph Session

The big moment had arrived and I definitely wanna put this down since I'm already forgetting some of the things said cause its starting to feel like one happiness overload blur.

I walked into the room where Morning Musume themselves were sitting down signing autographs. Two people were ahead of me and damn I was getting so nervous. I caught a glimpse of Ai Takahashi who thank god decided to dye her hair
jet black and she looked freaking stunning. One person was now ahead of me and I did a quick recap of my mind of what i wanted to say to each girl knowing full well that I would probably forget when I was in the moment of standing in front of each one face to face. The staff member then motioned to me and it was my turn! Holy shit!

I took one step towards her and said "Ai-Chan. Hi!" and there I was standing in front of Ai Takahashi and she smiled at me and she said out loud accented "Hi" with a huge smile and my nervousness was gone just like that. It reminded me so much of how I act before a job interview. Nervous like hell beforehand but as soon as it starts I become calm, confident and collected. You dudes have no idea how beautiful this gal is. Sputnik those pictures you saw of her pale in comparison to her in person, as hot as they are they don't do her full justice. I asked her how
she is doing and she said "Fine" with that hot accent. I said something else to her too but I just don't remember and no it wasn't if she would come back to my hotel room hehe. She finished signing my poster and I confidently shook her hand (smelling hand still) and I thanked her and she continued smiling. She just radiated happiness and it felt so authentic and didn't feel forced at all. Reminded me of a conversation I had with a business dude the night before who was working with Hello Project this trip. I asked him how are these girls demeanor and he said its
not an act that these girls are truly bundles of joy and enthusiasm. Those words reverberated through my head after I let go of Ai-Chan's hand and moved onto the next gal, Risa Niigaki another one of my faves from the group. We said hello to each other and then both did one of her signature moves she does. Man she is such a cutie and lived up to my expectations of her. Moved onto the next gal Eri Kamei. Holy chow this chick is freakin' gorgeous.

Eri

I tried to get her to repeat a line from a famous episode on their TV show from a few years back but its true what people say about her. Shes rather forgetful and didn't know what I was trying to say haha. I told her it's ok and she pointed to herself and said "Mobaka" twice which I guess saying that she is dumb to which I said "No, No, No" as we both laughed out loud. Shook her hand too as we smiled at each other and moved onto my fave of all time Sayumi Michishige.

In the words of HR's Decade...DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMN! "Sayumi" I said out loud with an unusual swagger "Hi" and she smiled back at me and said "Hi" in that cute voice I've grown so accustomed too. I asked her how she was doing and she said "Fine". "Happy Birthday from Australia" I told her out loud as I shook her hand and her eyes lit up. "Oh thankyou, thankyou" she happily replied and said to me "I'm 20" with a heavy accent. For some stupid reason I then though that I would ask her in Australian English when in July her birthday is to which she didn't know what to say. I mean even you dudes have problems with what I say sometimes so not sure what was running through my head when I asked her that expected her to understand. We moved past that quickly though and I said a grateful thankyou to her again and happy birthday and shook her hand for a second time and without getting mushy our eyes met as we both smiled at each other. She has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen on a gal. They are just so warm, caring and big! twss hehe. Seriously, Im such a sucker. She's not only extremely cute but so damn pretty too. This only re-affirmed her as being my fave of all time. I was literally going gaga at this point. I had to break away from looking at her while she looked at me after a few seconds because I didn't want to come off as being a geeked out fanboy (which I am). I got ready to move on to Reina Tanaka but still had the feeling she was looking at me after a few seconds and then looked back at her and she was still looking at me with those big eyes and amazing smile to which I smiled back and quickly looked away again. She must have been checking me out HAHA...hey I can dream right fellas. For some reason I felt a bit awkward for a second, the inner wota was on the verge of coming out but I put a lid on it. On the verge of just telling her your the best, Ichiban Kawaii des, the cutest etc etc...

Onto the rest of the gals who I love, but not as much as the first four I had just met. It was such an amazing experience to meet the girls in the flesh. Strangely enough, I wasn't overwhelmed as I thought I would be, it was more like I was meeting old friends, people who I knew already. I guess thats what happens when one is watching Hello Project shows/concerts quite a bit. My only regret is that I dont speak Japanese which prevented me from saying what I really wanted to say to the each gals and also that I didn't prepare gifts for them. Only after the fact all these genius ideas are hitting me like getting Sayumi a Pappy and Harriets hat for her b-day. I seriously thought about giving her mine, but mine was used. Man im such a geek.




















The above set was given them to a guy who just wanted one of the gals signatures with a card that he had but didn't want to be rude to the others. So I told him hey, have them sign these cards of mine and you can keep Reina's (the one he wanted). Worked out fine except genius didn't allow enough time for two of the gals signatures to dry off and so they smeared :-( Damn it had to be Sayumi's too. The punk also took off with one of the other members cards without telling me since I didn't look until he took off though its no less since she's one of my least faves. Was gonna take a piccie of the poster I got signed but that sucker is gonna remain in its tube till I get back to Utah yo's. Man I still gotta cover the concert itself which was f***in awesome and the Hello Project Party I went to and was surrounded by other hardcore fans. Gonna get ready and head back to the Con before the streets get packed with MJ freaks at the Staples Center. Looks like Morning Musume has already left back for Japan though. At the second autograph session I asked Ai-Chan if they were planning on hitting Disneyland and she said they didn't have time and we both shared an awwww moment as I said sorry to her about that. Did I mention how much hotter she is in real life?