Since moving to Japan, I haven’t really felt the same driving interest to watch or follow NMB. I alluded to it in my personal blog. I just didn’t know why I didn’t care as much as I used to do, and I kept looking for reasons for why that is. Was it because I could get my cultural fill of Japan by just going outside? Did I actually want to get on with my life, or something?
Well, yesterday I attended NMB Request Hour Set List Best 100 2015. (Wow, what a title.) For the day concert, I had decent seats where I could clearly make out which girls were performing, and it was kinda weird because during one of the MC sessions they used the substage which we were really close to, and everyone sat down except for Andy and me, because we were just so close. And it was kind of a cool feeling because you actually felt like you could say stuff and they’d notice.
The other thing is that attending the concert with Andy made for much better hype than normal .Everyone around us seemed like they were bored and robotic and did not get into it at all, and then there was us getting hype and jumping when we weren’t supposed to and screaming cheers for the girls and everything. I really like that atmosphere, and that’s something I learned from attending concerts with my friends RJ and Boy back in LA.
The night show wasn’t as great. The seats were way in the back, and I had to purchase a ticket online from some dude who just left me because he probably had better seats. The difference was like day and night, being able to get hyped with friends up front is completely different from just sitting in the back by yourself. It was still cool to be a part of the audience but I’d just have to wait till the concert finished to actually share thoughts with someone else about what just happened.
But honestly, I can’t get enough of how helpful everyone is in our little English-speaking niche NMB community. It feels like everyone has different goals but we’re all helping each other out to meet those goals. Andy and Jo helped hooked me up with tickets and I paid them back in Kobe beef. I just keep looking at all the friends I’ve made and I just keep thinking about how everyone really tries to help everyone enjoy what they got while also pursuing what they want. This is what I really like in a community and with friends in general, and this is what makes it so hard to tear myself away and quit NMB.
It’s also why I really like and endorse the community whenever I have the chance. Even people who don’t have Japanese ability still find ways to contribute somehow, it’s so much more enjoyable being a fan here.
So yeah, just a minor post about how I’m back for now. And how we’re awesome. And if you ever want to do anything or don’t know what there is to do, we’ll help you out. Maybe this generosity will rub off on you and you can help give back to the community too.