The First MNL48 Fan Meet and Conference

I just attended MNL48’s fan meetup held in the Movie Stars Cafe in Seaside Boulevard, MOA. I know, I know, it seems strange for a group that has yet to hold auditions to have a fan meeting. But this is different. In fact, I’ve never heard of anything quite like it.

For starters, everyone present in the venue are fans of AKB48. Whether they may be old-timers or fairly new ones like me. Everyone was wondering what event was all about and what in the world would we do for the three hours we will be there. I’m sure the promise of goodies and the possibility – however remote – that there would be a video message of some kind from AKB48 are enough for any fan to stand in line in the heat of noon….which is exactly what we did.

The truth is, the event turned out to be worth more than we bargained for. There weren’t any “surprises”, no member suddenly appearing, no video message even. The event was all about getting input from us, the fans, about how MNL48 should be formed and run, even getting to such minute details such as theater ticket prices.

And that’s big, because the J-idol concept is virtually unknown in this country. We know the songs, we’ve read about the experiences of other fans, but Filipinos have never really dealt with such a merchandise-oriented industry.

Sitting inside the Movie Stars Cafe was a blessing after standing in the heat for almost an hour. We had unlimited iced tea, and I get to meet three individuals who I sat with for the next three hours. My social skills were never really great, but it was a nice feeling to know I won’t be sitting alone.

The event opened with a janken game (inspired by AKB’s Janken Taikai, no doubt) with four winners getting to take home light sticks. After which, snacks were served while we were treated to music videos first of AKB48’s latest single, then videos of performances by Team 8 and Matsui Jurina. Most of the food weren’t touched during this period as a lot of the fans did chants during the video…probably the closest thing they’d have to a live performance in a long time.

After the video, the real event started. Various topics were talked about ranging from the theme of MNL48. to costume designs, to ticket prices, and, of course, the auditions.

I can’t go into details the things that were discussed. I can only comment on how passionate the fans are based on their inputs. You sense the feeling that they want this to succeed despite the odds. Since I’ve officially been a fan for only less than a year, I didn’t join in on the discussions. But a good number did participate and a great number of the ideas shared were actually pretty reasonable.

I haven’t heard of an entertainment producer asking input from the fans regarding how the group should be formed and maintained. That Hallohallo Entertainment took the time to organize this for the fans speaks volumes to their commitment to this project.

Towards the end, notable personages in Mr Noriaki Terada of AKS, Yasunari Okada, CEO of Hallohallo Inc addressed the crowd and while they can’t divulge details regarding the audition, they nevertheless expressed their appreciation to the fans as well as excitement regarding the future of MNL48.

While only five lucky guys got the coveted Day 1 pass (meaning they get a guarranteed ticket to watch the first performance of MNL48 whenever that may be), none of us left empty-handed. We got freebies! From a paper bag with the MNL48 logo, to the cool mug, pin and baller ID. Why is that significant? Well, I just took home MNL48’s first ever merchandise. Official AKS merchandise. I’m usually more of a user than a preserver when it comes to merchandise, but I think I’ll preserve this one for posterity.

I once wrote that we had to be open-minded regarding MNL48. After attending the first MNL48 fan-meeting and conference, I’m happy to find out that not only are fans open to it, they’re actually passionate about it.

And speaking of passion, props to that guy who danced with the light sticks in front (not sure if that’s wotagei or not), as well as those who did the chants during the songs. That’s passion for you.

Points:
* I liked the ambiance inside the Movie Stars Cafe. I really want to get back some day.
* MSC has their own AKB48. And they look like dolls. They are professional performers.
* MNL48’s producer is Paolo Kurosawa. He produces the shows in MSC.