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Coming up with lyrics for SCANDAL's new song (?) "NAGOYA"!

Season 2, Episode 86 blog

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HARUNA: This time... We'd like to do "Now, please give it a listen... SCANDAL's song 'NAGOYA.'"

RINA: Is that the title??

HARUNA: Yes.

RINA: So that's how it is.

HARUNA: I see, I see.

HARUNA: As you can probably tell if you've listened to past episodes, we, SCANDAL, have a song called "TOKYO," and we thought we'd ask listeners to come up with a "NAGOYA" version of it...

TOMOMI: We originally had a song called "TOKYO," and after that we released a song called "OSAKA" that parodied ourselves. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to have "NAGOYA" as well.

HARUNA: But I thought that having a "NAGOYA" song isn't necessary...

TOMOMI: (*Momentarily lost in thought) Why? Because you're from there? You like Nagoya, don't you?

HARUNA: I love it, I love it. I totally love it.

TOMOMI: Well, you love it, but you and MAMI are both timid. So, since a listener suggested that we should make "NAGOYA," we've received a lot of provisional lyrics for it.

RINA: That's awesomeー

HARUNA: It is! You guys...

RINA: They're able to write lyrics.

HARUNA: They really thought about it...

RINA: Thank you!

TOMOMI: It's amazing!

Staff: We really did get a lot of provisional lyrics.

RINA: I'm curiousー

TOMOMI: Let's introduce them. This is from the person who suggested that we should write "NAGOYA."

Staff: First, please introduce the lyrics of the original song "TOKYO."

HARUNA: Read them??

MAMI: You mean read them aloud?

TOMOMI: The melody does sound like it's being read.

HARUNA: Yeah, maybe. Well, let's go.

Tokyo no ame wa totemo samui to
Oshiete kureta mishiranu ojisan
"Ore mo wakakerya, mou ichido"
Sou yume wo katatta mishiranu ojisan

Saikin no ko wa nani kangaeteiru ka nante
Sonna no wakaranai
"Hima nara ocha shiyou" to koe kakeru
Ojisan no hou ga imi wakannai desu

An older man I'd never met before
Told me that the rain in Tokyo is really cold
"If I only I could be young again..."
The stranger told me about his dreams

I don't know
What kids these days are thinking
"Why don't we go out for tea one day when you're free?"
He's the one who's making no sense

RINA: This is the first verse.

MAMI: It is the first.

RINA: Scary!

MAMI: No, really... (*beep)

RINA: That's really it.

HARUNA: Something close to that...

TOMOMI: We shouldn't touch on that, but it's a song with that kind of "message."

MAMI: Yes, surprisingly so.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 85

•The episode starts with this.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who first encountered SCANDAL when "Shoujo S" was the opening song for Bleach. That was when they were in elementary school. They say that next month they're getting married to someone who was their junior in middle school, and they'll be playing "Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto," "Shunkan Sentimental," and "Yoake no Ryuuseigun." They'll also be adding "Kinenbi" as a surprise for their wife. The band congratulates them and hopes that it's a good ceremony.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener whose message is all over the place. They first say, "Is it just me, or do you also always not watch the last episode of an anime or drama series because you don't want it to end? I've just reached the 111th episode of 'Catch up,' but I've just realized I have about 130 more left to go." The band laughs. They also say stuff like they love how the band puts real emotions and situations into their songs. They also mention that they had a big heartbreak this past June. The band laughs again at this sudden change in the message. The listener says that they've been able to recover by listening to SCANDAL songs. MAMI says that they surprisingly have a lot of heartbreak and love songs. RINA says she wants them listen to "OVER" and laughs. MAMI goes, "What??" HARU says that that would hit them hard. RINA asks if it would cut deep. MAMI says it would. TOMO says that there are people who, when they're sad, want to listen to sad songs, and people who want to listen to upbeat songs that have nothing to do with heartbreak. MAMI says that if you're listening to breakup songs and crying, it means they really hit you, and they want to listen to songs that make them feel that. TOMO says that time heals. MAMI mentions their song "Ai ni Naranakatta no sa," and RINA says that would cut deep.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener who basically says that they have been a fan for a while but only joined the fan club last year and was looking forward to MANIA-only concerts, but they found out this spring they were pregnant and were not able to attend the MANIA tour. The band congratulates them, hopes that they'll come and see them live once thing settle down again, and that they hope they have a safe delivery.

•HARU reads the next message from a listener who says that as of October 22nd, they finished listening to all episodes of "Catch up" season 1. They first started listening on August 21st, so it took them about 2 months. TOMO says that that must mean that they attended Karaoke NIGHT where the band said to listen to the program, so they were quick to respond to that; they likely started listening to it on the way home. They say it's impressive that they listened to all season 1 episodes in that relatively short time span.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who attended the Osaka and Nagoya performances of the MANIA tour. They say that listening now to the songs they used to hear at concerts when they were a student really makes them feel more emotional, now that they're a working adult, married, and raising a family. They also appreciate being able to listen to this program when doing housework and looking after their kid. They say that the listener's working really hard and even still going to concerts. RINA says that that married couple makes a good team.

•They then close out the episode. HARU mentions that they have some Yan Yan, which TOMO loves. TOMO says yes, and that today is Yan Yan Day (November 11th, since Yan Yan sticks resemble the number 1). She also says that a big shot at Meiji happened to have a container of Yan Yan in their bag by chance (most likely Ohno). HARU says that they probably put it in their bag, thinking of how the episode being recorded today would be broadcast on November 11th. TOMO says that's not "by chance" then, even though the person said it was, which makes the band laugh. They also announce their upcoming concerts, which includes BEST Xmas. HARU wonders what'll happen this year, and that they need to start thinking about it soon. RINA says that they need to make a plan, and that the merch this time is really cute.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

What kind of person is program writer Ohno-san?

Season 2, Episode 85 blog

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HARUNA: This time, we'll just be reading messages! We've received so many... And they're all long ones…

RINA: Thank you!

Yurina

The recent "Catch Up" public recording was so much fun! It was my first time going to Shibuya Sakura Stage, and I got really lost. I didn't expect that I would have to cut through a bookstore to get to NOT FOUND.

When I finally arrived, the first thing I thought was, "Wait, only 48 people were selected?!" I was so happy that I was chosen against such high odds.

Unlike a live concert, there are fewer people, so I was feeling a little lonely without my friends, when suddenly someone wearing a black MANIA t-shirt passed by in front of me...! They looked at me, and we made eye contact. Even though it was our first time meeting, it felt like we connected through our love for SCANDAL. We exchanged a respectful nod like we had known each other forever. After that, they stayed and chatted with me for a bit! I came from Chiba, but that person was from Aichi! How amazing! They were so kind, and I was really happy to meet them.

After the fun public recording ended and I was heading to the bathroom to leave, I ran into Ohno-san and thought, "Oh! It's Ohno-san!" I waved at him for some reason, and he earnestly replied, "Thanks for your hard work." That was the highlight of my day.

RINA: Wow, I can totally imagine thatー.

TOMOMI: That's Ohno-san for you…

RINA: Exactly.

TOMOMI: Really. Even at the end of a concert, when you say to him, "Ah, thanks for coming to the show," he doesn't say things like, "Ah, that's right..." or "Ah, good work!" He just starts talking right away.

MAMI: Yeah, he'll just jump right into saying, "Well, today..."

TOMOMI: It's never a greeting. It's a conversation from the start.
(*Looking outside the booth) Ah, he's arrived!

HARUNA: Speak of the devil...

TOMOMI: The very late, very late man!

RINA: Super late!

HARUNA: We're already recording the second episode.

RINA: I thought he wasn't coming anymore.

TOMOMI: He didn't make it in time for the first one.

(*Ohno, entering the studio: "Sorry...")

HARUNA: We were just talking about you, Ohno-san.

RINA: Did you meet any fans at the public recording??

(Ohno: "I met them... but I shouldn't be too friendly.")

RINA: But I'm glad. It seems like people recognize Ohno-san's face perfectly.

MAMI: That's true.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 84

•The episode starts with this.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who says that they became a fan about 5 years ago after a co-worker introduced them to SCANDAL, and their first concert of theirs was the joint concert with SiM. They also both attended the Osaka performance of the MANIA tour. Since the listener was first introduced to SCANDAL, they've loved the song "OVER" and kept telling their coworker that they really wanted to hear it live someday. When the band talked about the tour's concept during the MC, they both got excited and wondered if "OVER" would be played, but never expected it to actually happen. They also say that the medley of that with "Awanai" was also perfect. HARU says that she's glad the band worked hard to memorize playing all the songs. TOMO comments on how two ways of shortening "Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne" are "AwaTsumo" (referring to how I shortened it in my message lol) and "Awanai" (referring to how this listener did it). She says that the band uses "Awanai" while it seems like most fans shorten it as "AwaTsumo." It doesn't matter which one you call it, but there do seem to be different ways to call it. The band laughs at this. HARU says that if the band starts shortening a song from the beginning, then it kind of catches on. TOMO gives examples like "ShunSen" (Shunkan Sentimental), "TaiKimi" (Taiyou to Kimi ga Egaku STORY), "TaiScan" (Taiyou Scandalous). She then comments on how they got into SCANDAL through the joint concert with SiM, and says that it would have been unthinkable 10 years ago for SCANDAL to have a joint concert with SiM.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who attended the Tokyo performance and says that they were really happy they got to hear songs like "GIRLism" and "Graduation." TOMO says that the setlist was half made up of songs that they hadn't played in a while, which is why they're getting a lot of people saying that there are many that they heard live for the first time. She says it was definitely worth the effort for the band to memorize all those songs, which was pretty tough. MAMI says that they didn't remember how they played those songs back then, so they had to open up their old score books and look at them while practicing. HARU says that they also watched past live footage. TOMO says that while there were a lot of songs that they hadn't played in a while, there are still much more like them. RINA says they're the "shade" songs. TOMO says that when you've been playing concerts for a long time, certain songs become setlist staples, which are songs they know will make the crowd go wild. But due to that, of course, some songs get dropped from the setlist. That's why getting to play them occasionally like on a MANIA tour is nice and rewarding for the band as well. HARU says that you immediately know it was worth it when you see how the audience reacts. TOMO says that it's only tough during rehearsals and laughs. RINA says that once you get through that, it's all worth it. MAMI says that it feels like they're tightening the noose around their own necks about 50% of the way. The band laughs.

•RINA says that during rehearsals, there were so many songs that brought back memories. She also thought it was amazing to see how everyone's leveled up [in their instrument-playing abilities]. HARU says that she definitely thought the same. MAMI says that she thinks they worked really hard back when they were in their teens and early twenties. She looks back now and thinks, "How did we even play this stuff back then?" RINA laughs and says they were moving their hands so fast. TOMO says that she couldn't believe it. For a few songs, after listening to them she thought, "No way we performed these live," and then she'd watch live footage and see them actually playing those songs. They laugh. TOMO says she really wants to praise them from back then. RINA says that they didn't realize how difficult it all was at the time, which is why it's kind of scary to look back now. HARU says that they can do it all now, which they all agree with. RINA says that they've gotten better. MAMI says that they can now understand what they're doing and how to play their songs. TOMO says that actually, now that they can move around more during performances, they can make some things simpler and even sometimes do less complex stuff now than they did back then--it's been a learning experience. The band laughs. HARU says that they're learning from their past selves. MAMI says that there were also some discoveries, like finding out she did stuff that she didn't know she was able to do back then. RINA says that MAMI said things like, "There's no way I was able to play this phrase while harmonizing," but when she watched live footage, she was actually doing it. MAMI says this has been such a learning experience.

•RINA reads the last message from a listener who attended the Tokyo performance and says that they were overflowing with nostalgia and happiness hearing SCANDAL perform "Very Special" and "Shining Sun." RINA says that older songs do carry a lot of memories for everyone, which was one of the strengths of this tour. TOMO says that only a small number of people could attend this tour due to it being at smaller venues, and she does wish that a lot of people had been able to see it. RINA says that the small venues, however, made for such intense atmospheres, and that she's glad they went to Quattro venues instead of larger Zepp ones. HARU says that it have a special feeling to it. RINA says that they didn't even perform "Shunkan Sentimental" this time. MAMI says that it was played as background music at the very end of the shows + while the band was walking off stage. RINA says that despite the band not being there anymore, everyone sang along as the song played with even their lighting crew taking part. MAMI says that this was their first time doing this, since they usually play their latest song as background music. RINA says that they watched it on the monitors backstage. TOMO says that during rehearsals they talked about how they weren't performing ShunSen and decided to make it the ending BGM, which turned out to be the right decision. RINA says they don't often get to listen to the recorded track for ShunSen and realized things like, "Oh, this is how the song starts, and this is what our voices sounded like then." It made her happy that the performances were completed even without ShunSen. TOMO says that that's the special thing about MANIA tours. MAMI says that their debut tour back in 2009 went around to Quattro venues, so to come full circle, even getting a Guinness World Record and heading towards their 20th anniversary, made them feel very emotional.

•RINA then brings up how October for them was very busy with lots of concerts for them. They were pumped up and ready to go even before the month started. HARU says that she was really scared, which makes RINA and MAMI laugh. TOMO says that the festivals they appeared at were so different from each other, from relaxed ones to more intense ones, which they had to adjust for. MAMI mentions that HARU also had a solo performance. TOMO says that this honestly might have been the busiest they've been in terms of live performances, and never thought that there would be so many events in autumn. They say that it was still hot and still felt like summer up until the Muginotoki festival, where it suddenly felt like autumn. They wonder if there might be fewer summer festivals in the future and more autumn ones. They again say that they worked really hard for this past month and then clap. HARU says that she was really worried whether she'd be able to keep her focus through everything. Every single show was important, but she was worried that at some point, she'd get so tired that she'd lose her focus without even realize it. But looking back, she's glad that they were able to give their best at every show. TOMO says that in between shows they'd record for "Catch up" as well as "Wednesday SCANDAL" for their fan club, etc. She was worried how they'd handle the gap, but she's really proud of how they managed it. RINA says that they've matured a lot.

•HARU says there's something that she wanted to mention about Nagoya. They had talked about Yummy in a previous episode, but it didn't get much of a reaction at the Nagoya show. RINA says that it means the fans didn't listen to "Catch up." TOMO agrees and RINA laughs and says that their program staff will get angry. HARU says that they explained where Yummy was located, and some people did say that they went there before the show, but it wasn't as many as she had expected. RINA says that a staffer of theirs asked the band five days ahead of time what they wanted to eat at Yummy. She laughs and she + TOMO say that they asked way too early. They again say how they gave it their all this October, and they know the people who came to see them did as well and thank them.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

SCANDAL @ Rhythmic Toy World Presents 「Gangu Taisen 2024」

1. Shunkan Sentimental
   
2. Shoujo S
   
3. Saishuuheiki, Kimi
   
4. Anata e
   
5. Take Me Out
   
6. A.M.D.K.J.
   
7. LOVE SURVIVE
   

SCANDAL: 「【 Thank you!!! 】

2024.11.09
Rhythmic Toy World Presents「Gangu Taisen 2024」
at Tokorozawa Sakura Town, Japan Pavilion, Hall A

1. Shunkan Sentimental
2. Shoujo S
3. Saishuuheiki, Kimi
4. Anata e
5. Take Me Out
6. A.M.D.K.J.
7. LOVE SURVIVE」

TOMOMI: 『Rhythmic Toy World Presents「Gangu Taisen 2024」, thanks so much🫶

Rhythmic's performance was so cool!
Again, congrats on your 15th anniversary

We're both bands that have been around for a long time, but this was our first time we'd ever played a joint concert together properly, which made me really happy〜

Today's performance of "Anata e" was special』

HARUNA: 『Rhythmic Toy World Presents「Gangu Taisen 2024」
We were so happy to be invited to this wonderful event by way of the production of "Anata e"!
It was such a warm day, with a view and joy that we were able to see because we've been around for so long,,
Again, congrats on your 15th anniversary, Rhythmic
Your performance was amazing!!』

RINA: 「Gangu Taisen 2024! Rhythmic, congrats on your 15th anniversary! We were so happy to be invited to such an important day. It was such a great day with nothing but bands that have had long careers, and where you could see the bond between them and the audience. So much fun and so moving. Everyone overcame so many hardships to play live today. I really love bands that communicate with their hearts. Today's performance of "Anata e" was so awesome and special! Thank you so much︎⟡.·」

RINA: 「Each performer was asked to handdraw toys they used to play with as a child and to send it over when ready so that it could be printed on merch. When we looked at the merch today, we were embarrassed to realize we were the only ones who wrote our names on them. We were apparently also by far the first to submit them( ◜ᴗ◝ ) Lovely」

Taking a look back at the MANIA tour where we opened up past scores and watched our own live footage for the first time in a while!

Season 2, Episode 84 blog

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HARUNA: It's already November...

TOMOMI: Time fliesー.

HARUNA: It really doesー.

RINA: It goes so fast.

TOMOMI: It's already the end of the year, isn't it? Yeah, you could say it's the end of the year.

HARUNA: We were just talking about summer festivals the other day...

RINA: That's right.

TOMOMI: Summer just took over too much!

HARUNA: It jumped right into autumn.

TOMOMI: It was almost like there was no autumn at all.

HARUNA: It's getting more and more like that every year.

TOMOMI: That's dangerous.

HARUNA: It's gotten so cold all of a sudden...
So, this time, we'll be doing "A maniacal look back at our recent concerts, with a focus on the MANIA tour"!

RINA: That's a long title.

HARUNA: Recently, we finished our fan club tour...

We call it a "MANIA tour" because our fan club is called "SCANDAL MANIA."

We started off in Osaka on October 8th, then went to Nagoya on the 9th, and Tokyo on the 22nd. We know there were many people who couldn't make it due to the size of the venues, so we'd like to look back on the tour while also introducing some of the messages we've received. First up, we have one from Los Angeles!

Jade

Good evening, SCANDAL! I attended the Light & Shade Osaka and Nagoya shows with my husband.

I'm glad I finally got to attend a MANIA tour! I also hadn't been able to attend most of the past domestic album tours, so hearing songs like "GIRLism" and "Orange Juice" live was really refreshing and made me very happy. The standard live songs during the second half were also really exciting! I felt that the flow from "Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne" to "Take Me Out" was particularly intense.

In Osaka, we unbelievably got single-digit tickets from a friend and were able to go to the front row! When the concert ended, TOMO-chan was passing out her Kakogawa Tourism Ambassador business cards from the stage. I was so surprised when she went straight to my husband and gave him the first card! He's still super happy. When we got home, we put the card into a plastic sleeve for safekeeping (laughs).

Thanks so much for the awesome memories! Also, thanks so much for posting a photo of the moment the card was handed over on the band's Instagram!

I'm not sure yet when the next concert we'll be able to go to is, but I hope we can see each other again soon on a Japan tour or overseas tour! And please come back to LA again anytime!

TOMOMI: Jade has been supporting us from the US since the early days.

HARUNA: She's been a fan for over 10 years. And TOMO did give out some business cards.

TOMOMI: I became a "Kakogawa Tourism Ambassador," and since we had a concert the next day, I thought I'd give out some business cards.

HARUNA: Brand new business cards, right?

TOMOMI: Yeah, brand new.

HARUNA: That must have made for a great memory.

https://audee.jp/news/show/127591

#front-page #catchup

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Thanks for reading my message, guys!  


Also, here's the photo of TOMO handing us the business card lol

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 83

•The episode starts with this.

•HARU says that there are two choices they seem to be thinking of. TOMO says that what she's thinking of is something that, if you were to draw a picture of Shibuya, it would be on there. RINA says that both would be on it. MAMI goes, "What??" The audience laughs in background. RINA says that she thinks that what she and HARU are struggling to pick which to go with are similar. HARU agrees. MAMI says that a famous spot in Shibuya would be this. RINA again says that there are two of them. MAMI says that there's only one typical one that was mentioned earlier. RINA again says that there were two mentioned. HARU says that they'll just reveal their answers now. TOMO and MAMI seem to have written down the Hachiko statue, while RINA and HARU seem to have written down Shibuya 109. They do one more round and this time all write down Hachiko.

•TOMO then asks if they'll then be doing Smental with the audience included, and asks if everyone has something to write with. HARU says they don't, and that they'll be answering the prompt in their minds. The prompt is: "An autumn-like hiragana character." The band decides that the audience will be determining their answers based on what the band will discuss. RINA asks if they feel that autumn is a bit more feather-like or rounded. HARU goes, "What??" TOMO says that it gives off a 'starting to dry out' image.' RINA says that it has a slightly sharp image as well. HARU goes, "Sharp??" MAMI says that when she thinks of autumn, she thinks of the color orange and things like sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and chestnuts; and how she feels when she sees those colors. RINA laughs and says this is difficult. MAMI says that there's an increase in warm foods, like sweet potatoes. RINA says, "Warm and steamy (ほっこり; hokkori)?" MAMI says yes, and when you start to eat these foods, this is the character you'd think of. HARU again goes, "What??" and laughs. RINA then says that she's got it and can match what MAMI's saying. HARU says that she doesn't get it. TOMO says that she gets it. HARU says that she's the only one that doesn't get it. They keep trying to explain to HARU but she still doesn't know which character they could be talking about at all. TOMO then mentions that it feels very Japanese. HARU still doesn't get it but says she'll try giving an answer. MAMI asks if she's feeling confident in her answer. HARU says no, and then asks TOMO to try and hide her written answer a little better. Everyone laughs and TOMO apologizes, asking if HARU saw it. HARU says no, but she's been trying really hard not to look at it for a while now.

•They then ask the audience to say their answers outloud while the band reveals theirs. Most of the audience + seemingly 3 band members say "ほ; ho" while HARU says "わ; wa." They laugh and HARU says that it's incredible that most said "ho." TOMO asks why HARU said "wa." HARU says she thinks might have been tripped up by what TOMO said about it feeling "very Japanese" (和; wa = Japanese-style). They ask who in the audience also answered "wa," and about 5 people raise their hands. They then ask how many answered "ho," and about 80% raise their hands. HARU says that's impressive and that she didn't get it at all, and that she's also really bad at hiragana and katakana.

•The next prompt is: "If you were to name a wizard's item..." TOMO says that there are really only about 3 choices that come to mind. RINA says that she can think of one right off the bat. HARU says she has one as well. MAMI says she also does, but also thinks that some people might have 2 that come to mind. RINA asks HARU what kind of thing comes to mind. TOMO says that it's likely Harry Potter related. HARU says yes, but it's not just HP related, and also that it's something that's absolutely needed in everyday life. TOMO goes, "Oh, that's the angle you're going with?" MAMI and RINA are confused by this. TOMO says that if it's something that wizards need, it's a bit hard to narrow down, and then asks HARU if Muggles can use it in their everyday life. HARU laughs and says they can't use it. TOMO seems to get it, RINA asks if it's something used daily. HARU laughs and says that she doesn't use it, though. TOMO says that HARU does use it when she goes to Universal Studios Japan. RINA seems to get it and says that what she's thinking of is probably the same. TOMO says that it can be displayed. HARU says that she does have one. RINA says that means she uses it on a daily basis, then. HARU laughs again and says that she doesn't use it everyday but does have one. RINA asks the audience if they have something in mind, and a lot of people seem to nod their heads. RINA says that her answer might be vague, and TOMO says that there are different ways to say this word. RINA asks HARU if you often see it paired with the word "magic," which HARU says yes to. TOMO says that they'll try to match the word that HARU is thinking of, since she's a representative of wizards. HARU laughs and says that sounds funny. RINA says that she hasn't seem many magic-related works. MAMI says that she has seen HP, though. HARU says that it's easy to buy as a piece of merchandise. TOMO says that's a good hint, and RINA says that she probably does have the same answer.

•They ask the audience to say their answers while the band reveals theirs. They all answer "wand," with a few differences in wording (they don't say what they are, but it could be that some said "wand" while others said "tsue [杖; wand in Japanese]"). RINA says that that was the only wizard-related word she could think of. Ohno then says that time's up. TOMO says that they could do this segment forever. HARU reads a prompt that they didn't get to: "3 [Japanese] characters that sound cute together." RINA says that "omochi" is cute, which HARU agrees with.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

---

*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

---

#front-page #catchup

Doing "Smental" during the public recording! Is it possible for a large group of people to get on the same page?

Season 2, Episode 83 blog

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HARUNA: Our "SCANDAL MANIA TOUR" successfully concluded the other day! Thank you to everyone who participated.

All: Thank you!

HARUNA: We're curious to hear everyone's thoughts, so please send them in. We'll introduce them later.

Now, continuing from last time, we'll be bringing you the public recording of "Catch up" that took place at the "TOKYO FM Listener Appreciation Festival 2024" on October 19th!

We welcomed listeners selected by lottery, and recorded at the newly opened SHIBUYA SAKURA STAGE.404 NOT FOUND in Shibuya! Now, please give it a listen!

---

HARUNA: We were thinking about doing a project that is unique to a public recording, so we're doing this for the first time in a while! It's the "Smental" segment!

Applause from the audience

RINA: It's been a while.

HARUNA: We did it during the last public recording too, but we did it with just the four of us then.

RINA: That's right.

HARUNA: We thought we'd try it with everyone here today.

RINA: I wonder if it's possible...? Oh, that's right! During the previous episode, some listeners here today listened to past eps of "Catch up" and said that Smental was interesting.

HARUNA: With that in mind, we thought we'd try it out, but for those wondering what Smental is, I'll explain.

RINA: That's right.

HARUNA: First, we want to strengthen our bond through a word association game, aiming for all of us to arrive at the same answer to one question. The goal is to have the same response to the prompt. If we don't match in the first round, we'll reflect and try again in the second round.

TOMOMI: Yes, we'll reflect.

HARUNA: Normally, it’s just the four of us doing it, but we're going to try it with everyone here today. (Reading from the script) Maybe, just maybe, this is your first time doing Smental, right??

RINA: It's gotta be their first time; it's not something we usually do...

(Staff: Yeah, they've definitely never done it before...)

HARUNA: Don't put that in the scriptー

RINA: Ah, sorry. I made it sound like HARU was saying it!

HARUNA: That's right! I'm just reading it exactly as it is!
...Anyway, we'll first try it with just the four of us. We have sketchbooks ready...

TOMOMI: What's the prompt??

Staff: Here it is!

MAMI: "Smental" is about "matching feelings," right? To put it simply.

HARUNA: Exactly. So please give us the prompt!

Staff: Here it is!

HARUNA: (Reading the prompt) "What's a famous spot in Shibuya?"

MAMI: (Opening her sketchbook) It's got to be... this.

RINA: Ehー, wait a second. There are so many options, aren't there??

TOMOMI: Can we have some time to discuss? No?

Staff: Of course, of course; that's fine!

TOMOMI: Let's discuss it.

HARUNA: It was mentioned earlier too.

MAMI: It was??

HARUNA: Yes, the first one...

RINA: Ahー! It was mentioned.

HARUNA: But it's tough...

RINA: Among the ones mentioned, there are some really good choices, right?

HARUNA: Eh－!?

Smental only brings about turmoil every time. What will the outcome be...?

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 82

•The episode starts with this.

•They then read stories from listeners they sent in about Shibuya. RINA reads the first one from a listener who says they remember taking purikura and hanging out in Center Street with about 10 of their friends right after they started college. RINA says that they can really relate to this since they moved to Tokyo around that age and wanted to see things like Shibuya 109 in person. MAMI says that she and TOMO had gone to take purikura with Shiho and Nohana from Stereopony when they first moved to Tokyo. TOMO says that she recently opened an old flip phone of hers and found that purikura along with a lot of other treasures, and that she might send them over to them. The band laughs. Ohno asks them if they had purikura albums/binders. They say they used to when they were students. TOMO says she used to exchange purikura with her friends, even though she didn't really know why. HARU says that she had purikura of people she didn't know at all.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who says they have a lot of memories of playing table tennis/ping pong since Shibuya is where their company's table tennis goes to play every month. There's a pause before RINA asks if that's all the listener says, and they all laugh. MAMI says there was a time when she played a lot of table tennis and played so hard even during the winter that she'd be sweating a lot. There were times she'd even play until morning since they were open until then. She also says that the friends she went with became like club mates. RINA says that sports have the power to shift people into gear and bring out your full power. MAMI laughs and agrees. MAMI says that she's also bowled and played darts at that same place. RINA asks if the others have been there. TOMO says she'd go in her teens and 20s. HARU says that she's never gone for table tennis, though she has played it elsewhere outside of Shibuya.

•Next, they read stories about listeners' current "festivals"/thing they're obsessed with. HARU reads a message from a baker who says that ever since they went to the US and ate donuts, they've had a 'donut festival' in their mind. They're amazed at the revolution in the texture of doughnuts in Japan in recent years. MAMI mentions that "nama donuts" have been popular recently and says that she doesn't trust something that has the word "nama" (means 'fresh' or 'raw'; in this case MAMI thinks it's the latter), and wants them to be baked. RINA says that there aren't any parasites like anisakis in donuts, though, which they all laugh at. MAMI says she doesn't like raw things like raw eggs or raw/rare steak, and so she couldn't even try these nama donuts. RINA and TOMO say that they're really good. The listener is given a mic and says that they are actually baked/fried; the dough just has more water in it than normal donuts do. MAMI asks if it makes it more moist, which the listener says it does. RINA says that it's safe to eat.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who's recently become obsessed with solving mysteries/riddles. They like solving them but isn't the type that can solve them quickly, so they join with a group of friends and work together to clear it. The other day they were having a hard time solving the riddle in a park, so they asked a group of girls who were on the swings to help, and they were able to solve it. The band says that sounds really nice. TOMO asks if the park was collaborating with this game. The listener says no, and it was rather that the park was the last stop of the game and there was a treasure chest there. MAMI says that she often sees Tokyo Metro doing stuff like that at each of their stations, and you have to go around to them to solve the mystery. TOMO asks the listener if those girls were just playing in the park. The listener says yes, and that they were just 2 girls having girl talk on the swings. TOMO says that it's impressive that people who just happen to be around can solve a mystery. She asks where this took place, and the listener says she can't say since it'll be a spoiler. TOMO says she can tell her later and laughs. HARU says that they did this kind of game for their Mystery Tour events. TOMO says that the prize for the most recent one was that the groups who solved the mystery would get to watch the acoustic performance from the front. She also mentions that during the planning stages they were talking about how those who don't solve it won't be able to see the performance. They laugh and MAMI says that was harsh. TOMO says they instead made it so that you'd have to watch from further back if you didn't solve it. RINA says she's surprised they didn't get any complaints about that and laughs. TOMO agrees and says that the only thing they said was that it was a "Mystery Tour" and didn't tell them where they were going or what they were supposed to do. MAMI laughs and says that they just asked the fans to pay a fee without revealing any details about what they were paying for. HARU says that for the first Tour they actually confiscated everyone's phones when they were boarding the bus. TOMO says that some people took shinkansen to get to the meeting spot, only to be driven back to their hometown for the event. The band laughs and says they apologize for that.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener whose 'festival' is doing an all-night game night with their parents, brother, best friend, and husband around New Year's. They play a variety of games, including video games, card games, and board games. Sometimes they think about what they as adults are doing, but it's such a joyful time for them. The band says that sounds really nice and like a lot of fun. HARU says when you're an adult, it's hard to get the whole family together unless it's gathering like that. She also asks the listener what's been the most exciting game they've played so far during these tournaments. The listener says Neu, which is a game that SCANDAL has played before [on their video series "Wednesday SCANDAL" for their fan club]. The band gets excited and says that that game is the best. HARU says that the game related to Chinese food is also a game that they've played and that she really likes.

•MAMI reads the last message from a listener who says their current obsession is listening to "Catch up." Although they're here for the public recording, they only started listening to the program since August 21st of this year and are currently on episode 120 = a third of the way through all of the episodes. TOMO says she appreciates that they reflected on their actions and laughs. HARU asks the listener if they have a favorite segment among the episodes they have listened to. The listener says they like all of them but they do enjoy listening to "Kyoukai-sen Kyoukai" (Fine Line Association). Ohno asks the band if they remember what they talked about during that episode. None of them do. HARU asks the listener what happened in the most recent episode they listened to. The listener says they're around the end of season 1 and did a segment about hiragana. HARU says that that was Smental, and wonders if that happened that long ago. RINA agrees that it seems like it was more recent (I also thought so too lol), and that's the passage of time for you. HARU says to the listener that there will likely be segments that disappear as they continue listening, but if they come up with any ideas for new segments, then send them in. MAMI laughs as well as the listener, who says that they'll do that.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

---

#front-page #catchup

Music Natalie - HARUNA & Sayaka Yamamoto's Interview


The pair that met as members of SCANDAL and MAD CATZ reunite for the first time in 16 years

---

Sayaka Yamamoto's tour, "Sayaka Yamamoto × Live Natalie Zepp TOUR『SYnergy』," will be held on 11/19 at Zepp Haneda; 11/27 at Zepp Nagoya; and 11/29 at Zepp Namba. "SYnergy" is a joint project between Yamamoto and Live Natalie, and will be held at Zepp venues in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. Mao Abe will perform at the Tokyo show, ACIDMAN at the Aichi show, and SCANDAL at the Osaka show.

Ahead of the tour, Music Natalie has conducted a conversation with Yamamoto and HARUNA from SCANDAL, who will be performing at the Osaka date. It has been 16 years since Yamamoto sat down and talked with HARUNA, who knew her as "SAYAKA of MAD CATZ" prior to her joining NMB48. The pair looked back on the memories of when they first met as all-girl bands in similar circumstances, and talked about a wide range of topics, including their thoughts on music; their enthusiasm for "SYnergy"; and even what they want to do on that day.

---

---

Reunited for the first time in 16 years since MAD CATZ

HARUNA: How many years has it been since we last met in person?

Sayaka Yamamoto: Probably not since we saw each other at a joint-band concert when I was in middle school... so that means it's been 16 years.

HARUNA: That's right. I think we passed by each other at music programs after that, but it really may have been 16 years since we've met face to face like this. Again, thank you very much for inviting us to play a joint-band concert.

Yamamoto: Not at all; thank you very much.

──Before joining NMB48, Yamamoto was in the band MAD CATZ, which was consisted of 3 middle school girls. You played joint concerts with SCANDAL around that time.

Yamamoto: Yes, that's right.

HARUNA: That was before we had debuted as well, so I think that was around 2007-2008. You know, I've always wondered if it was okay to talk about that era (laughs). That was 16 years ago, before you joined NMB48.

Yamamoto: It's not that I was told I shouldn't talk about those days, but there just hadn't been an opportunity to mention them. Today's discussion may make people think, "Oh, it's okay to talk about MAD CATZ" (laughs).

HARUNA: Ahahaha. I'm really happy we get to talk like this again. Back then, how many times did we play joint concerts together? I don't think it was that many, though.



──We looked it up online and were able to confirm that you played a joint concert at KYOTO MUSE around April 2007. (*Note: It was actually in April 2008!)

HARUNA: Ahー! I definitely remember playing a joint concert at KYOTO MUSE.

Yamamoto: We chatted a bit in the dressing room back then. But my memories of what we talked about are quite vague overall (laughs).

HARUNA: Same here (laughs). My band and I didn't think this at all, but at that time our two bands were seen as rivals. Both bands formed at entertainment schools in Osaka, and we were relatively close in age. So even when we performed together, we didn't communicate much. It'd just be us chitchatting, like, "Oh, we're playing together again," and that was it. Since we were in middle and high school, we never went out to eat after the shows.

Yamamoto: That's right. We didn't really connect deeply.

HARUNA: Back then, we had opportunities to play all sorts of joint concerts, but we felt a strong sense of sympathy for MAD CATZ compared to other bands. We felt that we should both work hard as bands with similar circumstances.

Yamamoto: For us as well, we were very aware of SCANDAL in a good way. Watching your live performances was so inspiring. Since SCANDAL was already playing original songs while we were still only playing covers, we were always thinking, "We need to get there too." We felt like you guys were our "all-girl band seniors."

HARUNA: But I think you guys probably had your indie debut before us. That made us really envious. We also felt that we needed to catch up.

"SCANDAL has continued to do this for 18 years"

Yamamoto: It's been 16 years since then, huh. Actually, when my band broke up and I joined NMB48, RINA had sent me a DM on social media. She said, "I remember that we played joint concerts."

HARUNA: Ehー! I didn't know that. This is the first I'm hearing of it (laughs).

Yamamoto: Ah, really? I was so happy she remembered that. But time passed while I was thinking about how to respond, and in the end I ended up not replying back. So I'd like to take this chance to apologize. I'm sorry about that.

HARUNA: Ahaha. Things like that happen (laughs). I've also always remembered you, Sayaka. You were the member of MAD CATZ who had the hardest and most rocker-like image, so I was really shocked when I found out you were debuting as part of NMB48. I thought you had so many different sides to you, which was great, and I've been watching your activities since then.

Yamamoto: I've also always watched SCANDAL. Our band ended partway through, but I really thought it was amazing that SCANDAL has continued to be a band without changing their form. Having been in a band myself, I feel that greatness even more strongly.

HARUNA: We started out in the same way as your band, but we were really lucky. I think we've been able to come this far because we have a good balance among our members, and we've had the support of those close to us whom we've met along the way. But you know, although we've been a band for 18 years and have continued to play music with the same members, I think that continuing to change one's career like you have, Sayaka, is really amazing. You've probably experienced many pivotal moments in life, and I imagine you've learned more from them than we have. I have immense respect for that.

Yamamoto: I definitely have moments where I think, "How have I made it this far?" (laughs), but I'm still just 8 years into my solo career. I've faced all sorts of problems during those 8 years, but SCANDAL has already been doing this for 18 years. I think you've long passed through my problems in the past 18 years, so I have nothing but respect. I feel like I'm still a work in progress.

HARUNA: Ehー! That's not true at all.

Yamamoto: No, no, I don't think I've yet reached what SCANDAL has built up to this point. Every time I stumble over something, I feel like, "This rookie shouldn't be stumbling here!"

HARUNA: But I really think you're cool, Sayaka. I've watched footage of your solo performances, and you're just so cool. You play music with your whole being. It's clear that all your past experiences connect to your music, and you express that with all your heart and soul.

──Since both of you are vocalists who sing while playing guitar, I imagine you feel a sense of sympathy in that regard.

Yamamoto: That's right. For me, I feel more like I'm a guitarist-vocalist, while HARUNA has a strong aura of being a vocalist of a four-piece band. You also play the guitar, of course, but you have a presence as a vocalist first and foremost. I find that really captivating. Actually, I still have a strong yearning to be in a band.

HARUNA: Reallyー?!

Yamamoto: I've been performing with the same band members since going solo, so it does feel like we're 1 band and 1 team, but I think there's something special about being in a band with friends who have shared the same circumstances from the beginning, like SCANDAL. The bonds formed in that kind of environment aren't easily built, and I definitely admire that. The first tough thing I felt after going solo was the loneliness.

HARUNA: I see.

Yamamoto: When you have friends with whom you can think about things as equals, you can share not only the fun but also the hardships. Of course, even in a band, everyone feels their own loneliness, but it's so reassuring to have friends.

HARUNA: I think it's difficult for a band to make music while each member has differing opinions, but your members give you a ton of ideas that you wouldn't have on your own, and there's a lot of stimulation in that. That helps me feel like I'm growing every day, so I too definitely think that being in a band is great.

Knocking on music's door with the help of seniors

──Yamamoto, what were your thoughts behind doing a tour with the title "SYnergy"?

Yamamoto: The main reason was that I wanted to enjoy the stimulation I would get from performing with people that I respect, and I was curious about what kind of live performances would emerge from the synergy with them. I also feel like there are many different perspectives on who "Sayaka Yamamoto" is. Some may see me as an "artist playing music," while others might view me as a "multifaceted tarento." But for me, the core of who I am is rooted in music, and that will never change. Through this tour, I hoped to immerse myself even more in music and to have people beyond just my fans recognize that part of me. In that sense, it feels a bit like knocking on music's door again with the help of these great seniors.

HARUNA: I'm really glad to hear why you, with all your experiences, decided to perform with this lineup.



──What criteria did you use to choose your tour partners Mao Abe, ACIDMAN, and SCANDAL?

Yamamoto: I chose people who have left a mark on me and have a meaningful connection to my journey. First, Mao Abe is someone I've loved and listened to since I was a student, and she's an essential part of my youth. She's even provided songs for me after going solo, so she has been a significant presence in my life for a long time. As for ACIDMAN, they're from an older generation, but I've always admired them as a band. I've loved their music for a long time. Like with Abe, I had the opportunity to have guitarist and vocalist Nobuo Oki arrange my song "TRUE BLUE," so I wanted to express my gratitude by inviting them this time.

──And as we've discussed, you have a deep connection with SCANDAL.

Yamamoto: A connection that only few know about (laughs). I never thought that 16 years later we'd be able to perform together again. It's because I and SCANDAL, of course, have continued to play music. Actually, since this is my first time holding a joint-band tour, I reached out because I wanted you guys to be a part of my joint-band tour debut.

HARUNA: We're really happy. The experiences we had performing together before our debut are one-of-a-kind for us now. It was a time when we didn't know left from right, and were just trying to work hard playing music. Being able to connect with you, Sayaka, again after all these years of both of us continuing in music, is really meaningful. I believe there is a landscape that only the two of us can create, so we're really looking forward to it.



──I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing what kind of setlists you'll each prepare.

HARUNA: That's right. In our case, we have a lot of songs from a ton of different genres, so sometimes we adjust our setlist to match who we're performing with.

Yamamoto: I see. Since these 3 performances have very different lineups, it'll be a challenge for me to choose which songs to play. But I feel that there's a high degree of affinity between my music and SCANDAL's. That's why I'd like to put on a performance that SCANDAL fans can enjoy too. As for the content... How far can we go?

HARUNA: Hmm? For example?

Yamamoto: Like if we could sing together.

HARUNA: Is that a possibility? That sounds fun! I see a lot of people on social media who like both Sayaka and SCANDAL, so it'd be great if we could do that kind of collab. I think since both have such a strong affinity for each other, if we each express our music genuinely, it will help everyone like us even more.

An after-party after 16 years

──I've heard that hosting joint concerts involves taking good care of your guests. Have you thought about that aspect, Yamamoto?

Yamamoto: Eh! ....I haven't really considered that yet (laughs).

HARUNA: Ahahaha. But it's true that that aspect is one of the fun things about joint concerts. When we played with Kishidan, their hospitality backstage was amazing. That alone made me happy.

Yamamoto: I'll have a meeting about this right after!

HARUNA: No, no (laughs). Don't worry about itー!

Yamamoto: But it's true that having other artists backstage is a very precious thing. It would be nice to do something to make everyone happy. Maybe we could do a group huddle before the concerts or something (laughs).

HARUNA: That sounds nice. We usually do a huddle before going on, too. Also, what about an after-party? Will there be one?

Yamamoto: Eh? Let's do it! I'll make sure to book a place (laughs).

HARUNA: By all means (laughs). Let’s have the after-party we couldn't have when we were teenagers, 16 years later!

Yamamoto: By having fun concerts with the three artists I invited, I think the audience will also feel that joyful atmosphere. I want to make it a celebration, so I hope everyone will come and join us!

https://natalie.mu/music/pp/yamamotosayaka_synergy

#front-page

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Bringing you audio from the public recording held on October 19!

Season 2, Episode 82 blog

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HARUNA: This time, we're bringing you the live recording of "Catch up" that took place on October 19th at "TOKYO FM Listener Appreciation Festival 2024"! Thank you to everyone who applied! We welcomed listeners who were selected by lottery and recorded at the newly opened SHIBUYA SAKURA STAGE.404 NOT FOUND in Shibuya! It really was "freshly recorded."

TOMOMI: Yeah, it's fresh.

HARUNA: Please give it a listen!

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HARUNA: Welcome to "TOKYO FM Listener Appreciation Festival 2024"! (*Loud applause from the audience)

HARUNA: This time, we will be delivering a live recording of "Catch up" here at SHIBUYA SAKURA STAGE.404 NOT FOUND! We chose everyone here by lottery from a fairly high number of applicants, so we hope you enjoy yourselves as much as possible. Please stay with us until the end! We're doing this while everyone is watching us...

MAMI: We're so close! Surprisingly close.

RINA: So this is what it's like to do a public recording here...

TOMOMI: This place is new, too, isn't it?

HARUNA: That's right. Have you been here before??

RINA: This is my first time here.

MAMI: I haven't been here before.

TOMOMI: This is my first time here.

HARUNA: This is my first time, too. (*To the audience) How about you guys? Anyone been here before??

RINA: All of you are first-timers...Oh, have you been here before??

HARUNA: (*To those who have been here before) For shopping? An event!!

RINA: There's a lot going on hereー.

TOMOMI: There's an event in Shibuya today, too.

HARUNA: Yes,the "TOKYO FM Listener Appreciation Festival 2024" is taking place in Shibuya. By the way, this is the first time we've done a public recording for "Catch up" since February last year.

RINA: It's been a while.

HARUNA: It's been over a year and a half.

TOMOMI: It was around Valentine's Day.

HARUNA: Yes, we also did a public recording with a very small number of listeners. Everyone who came today was asked to answer these 2 questions in advance:

"Since we're in Shibuya, what's a story related to Shibuya for you?"

"Since this is an appreciation festival, what's your current 'festival' or thing you're obsessed with?"

I wonder what kind of stories we'll hear...

RINA: I'm really curious. Isn't it amazing that one can write down what their "festival" is when asked??

HARUNA: That's true. What is "your festival"...??

TOMOMI: It's like a "___ party," right?

RINA: I wonder what's being held.

HARUNA: It means something special for you, right?

RINA: I want to hear them.

HARUNA: By the way, the first story is supposed to be a story of ours about Shibuya. Is there anything?

RINA: We already have plenty about Shibuya. We've performed here a lot, and we even announced our major debut at a live music club in Shibuya.

HARUNA: That's right.

TOMOMI: Chelsea Hotel in Shibuya.

MAMI: Oh, that's right!

RINA: It was raining hard. It was raining really hard on the way home.

TOMOMI: That's right.

RINA: It was crazy.

HARUNA: Water was already gushing out of the manholes.

MAMI: It was gushing out.

TOMOMI: It was around that time that people started calling us a "rain band."

HARUNA: We've been doing pretty well with that lately, though.

TOMOMI: It's going well.

RINA: And at festivals, too.

MAMI: Yeah.

Staff:  ...it rained heavily on August 21st this year.

MAMI: I forgot about that!

HARUNA: That's right... It did rain a lot on that day...

SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 “Light＆Shade” @ SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO, October 22

1. GIRLism
   
2. Orange Juice
   
3. LOVE SURVIVE
   
4. Graduation
   
5. Plum
   
6. Very Special
   
7. Shining Sun
   
8. Tsuki
   
9. eternal
   
10. one more time
    
11. OVER
    
12. Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne
    
13. A.M.D.K.J.
    
14. Take Me Out
    
15. Taiyou Scandalous
    
    Encore:
    
16. Kagerou
    
17. DOLL
    
18. SCANDAL BABY
    

SCANDAL: 「【 Thank you!!! 】

2024.10.22
SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 "Light&Shade"
at SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO」

TOMOMI: 「SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 "Light&Shade" finale in Tokyo!

It was the 16th anniversary of our major debut!
Everyone in MANIA, thanks so much as always🥺
Having you guys at festivals and events is so reassuring!
This tour was a gathering of only MANIA members, so although it was short, we performed with the intention of delivering it with care🫶

Best regards from here on out, too!」

HARUNA: 「The finale of our fan club tour in Tokyo was so awesome〜 Our first Club Quattro tour in forever was a lot of fun! We felt how amazing and reliable MANIA is again! Thanks for spending the 16th anniversary of our debut with us」

RINA: 「We successfully wrapped up the final show of the fan club tour in Tokyo. It was so much fun! It was an amazing tour. We named it "Light & Shade," mixing classic and rare songs, along with happy and painful moments, truly covering songs from various eras. This tour made me realize how much fun being in a band is, how much I love music, and how incredibly important all our fans are. I wonder if everyone noticed that we didn't play Shunkan Sentimental haha. Let's keep doing lots of fun things together! Let's live a great life together. Thank you so much♡」

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 81

•The episode starts with this.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who attended KARAOKE Night and admits they were one of the people who couldn't raise their hands when the audience was asked who listens to "Catch up." Regretting not listening, they decided to go and listen from the very beginning. The band laughs and says that they put a lot of pressure on those who don't listen. At the end of their message, they mention that their favorite bands before SCANDAL were KAT-TUN and Radwimps (as part of the old "SCANDAL, Sono Mae ni"/"Life Before SCANDAL" segment). They laugh and MAMI wonders what generation they're part of. HARU thinks it's close to theirs. TOMO says that that that "Life Before SCANDAL" segment no longer exists, which makes HARU laugh.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener who says they've loved SCANDAL since they were 13 and are 26 now. They basically talk about how they now go to concerts with their friends after going alone at first, and that SCANDAL has supported them all their life + thanks them for continuing to be a band. The band thanks them and RINA says that it's nice to be told thanks for continuing to be a band, and that they want to say thank you for always listening to them amidst all of the other many interesting artists that are around.

•HARU reads the next message from a listener who listened to RINA's solo episodes and says that they felt a sense of nostalgia in a good way, reminiscent of the radio shows they used to listen to frequently. They of course love the group episodes, but they feel that having solo episodes occasionally enhances the charm of "Catch up" even more for listeners who are older like them. They say that they'd love to hear solo eps from the other members as well. Ohno says this message was send during the first few solo eps. HARU says that TOMO did it first, then RINA, then HARU, then MAMI. TOMO says the listener should listen to her episodes, which they all laugh at. HARU says that hers were more of playing around. TOMO agrees and says that it was mostly just throwing paper airplanes and not much talking. HARU mentions that preview clips of episodes have started being posted recently, which allows you to get a sense of the show's vibe more. And since they're in their fifth year, they hope they can continue to explore different ways to keep "Catch up" going.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who basically says that they currently have over 300 SCANDAL t-shirts. The band is surprised and wonders if they've even released that many. TOMO says they must have bought all sizes from small to XL, which makes the band laugh. The listener also asks if they could sell shirts in larger sizes like 2XL and wouldn't mind paying more for it. The band says that they have been getting a lot of requests for larger sizes recently. RINA says that they do have some MANIA shirts for this current tour in 2XL (the long-sleeve logo one). They basically say that they will discuss it with their office and see.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who is writing in for love advice. They confessed to a woman they recently met but got rejected. They were talking about how the listener would buy her a souvenir from their favorite band's concert in Tokyo. When they called her, she said she would accept it. They thought, since they're bringing a souvenir, they could also grab a meal, and they wanted to see her again. However, she ignored them this time. They know they shouldn't reach out, but they still want to talk to and see her. They're frustrated and ashamed with themself. They also say that if this message is read, then this will be the second time they've received love advice from the band; their first message was read at a public radio recording about 10 years ago. The band is surprised and wonders what that topic was at the time. MAMI recaps/summarizes what the listener wrote, and RINA wonders if the listener just wanted to get a souvenir for themself, so when they thought about meeting the woman, it made them feel worse. MAMI laughs. They basically say that there are people that are better suited for the listener out there, and to use this time to focus on and grow themself.

•RINA reads the last message from a listener who is sending a message just to let them know what they've been catching up on, and say that they recently went to see a band for the first time that a friend from middle school is in. It had been 13 years since they last saw them, and seeing their friend, who had always wanted to pursue music since middle school, now at 35 years old as a cool band member brought tears to their eyes. They hadn't viewed aging very positively before, but meeting their friend made them realize there are many experiences that you can only have by getting older. RINA basically says that that's great, and that life after 35 can really sparkle with new possibilities since you have more freedom with time and money than you did when you were younger.

•HARU talks about how she recently had a similar experience and was LINE'd by a classmate from her third year of middle school. Mostly everyone has stayed in touch with each other since they're still in their hometown, but HARU wasn't since she moved away after high school. Back then, they had still used flip phones, and HARU hadn't shared her contact info after switching to a smartphone and so had completely lost touch with everyone. But one day she suddenly received a DM from a classmate and mentioned that they had a small reunion this summer and that her name had come up, which led her to being invited back into the group. She says it made her really happy. One friend had even digitalized old photos and purikura from back in the day. The band laughs and RINA says that there's always someone who keeps things like that safe. HARU says that seeing those photos made her realize how thin her eyebrows were back then. They laugh and say that that was the era back then. TOMO says that trends like that can come back around. HARU says that she thought those connections were gone, but when they said they'd reach out for the next reunion, it made her realize that as we age, such opportunities can come up.

•TOMO mentions that when it was announced that she would be a tourism ambassador for Kakogawa, she received a ton of DMs from old friends. She keeps in touch with most of them regularly, but some whom she hadn't spoken to in a while, including some from elementary school, reached out to her. It made her happy to know they were still following her and cheering her on. RINA says that she feels like it's easier now to talk to old classmates; it's like the stress from work has eased up a bit, so there's a more relaxed vibe now. Growing older definitely makes it easier to communicate. She also says that there are joys and fun experiences that you can only appreciate as you get older, which she thinks is a good thing.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

Excited about your "Catch up" reports!

Season 2, Episode 81 blog

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HARUNA: This time, we'd like to read many messages...

Hashi-kun no soba ni wa itsumo ramen

On the night of September 8, the day before "Catch up" comes out, I proposed to my girlfriend, whom I went to KARAOKE Night with.

She and I were both teachers at the elementary school where I work, and now she works at a different school.

HARUNA: Ah, so that means...

All: Hey! Teacher!

MAMI: That was close...

RINA: It's a trap...

As I listen to this episode, I'm very curious about what I'm feeling while writing this email. I love all of SCANDAL's songs, and I played "LOVE ME DO" as background music while writing my proposal letter. I hope that my girlfriend and I, after five years of dating, can attend a concert as a married couple. I don't know what the outcome will be, but I hope to send an update! Thank you for all the smiles!

MAMI: What's going on...??

TOMOMI: I don't know.

RINA: But I have a good feeling about it... They've been together for five years.

HARUNA: That's right.

MAMI: But some time has passed.

Staff: We received this message at the beginning of September.

RINA: Haven't we received an update?

Staff: We haven't...

HARUNA: It's been about a month.

RINA: I wonder what happened. I want to know.

TOMOMI: I'm looking forward to an update.

HARUNA: Please send one.

RINA: I'm excited.

TOMOMI: I'm so happy to get these kinds of messages...

RINA: They've really increased, huh?

MAMI: Yeah.

HARUNA: We'll send you a sticker of encouragement.

Mi-chan

I'm sending my first message with a report and gratitude. I'm dating someone I got to know during the LUMINOUS tour. We're the same sex, by the way.

We didn't know each other until the LUMINOUS tour, but there were several photos of us together, one at each end of a group photo, and it was strange to think that we'd actually been near each other for a few years. We have completely different hobbies and interests, and the only thing we have in common is that we're both SCANDAL fans. I'm really happy and pleased that we've been able to become this close through that commonality.

Thank you for this wonderful encounter. I'll treasure this bond that we've made thanks to SCANDAL. I'm really looking forward to going to BEST Xmas with her for our first Christmas.

TOMOMI: That makes me happy...

RINA: So cute. Congratsー

HARUNA: It's nice when you realize later that you were in the same group photo.

TOMOMI: It isー

RINA: It feels like fate!

TOMOMI: I want to experience something like that.

HARUNA: It's like, "Oh, you were there!"

TOMOMI: That's nice. It makes my heart flutter.

MAMI: Let's have a great Christmas.

TOMOMI: Right? I want to read more messages like this!

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 80

•The episode starts with this.

•HARU says that they can't say too much about the tour yet since it starts tomorrow, but she thinks that there will be a lot of surprises right from the start. MAMI says that the "Light & Shade" title already hints at a lot, and that there will be some unexpected songs that will feel like wild cards, which should make it fun. TOMO says they worked hard rehearsing and memorizing some songs again. They did a lot of recording in September, and after that they spent a lot of time rehearsing from late September to early October. HARU says that rehearsals will technically start from here on at the time of this episode being recorded. RINA says that with this past month of recording, she really feels the difference between her recording mindset and her live performance mindset. TOMO says that being a band for so long, the more songs they have, the more songs there are that they don't play. There are certain songs that are live staples, and it becomes limited to what everyone wants to hear vs. the songs that the band wants everyone to hear. The band does have a lot of songs that they haven't played in a while, including ones that they like, and now's the time to bring them back. Playing those songs during a MANIA tour feels special, and it feels like their past songs are being rewarded. HARU says there will be songs that can only be heard live here. TOMO says that most of the songs are ones they definitely wouldn't play at events. RINA says that that's the unique thing about a MANIA tour. HARU also mentions that there were some capacity issues, which meant that getting tickets was really competitive. RINA says that that's a good thing and raises the excitement level as well as makes them want to enjoy it even more; they shouldn't forget how special it is.

•Next, they mention how there will be a public recording for "Catch up" in Shibuya on October 19, which is their first public recording since last February. HARU reads that it seems that much of the content hasn't been finalized yet and asks the band what they'd like to do. RINA says that since they'll have an audience, it would be nice to interact with them while recording. HARU asks the others if they've ever been to the area where this recording will take place. RINA and MAMI say no, while TOMO says she's done some shopping there before. HARU then says that the recording will be featured on the "Catch up" episodes out on October 21 and 28.

•HARU says that they'll then be reading some messages since a lot has piled up in the two and a half months since they last all recorded together. She reads the first message from a listener who says they're writing in to report to HARU and MAMI that Yummy's menu has recently changed, and that they've added curry and malasada to their menu. They also bring up how there's a Yummy in Nagoya Parco, the same building of the venue the MANIA tour is going to. TOMO asks what Yummy is again. HARU and MAMI say that it's a restaurant that serves Hawaiian-style food, and HARU says that they've probably mentioned it before on the program/with each other. TOMO says that she wants to try Yummy. HARU asks if they've gone to one together before. TOMO and MAMI say no, which HARU is surprised at. MAMI wonders where and how many Yummys there are. TOMO wonders if it's a chain specific to Nagoya. MAMI looks it up and says that there are only 3, and they're all in Nagoya. HARU says that in that case, maybe they should make it so that when you think of Nagoya, you think of Yummy, which MAMI laughs at. HARU says that it's a place that supported them in their teens. MAMI says that it's super emotional for her that there's still one in Parco. They say that maybe they'll be able to get takeout from there and eat it in the dressing room on the day of the Nagoya concert.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who is sending in a message regarding an old message theme about "Song titles that sound like they could be SCANDAL songs," and says that the MANIA tour would be a perfect opportunity to write a song about Nagoya (this is something that's been mentioned many times before). TOMO explains that they first had a song called "TOKYO" and then did a song called "OSAKA" using the same melody, the latter of which was sung by the Kansai duo of the band (TOMO and RINA). Since the other two are from Nagoya but they don't have a song called "NAGOYA," fans kept saying that they should do it. TOMO says that the tricky part about writing new lyrics for a song about Nagoya is that the rhythm of the first line would be off, since "Nagoya" has 3 characters (Na-go-ya) while both Tokyo (To-u-kyo-u) and Osaka (O-o-sa-ka) have 4. HARU says that it doesn't flow for Nagoya. TOMO tries to sing the opening line to "TOKYO" while replacing "Tokyo" with "Nagoya": "Nagoya no ame wa" (The rain in Nagoya). The band laughs. MAMI says that the rhythm doesn't fit well. HARU says that maybe they should get someone else to work on it. RINA asks if they're asking for people to write lyrics for it. MAMI says that she's not singing it and laughs. TOMO says that the Nagoya pair needs to sing it. She also says that even if they do consider it, they won't make it in time for the MANIA tour. But maybe they could turn it into a jingle for "Catch up," which the others laugh at. HARU says that they won't think of it themselves. TOMO says that they could turn it into a competition. They wonder what character would need to be stretched out to make it fit the rhythm. RINA says that maybe the "ya." They say that listeners could send in voice memos if they want to try and make something.

•TOMO wonders what releases "TOKYO" and "OSAKA" were in. MAMI thinks that "TOKYO" is a B-side song. RINA says it is but doesn't remember which release it's on anymore. MAMI guesses Shoujo S. TOMO says that it's actually part of SAKURA Goodbye, which means it's also on ENCORE SHOW. HARU asks if "OSAKA" is on there, to which TOMO says no to. MAMI thinks that it was released a little bit after that. RINA guesses that it was on Pin Heel Surfer (PHS came out in Sep. 2012 while ES came out in Feb. 2013, so technically it was out before ES). She looks it up, confirms it, and goes, "No way!" The rest are also surprised, and Ohno laughs about how surprised they are. TOMO reiterates that while "TOKYO" is on ENCORE SHOW, "OSAKA" can only be found on Pin Heel Surfer and so you can only listen to it if you buy that single--or listen to it on streaming services, she adds. RINA says it is on streaming services, but only the instrumental version. The others are confused by this. RINA then says that she got it wrong and that she was looking at the instrumental version of "Pin Heel Surfer," and "OSAKA" is available to stream. She apologizes and laughs. She also says that there was a time when they did release instrumentals of B-side songs. MAMI confirms that they did do two of them (I believe those are "BEAUTeen!!" and "Pokemon Ieru Kana?"; funny how she's able to remember that they did do 2 of those lol). TOMO says that "TOKYO" is the original song while "OSAKA" is like an alternate version of the song. RINA says that the lyrics wouldn't make you think they're from the same band. MAMI says that they've sure done a lot.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

etwee wrote:Sho Wada wrote Pinheel Surfer for them. I think they were on stage with TRICERATOPS around that time too. Seem to recall that RINA had a chat with Sho Wada about the cosmos, etc. Maybe that's when TOMO met Juri Ueno!

3mania wrote:I'll bet some people were pretty surprised when they dropped the intro to the first song of the setlist.

"SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024" starts on October 8! Keep an eye on the setlist??

Season 2, Episode 80 blog

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HARUNA: It's been a while since the four of us have all been together.

RINA: We're all together!

HARUNA: First, we have some happy news to share. TOMOMI, congratulations on being appointed as a Kakogawa Tourism Ambassador!

TOMOMI: Thank you! When we performed at KAKOFES, I talked about wanting to be a tourism ambassador during the MC, and whenever I sawTakeda BBQ and Bike Kawasaki Bike, I told them to tell the [tourism commitee] I'd definitely want to do it. I kept saying it. And then I got in touch with Juri Ueno, Sho from TRICERATOPS's wife. It's thanks to everyone who are serving as Kakogawa Tourism Ambassadors...

HARUNA: They supported you.

TOMOMI: With those connections, I was able to be appointed.

HARUNA: Congrats!

TOMOMI: There will be a delegation ceremony on the day of this broadcast (October 7).

HARUNA: So you're going to appear in a proper ceremony like that?

TOMOMI: I will.

HARUNA: That's wonderful.

MAMI: That's nice.

TOMOMI: I think I'm the 24th [Kakogawa Tourism Ambassador].

RINA: There are that many!

MAMI: Are there that many people from Kakogawa in the entertainment industry and other fields...?

TOMOMI: It's also a "Shogi town," so I think there are quite a lot of shogi players.

HARUNA: There are people from all kinds of genres, huh.

TOMOMI: I hope to promote the good points of Kakogawa from now on.

RINA: Promote theme.

HARUNA: And today we've got a lot to talk about, and that's our MANIA tour.
The tour starts tomorrow! This time it will be in three cities. Osaka on the 8th, Nagoya on the 9th, and then the 22nd in Tokyo after a short break. The tour will be going to Quattro venues.

RINA: Doing a Quattro tour is exciting.

HARUNA: It's been a while, hasn't it?

MAMI: Yeahー.

RINA: I can't remember how long it's been since we last played at these venues.

TOMOMI: Our first solo tour was exactly the same. It was at the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka Quattros.

HARUNA: It was the tour when we released our first album, BEST★SCANDAL.

TOMOMI: The additional performance was "BEST Xmas," and it's been an event that's been going on ever since.

RINA: That's right.

TOMOMI: It's pretty emotional to be at the same venues as our first solo concerts.

HARUNA: They're a places that hold a lot of memories for us, but since this is a "MANIA tour," we talked about wanting to make it feel a bit rare, and we've put a lot of effort into the setlist.

RINA: About 80% of the songs are songs we haven't played in a while, so this setlist is unique to a MANIA tour, and I'm sure everyone will be thinking, "What was that song again?" during the intros.

HARUNA: I think so.

RINA: There's a lot of those songs in the setlist, so I'm looking forward to it.

TOMOMI: It feels like we'll have moments where we can drop the intros hard.

RINA: That's true.

SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 “Light＆Shade” @ NAGOYA CLUB QUATTRO, October 9

1. GIRLism
   
2. Orange Juice
   
3. LOVE SURVIVE
   
4. Graduation
   
5. Plum
   
6. Very Special
   
7. Shining Sun
   
8. Tsuki
   
9. eternal
   
10. one more time
    
11. OVER
    
12. Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne
    
13. A.M.D.K.J.
    
14. Take Me Out
    
15. Taiyou Scandalous
    
    Encore:
    
16. Kagerou
    
17. DOLL
    

SCANDAL: 「【 Thank you!!! 】
2024.10.9
SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 "Light&Shade"
at NAGOYA CLUB QUATTRO」

TOMOMI: 「MANIA TOUR day 2, Nagoya!

It was such an exciting time from start to finish
Thanks!

Next is Tokyo! Best regards🫶」

HARUNA: 「MANIA tour at Nagoya Club Quattro, thanks The vibe in Nagoya was amazing,, Our MANIA members are so encouraging! It was an amazing night So much fun〜!」

MAMI: 「SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024“Light＆Shade”@ NAGOYA CLUB QUATTRO
.
.
.
.
Day 2 of our MANIA tour!
Thanks so much to everyone who came out
yummy was delicious…🥲」

RINA: 「Performance ＃2 of our fan club tour, Nagoya. It was a great concert! I'm happy we got to perform a bunch of my favorite songs. On this tour in particular, I feel that we have been able to create the atmosphere that we currently have over the years, with new fans joining, leaving, and returning each time. It's truly amazing to see everyone get excited to intros of songs we haven't played in years. Thank you for loving us through all the different eras and turning our music into memories. Let's get through ordinary days and meet up over and over againー!」

SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 “Light＆Shade” @ UMEDA CLUB QUATTRO, October 8

1. GIRLism
   
2. Orange Juice
   
3. LOVE SURVIVE
   
4. Graduation
   
5. Plum
   
6. Very Special
   
7. Shining Sun
   
8. Tsuki
   
9. eternal
   
10. one more time
    
11. OVER
    
12. Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne
    
13. A.M.D.K.J.
    
14. Take Me Out
    
15. Taiyou Scandalous
    
    Encore:
    
16. Kagerou
    
17. DOLL
    

SCANDAL: 「【 Thank you!!! 】
2024.10.9
SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 "Light&Shade"
at NAGOYA CLUB QUATTRO」

TOMOMI: 「SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024 "Light&Shade" Day 1, Osaka!

It was a night that felt like we had stepped into a time machine
Thank you

Today's Nagoya! Best regards🫶」

HARUNA: 「Umeda Club Quattro, opening day of our MANIA tour, thanks so much🫶 We put together a setlist unique to a fan club tour of songs we haven't played in a while! It was such a happy atmosphere!
We kicked off to a great start with opening day in Osaka
Looking forward to today's concert in Nagoya too」

MAMI: 「SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2024“Light＆Shade” @ UMEDA CLUB QUATTRO
.
.
.
.
Opening day of our MANIA tour!
Thanks so much to everyone who came out🫶」

RINA: 「Our fan club tour has begun! Yesterday was opening day in Osaka. It was so much fun. Such a happy space. Getting to be with all you guys makes us happy. It's awesome to have something you love that makes you feel fulfilled. I want to keep being a good group while getting charged up by it. I feel like this tour is a reminder of all the great songs we've created. I'll do my best today too. Happy!」

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 79

•The episode starts with this. This is yet another episode just about the two of them talking about Sanrio and Puroland lol

•Kawamura says that she really wants to share that Sanrio characters just aren't the same if they're not live characters for her. MAMI says that she totally gets that. Kawamura then says that Pandaba is the strongest character in her collection of Sanrio merch, and asks MAMI if she knows the character. MAMI says yes, and that she's a friend of Badtz-Maru and lives in a high-class Chinese restaurant. She says that she can see why Kawamura likes her. They then start talking about acrylic stands and MAMI says that she did the Neo Ninja event by herself four times since she wanted 2 types each of Dear Daniel and Badtz-Maru.

•The staff says something to them that's unintelligible, to which the both of them reply Pekkle, but a fake Pekkle--they're talking about when Pekkle wore a My Melody hood. Kawamura says that getting a greeting with this Pekkle was really tough. MAMI says that she wasn't that much of a Sanrio fan when that happened. They start talking about merch again and Kawamura says that she's decided to limit herself to four items [every time she goes, presumably?] since there's no clear end and gets heavy. MAMI laughs and says that commendable. Kawamura asks her what she does with her merch. MAMI says they just keep piling up and so she's decided to be really selective about what she gets. Also, when a character's birthday is approaching at Puroland, they release food related to that character's birthday. She wants to take a picture with that, so if there are, say, four acrylic stands of that character, she thinks about which one to take and usually brings just one. Kawamura says that she's recently gotten into collecting Sanrio headbands and uses them as decoration at home since they look really cute when hung up on a wall.

•MAMI asks Kawamura what character she's been interested in lately. Kawamura says Pandaba. MAMI asks what sparked her interest. Kawamura says there used to be a show a long time ago, like 1995, that featured Pandaba, which she loved a lot. Pandaba also appeared in parades at Puroland but eventually stopped appearing and wasn't doing greetings anymore. Recently, though, they've been releasing merch featuring her and she's also been appearing at greetings. Since she really liked the show back then, she feels like she wants to support her again. MAMI says she totally gets it, and that she was completely captivated by Bonbonribbon. She wanted to take a photo with her in one of her parade costumes, so she applied for a M&G and won. In the parade, Bonbonribbon goes up against a villain and would do a 'traffic control' pose when 'protecting' the crowd. MAMI told BBR that she wanted to do that pose with her for her photo, and they did end up doing it. She says she also went dressed up like BBR in the parade, and even sewed the ribbons onto her outfit (video of the pose + photos from MAMI's M&G were posted to her Twitter).

•They then talk about having to line up early before the park even opens in order to get a M&G with a popular character/when it's a character's birthday, and say that you probably have to line up 30 minutes to an hour before. Kawamura mentions that there were hardly any people at the park back in 2013 when she used to go a lot. It was so empty that the characters would go over to you, compared to now where it's so hard to meet even one character. They mention how the park now has a female CEO and it's turned into a profitable business that started out as a kids' theme park but has grown to be more adult-oriented that has attracted a lot of people, including those from overseas. MAMI says that if you go during the off-season, you can do 5-6 greetings. She once went to see Badtz-Maru so often that he was shocked and was like, "It's you again!" Kawamura laughs and says it's great he remembered her.

•They mention again how they really want people to come visit and be purified/cleansed of toxins, which they both laugh at. MAMI says that she'd love to go with Kawamura. Kawamura says they really need to go to a M&G together, and that they should go sometime soon. MAMI she usually goes to almost all of the events there alone and also won admission to an autograph sesson three times in a row. Kawamura is shocked and goes, "How??" while the staff laughs. MAMI says that she used a lot of "Smiles" (the point system used at Puroland). Kawamura asks how many Smiles she usually puts in. MAMI says around 8,000. Kawamura goes, "What??" MAMI says she put in all of the Smiles she's accumulated all summer and winter. Kawamura says it's impressive she won with 8,000. They wonder how people can accumulate a ton of Smiles. MAMI guesses that maybe they buy a lot of stuff and/or buy a lot of food there.

•They again say that they'd love to go to the events and greetings together. Kawamura says that she's almost always at Puroland. She usually doesn't spend the whole day there; if she has some free time, she will drop by to catch a parade in the morning and then head to work in the afternoon. MAMI says she's the opposite and will go if she has a greeting ticket or show she wants to see, or if there's new merch. She hasn't yet tried going for a quick visit before work. Kawamura says she might end up getting hooked. Back when she was in her idol group, she would go early and enter as soon as the gates opened, and then head to go record. She ended up losing 22 pounds/10 kgs without even trying since there are tons of hills at Puroland. MAMI says you get all sweaty and, even though you've gotten all dolled up to take photos with the characters, you end up a sweaty mess.

•They then close out the episode. MAMI says even though they talked across these two episodes, it still feels insufficient time-wise. She wonders if the listeners were okay with these episodes. Kawamura says she doesn't think so, which they both laugh at. Kawamura says that she believes their love for Sanrio was conveyed. MAMI says that if you go and hug a character, you'll likely understand how good of a place it is. Kawamura laughs and agrees.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

---

*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

---

#front-page #catchup

Who is Sanrio lover Kawamura's favorite character??

Season 2, Episode 79 blog

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MAMI: This is the second installment of the SCANDAL "Catch up" solo project series from me, MAMI...

Hello Mamiー! Sanrio Night!!

MAMI: Continuing from last time, we're joined by Yui Kawamura, my beloved friend; former member of Idoling; and current dance teacher.

Kawamura: Thanks for having meー!

MAMI: Last time, I talked about my favorite Sanrio characters. Kawamura, what are yours?

Kawamura: If I had to choose my favorite, I'd have to say it's Hello Kitty, but my ＃1 favorite is Ichigoman...

MAMI: What!? You mean Hello Kitty's "Ichigoman"!?

Kawamura: That's right! Shee transforms into Ichigoman for just three minutes!

(*To staff) Did you know? Hello Kitty fights!

MAMI: Her ears turn into strawberries.

Staff: Are there any bad guys?

Kawamura: There aren't any depicted villains, but she fights against evil.

MAMI: Those with bad hearts.

Kawamura: She became a character around 2010. She was my favorite character, but since there isn't much merch for her, I feel a bit lost on how to support her...

MAMI: There's the annual Sanrio Character Awards, right? I learned about Ichigoman through the silhouette guessing quiz. I was like, "What is this silhouette?" and then I had to pick from three options.

Kawamura: In the "Power the Kitty" show at Puroland, Hello Kitty fights while dressed as Ichigoman!

MAMI: Ehー!?

Kawamura: There's actual action, and she gets kicked for real.

MAMI: Ehー!?

Kawamura: Seeing her get kicked, I thought, "Oh, she got kicked!" and I was like, "I have to support her!"

MAMI: Ehー!? I didn't know that happened.

Kawamura: And Ichigoman, is she an ally? Maybe a mini-boss? There are characters like Darkgrapeman and Honeymomo who arrive in a car.

MAMI: Ehー!? Bad guys...

Kawamura: Then they help out a little and leave. I thought, "What kind of show is this?"

MAMI: Ah, so they're allies then.

Kawamura: It was a pretty chaotic show, but Ichigoman really captured my heart.

MAMI: I'll look it up. I haven't seen any of the old shows.

Kawamura: "Power the Kitty" is crazy. Ichigoman also used to appear at M&Gs.

MAMI: Ehー!? That's super rare!

Kawamura: I know! The crowd would go wild, like, "Wow!"

MAMI: Wasn't that when they didn't have residences and just walked around?

Kawamura: Yes, they wandered around!

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 78

•The episode starts with this. This episode is completely about the two of them talking about Sanrio and Puroland, just FYI lol

•Kawamura mentions how she was in the idol group Idoling about 8-9 years ago, that she worked as a TV personality and such, and that she became a dance teacher recently. MAMI says that their meeting was thanks to Ohno, who found out about Kawamura while she was teaching dance. Kawamura says that she was approached after the lesson by him, who brought up that everything she had was Hello Kitty themed. MAMI says that she's really happy to have met her since she doesn't have many friends who are into Sanrio. Kawamura says the same, and that she can't believe a day like this came about.

•They first talk about how they got into Sanrio. MAMI says she's known about Sanrio characters and their names since she was little and also had Sanrio items then. She also knew about Puroland but had never been there before and also wasn't too interested in collecting merch, though she was interested in what the park was like. Then one day she saw a video on social media about how you can meet the characters. The video showcased the characters' gestures and added subtitles to what they think they're saying, making it seem like they're having a conversation with the person they were meeting. She thought that was cool, which prompted her to go there. Once she went, she was completely hooked and ended up buying an annual pass + going about once a week. Kawamura asks if she had a convo with the characters the first time she went. MAMI says she didn't really understand how Puroland worked on the first day and just went to visit, get something to eat, and took a few photos. That was when you had to sit on a chair to meet the characters due to COVID protocols. Now, though, there's nothing like that, so you're able to hug them and take a photo close together. Kawamura asks if that's how she got hooked on Sanrio. MAMI says yes, and that she could hear the characters chatting, which made her surprised and happy. Kawamura says that the way that Sanrio characters are brought to life is incredible. MAMI says that she can't help but cry when she watches the shows that are put on there. Kawamura asks if the M&Gs are how she fell in love with Sanrio. MAMI says yes, and that after watching the videos and then meeting them + discovering their personalities, it made her fall deep into the Sanrio hole.

•MAMI then asks how Kawamura got into Sanrio. Kawamura says it started with Puroland for her. She was around 2-3 years old when she first went and got to know the characters. That was about 32 years ago, and she was shocked the first time she saw the Starlight Parade. MAMI is surprised and asks if she does remember seeing it then. Kawamura says yes, which MAMI says is amazing. Kawamura says that Puroland became this incredible place in her mind and sparked a desire to see such a dazzling place, which is partly why she started pursuing a career in entertainment. Since she lived in the country and could only go to the park once a year, she would pretend she was there while reading park pamphlets at home. After she learned about annual passes, that was it for her. MAMI laughs. Kawamura says that when she was in Idoling, she'd go to Puroland and catch a show before going to record. MAMI says it sounds like she was pretty busy back then.

•Kawamura says that her obsession has intensified recently, especially since starting to share her experiences, and enjoys going alone and fully immersing herself in the shows. MAMI asks if she reflects on a show after watching it. Kawamura asks what she means. MAMI laughs and says that after seeing a show, it makes her think that the Sanrio characters live in reality, and not just in a fantasy. Kawamura says that's a nice way to think about it and says she gets it. MAMI says that she thinks each character embodies human traits that people shouldn't forget. Examples: Hello Kitty is all about acceptance and friendship, while Dear Daniel helps give courage in difficult times. She sees see so much humanity in each character, and their personalities come through during the shows, too. She often leaves Puroland thinking about how she wants to embody the feelings they express. Kawamura agrees and says that Puroland embodies that purity; its name is even a blend of "pure" and "piero" (clown). They then basically gush about how it's such a wonderful place that helps to cleanse you of negative ions and the like.

•MAMI asks Kawamura if she has any favorite characters. Kawamura says she gets asked this all the time and then asks MAMI if she has any favorites. MAMI says she does, but they keep increasing. Kawamura asks what her current top character is. MAMI says she thinks it's Marron Cream, and she also likes Badtz-Maru, Dear Daniel, Kirimichan, Petapetaminilian, and Bonbonribbon. Kawamura says that Bonbonribbon is in the Miracle Gift Parade that's showing now and that she fights really hard in it. They then gush about the parade and how everyone visiting Puroland for the first time should definitely see it. MAMI says that if possible, they should watch it from a paid seating area. Kawamura says that it's really hard to get those tickets and wonders how you even get front row tickets. MAMI says that you need to stay glued to your screen when ticket sales start at noon. She usually sets an alarm for 11:55.

•They then talk about how there are paid M&G character tickets, which entail meeting a character for a minute with their seasonal outfits on and chat with them for 3,000 yen. They say that that's pricey, but MAMI has done that before and will dress up like the characters when she does it. An example she gives is when Badtz-Maru had on a ninja outfit for a summer event, so she also dressed similarly when she met him. It included a big bell around the neck that she worked hard to find for herself. Kawamura asks if she goes to Puroland alone. MAMI says that she usually goes with her photographer friend who takes photos for her. Kawamura, sounding envious, says that's nice, which makes MAMI laugh. Kawamura talks about how she did a paid M&G alone for Hello Kitty two years ago during the Christmas season and says it was super nerve-racking and stressful since the staff actually counted down the minute outloud, which made her panic a bit. She says she feels like she needs to practice before doing that again. MAMI asks if she goes to the free M&Gs. Kawamura says she does but still gets nervous and isn't sure what to talk about. They say that the normal ones are the characters in their standard outfits and you're not able to bring things like props to them. MAMI mentions that during a paid M&G with Hello Kitty when they were doing a camp-themed show, she had brought a campfire toy set and had a 'bonfire' with HK. Kawamura says she's a pro at this. MAMI says that she watches all the different people who go before her and learns from them. Kawamura says that she usually goes to watch the shows, so M&Gs are more of a keepsake thing for her. She then says that this current system of paid M&Gs is more of a recent thing, so if it had been around when she was in her idol group, she thinks it could have been better for the fans.

•After they hit the 30 minute mark, they're told that that they need to start wrapping it up. They laugh and apologize for talking so much, but they'll also be continuing this discussion about Sanrio on next week's episode as well.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

TOMOMI has been appointed as a tourism ambassador for her hometown of Kakogawa!

TOMOMI from SCANDAL becomes Kakogawa tourism ambassador

On September 25, Kakogawa City announced that TOMOMI, a native of the city and bassist of the four-piece rock band SCANDAL, will be inaugurated as a tourism ambassador for Kakogawa. An appointment ceremony will be held in the city at a later date.

TOMOMI is from Kakogawa-cho. SCANDAL formed in 2006 in Osaka, and made their major debut in 2008. They hold tour concerts both in Japan and overseas every year, and in August 2023 they were recognized by the Guinness World Records as the longest-active female rock band with the same musicians.

With TOMOMI's appointment, there are a total of 24 individuals and one group as tourism ambassadors for Kakogawa.

TOMOMI: 「Finally!!!!!!!
I've become a tourism ambassador!!!!!!!!!
I'll help make Kakogawa even more exciting」

Talking about Sanrio with former Idoling!! member and dance teacher Yui Kawamura!

Season 2, Episode 78 blog

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MAMI: Good evening, everyone. SCANDAL's guitarist MAMI here. I'll be bringing you this episode by myself. This solo project is...

～Hello Mamiiー! Sanrio Night!!

MAMI: I don't know if it's okay to say "Hello Mamiiー!" (stylized as ハロ マミィー, similar to ハローキティ; Hello Kitty), but I've been really into Sanrio since around last year, and this is a project where I'll be talking about my beloved Sanrio as much as possible. I hope you'll join me. I hope that everyone who listens to this will fall in love with Sanrio, too. So, today, we have a guest. She also loves Sanrio, so I'd love to talk a lot about Sanrio with her. Please welcome Yui Kawamura, my dear Sanrio buddy, former member of Idoling!!, and who is currently a dance teacher!

Kawamura: Thanks for having me!

MAMI: Thanks so muchー!!

Kawamura: This is my first time being invited as a guest because I like Sanrio.

MAMI: Is that so??

Kawamura: That's right.

MAMI: When I looked at your Twitter, all of your tweets had the Sanrio hashtag...

Kawamura: Eh, is that so?

MAMI: Can you take a look for yourself??

Kawamura: I'm sure I'm always looking at my account, but there aren't that many kinds of tweets (laughs).

MAMI: Even your photos feature Hello Kitty somewhere, or there's a Sanrio shop bag...

Kawamura: Ahー!!

MAMI: Even when Hello Kitty isn't featured, you can feel the love for Sanrio.

Kawamura: I see... I guess I do it unconsciously. I've always liked Sanrio, but I only recently started saying that I do love it.

MAMI: Oh, really?

Kawamura: I've always kept quiet about it...

MAMI: Why's that?

Kawamura: I wanted it to be my own hobby. It felt a bit weird when people around me would say, "You like Sanrio, right?" Plus, I really wanted to go to Sanrio shops and Puroland by myself.

MAMI: Ah, I see.

Kawamura: But recently, I thought, why not just say it? I'm glad it's been noticed.

MAMI: We’ve been chatting away, but this is actually our first time meeting...

Kawamura: That's rightー!! Nice to meet you.

MAMI: Nice to meet you too.

Kawamura: I've seen your social media posts too!

MAMI: Thank you!

Kawamura: It's like one day, out of the blue, you just became all about Sanrio, right?

MAMI: I deleted all of my old tweets...

Kawamura: That's right!?

MAMI: I deleted everything to turn my account into a Sanrio one.

Kawamura: Your enthusiasm's really something...