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convenience93 · 4 years

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IZ*ONE’s Jo Yuri, An Yujin & Jang Wonyoung: The Youngest Members Shining As Idols

Translated from the source:

https://realsound.jp/2019/11/post-447367_2.html

Starting from the oldest members, this series has been introducing each IZ*ONE member one by one but now, we have reached the final segment where we’ll introduce the three youngest members: Jo Yuri, An Yujin and Jang Wonyoung.

Born in 2001, Jo Yuri focused on learning and practising the piano until she was 13. However, her family’s financial situation made it difficult for her to continue pursuing the piano in a specialist school, so she switched routes to become a singer. The first idol survival show she participated in was Mnet’s Idol School. She ranked at 15th place and thus was unable to make her debut. Subsequently, she joined Stone Music Entertainment as a trainee. After 9 months of training, she participated in PRODUCE 48, clinched 3rd place, and became an IZ*ONE member.

Even though she is only in her teens, she is in charge of the main vocals of the group with her rich timbre and powerful vocals. Her vocals go more toward the neutral side, characterized for being slightly boyish instead of pretty and girly. This gives her voice a unique charm. Her singing and dancing skills have now grown tremendously compared to time she was on Idol School without an agency. She has even garnered praise from musicians renowned for their outstanding singing abilities such as Moon Heejoon and AKMU. On top of that, it is true that her dance skills may not stand out as much compared to members who are main dancers. Despite that, she is known to have a good sense of rhythm from her experience in learning instruments and having to act flexibly.

Personality wise, on one hand, she is a perfectionist that gets too fixated on her problems but on the other hand, she is also emotional and moved easily to tears. She is one of the members that the rest love to mess around with the most. As she is from Busan, she tends to speak in a distinct Gyeongsang dialect, and this according to Korean fans adds to her unique charm. On Idol School, she hid her dialect and spoke in Standard Korean as much as possible but ever since her debut, she began to make use of it in order to express her individuality and character.

Born in 2003, An Yujin, a Starship Entertainment representative who had been training for 1 year and 4 months, participated in PRODUCE 48 and debuted as a member. Before going on the show, she made many appearances in the MVs of the senior artists in her company such as in “Rain” by SISTAR’s Soyou & EXO’s Baekhyun as well as “Oppa” by Yu Seungwoo and B1A4’s Sandeul among others. She is known for her height and amazing proportions even within the group, and has experienced being a model for cosmetics commercials several times including one with ASTRO’s Eunwoo.

Rather than excelling in a particular area, Yujin is described as an all-rounder idol with a high level of skills in many different areas as well as having good visuals. She tends to stand out in dances that make full use of her long and unconstrained limbs. She is also capable of coming up with her own choreography, and is acknowledged to be one of the best dancers in the group after Chaeyeon and Eunbi.

Personality wise, she is known as a cheerful beagle-dol (a term used for bright, loud and boisterous idols) that actively plays around with even the older members. While putting her height into consideration, the members have even likened her to a Golden Retriever. Among the members, she can be said to be the most outstanding in variety alongside Yena. According to Miyawaki Sakura, Yujin is like a “sun that radiates with energy”, making her a happy virus that is infectious even to her own fellow members.

Born in 2004, Jang Wonyoung is the youngest member of the group at the age of 15. Despite that, she clinched 1st place on PRODUCE48 and sat on the center seat while being the maknae or youngest participant of the show. Scouted on the streets, she was a trainee with Starship Entertainment for 1 year and 2 months prior to her participation in PRODUCE 48. Before debuting, she made an appearance in the MV for LOVE IT LIVE IT by YDPP who are from the same company as her.

With her fresh, gorgeous looks and long limbs brought to life in performances, she is said to be one of the members who has the most outstanding idol qualities overall. She was even called a “Nobel Idol Prize” winner by Japanese fans. This is something that gets frequently cited in Korea too. Although she is the youngest, she looks like a grown-up with her tall stature especially when lined up alongside Yujin. Because of her appearance and tall stature, she can pull off performances even for songs looking to portray a mature female image as their concept.

On one hand, she may have an adult-like appearance, but her personality in comparison is characteristic of a youngest child. She doesn’t hold back when she is around the older members, and would let them pamper her while she charms them with her aegyo. She plays around with a child-like purity, and it is easy to tell how she is feeling because it shows on her face due to her innocence. In order to focus on her entertainment related activities, it was officially announced that she had withdrawn from her middle school in April this year and will take the qualification exams privately.

Currently, Mnet’s survival shows which incorporate audience participation through voting such as all the past PRODUCE seasons and Idol School have been alleged to be rigged, and some of these allegations have already been confirmed to be true based on police investigations. As a result of the aftermath, the groups that are currently active and debuted from the Produce series namely X1 and IZ*ONE faced a heavy restriction in their activities in Korea. Even IZ*ONE’s Eyes On Me Movie that was scheduled to be screened has also been called off in cinemas in Japan. This means even their activities within Japan are starting to get affected.

However, the shining presence of the debuted participants as idols and the time they shared with the fans are things that will not fade away. I’m wrapping up this series while praying that their future activities can become something that doesn’t leave behind any regrets.

#iz*one #jo yuri #an yujin #jang wonyoung #annyeongz #translation #informative #good article #produce48

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convenience93 · 5 years

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109 News Shibuya TGC 2019 Interview with Jang Wonyoung & Miyawaki Sakura Translation

Source: https://109news.jp/event/20190917/163470/writer02?detail

IZ*ONE made their appearance at "Mynavi presents the 29th TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION 2019"! We interviewed Jang Wonyoung-chan and Miyawaki Sakura-chan who represented their group in making their runway debut! Please check out the extremely adorable snaps we got of them too ♡

Thoughts on their first runway experience

-- Wonyoung-chan and Sakura-chan, the both of you made your runway debut at TGC today. How did you find your first runway experience?

Sakura: Walking on the TGC runway was a dream that I thought would never come true, so I was happy that dream could come true today!

Wonyoung: I was really happy that I could make my runway debut at TGC!! I would like to walk the runway with Sakura-chan again next time.

-- Do you have go-to clothes for the times when you want to show some spirit?

Sakura: When we all went to New York & LA for work, we wore tight-fitting one piece dresses that clearly showed off our body proportions. When we go abroad, we feel somewhat liberated. I find that we’re able to challenge ourselves in wearing clothes we wouldn’t usually wear!

Wonyoung: I also often wear one piece dresses. Apart from that, I also like cropped T-shirts ♡

Miyawaki Sakura’s Ultimate Secret Behind Her Fair Skin (laughs)

-- Please tell us your recommended skincare routine!

Sakura: I put on a face mask once a week, and make sure my skin is always moisturized.

-- You have extremely fair skin. Do you do anything to keep your skin in that state?

Sakura: I don’t go outdoors! Haha. On off days, I spend a lot of time playing games at home.

-- How about Wonyoung-chan who has really beautiful skin too? What is your skincare routine?

Wonyoung: Whenever I’m done with cleansing, I make sure to always wash my skin with cold water in order to shrink the pores.

Everyone in IZ*ONE is fashionable ♡

-- Who do you think is the most fashionable member?

Sakura: For me, it's Hyewon-chan! She has many different varieties of clothes from those which are cute to those that are cool. I always think they're all so lovely.

Wonyoung: For me, it's Eunbi-chan! She's so cool♡

-- Among the members, do you make comments on each other's clothes and try them on etc?

Sakura: Yes! Since we're living in dorms, we'll often borrow clothes that we find nice from each other.

-- On the other hand, is there anyone among the members who has an eccentric fashion sense?

Wonyoung: No there isn't!!! Haha

-- So everyone's fashionable?

Sakura: Yes! However when I'm feeling sluggish, I'll just go around the way I am when waking up without make-up and just a T-shirt...It's not like I always have it altogether. Haha.

What is currently popular among IZ*ONE?

--Please tell us what is currently popular among the members!

Sakura: Probably tenshinhan*? In Japan, we had that ordered on delivery, but it seems not as common in Korea. It was extremely delicious, so we became obsessed with it ♡

T/N: *Tenshinhan is crab meat omelette on rice.

From the gap of their usual cute self to their performances with cool expressions, don’t forget to check out this amazing group IZ*ONE for their 3rd Japanese single release on 25th September!

#jang wonyoung #miyawaki sakura #tokyo girls collection #tgc2019 #saitama super arena #runway model debut #kang hyewon #kwon eunbi #109 news shibuya #translation #iz*one

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convenience93 · 5 years

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Watanabe Miyuki Mail April 29th Mail Translation Only

Title: 17% Tour is finished!!

I've wrapped up my tour❣

To everyone supporting me To everyone who came to Milky Land Thank you very much 😻 They became really really memorable lives for me ❤

My last live in the Heisei era was the best...

With Heisei coming to an end I would like to talk about it today🙂

I entered the group when I was 17. As I didn't know anything about the entertainment biz I was quite frantically getting about my days to fulfill my work duties 😫 What I noticed was, back then I thought that when the number of people who supported me increased, my days would become funner too❣

In the midst of losing confidence from comparing myself to others and the days of just trying to find where I belonged, I was supported by you, my fans, each and every day. The people who continued to support me were you all and my mother😢❤ It was truly my moral support ❤

However, the support from you all was not fully reflected back to me then. Not only that, results that didn't seem to lead me anywhere made me lose my will. I just felt like giving up 😔 Was I really even needed? I pondered about that and even consulted others, but I was told it was still too early for me to graduate and I had believed that. With that, time just passed by 😔 There were even times I didn't even want to think about work at all 😔 After many years in the flow of time, it was like a like string within me broke apart and the thought of graduation surfaced in my mind 😯 That time I thought, would my mother be sad? But unexpectedly, she accepted it pretty easily 😌 When I could see graduation at sight, I could feel my heart becoming light as though I had been released and let free 😊

Initially, I had loved the opportunities of being able to meet with fans. I really simply did just like it and had fun too, but then ended up being referred to as a fisher or Warukii. That may have been the case, but it was actually fun 🤔😁！Haha. However, I was not be able to produce any results from my efforts. I didn't know what hope I could even possess, and so I felt bad to the people who were supporting me 😔 All of you who supported me really thought and cared about me. That's why even if it took 2 or 3 years, I decided in my heart that I would definitely repay everyone. And with that while believing in myself as well as everyone supporting me, I decided to make a new start. And that's when I decided that I won't be bothered by the things I don't know anymore! Things won't always turn out the way I expect them!

Though I knew that everything would come back to me again, I had stopped giving my kamitaiou (incredible fan service) at handshakes, and even took breaks from events 💥 I felt really bad and sorry to everyone who were supporting me back then 😭 Despite that, only I knew this but I was able to protect my heart by being stubborn and acting defiant 🙏😭 To everyone who was looking forward to see me, I would like to apologise with all that I have 🙇 I'm so sorry 😢 This is what I really wanted to talk about 😫😫😫

For me too up to today, there were times I had my battles, times when I was down, times of reflecting, and times of being supported. It was thanks to that I could usher in today!

My work now is fun🙂 These days, I'm always thankful to the staff who are working hard alongside me 💖

I had gone through days when everything turned into something negative no matter what they were, but that's why now I am really savouring the happiness I have 😌

I want to always protect this moment. But of course! From now on, perhaps there may still be tough times 😚 However, you all won't have to see that anymore!! That's something I'm very happy about 🙂❤

Seeing all of you who are important to me smiling also makes me beam happily too 😁💞

And so I'll start once again from today with brand new feelings 🙂💞 If you all have something in your heart, do so too by all means!! From today onwards, why not restart again with brand new feelings? ✊ Surely life is something that will open up when you carry out actions and make your own decisions with confidence 😌 Your happiness is not decided by someone else. It's something that only you know for yourself...❤

I want to continue believing in myself in the Reiwa era too. I want to keep loving myself for who I am. I also want to keep being the Milky that everyone loves 🙂💞

Thank you for reading me💖

Love, Miyuki ❤

T/N: The “Thank you for reading me💖 “ is from the actual mail. Milky wrote that one line in English.

#Watanabe Miyuki #milky #miyuki mail #milky mail #translation #honesty #heisei #reiwa #i'll keep supporting you #thank you for being humble #love #support #inspiring

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convenience93 · 5 years

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Miyuki Watanabe - Myself Eng Sub

youtube

I subbed Milky’s Myself from her newly released 17% album. This is the performance from her Christmas Premium Live last year!

The lyricist, Yanagawa Haruka, really wrote it based on her intensive research on Milky. So, it’s really as though she is in Milky’s shoes.

It’s a song full of swag and attitude with an important social message of making your own informed opinions instead of judging someone based on the opinion of others.

Anyway, enjoy!

#Watanabe Miyuki #milky #swag #youdoyou #17percent #17%#1st Album #Watanabe Miyuki Christmas Premium Live

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convenience93 · 5 years

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Watanabe Miyuki Mail 31st December 2018 (Translation Only)

Everyone, thank you for this one year!

For me, this one year has been a year of change and movement.

I am where I am today thanks to everyone who watched over me through the thick and thin 🙂

Though it isn’t something that can be seen

Just like the presence of family, friends and lovers - that’s how important all of you are to me 😉

And that’s why I also began to really think that I want to remain as that constant sort of presence for everyone through your thick and thin☺️

Everyone is bound to face many different kinds of changes in life. However, even in those times, when you run into a wall or find yourself unable to overcome something, I’ll remain a constant for you☺️

It was from all of you being here for me that I came to know how incredibly reassuring it is to have a constant 😃

Once again, thank you for this year!

And thanks in advance for next year 😉

Miyuki 🐣

#Watanabe Miyuki #milky #miyuki mail #milky mail #translation #fan appreciation #new year's eve #last post of 2018 #sentimental #touching #Thank You #sweet #awwww #happy new year

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convenience93 · 5 years

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Miyuki Watanabe - Ano Hi no Sora to Watashi no Mirai Eng Sub

dailymotion

This is the last of the new songs Milky performed at her concert before she went on with the encore.

Ano Hi no Sora to Watashi no Mirai is a very meaningful song that I personally relate a lot to, and often listen to when I’m feeling down or had a bad day. It makes me feel a lot better just hearing Milky’s soft, encouraging voice as well as listening to the lyrics that really speak to the heart.

The song also feels very close to home to Milky as she said she wanted to give back to everyone who has been supporting her through her performing this song. It definitely really felt true to her and her struggles, so kudos to everyone involved in producing the song not just the composer and lyricist.

But anyway, hope you enjoy this and be encouraged by it as much as I have.

#Watanabe Miyuki #milky land #comeback live #milky #encouragement #motivation #keep living everyone #touching #live #performance #eng sub

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convenience93 · 6 years

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Miyuki Watanabe - Milky Land Eng Sub

dailymotion

I felt like doing it, so I subbed the theme song of Miyuki Watanabe’s solo comeback, Milky Land.

I love this song so much ;_;

It really sounds like a girl anthem anime OP! Haha.

The person who wrote the lyrics to this song, Yanagawa Hiroka, said she wanted the song to be as true to Milky possible, so she had watched tonnes of Milky videos from her live performances, varieties as well as Milky’s audition clips. That dedication. And I thought she (the lyricist) did an amazing job at it ;_;

Same goes to the composer of the song, Ishida Yuki. Everything from the melody up to the arrangement of the song feels so like not just Milky, but Watanabe Miyuki <3

I also love just how expressive Milky’s vocals sounds. That sweet tone that really hits your heart haha ;_;

#Watanabe Miyuki #milky land #comeback live #welcome back #heartfelt #touching #live performance #milky #eng sub

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convenience93 · 6 years

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Watanabe Miyuki 1st Live Tour 2018 ~Milky Land da yo ne~ Fan Report

Last week, on the 19th of September, former NMB48 member Watanabe Miyuki or Milky (as she is fondly known as) celebrated her 25th birthday, and threw a comeback live after 2 years of being away from showbiz.

The live was titled Watanabe Miyuki 1st Live Tour 2018 ~Milky Land da yo ne~ and was held in Zepp Tokyo. She also made a stop in Osaka at Namba Hatch on the 21st of September.

She did drop hints of a possible showbiz comeback throughout the whole of 2017, but of course nothing was confirmed, and there was no way we could know for sure. However, in mid-July this year, she opened an official website, and announced her comeback; the first of the events being the comeback lives.

Although I have actually seen Milky perform with NMB before at both NMB concerts and even in a smaller setting like theatre, I realised I have never properly watched her live performances. This was because by the time I became a big fan of Milky from around 2015, I didn’t get to go see her or NMB live again even until she graduated in mid-2016.

I was somewhat filled with regret back then because I hadn’t watched her properly in any of the concerts and lives I actually attended. Milky had said not long before she graduated that what she had wanted most was for people to watch and enjoy her performances. Those words had never left my mind for these past 2 years, and I promised myself that I’ll definitely properly watch her perform live one day if the opportunity comes by.

Hence, when she unexpectedly announced that her comeback was going to kick off with solo lives, I wanted to be there in her live audience by hook or crook. Initially, I was planning in going to only one of the lives, but since the dates were so close to each other, I decided to take the plunge and apply for both with my friend (and it was also a chance to take one week of leave from work haha).

And that’s how I ended up going for both her Tokyo and Osaka lives. As the setlist for both the concerts are exactly the same, I will try to combine my impressions of songs/performances into one report, and bring up individuals points of both lives (if necessary).

First, let’s talk about the live performances.

1. Milky Land (1st Perf)

After they played the intro animation video (which by the way was hilarious and everyone SHOULD WATCH IT), the first song Milky Land started playing; and slowly, Milky’s silhouette appeared behind the red curtains.

Being in the live venue then particularly in Tokyo, the hype of the audience was on an all-time high because we were finally going to see Milky standing on stage again after all this time. Then the curtains unravelled itself, and there Milky was right in front of our eyes dressed like a princess of a fairytale, fitting to the theme of her concert.

To be honest, when she first came out, it felt so surreal like a dream I couldn’t believe actually came true. At that moment, the regret I held onto for the past 2 years evaporated away, and nothing else mattered anymore because Milky was right there performing in front of my very eyes. I really like how for this very first performance, Milky just spent the whole time singing earnestly from her heart, smiling in gratitude to all of us there in the audience. I really like how she took the time just to live in that moment and properly convey her appreciation to everyone for being there for her. Even the first song was already so heartfelt and moving that I knew it was going to turn out to be quite a show haha.

2. WINTER LOVE ~Watashi no Yeah Yeah~

The first of the Tsunku songs that Milky performed at the live. Now I’m going to admit that when I first heard the previews of this song, I wasn’t exactly digging it. To me, it just sounded like your typical Tsunku Morning Musume or H!P song haha. But then, at the live, when I watched Milky bring the performance to life, I realised just what an incredible live song it was. The call and response included in the song that encouraged the audience participation was a lot of fun!

Also, I really couldn’t help but to smile along with Milky who was happily dancing and running across stage with a wide smile on her face. Milky grew up being a HUGE fan of Hello!Project, so having Tsunku their producer produce songs for her...it’s something she could have never imagined. Her delight and enthusiasm in being able to perform the song really showed. Ah, that signature Milky smile haha.

3. Ringo Uruwashi Minori no Kisetsu

Ah, this song. I love how she was performing it still in her pink princess dress because the intro to it sounds like some Disney theme song. Also, that “hashiru hashiru hashiru (run, run, run) at the beginning is so iconic. The choreography was sooo cute. I especially love the part where Milky draws on the floor like a kid haha. After the thrill and excitement of the first two songs, I thought it was a sweet, cute song to transition into. It was very relaxing and chill, and it was basically just Milky being the sweetheart we love and adore lol. I mean how can you resist the English parts at the bridge?!

“Honey honey take me to the Milky Way.

lovery lovery you’re my angel”

Tic tac tac tic tac fall in love...”

4. Yasashiku Suru Yori Kisu wo Shite

Then, we jump into the first of the nostalgia tracks aka Milky’s first solo single song Yasashiku Suru Yori Kisu wo Shite. And boy, everyone sure was excited for that. I don’t exactly have much comments on this since it was just our classic Milky. Due to my lateness in becoming Milky’s fan, I never actually got to see this performed live, so being able to see it not just once but twice (at both Tokyo and Osaka) was definitely a treat hehe.

5. Asynmetry

No, that’s not me misspelling the word. When you saved the previews from Milky’s official site, that’s the spelling that comes out, so I’m just going to leave it as that haha. Anyway, there was an intro of a short skit of some kind of childhood love scene which was acted out by two kids. It was simple but played in well to the theme of the song. That was when Milky also went for her first costume change. Then, when she came out to perform the song, she came out in this white outfit that really reminded me of a white version of her Boku wa Inai outfit with the flowers she wore on her head too ;_;

Can you see it? Haha. That itself added to the emo feels of the song. It really felt like a song for star-crossed lovers, and Milky’s voice was so sweet it hurt. How does she seriously emote herself so well? Danggg

6. Otome Gokoro Candy

Then of course, Milky completely goes and changes the mood to this fun and cute song. I bet most people thought this was the genre Milky is best at, and would have stuck to. But I’m so glad all her new songs had so many different styles and approaches. Oh yeah, so she threw some candy at the lives, and I was too far behind to get any of them. But we did buy some candy and have them after the live! The candies were limited goods which you could only get at the live venues. They were kinda cherry flavoured I think. Surprisingly, they actually tasted pretty good. Both sweet and sour as described in the song haha.

Anyway, this song really reminded me of just why we had always referred to Milky as the idol of idols. Her natural charm, sweetness, and smile, you can’t help but be just completely drawn into her world. That’s her power XD

7. Zipper

Nostalgia round 2 incoming haha. Maybe I’m biased but I always find that Zipper is best performed by Milky. I just really love the way she expresses herself in the performance, and also her ideal body proportions. Girl ;_;

Anyway, I’m sure most people already know, but she picked a fan from the audience for the part to unzip her outfit. And everyone basically went wildddd lol. But here’s what I’ve been kind of curious about. While the guy in the Osaka live (as you can see on stream) did look like he was having fun and having the time of his life, and I thought that was good...

However, the guy in the Tokyo live was just really strange and awkward. As the first time happened in Tokyo, the surprise factor was there, but it kind of made the atmosphere weird cause of that. While the Osakan one seemed real to me, I actually wondered if the Tokyo one was staged (like they got a random extra) just to test our reactions, and then only do it for real in Osaka. Or if Tokyo dude was really a fan too. Oh well either way it was still a fun performance all in all. As expected of Milky xD

8. Perfect Girl

At this point, Milky went for her 2nd costume change, and so her dancers came out as part of an interlude. I thought they transitioned really well in this part to present another completely different side of Milky.

And then when she appeared back again, dang just check out that aura. All she’s doing is standing, but it’s so powerful. Also, looking good in that red! So, this was the song with a lot of Milky posing. What I really love about this and Milky’s performances in general is just how even with simple poses and movements, she does them with so much confidence and conviction it’s so alluring. She’s always just truly been a master of expressions.

9. Myself

As if Perfect Girl wasn’t enough, Milky went out to perform Myself which completely slayed. This one hit me really hard because I grew to love Milky from seeing her cool, bad-ass side from around the Don’t Look Back era, and this really brought me back to that time. Her stage presence and aura is really something! I also love the message of the song. It talks about how everyone has secrets they don’t want to tell, and though people may always be smiling and laughing, who knows what lies underneath all that? It’s a song which Milky sings about how there may be rumours here and there about her, and people talk as if they know everything about her. In the end of the day, what you want to think is up to you, but in the end, she is still herself (she sings that at the very last line). It’s too bad you can’t see her ending gaze clearly in the stream because it was so intense and powerful it gave me goosebumps ;_;

10. Yuugure Sentimental

Okay, I bet you thought I was going to be all praise for Milky, but as much as I love Milky, I still can’t get into this song even after two times seeing it live and then trying to watch the video stream of it. I mean Milky was cute as always, but I personally just wasn’t feeling this song. Sorry Tsunku, this was completely a miss for me. I could have done without this song tbh haha.

11. Ano hi no Sora to Watashi no Mirai

Before performing this last song before encore, Milky expressed her gratitude to the people who helped produce the new songs, and make the concerts possible. She also talked about how the fans’ support was something that was a very big thing to her, and so she wanted to give back to everyone who has been supporting her all this time with this song. Yes, feels train incoming.

Actually ever since I heard the previews, I already loveeeed this song. Everything from the interesting arrangement, the bittersweet melody and how well Milky’s voice fit with it. However, from the lives, I fell in love with it even more.

It’s basically a very uplifting feel-good song about growing up, learning from your mistakes, and embracing yourself. For example, in the chorus, Milky sings about how we all can’t be strong all the time. We get hurt, we face setbacks, but yet we keep on living. And at the very last part of the chorus, she sings about how she wants to make us smile, and be our hero *cries*

It was so heartfelt and sincere my poor heart ahhhh. Like the whole importance of treasuring what you have even the smallest things and just going towards the future. I know it sounds corny but her feelings of really wanting to go on this journey ahead with us though she may not know where exactly it leads, that really came across. Even without her saying the exact words, when she sang of wanting to be our hero, it was as though she was telling us that just as how we had been there for her, she wanted to give back and be there for us too. Milkyyyyy ;_;

12. Warukii

So, this was the encore. We called out Milky’s name, but instead of Milky coming out, Warukii did haha. Well, this song has been so symbolic of Milky all these years, and the performances never disappoint. Many 48G girls have done covers for this song, but there’s really no better version than Milky herself.

I think when Milky had first left NMB, she actually wanted to detach herself from this Warukii character and start anew. I mean being a “fisher” and all doesn’t really have positive nuances. But after some time, I think Milky came to realise that even her character; it was an important side to her that people came to know and love. Also, we all knew that Milky wasn’t only about Warukii - she had many other charms and unique characteristics that make her who she is. It took her some time, but I’m glad she has really come to embrace herself more be it who she really is a person as well as who she is as a professional on stage etc.

13. Milky Land (Encore)

After they brought out the cake and we sang Happy Birthday for her, then Milky went on to her final performance of the night, Milky Land Round 2. Haha. This time, she actually danced to it haha. It was all so adorable, and true to Milky. I really didn’t want it to end XD

All I know is by the end of both the concerts, I have come to love Watanabe Miyuki even more than before. Though the live was only about 1 hour 30mins or less, somehow I didn’t feel shortchanged at all. Performance wise, I found myself completely satisfied, and glad that I’ve come. While I did want to hear more MCs from Milky, it did seem like she was just really focused on bringing her performance to us and letting us see just how much she had grown.

I don’t know if it was just me, but for some reason, I thought Milky sounded a lot more nervous in Osaka than in Tokyo. Her vocals also I thought were more steady in the earlier Tokyo live, but maybe she was fatigued. Also, maybe she was also more aware as Osaka was being live streamed after all. But really all in all, her vocals have improved so much. They still need work here and there, but she sings with so much more conviction and confidence now compared to before. Also, it was almost all entirely live singing (except for certain parts here and there), so great job there Milky <3

Man was it a thrilling rollercoaster ride. She really made me feel a range of so many different emotions those two nights.

Final Thoughts

In order to attend Milky Land, I took one-week leave off work, flew to Japan and travelled across Tokyo and Osaka to attend both lives. So, of course it wasn’t cheap, but the question is, was it worth it? My answer is HECK YEAH! During the past 2 years, since she wasn’t really doing that much except maybe make occasional posts, I thought I would just naturally fall out of my interest in her. For some reason or another though, I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.

Not only was I closely following her on her SNS, I also found myself being one of the many fans just wanting to support her in whatever way or form I could. Thus, watching her comeback and just seeing her shining and beaming on stage as a new, improved version of herself was a very emotional moment for me too personally. Those memories of the lives are something I’ll never forget. I have nothing but thankful feelings to Milky <3

Other Highlights

- At both the Tokyo and Osaka lives, there were SO MANY GIRLS in the audience! Pretty much girls everywhereeee! I mean I always knew Milky had a substantial female fanbase, but it was waaay more impressive than I even expected it to be. It even felt to me like there were more girls than guys. Or even if not, the ratio of guys-girls were about equal. You could see girls as young as schoolgirl age up to older female fans in their 30s or 40s. I know Milky must have lost some fans during her 2 years of absence, but it was so nice seeing so many other girls being so supportive of her. I was really happy for her ;_;

- Being there to celebrate MILKY’S BIRTHDAY! I have never been to a birthday stage before or celebrated my favourite idol/bias/singer on their actual birthday before. The Tokyo live was held on Milky’s actual birthday, so it was a very special moment being able to be there to watch her beam and shine on her 25th birthday. I also got to celebrate her again in Osaka as a bonus too! Heheheh.

- Milky’s issue with her BIRTHDAY CANDLES. So, in Tokyo, for Milky’s birthday cake, I think they actually got her more candles to represent her 25th birthday as compared to Osaka. However, Milky was failing and having difficulty blowing out all her candles. She must have almost 10 attempts even. It was hilarious. So, to make her life easier, they lessened the number of candles on her birthday cake in Osaka. Hahah.

- Milky’s natural LOVABLE CHARACTER on stage! Apart from not being able to blow her candles properly, Milky also had some really cute, dumb moments. I don’t remember them exactly; but they include like fumbling and messing up her words, not properly remembering her own song titles, making mistakes in her MCs and then laughing at herself etc. The more I watched Milky, the more I felt like she was just so good at making her human flaws and qualities her appeal point. It was clear she wasn’t perfect; she was just so human and real. Not only was she able to present herself in a easy and relatable way, she was also able to be sweet and endearing at the same time. It’s quite a skill ;_;

- The HANDWRITTEN LYRICS on the screen. The handwritten lyrics that came up on screen sometimes (as you can also see in the stream); it was all written by Milky! That really gave a very cute, personal touch, and I loved it! However, I wish they had included lyrics on screen to all the songs so that I could follow along with the songs more. Oh well. XD

- This is a downside but having to stand all the way AT THE BACK in the Tokyo concert. Okay, if anyone of you have been to livehouses in Japan before, generally it’s always all-standing on the 1st floor. For the Tokyo concert, our ticket number was really far behind, so we were standing all the way at the back. However, it was on the somewhat elevated ground, so we could actually see the overview of the whole stage. And the hall isn’t that big, so it would have been all right if there wasn’t Mr. Tall Guy few people in front of me. So, I was like hmmm no problem I will just look at the VTR screen, but everytime he raised his uchiwa, he ended up blocking even the screen. I had to keep steering to the side to see Milky and the stage or even tiptoe etc. But at the rare moments when he bended down, I could actually see the entire stage haha.

- Well, that was a bummer for me, but in Osaka, there were SEATS! This was because by some chance, we got tickets in the 2nd floor. And in the 2nd floor, it’s a very limited number, but it’s all sitting (about 100 seats). As we actually had numbered seats, we didn’t even need to enter venue early, and could just do so close to the live start time just like VIPs. It was so great, and I was so happy because I could sit down and relax, and see the entire live clearly. We were actually in the last row of the 2nd floor, but since the hall isn’t too big, we could see everything very clearly. Also, we got to see some of former and current NMB members who came to see the concert in Osaka aka Fuuchan, Aayan, Kokochan, Nanami and Natsuu. Well to be honest, I had only really noticed Fuuchan and Aayan oops. Fuuchan turned to wave at people too, and she made eye contact and waved at my friend, so that was a great added bonus for him haha.

- FREEBIES! I love freebies. Hehehe. So, for the Tokyo live since it was Milky’s actual birthday, Milky’s birthday committee gave each concert goer a free uchiwa. It was reaaally cute too. I love it! And after the concert, the concert staff also gave her a small book titled “二年間“(These 2 Years) written by Milky herself on her struggles and hardships in the past 2 years up to the point of how she got to where she is today. It’s 48 pages long, and a very up close and personal account. I have skimmed through it, but yet to read it properly, so will do that soon! XD

Not my photo but my friend’s photo haha. That’s the uchiwa, the otome candies, the small book as well as the Milky Land single you could get at the venue for 1000 JPY. I did get a copy myself too XD