My First Impression on the Cute Little Sisters, JKT48

One of our readers, Haddad, send us a translation for a very interesting article telling a tale about a newcomer in the JKT48 scene.

Haddad did a really good job in translating the article, and thus, here is the tale of a guy who got his first experience enjoying JKT48 theater show. Thank you Haddad for the translation and thank you Durand for the great writing!

Part 01

This is my first experience watching JKT48 theater. Some people says that JKT48 fans is a group of pedophile, or perverted adults who aren’t married yet. And others would see JKT48 as a group of suburban mothers doing heart gymnastics from afar. But for me, this is an interesting phenomenon, that could be seen clearly if I was directly involved.

My first attraction towards JKT48 group was when I saw #OfficiallyMissingYouSonya hashtag in Twitter. Sonya is one of the JKT48 members, whom at that time was rumored that she would grad -or graduate, JKT48 terms if one of their members would get out of group. From there, I was getting curious about the life behind this group. From its fanatic fans, rules within the group, even up to every member’s personality.

At the same time, the advertisement from one of the telecommunication operator also using JKT48 as their brand ambassador. The advertisement repeatedly plays their song in television. Since it is very catchy, I immediately download it. And now I’m getting addicted to it.

The presence of JKT48 in this advertisement has become one of my most awaited moment while watching television. Especially if they become a guest star on television shows. But, from the stories that I’ve collected in the internet, everyone agrees on one thing: It isn’t that much fun yet if you haven’t watch them in their theater. The theater is a special stage belongs to JKT48, located on the 4th floor of FX Sudirman. It’s some kind of special blocks. The size is about a half of department store, but only in one floor. But, the room to watch the performance maybe just about five times of standard school classroom.

Finally, i decided to bought a ticket for April 1st. Since, based on the reviews that I’ve read, weekdays performance usually isn’t that much crowded. But i have to booked it first via the internet, about four days before the D-day. It would be possible to not got the ticket, because after you booked the ticket, every ticket orders will be raffled. And then, a notification will be sent via e-mail. And yes, I win!

I got the ticket notification one day before the D-day, That’s why after I got the ticket, I immediately search every review related with watching the performance in theater. Well, I don’t want to be confused when i got there. You know, since i wanted to watch it alone. And it turns out that there’s somebody who post in a blog a guide to watch the theater for the first-timer. It fairly helps.

The grand day finally comes. The announced schedule for the show was 19.00. But I have to exchange the email notification and pay for the ticket since 16.30 until 18.00. While for those who didn’t got the notification e-mail, they have to queue and the ticket counter is opened at 18.00. Based on the stories from the review, those who didn’t lucky to get ticket usually started queueing three to four hours before the counter opened. “It would be very crowded,” I thought. Moreover, the one that i would watch today is Team J, the main team of JKT48 which has often appeared on the television.

I’m not in a hurry, but because the wind suddenly overcast, had to go earlier than planned. Sure enough, before entering FX, it began to drizzle. When I’m in, I’m kind of forgot which floor the theater was. I only remember it on the 7th floor. I decided to keep cool and take the escalator. But when i got on the 5th floor, I’m suspecting something. Why did the 4th floor is so crowded? I immediately check the e-mail. Crap! It’s the 4th floor. One floor down then.

There’s various stories from the fans (or Wota, Japanese term for fanatic fans) before entering the theater. I’ve read one of the fans who headed to FX mall by riding Transjakarta Bus coincidentally got into the same bus with one of the JKT48 members. And in my experience to the theater, I also met with one of the members, which, I am very, very confident, named Ayana.

I met Ayana because of the wrong floor incident. While I’m going down from the 5th to the 4th floor, suddenly from the foodcourt ther is one small girl, wearing JKT48 shirts with a soft makeup, but her face is very familiar. She then smiling to everyone whose looking at her. Ayan even gave a code by clenching her hand, as if trying to symbolize to me to keep spirited. The question is, how did she know that I was going to watch the theater?

In front of the theater. It was not too crowded. Especially for team J scope. It is clear that this place is dominated by students. The attributes they wear, such as t-shirts with group logo, light stick, and photo albums, shows that they want to watch the show as well. Yes, Photo album! When you’re walking around in FX, and suddenly saw someone carrying around a photo album, do not think they are roving instant photographers, or street artisan. The Photo album contains photo of their favorite, or maybe all of the members with different poses.The photos were to be sold, or exchanged among wota.

FX, for JKT48 wotas is sacred ground. So maybe they are already well aware of this mall, especially the theater. As a costumer you are certainly rerely talked to the owner of the store, or maybe a security guard at a mall store. However, it’s different here in the theater. Security guards know very well those that come often. Wota and the security guards seen intensely talking to each other, some really rare sight to see, isn’t it?

I’m finally exchange the ticket, it’s blue and with bingo number 2. The colors from purchased tickets are green and blue, which the green one has the right to enter first. While the bingo number is a lottery number that will be picked randomly and determine the order of the entry. Usually there are about 10 people in one bingo number, while there bingo number itself reached until 15.

When it’s getting late, various unique wota began to appear. First, female wota, who at that night, thought not much, wear waist-length headscarves. Hopefully they didn’t got into the wrong queue and thinks that this is a “Reading Koran Together” event. Then, male wotas who looked like in his 30s. wearing long-sleeved shirts, office slacks, and pantovels. Looked like as if just got off from work, and you would even imagine it when it turned out that he joins the queue to watch JKT48.

Part 02

In the previous part, I’ve talked about the beginning of the process to watch JKT48, from booking the tickets, meet ayana, dan met with various types of wota. For this part, i will tell you about the bingo process, the course of the theater, until the end of it.

Approximately 19.15, the bingo for green ticket has just started. And then for the blue ticket like mine. It’s cramped of course, since position determines the achievement in seeing thier idol. During the bingo process, the bingo numbers listed on the ticket are called randomly. 13! 1! Every wota cheers when their numbers called. When the officer shouted “Two…”, my line cheered, however suddenly the officer added “…oelve”. It’s not my lucky day it seems.

And sure enough, my bingo number was the last to get called. It means I sat in the back row. Or maybe standing if the chair is fully seated. what can i do? Maybe it could be some extra points if i sit in the back, because i could see the whole condition of the theater. The available seats in the theater was like seats in street stalls. Small, with the back rest is just four to five inch above the waist. While there’s a special for standing audience in the back an iron fence with half-body height.

The lightstick were lit. The wota was ready. I just sat down and immediately got beaten with 4 songs. They sang it live, no lipsync. Even the dance is energic and isn’t random. Althought in one week, they could performed for 3-4 times. That’s before adding tv shows or other events. Not counting, their daily activities, such as school. But they did not look tired. It is said that their physical training is military-style, it seems no wonder to see some of the members have muscular hands. (TN: he must have meant Kinal! :lol:)

While they sing, the wota also have the same rhythm in swinging their lightstick. Also complete with the chant, just like watching their favorite football team. The shouts that I heard clearly was only “Oi! Oi! Oi!” and “Kawaii!” which ended by shouting the name of the member who were singing at that time.

After singing four songs, the members gathered at the center of the stage, introduced themselves to the audience with memorized teks which probably will be presented in the same style every show. This opportunity was used by the wota to shout the name of their favorite members, and hope that the members on stage hear it and reply by waving their hands.

This session is called MC, which became an interaction event, thought one directional from members to the audience. Usually they’ll talk about certain topic that has been prepared in advance. The topic for that night was: “Curhat” [ED: Shared your personal story]. I’ll only tell the stories from members that i think interesting.

First, story from Jeje who tells that she’s annoyed by someone in her school, then she pushed down from stairs that person, into coma. Then there is Melody, who tell us that she will leave JKT48 because she wants to pursue Master Diploma overseas. Kinal -The captain of JKT48 (TN: actually it’a team J :D)- while crying, expressing her desire to leave because she wanted to sign up as a policewoman.

Well, I’m surprised by these stories. One of the members is a criminal? while the favorite member and the leader want to get out? What will happen to this group? The stories got even worse when Rica tell if she was a lesbian, and had a special relationship with Sendy, which is also one of the members. Wow. Already presented with this kind of fact in the first experience. I’m almost walkout, until i realize that this the April 1st. Yes, April Fool’s!

As it turned out, in the end they admited that all of their story was a lie. Yeah, who knows about it, but they’ve managed to make the audience entertained. There is a psychological impression that when in this theater the relationship between fans and the members felt very intimate. Especially because outside the theater, interactions between fans and the members are very limited, the impressions felt really strong.

In total, for this theater, the Team J and the backdancer from the Trainee team performed approximately 17 songs. I don’t really remember because the transition between the songs are too quick. The interesting thing is that before the last song, there was a session where fans shouted “Ankoru! Ankoru!” (in Japanese, Ankoru means encore, or repeat) alternately from the left wing to the right wing. They shouted for almost 2 minutes non-stop. And after being entertained for 2 hours, the show’s over.

When the theater was over, there’s a session where the audience could high-five directly with the members. That’s why even when you get out you also had to get in line. Most wota choose to get out last, because in that condition there aren’t that many people left behind and they could talk to their favorite members longer. This is of course a very expensive moment for them because of the interaction restriction with members explained earlier.

Although this is my first and I’ve got to sit in the last line, it’s a very memorable experience. So if I was asked whether I want to watch it again or not, why not?

Source 1, Source 2
English Translation by Haddad