Pajama Drive (14 June 2014) White Team Report

Pajama Drive is a set list that I never had the opportunity to watch in person because the first and second generations stopped performing them before I first arrived in Jakarta. Although I own the DVD of their performances, I’ve always wanted to watch the performances live after listening to the songs for a year. When the set list’s return was announced at the Flying Get Handshake Festival, I was excited to finally be able to watch it live. I was more excited about the set list itself than the prospect of watching the upcoming third generation of JKT48.

First Impressions

Although the third generation members appeared at the Flying Get Handshake Festival (which I attended), I never actually bothered to watch their skill performances. I felt that I was not yet ready to know them. In fact, I didn’t want to know them. One always has a fear of change, and that might have been the same for me. At this point, it has been just over one year since I’ve gotten to know JKT48. I thought that I had come to know the group’s characteristics pretty well, but the third generation had the potential to turn belief that upside down.

I was initially worried that performing Pajama Drive may prove too much of a burden for the third generation as many dedicated JKT48 fans have built their impressions of the first and second generations on their early performances of the set list. Last year’s revival may have been a popular move, but a prolonged revival could result in boredom. However, I realized that the reasoning for the bringing back the set list is much more simple. There are many like myself who came to know JKT48 after Pajama Drive ended, so it was only natural for them to be able to experience the same set list that brought JKT48 to stardom.

Set List & Member Impressions

I would rank Pajama Drive‘s set list opener as second only to Aturan Anti Cinta (Renai Kinshi Jourei) in its ability to leave a lasting mark in the minds of the audience. The performers’ circle is a symbol of the set list’s image of a true team effort. Despite having seen enough photos of third generation members on social media to be able to recognize some faces, it was still difficult at first to identify individual girls. The combination of them wearing stage costumes and different hairstyles is enough to confuse first-time viewers.

The first girl I could identify was Michelle, but it wasn’t easy. She was wearing her hair in twintails, which is different from the pictures of her that I’d seen before. As the ace of the White Team, perhaps the entire third generation, it’s pretty clear that her radiant smile reflects the joy with which she dances. Unfortunately, this radiance somewhat diminishes toward the end of the set list. By the time of the pre-encore song “Bunga Sakuraku” (“Boku no Sakura“), her movements no longer flowed with the music. During the song’s opening walk, it was evident that she was counting beats rather than following the rhythm.

Nina caught my eye next, primarily because of her height. At 170 cm, she dwarfs the girls around her. I realized at the time that I had actually passed her when I had arrived at fX several hours earlier, and the 14-year-old was already almost as tall as me. When it came her turn to perform in “Ekor Malaikat” (“Tenshi no Shippo“), it occurred to me that she was giving me déjà vu vibes of Rena because both share the same position in the unit song. The difference is that Nina was consistently more playful with her expressions during the night’s performance. I would say that she’s become a suitable alternative to Rena in that position.

I was rather surprised by the placement of Zebi in the other flank position of “Ekor Malaikat” opposite Nina. Compared to her, Zebi is only 152 cm in height, so the line-up appeared unbalanced. However, what Zebi lacks in height she makes up in energy. With her short legs, she has to make longer strides in order for her steps to be in pace with other girls, but she doesn’t fall behind. This is more evident in the more upbeat encore songs, as she puts a spring in her steps that makes her seem full of spirit.

Andela plays an important role as the center of the White Team’s Pajama Drive. She knows how to draw the attention of fans through her playful and sometimes flirty demeanor. During the high-five session at the end of the show, it’s clear that she tried to “fish” me by putting her hand on mine a bit longer and speaking in a cute manner. Her vocals in “Air Mata yang Tak Tersampaikan” (“Temodemo no Namida“) is a testament to her singing ability, which she has previously demonstrated during the Flying Get Handshake Festival. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your view, her Javanese accent is quite thick in normal speech. I personally think her accent bothers me, negatively impacting her otherwise positive image.

I was rather impressed with Chika in “Joan of Arc di Dalam Cermin” (“Kagami no Naka no Jeanne D’Arc“). While the four other girls in the song pointed their faces either slightly upward or toward the audience, she pointed hers down. I found that this gives her a more ferocious persona that is unique from other members that I’ve seen before. Her overall stamina can probably improve, but her performance is already quite impressive as the only member to perform with both the Red Team and the White Team. By the end of the evening, she was the only one who was drenched in sweat, and yet she later said on Twitter that she felt sluggish during the performance. If that performance was not one of her best, I can’t imagine how she dances in her top form.

In my opinion, “Prinsip Kesucian Hati” (“Junjou Shugi“) can be a hit-or-miss song depending on the center position. In this role, Nadse performed cleanly. I liked what I saw in her performance, and I felt that her facial features are quite unique. Unfortunately, she did not seem very talkative that evening during the talk segments. Sisca bears an uncanny resemblance to Nabilah, to the point that the audience often teases her by calling her Nabilah. Although this can be fun, the audience can also go overboard, and Sisca seemed uncomfortable because of this during the introduction segment.

Aside from the actual performances, talk segments are supposed to be when the audience can learn more about the members. While, the introduction topic was handled decently, subsequent talk segments either went off-topic or became awkward for the girls themselves that they seemingly ended it prematurely. This is likely a disadvantage to the members who usually shine in their personality, for example Angel. She piqued my curiosity during her performance, but I felt I wasn’t able to capture her personality very well. I was later told by a friend who watched her the following day that she seems to handle herself well in talk segment. Because the talk segments I watched were a mess, I wasn’t able to see this side of her.

As much as I would like to be able to say something about the remaining eight members, I honestly can’t say much because they did not really catch my eye. (Moreover, I still can’t match some of their names and faces very well.) However, this team has piqued my interest enough that I feel I can finally have an understanding of some of the third generation members. I like the youthful energy that I saw in the White Team, and I look forward to seeing what the Red Team has to offer.

Final Impression

To this date, I’m still ambivalent toward the second generation. I actually watched Gadis-Gadis Remaja (Seishun Girls) by Team KIII last month, but I couldn’t bring myself to write a review because I felt that I didn’t gain much from watching it. I found that watching the third generation Pajama Drive for the first time is more enjoyable than watching the second generation Matahari Milikku (Boku no Taiyou) for the first time. The fact that eight of the 16 girls in White Team already gave me some kind of impression of themselves in this performance is quite impressive. I don’t remember the second generation giving me the same impression when I first watched them.

In the first Documentary of AKB48 film, Mariko Shinoda once said that the dreams of each generation’s AKB48 members change. Originally, the girls see the group as a path for them to fulfill their dreams. Eventually, the girls join because they see membership itself as the dream. I feel that we are starting to see that shift in JKT48. More and more, we are seeing girls who join the group for the sake of becoming a part of the sisterhood. Although that is not necessarily a bad thing, it can eventually change the dynamics of the group.

Some circles of the JKT48 fandom appear to have popularized the impression that supporting a member of the third generation is an act of betrayal toward their first or second generation oshimen. While this was initially made in jest, it can create uncertainty in both members and fans that is not conducive for the future of the group. Such distrust can damage the relationship between members and fans and create an unhealthy rivalry among members which is essentially nothing but jealousy.

Fans who feel that they have grown disillusioned with JKT48 as a whole may find the third generation Pajama Drive refreshing and welcoming. I’m not the only one who feels re-energized having watched their performance, and I feel this is probably welcoming news to the team who selected the 32 (now 31) girls.