Boku no Taiyou (23 & 28 June 2013) First-Time Report

Four weeks after attending my first theater show of any 48 group, I returned to Jakarta for my first viewing of the Matahari Milikku set list. I had requested my Super Far tickets days prior to the announcement of the group’s five-city concert tour, thus I originally requested tickets for Matahari Milikku in the beginning of the week and for Aturan Anti Cinta toward the end of the week. I initially hoped to watch a theater performance on Shania’s birthday, but that plan became moot following the announcement of the tour schedule.

Because of the specificity of my ticketing request, I thought that I would only be watching a single showing of Matahari Milikku on Sunday, 23 June. Imagine my surprise when I received a second confirmation on Monday for the Friday, 28 June, performance. Little did I know then that Wednesday would be the announcement of Team KIII (otherwise known as JKT48 Team K). This meant I was given the opportunity to watch the set list on the final full day it was performed by Trainees and on Team KIII’s shonichi (debut theater).

First Impressions

I had come to realize that the presence of Trainees in JKT48 is an anomaly compared to other 48 groups. My observation is that it is somewhat rare for trainees (otherwise known as kenkyuusei) to garner much interest from a group’s fan base. Even for AKB48, it is rare that one hears much excitement for its current 24 trainee members. In a sense, fans of JKT48 do not see the trainee designation as an indication that these members are any of any lesser quality than members of Team J.

I am told that when they were still performing Pajama Drive, low attendance had been a perennial issue. This is not surprising because having to perform a set list previously performed by Team J means they will stand in the shadow of the more senior members. Knowing this, the decision to switch Trainees into the Matahari Milikku set list was an obvious one to make for management. I was already aware that fan reports of interaction with the second generation have been overwhelmingly positive, especially given that they are also very active on Twitter. As a result, their following had begun to develop a life of its own before anyone realized it.

Although the reputations of several girls already precede them, I felt that there was no one that really caught my eye going into the show. It is perhaps even more difficult to judge the personality of each girl because of their lack of public appearances. Having to rely on static red shirt photographs on the Twitter accounts and their rowdy Twitter timelines is not necessarily the best way to get to know them better.

Set List & Member Impressions

As a set list, Matahari Milikku definitely lives up to its name. Its songs are overwhelmingly youthful, capturing the vibrant energy of teenagers who are trying to live their lives to the fullest. I found that it did not take long for me to become adjusted to the repertoire because each song fell in sequence naturally. As the name suggests, it is as if each member is attempting to capture the brightness of the sun for herself so that she can shine brightly on stage.

Beginning with the a cappella performance of “Dreamin’ Girls”, it is clear that the entire set list has a different approach. It presents the audience with several performing members on stage at once compared to the solo performance of “Cahaya Panjang” in Aturan Anti Cinta. Nevertheless, Cindy Yuvia will stand out to first-time viewers. If other members do not present any particular appeal in the first few songs, her magnetic smile and cute demeanor are sure to attract immediate attention. This personality consequently also makes her the target of endless teasing by fans and other members, often resulting in her becoming annoyed and sulky. I feel that this is an image she has not yet learned to overcome, and fans must realize that sometimes teasing can become bullying. As the center of “Jangan Panggil Aku Idol”, she embodies the song’s lyrics in expressing a desire to shape her own image rather than letting it be shaped by others. The question is whether fans will give her that chance.

Of the five unit songs in the set list, “Aku, Juliet, dan Jet Coaster” and “Pertahanan Cinta” are the two to demonstrate individual dancing prowess. As the center of their respective songs, Rona and Noella showed composure and intensity which rival the best dancers of Team J. My observation is that Rona’s confidence comes from her ability to comfortably adjust to any atmosphere in the room, especially during the varied topics of the talk sessions. On the other hand, Noella appears to possess the image of a sorority girl whose confidence comes with a demeanor that changes the mood of members around her, but in a way which does not make her seem conceited. With such strong centers, it came as a surprise to me that Viviyona stood out as the most expressive supporting dancer in either song.

The other unit songs are more emotive than the rest, but their presentations are starkly different from each other. The fact that “Cinta Jangkrik” is only performed by two members lends to the risk of one girl standing out much more from the other, in this case Thalia. The choice of costume presents her as the one viewers should pay attention to, which makes it more difficult for me to see this song as a duet. On the other hand, the quartet of “Bunga Matahari” on 23 June presented a cohesive youthful image which matches the theme of the set list. Despite the odd combination of Della’s thick voice, Jennifer Hanna’s mature build, Viny’s radiant smile, and Rachel’s sincerity, the song embodies a shared expression of optimism. What makes this song shine is perhaps the fact that girls with such different personalities can share the same emotions no matter the situation. Rachel, who is rarely seen in public, is perhaps one whose presence has drawn my attention because of this song. Her omission from the roster of Team KIII came as a surprise to me, meaning that she would not be a regular in subsequent performances of the song, much to my dismay.

I find that there are several members who are struggling to fit into the overall image of the second generation. Sisil, the designated announcer on 23 June, appeared hesitant throughout that night’s performance. Although she seemed to convey an openness during the initial voiceover, I was surprised to see that it did not carry over throughout the night. It may come as no surprise that management thinks she is not yet ready to be promoted from Trainee status. Uty, who debuted in “Bunga Matahari” to replace Rachel on the Team KIII stage, also demonstrated a similar appearance of apathy. Perhaps they were too focused on ensuring there were no mistakes during their performances, but I could not see much enjoyment in their expressions.

Other members appear to have found a niche following among fans, though I am rather ambivalent toward them. Kariin, whom I only observed on the Team KIII stage, has a tendency to use winks as a charm point. While I acknowledge others in finding Shinta Naomi attractive, her reputation in “Lay Down” precedes her to the point that it has become an unfounded hype. Acha appears to possess an erratic behavior, and her demeanor often comes across as pretentious. Others like Lidya, Nadila, Natalia, and Riskha did not grab my attention with any specific charm points, but I believe their presence remain essential as the atmosphere of the second generation would be different without them.

Matahari Milikku emphasizes the co-existence of members in all its songs. Whether it is a unit song of only two members or a group song of all 16, the atmosphere depends on how well members perform together rather than focusing on displaying each individual’s raw ability. This uniqueness is perhaps the reason why no girl gave me an overwhelming impression because she could perform well with a certain group in one song and yet appear mediocre with the entire group in the next. This is not to say that the members do not have individual personalities. In fact, as I have mentioned, there are a few girls worth paying attention to throughout the show.

I was somewhat surprised because I could recognize more tunes than expected, meaning that I had heard many of the songs from this set list at some point before. It is perhaps a testament to the fact that many catchy songs in this set list can subconsciously get burned into memory. I found it odd, however, that the song for which this set list is named does not actually appear in the primary lineup but instead in the encore. For a song which is supposed to represent the theme of the show, placing it at the end means the creators are certain that an encore will be requested.

Final Impression

I feel that the image of Trainees depicted through official channels (Twitter, profile photos, etc.) did not match the one displayed on stage. I honestly could not recognize half of the members on stage prior to introductions because their appearances were quite different from the red shirt photos displayed on their Twitter profiles. One particular example is Viviyona, whose image has changed tremendously since she first joined.

It was clear from watching the two showings of Matahari Milikku that Trainees have increased their level of intensity after being promoted to Team KIII. I found the 23 June performance quite enjoyable, but others informed me that it was actually one of the more mediocre performances. While I initially dismissed those comments, I came to agree with them upon watching the 28 June show. The theater debut performance of “1! 2! 3! 4! Yoroshiku” on Team KIII’s shonichi is a good example of this because it was conducted in near perfect synchronization with almost no flaws.

Some readers may be aware of Viny’s questionable comments during the 27 June live airing of Hitam Putih, in which she claimed that Team KIII is the first to begin from the starting line, whereas Team J had the advantage of initial fame. While she could probably have said those comments in a better way, I believe she makes a valid observation.

Members of the first generation did not have a permanent theater when they debuted, which meant that they performed in more public appearances before finally settling down in their home at JKT48 Theater nine months later. On the other hand, the theater has always been present for second generation members, which meant that they always identified with the location as a permanent home. Whereas the first generation can become comfortable on any stage because of their experience, it is evident that the second generation are most comfortable on the theater stage. However, this does not mean that Team J is any less comfortable on the theater stage than Team KIII.