Interview Corner: 3.1-Million-Rupiah Man

The Interview Corner column is back with a special guest from the Philippines. Indonesian TV viewers may remember the auction of a T-shirt signed by AKB48 members, as well as Melody’s jacket, during RCTI’s Dahsyat last week before the joint AKB48 and JKT48 concert.

The final value of the auction was 3.1 million IDR (240 USD or 28,500 JPY). We met the Filipino fan who won the auction last weekend after the concert and caught up for a brief chat.

Thanks for agreeing to an interview. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m MarJ (pronounced “Mar-ju”) from the Philippines. I’m a big fan of the AKB48 group, and my kami oshi is Yokoyama Yui!

How long have you been a fan of the AKB48 group?

Three years and ten months. Prior to that, I only knew Itano Tomomi and Kasai Tomomi from Kamen Rider W. I started following them after watching the “Everyday, Katyusha” music video, which a friend shared with me. I immediately noticed Yui making that heart sign.

What is the AKB48 group fan community like in the Philippines?

There is a big AKB48 group wota community in the Philippines. We are very organized even if the Philippines is also an archipelago like Indonesia. We have monthly meet-ups for the group, where we gather together to copy concerts, performances, and TV shows; buy, sell, and trade AKB48 group merchandise; or just talk about AKB48 group as a whole. Normally around 40 people show up during these monthly meet-ups, but we do have a grand meet-up once a year where at least 100 people come from various locations of the Philippines.

What are your impressions of JKT48?

Initially, I was not open to the idea since Indonesia, in my opinion, is a conservative nation. But when they started introducing the first generation members, I thought, “Hey, not bad. These are really pretty girls, and they can perform!”

Last year, I had the chance to watch a JKT48 performance in the theater, and I was blown away. My Japanese isn’t that good, and my Bahasa Indonesia is terrible. With that in mind, I enjoyed the Indonesian lyrics since I can’t understand most of it. Overall, it was a great theater show.

My only complaint with JKT48 is their scheduling. I know other JKT48 fans around the globe would like to attend concerts and handshake events. Normally, JOT schedules something 3 weeks before the actual event, and that does not give us very far fans enough time to prepare.

Do you have a favorite member in JKT48?

Yes, in fact, I have two. Veranda from Team J and Yona from Team KIII.

What did you think of the joint concert between AKB48 and JKT48?

Amazing! I really loved it. Waiting in line for nine hours at the concert gate was so worth it, since I got front row seats. The set list was really great. I got teary eyed with most of the performances due to extreme happiness, but the highlight for me was when Yui remembered me from the crowd. The mixture of Indonesian and Japanese languages on some of the songs was a nice effect.

What are your hopes or wishes for the future of JKT48?

I hope they continue to grow, expand outside of Indonesia, and hold concerts or even mini events in other countries too.

What are your hopes or wishes for AKB48 as it celebrates its 10th anniversary?

I wish that they can hold on to their current success, especially to Yui who will take over as AKB48 group’s Soukantoku come December. I will continue to support her and the whole group moving forward. More international exposure; there is still more room for wota domination out there! More sister groups outside Japan as well. MNL48 anyone?

What are you going to do with the items you won in the Dahsyat auction?

The signed shirt, I will have it in a custom photo frame very soon. I’ll take a photo of it, and show it to Yui the next time we meet.

I gave away Melody’s jacket to a super Melody oshi. He is one of my friends who helped me while I was in Jakarta. I would have kept it myself, but it’s better to give it to someone who adores Melody.