Well, now I've seen MAX live!! My beloved Li-chan, and Rei-rei, and Nana-san, and Aki. I went to a public radio broadcast at Shinjuku My Lord Studio.
I wasn't really sure what to expect, since I've never been to a live radio broadcast. The radio booth was really small, just one little room, with the wall facing the street all made of glass. In other words, the wall was one big window, in front of which was a counter with microphones, and chairs. Across the street (which was actually a little pathway for shoppers, and so not wide at all), was a platform with a few stepsdown from it (all very wide, and kind of ampatheatre like) where we all stood. We had to stand for about an hour until MAX came, but it wasn't rainy, just a bit cold, so it wasn't that bad. However, unlike when I went to see Namie, I didn't talk to anyone. I tried to talk to these 30 somethign year old guys who happened to be next to me, but they were too into their own conversation.
Finally, it was time for MAX to come out. As I watched, out came a girl with long blondish hair, who looked very Western. After a split second, I realized it was Li-chan. She really does look quite Western - her features and what not. She seemed a bit paler than usual, and her eyebrows were a lot lighter. She looked like what you see in candid pictures of MAX, or the making of clips of them in concerts. What I mean is, she didn't have her stage make-up on. Next to her came Aki, who is actually a lot cuter in real life. Her face looks a lot less round, and she actually has very small features. Come to think of it, Li-chan actually seems to have pretty small features to, in real life. She looks quite....innocent..in real life...softer and cuter, somehow. Li-chan and Aki sat in the chairs. Reina and Nana-san stood in back of them, which Nana-san holding the microphone, and sometimes offering it to Reina. Rei-rei looked very cool! She had on a white blouse with frills at the collar, and a black low necked sweater, and a tailored suit jacket. Her hair was down, and straight, and she had on a black hat like the ones Alicia Keyes used to wear all the time. The men's hats like from the 1940's. Nana-san put on a big suede and fur coat half-way thru, but she was wearing a big knit casket cap and her hair (which was just almost touchuing her shoulders) was in two braids. As they were standng a bit further back, I didn't get to see their faces as clearly, but they pretty much seemed to look like they do on TV. At the beginning Li-chan kept putting her face close to the glass seemingly looking out the window for something, or someone, I'm not sure. Throughout the show, they would occasionally wave, and smile. Li-chan did her cute little pursed lip pout a lot. I think it's her thinking face. Reina and Nana-san would wave sometimes too, and of course I waved back frantically. In the beginning I waved a lot on my own, trying to get them to wave back. Sometimes one of them would. Li-chan didn't give that much fan service. From what I've heard, she doesn't really. Reina has always had a reputation for giving the most fan service, but I don't remember her giving a lot, although she did sometimes. I think Nana-san waved at people and what not the second most. The first by far was Aki. Maybe it was partially because she was sitting right at the window, and very close to everyone, but she waved a lot, and smiled brightly and made cute faces at all of us. I got an sense that the group of girls in front of me were communicating with her in someway. They might have been copying what she was doing, I couldn't tell. At anyrate, as a new member, I think that Aki is extra sensitive to people liking her, and waving to her, and extra focused on waving to people and making them like her. While there were times when I felt that I was waving back and forth with the other members (in other words, that they noticed me and responded) with Aki it was very clear. On the whole though, I'd they that they were very aware of and appreciate of and interacting with all of us. When they had to go, they all waved to us, and came closer to the glass as we came closer to it from our side, and waved enthusiastically.
Maybe it was just me projecting though, but I did get a sense that they are a bit wary of how things are going for them, job-wise. They seemed a bit worried somehow. I wonder if this could be a reason why Aki seemd a bit livlier than the other three. Because she doesn't have any previous work experience to compare things to...
All in all, it was a better experience than going to see Namie, because while that had such a dream like feel to it, this was definately Real. I definately had a strong sense of the fact that I wasn't just watching MAX on TV, that it was live, and they were watching me as well. For example, while Festa was playing, it felt almost more like MAX were watching me than I was watching them. At any rate, I really got a strong sense of them as actual real people, who were really there, with feelings and reactions of there own. That this was all happening in real time, not something pre-recorded etc.

Coming home, I was thinking about how hard it was, because I wanted so much to yell out to them, to get them to notice me, notice how much I love them, and whatnot. But I couldn't. I could only try to communicate it by waving frantically, or lip synching while their songs were playing, hoping they'd notice that I knew all the words. At one point I tried to make a heart symbol with my hands, but I don't think any of them noticed. Walking home, it struck me that this is the same thing Anna-san was saying about dancing. How dance is where you communicate your heart, and your feelings to your partner through your movements.

 
Today was my first time going to Yokohama in the daytime. I was a little late getting there, so when I go there they had already started exersizes. I slipped into the line quickly, and when I did so Anna-san smiled at me, and said 'Ohayou'. Today she was wearing the tight tank-top from Friday, and tan windpants with elastic cuffs, pushed up her ankles. It was the first time for me to see her ankles and calves, which are tan. LOL Maiko-san rushed in while we were doing the exersizes. After we finished them,�@Atsushi and Yuuta came in. Anna-san bounced over to them, and Maiko-san yelled Yuu-pon!!!! Yuu-pon!! YUUUUU-POOON! LOL Anna-san, (in the midst of Maiko-san Yuu-pon!s) reintroduced Atsushi and Yuuta, who she informed us, would be going home to Okinawa tomorrow. Atsushi, who has golden brown hair with long bangs swept to the side in his eyes, is really hot, btw! Namio had his part time job today so he wasn't there.
Then we did Beat, for the first time in a long while. Then, Anna-san told us to sit down. We all sat down. Anna-san said that she was going to talk about dance a bit, since she hadn't in a while. She said that dance isn't just about moving your body, or something you do in front of a mirror. It's something you did for someone else. Dance is about energy, about letting out all your energy, and communicating your heart and your feelings to the other person. To that end, she said, we were going to Battle. The important thing, she said, was not to move well to the music, or look cool, but to communicate your heart to the other person, to look in their eyes the whole time and send out all your energy and feeling towards them, and to entertain them.
Right before we were supposed to start battling Maiko-san came over and hugged me, and asked me in English how I was doing. I said I was good, and asked how she was. She said she was good.
I battled with Tomo-chan, making sure to look in her eyes the whole time. LOL
Then Anna-san told us all to sit down again. We did. She said that she wanted us to watch Yuuta and Atsushi Battle. They stood on opposite sides of the floor. When the music started, they walked, almost circling each other. And then they exploded, dancing, and flipping. They danced at each other, and away. When one danced, at some points the other would walked around him, nodded approvingly, as if to say 'Yep, you're really cool right now'. LOL It was amazing though. It really looked like a battle.
Sometimes during their Battle, Anna-san who was on the sidelines, cheering them on, would start dancing, as if she wanted to get into the Battle as well. It made me realize again just how much she loves dancing.
After Yuuta and Atsushi's battle was over, Anna-san picked two students to Battle with Yuuta and Atsushi. I was glad it wasn't me, but the girls that got picked did a good job. You could tell that Yuuta and Atsushi were pacing themselves a bit for them.
After that, we all clapped again, and Anna-san told us to switch partners and Battle again, trying as hard as that.
This time I battled with the girl in the red shirt, who's name I have really got to ask. I realized one of the things that characterizes students at Actor's/Love Junko, the thing that my mind immediately connect with B.B. It's the big smiles they have on their face while they're dancing, the joy in their expressions, and the energy.
Anna-san praised us all, saying that we were a lot more alive this time.
Then we worked for the rest of the class mostly on the very first dance that I learned. I kind of forgot a bunch of it, so I had to kind of remember as I went along, but oh well. (I kept messing up, and missing my cue, etc, but oh well.) At the end comes a part when we have to make up a pose. Anna-san told everyone to Pose! And everyone just stood there, completely silent. So I laughed. And Anna-san said 'Gomen ne!' , half laughing.
Then Yuuta and Atsushi performed for us, because they were leaving tomorrow. It was amazing. They are just amaxing, they really are. At one point Atsuhi (or was it Yuuta?) zoomed at full speed past Anna-san, who had a big suprised look (almost a smile) on her face as she quickly scooted out of his way. He then proceeded to zoom up the wall and flip over. It was quite amazing. We all cheered, especially Anna-san.
Part of their dance they did together one in back of the other, which was very cool.
Wen they finished we all clapped. Anna-san said that she had been freaked when Atsushi started running towards her. She said, 'Imagine if he had just ran out the door?' Which was actually quite a funny image. So we all laughed.
Then we all took a kinen picture. During the picture Anna-san raised her arms in the air, and while it was being taken, Maiko-san jumped.
We had to hurry though, because as Anna-san said, the Pop class was waiting. (We could see them all outside the glass door of the room, they were so cute!)
I siad good-bye to Maiko-san, who happened to be there, and she said that I wans't going to be coming next week right? I said yes, and that it was lonely. She said, 'See you....' I told her how to say the week after next. So she said 'See you the week after next!'
Then I realized I should tell Anna-sna I was going too (even though she told me I don't need to let her know when I won't be coming to class). She was talking to a little Pop Class girl, but I needed to catch her before she got even more busy, so I said 'Anna-san, I'll be in Kyoto next week so....' She nodded. 'So you won't be coming to class. Got it.' She smiled brightly at me. :)