I traveled 8335 km to see Manzai Gang in Tokyo

by Sabina, posted in STARTO, Story

“If Rinne gets a solo stage play or something this year, I will go back to Japan again! Even if it’s for just three days!“

Those were my famous last words in January when I did my vacation trip to Japan, a few months after the borders finally opened. 

For those who don’t know, 7 MEN 侍‘s (7 MEN Samurai) member Rinne Sugeta is one of my favorite idols to date, and also one that I haven’t had the chance yet to see live in person. It makes sense that I really, really wanted to go and see him, right?

The other members of 7 MEN Samurai had each landed a solo role in either musicals or stage plays, so it was natural to think that “it should be Rinne’s turn next, it has to be”. 

Lo and behold, while I was in Japan, it was announced that he was going to be one of the leads in 漫才ギャング-リローデッド- (Manzai Gang -Reload-). 

Photo from natalie.mu.

What did I do? 

Oh, I cursed the timing of it because it was in May, and that was way earlier than I expected. Because, well, money is always an issue. Did it stop me? Of course not. 

Two Japan trips within six months, crazy right? All in the name of love, I guess!

Originally, I had planned to only travel for about five days, over his birthday weekend (May 12), but when I looked at the flights and all, it only made more sense to stay for about two weeks instead. More vacation, yay!

That ultimately also meant… more shows to go to. 

In the initial ballot for the stage, I balloted for about seven shows between May 9 and May 14. Out of those dates, I hit three shows. One was Rinne’s birthday show on May 12, and that alone was already a big win in my books. I also hit for both shows on May 13 with double tickets, and that way, I could go with my friends (mainly so they could see me lose my mind about Rinne). After the general sales went up, I hit four more shows. May 11, and May 17, and the two shows on May 21, the last Tokyo day. 

Seven times. 

I was lucky enough to see my beloved idol on stage seven times. I regret absolutely nothing and it was worth every single penny. 

One would think that going to the same show multiple times would be a waste of money and boring, but no. Manzai Gang is a hilarious show put together that the number of times going does not bore you. At least not for me. Each and every time I went, I could see the improvements in Rinne’s acting and presence on stage. The story is essentially the same with every show, but the cast makes every show worthwhile with their impeccable timing of adlibs. No show is really the same. 

My set of seven tickets for Manzai Gang.

For me personally, it also helped me follow along with the story better. Being not fluent in Japanese, it certainly helped by going multiple times, and managing to grasp different points during different shows. Even though I might have spent one or two (maybe three) shows mainly staring (respectfully!) at Rinne. Trust me, you would do that too. He spent most of the time on stage in various tank tops, and Rinne being Rinne… well, that is a feast for hungry eyes. 

Photo from enterstage.jp.

Manzai Gang is about Tobio and Ryuhei (Rinne), one is a comedian and the other is a former gang member. This unlikely duo forms a friendship over comedy, as Ryuhei seems to be a natural at it, and a perfect match for Tobio, who is trying to find someone to be his new partner. They develop a great friendship over time and face the challenges that might come across them. Ryuhei learns to love comedy, and much more, thanks to Tobio, who from a young age always loved comedy. 

I truly enjoyed the show a lot, and it had been a while since I was able to laugh as much as I did. Despite the language barrier, I think the cast did amazing to make the show entertaining and funny. I didn’t understand each and every word in the dialogue, but after the third show, I was pretty confident I had grasped pretty much everything. I think that someone with even less Japanese comprehension than me could enjoy Manzai Gang. The actions and timing of their lines are spectacular and do not need words to be funny. 

On his birthday, we also got to witness the cast give Rinne a birthday present! It was honestly so cute to see him receive it, and from my seat back in the middle of the theater, I might have shed some tears from joy and pride. I just love him so much, and I want everything good in the universe for him.

We gave them their first standing ovation too, and their happy, and shocked, faces were a sight I won’t forget. I repeat it, Rinne deserves everything good in this universe.

Watching Rinne in this stage made me completely forget the usual sweet and honest idol I usually see. Rinne’s Ryuhei is tough and simple-minded, but also loyal to those he cares about. While those traits might also be applicable to Rinne, he’s a cinnamon roll. So soft, sweet, and too good for this world. Ryuhei? He’s a tough cookie with a soft center. With this in mind, I think Rinne was a perfect cast for this role. When you look at Rinne and you see his physique, one would probably think he’s a big, bad boy, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly. That’s why this gap between ‘Rinne’ and ‘Ryuhei’ is so fascinating.

The way Rinne projected his voice on stage was absolutely captivating. Ryuhei is loud, in all good ways possible, not only in his voice but also in his manners. I’m so used to listening to Rinne being soft-spoken most of the time, and occasionally loud and chaotic when prompted so watching him as Ryuhei was different but it only enhanced a lot of Rinne’s traits. Like his laugh and smile! It echoed through the theater and was like a song to my ears, everything inside me bubbled with happiness and all my worries disappeared once he flashed his smile.

In front of the small photo session “stage” they set up for us to use freely!

As a fan of Rinne, I saw the differences. I saw the way the two of them are different but also similar. Rinne makes you believe that Ryuhei is Rinne. It is so convincing that I forgot that it’s just a character for a moment. Of course, there are times during the show when Rinne cracks up and has to turn away because he’s laughing too much, and honestly? I don’t mind that at all. If anything, it is so freaking cute. I got to see a little glimpse of the Rinne I usually see on YouTube, and my heart skipped a beat every time… If my heart was beating at all, I don’t know.

There were times when I just sat there, stared at him, and just basked in the realization that I was there. The realization that I was in the same room and breathing the same air… that’s a very special feeling. He… exists? Forget all the feelings of love, adoration, respect, and similar that one might feel for their idol, realizing that the person, in fact, exists outside the screen is just astounding. It makes me speechless every time and I can’t really express it well in words. 

If he ever saw me during the play, I have no idea, but there were times when my senses tingled, and I think he did (I was wearing my favorite tomato shirt/sweater design that he once wore too!). At least I will pretend he did. Ultimately, I’m just so incredibly happy I got the chance to see him in person. With everything going on in the community and in the industry nowadays, you never know when the last time you see someone is going to be. 

I might be able to cross off “seeing Rinne in person” on my bucket list, but that doesn’t mean I am satisfied with that. I want to see him in a concert with his fellow members of 7 MEN Samurai as well. While he is the same person that I love and adore, it is different. So I want to be selfish and wish for a chance to see them live one day. 

The music they played for Manzai Gang were mainly English songs, and the one song that they used for their curtain call was Gloria Gaynor’s version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. The moment I heard it, combined with staring intensely at Rinne on stage dancing, and smiling, made me start to cry. 

“Pardon the way that I stare
There’s nothin’ else to compare
The sight of you leaves me weak
There are no words left to speak
But if you feel like I feel
Please let me know that it’s real
You’re just too good to be true
Can’t take my eyes off of you
I love you, baby”

Lyrics excerpt from Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

At that moment, I thought nothing else mattered, and there was no one else in the theater but Rinne and me. Just me as the sole spectator and the lyrics kept ringing in my head. They really resonated with me at that moment and all I could say was “I love you so much.”

Maybe it has something to do with the fact I am usually on the other side of the planet, watching him through a screen or at photos. Perhaps it just hit me that I was there. Right there. With him in front of me. The feeling didn’t go away no matter how many times I went. It’s addicting, and I wanted to go to more and more shows. Just to make sure that the reality is indeed reality. My second-row seat definitely didn’t help me in my attempts to behave and enjoy watching him work. 

I was able to see up-close the way he moved his body, and Rinne simply moving is one of my favorite things, the way he flexed his arms and his arm veins got more prominent. Oh, I forgot to mention. He wore a tank top through almost the whole play. Yummy. It was a sight for my eyes to feast on, and I vividly remember the shape of his jawline. While we are talking about appearances, let me just mention that Rinne is 10000% more handsome in real life, and photos do not do him justice.

At the same time, every time he laughs, I want to put his face in my hands, squish his face, and yell at him how adorable he is. Rinne’s body is just perfectly proportioned and the control he has over his body is simply stunning, and so attractive. If I could have one wish fulfilled, it would be to be picked up by Rinne, princess-style, or just thrown over the shoulder. Either way works, I am not picky. 

New friends were made and we bonded over our love for Rinne and 7 MEN Samurai, despite the language barrier!

All in all, I regret absolutely nothing. Going seven times might be a bit overkill for some people, but I certainly see the charm in it, and I understand why so many Japanese fans try to go to every show they possibly can. I would love that too. I’ll conquer the skies, and make my way to Japan again. Furthermore, I will continue to love you. 

Rinne, I am so glad I got to meet you as Ryuhei. Thank you for letting me experience the wonders of your acting in Manzai Gang. 

We might be 8335 km apart, but we’re still under the same sky.

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