Inside Meiwaku MNL, Manila’s latest anikura
It was the afternoon of Sunday, the 25th of March.
The sun has set.
I sought for the Tiger’s Den.
It somehow took me a while to get my way there — even if I am somehow familiar with the place, it took me a wrong time to drop off to face the jungle that is called the “Wrong Way.”
Moments passed, I was able to enter the cave — Asian Social Institute.
In it are two paths. I went inside the one which has more height than the latter.
Alas, I didn’t hear any sound.
I went back to the mouth of the cave to see a familiar known by the name of Titus Timus.
One wrong path after another, I finally stumbled upon the Senden — an aptly-named place fit for a den like this.
I entered the Senden, and lo, I saw different species of tigers. Even the Anchan Primus, that one kind of wolf, was well-blended in the ambush.
It was then I let go of my human form — and I faced my inner tiger.
So I say, “iettaiga.”
So yeah I made that story up. Here’s the thing: If you’re quite offended with that story alone, I do not — I vehemently not — recommend you to continue with this. Hope you enjoy this story.
Having been into the community for like five years or so, I have been through a lot of experiences myself — prior to Meiwaku MNL, I am enjoying anison (anime song) concerts for years. That includes the chants, which I learned by imitating others.
(For context, watch the history of the MIX, the introductory chant that is now known all over Japan and the rest of the world — including the Philippines.)
I got in around 6pm, in which they are about to introduce the next DJ — a secret one. The DJ plays tunes which are very, very, VERY familiar to me.
Consolation Presents.
Rolling in the Nexus.
It’s Real Yo.
I am not mistaken — those are mashups uploaded on YouTube.
I verified with the staff my suspicions, and I was right. The secret DJ is indeed very familiar to me, that I shook hands with him after the whole ordeal. He’s not updating on his Twitter, but he has tracks uploaded from three months ago.
To me, this secret DJ that they got is among my inspirations. I still have that Audacity project on file, and hopefully I this experience make me touch it again.
From anisongs to novelties such as Kung Fu Fighting and even PPAP, Meiwaku MNL is filled with varieties.
…but I was not ready for these:
- Having a pail as a Beyblade battle stage as Sayoko Takayama’s “Only One Second” plays.
- OG iM@S Ps stopping everything and paying respects for Chihaya Kisaragi as “Yakusoku” plays. It was then I fully learned the Creed of the Ps who watched the first THE iDOLM@STER anime series.
- The thing some did when fripSide’s “White Forces” was playing is a secret and I shall not divulge it. (But you know, I hinted vaguely so yeah.)
I dream of being in Japan’s famed Mogra anisong club (anikura), but when DareDemo PH stated their intent to have their anikura, I didn’t think twice. Sign me up, fam!
I am very sure this will not be the last of these, as the event concluded with a resounding success. Look, even if we are around 50 inside, I look forward to a day when I can see more than a hundred people sharing one voice with me in a drop of silence, uttering — shouting — only one thing:
Iettaiga.
On a side note: While DareDemo PH has their own photo documentation, I still decide to bring my camera with me and take these photos despite the fact that camera flash irritates people. Wow me, you are living up the “Meiwaku” in Meiwaku MNL with that one.