GATAS' sacas public practice - last (24th Jun)

Fans became worried when Yossi did not join in the practice.
Was the rumor about her being pregnant true then?

Not quite.

During STB, she mentioned that she strained her left shoulder while doing some muscle training. Apparently, the problem had gotten worse.

Therefore, she would be the umpire instead.

So, what happened next?

Well... when we have referee Yossi on the rampage~~~ who do you think will be the victim?

Ishikawa Rika, who else...

As the girls lined up to kick off, Rika suddenly said "chotto matta!" and left the playing court on her free will. Seeing that, Yossi then mimicked a red-card flashing gesture at Rika for her apparent contempt of authority. Actually, Rika had gone to pick up shin guards that all the players had forgotten to put on. Supporters were then treated to a rare sight of seeing the girls with their socks down putting on shin guards.
During play, Rika tried to trap a long ball with her chest with both her hands raised. A whistle was blown immediately. Although all players in court resumed play with Notchi quickly scoring a goal later, referee Yossi disallowed the goal and said Rika was fouled for handball. Rika quickly pleaded with the decision, and since no one had thought that it had been a foul because everybody just resumed play. But referee Yossi insisted that it was a handball and pointed to a spot for a free kick.
Now, everybody knew that was on purpose.

According to other reports, Rika was pure fun to watch. During a shooting practice, she even fumbled three times in a row, missing her mark ridiculously, bringing the supporters into a frenzy of laughter. When Rika looked towards Yossi, Yossi just shrugged and had a 'can't be helped' look Also Rika's image as a mother/manager of GATAS was clearly portrayed when she reminded everybody to put on their shin guards.
Yossi joined in the last PK shootout and scored.

As fans waited at the exit, they noticed that Rika left together with Notchi and Sengoku, sharing one car. Rika wore a black t-shirt. Yossi exited later; she wore black too, and left alone.

(Me says...) It's a well-known fact, at least among all Japanese 1444wotas, that Yossi reads 2ch reports.

A fan's depiction of GATAS sacas public practice (17th Jun)

(credit: many thanks to the artist)

A fan drew his experiences to GATAS' Sacas public practice on 17th Jun.


(Page 1) As he had seen Yossi in a 'live' TV show that day ( doing Tsuji's birthday comment, in wavy hair and donning Michael's hat), he somehow expected to see Yossi spotting wavy hair. But when Rika and Yossi made their entrance, Yossi's hair was straight and tied back in a ponytail.
(Page 2) Warming up time. The girls spilt into groups of two; Rika with Yossi. The stretching involves one person running after another onigokko style. He watched Rika running after Yossi and then Yossi after Rika. Both seemed bend not to get caught and to supporters, they actually looked like they were playing a game of catching.



(Page 5-2nd row) Yossi made fun of Rika's lack of stamina. (On Rika) "She even asked why there's no player change?". Rika pulled up her jersey and hid her face in embarrassment.

(Me says...) Many people, after attending the event, had actually talked about that Yossi and Rika's warming up in 2ch, because, apparently, the girls looked very happy chasing one another.

Yossi @STB 139 - Second show (20:30)

A fan's depiction of Yossi's outfit. Summer resort feel; bandana and big peace-sign ear rings. She changed into something else for the encore part.


The red ring shows where Rika sat. More people said that they, too, saw Yossi's mother at the first show.


2nd show MC 1:
Question: What kind of women do you look up to, or what kind of women will you want to be?

"Madonna? Marilyn Monroe? And who else? Recently in Tokyo Alice my image was flirtatious eh? Ermm... who else, who else? Mariah Carey? What type of woman... I like cute people. All right, those cutie type."

someone from the crowd: "C-ute."

"Cute? Yes, C-ute is cute. Berry is cute too. Well, Rikachan is cute~"

crowd: "WOO~"

"I just say it for the time being."

(Laughs)


2nd show MC 2:




When news of this got back to 2ch, even before the actual event has ended, it caused a big hoo-ha and mass celebration for 1444 wotas. Fans think that when Rika was not around, Yossi had gotten bold. The question asked what Yossi think of Rika apart from being in the same generation, no one had expected that Yossi would think of 'You mean do I like her?' because there are so many other things she can say. She could talk about their friendship, or the work they are doing togther now, but only GOD knows what's going on inside Yossi's head. And as if by saying she likes Rika wasn't enough, she had said 'she loves Rikachan'! And yet she didn't want fans to think the wrong way when she had used the milder 'like' word.
A male fan had gotten so disturbed by what Yossihad said that he actually called up his female friend and asked if it's common for a girl to tell her very best friend that she loves her (friendship-wise platonically) when the reply was 'It was gross!"
And then when Yossi was asked what kind of women she look up to, the question somehow became what kind of women she like. When Fans thought the cute topic had come to an end Yossi suddenly added "Rikachan is cute". Although Yossi quickly explained that she had just said it for this time being, it makes no sense at all since Rika wasn't there at the 2nd show. Totally gratuitous? You decide. >_<

(Me says...)Yossi seems to like songs from Kome Kome Club. Previously it was 'Aishiteru'. BTW, 'Kimi ga iru dake de' has very touching lyrics. I wonder how many times they have sang it during their karaoke sessions.

Yossi @STB 139 - First show (17:00)

RIKA WENT TO SEE YOSSI!!!!!

And this is no rumor.
It was reported widely in Japanese forums.
Wotas were speculating if Rika would turn up since Yossi attended Rika's STB the last time. Most thought Rika would appear for the 2nd show, but the lady appeared for the first show and even before the lights were dimmed, so quite a number of people saw her. Apparently Rika sat where Yossi sat before, on the 2nd level. A co-star from Tokyo Alice was with her. Someone mentioned that Yossi's mother was there too, though this is yet to be verified, but there's no mistake that Rika was there!!!

Yossi wore a one-piece dress; a pink and long resort style skirt! I won't go into the song tracklist as it wasn't of importance, but there's something we must know. When Yossi was singing Kome Kome Club 'Kimi ga iru dake de', she kept stealing glances at the 2nd floor.

One wota wrote this after the event: I didn't know Rika was present since I had sat at the ground level. When Yossi was singing Kome Kome Club 'Kimi ga iru dake de', I noticed that she was looking up and I had thought foolishly to myself if only Rika was here and Yossi was looking at her. It was only after the show that I learned that Rika was really present. Saikou!

During a MC:
"On 11th of October, I'll have another show here. Do come again. Do write 'Yossi' in your schedule diary for that day. Now with me, a song request survey you have filled in for October's show ( bla bla bla....) V-u-den's Hitorijime. Eh... You mean this?"

(Yossi then walked sideway across the stage as if a crab walking)

(crowd laughed)

"And MINIMONI's Janken pyon? No way!"

(Crowd laughed)

"Won't it hurt?"

Crowd: "It'll be all right."

"I'll think about it then. And, well, Melon Kinenbi's too erotic, the ambience here is moody, or maybe I can set up a pole here?" (erotic pole dancing)

(crowd clapped and cheered)

"Kill Me Kiss Me. Ermm, this is a 2-girl rock group right? Should I call Angry to come?"

(Crowd cheered loudly)

"Maybe Angry should write "11th October - hAngry" in her schedule diary too."

(crowd laughed)

"And 'Rikashite onna no ko?"

(crowd laughed)

"... this is Ishikawa Rika-chan's song right? That's a very high-pitched song!"

(crowd laughed)

"Only that girl alone can sing this song well."


A wota noticed that when Yossi read out 'Hitorijime' song name, Rika was clapping over her head.


MORE REPORTS ON 2ND SHOW TO COME...

GATAS sacas public practice (17th Jun) follow up

This time, more fans await as the girls were ready to leave after their sacas public practice.

One reported: There were company wagons parked outside so we waited there. After 30 mins of waiting, the new member who is wearing jersey number 30 came out first and said 'otsukaresan' to us. Another new member said 'arigatou'. Five minutes later, Sengoku, Sawa-chan and Koretty came out. They waved at us when we cheered. Five more minutes later, Rika and Yossi came out. Rika was wearing a long floral dress and was looking very cute. Yossi was wearing a stylish-looking black cap and had her long hair tied up. She looked, as always, stylish in black vest and jeans. They turned and slightly nodded in recognition when we cheered 'Rikachan' 'Yossi'. I remember Rika's smile. But I didn't see Konno. There were many girls in the first batch. Maybe she left together with them. My mission to wait for her had failed.

Someone replied that Konno was among the large group that left first.

GATAS sacas public practice 10th Jun

Yesterday's practice kicked off without Rika. Just when i shi yo shi supporters thought their fav. pair was missing one again, they were treated to a little surprise when halfway through Rika turned up and joined in the practice. Later at the bench, Yossi and Rika were always seated together and talking to one another.

Someone spotted how the girls left the venue. First to leave were Rika and Yossi. Rika had donned a black cap/hat and had looked really stylish and although Yossi was in her normal clothes, she was no less prettier. Both girls then left together in a wagon car. Next were Konno and four others not-so-popular-just-joined GATAS members; the five of them left in a wagon taxi. Third batch to leave were Koretty, Notchi, Sawa-chan and Minami. They left in another wagon taxi.

(side note: Some fans were chiding the earlier fan for 'stalking'the girls. Apparently, Wotas think that spying on the girls at a venue's exit/entrance is wrong and such lowly practice shouldn't be encouraged.)


(Me says...) I have no idea what measurements wotas use for their yardstick. Everything is considered wrong unless it's their own doings. >_<

In case you wanna know...

English I read in Yossi's 2ch thread today.

It began when someone wrote: Most beauty of tarent Hitomi yoshizawa

then someone tried to correct him/her by writing: Most beauty of the talent Hitomi yoshizawa

then another person felt the sentence structure and capitalization were totally wrong and wrote: Hitomi Yoshizawa is the number one beauty talent

thinking that it still looked weird, another offered: Talent world one beauty no Yoshizawa

finally, one had enough of bad experimental English and wrote: The World's Most Beautiful Woman, Hitomi Yoshizawa

Now... when I thought there's no better and proper English than that, someone suggested: No. 1 Gay, Yoshizawa

I was laughing so hard when I saw 'Yakuza gay yoshizawa', I just burst out more laughter. Great, we now have a gay mafia. At this time, when I felt Japanese wotas are truly fun and crazy, someone came up with the best

'Yoshizawa was a white bear'


(Me says...) That was still so OUCH! despite the past tense usage. >_<

In case you wanna know...

For some time, wotas have noticed how Rika seldom uses kanji in her writings, and recently, Rika herself admitted that she's weak in kanji, and she seldom reads because it becomes frustrating whenever she comes across a kanji she doesn't know. She said it disrupts her mood for reading.

(Me says...) Japanese wotas are just so very observant. They had guessed it even before Rika had admitted it. As for Rika... I hope someone would get her a dictionary, since reading - or to be able to read - is (supposed to be) one of life's greatest pleasures.