Freikugel
It is a magic bullet that appears in the German opera "The Archer of the magic bullet" it is a bullet that moves freely due to the devil's power and always hits the target. It hits where you want it.
Hello everyone. We're doing something a little different here on kazu-san's blog. This time, I am the author of this entry. I'm grateful for this opportunity to write for all of you today on this special edition of 「角田奈穂"公認"応援ブログ」.
I was given a structure for this Guest Column, so I will do my best to follow it.
1. Why I Became a fan of 角田奈穂
The reason I became a fan of Nao Kakuta isn't so exciting. It's painfully plain, even. Simply put, I want to see Nao win.
The first time I felt this way was at 4.15 at Korakuen Hall. Mizuki was the newly crowned POP champion set to make her first defense. I was not especially familiar with Nao, and I didn't expect much from this match-up. Mizuki seemed to be playing the part of an arrogant champion in this match. It was as if Nao was not only fighting against Mizuki for the title, but she was also fighting for the champion to respect her. The more the match went on, the more I wanted to see Nao win. By the end, I was in awe and knew Nao Kakuta was something special.
The more I learned about her, the more my admiration grew. She doesn't give up, even under the worst circumstances. There's a term for it in English but I couldn't really figure out how to say it in Japanese. So, I consulted with some friends and we settled on the following:
"Spirit of Rebellion - 反骨の意地"
4.15 is the perfect example of 反骨の意地. It was the "spirit of rebellion" that pushed Nao to continue fighting. It was her conviction that forced Mizuki to take Nao-san seriously as a challenger. It was that will that forced ME to take her seriously as a wrestler.
Nao-san's story before her start in wrestling is reminiscent of what many of us as common people go through. We live by the rules imposed on us and sometimes that is still not good enough for society. Seemingly, the very people that tell us how to live treat us with scorn for playing by their rules. Nao-san faced that adversity head on and flourished. She rebelled against a system that wanted her to fail. Reading about that made me reflect on my own life, and made me want to keep doing my best too. This is the kind of person who shouldn't lose.
And so, I became a fan because I want to see Nao win.
2. When I Met Nao for the first time
When TJPW in LA was announced, I purchased tickets because my expectation was that my friends from out of state would be joining me.
They didn't go.
For reasons that will be clear later, I was absolutely nervous to go to this show by myself. I wasn't sure what to expect. It ended up being one of the best wrestling shows I've ever attended. (Please come back to LA soon)
That was a particularly eventful weekend. I was in a tournament for a certain card game. I was not able to attend Wrestlecon on Friday or Saturday for this reason. I had to go register immediately after the show in LA ended.
My performance at this tournament was the best I've ever done. I was one game away from making it to the second stage of the 3000-player tournament. I was mentally focused and ready to seize victory.
In the final round, I was absolutely crushed. To make matters worse, the loss was completely unavoidable. Thinking on it now, this was a blessing in disguise.
My consolation prize? I was free to go to Wrestlecon on Sunday.
Moments before arriving, I was once again nervous. I had never talked with a pro wrestler before. That day, I was tasked with speaking to many of them.
kazu has posted this picture on his blog before, but here it is again. First, I spoke with Hikari Noa and Nao Kakuta. In fact, it was Nao who took this picture for me. Both were very gracious with me and I look back on this memory very fondly. Hikari may look flashy, but she makes a genuine effort to connect with her fans. I told her I looked forward to seeing her perform in Japan someday. She responded by writing "待ち" in Google translate on her phone. A true professional, I thought.
My friend's favorite wrestler is Mizuki. He asked me to buy him a portrait and any other goods she was selling. I had an opportunity to speak with the then-champion and relay a message my friend told me to pass along to her. She seemed happy to read the kind words of a fan she hadn't yet met. She smiled after reading his message from my phone and showed off her two titles to me. What a proud woman, I thought.
My other friend requested goods from the Big Kaiju. We were all fans of her most recent reign as POP, so it was a good opportunity to speak with the former champion. I bought a portrait, but ran out of money for her mousepad. I quickly made a trip to the ATM and returned with cash in hand. All the joshi were getting ready to leave, but I was able to speak to Nakajima before she finished packing up.
Via: "Can I buy a mousepad?"
🦖: 「マスタード？」
"Mousepad!" I repeated in vain. It seems she thought I was asking for mustard!
Hyper Misao was sitting right next to her. She clarified for me.
"マウスパッドについて尋ねている"
A hero protecting the big children. As expected of Misao. What a heroic woman, I thought.
Shortly after, all the girls left the conference hall for the last time that weekend.
Now, some of you may be thinking "Hey, isn't this part of the blog supposed to be about your first meeting with Nao-san?!"
Well, as I said before, I knew very little of Nao-san prior to 4.15. So, my first meeting ended up being what I mentioned in the portion about Hikari. I don't even have a 2-shot with her to share with you all. In the Edo period, I would have had to cut off my fingers or shave off my ears like Kaiji for my insolence. But this is not the Edo period, and I am not Japanese or a gambler. And so, life went on.
3. Combat Princess
Not long after 4.15, I had become acquainted with kazuさん and he appointed the president of the North American branch of "age36". All was going well, and suddenly, the tag champs were booked for Combat Princess.
At the time, the show was planned to be held at the Globe Theatre. This venue had the perfect balcony for horizontal banners.
(Shoko competed at this very show, too)
I presented the idea to kazuさん。With his help, we went underway with a design. kazu employed the services of アラーキーミネ, a talented artist who was tasked with creating a design reminiscent of American candy bars. The first operation of the North American Branch of "age36" was underway.
Meanwhile, another dear friend of mine designed t-shirts for us to wear on the day of the event.
(credit to @uub_p_kai)
All was going according to plan until the announcement of the Globe Theatre closing. This was ultimately a short and uneventful saga, as Prestige quickly found a replacement venue. And so, the show took place at The Vermont instead.
The design we all worked on so tirelessly was at risk for different reasons than a venue change. The first problem was that the horizontal banner didn't arrive until the very day of the match.
The second problem was that there was nowhere to hang the banner!!
frantically exchanged messages with kazu for ideas on what we could do. In the end, the only option left for me was to show it to Kakuta-san after the show. I was able to get in line for her but by the time I got to speak with her, I had forgotten all the Japanese I had studied! All I was able to say was that kazuさん and ミネさん created the design. At least I was able to ask for a 2-shot this time.
(Keep your eyes on me)
In the end I didn't even give her my name. I was so frustrated at the fact that I wasn't able to communicate properly that I bought a drink from the bar and went outside to calm my nerves down.
It was an eventful 2nd encounter and, had I stayed, a certain friend would have given me an invaluable gift. However, I was worn out from the excitement and went home after finishing my drink.
At the very least, I hoped that I was able to show that the efforts of "age36" were able to connect fans across the globe. At the same time, it felt like I was trying to co-opt the efforts of fans more passionate than me. I felt the need to carve out my own identity as a fan.
When I got home, I noticed this on the banner. What a pleasant surprise. I had to try again.
