After about the fourth song the girls split into a row and introduced themselves one by one before running off backstage to prepare for the next song. This is where the girls get the chance to set themselves apart from the others and reveal their individual personalities to the audience with some funny or interesting introduction lines.

HKT48 are yet to release any songs of their own and so the set they performed on this particular night were all covers of their Nagoya counterpart, SKE48. After performing their “final song,” the girls bowed and waved goodbye to the audience, but as seasoned players will know, this is simply a precursor for the encore call, and sure enough, after about 5 minutes of desperate pleas for an encore from the crowd the girls reappeared to perform again. After a few more songs and a brief emcee, the girls bid their “final farewell” before disappearing backstage once more. No, it didn’t end there though! The “Hi-touch” session was still to come! And judging by the looks on the faces of the fans being ushered into orderly lines by staff inside the theater, the event to follow was quite possibly the highlight of the evening for some, quite possibly the highlight of their lives for others.

While some may criticize HKT48 for simply riding on the fame and popularity of AKB48, it’s clear that the HKT girls have worked hard to get this far in such a short period of time and their passion and energy certainly comes through in their performances.

Girls, glowsticks and a whole bunch of geeks – this is a cultural experience like no other! You’re only problem: getting your hands on that elusive ticket!

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