From September 15th to September 21st, a special popup Buck-Tick theme cafe will be opening at the NicoVideo headquarters in Harajuku. The second floor will feature an exhibit of the band members' stage costumes, as well as live videos, photos and other "precious items"...no word on what those may be but in the mean time let's allow our imaginations to run completely wild and amok.
Meanwhile, the shop on the third floor will be stuffed to the gills with Buck-Tick crap for sale, including all 25 colors of the Parade Festival t-shirt, as well as a special NicoVideo x Buck-Tick collaboration t-shirt featuring the band members transformed into the NicoVideo mascot/logo, which kind of looks like a cute-ified cross between a Teletubby and Mike The TV from Reboot (if you liked Reboot, I REQUIRE you to post a comment about it!) There will also be a NicoTick collaborative towel on sale. I suppose these NicoTick band members are less creepy than the Dokudanjo Voodoo dolls, but...somehow I still don't really like the image of Toll as a cartoon TV screen with a mohawk.
But! If miniature TV anthropomorphized TV screens cosplaying the Buck-Tick members don't float your boat, you can go back to the second floor where there is really, literally going to be a Buck-Tick cafe, serving "Aku no Karei," a special black curry, described on the NicoVideo web page as being "made in Buck-Tick's wild image, but not as evil as its name suggests, with a mild flavor." The title, "Aku no Karei" is an untranslatable kanji pun on Aku no Hana. The first kanji of "Karei" is the same kanji as the "hana" in "Aku no Hana." The word "karei" means "magnificence," but it sounds the same as, well, curry. Lul.
The Buck-Tick cafe will also be serving a harusame noodle salad "loosely based on one of Mr. Imai's favorite Thai recipes." Drinks-wise, the cafe will be serving two original cocktails: the "Aka Ai-Ai" ("Red Eye-Eye") which is a pun on the traditional cocktail Red Eye (beer with tomato juice) and Imai's favorite red curlicue guitar, Aka-Maimai; and the Shandy-BUCK, which is a pun on a Shandy Back (beer with ginger ale) only they spelled it BUCK, like Buck-Tick...get it? Get it? Get it guys?
P.S. Even though Imai would fall asleep against the wall at a party before he'd drink non-alcoholic beer, both these cocktails use non-alcoholic beer. Probably because NicoVideo doesn't have a liquour license, but still. Guys, this is Buck-Tick. They drink champagne in the morning and call it breakfast. Let's try a little harder next time.
But wait, there's more! If the non-alcoholic cocktails don't tickle your pickle enough, there is also a Buck-Tick-themed purikura machine, with seven original NicoTick frames to terrify you forever more. No word on whether taking photos of yourself inside the magic Buck-Tick purikura machine will make you look more like Acchan, but fanboys, you can always hope. Everyone knows the hottest BT fangirls only date Acchan lookalikes.
In addition to all these ongoing celebrations, there will also be two special events held at the cafe. Fans who reserve copies of Yumemiru Uchuu at the third floor shop will have a chance to win a ticket to a Yumemiru Uchuu listening party on September 17th, at which you'll be able to listen to the whole album a whole day ahead of everyone else, surrounded by hot fangirls and their Acchan-lookalike fanboyfriends, while drinking still more original non-alcoholic cocktails. They will also give you a free Buck-Tick poster and a free Buck-Tick fan (get it? A Buck-Tick fan? Get it?)
The second special even will be a Buck-Tick karaoke party, to be held on September 21st. Details of the party will be released on the 25-hour Buck-Tick special program, to be aired on NicoVideo starting at 8PM, September 20th, Japan time. If you think this is cutting it a little fine to announce details of a party the next day, you're right! And if you think that it would be hard to watch Buck-Tick over the internet for a whole 25 hours, you're also right! But for those of you who can manage, the program will feature explanations of the songs on the new album by all the band members, as well as lots of old live footage, pre-festival comments, and maybe, if you're lucky, Toll playing drums in a bikini with a bunch of bananas on his head. If you're lucky, that is. But you better watch all 25 hours, or you might miss it!
Anyway, for once, I did not make any of this up. It's all right there on NicoVideo's website. Including the part about Toll in the bikini.
Incidentally, one of Cayce's friends is a Buck-Tick fan who owns a bar, and serves original Buck-Tick themed cocktails which actually contain alcohol. Predictably, the most popular is the "Sakurai Atsushi"--it's a shot of Jack Daniel's and a dash of rose liqueur, served in a whiskey glass, on the rocks. If you like your Acchan young and covered in lipstick like in the "Dress" PV, add more rose. If you like him older and well-seasoned, add more whiskey. I warn you underage fangirls, though, this cocktail is likely to waste you. Or rather, make you wasted. Really really wasted. But, it will do so sweetly and gently. And I know that's your heart's desire. So drink up.
P.S. The "Imai Hisashi" is a shot of Pernod and a glass of soda water, in two separate glasses. Mix them together and see what happens! It's exciting. As exciting as Imai's hair of many colors.
P.P.S. The "Yagami Toll" is a paper Coca-Cola cup full of white Franzia box wine.
