Love Live – The Casual Otaku

Legendary UR Pull: I’m Going to See Love Live in Japan

Well, that escalated quickly.

I was planning to write a post about a completely different topic, but apparently the universe had other ideas.

As I’ve discussed in previous posts, I’m planning my first trip to Japan. Actually, considering I just pulled the trigger on buying my airfare, it’s no longer a plan but a trip on the calendar.

A while back, the Love Live! 15th Anniversary Fest was announced, and it just happened to fall around the same time I was planning to be in Japan.

So naturally, the thought process became: Extend the trip a little in case I somehow get into the concert?

As a Love Live fan, that’s about as much of a no-brainer as can be.

Let’s be clear, the entire trip wasn’t hinging on whether I got a ticket.

15+ Years of Love Live – The Fandom I Almost Missed

There are some anime you fall in love with immediately, and some you just can’t get behind no matter how many times you try.

And then there are the ones you almost drop completely…only for them to come back later and completely take over your life.

The Love Live franchise was definitely the third one, because when I first watched Love Live! School Idol Project, I just didn’t get it.

Plot Twist: My Japan Trip Might End at Love Live’s 15th Anniversary

I’ve only casually mentioned it before, but it’s actually happening — the pieces are falling into place for the Japan trip I’ve been talking about for what feels like a lifetime. Dates aren’t locked down in permanent ink yet, but the blueprint is there: three weeks, late October into mid-November, Tokyo as the main focus with equal parts cultural deep dive and full-on anime pilgrimage mode (yes, Love Live is absolutely on the list). And then, because the universe apparently thrives on chaos, and impeccable timing, the 15th Anniversary live in Nagoya gets announced…and just like that, my carefully structured plan immediately pivoted.

To be fair, the dates shifting doesn’t actually derail anything I’ve been building — it just means extending the trip a few extra nights and carving out time for Nagoya. The Tokyo-heavy plan would remain intact. The cultural stuff? Still happening. The pilgrimages? Obviously still happening. This is just… adding one more layer.

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