If you forgot to buy tickets until the last minute, missed out on the first show because you only clicked on the booking link late (I’m looking at the two of you, ahem) – then you’re Atsuko’s kind of people.
(I guess that’s why she opened a second show – the day before the first show she released. Eh, why were the early birds penalised?)
Sadly, I’m not Atsuko’s kind of person – but I enjoyed her show all the same! I’ve followed her for a while now, and I missed out on her March show, so I caught the July run.
Synopsis
Atsuko Okatsuka – Full Grown Tour is the name of her 2024 tour. The Singapore show took place on 22 and 23 July, and she also had an earlier run in March (which I missed, dang!). She will be moving to Malaysia and Indonesia, before going to Australia to continue her tour. You can track her movements on her website (if you’re a weirdo).
Atsuko leans right into her oddball charm
One of the reasons why I started following Atsuko on Instagram was because of her unabashed celebration of her weirdness. She’s not afraid to poke fun of herself – like the fact that you never see her eyebrows (because of her bowl cut). She knows that appearance-wise and character-wise, she doesn’t conform to societal expectations and it’s even more tangible on stage. That she knows how to turn into humour (and thus, income) truly shows how she leans right into it, and how it leans right back.
Proving that we should all embrace who we are
And on some level, thats’s the message I take away from Atsuko (and possibly, the real subconscious reason why I find her so endearing). That (on stage, at least) she takes all life has given her and lives what looks her truest life. There’s that authenticity which comes from her delivery, that connection which comes from the jokes she shares about her younger experiences. And when she calls out for her kind of people, even though (I think) I’m not like that, maybe she’s asking for something else. Maybe she’s asking for the people who are truly themselves, to be themselves and join her. Wow that got deep for an article about comedy.
Dr Jason Leong was a fantastic opening act
I’ve never watched Dr Jason Leong before (I’ve heard of him, of course) (and I thought the whole “doctor” thing was a tiresome gimmick for his standup comedy act until recently) so I was a little put off not seeing Atsuko at first.
Surprise! He turned out to be on par (and possibly more relatable, thanks to cultural context) with Atsuko herself! I even went to look up his Netflix comedy specials after that (and yes, we watched it). If anything, I think his brand of humour relates to the assholes and irritants that we meet on a daily basis, and to find that he made some MCU jokes – wow. I haven’t seen any comedian tackle that before (maybe only Asian comedians can do that), which hits all the right geek notes in me.
Poking fun at ridiculous careers
Atsuko had a freestyling portion of her show (I mean, you’d expect something like that right?) where she poked fun at the ridiculous career titles that people have. It’s all the things I’ve always wanted to say about jobs that shouldn’t even exist but have been sadly unable to because I’m not a professional comedian (yet!). Got catharsis at least, to see people mocked for silly things that they get paid millions for, while real professions (like being a writer) still get the short end of the salary stick.
The more rehearsed segments didn’t quite resonate
There was an extended routine in the middle of the show about tandem bicycles which sounded like it was familiar and rehearsed, but really didn’t land for me. While this may have been the more structured portion of the show, I feel that’s not where Atsuko is at her best. She’s great when it comes to poking fun at the weirdness and silliness of the world, and also when she’s winging it. But isn’t that applicable in life too? Sometimes, going with the flow is what’s best.
Should you watch it?
Of course you should watch it, but her July run is over in Singapore (besides, it’ll be August when this is published because I decided to lean into last-minute lateness). But you know what? She came to Singapore twice this year. Maybe she’ll come again next year!
Just remember to book your tickets when they’re out, and not wait till the last minute to do so.
Atsuko Okatsuka – Full Grown Tour ran at the Esplanade on 22 and 23 July, 2024.
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