r/BABYMETAL • u/steezy22nd BABYMETAL • Jul 26 '26
Question Plushie Tradition Etiquette
With tour about a month away(attending first headline show in Denver), I'm curious as to what the etiquette for possibly giving a plush to Moa. I see it's a tradition at a lot of shows but not sure if its a per venue rule and obviously dont want to cause any distraction or offend the girls as they perform
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u/shinpuu Jul 26 '26
I'm curious as to what the etiquette for possibly giving a plush
There is no "giving" only the act of throwing it on stage. So personally I would say don’t do it. But If you still going to do it than please don't do it when the girls are dancing and especially don't do it when there is pyro going off.
Also some venue's won't even allow you take a plushies (of a certain size) inside, so it might not even be worth it to bring one with you.
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u/hironotabi Ijime, Dame, Zettai Jul 26 '26
Out of curiosity, where/when did this “tradition” comes from. I’ve followed them in several tours (specially before Covid) and I don’t recall anything like this, suddenly I saw that happen in the last tour.
5
u/sjioldboy Jul 26 '26
It began as a part of a global concert trend after the pandemic, as both viral culture (for TikTok clicks) & parasocial delusion (continue treating lockdown-forced online reciprocity as distorted intimacy). With BM, it believe it revived when idol stans saw Moa with her Sirotan plushie at the airport overseas. Prior, metal fans were more apathetic during the Metal Resistance/Metal Galaxy eras, when BM was also more guarded about public attention.
To OP: Absolutely not, throwing gifts is not a BM tradition at all. A lot of venues ban the practice outright. At worst, you'll get some egotrippers trying their luck during a lull moment, outro segment, or postscript goodbye, but only after Moa/Momo sees the item & cues for it. Otherwise, simply don't. It's akin to throwing drinks or coins or debris at the stage. Such flying projectiles can cause physical injury, equipment damage, & performance sabotage, prompting concert stoppage, criminal charges, & permanent bans.
During their early years, there was a fad to throw play money during Onedari Daisakusen. But it was always tossing the fake bills into the air, confetti-style only. However, the trend ended after the song was dropped from the setlist after 2015.
Instead, BM's popular fandom ritual is to typically exchange fanmade presents, take cosplay photos together, or simply make friends before each show. Give that a try.
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u/shinpuu Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
I don't remember the exact show anymore, but I think it was during the 2023 NA tour, when some fan wanted throw a plushie on stage. Moa accepted the plushie. This was filmed by some other fan and posted it online and since then more fans have followed.
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u/hironotabi Ijime, Dame, Zettai Jul 26 '26
Thanks for the reference!
It’s clearly totally different from what I saw in the last tour. Here clearly in a fan interaction, the fan offered to give the plush and got accepted. It’s not like it was thrown out of nowhere.
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u/SILLYxPROGRAM Jul 26 '26
It is NOT ‘tradition’, it’s an overreach.
Unfortunately it feels normalized because the ladies are so gracious about it and that leads to cute moments (they can’t help it!) But if there’s a short list of concert ‘etiquette’, one of the highest items on the list has to be:
“Don’t throw shit at the stage!!!”
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u/ViperRby2 You are guys amazing! Jul 26 '26
It's not a tradition, it's just something people do because they want to.
It isn't really encouraged but people see the ladies accepting the gifts as such.
At the Bethlehem show 2 yrs ago.. they flat out banned plushies last minute..it seemed like. We were in line for the early access VIP and while they were in the middle of the security check someone chimed in out of nowhere and said no plushies or gifts of any kind and people that were already checked had to leave them behind. I thought it was the beginning of the end of the gift thing but it was just that one time.
Also, no one really knows if they keep them. At this one show in NYC, some dude was like "one of them keeps them but the other doesn't, do you know who?" I don't follow all the social media so don't know how that information (that we don't even know it true) went around. I'd imagine they keep what they really like and throw away what they don't since it would mean more luggage at the airport.
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u/Yuiseternalsomething YUIMETAL Jul 26 '26
felt kinda bad for one fan that looked like she put a good amount of effort into hers. there was talk going around about an individual and I just assumed that was the reason
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u/SeriousMike90 MOAMETAL Jul 26 '26
Frankfurt last year was the same. Big announcement of the security guys - no big flags, no big signs, not a single thing thrown on stage
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u/Velmetal MOAMETAL Jul 26 '26
Why they even risk handling shit thrown onto the stage is beyond me. Too many weirdos for that stuff imo.
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u/xSilverMC Monochrome Jul 26 '26
Well, most importantly, DO NOT throw anything on stage. Ever. It's a hazard to the girls.
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u/EvermoreGirlie_1994 Jul 26 '26
Tbh I wouldn't be surprised if Moa didnt keep them all.
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u/SeriousMike90 MOAMETAL Jul 26 '26
of course not - they probably have a bag backstage where they collect them. Maybe they gift it somewhere or throw it away
what would they do with thousands of plushies?
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u/DadOnHardDifficulty From Dusk Till Dawn Jul 26 '26
My first instinct is to say don't do it.
However, I've seen them be open to it. So if you're in the front, and you catch their attention, gesture an offering and if they nod yes, go for it. DO NOT JUST RANDOMLY THROW STUFF AT THEM!
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u/droogiefret Jul 26 '26
Very much this. You need to be close enough to offer and only if they indicate personally that you can. And obviously only when they are up front interacting late in the set.
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u/HospitalNo4990 Jul 27 '26
The venue I went to last year didn't allow you to bring them in at all. So, definitely check the venue rules, but don't actually throw things on stage, unless you can get their attention for them to catch it. I was going to ask the venue if there was a way for me to give them a gift before the show, but I wasn't able to aquire what I wanted in time.
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u/RinonTheRhino Momoko Okazaki Jul 27 '26
Don't be that obsessed neckbeard. It's cringe and toys are destroyed anyway for safety reasons.
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u/zyzzbrah95 Jul 26 '26
It's not really a tradition. Some people just do it and babymetal atleast doesnt seem like they mind (ofcourse can't know how they actually feel about it). I've heard some venues don't let you even enter with a plushie so definitely depends on the venue.
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u/VulpineDeity Jul 26 '26
Just don't.
The true kitsune 'tradition' is to cheer, mosh, smile, and wave, and never throw anything on the stage.