Ordering My Golden Child RATA-TAT-TAT Albums from Universal Music and Goldenness Japan

Just 5 months after Golden Child's official Japanese debut with single A WOO!!, the group has come back with second Japanese single RATA-TAT-TAT as nine members! The physical RATA-TAT-TAT albums officially released on June 15, 2022, however the promotional schedule for this era was quite unexpected. Golden Child held their RATA-TAT-TAT showcase in Tokyo on April 30 and May 1, and for a very limited time during this weekend you could order the Universal Music Japan member versions for a chance at winning some in-person events at the showcase. The music video was released at midnight on May 11 JST, and album sales again opened on May 17 at 6PM JST.

There are a total of 20 different versions for this single:

• Universal Music Japan (UMJ) First Press Limited Edition
• UMJ First Press Regular Edition
• UMJ Member Edition (9 versions)
• Fanclub (FC) Member Edition (9 versions)

There are also preorder benefits on a first come first serve basis:

• UMJ Member Edition Set of 9: A5 member clear file set
• FC Member Edition Set of 9: A5 member clear file set (different from UMJ clear file set)
• UMJ Limited Edition, Regular Edition, or Member Edition (added to cart individually, not in the set of 9): random 1 of 9 member raw photos
• FC Member Edition (added to cart individually, not in the set of 9): random 1 of 9 showcase photos

Initially there wasn't clarity on if the UMJ and FC preorder benefits were the same or different, but on June 3 JST, UMJ tweeted a preview of all preorder benefits which indicated that the clear file sets are different, the UMJ member raw photos are from the racer shoot, and the FC photos are live, in-action OT9 group photos from the showcase.

At first, UMJ was the only official online store to sell this single, but later on Makestar held 3 1:1 video call rounds offering the UMJ Regular Edition and Member Editions (at first Round 1 had the FC versions, but then they switched it to the UMJ versions).

I ordered just after midnight on May 18th JST. UMJ had the listings for the First Press Limited Edition (¥2,750), First Press Regular Edition (¥1,430), each individual UMJ Member Edition (¥1,430), and the UMJ Member Edition Set of 9 (¥12,870). To order the FC versions, you can view the notice after signing into Goldenness Japan and then click the link, which takes you to a special page on UMJ. There, you can order each individual FC Member Edition (¥1,430) and the FC Member Edition Set of 9 (¥12,870). It was really convenient that I could play my FC items into my cart within the UMJ site, and order all 20 albums together. I wasn't sure about the preorder benefits at the time, and buying the member versions individually versus in a set, so I opted for buying the set versions. Shipping from UMJ is only domestically within Japan and was free.

I received an email from UMJ on June 14th at 5:37PM JST that my order has been shipped via Sagawa Express. My Japanese warehouse Blackship notified me that a package arrived on June 15th at 3:06PM JST with a photo of the box and another photo of the shipping label. I won't go on extensively about the package forwarding process (overall I recommend Blackship and will continue to use them!) but I consolidated my packages (I also had my Goldenness Japan membership and Rata-Tat-Tat commemorative goods), chose the carrier and fee limit and reviewed for any add-ons before filling out the simple customs form. 

Here are all 20 album versions of RATA-TAT-TAT along with my preorder benefits. The two raw photos that came as a POB from buying albums individually from UMJ came in one clear plastic sleeve, while each set of B5 clear files that came as a POB from buying each member edition set came in their own clear resealable bags. I'll have an unboxing blog soon~