Preview Tohoshinki’s upcoming PV, “Superstar”!

A short preview of Tohoshinki’s latest PV has been revealed!

“Superstar” is the title track of the duo’s upcoming single, which drops on July 20th. The preview video shows a few dance shots, as well as a few solo scenes of both members.

Check out the video below!



source: tokyohive

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Check out a radio rip for V6’s “Sexy.Honey.Bunny!”

A full radio rip of V6’s upcoming single, “Sexy.Honey.Bunny!” has just been revealed!

This song is one of the tracks off of their double A-side single, “Sexy.Honey.Bunny! / Takara no Ishi“, to be released on August 24th. The track will serve as the theme song for the upcoming drama, “Shin Keishicho Sousa Ikka 9-gakari“.


Check out the full song below!



source: tokyohive

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Buono! to star in their very first movie

On July 9th, it was announced that three-membered Hello! Project unit, Buono!, would star in their very first movie called “Gomenasai” (“Sorry”).

The film, which was adapted from a popular mobile horror story, will feature Suzuki Airi (17), Tsugunaga Momoko (19), and Natsuyaki Miyabi (18) as high school students who get dragged into series of paranormal experiences.

Speaking on their breakthrough roles as actresses, the members of Buono! expressed, “We are astonished to think that all three of us would ever be featured in a movie.” They added, “We believe that the audience would be surprised at the last scenes of this work,” promising an interesting ending to the film.

They will also be in charge of the theme song for this movie.


source: tokyohive

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Check out the CD covers for SKE48’s new single, “Pareo wa Emerald”!

Recently, SKE48 released the track list for their 6th single, “Pareo wa Emerald“.

Now, their official website unveiled the CD jacket covers for their upcoming single. All of the covers are different, depending on the CD edition, as one has a very summer-like atmosphere while other features the girls in uniforms.

Without further ado, check out the covers below!


Type A



Type B



Type C



Theater Version


source: tokyohive

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Check out the CD covers for SKE48’s new single, “Pareo wa Emerald”!

Recently, SKE48 released the track list for their 6th single, “Pareo wa Emerald“.

Now, their official website unveiled the CD jacket covers for their upcoming single. All of the covers are different, depending on the CD edition, as one has a very summer-like atmosphere while other features the girls in uniforms.

Without further ado, check out the covers below!


Type A



Type B



Type C



Theater Version


source: tokyohive

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Check out the CD covers for SKE48’s new single, “Pareo wa Emerald”!

Recently, SKE48 released the track list for their 6th single, “Pareo wa Emerald“.

Now, their official website unveiled the CD jacket covers for their upcoming single. All of the covers are different, depending on the CD edition, as one has a very summer-like atmosphere while other features the girls in uniforms.

Without further ado, check out the covers below!


Type A



Type B



Type C



Theater Version


source: tokyohive

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DiVA unveils PV teaser for “Cry”

AKB48 sub-unit DiVA are gearing up to release their second single, “Cry“, for August 10th.

After unveiling their jacket covers and track list two days ago, the girls continued their train of teaser releases with a PV preview of their upcoming single.

Check it out below!




source: tokyohive

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S/mileage reveals additional footage from new member auditions

S/mileage has just revealed additional footage from the first round of their new member auditions!

The new video gave fans a closer look at some of the girls who auditioned to be in the adorable idol group. They also got to peep Tsunku’s process of reviewing applicants, and espy the unusual “forehead check”. The second round of auditions will be streamed live on Niconico Douga on July 9th.

Check out the video below!




source : tokyohive

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Check out this radio rip of Kis-My-Ft2’s debut song, “Everybody Go”!

A full radio rip of Kis-My-Ft’s upcoming debut song, “Everybody Go“, has just been revealed!

The upbeat song will be released as their first single on August 10th, and will also serve as the theme song to the drama “Ikemen Desu ne“.

Without further ado, check out the full song below!



source: tokyohive

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Oguri Shun to voice act for “Doraemon”

It’s been revealed that actor Oguri Shun will be making a special appearance on the anime series, “Doraemon“, as popular idol “Amaguri Shun“!

In this episode, Suneo shows off an autograph from Amaguri Shun, and as a result, Nobita takes out Doraemon’s spare pocket to intrude Amaguri Shun’s house.

When Doraemon’s staff created this character in Oguri’s image, they immediately got in contact with him. Oguri, who’s been a fan of Doraemon since he was a child, suggested, “I am very honored to have a parody character of myself make an appearance! Please let me be in charge of the voice.” He performed enthusiastically, utilizing his past voice acting experiences.

Oguri commented, “My favorite character is Jaian. I hope Amaguri Shun will be well established as a character. I am excited to watch it on-air.”

The episode airs on July 8th.

source : tokyohive

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S/mileage to stream 2nd part of member auditions through ‘Niconico Douga’!

S/mileage has announced that they will be doing a live stream of their new member audition process through the popular video site, ‘Niconico Douga‘!

The second part of the interview process will be streamed live on July 9th, 1:00 PM JST. Over two thousand girls tried out for the audition, but only the fifty who made it through the first round will be shown. During this part of the interview process, the girls must give an introduction, sing, dance, and more.

Fans must log in to ‘Niconico’ before tuning in to the official streaming page.

source: tokyohive

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Shirota Yu attends press conference for musical, “Romeo and Juliet”

On July 7th, a press conference was held for the upcoming musical “Romeo and Juliet“, starring Shirota Yu and Yamazaki Ikusaburou.

For the Japanese version of the famous musical, rookies Kon Natsumi and Frank Rina were selected for the role of Juliet through a public audition. Kon’s voice trembled as she said, “I am happy to be in such a wonderful production.” Frank also commented, “It’s like a dream.”

When Shirota was asked about his impression of the two, he shared that he was able to call them by their nicknames – “Kon-chan” and “Rina” – just ten minutes after meeting them. He also commented, “If I were gazed at with those sparkly, pure eyes, I’d fall in love in an instant.”

Yamazaki also revealed a funny story about the two Juliets. “When the role of the Juliets were determined, we talked about going drinking,” said Yamazaki of Kon and Frank. “But they’re underage, so we decided to go to McDonald’s instead.”

“Romeo & Juliet” will open at Akasaka ACT Theater beginning on September 7th.

source : tokyohive

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“Meiji Kaika Ango Torimonocho” to get anime adaptation as “UN-GO”

It’s been revealed that Sakaguchi Ango’s novel “Meiji Kaika Ango Torimonocho” will be adapted for TV as the anime “UN-GO”!

The anime will begin broadcasting this October via Fuji TV’s anime program, “noitaminA”. Mizushima Seiji will serve as the director, Aikawa Sho will be in charge of the story, and Bones – the same team who brought “Fullmetal Alchemist” to television – will work as the producers. In addition, pako (Shining Force Feather) and Kouga Yun (Mobile Suit Gundam 00) will contribute as character designers.

The novel is a Meiji-era story about a detective named Yuki Shinjuro, who solves various incidents that happen in his circle of friends. The adaption will utilize an original story set in the near future, revolving around the detective and a boy named Inga, who continually encounter mysterious cases.

“This anime will overturn common knowledge,” said noitaminA about the upcoming adaptation. In the same season as “UN-GO”, noitaminA will also be broadcasting Production I.G.’s “Guilty Crown”, which features music and other contributions by supercell.

source: tokyohive

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Check out the full PV for Milky Bunny’s “Bunny Days”!

Last month, we shared a preview of Milky Bunny’s upcoming single, “Bunny Days“, and now, the full PV has been revealed!

Milky Bunny (Masukawa Tsubasa) will be making her singing debut with “Bunny Days” on July 20th. This song has also been chosen as the CM song for “Candygirl“.


Check out the full PV below!



source : tokyohive

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Check out the PV preview for Amuro Namie’s new song, “NAKED”!

A couple of weeks ago, a full radio rip of Amuro Namie’s song, “NAKED“, hit the airwaves.

On July 6th, a short PV preview was released through various TV entertainment news programs in Japan. According to Mezamashi TV, the concept theme for this PV is “Resistance”. The description reads: “At a time like this, it is important for every one of us to stand up with a strong sense of will.”

This single will be released on July 27th.



source: tokyohive

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“TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2011″ announces its stellar first line-up

This summer, Japans biggest idol event, “TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL“, will be held on August 27th and 28th in Odaiba.

The theme of this year’s “TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL” will be “Eco & Smile”, which aims to make the festival eco-friendly; ultimately, the event hopes to deliver a feeling of recovery from the Tohoku Earthquake for both the idols and the audience. The electricity will come from private power generators, and there will be various disaster relief projects held throughout the festival.

The first lineup announced the participation of Idoling!!!, Sakura Gakuin, The Possible, SUPER☆GiRLS, Tokyo Joshiryu, Vanilla Beans, Fudanjuku, Passpo☆, and YGA. A press conference was held on July 4th, and the main members from these eight groups attended as representatives.


When asked about their enthusiasm for the festival, Idoling!!!’s Endo Mai stated, “We will work together with the other idol groups to power up our performances and enliven the crowd more than last year.” The Possible’s Okada Robin Shoko vigorously cheered, “We don’t really get to perform at events like this, but with the encouragement from other idols, we hope to show The Possible’s goodness.”

Fukudanjuku’s Ruhara Renji commented, “To be able to spend time with all these women is like being with charismatic teachers from prep school summer courses. We will do our best to attract not only the idols, but the audience.” Sakura Gakuin’s Mizuno Yui answered, “We hope everyone will see how much we’ve grown in a year,” but when asked unexpected questions by the MC and press, she replied, “I’ll ask my teacher,” and rushed over to the staff.


Tickets for “TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2011 Eco & Smile” will go on sale August 6th. To kick off the festival, a demonstration live will be held on August 24th to the 26th at Shinagawa Yoshimoto Prince Theater. There will also be a “TIF2011 After Party” on the 29th.






source :tokyohive

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Tokyo Girls Style announces new single with a preview!

Idol group Tokyo Girls Style have just announced the title of their upcoming seventh single, “Limited addiction / We Will Win! -Kokoro no Baton de PoPon no Po~n-“!

To tide fans over until its release on August 24th, the group also uploaded a thirty-second teaser of “Limited addiction” onto their official YouTube channel.


Check out the preview below, and stay tuned for more info on Tokyo Girls Style’s new single!




source: tokyohive

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Not yet’s “Hug Tomo” to be used for Japanese dubbed version of “Hop”

AKB48’s sub-unit, Not yet, had their song “Hug Tomo” picked up for the Japanese-dubbed version of the animated film, “Hop“.

This song was chosen to be in this movie because it resembles the situation of characters E.B. and Fred. “Hug Tomo” will play during the end credits, and will also be used as the TV CM song.


“Hop” is about a bunny and a chick who makes colorful candies for children all over the world. The bunny, E.B., runs away to Hollywood with hopes of becoming a musician.

Not yet commented, “We will be in charge of the theme song for the Japanese dubbed version! We hope ‘Hug Tomo’ will bring a different color to the comical and cute Easter bunny world. We will be delighted if you come to the theaters and enjoy this movie.”

“Hug Tomo” can be found on the Limited A Edition of their new single, “Naminori Kakigoori“, on sale July 6th. “Hop” will hit theaters nationwide on August 19th.

source : tokyohive

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Oricon surveys 1,000 girls on the most anticipated dramas this summer

Oricon Style’s print magazine “Only Star” surveyed 1,000 girls in their teens and twenties about their most anticipated summer dramas. The publication wanted to know which actor or actress these ladies were most looking forward to this season.

According to the results, most girls anticipated the ‘rebirth’ of the “Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi e“, starring AKB48’s most popular member Maeda Atsuko. Atsuko also ranked in the top spot for performance ranking, which showed her strong appeal to young women in Japan. None of the ‘ikemen’ in this drama made the cut for the top 10, which implies that its success might solely depend on Atsuko’s performance.

The girls in question left comments such as: “I wonder how Acchan will play this role and look like with short hair!” and “I’m curious whether it will be able to surpass the original drama.”

The second most anticipated drama is “Zenkai Girl“, starring Aragaki Yui and Nishikido Ryo, who also earned the third and second place respectively in the performance ranking. One girl commented, “I’m pretty curious about this drama, because it’s a very unexpected role for Aragaki“, while other stated that it feels quite fresh to see a romantic comedy in the ‘Getsu 9′ time slot. Of course many of the girls are also looking forward to Nishikido first ‘Getsu 9′ drama.

Check out the full ranking below!

—

The summer dramas you just have to watch!

01 – “Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi e ~Ikemen Paradise~ 2011″
02 – “Zenkai Girl”
03 – “Team Batista 3 ~ Ariadne no Dangan”
04 – “Ouran High School Host Club”
05 – “Meitantei Conan Kudo Shinichi e no Chousenjo”
06 – “Ikemen desu ne”
07 – “Bull Doctor”
08 – “Zettai Reido ~ Tokushu Hanzai Sennyuu Sousa”
09 – “Soredemo, Ikite Yuku”
10 – “Arakawa Under the Bridge”

The actors you are most curious about this summer!

01 – Maeda Atsuko (“Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi e ~Ikemen Paradise~ 2011″)
02 – Nishikido Ryo (“Zenkai Girl”)
03 – Aragaki Yui (“Zenkai Girl”)
04 – Eita (“Soredemo, Ikite Yuku”)
05 – Mizobata Junpei (“Meitantei Conan Kudo Shinichi e no Chousenjo”)
06 – Esumi Makiko (“Bull Doctor”)
07 – Yamada Takayuki (“Arakawa Under the Bridge”)
08 – Mitsushima Hikari (“Soredemo, Ikite Yuku”)
09 – Tabe Mikako (“Jiu ~ Keishichou Tokushuhan Sousakei”)
10 – Matsuda Shota (“Don Quixote”)

source: tokyohive

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No Sleeves releases self-cover song, “Perori to Pepero”

On July 6th, AKB48 sub-unit No Sleeves digitally released a self-cover of “Kuchibiru Furezu…” called, “Perori to Pepero“.

“Perori to Pepero” is a self-cover that came from a story in “No Sleeves Special Conte～Recording Studio Episode～“, off the Limited Edition B’s DVD from their recent single, “Kuchibiru Furezu…”. The story is about a director (Minegishi Minami) who gives guidance to a singer (Takahashi Minami). As it progresses, the lyrics gradually escalate, and in the end, the self-cover of “Kuchiburi Furezu…”, is complete.


Check out a preview of “Perori to Pepero” here!

source : tokyohive

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T-ARA to debut in Japan with “Bo Peep Bo Peep” in September

It’s been revealed that 7-membered Korean girl group T-ARA will debut in Japan this September, with the Japanese version of their hit single, “Bo Peep Bo Peep“.

Released in Korea in 2009, “Bo Peep Bo Peep” became popular for its “cat dance” choreography, which saw the members wearing cat paws and ears as their stage costume.

As a prelude to their debut, T-ARA held a showcase live in SHIBUYA-AX on July 5th, where they performed in front of 1,500 people. At the press meeting afterwards, the group’s leader Hyomin commented, “Wearing cat ears and paws, we didn’t know how it was going to turn out. When we actually did it, the concept was solid. Next time, we want to give more of our opinion.”

Video messages from other Korean artists, such as Jang Geun Suk, were also shown at the showcase.

source : tokyohive

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Tackey and Tsubasa want to take you on a “Journey” with their new single!

Johnny’s Jimusho duo Tackey and Tsubasa have announced the release of their 12th single, entitled “Journey Journey ~Bokura no mirai~“. True to Johnny’s tradition, the single’s cover art has not yet been released, but detailed info about the work was made available.

“Journey Journey ~Bokura no mirai~” will be released in three versions: Limited Edition A, Limited Edition B, and a regular edition. The title track is described as an “uplifting song, mixing smiles and softness with a pop beat that will make your heart race”. Fans will get to find out how Tackey and Tsubasa combine these seemingly contradictory elements when the single gets released on August 31st.


The single also includes “Tomo yo“, a song about a trans-oceans friendship between Japan and Korea. The song will be featured on NHK’s program ‘Minna no Uta‘ during August and September.

Check out the track-listing below!

–

Limited Edition A

CD
01. Journey Journey ~Bokura no mirai~
02. Tomo yo

DVD
“Journey Journey ~Bokura no mirai~” music video
Behind-the-scenes footage

–

Limited Edition B

CD
01. Journey Journey ~Bokura no mirai~
02. Tomo yo

DVD
“Journey Journey ~Bokura no mirai~” music video (Takizawa Hideaki version)
“Journey Journey ~Bokura no mirai~” music video (Imai Tsubasa version)

–

Regular Edition

CD
01. Journey Journey ~Boku no mirai~
02. Tomo yo
03. Love is all
04. Ai wa takaramono (Remix)

source: tokyohive


Celebrities, Entertainment,


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Berryz Koubou’s Kumai Yurina & ℃-ute’s Suzuki Airi to star in a suspense horror movie




It was revealed today that Berryz Koubou idol Kumai Yurina and ℃-ute’s Suzuki Airi will star together in the upcoming movie, ‘Oosama Game“, based on the popular cell-phone novel of the same name. The movie, scheduled to be released this winter, will not only star the two idols, but will also feature appearances by members of both groups.

“Oosama Game” is a horror movie based on author Kanazawa Nobuaki’s popular cell-phone novel. Berryz’ Kumai will play the lead role of high-school student ‘Honda Chiemi’, while ℃-ute’s Suzuki will take on the role of Honda’s enigmatic classmate ‘Iwamura Ria’. This will be the first time for the girls to star in a movie together.

Kumai, who is filming for the first time since ‘Hotaru no Hoshi‘ in 2003, confessed, “I’m definitely feeling the pressure”. She explained, “I get nervous standing in front of the camera. Movies are different from concerts and stage plays. You have to act in front of a camera. I struggled with that, but I did my best each day with the help of the cast and crew”.

Meanwhile, Suzuki recently finished filming another movie entitled ‘Vampire Stories – BROTHERS‘. She explained how she prepared for the role of Iwamura Ria by saying, “I heard that [my character] was a very mysterious person, so I spent time talking with the director and author about her facial expressions, unique way of talking, and so forth. That’s how I prepared for the role”. Producer Andrew Niwa-Tamon, known for his work in idol-centered dramas such as the ‘Keitai Deka‘ series, said that the reason he chose Kumai and Suzuki for the movie was their “unique presence”, and that “it wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that a masterpiece of high-school horror has been made”, expressing his confidence in the final product.

What’s more, all members of Berryz Koubou and ℃-ute will be making appearances in the movie. The story follows a high-school class that is at the mercy of an unseen “Oosama” who slowly drives the students apart. Having the members of two real-life rival groups play out this plot gives the movie an extra dose of realism. However, in contrast to the tense atmosphere of the story, the idols actually had a peaceful time behind the scenes. Kumai explained, “I received encouragement from everyone”. Berryz Koubou and ℃-ute, who will continue to work together in upcoming concerts and stage performances, have proved their collaboration to be a great success.

The original “Oosama Game” story is now sold in stores as both a printed novel and a comic. The movie is directed by Tsuruta Norio, known for his previous movie ‘Honto ni atta kowai hanashi‘. Under his direction, the movie was filmed in a realistic style. Representing the idols that preceded Berryz Koubou and ℃-ute, former Morning Musume idol Yoshizawa Hitomi will also appear in the movie.

source: tokyohive

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Ueto Aya’s beauty dazzles in ‘Big Comic Spirits’

The latest issue of magazine ‘Big Comic Spirits’ was released today, and readers had an easy time finding it on the shelf thanks to the dazzling picture of actress Ueto Aya on the cover.

Her gorgeous pictorial was titled, ‘If it’s for Aya… we will conserve electricity!‘, hinting at her newest spot in the “White Family” commercial series, where the actors don’t use any lights at all in order to conserve electricity. Looking at the pictorial in this magazine, the commercial ends up looking quite unrealistic, because Ueto would easily be able to brighten up the room with her presence alone.


The actress also talked about other forms of conserving energy, like starting to write letters again instead of emails. She commented, “I love writing letters.”

Maybe you should also rummer for your pen, dust it off, and write a handwritten love letter to Ueto, because you’re definitely going to be lovestruck after seeing this pictorial!

Enjoy the pictures below!








source: tokyohive

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Full radio rip of Arashi’s “Niji no Kakera ~no rain, no rainbow~” revealed!

Once again, one of Arashi’s new tracks from their highly-anticipated album, “Beautiful World“, has been revealed!

This particular song is called, “Niji no Kakera ~no rain, no rainbow~“. It’s a bright song that features some great harmonics from the boys.


Listen to it below!




source : tokyohive

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Maaya Sakamoto to release new album this fall

Singer/voice actress Maaya Sakamoto surprised her fans by announcing her intentions to release a brand new album this fall! “You can’t catch me“, her last studio effort, was released just this past January and became the first #1 album in her career of nearly 15 years.


The ‘uncatchable’ singer is already in the process of recording her next album, and will continue to use her official website to update fans with major announcements about the album every Friday.

Check back with tokyohive for more details as they come in!

source: tokyohive

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girugamesh finishes their world tour “Here we go!!” in Japan

The show that girugamesh performed on June 26th at Zepp Tokyo was the final stop of their world tour, “Here we go!!“, which started on March 5th. For this world tour, they toured Europe, the US, and finally Japan.

Their set list for the tour was packed with songs from their latest album, “GO“, which was released on January 26th.

The 2,450 people who were crammed into the floor at Zepp Tokyo sensed the show was about to start, and were murmuring with excitement. In response to the electricity of the crowd, the band emerged on stage exactly at the scheduled time, while “Opening” – the first track from “GO” – played in the background.

Basically, the audience directed a deafening and ear-blasting sound towards the stage. This welcome, which came from every corner of the venue floor, set the four band members on fire.



They first delivered the songs “destiny” and “EXIT” as greetings to the audience. Then they spurred the show on with big dance numbers “sunrise” and “evolution.” Now the band and the audience were staring to figure each other out, and the interplay between the two parties pitched forward into a faster gear. This is the point where the show officially promised to be amazing.

During the song “Calling“, which starts with synchronized vocals, ShuU pointed at Nii with his left hand and the crowd turned their eyes on him. Nii then hammered out a heavy guitar rift. The more he bangs his head as he played, the more he made it clear he was totally immersed in the rhythm of the song. The idiosyncratic, wild, and sharp tones of ShuU’s bass, and the powerful yet tight drumming of Яyo, laid the groundwork for Satoshi to sing his melodies. Satoshi’s steady vocals unfolded beautiful scenes before us during the middle of the set with songs like “Inochinoki“, “Mienai Kyori“, and “COLOR” – songs that you can sing along to.

—

The band did not fail to deliver their usual recipe of deliriously loud heavy rock, but there was something different about this day’s performance. Not only in the way they looked, but also in their sound there was something stylish and refined.

The band fully satisfied the audience in terms of music – but on this day, they gave more than just that. For example, they paused in the middle of one song for ShuU to talk about his first love, which was an unusual thing to put in a monologue here. Or also, Nii at the end of a song put on sunglasses, and while interjecting wild poses, played intensely on the guitar. They don’t usually have this kind of performance, and from these little signs during the show, I figured that girugamesh could develop as a band even further.

They also showed that in the future, they might appeal not only to hardcore fans, but also all people on a broader scale.

For their last song of the encore, “Saikai“, they promised the audience their further growth, and came back on stage to show the very best that girugamesh has to offer. For this song – amidst complete darkness – spotlights shot down from the ceiling to light up each of the members. And then, when there was just one pinpoint of light, there was a long silence until Satoshi – as if tearing apart the darkness – starting singing the continuation of the song without a microphone.

“Thanks for today. In the future, we’re going to stay honest with our music and approach to what we do with total integrity. So come join us!“, Satoshi said.

This tour enabled the audience that attended to sense how girugamesh’s music has appeal throughout the world, and it has allowed the group the mobility to move up a level in their performance ability.


source : tokyohive

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