Eleventh year, reunion of Haruhi Suzumiya! Report on the first half of the first day of "Anisama 2017

The world's largest anime song festival "Animelo Summer Live (Animelo Summer Live: also known as "Anisama") 2017 -THE CARD-" was held at Saitama Super Arena from August 25 to 27, 2017. In this issue, we report on the first half of the first day of the event, focusing on the main points of interest.

Many of you may have thought that "Welcome to Japari Park" would be the opening song for this year's event ....... That is how overwhelming the "Kemono Friends" whirlwind that swept 2017 was.
However, it is precisely at times like this that the "Anisama" event plays its "cards" to exceed expectations even further.

The three days of Anisama 2017 began with "Hare Hare Yukai," the ending theme song for the anime "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The three original members, Aya Hirano playing Haruhi Suzumiya, Minori Chihara playing Yuki Nagato, and Ouko Goto playing Mikuru Asahina, sang the song, the first time the three girls of SOS Dan had performed together on stage at Anisama since 11 years ago, when Anisama was still held at the Nippon Budokan.
In an age when the cycle of anime is so fast that an anime from five years ago, or even three years ago, can be talked about as an event in history, the anime that was aired in 2006 is probably far away in our memories, and for the younger generation, it is probably a legend.

However, it is the magical power of ani-songs that can instantly reduce the gap in time to "zero. The impressive intro to "Hare Hare Re Yukai" by maestro Tomokazu Tashiro is unforgettable once heard, and fans of anime songs have probably heard the melody at least once.
Aya Hirano, once a young girl, in her golden belly short, dazzles with an aura of expression. Now she is a star of the theater, performing in "Les Miserables" and many other productions.
Minori Chihara has been a top artist for the past 11 years since the last time SOS Dan performed at Anisama. The song "Snow, Silence, At the Window," which she sang as Yuki Nagato, set the course for Chihara's career as an artist, beginning with "Junpaku Sanctuary. If this is the case, it can be said that she has returned to her roots as an artist.

However, the biggest surprise for the former fans of SOS Dan must have been the sight of Eupko Goto singing and dancing there. It is well known to her fans that she has continued her voice acting career at her own pace while dealing with a chronic illness. That is why it was so heartwarming to see the three of them, including Ms. Goto, dancing together in a sparkling and sharp dance.
After recreating the same final shot from the anime in a kime pose, the three deeply hugged each other's shoulders and bowed to the packed house.
Such a dreamy scene was made possible only by Anisama, a festival that has continued to preserve its place as a late-summer anime song festival for the past 11 years. It was the moment when Chihara's dream of "one day being with the SOS group again," which he had mentioned at the Anisama presentation a few years ago, was finally fulfilled.

And I think it is very significant that Minami (formerly known as Minami Kuribayashi) and GRANRODEO are still standing on stage as a bridge between the 2006 and 2017 Anisamas, with their current frontline appearance and power.

The venue, still reverberating with the aftermath of the shock of SOS Dan, was dyed in a happy space with "Welcome to Japari Park" by Kemono Friends with Oishi Masayoshi. The euphoric feeling of the audience singing "La La La La La" as one with the Friends!　ClariS took the stage in masks to perform "Connect," a fantastic stage performance, and as their second song was "Hitorigoto," a pop theme song for the relatively familiar world of "Eromanga Sensei," the audience felt as if the stage, which had been touring other worlds, had once returned to this one. I felt as if I had returned to this world.

The sparkle of Pyxis' freshness and straightforward performance at their first Anisama, and Machico's godliness as she held up her right hand in the backlight, exploding with the joy of singing. And perhaps the person who epitomized the current voice actor artist scene was Ayaka Ohashi, who two weeks ago stood in Saitama Super Arena as an actor playing an idol ("THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS"), one week ago played the drums at the Nippon Budokan ("BanG Dream!"), and today, She went on stage at Anisama as an artist. She did it all with a sparkling smile on her face.
The set, in which seasonal voice-over artists and talented singers such as TRUE and Minami coexisted, was like a microcosm of today's anime song world.
The black spot (?) in this trend was the two members of OxT. The two members of OxT stole the show with their guitar solo.

Konomi Suzuki closed the first half of Anisama. Personally, I look forward to seeing her at Anisama as she continues to grow each year. The last song "This game" fit perfectly with the theme of this year's Anisama, playing along with colorful personality cards. The simple melody of the piano in the intro draws the audience's attention to her back as she walks to the main stage, illuminated by pin spots. The moment she spins the first note, the entire vast venue of Anisama is dominated by the singer's genius. She is still 20 years old. It is a pleasure to experience the growth of this pure-blooded ani-song singer born from the Ani-song Grand Prix every summer.

Interview and text by Kiri Nakazato

Apology] (Correction on 8/29)
The composer of "Hare Hare Yukai" was listed as Satoru Kamizaki when it was first published, but the correct name was Tomokazu Tashiro. Minori Chihara's song was listed as "Junpaku Sanctuary," but it was actually "Junpaku Sanctuary. We apologize for the error and make the correction.

Animelo Summer Live 2017 -THE CARD-"
2017.08.25. Setlist of the first half of the first day
M01:Hare Hare Yukai / SOS Dan (Aya Hirano x Minori Chihara x Ouko Goto)
M02:Welcome to Japari Park / Kemono Friends with Oishi Masayoshi
M03:Connect / ClariS
M04:Hitorigoto / ClariS
M05:FLAWLESS / Pyxis
M06:Platinum / Pyxis
M07:You & I / Ayaka Ohashi
M08:Wagama MIRROR HEART / Ayaka Ohashi
M09:fantastic dreamer / Machico
M10:TOMORROW / Machico
M11:SOUNDSCAPE / TRUE
M12:BUTTERFLY EFFECTOR / TRUE
M13:DreamRiser／Minami×TRUE
M14:illuminate / Minami
M15:ZERO! Minami
M16:Kimi(Anisama)nakatta dameshimai / OxT
M17:Go EXCEED! /OxT
M18:Balalaika / Tamura Yukari xOxT
M19:Chaos Syndrome / Konomi Suzuki
M20:Blow out / Konomi Suzuki
M21:This game / Konomi Suzuki

(C)Animelo Summer Live 2017/MAGES.

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