Report on Morfonica's 1st Live "Cantabile," where smiles mixed with tears blossomed!

Bandolier! Morfonica 1st Live "Cantabile"" was held at Tokyo Garden Theater on October 7, 2020, and Morfonica (Vo. Amane Shindo, Gt. Himena Naota, Ba. Yuka Nishio, Dr. mika, Vn. Ayasa) performed at the live event.

Morfonica is a member of the smartphone game "Bandol! Girls Band Party! and is the fourth real band in the "Bandoli-! Bandolier!" following Poppin'Party, Roselia, and RAISE A SUILEN. The concept is the same as the previous three bands, with the voice actors themselves playing instruments in the band and performing live. The girls had to cancel their first stage due to the new coronavirus, but they finally got their wish to hold a solo live following their first live stage performance on Day 3 of the outdoor 3-day summer event "BanG Dream! The venue was the Tokyo Garden Theater.

The venue, Tokyo Garden Theater, is a new venue that opened in Ariake on July 24, 2020, with a capacity of approximately 8,000 people. It has four levels of audience seating, and the stage is close to every seat in the auditorium. This year's event was held with a variety of infection control measures, such as one seat being left open between audience seats for distance, masks being worn, and no vocal cheering.

Guitars and violins ran at full speed on the Morfonica stage!

Smoke filled the air as the five members appeared on stage amidst a video introducing the members. The costumes were designed based on the visuals of the character illustrations, with asymmetrical skirts with keyboard-inspired designs on half of the skirts and thin fabric like fairy wings fluttering from the shoulders.

The opening number was "Daylight. The intro of the song is impressive with the sound of the guitar and violin clashing with each other. Ayasa's overwhelming violin and Naota's guitar were so impressive that it was as if she was playing music with her whole body. Ayasa's overwhelming violin performance was complemented by Naota's guitar playing, which further enhanced the band's balance and perfection. The violin is an original element of Morfonica, and the elegant smile on Ayasa's face as he played an intense yet graceful solo during the interlude of "chAngE" was impressive.

During the main part of the live performance, the MC was a character, and during the encore, he spoke as the cast members themselves.

The first MC was Shindo-san, who started off with a somewhat joyful and soft tone, saying, "Gokigenyo, I'm Morfonica. The basic style of Morfonica is for guitarist Toruko Kirigaya (played by Hena Naota) to lead the MC, and then ask each member to speak. Tsukushi Futaba, played by mika, is very nervous. I like the way the words "not nervous" as a character and Ms. Shindo's imposing performance while singing are in sync.

The powerful voice of Ms. Shindo in the chorus of the cover song "Gekkohana" and her singing with increasing energy after the modulation in "Shinkai Shoujo" showed us a new side of her voice.

The bass tone of "Prelude to Gold" was impressive, and Yuka Nishio' s soft expression as she played it was a true representation of Nanaka Hiromachi. Ms. Naoda's rich facial expression was impressive as she returned a big smile when she was pulled out by the camera. The performance united the audience and their feelings as they waved their hands in a big gesture.

The intermission video was an extra version of the YouTube program "Morufuonikaru," in which the members tried their hand at glasswork "as a young lady. Many of the members did not seem very confident in arts and crafts, but Ms. Nishio surprised the members by saying that she usually kneads paper mache, and Ms. Shindo showed a sparkling sense and drawing ability in the design challenge to solidify the image of the glasswork.

The second half started with "Bloom Bloom. The song evoked a sense of something new beginning, and Ms. Shindo's sparkling smile was impressive. Mr. Naoda played his guitar freely as he walked around the stage.

Ayasa's violin solo, illuminated by a green glow, started the first performance of the cover song "Neverland," which was performed for the first time. As Shindo sang the English lyrics of the song, the lights switched to deep red and the performance by the five members became intense and wild at once. The super-aggressive violin playing in this intense rock number was a charm that only Morfonica could deliver.

The camera angle of "CQCQ" conveyed a sense of realism on stage, from mika's vivid drumming to Nishio's bass playing in the distance. Shindo's boyish voice was impressive as he pounded his heart out.

Melissa" began with an impressive bass played by Mr. Nishio. The way Shindo-san swayed her skirt while riding the rhythm was cute. While it is standard practice for the band members to get close to each other during the performance, it was refreshing to see Ayasa-san and Shindo-san, who played the violin solo, facing each other or back to back.

The last song of the main program was an original song performed for the first time at the live. Shindo-san said, "Go with yourself as your ally and let your voice resonate strongly. Please listen to the last song," he murmured, quoting a part of the lyrics, before launching into "flame of hope. The guitar and violin played against each other in a typical Morfonica song, and Naoda and Ayasa stood side by side on the dais, echoing each other's sounds. Shindo-san's dignified front view, staring straight ahead under the lights shining from his feet, was memorable. After finishing their performance, the five left the stage with graceful steps.

The words of gratitude spoken in the cast's own words brought tears ......!

After the encore clapping and the second part of the video showing them trying their hand at glasswork, the five members appeared on stage again. They are wearing costumes arranged from their live T-shirts. The five encore members gave a bare-bones talk from the cast themselves, expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to have their first live performance. Shindo-san's words, "Someday I will have the light that I long for in my hands! and the audience was treated to "Daylight" again.

The encore performance of "Daylight" seemed to convey the emotions and temperature of the cast members themselves. Shindo-san encouraged the audience with his energetic intro and waved to them with a smiling face as he walked around, showing a completely different color from the first song.

During the announcement corner, it was announced that Morfonica 2nd Single "Bloom Bloom" would be released on January 13, 2021 (Wednesday). The limited edition disc with Blu-ray will include the mini-anime "BanG Dream! Galpa Pico ~Daisaiyuri~#14~#26" and the lyric video of the title song "Bloom Bloom" will be newly produced and included in full size. It was also announced that the live video of the day will be specially distributed. Details of the distribution will be announced later.

The final remarks were made at this point, and since it was a special first live performance, I will introduce them in a little longer.

Ayasa: "At first I didn't really feel it, but the moment the first song "Daylight" started, I got goosebumps and felt that I was finally here with everyone. I felt that I could finally be here with you all. I would like to play various kinds of music with these members again. It is thanks to the best members who always spare no effort and to all of you who made the concert the best it could be. Let's go see the shining scenery from now on."

mika "Finally we were able to hold Morfonica 1st Live. For the past six months, I was both looking forward to and anxious about when we would be able to hold the event. Now I am really happy to be surrounded by everyone. I would like to continue to do my best as a member of "Bandolier! I will continue to do my best as a member of the "Bandolier!

Nishio: "I was happy to be able to hold a one-man live concert, and I was also very worried about whether it would be all right since there was only one month left since Fujikyu ("BanG Dream! 8th☆Live" outdoor 3-DAYS in summer), but I am very glad that I was able to enjoy the performance. I think the members, the audience, the venue, and everything was wonderful at the concert. Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I hope you all enjoyed it too."

Naota: "Thank you so much to everyone who came to the site and to the movie theater in these times. I am very happy to be able to be a part of the live performance. Looking back, it was about last summer when Oyu-chan (Nishio-san) and I first touched electric guitars and basses. I couldn't even play power chords, but it was thanks to your warm applause that I was able to take guitar solos and go wild. Thank you very much!　I will continue to do my best in Morfonica, so I hope you will watch over me warmly.

Shindo: "Thank you so much for coming to the venue and the movie theater today. When I heard everyone's impressions, I thought I was going to cry already and tried to hold back until it was my turn. ...... It is thanks to all of you that we were able to have our first live concert. Thank you so much. I was so nervous at the time of "BanG Dream! 8th☆Live" that I thought I couldn't breathe anymore, but today, seeing your faces, I didn't get nervous at all and felt relieved. The applause really made me happy. I am so happy now. We will do our best so that we can see this shining scenery with you again, so please continue to support us.

When it was her turn to make the final speech, Shindo-san burst into tears, which she had been holding back, and sobbed as she delivered her speech. The applause from the bandleaders was warm and supportive.

He vowed to continue running behind the backs of his seniors, and with tears still lingering in his eyes, he went on to the last song of the night. Bloom Bloom" was sung with a smile, leaving the audience in tears. During the interlude, Ayasa stood in the center, Naota in the upper part of the stage, and Nishio in the lower part of the stage, playing on a stand, while Shindo played the role of the enlivening musician. In the last part, everyone looked at Mika and breathed in unison for the kime. All who witnessed the performance will never forget the way the small center sang the song to the end while suppressing the tremors in her voice.

The special first live concert ended with the five members' voices in unison, expressing their gratitude with the words, "Thank you very much for today! The special first live concert was closed with the words "Thank you very much for your kindness today!

(Reporting by Kiri Nakazato, Photos by Satoshi Hata)

＜Set List

M01:Daylight

M02:chAngE

M03:Moonlight Flower

M04:Shinkai Shoujo

M05:Prelude to Gold

M06:Bloom Bloom

M07:Nevereverland

M08:CQCQ

M09:Melissa

M10:Flame of hope