Akari Kito's Live Tour Opens Up New Horizons for Attended Live Performances in the Anime and Seiyu Industry

Popular voice actress Akari Kito, known for her roles as Priestess Kamakado in "Demon Slayer" and Kaneko Omi in "Love Live! Akari Kito, a popular voice actress known for her roles as Nezuko Kamato in "Demon Slayer" and Kanata Omi in "Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Club", held her 1st LIVE TOUR "Colorful Closet", her first solo live concert in her career, in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya from September 22 (Tuesday, national holiday) to October 3 (Saturday), 2020, The following is a report from the tour.

The report is as follows.

This live concert was held at the Corona Disaster, and was the first indoor "audience-entertaining live performance" for other anime works and voice-over artists. Even now, more than two weeks after the event, the organizer (Pony Canyon) has not received any information of infection from the audience. Let us take a look at the "offensive" and "defensive" measures taken by Pony Canyon to prevent the new type of coronavirus at this highly successful live concert, and consider the future "new forms of spectating The following is a summary of Pony Canyon's "offensive" and "defensive" measures against the new coronavirus.

◆"Offensive" ticket price increase
The ticket price for this concert, which was announced on April 17, 2020 (Friday) while a state of emergency was being declared, was initially announced at 6,800 yen plus tax. However, due to government restrictions on the holding of events, a price revision was announced on June 10, 2020 (Wednesday), increasing the ticket price by approximately 76% to 12,000 yen plus tax. This was a difficult decision to make in order to hold live concerts with a captive audience while the capacity of each venue had to be limited to 50% or less.

The announcement of the ticket price increase came at a time when companies were asking how the industry as a whole was faring, and the announcement caused a huge reaction, with the seemingly negative image of "doubling the ticket price" trending on Twitter. However, the opinions of the fans who are actually supporting Akari Kito on a daily basis were not all negative.

One fan wrote on the Twitter account of Akari Kito's official staff, "Under the current circumstances, it's no use if the price goes up. I'm glad you are going ahead with the plan to hold the event," "I agree with it if the space between the customers is wider," "Thank you for taking the initiative," and so on.

In addition, anime song singer Oishi Masayoshi stated in an interview published in August 2020.

《The reaction of the tea party was, "How dare you double the price?" and "You can't afford such a high ticket price," but the reaction of the otaku was interesting. First, they said, "Thank you for creating an environment where we can go see our guesses. Then there were those who said, "I don't mind that it's expensive, but it's hard to double the odds of winning. (omitted) When I saw that, I thought I had nothing but trust in my fans. They are all hungry and want to go see you. I thought that a site with this kind of feeling, a genre with this kind of feeling, would definitely have the passion to overcome these difficult times. It was a very positive experience that made me quite convinced. (*Quote 1)

Thus, the increase in ticket prices did not help to strengthen the relationship of trust between artists, staff, and fans.

In addition, the ticket price increase was accompanied by the following benefits,
Bromide with autograph and handwritten "Thank you" comment at each venue
Original flag
Original vinyl bag
The audience was highly satisfied with the service, which is not usually offered at live concerts, such as the distribution of the above goods and the seeing-off by Akari Kito herself when she left the venue.


◆Protecting all people involved in the live concert by taking all possible measures against the new type of coronavirus
The following measures were taken to protect not only visitors but also all people involved in the event from the new coronavirus.

Tickets were sold with seats allocated within 50% of the capacity (with empty seats in the front, back, left and right).
When entering and exiting the venue, admission was divided into separate zones for each seating area.
Original masks and face shields will be distributed as an entrance bonus. Visitors were encouraged to wear them.
Temperature checks for visitors at the venue entrance (visitors with a temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher will not be allowed to enter the venue).
Hand sanitizing for visitors at the venue entrance (sanitizers were placed at the venue entrance and inside the venue).
Disinfection of the soles of visitors' shoes at the entrance to the venue.
Install the Contact Confirmation Application (COCOA) in advance of the event. On the day of the performance, Bluetooth will be turned on.
If the application cannot be installed, fill out a separate customer information form.
Masks and face shields must be worn by the venue attendants.
All sales of goods at the venue will be suspended (only mail-order sales will be conducted in advance).
We decline to accept stand flowers, baskets, bouquets, gifts, and letters to performers. No gift boxes will be set up.
Ventilation will be provided before, during and after each performance.
No loud shouting or cheering during performances (standing up to watch, clapping, or waving penlights are allowed).
Eating is prohibited in the venue.
Washing hands and gargling frequently are encouraged.
We ask that the following visitors refrain from coming to the event.
Visitors who have tested positive for the new type of coronavirus and have been instructed by their doctors to stay home.
Those with cold symptoms (fever, sore throat, headache, joint pain, etc.) or fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher
Those with severe lethargy (fatigue) or respiratory symptoms (cough, breathlessness, difficulty breathing)
Other symptoms (diarrhea, taste buds, taste disorder, eye discharge and redness)
Cough, phlegm, chest discomfort
Those who live with a family member or close acquaintance who is infected or suspected to be infected.
Those who have other symptoms of new-type coronavirus infection.
Those who have been in close contact with a person with the above symptoms within 2 weeks.
Those who have traveled to a country or region where the government has announced that entry restrictions or observation periods are required within the past 14 days, and those who have been in close contact with people living in such countries or regions.
Pregnant women, people over 70 years old, people with underlying diabetes, heart failure, or respiratory disease, people undergoing dialysis, and people receiving immunosuppressive or anticancer drugs.
Those who have health concerns and those who cannot come to the venue due to the above reasons are also eligible for a refund of their purchased tickets.

In addition to visible measures such as temperature checks, disinfection, and dispersed entry/exit, infection control measures were also implemented in the backstage areas where video and audio staff were present.

A "new form of viewing" called "live streaming
It is no secret that "live video streaming" is rapidly becoming popular in the wake of the coronary disaster. About 180,000 people purchased tickets for Southern All Stars' non-participant live streaming concert, and about 60,000 people watched Sakanaction's live streaming concert over two days, which means that far more people watched the live concert than those who only attended the attended live concert.

Akari Kito's 1st LIVE TOUR "Colorful Closet" was also streamed live for a fee on the next-generation electronic ticket sales platform "ZAIKO" only for the final show in Nagoya. The venue was Nagoya City Public Hall. The venue was Nagoya City Public Hall, with a capacity of 1,552 seats, and approximately 640 tickets were distributed for this concert. On the other hand, about 1,700 tickets were sold for the live broadcast on ZAIKO for 3,800 yen (tax included), exceeding the capacity of the venue.

The live streaming is also a way for those who were unable to obtain tickets or live far away from the venue to watch the live performance, as well as for those who cannot watch the live performance in real time to watch the archived performance. This is a sign of further development as a form of live viewing that is unaffected by environment and schedule.

In the "5G" era that will soon be upon us, time lags in delivery and disruptions to video and audio will be reduced. In addition, viewers themselves may be able to switch cameras to follow their favorite members of the audience, and through the integration of more advanced VR technology, they may be able to enjoy the experience as if they were at the venue from the comfort of their homes.

Will the "live streaming" that has developed so strangely during the Corona Disaster be the savior of the future of entertainment? Part of the answer to this question can be seen in the view that spreads out before the eyes of Pony Canyon, which has opened up a new horizon.

Saito P and Oishi Masayoshi talk about the highlights of the new "Anisama for Adults Night" project and the future of anime songs.
http://www.billboard-japan.com/special/detail/2979

Written by Hiroshi Kaneko


Akari Kito 1st LIVE TOUR "Colorful Closet
Dates & Venues
September 22, 2020 (Tue., holiday) OPEN 17:30/START 19:00 @ Naka-no-ZERO Main Hall, Tokyo
September 27 (Sun), 2020 OPEN 17:00/START 18:00 @ Osaka Dojima River Forum
October 3, 2020 (Sat) OPEN 16:30/START 18:00 @ Nagoya City Public Hall, Aichi

< Performances
Akari Kito
ONiGASH!MA
(Guitar: Yuki Uozumi, Bass: Chiaki Ito, Keyboards/Band Master: Emi Nishino, Drums: Mai Imamura)
ONiGASH!MA Dancers
（MA Dancers (Moe Jinko, RinkA)


Akari Kito 1st LIVE TOUR "Color ful Closet" Nagoya Live Streaming
(1)Live performance (live streaming): 3,800 yen (tax included)
(2)After talk (live streaming): 1,000 yen (tax included)
Platform: ZAIKO
Event URL: #