Ken Washizaki finally goes on stage! Report on "Animelo Summer Night II in Billboard Live" - an adult anime song live performance created by gorgeous live sound and colorful voices.

Animelo Summer Night II in Billboard Live", a live performance event originating from "Anisama", was held on March 14, 2021, and featured performances by Sayoshi Oishi, Ayaka Ohashi, Minori Suzuki, Kanako Takatsuki, Saori Hayami, ReoNa, Ken Washizaki, and others.

Anisama Night" is a live streaming event based on the concept of a "slightly more mature nighttime Anisama. The live performance by a live band of talented artists is delivered from "Billboard Live YOKOHAMA" in the best possible sound quality, with the assumption that adult fans of anime songs can enjoy the live performance at home with a drink in hand. The artists who appear in the festival also seem to bring many songs with an adult atmosphere. The first event will be held on August 30, 2020. This is a new type of entertainment live performance that was created because of the current situation where real live performances are restricted.

⇒ "Animelo Summer Night in Billboard Live" report: "Animelo Summer Night in Billboard Live" - an "adult" Anisama that could only be delivered from the best sound and space.

The top performer was Kanako Takatsuki's "Anti world (King of Anison ver.)". As she stood in the silent light, the delicate piano and the wistful saxophone echoed the emotionally rich sound. The emotional arrangement, with her singing voice at the forefront, is a message from the world of the lyrics she herself has written, and the message comes through easily. From the falling chorus with the spirited phrase "Mirai no Hikari...! the scale of the singing and performance increased even more, and the way it all came together was breathtaking.

Takatsuki, who will also perform at this summer's "Animelo Summer Live 2021 -COLORS-" DAY3, said during the MC: "I have performed as Aqours every year, but this is my first solo performance. I have been an ani-song singer for 10 years now, and I am happy to be here to deliver my songs as Kanako Takatsuki, fulfilling my dream.

Next was "Platinum" from "King of Anison EP1," an anime song cover single released by Takatsuki on March 3. The song is the opening theme of the TV anime "Card Captor Sakura. With a rock-style arrangement, the song is a powerful ani-song cover that shows off the artist Kanako Takatsuki's unique style. During the interlude and outro, it was impressive to see Ms. Takatsuki really enjoying herself in the sound as she felt the band's sound with her whole body.

When Minori Suzuki appeared on stage, the gift of "Negi" was waiting for her on the Nico Nico Live broadcast. This is because her debut song was the theme song of "Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san" ("Feeling Around"), and leeks were a key item in the music video. Ms. Suzuki has a strong image of up-tempo numbers like that song, but this time she started with the quieter "Night Sky. She spun a gentle song in the starry sky-like light. At Anisama, we often get excited with up-tempo songs such as leeks and magic tricks, but this time we would like to present a more mature, quieter song," said Suzuki.

Ephemera wo Tsumete" is the ending theme song for the TV anime "Honyaku no Gekkoukoujo: Motoi no Shimokoukoujou: Shoukou ni naru Koudou ni Tsuiteiru Koudou ni Naihou" (I Can't Choose My Means to Become a Librarian). The high brass sound echoed brilliantly, and the interlude of the guitar sounded grainy and danced. The live band also plays a leading role in shaping the music. The contrast between the whispery, gentle singing in the background with a low number of notes, and the grand, expanding chorus, was striking.

At this point, Ms. Saori Hayami appeared on stage. Ms. Hayami and Ms. Suzuki collaborated to sing "Groovy!", the ending theme of the TV anime "Card Captor Sakura", and this was the third collaboration between the two. Ms. Hayami's low greeting gave the audience a sense of her personality, but when it came time for her to sing the song, it was powerful and had a jazzy nuance. The highlight of the song was the sound of the phrase "It's always there," "Arrrr! of the phrase "It's always there! Suzuki's pleasant high tone that seemed to convey a sense of fun, and Hayami's powerful, emotionally charged voice that seemed to be a bit wound up. The way the differently colored vocals resonated with each other was the true joy of a live collaboration.

Ayaka Ohashi appeared in an elegant civilian-style outfit, and she echoed "START DASH" in a high and powerful way. The stability of her vocals amidst a performance that seemed to renew the highest of high tones and the highest of tension gave the audience a sense of solid ground.

When the MC announced "with an acoustic adult Ayaka," they performed an acoustic version of "Hitotsuninaritai," the ending theme song for the TV anime "Comet Lucifer. She spun her heartfelt voice along with the calm piano. The inner pressure of her singing voice gradually increased, and the song was cut off with the lingering phrase, "Solitude no hajimari to" (The beginning of solitude), which was very graceful. The richness of the emotional expression with a hint of exhalation in "Itoshisama ga tomarashite de" was a highlight of the song. The last song was a big circle, and the audience commented in response to Ohashi's call, "Please sing, everyone! The audience responded to Mr. Ohashi's call for "everyone to sing!" and expressed their feelings in the comment box with "noshi" (waving hands) and "la-la-la-la" in full.

Ohashi's collaborator, Oishi Masayoshi, appeared on stage shouting "Emoii! and appeared on stage shouting "Emoii!", it was funny to see Mr. Ohashi's talk instantly turn into a friendly "hashii". And speaking of the Ohashi Ayaka x Ohishi Masayoshi collaboration, Mr. Ohishi provided the music for "Singalong Evolution". The happy, bouncy, danceable start of the song was full of emotion, and Ohashi's smile burst out as she clapped her hands above her head. Oishi-san added depth to the performance with his comical bass and singalongs while accompanying Ohashi-san's singing voice. The contrast between the two's fun-loving interludes, in which they drollly showed a swim-like choreography, and their masterful singing of the choruses made for an impressive collaboration.

Ohashi's last number was "NOISY LOVE POWER☆. Her happy and high-tension vocals painted the stage into "Ayaka Ohashi's musical world" full of smiles. A live band backed up this world. The high brass was the best feeling. The live singing and live sound delivered such a fresh and direct energy even through the live streaming. It was a performance that made me feel the power of music.

Afterwards, while the stage was being changed and ventilated, the fashionable background music played by the Anisama band helped to calm the audience down. The band seemed to have taken great care in creating an atmosphere during the break.

The second half of the show began with ReoNa. She greeted the audience with a whispered MC, "Does the soul have a shape or a temperature? Does it have a shape, does it have a temperature, will it be broken someday? The acoustic version of "ANIMA," the opening theme of the TV anime "Sword Art Online Arisimation War of Underworld," is synonymous with her. The performance was like a three-way encounter between a heavy piano, acoustic guitar, and ReoNa's bare vocals. The clean sound of the piano rippled like a drop of water on the surface of the water as the singer's voice shook as if squeezed out of the silent world during the chorus. The dramatic performance and singing were so dramatic that I was emotionally shaken.

Disorder" is a song from "Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online," which she sang under the name "Erza Kanzaki starring ReoNa. This is also an acoustic version, with a heavy piano bass that stirs some uneasiness as it tells the story. The performance showed the overwhelming power of the piano and guitar and the trust in the power of the world held by the singing voice. The serious competition between the three personalities, possible only in a space with no audience, seemed to me to be the culmination of the expression that can be shown only in a live performance delivered by artists with extremely strong worldviews.

After the mature sound of drums and piano calmed the audience, Saori Hayami reappeared on stage. In "eve," her trumpet dazzled like the last glimmer of the setting sun. The live band and chandelier-lit Billboard Live environment suited her better than anyone else. It was as if the space had been specially prepared for Saori Hayami. The stylish sound of "yoso" and the jazzy "ESCORT," which has become synonymous with Anisama Night, are music that only the combination of Saori Hayami and Anisama Night can express. ESCORT" is a melody of pleasant sounds that flowed smoothly, giving the listener the sensation of listening to high-quality jazz music. During the introduction of the band members, the overwhelming technique of the trumpet solo took my breath away.

The highlight of the show was the cover song "Orphans' Tears" performed by Ms. Hayami. The original song is the ending theme of the TV anime "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans" sung by MISIA. Her spacious, majestic, and powerful singing voice combines respect for the original song and her own expression at a high level. The last song's poignant fold-up, as if she were shouting, was also overwhelming. In contrast to the gift of comments during the singing and the lack of comments, the amount of applause and comments that exploded the moment she finished singing made me feel that something truly amazing can silence people.

As the sound of police sirens echoed across the stage, the audience went to "Paradise City" by Oishi Masayoshi. The big band style sound was endlessly cool, and the sound of the brass matched the stylish and dry worldview of the work and the music. The seamless connection between this stylishness and the comicality of the MC was a characteristic of Oishi's character.

At this point, Ken Washizaki made a surprise appearance on stage. Mr. Washizaki is one of the best MC's of his day, and is well known for his Anisama presentations, etc. He is also an artist working solo and as a unit Poirot. During the MC, Mr. Washizaki joked that "What a colorful world! is a rip-off of "What a Pastaful World - What a Spaghetti World" released by Mr. Washizaki in 2015. Mr. Oishi responded, "If you trace back to the original, they are both pastiches of Louis Armstrong's ("What A Wonderful World"), aren't they?

In this vein, of course, the song "What a Pastaful World" was performed. The song's music video features the cute Yurika Kubo as a special guest, and this time Kanako Takatsuki joined her on stage to perform the song. Love Live! I wonder if they were a little conscious of the connection between the two. As soon as the song started, peperoncino (her favorite food), prepared as a gift icon for Ayaka Ohashi, filled the screen in a fun combination with the audience. In the latter half of the song, a live performance in which Ms. Ayaka Ohashi herself appeared on the wipe screen in the lower right corner and started eating the peperoncino was also a playful touch typical of Anisama.

When Ms. Washizaki and Mr. Oishi sang side by side, it was like the old and new giants stood side by side, with an appealing gap between their faces as artists and their light-hearted MCing. It was the moment when the man who has been contributing to Anisama for many years by hosting its presentations stood for the first time as an artist on the stage that bears the Anisama name. It should be noted that Takatsuki-san and Oishi-san had a strong presence in the chorus, which was fun to dance to, and sometimes mischievous in their emotional expressions, so much so that you could say they were the stars of the show. It was the depth of Washizaki's talent as an artist that made the entire stage an entertaining experience.

When the stage returned to Oishi's solo, he performed two hero songs, "It's Time the World Needs You" and "Hero's Song. During "Hero Song," the screen turned black and white to recreate the visual effects of the song's music video in real time. This is a unique way to showcase a live performance, but here, viewers were able to see rose petals, gold confetti, and other colored gifts on the screen. Oishi expressed his emotion at being the first performer to perform at Anisama, saying, "My hero is everyone who listens to me. I think Anisama creates a place where these heroes can play an active role.

The last number of the live was the theme song of Anisama 2020-21, "What a colorful world! . Oishi invited all of today's performers - including Washizaki-san, of course - to sing with him. It was impressive to see artists like ReoNa and Saori Hayami, who have strong worldviews of their own, accompanying the song, and it was refreshing to hear Hayami's "Oh yeah! I see! was a straight expression of emotion that showed Hayami as an actor. The combination of her colorful and unique voice formed one theme song, which I felt was a new way of presenting the theme song sung by all the performers.

At the end of the show, the performers said "bye-bye! and the closing roll, the extravagant live performance time of a little over two hours came to an end. The last two songs were about feelings for the heroes, and the monochrome world ended with colorful colors. I hope that this summer we will be able to sing "What a colorful world!

If you missed "Anisama Night 2," you can stillpurchase a ticket to miss the event on Nico Nico Live until March 27 (Sat.)! Why don't you check out the impressive stage now?

(Reporting and writing by Kiri Nakazato)

Animelo Summer Night II in Billboard Live

2021.3.14 Set List

M01:Anti world（Kanako Takatsuki)

M02:Platinum（Kanako Takatsuki)

M03:Night sky（Minori Suzuki)

M04:Ephemera wo tsumete (Minori Suzuki)

M05:Groovy! (Saori Hayami x Minori Suzuki)

M06:START DASH (Ayaka Ohashi)

M07:Hitotsuninaritai -Acoustic Ver.- (Ayaka Ohashi)

M08:Singalong Evolution (Ayaka Ohashi×Sayoshi Ohishi)

M09:NOISY LOVE POWER☆ (Ayaka Ohashi)