Flying Dog 10th Anniversary Live Dog Fest! Report on "Flying Dog 10th Anniversary Liveoo Dog Fest! A one-day dream feast ended in a frenzy of excitement!

On Saturday, February 2, 2019, the anime video and music label "Flying Dog" held its first live event - Inu Fest - to celebrate its 10th anniversary!
Here is the official report from the event.

Official Report】 ※Titles omitted

Saturday, February 2, 2019
Flying Dog 10th Anniversary LIVE-Inu Fes! -" at Musashino no Mori Sogo Sports Plaza Main Arena

On February 2, 2019, "Flying Dog 10th Anniversary LIVE - Inu Fest! -". It has been 10 years since the establishment of Flying Dog Inc. With a history of about 40 years, including the Victor era, the first festival was held by the artists who have supported the label. The event was broadcast live in movie theaters in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea, allowing more people to share in the excitement of the event.

It has been 10 years since Flying Dog Inc. was established in January 2009. However, it was 38 years ago that the Production 4 Department, a division specializing in animation of Victor Entertainment Inc. which was the predecessor of Flying Dog, was launched. Since that time, the department has been involved in the production of theme songs and play accompaniments for anime, and a number of videos looking back on the history of the department were shown during the time between the opening of the doors and the start of the show. OP/ED videos from various eras, from nostalgic works to newer ones, were shown on the screen, and the names of the staff and creators at the time of the broadcast could be confirmed as well as enjoyed.

Then, "Aim for the Top! The lineup of artists was introduced to the theme song "Gunbuster March," which is the theme of "Aim for the Top! While the tension in the audience was rising, Kouhei Tanaka, who composed the "Gunbuster March," appeared on stage. He opened the festival with the first words, "I'm not Gunbuster." As the first presenter, he began to talk about his involvement with Flying Dog. He also spoke about his involvement with Flying Dog in "Sakura Wars. After sharing many interesting stories, including the secret recording of "Teikoku Kagekidan" from "Sakura Taisen," which he tells for the first time, he ends with, "Hey, can I play one song?" He sat down in front of the piano and said, "Gaga, gaga, gaga, gao gaiger! (surprise guest), the theme song of the TV anime "GaoGaiGar, King of the Braves" "Birth of the King of the Braves! begins the theme song of the TV anime "The King of Heroes: GaoGaiGar! The audience was also enthusiastically cheering "GaoGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGa! The audience was also enthusiastically chanting, "GAGAGAGAGAGAGAUGAIGAR!

May'n took over the band's enthusiasm. The band sang "Chase the world" with dancers, which was arranged by the band and became even heavier, accelerating the momentum of the song. Then they moved on to two songs from the TV anime "Macross F" that they continue to sing at their own live performances. During the MC, she thanked Flying Dog and Yoko Kanno (who unfortunately had to cancel her performance at this event due to the flu) and said, "With this precious song, I am still on my musical journey. I will continue my musical journey with this precious song," he said, and began to sing "Diamond Crevasse. The way she sang and delivered her words with great care and respect at the center of the stage was truly a fairy of the galaxy itself. The song showed the trajectory of her journey with Sheryl Nome.

Nano, who has been making a big impact with her one-of-a-kind voice with native pronunciation and presence since her debut, sang "SAVIOR OF SONG," a fast-moving rock number from the TV anime "Arpeggio Ars Nova," in a cool and supremely cool way. I will sing as much as I can so that Nano's stage and songs will stay in your hearts and help Flying Dog in the future! and then hit the stage with a punchy rock number "No pain, No game", leaving a strong impact on the audience.

The "Inu Fest" had been running at a brisk pace up to this point, but Yuki Kajiura/FictionJunction YUUKA changed the atmosphere of the venue. Led by Yuki Kajiura's piano, Yuri Kasahara, an opera singer who has participated in many of Kajiura's works, performed "salva nos" as a guest vocalist. The violinist, vocalist, and chorus singer KAORI and YURIKO KAIDA in the front of the stage further broadened the song. The complexity of the sound construction was a sight to behold.

The artists and the label are aiming for the same horizon, but we are like comrades-in-arms fighting in different places, and our perspectives are slightly different. That's why I can broaden my perspective," she said, expressing her gratitude in a way that is typical of Kajiura, who has worked on numerous works. She sang "Dawn Car", an insert song of the TV animation "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed", in a quiet voice. The performance was riveting, with Kajiura's piano, YUUKA's somewhat fragile vocals, and the gradually increasing intensity of her performance. The song "nowhere" started with a clap. She looked at the audience with a smile and pulled them along with her completely different expression.

The second presenter was Shoji Kawamori, who has worked on the Macross and Aquarion series. He expressed his gratitude to Shiro Sasaki, the president of the company, and the many other directors and staff members who have listened to his countless selfish requests over the past 37 years, The idea for the Macross Diva was born, and from there the idea spread, leading to the current Macross series, which is about stopping a space war through song. He then turned to his ally Yoko Kanno, "You all had a miraculous experience, because you found out that Yoko Kanno was also an earthling," he said with a laugh, and concluded, "An important diva, a shadow of an AI virtualoid. Listen to her singing voice, which is so soothing to the heart!" and introduces Akino Nii.

Akino Nii's fantastic voice takes us somewhere other than here, and her a cappella rendition of "Voices," a song that symbolizes the OVA "Macross Plus" and was created by Yoko Kanno, really gave me goosebumps. The piano and singing voice alone conjured up images of an endless sky, and the beautiful melody of "Kimihe Mukau Hikari," the OP theme song for the TV anime "Zegapain," was just like Akino Arai's. As I surrendered myself to the melody, I could not help but feel the beauty of the song. As one surrenders oneself to the melody, one feels as if one is drifting through space, and one feels a mysterious sense of grandeur. Her clear voice, which has never changed, gently enveloped my heart and seemed to heal it.

So far, each of the artists had presented a very deep view of the world, but if anyone had a strong personality, it would be ALI PROJECT. Alika Takarano in military uniform shone brilliantly in the center of the stage, with a drag queen dancing beside her, and the audience was engulfed by the atmosphere created by ALI PROJECT as they began the stage with "Gokoku Kakusei Catharsis," the ED theme from the TV anime ".hack//Roots. Flying Dog and ALI PROJECT are now striving for their 15th and 30th anniversaries, respectively, and ALI PROJECT is performing an insert song for "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Resurrection," which opens in theaters on February 9, so I hope you will enjoy it along with the movie," he said. He then went on to the ED theme for the TV anime "Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion", "Yuukyou Seishun Kyo" (Chivalry and Youth). The song is one that symbolizes the so-called "black ants," but its unique melody and the unsettling atmosphere that can be glimpsed in it are a great match with the anime work. Arika Takarano took off her jacket to reveal her body in a sarashi (casual dress), and the four drag queens danced in the exact same outfit, looking bewitching and entrancing.

Hono also charmed the audience with her final performance, holding a Japanese sword over her head. Ai Nakajima started off the stage with the cry, "Everybody hug me to the end of the galaxy! The song "Interstellar Flight" was released 11 years ago as "Lanka Lee = Ai Nakashima," and is one of her most popular songs, often sung at major festivals. Composed by Yoko Kanno and lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto, this special song turned the venue green and brought the audience together no matter what the occasion. When he said, "Today is Saturday, so I would like to sing this song," there was a tremendous call from the audience. The audience got excited with "Saturday Night Question," a danceable rock song.

After Nakajima finished the stage, the stage lights were dimmed and suddenly the intro of "Lion" rang out, drawing loud cheers from the audience. It is a powerful song that caused a big boom about 10 years ago. It had been a long time since the two had sung together, but there was a power to the song that immediately filled the gap of several years. The two singers, who had been singing facing each other, looked at each other in the middle of the song. And when the two of them were fully face to face, there was Ai Nakajima, who sang with May'n's passionate singing, clucking and leaning in close to her. In her debut, Ai Nakajima often showed tears on stage, but on this day, May'n seemed to be holding back her tears. With their voices overlapping, each ran to both sides of the stage and finally to the center again, closing the song with their backs to each other. When the song ended, a tearful May'n hugged Nakajima tightly and walked off the stage.

After the miraculous "Macross F" stage, kz (livetune) kicked things off with a DJ set of new and old Flying Dog songs, and while the 30-minute countdown screen was displayed, he did a divine job of finishing the DJ set in exactly 30 minutes, and then came on stage to start the second half of the show. The top performer was Fire Bomber, featuring Yoshiki Fukuyama and Chie Kaziura on vocals. Although they were secret artists, the audience was excited by the appearance of these two artists, who cannot be missed when talking about the Macross series. They sang "PLANET DANCE [Duet Version]" in the bright red venue, and I was surprised to hear their voices that have not faded at all after almost 25 years. Yoshiki Fukuyama, playing the basara guitar, was the very essence of hot basara.

AKINO with bless4 roars with unfathomable and powerful vocals at every festival. During "Umi Iro (Sea Color)" as a greeting, the eldest son AKASHI, the eldest daughter KANASA, and the youngest son AIKI ran around the stage with a big flag. After overwhelming the audience with their speedy and powerful performance, the MC talked cheerfully to the audience. Enjoying a call-and-response session in which the audience was asked to call out their names, she said, "Everyone in Flying Dog, Yoko Kanno, and everyone who supported us are our precious family!　Please sing the loudest "I love you" song ever with us!" They sang their big hit "Genesis of Aquarion," and the entire audience sang "I love you" together. The next performer, Tomoaki Ishikawa, sang "I love you.

Tomoaki Ishikawa followed with "Imperfect Combustion," the OP theme song for the TV anime "Kami no Dwolls. [I'm burning up, aren't I? Isn't that so? Isn't that so? The song's lyrics, which have an outstanding impact, have been talked about for their addictiveness since they were first released. The song's addictive melody and Tomoaki Ishikawa's strong personality and worldview were on display, and during the MC session, he took a different turn, easing the audience with his friendly talk. I think singing is good, and I hope you will sing, too," he said. It changes your mindset when you are stuck. I wish I could tell you how wonderful singing is, too," she said, and left the stage singing "Uninstall," a timeless song with a beautiful chorus and a haunting melody.

After a short silence, a keyboard was set up on stage, and when two silhouettes could be seen on the stage, "No way! With the two on stage, there were probably a few people who had high expectations for See-Saw's return, and it really came true. The band's powerful yet elongated voice on the hit song "We were so together" was a great emotional response. At the end of the band introduction, when the band members introduced each other by clearly including their band names, "See-Saw, vocalist Tomoaki Ishikawa" and "See-Saw, Yuki Kajiura," the audience understood that the scene happening on stage was not a dream but reality and applauded loudly. It was truly an unforgettable moment until the two of them left the stage with their hands together at the end.

Amidst the excitement and groans, the third presenter was voice actor Koichi Yamadera. He is also known for his role as Spike in "Cowboy Bebop." When he was approached to be a presenter for this event, he was given a list of Victorian films in which Yamadera had participated, and while looking at the list, he introduced his role with a few lines.

It turned out that they had actually had a relationship since his debut OVA "Megazone 23" (1985), and here he showed off his entertaining side. He said, "Give me a job once in a while!　I'm so driven from below. I don't want to be someone from the past!" I think "Bebop" would not have been a success without the music of Ms. Yoko Kanno. I would like to sing the OP theme "Tank! and sang it in a dog's whine as much as he wanted to. But at the end of the show, he ended in a good voice, "The unit that regrettably disbanded three years ago is reuniting for one night and one song only! and introduced the next artists, the three members of Trident, Mai Fuchigami (played by Iona), Aimi Numakura (played by Takao), and Hibiki Yamamura (played by Haruna) appeared on stage.

The song "Blue Field" was the ED theme from the TV anime "Arpeggio Ars Nova. It had been three years since the last time they sang together, but they danced and sang in unison, turning the venue blue. After the special stage performance, the audience said "Thank you" to the three performers.

Finally, the festival came to an end. Here came Valkyrie, a unit that debuted after the company Flying Dog was established. Since their formation, the five members have performed at large venues such as Yokohama Arena with great success. The performance of Valkyrie, whose bond is also strong, starts with "Nai nai borderline," with Miun Delta JUNNA taking the main vocals for the first chorus and Freya Delta Minori Suzuki for the second chorus, which clearly shows the appeal of the two divas' voices. In addition to the two singers, Kaname ΔKiyono Anno, Reina ΔNao Higashiyama, and Makina ΔMochimi Nishida also showed their individuality in their solo parts. They also show their individuality in their solo parts.

The MC also announced that Mochimi Nishida would be making her solo debut. The audience gave them a big round of applause. The last song of the Valkyrie was "Valkyrie Stopped". In this song, the five members not only played their roles, but also mixed their personalities in a real live performance, entertaining the audience with their free performance. With a new movie version on the way, keep an eye out for the girls' ever-evolving performances.

The final performer of the "Inu Fest" was Maaya Sakamoto. The artist has been with Flying Dog for 22 years, since her debut in 1996 when she was a high school student with "Yakusoku wa Naiwa", the OP theme song for "Tenku no Escaflowne". She made her debut as a producer for Yoko Kanno and has since moved on, writing songs with numerous artists, sometimes even writing her own lyrics and music. His latest work, "Gyakkou (Backlight)," has been well received by the younger generation as well. The live performance started with "Gyakkou (Backlight)," which seemed to be getting more and more intense as they got older and more relaxed. The melody is difficult to understand, but I felt that the way she perfectly made it her own and performed it was amazing. The rock number "Be mine!" thrilled the audience, and during the MC, she said, "I am nothing, but I was raised and protected, and before I realized it, 20 years had passed. I have been brought up and protected for 20 years, and only recently have I been able to repay those who brought me up. I was waiting impatiently for my turn to appear (laughs). He also mentioned Yoko Kanno, who was unable to perform today, and said, "I did nothing wrong, but I'm sorry. I was going to invite her back here to perform the last song with us. But as anyone who has seen Ms. Kanno perform live knows, she loves to have the audience sing along and to hear her voice. She didn't have such a part in the last song, but she worked very hard (to arrange it) so that she could sing it with everyone who came to the festival," she said, and then went on to the last song, "Platinum. The call and response to "I want to find it" and "I want to make it happen" towards the end of the song. There was some loving teasing to Yoko Kanno there, but she ended the song with a promise to meet again in the song. This arrangement alone was enough to convey Yoko Kanno's feelings about the festival, and everyone overcame this incident together, with Maaya Sakamoto closing with a great performance that made everyone at the festival happy and smiling. It was a festival where one could truly feel the love each artist has for the label.

Various surprises took place at "Inu Fes! Inu Fest 2!" will be held in the fall and will feature performances by JUNNA, Minori Suzuki, Nao Higashiyama, Mochimi Nishida, Aimi Numakura, Kiyono Yasuno, and Rhodanthe*. We look forward to the second "Inufes 2!

Text: Junichi Tsukagoshi

<SET LIST
Birth of the King of the Brave!　/ Masaaki Endo & Kohei Tanaka
Chase the world / May'n
Sagittarius☆9:00 P.M. Don't be late / May'n
Diamond Crevasse / May'n
SAVIOR OF SONG / nano
No pain, No game / nano
07.salva nos / FictionJunction (Guest Vocal: Yuri Kasahara)
08.dawn car / FictionJunction YUUKA
nowhere / FictionJunction YUUKA
10.Voices / Akino Arai
11.kimihe mukau hikari / Akino ARAI
12.exile kakusei catharsis / ALI PROJECT
13.chivalrous youth / ALI PROJECT
14. interstellar flight / nakashima ai
Saturday Night Question / Ai Nakashima
Lion / May'n x Ai Nakashima
DJ TIME / kz（livetune） 18.
PLANET DANCE / FIRE BOMBER (Yoshiki Fukuyama × Chiekajiura)
19. sea color / AKINO with bless4
Genesis of AQUARION / AKINO with bless4
21. incomplete combustion / Tomoaki Ishikawa
22. uninstall / Tomoaki Ishikawa
23. that we were so together / See-Saw
24. blue field / Trident
25. nai nai borderline / Valkyrie
If it's only love once / Valkyrie
Valkyrie Stoppin' / Valkyrie
Gyakkoukou / Maaya Sakamoto
Be mine! / Maaya Sakamoto
Platinum / Maaya Sakamoto

Live performance outline
Flying Dog 10th Anniversary LIVE - Inu Fes! -Saturday, February 2, 2019 (Sat.)
Saturday, February 2, 2019 Doors open: 14:30 Concert begins: 16:00
Venue: Musashino no Mori Sogo Sports Plaza Main Arena
Performing Artists: AKINO with bless4, Akino Arai, ALI PROJECT, Tomoaki Ishikawa,Yuki Kajiura / FictionJunction YUUKA, Maaya Sakamoto, Ai Nakajima, Nano, May'n, Valkyrie