Live Report] Nao Higashiyama also participated in a sailor suit! Live New Era 9" tour final live at the largest venue in the Real Akiba Boys history!

The Real Akiba Boys, a dance performance group that loves Akihabara and dances around with ani-songs, held their first tour in five years, "THE REAL AKIBA BOYZ ONEMAN LIVE 2023 RAB TOUR "LIVE NEW ERA 9″," on April 1, 2023, The tour ended on April 1, 2023, at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL in Tokyo.

Nowadays, street dance performances with anime songs have become a common sight, but when Real Akiba Boys (hereafter "RAB") started their activities in 2006, it was unimaginable that Akiba culture and street culture would cross over. Since that time, RAB, which has been on the road less traveled, held its largest-ever tour at the largest venue ever.

The final stop on the tour, TOKYO DOME CITY HALL in Tokyo, was the same venue where they suffered a bitter defeat at the "Nico Nico Dome Conference 2008 Winter" held 15 years ago. After overcoming many hardships, the new generation of members joined the group, and they have grown up one or two more times.

One month has passed since the last performance, and in addition to the latest lineup of RAB members, the backing band is "The Second Gian," guest vocalist AiRyA, guest rappers Rappubito and Alirem, and special guests for the Tokyo performance, Rappubito and Alirem. With a large number of "guardians" (a term of endearment for RAB fans) watching over the Tokyo performance, we would like to take another look back at what was a performance that will no doubt go down in the history of RAB.

The Tokyo performance started with "New Era," the theme song from last year's hit movie "One Piece Film Red. Backed by the powerful sound of the second Gian and AiRyA, RAB dashingly appeared on stage and gave an all-out performance from the very beginning. The nine members, who sometimes comically and sometimes coolly enlivened the stage, clearly conveyed the confidence they had gained on this tour and the determination they had for today's performance.

The nine members then performed original songs such as "VERSUS," to which Tripbito x Alirem, not to be outdone, responded with rap songs. It was like a battle royal on stage between the most skilled performers. This display of skill and competition was exactly what one would expect from the "I tried it" style of Nico Nico Douga during its heyday in the late 2000's. It was a spectacle to behold. It was a spectacle to behold.

On the other hand, Ryu, a high school dancer who joined the group in October last year, served as MC and gave a solo performance on stage, and young members Zomayaka! and Ness performed skits and relay dances, and the set list was impressive for the new generation.

The event was a chance for RAB's young generation to showcase their talents. ...... is a place for young performers who will lead the new generation of RAB, as well as a place to re-create on stage the clash between the performers who have fought in the internet scene where RAB was born and grew up. The past and future of RAB are right here.

This is what I thought as I watched the dance and anime song performances that kept rolling out one after another.

The point that connects the past and the future. If that is the present, then the performance with voice actress Nao Higashiyama is symbolic of that.

RAB is currently sending out various videos on its YouTube channel, and almost a year ago, it collaborated with Nao Higashiyama. There, Nao Higashiyama's dancing is amazing! and praised her dance, challenged her to Naobo dance, and finally danced with her to Higashiyama's original song "de messiah".

This collaboration, born of the YouTube media, was truly "only now" realized on this stage.

Ms. Higashiyama appeared on stage dressed in a sailor suit and challenged RAB to "Motteke! Sailor Fuku" with RAB! The crisp dance moves, which the members had praised in the video, caught the attention of the parents.

In addition, Ms. Higashiyama changed her costume and reappeared to perform "Ojamajo Carnival," a well-known song in RAB's videos. She also performed "de messiah," which was also the subject of a dance collaboration video.

The members looked cool and cool during the performance, but as soon as the song was over, everyone was excited to see Higashiyama-san in front of them. It was funny to see them all turn back into "nerds" as soon as the song was over. (For some reason, Ryu-san, who was in the backseat boyfriend role, was a personal favorite of mine.)

This friendliness, and the straightforwardness with which the otaku are presented, is one of the charms of RAB.

RAB also performed "Chiki Chiki Bang Bang," "Kourenka," "Sugar Song and Bitter Step," "Hajimete no Chuu," "Get Wild," and many other dance numbers backed by old and new anime songs.

Their dynamic dance moves were not only unique to their top-class skills in Japan, but also their respect for the original works of anime, as only otaku can do. In "Chiki Chiki Bang Bang," they not only comically recreated the dances from the OP, but in "Kourenka," they beautifully expressed the serious world of the work through their dances. The performance was very convincing.

The teamwork, stable skills, and entertainment value of the original members were also effective here, with DRAGON's powerful actions utilizing his physicality, and MURATOMI and MARON, always smiling and ready to make the right move at the right moment, Keitan, who is always reliable in his performance and MC. And then there is Atsuki Suzumiya, a superstar who makes her presence felt just by being in the center of the stage.

The five of them are the reason why RAB is what it is.

TOKYO DOME CITY HALL was also a place of bitter memories for these five.

At the end of the concert, Atsuki Suzumiya recalled the cold reaction from the audience when they took the stage at the "Nico Nico Daigi Conference 2008 Winter," and at the same time, she said that although most of the performers from the Internet who were active during the same period have retired over the past 15 years, RAB "still has the passion to stand at the Budokan and will not stop until they get there. However, RAB "still has the passion to not stop until we stand at the Budokan," he says. While expressing gratitude to the "guardians" who make him feel that way, he said, "We didn't give up," to his peers who will no longer be on the stage. Though Ms. Atsuki Suzumiya declined to say so, "I may be mean (to her peers)," they had every right to say so tonight, and unlike the event 15 years ago, every one of the parents watching the stage with warm eyes must have felt the same way.

And with the thought, "Let's go to the Budokan without anyone missing," "Guns N'roses," "Welcome to Japari Park," and "NEW ERA" were performed for the last time, bringing the one-man live show to a grand conclusion.

The "THE REAL AKIBA BOYZ ONEMAN LIVE 2023 RAB TOUR "LIVE NEW ERA 9″" was a great success, fulfilling the revenge of 15 years ago, pushing the backs of young people who will lead the next generation of anisong x dance scene, and renewing RAB's ambitions. The curtain was brought down with great success.

They will not stop moving forward. We will keep our eyes on the activities of these nine members as they continue to pave the road less traveled and pursue their one and only entertainment!