Recommended for the live-performance junkie who just can't wait to go to a live concert! 7 specially selected live BD/DVDs of voice-over artists!

There are probably many live-performance junkie voice-over fans who have lost their purpose in life, enveloped in helpless sadness and anger as their scheduled gigs have been postponed or cancelled across the board.

I hope you don't simply call it a "new way of life. I don't want to lose that space that we used to enjoy, and I want it to be restored. Of course, I know that this will not be easy, so all I can do now is wait until the day when I can enjoy live performances in safety and security.

Writers like myself are often involved in writing live reports, photographing the stage, and producing pamphlets on a daily basis, so I know how great it is for artists to be on stage and how much the staff puts into it. However, I still get excited when I go to a performance, and I genuinely enjoy the performance (while taking notes, of course). If you are a fan of these artists, I am sure you are already having a great time and getting into a riot.

So, instead of just sitting and waiting for "that moment," now that we have more time to spend at home, it would be good to watch the live video again and feel the artist's feelings and discover something new. Personally, I enjoy watching the making-of videos the most.

So, this time, I would like to introduce "live BD/DVDs of voice actors that I would like to recommend right now," focusing on those that have been released or have been released as recently as possible!

The reason why I chose the most recent is because otherwise there would be too many to select from! The reason why I chose the most recent one is because otherwise there would be too many to select!

Ito Miku "ITO MIKU 5th Live Miku's Adventures 2019 ~PopSkip Life~" [Blu-ray]
May 27, 2020

Ito Miku is a voice actress who has been gaining popularity in the past few years, as she has been playing more and more good roles, such as playing the popular character Sanku Nakano in "The Bride of the Fifth Class"! I remember thinking that I had found a gem when I interviewed her four or five years ago, and it wasn't long after that that she made her solo debut, and has been steadily growing. Musically, her voice is cute and idol-like, so I have the impression that pop music with a bit of nostalgia would suit her. The songs themselves have a city-pop feel to them, which I think is similar to 80's idols.

This live BD includes the "5th Live Miku's Adventures 2019 ~PopSkip Life~" at Hachioji Olympus Hall on October 5, 2019 with her 2nd album "PopSkip".

I hear her talking about the quality of her songs in various places (in fact, she says it often in interviews), and it makes me very happy as a listener every time I hear her say it. I think that her respect and love for her songs comes out in her singing. In addition, I think the theme of this concert was to push someone's back or to be mature with the songs, and this was expressed at a high level.

The MC during the live was also impressive as he recalled the 4th live when many people could not come due to the typhoon, and talked about seeing the hall filled to capacity, and the flow of "all yours" and "watashiiro" was good to feel the connection with the fans, and "Ano hi no yume" made me cry... I cried with "Ano Hi no Yume"....

And "TickTack Invitation," a graduation song composed by Junichi Sato (fhǎna), as shown in the previously released video. It's such a tough song that you wonder where he's holding his breath, and as one would expect from Mr. Sato, it's a song that shows off the best parts of Mikku's voice. By the way, she said she didn't know Chuck Berry mentioned in the lyrics.

She also looks so cute in all of her outfits, and there is nothing but cuteness in them, so I am looking forward to seeing the video now too.

Natsuori Ishihara 1st LIVE TOUR "Face to FACE" [Blu-ray]
June 17, 2020

Natsuori Ishihara 1st LIVE TOUR "Face to FACE" held at Nakano Sun-plaza in Tokyo on February 24, 2020 is already on video. What I thought Cali-san was a genius was the "Short Movie "Kaolympics 2020"" that could be seen during the costume change. I hope you will watch it because a little miracle happened in "Hitori Receive". The god of laughter has descended.

This time, they were accompanied by the single "Face to Face" that was released just before the tour, and "Popera Horica," "Taste of Marmalade," and "Face to Face," which are included in the single, are one pillar, and yet each one has a different charm. The flow of the live was a series of songs that everyone could get excited about in the first half, followed by a cover song "Clover wish" (OP theme of the TV anime "Myeshi ga Budokan ni Itta Kudasai") and a series of cute songs.

The atmosphere changed dramatically with "empathy -winter alone ver.-," a song with an impressive and elaborate production, and the final part of the song was overwhelming with cool and captivating dance moves. Since the Yui Kaori era, they have performed on big stages many times, so their performance was stable, and everything was a highlight of this live performance as well.

The synchronized performance with the four dancers seemed to go beyond the realm of a voice-over artist. I was also surprised that the dancers were not so out of breath after each song.

So, with cuteness and coolness, as well as fun in the short movie and tears in the MC's speech about "Pushy Budo," we can say that Natsuori Ishihara's charms are all packed into this work, which makes us want to push her even harder.

Amamiya Ten Live 2020 "The Clearest SKY
Released on July 8, 2020

I have been seeing her live since her solo debut, and after watching this live performance, I remember being moved again, "Wow! I remember being moved again after seeing this live performance. I felt as if she had entered a new phase of her career at the 5th anniversary of her solo debut.

Incidentally, the song recorded here is from the second day of her one-woman live performance at Makuhari Messe Event Hall on January 19 of this year, and from this time on, the live was performed with a live band. She likes songs, but the songs she covered at last year's "LAWSON presents The 2nd Amamiya Ten: A Recital Colored with Music" were "DESIRE -Passion-," "Heterodoxy," and "Flying Istanbul," and in short, things are very dense. I personally like that part of her, and I think it is her charm. I was sure that if she were to sing a song that would move me with emotion and such, she would give a performance that would absolutely thrill me, and here she is with a live band. I had no choice but to have high expectations.

As it turned out, my expectations were not betrayed; in fact, they were exceeded. Because you would never expect to sing with your hands restrained and blindfolded! But she had created a worldview that made the most of the band's profound sound, and I could feel how much effort she had put into completing this live performance, and after watching it, all I could think was, "I'm so glad. Of course, "PARADOX" was also a highlight, and the whole show was the culmination of her 5 years of solo activities, so this is definitely a show that you should see.

Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Club First Live "with You" Blu-ray Memorial BOX
Release date TBD

Originally scheduled to be released on June 17, 2020, but the release has now been postponed. The video contains the following scenes.

Unlike previous groups, Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Club is a group that often performs solo, so each member sang two solo songs in this performance. How will they present these two songs? It was fun to see that while they were carrying their characters, the cast was the one on stage, so their thoughts (such as how to express their characters) were also visible and hidden.

For example, Tomori Kusunoki, who played the role of Setsuna Yuuki and was to be the headliner, must have been under a lot of pressure to give this performance, and it would be fun to watch the show while imagining the story and background of each of them.

It is also fun to imagine each member's story and background while watching the live performance. You can feel this more in the video. In any case, I can't wait for the release of this memorable first live performance, which will be adapted into a TV anime.

UCHIDA MAAYA Zepp Tour 2019 "we are here" [Blu-ray].
To be released on April 22, 2020

This will be a live BD that includes an additional performance at Zepp Tokyo on December 16, 2019, which was the final show of Uchida Maya's Zepp Tour at the end of last year. As I have been in charge of pamphlet interviews for a long time, I went to see both days (8th and 16th), and on the 16th, right after the show, I remember him saying with a big smile on his face, "I was in great shape today! I remember well that he said with a big smile on his face right after the end of the 16th day, "I was in great shape today! So this is the BD where you can see Marie Uchida in great shape!

She always has a very strong backing band called "Maaya Band" for her live performances, but this time, since the venue was a live house, the sense of unity between Marie Uchida, the band, and the fans was unbelievable. You could feel it even through the video. I think the best way to get a feel for this is to watch it rather than to say too much.

Also, the opening of the live was really cool.

i☆Ris 7th Anniversary Live ~Shichifuku Banrai~ (April 17, 2020)
Released on April 17, 2020

Included i☆Ris' 7th anniversary live held at Pacifico Yokohama. On their official website, they claim to be a "hybrid unit that combines voice acting and idol activities," but at their live performance, the idol part of the group was on full display, not only singing and dancing, but also making sure to look at the camera as it approached them.

Not only at this live, but at every i☆Ris concert, they perform several songs in a row, which requires stamina like a demon, but this time the six of them kept going as fast as they could without lowering the tension of the audience. If I were there, I would definitely make a lot of noise with them, but since this is a video work, it would be good to watch it while being excited about the live performance and thinking, "Aren't these girls losing their stamina from a while ago? I personally like i☆Ris's live performance.

Personally, I think you should not take your eyes off the leader of i☆Ris, Saki Yamakita, at their live. She is the leader of i☆Ris, and you may think to yourself, "What is she talking about?　but she never fails to say something emo, so I think she is a super charming person. It's a video that I can rewatch over and over again, so it might be nice to have a turn to watch just Saki-sama.

Also, I hope the video will make you feel that i☆Ris is somehow close to each other.

By the way, this live was great.

The 3rd Star Live "Starry Diamond" Blu-ray of "Girls☆Geki Revue Starlight" will be released on March 18, 2020.
To be released on March 18, 2020

There were several highlights of this show. First of all, the live performance was in two parts, and the total performance time was over three hours. Another is that the casts of Seekfeld Music Academy, Rinmeikan Girls' School, and Frontier Art School, all of which appeared in the app game "Girls' Revue Starlight -Re LIVE- (Starilla)," will be performing on stage for the first time. Although it was not possible to see the entire cast in full force, it was beautiful to see the teams make up for what they lacked.

The highlight of the show was the performance, which included the use of sword fighting. The performance is also a review where the story can be seen, so even those who have not played the app game will be able to enjoy the performance.

Finally, another highlight of the show that I highly recommend is the live performance by the 99 groups of Starlight. At the beginning of this live performance, Suzuko Mimori Suzuko was unable to perform the entire show ...... because she was preparing for the opening day of a Broadway musical. So where in the world did she come from? And why was she chosen to appear there....... The drama here is quite moving.

And what Suzuko Mimori thought at that time is told in the last MC. I have seen many live performances, but to be honest, it is rare to hear such an emo MC. Suzuko Mimori is amazing, and as the lyrics of the song "Wish Become Light" say, "No one should be left out.

It is said that "Star Parade," the 7th single, was born from this live performance. I hope you will enjoy it as well. I think you will cry from the very beginning of the song.

(Text by Junichi Tsukagoshi)