TOKYO FLAT NIGHT CARNIVAL THE FINAL at TSUTAYA O-EAST

It’s getting close to 7:00pm on an unusually warm November night in Shibuya and the TSUTAYA O-EAST venue is packed full of people across all ages and genders for what promises to be a diverse evening. Three very different acts share the stage tonight, but each has a unique style.

fhána


_{© Hannah Eto}

First we have fhána starting with the appropriately named Hello! My World!!. It doesn’t take long for the room to fill up with energy from both the artist and crowd. The floor below is a mix of “regular” gig goers and the light stick wielding anime crowd. Despite being a reasonably short set for a band with a six-year history, it’s filled with variety in both musical style and visuals. A disco ball floods the room with stars for Do You Realize, and the band breaks out the flags to encourage audience participation during World Atlas.

towana’s persona shifts throughout the set to match, interacting with fans at the edge of the stage as well as other band members. The highlight of this set, however, is easily RHAPSODY OF BLUE SKY, where she is joined by the ever-energetic kevin mitsunaga to lead the dancing at the front of the stage. In another life, this man could easily have been an idol rather than a pop group member. Junichi Sato and Yuxuki Waga fill in their own roles by really fleshing out bass and drum performances throughout, and after all that excitement, fhána leaves us with the ballad Outside of Melancholy.

Set list

01. Hello! My World!!
02. little secret magic
03. Do you realize?
04. Relief
05. World Atlas
06. RHAPSODY OF BLUE SKY
07. Outside of Melancholy

PENGUIN RESEARCH


_{© Hannah Eto}

The second artist of the evening, and easily the black sheep of the evening (not that it’s a bad thing), is PENGUIN RESEARCH. Fans of the heavier side of anisong are in for a treat as the band bursts onto the stage with a heavy instrumental presence. The crowd has shifted, with fhána’s fans retiring to the back of the room, allowing the penguin army to get closer, and this results in coordinated head banging and western style mosh pits throughout the set.

Frontman Yoji Ikuta leads with flair, never stopping for breath until a mid-set break before playing an acoustic version of upbeat ballad Shounen no Bokue, but it must be stated that bass player Shota Horie does an equally fantastic job of working the crowd, crossing the stage and taking every opportunity to rile up the audience. Despite the speed and energy invested in every song, Keita Shimbo’s drumming is impeccable throughout, rounding off a combination of talent that leads to a must-see performance for fans.

Set list

01. Hard Rock★Paradise
02. Usomamire no Machi de
03. Raimei
04. Tabibito no Uta
05. Shonen no Boku e
06. WILD BLUE
07. Haishafukkatsusen Jiyugata
08. Kinjitsukoukai Dainisho

ORESAMA


_{© Hannah Eto}

Finally, the evening’s headline act ORESAMA is ready to perform. A lone DJ takes to the stage and a thumping bass line instantly backs the music; the main event has begun. As the intro track comes to an end, Pon and Hideya Kojima join their session musicians on the stage and burst into Ryusei Dance Floor.

The O-EAST is filled with lasers and we witness the start of an incredible treat for all the senses that will continue for the next hour. Although at times the DJ’s bass seems a little heavy in comparison to the other instruments on stage, the disco vibe and samples all come across clearly and each song is clearly distinguished. Pon’s vocal style is wonderful live – fluid and real, with the addition of vibrato to bolster the live experience. Her unique pitch carries through the venue with little effort.

Following a slight change of pace with the wintery themed Yosuyuki no Machi, lasers are swapped for more traditional disco lights in preparation for cute cute. Once again, the band members lead the audience with synchronised dance moves before stopping the funk and moving back to the “anisong x disco” sound of Trip Trip Trip.

The laser projection returns for the last section of the set, with graphic displays of stars and stage patterns enveloping the band members. Pon continues to walk the stage in her signature black and white style. We’ll never know how she manages to dance so precisely in thick club heels … What seems to come all too soon is the finale, ORESAMA playing up to the crowd with Wonder Drive. The crowd is restless for more, but unfortunately curfews must be obeyed and the night finishes on that high.

Set list

01. Ryusei Dance Floor
02. Waiting for...
03. Yosoyuki no Machi
04. Maigo no Bavarois
05. cute cute
06. Trip Trip Trip
07. Hotohashiru
08. GINGA
09. Wonder Drive