MORISAKI WIN Dazzles in First International Concert at Anime Central!

As the lights started shining bright, the crowd was buzzing with excitement in anticipation for MORISAKI WIN’’s first International concert held at Anime Central. The stage was all set, waiting for MORISAKI WIN to arrive and greet his fans and convention goers. The announcer came out, the crowd was getting even more pumped awaiting his arrival on stage. I was one of the many fans eagerly anticipating MORISAKI WIN’s entrance onto the colorful stage after discovering his music recently. MORISAKI WIN is not just a talented singer, but an actor and an all around entertainer, who is most known for his role as “Daito” in Stephen Spielberg’s Ready Player One and for several songs in featured in the popular series Avatro Sentai Donbrothers to name a few.

Photo credits by columbia jp

From the first moment the first track, “Orekoso Only One” beamed through the speakers, the crowd went crazy, Super Sentai fans singing along with MORISAKI WIN. The energy he brought to the stage right as he stepped on it, dazzled fans and new comers alike. MORISAKI WIN’s set list was displayed in stages as he performed a mix of original tracks including his most popular, covers of anime and famous Japanese songs. As soon as “Zankoku na Tenshi Teze” starting playing, every single person sang with MORISAKI WIN, showing him so much love and he followed it up by “Day1”, the theme song for Reborn to Master the Blade anime.

MORISAKI WIN broke up his set list into, sections while mixing in his original tracks with those segments. One of my favorite segments was the ‘City Pop’ one as its been on the uprising in the last several years. One of the stand out tracks that he sang a cover of in this segment was “Mayonaka no Door/stay with me” by Matsubara Miki. His version was beautifully sang, bringing the full swing of emotion. What amazed me, was how many in the crowd knew this song and sang with him.

One of the most iconic moments of the concert is when MORISAKI WIN started singing the Anpan man theme song and asked if anyone knew it. When several fans raised their hands, he choose one of those fans and brought them on stage to sing with him together. This made me smile so much as you could see the joy on MORISAKI WIN’s face being able to sing together with a fan. The chosen fan seemed a bit shy but you could see in their eyes, that they had fun singing with him together. Its not often you see a musician include the fans in their performances. I loved that he did this and made an impression on fans and those who were just experiencing his music for the first time.

MORISAKI WIN brought the energy throughout his concert, he radiated with bombastic energy, a genuine smile and entertained the crowd thoroughly. He also knew how to capture the audiences’ emotions with a touching ballad. When he slowed things down with his track “Love won’t die”, you could feel his emotions coming through to the venue full of con-goers and fans alike. “Love won’t die” is a beautiful ballad and he captured every moment of this track that it brought myself to tears. I could hear others singing along with him and feeling the emotions run through their bodies. Personally, this was my favorite song of the evening.

MORISAKI WIN included more of his original songs such as “Fly with me”, “Parade”, and “Wonderland”, all which were amazing to see live. Fans and first time listeners of MORISAKI WIN’s were mesmerized by his charisma, vocals, and also his interaction with the crowd. MORISAKI WIN’s band was phenomenal, how he introduced each one of them and had a you could see the bond he has with each one of them. After his last track, all went quiet for a a few mnutes, many of us awaiting and hoping for an encore with the crowd yelling “one more song”. When he came back out, the crowd went wild with excitement! The encore song was obviously a favorite among the crowd, it was “Orekoso Only One” from Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. Everyone started singing and dancing along with him, relishing in every moment with him. It was an unforgettable encore with the amount of energy from MORISAKI WIN and the crowd together.

MORISAKI WIN did more than just dazzle at Anime Central, he owned the stage with his charisma, his energy, his humor, and his love for his fans. There were so many wonderful memorable moments, from MORISAKI WIN’s jokes with the crowd (he has a great sense of humor), his positivity and energy is infectious, his interaction with the crowd and fans, his dance moves were reminiscent of Michael Jackson, and his vocals were absolutely perfect capturing each emotion. To say I was mesmerized by his performance is an understatement, he absolutely captured me completely and I will be looking forward to his future endeavors hoping it leads him back to America for another wonderful show.

The Zany World of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Anime Central Experience

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is currently doing her World Tour - KPPP. As a big surprise, one of her stops was Anime Central (ACen) in Chicago, which is the largest Anime Convention in the Midwest and one of the largest in the United States. As soon as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was announced, it got me more hyped than I already was for Anime Central. The guest list was already stacked but the Musical Guest(s) are the biggest draw. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu choosing Anime Central as one of her tour stops is a big deal as KPP has an extensive fanbase that doesn’t just include anime fans. KPP’s musical style and the representation of Harajuku fashion/culture has had a big impact on the music industry and fashion worldwide. One of KPP’s goals is to spread her music worldwide, gaining fans from all around the world, and she is on her way to doing just that with her most recent tour! Last year, KPP performed at Coachella which expanded her fanbase. Now with performing her World Tour, which not only consisted of Anime Central in Chicago, but LA and NY as well; she was off to Europe next.  

First of all, I want to say how lucky I am that I was able to attend Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s World Tour - KPPP. As most ACen musical guests only perform shorter set lists or split time with the opener, I was pleasantly surprised to see Kyary Pamyu Pamyu had a full set list lasting about 90 minutes!! Not to mention Moe Shop, who recently did a remix of ‘Candy Candy’, was the opener for the show. Moe Shop is a high energy DJ, which prepared the crowd for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. He brought that energy and succeeded in getting the crowd hyped and ready to go. So hyped to the point that security actually had to step in to do some crowd control before Kyary Pamyu Pamyu stepped out on stage.  

Now let's get to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s actual concert! LIke I said earlier, I wasn’t expecting a full actual concert from Kyary, but right as the opening sequence started rolling out, I knew we were in for a real treat. First, the stage was prepped, lights went down, and the two giant video screens started to fill with the opening movie (for those of you who haven’t been to a JP concert, most have a special opening movie). Once that opening movie started to draw to a close, music got louder, the dancers came on stage, then after everything was in place, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu showed up full of energy, getting the crowd hyped up for her opening track - Candy Racer. I love how she opened the show, brimming with positive energy and getting the crowd jumping up and down. Kyary was absolutely mesmerizing with her on stage presence, unique and gorgeous outfits, and her catchy tunes. Watching her perform and seeing the crowd reactions to every song she performed was a spectacle. The crowd loved her; they sang along with the tracks, danced with her, and interacted with her.  Kyary also had many songs where she interacted with the crowd too; we danced, we swayed, we sang - making it an unforgettable night.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s World Tour KPPP in itself was an unforgettable experience. But to me, there were so many personal stand out tracks that I squealed in joy to hear and see her perform live, and of course one of them was “PonPonPon”.  KPP’s “PonPonPon” is one of her most well known tracks due to the attention garnished worldwide. This is also one of the songs that helped me to discover her. It has a cutesy pop feel, fun dance, and the chorus is easy to sing-along to, making it such a fun, crowd pleasing track that everyone can enjoy. “Candy Candy”, “Tsukema Tsukeru”, “Cherrybonbon”, “Fashion Monster”, “Ninja Re Bang Bang”, and “Kira Kira Killer” were a few more favorites that Kyary performed live.  I love how during “Ninja Re Bang Bang” she got the crowd involved, and the fact that so many concert goers knew this track and were singing along. Kyary’s interaction with the crowd and how she incorporated the audience's interactions to sing-along and dance with her made it a fun night that I will never forget.

Not only did Kyary Pamyu Pamyu have a concert, but after the concert, there was an offer to purchase a VIP meet and greet pass. Thanks to a friend I made at the concert, I was able to snag a VIP pass to meet Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. I had no idea what to expect as I’ve never done a formal meet and greet in which you had to have a special pass for. I got there early and was very antsy about meeting Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (despite getting to meet her earlier as a part of a Q&A panel). Everyone in line was just as excited and nervous as I was about it, and I got to talk to and make so many new friends while in line. I was one of the first five people in line and it moved quicker than anticipated. When it was my turn, I saw her and was just as impressed with her as I was earlier. She was very kind, cute, and also remembered me! We also had the experience of taking a ‘polaroid picture’ with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu as a memento of the experience. Afterward, several friends I have made, waited outside the meet and greet room, hoping to catch another glimpse, and we did! We got to say our ‘Thank you’, ‘Goodbye’, and ‘Come back again’ to her as she walked away. 

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Let’s talk about Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s Q&A session. I was lucky enough to be able to sit in on it, and one of our questions that Ongaku to You submitted was presented and answered by Kyary! As it was a moderated Q&A and I am unsure of whose questions were all whose, I’m going to present this less formal and more as a story then our typical interviews we do.  All questions were asked by an Anime Central moderator but all questions had been submitted and approved by various outlets. 

One of the first questions asked by Anime Central staff was a must in Chicago, which was ‘Did Kyary eat Chicago Style Pizza?’. Yes, she did eat it and thought it was very tasty. 

Next up was another Chicago-based question, ‘Are there any other spots she was interested in visiting in Chicago?’.  Kyary stated she was very interested in visiting the Chicago Theater and Chicago Museum but it was a little far from Rosemont. She was a little apprehensive about traveling down there due to traffic and an unpleasant past memory. However, she was able to check out the Chicago Fashion Outlets, where she found these cute little sequins she was wearing. 

Another great, Chicago-based question and two-fold at that, which were ‘What about Chicago is special to you? Do you have any memories or moments to share here?’. Kyary stated she loves the historical buildings and feels there is so much history. She’s very interested in checking out the buildings and taking photos with them. When she left the Fashion Mall Outlet, walking back to the hotel and seeing all the ACen attendees in really cool outfits personalized to themselves, Kyary fell in love with Chicago even more. 

Kyary talked about how she got into being an model/Influencer back when she was 18. She was walking along Harajuku and was asked if she could take a photo such as the snap photos like the popular fashion magazines such as KERA does. She became a model/influencer after that, which led to Asobi Systems finding out about her. Once working with Asobi Systems, they asked her about doing music. When she first got discovered she had very loud, fun clothes on along with gyaru makeup. She would have absolutely blended in with everyone at ACen back then. 

Kyary was asked in regards to her love of music about what influenced and inspired her. She discussed that when she was young, her father would put his favorite songs and music videos on loop, which is how she discovered Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani. When she saw them, she said it was like a dream - the world was created. This led her to meeting with Yasutaka Nakata, who is part of the group ‘capsule’ and also produces Perfume. She loves a lot of his music and what he has created, and she never thought she would be part of the singing aspect of it. 

Kyary was surprised how many in the United States knew about Japanese fashion. In her live performance “Pink is very Kawaii”, everyone knew what “Kawaii” is and that made her happy. When she first started 13 years ago, that word “Kawaii” was not well known. The spreading of love for anime and fashion has grown since then. She is very happy at how well known Japanese fashion is and that the word “Kawaii” has become more well known in this time period. 

Kyary discussed how Japan and America can be very different fashion-wise. For example, when she was leaving New York, she was wearing a blue showy type coat; someone said that is very cute, I like that. A lot of times in Japan, she wears types of clothes like that, people would laugh or snicker. When she came here to the event, she got a warm response that gave her such power. She is a little bit envious as people seem to be more accepting here, and she has been getting a lot of power from all the fans she's met. She wants to give that power back to all her fans as well. 

Kyary was asked about her collaboration with Charlie XCX, and if there are any other particular artists she’d like to collaborate with in the future. With CharlieXCX, they didn’t actually work together in the studio. Charlie laid down her track first then after that Kyary came back down and added down hers in. She thought it was so different due to the tone of their voices as Charlie’s is more powerful and edgy while Kyary’s is more fluffy and airy. But adding the two together, it was almost like they created a new genre of music. 

As far as collaboration, she doesn’t have anyone particular in mind. She said while she was at Coachella, she had so many people that came up to her stating, ‘Hey, I’m such a huge fan, I love your music’. She’d love to create friendships with various people, have that mutual respect, and collaborate together. 

Kyary was asked about what she would like to still accomplish in her career, and what were some of her biggest accomplishments she felt thus far. She stated how she has so many things she’d like to accomplish - a laundry list of things such as working with a band, a live orchestra. But one thing that is very exciting is she worked with Cirque du Soleil. They were in the back dancing and had an amazing experience. Even Kyary got to be a part of the show. While she was singing, it was like magic - being split in half, etc - on stage similar to a magic show. Everyone was very surprised by it. This happened at an event in Japan.

This is the only question that Ongaku to You chose as a team and was included in the interview. We asked a two-fold one: Is there a venue that you performed at that you’ll never forget? Also is there a dream venue that you would like to perform at?

As far as favorite live venue, the one she was at in New York is a very old historical venue and holds about 1,000 people. So it was relatively big, but also had an at-home atmosphere where you could look and see the second floor and they would all hear the message she was portraying.

As far as where she’d like to perform - coming to ACen was for an important reason. Most times people come to shows because they know an artist's music; for ACen however, if you have an ACen ticket, you are allowed to go and see the show. When she saw the line for the concert, she didn’t know if they’d all fit in the venue. She didn’t know if they all knew her music, but they were going for the experience of the concert. Which led her to think that she’d love to do more festivals, where people don’t know her whole catalog, but could be exposed to her music. 

The experience Anime Central and Asobi Systems provided for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was unforgettable. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu performing a full live concert, the meet and greet, and Q&A session were such a memorable and fulfilling experience. Also, not just being able to be part of this event, but making many new friends thanks to the Kyary Pamyu Pamyu experience is something I will always have with me. 

Concert Review: Cinderella switch Vol 5

With spring in the air, so too comes the next volume of the highly unique collaboration between VR company VARK and popular V-Tuber idol company Hololive, this time featuring the duo of Fubuki Shirakami and Mio Okami. Over the last couple of months of 2020 and 2021 the two companies banded together to bring the Cinderella switch live concerts. During these, a duo from the company performs a 3D live, with one member onstage and the other in the virtual crowd, switching with each other for the following performance. One of the added twists is that both concerts are able to be VR viewable through multiple VR capable devices such as the Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR. Season Two kicked off with the adorable pair of Luna and Matsuri. Fubuki and Mio look to continue the trend of successful performances with Volume Five.

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Fubuki Shirakami

 First up was the white fox friend Fubuki Shirakami on the grand stage with Mio in the “crowd”. The liveliness of the crowd was once again on full blast with applause, laughter, and cheers. I think out of all the performances to date, Fubuki’s was the most “fan service-y”; she appeared in front of the crowd on the ground floor several times before and after her performances, which I loved. Mio was great as well with her fan chanting, which I always appreciate on the crowd viewing side of the performances.

Fubuki’s first song, “Sakura no Ato”, kicked the energy up with amazing production and its 3D imagery was on full show, as it features Fubuki performing several rocking motions. She then shifted gears to “Aoi Sora no love softy” and the crowd was a lot livelier this time around, with cheers all around along with the most fitting fan reactions. The cheerfulness and energy Fukubi had for this song was just infectious; I found myself bouncing to the beat at times as well. To match the aesthetic of the track the background changed to a blue sky backdrop which brought the performance to a higher level. Fubuki had a “rivalry” with Mio on the crowd side by saying, “I hope everyone was paying attention to my dancing, not Mio in the crowd.” With some of the chat kinda favoring Mio, Fubuki wagged her tail to mesmerize the crowd into paying attention to her humorous effect. Her third track, “Union”, was a more traditional idol like song which I ended up enjoying a lot with Fubuki’s stage presence. Fubuki went all-out for the last song, titled “Fubuki”, with this amazing burst of energy that was just out of this world. Overall, I loved Fubuki's performance and she really surprised me because I wasn’t one for watching her karaoke lives. If she sings like she did here then I’ll definitely be going to the next!

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Mio Okami

Next up was the great wolf Mio Okami taking the stage with Fubuki handling the crowd side this time around. What was very interesting was the fact that Fubuki was made for this hype man role in the crowd, as the interaction between her and Mio was amazing; I loved every moment of it. When Mio took the stage she made a hell of an impression with interesting poses and she teased fans with the movement of her ears.

Continuing the momentum Fubuki had with her first song, Mio’s first song was “Yume Miru Sora he”, a hololive original track. Because the song was an original release from the group, Fubuki knew all of the fan call signs which helped bring out the ambiance of the crowd. Mio brought the energy and range of what is usually a group track perfectly and this was the right song to start with. She then ramped it up with the song “Eternal Blaze”. Her rendition was just as energetic as the original and it helped that she asked the crowd to “reply” back at the best time of the song as well. What was funny was that Mio did her fair share of fan service as well when she came into the crowd and did a very dangerous nose nuzzle. She then slowed it down with the song “Haiiro to Aoi” which was absolutely fantastic and no doubt one of my favorite performances of the night, up there with the best of all time from Cinderella switch. The passion Mio showed was bar none, and while I was all right with the original, she turned me onto the song completely. Mio bookended her performance with hololive tracks, with her finale being “Asairo clear sky”. And what a way to end an overall strong performance, coupled with amazing stage effects that brought the performance to life even more.

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Aftertalk Segment

The Aftertalk was very interesting, as both Fubuki and Mio decided to surprise fans by starting on the crowd side instead of the stage. When they returned to the stage they both talked about the process of choosing and performing their songs. Fubuki commented that she only did anime style songs and thought Mio was cool for doing a “jet coast” style of tracks. They also announced that Volume Six will include the duo of Botan and Lamy and will take place May 21. Lastly, before the pair left they served a bit more fan service with a dangerous nose nuzzle.

Overall, I thought Volume Five was a very solid addition to Cinderella switch performances. Fubuki Shirakami and Mio Okami played off of each other very well and I can’t wait to see what Volume Six has in store for us.

Review: AIMYON Shunkanteki Sixth Sense

Does AIMYON have the Sixth Sense? Let’s find out!

AIMYON is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter who got her start in 2015 and made her major label debut in 2016 with the single “Ikite Itanda yo na”. However, today, I will be breaking down AIMYON’s second major label album Shunkanteki Sixth Sense, which was released on February 13, 2019 and includes one of the most groundbreaking songs “Marigold”. Shunkanteki Sixth Sense peaked at number 2 on the Oricon charts and stayed on the chart for a total of 81 weeks. This album was a huge impact on AIMYON’s career pushing her into the Japanese music spotlight. I am going to dissect this brilliant album track-by-track. Let's get started!

1. “Mangetsu no Yoru Nara” - A nice relaxing way to start off this album. This track shows off AIMYON’s powerful vocals. The guitar plays a big part in this song and helps bring out her vocals with the melody. The music is very relaxing and is the perfect fit with AIMYON’s vocal capabilities.

2. “Marigold” - This is the track that put AIMYON on the map and it is glorious. Marigold is the perfect spring/summer track. The guitar work, composition, and AIMYON’s soothing voice brings this song together. The lyrics make it easy to follow along to and sing along with. The guitar break is a nice compliment before it gets to the final chorus.  This was one of the best songs of 2018 and it continued into 2019 and still lives up to it in 2020. 

3. “Ra, no Hanashi” - This song starts off with the guitars and adds in the piano and drums. The composition with the guitar strume flows so perfectly. It has a nice flowing feel that AIMYON takes you through it like a walk in the park. Her vocals aren’t heavy and that is the reason why this track flows perfectly with the tune of the song.

4. “Futari dake no Kuni” - A slower melody compared to the first three tracks. AIMYON does the perfect job of matching her vocals to the beat of the guitar. Once the song enters the chorus, the song picks up along with her singing. The chorus is the highlight of this track while the verse builds up to it with their slower pace. The composition switches are fantastic.

5. “Purezento” - This track starts out with an upbeat air to it displaying the nice composition which includes the guitar, piano, and drum work involved. AIMYON’s vocals are beautiful as she matches it with the composition giving it an upbeat note. She shows off her vocal range in many ways, such as how she can pair her voice with the composition. This makes for the perfect easy listening track especially with the composition.

6. “Hikari Mono” - This is another easy listening track although carries a slower composition than the previous song “Purezento”. Due to this being a slower track, AIMYON matches her vocals with the composition, showcasing that she can lower her voice quite nicely.  This is a tune that makes you want to sway back and forth to and is an easy one to sing to as well.

7. “Koi wo Shita Kara” - This track has a very simple composition that contains only a guitar, AIMYON’s beautiful voice, and brings in a violin.  Once the violin starts up, you can feel this is going to be a peaceful ballad. The melody enhances this beautiful ballad and AIMYON’s powerful vocals bring it out, especially with the final verse. A beautiful love song and ballad.

8. “Yumeoi Bengaru” - This track starts out with a bang due to its fast pace and amazing guitar work. The very fast paced composition and vocals make for a memorable track. The composition makes for a cutesy track as well, especially when you hear “Hashiru Hashiru”. Once that chorus hits, it gets stuck in your head. This song consistently stays upbeat throughout and does not slow down.

9. “Konya Kono Mama” - This is a mid-tempo pop tune with a nice composition. The guitar work is very nice and mixes perfectly with AIMON’s voice. This is another track that is easy to follow lyric and vocal wise.  AIMON utilizes her compositions to the fullest as she knows how to match her voice with them and this is no expectation. “Konya Kono Mama” is catchy, has great vocals, and a magnificent composition. The mid-tempo beat makes you want to sing along.

10. “Ashita Seka ga Owaru Toshite mo” - This is another easy listening pop song that shows off AIMYON’s utilization of her voice with her composition.  I love how the guitars comes up then it stops and switches to just AIMYON’s voice and it goes between that several times. This is another nice relaxing track by AIMYON.

11. “GOOD NIGHT BABY” - This is a very interesting composition and it stands out more than her usual songs. This is a more mid tempo track and it is not as catchy but it has a great flow vocally. It’s an easy track to listen to and stands out on the album.

12. “From Yonkai no Kadobeya” - AIMYON does something very interesting with her singing on this one. Its not her usual smooth vocal style, they are more urgent.  The electronic guitar screaming helps push this sense of urgency in her singing style. It’s a very short track but it stands out as it sounds more experimental and new for her.

Since AIMYON was first introduced to me through the Oricon charts with the track “Marigold”, I was hooked. When the impending release of Shunkanteki Sixth Sense was first announced, I immediately pre-ordered my copy. This was one of the most anticipated albums of 2019 for myself and it did not disappoint. Shunkanteki Sixth Sense includes your expected mid-tempo tracks, a wistful ballad, and unexpected high energy ones. AiMYON shows she is no one trick pony and that she has the immeasurable talent to rise as one of the Reiwa’s leading Japanese pop artists.

Luna’s score: 4 out of 5

★★★★☆

Concert Review: Cinderella switch Vol 4

VR company VARK and popular V-Tuber idol company hololive are back again for a second season. Not long ago the two companies banded together to bring the Cinderella switch live concerts starring two members per concert in a highly immersive 3D virtual reality atmosphere. Season One brought the pairs of Kanata Amane and Marine Houshou , Towa Tokoyami and Roboco-San, and Flare Shirakami and Watame Tsunomaki. This time the adorable pair of Luna Himemori and Matsuri Natsuiro looks to kick off Season Two with a bang.

I wanted to mention that since the high success of the previous season, the virtual “crowd” artificial intelligence has been upgraded with several new reactions including laughter and a bit more of a lively reaction.

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Luna Himemori

Luna Himemori took to the stage first, with Matsuri taking the crowd stage side. As someone who’s knowledgeable of Luna’s previous antics, I was really excited to discover which songs she would be choosing due to her very cutesy vocal style and range. Oh, and the banter between Matsuri and Luna served as a nice intermission while Luna was taking a break.

Onto Luna’s songs. She started off with a banger of a track with “Wai Wai World” which really showed off the real, raw side of her along with that “princess” style of vocals which the character is known for. Watching this did make me worry, though, as she does push herself very often, especially with this being a 3D live. However, Luna really held herself together with her cutesy aura. She kept the party going with a more dance style track with “Ugoku, Ugoku”, which really showed off the amazing stage presence she had throughout the performance. That along with the mix of impressive camerawork the team has improved on since Season One was really refreshing. She stuck to her guns with a bubbly style of composition with an amazing finale in the song “Luka Luka Night Fever”. This one showed off Luna’s vocal range, though it might be a bit much for some; it paired well with this track, though. Overall, Luna did an incredible job with her performance and I can’t wait to see what she has cooking up next.

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Matsuri Natsuiro

Then Matsuri Natsuiro was on the grand stage and Luna was crowd side. Now what’s interesting was the positioning of Luna at times, since she was facing more toward the camera. This gave the illusion of her streaming so fans of hers would be able to interact more with her through things like virtual high fives and such. She was also a great crowdside with her added sound effects such as clapping at the right time and she cheered on Matsuri when needed. I was very intrigued having Matsuri at this venue as I wasn’t too knowledgeable about her singing before this performance; however, if it is anything like her singing here, I’m gonna have to start paying attention to her a bit more closely. What was really enjoyable was that she started off with “Shiny Smily Story”; and it was very refreshing. This track is usually sung in a group setting, so for Matsuri to be able to sing it solo was a great way for fans like myself, who don’t keep up with other members, to be able to hear how an iconic song from hololive is done. Her follow-up song was nice as well because it was “S(mile)ING”, a track Matsuri really likes, which in turn really helped to bring up the quality. While it was a bit of a mid-tempo track I ended up liking her rendition of it, and the way she acted several times was very cute. Matsuri then kicked it up a bit with the high energy song “U & I”. I absolutely loved her rendition of it as it matched her vocal style so much. It in turn made me want to listen to the original again as well. Matsuri finally left fans wanting more with “Fansa”, another amazing rendition, and she really got the crowd involved. The amount of energy “Fansa” emanated was incredible and really left an impression on me. I just loved Matsuri’s performance and it was one of the most enjoyable acts compared to the previous volumes, believe it or not.

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After-talk Segment

Like the previous seasons, Volume Four also included an after-talk segment and the duo started by talking about how enjoyable the performance was. The conversation was very fun and really showed that the duo are very close to each other. The girls also went into the crowd for the usual fan service, and it was very humorous when Luna was trying to show off her design for head patting and Matsuri tried to block her by making a T-shaped pose. This one moment was hilarious and one of my favorites of the performance. The pair also announced that they will be holding a Volume Five which will take place on April 24. It will star Fubuki Shirakami and Mio Ookami.

Overall, Season Two of this collaboration between VARK and hololive started with a bang with great performances by Luna Himemori and Matsuri Natsuiro. Matsuri really surprised me with her singing style and vocal range and left me wanting more. While Luna’s performance was also very strong, I enjoyed my time with Matsuri a bit more. Just from watching these two alone I can’t wait to see how Volume Five will stack up against them and this makes me hyped for the upcoming duo.