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.

Concert Review: Cinderella switch Vol 3

Here we are, back with Volume Three of this highly unique collaboration between VR company VARK and the popular V-Tuber idol company hololive. This time, featured is the duo of Flare and Watame. Over the last couple of months of last year the two companies have banded together to bring the Cinderella switch live concerts. A duo from the company performs a 3D live, with one member onstage and another in the virtual crowd. They then switch roles for thefollowing performance. One of the added twists is that both concerts are VR viewable via a multiple of VR capable devices such as the Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR. After the successful pairs of Kanata Amane and Marine Houshou and Towa Tokoyami and Roboco-San broke barriers with their amazing performances in Volumes One and Two, how does the pair of Flare Shiranui and Watame Tsunomaki stack up against them?

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Watame Tsunomaki

First up was Watame Tsunomaki taking the grand stage with Flare in the “crowd”. As someone who hasn’t watched much Flare content I found it quite amazing to see her designs up close—and while yes, I was in a VR setting so of course I could see a bit more detail, I was very impressed. Watame’s intro “Doremifa Rondo,” was just classic and got the ball rolling with the high energy track. Her vocals are just out of this world and have that “idol feel” you can just tell by listening to her first song along with the follow up ”Sheep -Song of teenage love soldier-”. I was highly anticipating Watame’s performance out of the first six artists who were in this collaboration because of the idol-like glow-up she has while singing—and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Her banter with Flare in the crowd was also quite enjoyable and she did the traditional concert thing of pumping up the fans with calls, saying, “Fans with VR, clap!” and “Ladies only, clap!”, and such. Her stage presence was taken to another level with her track , by having intense camerawork along with flashy stage transitions. Flare also did amazingly as a part of the crowd audience, as she replied at the right time and seemed to have the right sayings at the appropriate moments. This alone was probably one of the strongest acts of the duo. Watame didn’t let off the gas with an incredible finale “Connect”; just by listening to her sing the first verse you can tell she’s a natural for live concerts like this.

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Flare Shiranui

Switch to Flare Shiranui taking the stage with Watame on crowd side seating. Even though this was my third time around viewing this style of live concert, I was still just blown away by the pageantry of the whole thing and that illusion of having that other guest next to you reacting to the whole act was just so futuristic. Nothing more proves my point than, in Flare’s performance, having the other person (Watame) have such natural interactions with the vocalist. It’s something very intriguing to watch play out and gives the show that more natural idol feel with these V-tubers. Watame was also very interesting as the concertgoer next to you, as she gave commentary during transitions and made various sound effects to kill the time before Flare’s next song, especially in the beginning when they were having some issues.

While the beginning stuttered a bit it was worth it, as Flare’s first song’s “Luminous”, stage transitions were absolutely fantastic, giving off a “starry night” feel at times. Her vocal range for this act was also on-point, as I do like the original version, but she knocked it out of the park with such grace. Flare’s transition to the second song, “Reckless fire” was great; she held a high tempo composition and really showed how well she can reach notes in a lower pitch. Her mixing it up even more to a more cutesy idol track with the camerawork was fantastic, as its positions would be like those of AKB48. Watame was also able to chime in with the “Hai Hai Hai!” replies which are normally seen in songs like these and she was exceptionally well in the banter during their part of the performance as well. Flare’s last performance with the track, “schwarzweiß -Kirino Mukouni Tsunagaru Sekai-” was a pure spectacle; the stage presence was amazing and while it did take somewhat of a different turn, it overall didn’t distract me from a sensational finale.

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After-Talk Segment

Like with the previous two concerts, Volume Three also included an after-talk segment and the duo started by talking about particular dance movements the girls executed. The conversation was very fun and really showed that the duo are very close to each other. The girls also went into the crowd and showed off both of their designs side-by-side very well. The fan service was done quite well, using head pats on both the viewer and the artist, along with a very nice hug which is nice for the fans of the girls. Watame also did a head nuzzle (her design is that of a sheep with a small horn) and the duo did a very dangerous Wakipai showoff which fans loved the most. They also announced that they will be holding a second season with Volume Four taking place in March.

Volume Three of this collaboration between VARK and hololive was as great as the first two shows, with out of this world performances by both Watame and Flare. Overall I enjoyed all three performances but this one was my favorite. With a pair of amazing vocalists with various ranges along with spectacular stage presence, this duo really impressed me the most. This collaboration was fun to watch and I can’t wait to watch and review Volume Four and beyond!

Concert Review: Cinderella switch Vol 2

Back and better than ever for Volume Two of this highly unique collaboration between VR company VARK and popular V-Tuber idol company hololive, the live concert this time featured the duo of Towa Tokoyami and Roboco-san. Over the last couple of months the two companies have banded together to bring the Cinderella switch live concerts. These feature a duo from the company performing a 3D live with one member onstage and the other in the virtual crowd, the two switching places with each other for the following performance. One of the added twists is that both concerts are VR viewable via multiple VR capable devices such as the Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR. After the highly successful duo of Kanata and Marine set the bar from their amazing performance in Volume One, how does the pair of Towa and Roboco stack up against them?

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Towa Tokoyami

For the first round of performances Towa Tokoyami took the stage first, with Roboco-san standing in the crowd; like with the previous performance, one of the amazing things first noticed is the feeling that the member in the virtual crowd is right there next to you, remarking on the show. Roboco was an amazing hype person, reacting at the right moments and pumping the “crowd” at the right time.

I’ve watched Towa’s performances in the past but this blew them out of the water right from the get-go; her song “Grave” and her smoky and low vocal range is just amazing and honestly can’t be compared to. This energy didn’t stop with her second track “Kyoran Hey Kids!!”, as it had a high tempo banger of a composition as well. This time around the crowd was a bit more involved, participating through the “Hai Hai Hai!” ask-and-response parts of the song. One of the more adorable things to happen in the performance was that Roboco didn’t know when the response would end and had added an additional “Hai Hai Hai” before noticing that she had overstepped. Like the previous performance, Towa also stepped into the “crowd” for extra appeal, which is great for fans. Her fourth song, “GIRAFFE BLUES” was absolutely spectacular as it was; it was just a great ballad that paired very well with her vocals. This along with the shifting of the stage atmosphere was great and was one of my favorite acts of the performance. Overall, Towa killed it with her performance and she, too, raised the bar for future performances in terms of pure stage spectacle.

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Roboco-San

I was extremely excited to see that Roboco-San was in one of the performances, as she was one of my favorites and being able to hear her catchphrase on such an amazing stage was just incredible. Having the crowd reactions chime in with fan chants was great and helped push the ambiance of it appearing as a live concert as well. Several of the songs were picks that she has done in the past, and while she isn’t the strongest vocalist, a lot of the tracks chosen matched her style perfectly. While the latter half of Roboco’s performance headed towards usual idol affair, I was extremely happy she did a cover of fellow member Subaru’s track, along with the debut of her version of the popular song “KING”. Stage effects were added to Roboco’s performance which I absolutely loved, such as hearts flying out from the background at certain parts, which added to the overall ambiance. The thing that I was somewhat disappointed in was Towa’s “crowd” interaction, but that’s only because I think Roboco did a great job supporting the crowd.

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After-Talk Segment

Like the previous installment, the after-talk segment between Towa Tokoyami and Roboco-San was absolutely amazing. The conversation about eating yakiniku after a live performance was entertaining and brought more personality to the pair. Something I noticed that I hadn’t in Volume One was that the difference in microphones and noise ambience differed when the duo was on stage versus when they were in the “crowd”, and this is a quality that I really appreciate. I did like the fact that they reeled back the fan service this time around, too; however, the lack of 3D for this part was somewhat noticeable, as several points of the conversation were about the outfits. Both girls were great MCs for this part, playing great off of each other and they did an amazing job hyping

up Volume Three. Volume Two of this collaboration between VARK and hololive was just as great as the first, mostly thanks to Towa’s amazing vocals and Roboco’s spectacular stage presence matching Kanata and Marine’s beat-to-beat. While I did have some gripes about this one compared to the first, they did not detract from my overall enjoyment and I can’t wait for Volume Three!

Revered Japanese band Do As Infinity to hold acoustic livestream concert in December, broadcast to fans around the world!

Long-running pop and rock band Do As Infinity have announced an online acoustic concert, to be livestreamed to fans around the world on December 19, 2020. The first ever livestream concert in the band’s 21-year career will be performed by the central duo of vocalist Tomiko Van and guitarist/vocalist Ryo Owatari. Rather than the powerful rock sound of their regular concerts where they perform with a full backing band, this will be an intimate, stripped-down show by only the two founding members, featuring hits from their extensive repertoire specially arranged for an acoustic setup. Also expect between-song conversation filled with character and heart, as Van and Owatari offer a live performance that will warm up the winter season.
‘Do As Infinity Online Concert: Acoustic Room’ will be held on Saturday December 19, 2020 at 19:00 JST, and available to watch as an archive until Tuesday December 22, 23:59 JST. Tickets are priced 3,800 yen including tax, subject to an additional booking fee. Tickets are on sale now until December 22, 21:00 JST, from this page: 

https://doasinfinity.zaiko.io/e/acousticroom

* Please read the terms of service carefully before purchase.

* Tickets can be purchased from anywhere in the world.

‘Do As Infinity Online Concert: Acoustic Room’ promises to be an unforgettable performance, presenting two decades of essential Japanese hits in a special new light. 

LOVE BITES Is Holding All The Cards In New Concert Video

Girl metal band LOVE BITES revealed they will be releasing a live recording of their performance in February at Zepp Diver City in Tokyo as part of their FIVE OF A KIND-LIVE IN TOKYO 2020. The new release is being titled Five Of A Kind - Live In Tokyo 2020 and scheduled to drop July 22. The performance was captured by 26 cameras, including one mounted on a crane. The tour was held to promote the band’s latest album ELECTRIC PENTAGRAM which came out in February of this year. Audio mixing and mastering was done by Finnvox Studios which is a prestigious Finnish recording studio headed by Mikko Carmilla and Mika Yussila. 

Five Of A Kind - Live In Tokyo 2020 is being released in three editions total: a CD edition, DVD edition, and Blu-ray edition. The CD edition will come in two discs and the DVD and Blu-ray editions will both contain a 20-minute documentary which captures a behind-the-scenes look at the day of the performance. Pre-orders are up and posted below along with a 3.5-minute promotional video.

CD 

DVD

Blu-ray