Buddy x music CD series "Tokyo Color Sonic! (hereafter referred to as "Karasoni") held its first official event "Tokyo Color Sonic! Special Live ~Begin on buddy~" was held at Yomiuri Hall in Tokyo on Sunday, February 27, 2022. The event featured performances by Shoya Chiba (playing Arashi Komiyama), Yusho Kamimura (playing Air Kirishima), Soma Saito (playing Iori Takarada), Yoshiki Nakajima (playing Haruhi Kaji), Takehito Kajiwara (playing Eiki Sebun), Ryohei Kimura (playing Mirai Zaizen), Shunsuke Takeuchi (playing Kaiori Kurahashi) and Takuya Eguchi (playing Kagura Takatsuki). They performed a reading play and a talk + live performance by their respective buddies. Here is a flash report from the evening session, where new information was also released! Reading plays, live performances, and lots of fun! Some exciting new information! The first official event started with a shout from everyone! The opening reading play "It's showtime! ~Tokyo Train Panic~", which began immediately, showed the members preparing for the live performance. As everyone was heading to the event venue, a train accident occurred. They were in a hurry because they would miss not only the rehearsal but also the start time of the event if they didn't get there on time. While searching for a way out, an argument between Kairi and Kagura led to chaos, with fights breaking out all over the place. Furthermore, Tadokoro-sensei (CV: Daisuke Namikawa) gets out of line, and the live performance is even threatened to be held. Their exchanges, which show their personalities, are a must-listen. After the reading play is over, the cast members get excited when they all get together and all they can do is fight. The performers themselves said it was very interesting to see how well each buddy got along with the other. The live reading performance, which was the first time all eight members were together, had a different charm from the drama CD. Next was a live performance by each unit, followed by a talk corner! The top performer was Uni.1 by Arashi x Sora, with Chiba-san and Uemura-san in stylish costumes, who performed "NEW DEVIATION". During the talk, they talked about the drama CD. He said that the climax at the end, where they clashed with each other's true feelings, was the most memorable part of the recording, and that the wide range of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness made it a fulfilling experience. The two are a unique buddy team, and Chiba and Uemura's conversation did not stop as they talked about how Arashi seems to be the more aggressive of the two, but in fact, Air is more dangerous. Next was Unit.2 by Iori and Haruhi, with Saito, who plays Iori, gently and passionately singing "measly," a song written by Haruhi, played by Nakajima, with a stand microphone. Ms. Saito and Mr. Nakajima are said to be Karasonio geeks who can't stop talking once they start. They spoke enthusiastically about how they could feel the characters' growth not only in their singing performance but also in the recitation play. In the middle of the live corner, the lyricists, Sora, Haruhi, Mirai, and Kagura, delivered a halftime reading performance, "Well-Being Meeting: Honne and Tatemae. As Sora, Haruhi, and Mirai boasted about their buddies, Kagura declared that she had never felt like praising her partner. The three lecture Kagura on the importance of communication for buddies. The reading play gave us a glimpse of how each buddy communicates with the other. Now, it was time for the live performance + talk corner again. Unit.3 by Eien and Mirai appeared on stage. Mr. Kajiwara said that he enjoyed recording the drama CD. He said that the dialogue with Mr. Kimura was easy to work with and he was able to play the role naturally. After they finished recording the final exchange, they both cried a lot. After the story behind the recording was told, Kajiwara sang "VOICE," a song written by Mirai (played by Kimura), with lyrics written by Kajiwara, who plays Eiki. The last song was Unit.4 by Kairi and Kagura, in which Takeuchi and Eguchi began complimenting each other. In contrast to the smiling atmosphere that only these two can create, Takeuchi sang "Don't back down" with an overwhelming singing ability that gave the audience a different sense of "pressure". After the live performances by all the units were over, the cast members gathered on stage again. The ending came in the blink of an eye. Chiba, Saito, Kajiwara, and Takeuchi sang the theme song "Begin on buddy" to the excitement of the audience. Blu-ray of this event will be released, and the second season "Tokyo Color Sonic! Growing" was also announced. The second season will include two new members, Tomoe Miyawen (CV: Yuya Hirose) and Toshiro Sakaki (CV: Yuichiro Umehara). The announcement was also made that the show will be adapted for the stage in 2023, and the venue was filled with applause. The audience gave a big round of applause to the ever-growing "Tokyo Color Sonic! which is gaining more and more momentum, please keep your eyes on it. An archived stream of the event will be available until 23:59 on March 6 (Sun.). Even if you have not purchased your ticket yet, you can still purchase it until 21:00 on the day the archived streaming ends, so don't miss it! We will also bring you a detailed report at a later date, so please look forward to it. Tokyo Color Sonic! Outline of the work Set 60 years from now in a Japan that has almost lost its freedom of entertainment, this is a coming-of-age story in which young people aim for the top of music festivals. The vocalist and the songwriter/composer form a buddy team to create their own music. Character Design Ryo Fujiwara Cast Shoya Chiba as Arashi Komiyama Yusho Kamimura as Air Kirishima Souma Saito as Iori Takarada Yoshiki Nakajima as Haruhi Kaji Takehito Kajiwara as Eiki Sebumi Ryohei Kimura as Mirai Zaizen Shunsuke Takeuchi as Kaiori Kurahashi Takuya Eguchi as Takatsuki Kagura CD Release Information Tokyo Color Sonic! Prologue / Tokyo Color Sonic! Unit.1 - Unit.4 / Tokyo Color Sonic! Epilogue now on sale Distribution Information The songs and drama are being distributed on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, LINE MUSIC, ANiUTa, animelo mix, and other music distribution services. (C)COLORATION
【Background】
・Graduated from Kyoto University with a major in Japanese Culture Studies, Faculty of Letters
・After graduation, worked 4 years as editor and proofreader for a print magazine specializing in traditional performing arts and culture
・Became a freelance journalist in 2021 and launched japanculturean.com in 2022
【Expertise】
・Pop-Culture Fusion Analysis
Analytical commentary on how modern pop-culture media (anime, film, fashion) incorporates and reinterprets traditional Japanese motifs.
