by Togenashi Togeari is a girl band from the anime Girls Band Cry. Their third ONE-MAN LIVE, “Houkou no Kanade,” was held on November 2, 2024, at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL in Tokyo.
The floor and the stands were filled with spectators, and on a simple stage with nothing but a screen, lights, and instruments, vocalist Rina, guitarist Yuuri, and bassist Shuri appeared. After forming a circle on the stage, life started with Rina’s call, “It’s starting!”. Rina performed the insert song “Unmei no Hana” from episode 13 of the anime while strumming her guitar, and the venue was united in enthusiastic handclaps.
The endlessly straightforward sound united the hearts of the audience. In the next song, “Gokushiteki Gokusaishoku Answer,” the MV was projected on the screen, and the hall was shaken by the cool melody full of speed. Then, the first MC part of the day began. After calling out to the packed audience, “I hope you can feel us today!” they performed “Yami ni Melteki” without breathing. The sound filled with the sadness and frustration of youth resounded.
In the dramatic rock number “Aoi if,” the blue lighting that matches the title and the love ballad “Butterfly Tied to a Red Thread” with lighting reminiscent of the sunset were impressive, and the charm of the songs was directly expressed with the production that stands out on the simple stage. In “Itsuwari no Ri” and ” Dawn Piercing,” Yuri’s guitar, which sparkles melancholically against the backdrop of the MV, and Shuri’s rich bass line further accelerated Rina’s earnest vocals, which hide a sense of frustration. In the following MC, they looked back on their 2nd ONE-MAN LIVE, “Rinne no Ri,” held on September 13 at Kawasaki CLUB CITTA’, which also appears in the 13th episode, the anime’s final episode.
The 2nd concert consisted of the anime story, songs related to the story, and songs released before the anime aired on TV. The 3-piece band Shinkawasaki (tentative), the parent band of Togenashi Togeari, does not have a bass player, so they introduced that Shuri started the concert hiding behind a partition on stage. When Rina asked Shuri how she felt then, she smiled, “I felt like I was a bad person.” She also reported that Yuri sang in the center of the stage, with the scenery in the background in front of Kawasaki Station.
“I was nervous. It was my first time singing alone in the middle. So I felt like I was Momoka-san, possessed her, and sang as hard as possible!” Yuri looked back on the performance, and Rina called out to her as Nina, “Momoka-san!” As if responding to that voice, Yuuri sang a phrase while playing the guitar, and Rina followed suit, and they launched into a performance of “Sky Box” with animation footage.
The passionate performance caused cries to be heard from all over the audience. Without giving the audience time to calm down, they began “Voiceless Fish” and “Sumi no Sumi, Kochiru Oto.” The audience’s handclaps boosted the songs’ speed, filling the venue with a sense of unity that can only be found at a live performance.
In the next self-introduction corner, Rina announced that she would turn 17 on November 13. Yuuri revealed with a smile that she had received the same hairbrush from Rina and Shuri as a birthday present. Shuri then expressed her wish to one day perform a song by beni -shouga, a unit consisting of Rupa, the character she plays in the play, and Tomo, the keyboardist currently on hiatus, played by Nagito, at a live performance. Afterward, they performed the fast-paced rock numbers “Katsuku, Uruu,” “Risou Paradox to wa,” and “Kiutsu, Hakudosu” for the first time that day.
After an MC said, “We want to continue to walk together with everyone as a live band, so please continue to support us!” they performed “Namonaki Nanamimo” (Everything Without a Name), which is also the song that started them off, and the audience responded to Rina’s “Sakebe!” with cheers and handclaps, heating the venue even more. After confirming their bond with the audience again with a call and response that was the first time in a Togenashi Togeari live performance, they dropped hot numbers “Sayonara Sayonara Sayonara” and “Burst and Smell.”
In particular, during “Burst and Smell,” Rina shouted, “Put all your anger, joy, and sadness into it!” in response to the audience’s constant handclaps and singalongs that colored the song. The venue erupted in cheers that seemed to shake it.
They ended the show with the opening theme song, “Zatsuto, Bokura no Machi,” which increased the audience’s excitement before leaving the stage. For the encore, they performed the ending theme song, “Dare nare watashi Dakara,” followed by “Muchi no chi watashi” and “Kuuhaku to Catharsis,” which caused a big stir in episode 11, bringing the curtains down on their third solo concert. Text by Nakamura Mika Photos by Kiseki Michiko
