Macross F Super Live: Christmas Without You

[Tochiro]

Am in and waiting for the concert to start in 10mins. Merch sold out ludicrously fast!

They are playing a new trailer for the 2nd movie at the moment. Really nice. Looks like a significant departure from the series, as kawamori promised.

Also, the new poster for the 2nd movie is GREAT! Will post pics later.

[isamu]

Darnit Tochiro, you lucky dog Post lots and lots of pics, and tell us if Kawamori shows up and announces a new Mac series.

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

[Mercurial Morpheus]

Hope the concerts a blast. Looking forward to seeing the new poster and very curious how "significant" a departure from the series it is.

[Seanzilla]

It's about 11 pm out there now. I assume the concert should be over, or at least real soon. I can't wait to hear about it. I'll be checking May'n's blog too, she should be posting on the concert I guess when she gets back to her hotel room.

[Gubaba]

Sheryl and Ranka at Budokan

or

One Christmas in a Judo Arena

Long story short: concert was AWESOME.

Long story: I arrived at Budokan at 3:30 (doors opened at 5:30, concert started at 6:30), and already, TONS of merchandise was sold out. So I contented myself with a concert program, a coffee mug, and a ticket for "Sayounara no Tasubasa" (which came with a free Ranka "Magical Girl" poster). On display was the NEXT poster for the movie, which you will all love. It's very dark.

Sheryl is wearing burned and torn-up clothing, the background is all on fire, Alto's Valk is all shot up, and Sheryl's holding a flag which is tattered. Looks pretty damn serious.

There were some cosplayers hanging around, but not many. At one point, I wandered over to the smoking area to have a cigarette, and saw a MiniKlan puffing away. I caught her eye, and said, "Klan Tai! Nani o suru no!" We ended up chatting for a bit, and she was really nice.

After a while, it was time to join the throngs of people heading in. Our seats were pretty good...top row (alas), and a little to the left of center, but we still ad a clear view of the stage.

While we were waiting, they showed, again and again, an ad for Macross Triangle Frontier and a new trailer for the movie.

There's a church, and there's a wedding dress, but you can't see who's wearing it.

After a while, the stage was lit up, and Ranka's voice said, "Wow...there are so many people..." Sheryl replied, "Of course. After all, I'm performing."

Then the video presentation started, with Leon (sounding incredibly serious) saying a lot of stuff that went over my head. Then he explained that Macross Frontier would be making a "Christmas Fold," and we should all prepare ourselves. Then the fold occurred (with pink and blue lighting filling the hall, really making the fold on the screen seem like it was enveloping all of us), and then everything went black.

IMPORTANT NOTE #1: everyone (except us, apparently) bought A LOT of glowsticks beforehand, making the audience as mesmerizing as the performers. Maybe this is a Frontier concert tradition, but everyone seemed well-rehearsed, pulling out the green and blue glowsticks when Megumi was singing, and the red, pink, and orange glowsticks when May'n was singing. It was lovely.

IMPORTANT NOTE #2: Everyone in the concert was at the top of their game (except maybe Nakamura). Megumi and May'n both sounded splendid, and the voice actors were really inhabited their roles. As Tochiro said afterwards, Aya Endo has gotten SO good at the Sheryl voice that, just by speaking a few lines, she probably gave every man in that auditorium an erection. Yuichi Nakamura, however, didn't sound QUITE like Alto, but everyone else was spot-on perfect.

IMPORTANT NOTE #3: The stage was built on four levels. The lowest (and closest) level was where May'n and Megumi spent most of their time. The second level had Kanno and her keyboard. The third level was where the the voice actors (mostly) stayed, as well as where the children's choir was. The fourth level was the "dramatic" level, where people would make their debut. The rock band was on the edge of the second level, the orchestra was on either side of the third level.

IMPORTANT NOTE #4: Because it was a Christmas show, they avoided the "sad songs." No "Yousei," no "Northern Cross," no "Ao no Aether."

The Set List

1. Protoculture (MC: Alto)

2. Merry Christmas without You (slightly shortened version, no voice actors)

3. Ranka's Stocking Song (with a "slight return" of "Christmas without You," sung by the children's choir)

4. MC: Sheryl / Klan

5. Universal Bunny

6. Iteza Gogo Kuji Don't Be Late

7. Intstrumental Break (featuring a bit of "Sleigh Ride")

8. Silent Nanka Irarenai

9. Funanori

10. MC: Alto / Ranka

11. the eyecatch fanfare ("pom-pom-pom POM POM POM pompitty-pom-pe-pom-pom-pommmm!") played REALLY slow

12. The "CM Ranka" medley: Anata no Oto / Starlight Natto / Ninjiin Loves you yeah! / Dainam Chogokin / Daruma Seminar / Nyan-Nyan / Family Mart Cosmos / Koi no Dogfight (FULL version: longer than Nyan Cli)

13. MC: Ranka

14. New song (I *think* the title is "Niji Roku Nakuma")

15. MC: Ranka / Klan

16. Tablet

17. Liebe ~ Maboroshi no Koi

18. Hougako Overflow

19. MC: Alto / Sheryl / Ranka / Klan / Michel (via recording)

20. Souda yo

21. Obelisk

22. Infinity

23. Tenchi ni Natchatta

24. MC: Ranka / Sheryl

25. Songbird

26. Eien

27. Lion (with some "Do You Remember Love" mixed in towards the end)

28. Merry Christmas WITH You (with a little bit of "Diamond Crevasse" mixed in at the end)

ENCORE

1. Take Off

2. Gira Gira Summer

3. Seikan Hikou (long version)

4. Band introductions

5. Merry Christmas without You (full version)

6. Instrumental ("Diamond Crevasse" segueing into "Silent Night")

HIGHLIGHTS (for me)

1. The Interplay among the actors: As I said, nearly everyone was in top form. When Aya Endo said, near the beginning, "We don't have this kind of Christmas very often," I applauded almost involuntarily, and I wasn't alone. And it was really strange hearing Klan's voice come out of Megumi Toyoguchii's body. There appeared to be a story with the Mike Chatter bits...but I couldn't really follow it. Everyone sounded like they were having a lot of fun, though.

2. The Children's Choir: They only sang on one song, but damn me if they weren't the cutest thing ever!

3. The New Songs: I'm not completely sold on "Niji Roku Nakuma" (if that's the title...), but "Hougoku Overflow" was tremendous. Both of them were Ranka songs, which makes me hope that Ranka will get a full mini-album for the second movie.

4. "Songbird" and "Obelisk": Megumi and May'n's finest moments, repsectively.

5. Yoko Kanno: Mostly she sat playing keyboards the whole time, but sometimes she'd get up and dance around, cute as a button.

6. The CM Ranka Medley: Megumi had a prop for each ad - a bean case for the natto, a giant carrot for "Ninjiin," and bunch of models for "Dainam" (she kept trying to stand them up, and they kept toppling over...which got knowing laughs from the audience, most of whom probably had the same problem), glasses for "Daruma," and a jacket emblazoned with "famima.com" for "Family Mart." After the songs, she picked up everything and ran around the stage trying to find a place to put them, until Kanno-san walked up and took them from her, giving her a mirror to check her make-up, and a towel to wipe off her sweat.

7. Universal Bunny: May'n doesn't look as good doing the dance moves as Sheryl does, but it was a great, energetic performance. How can ANYONE not love this song?

8. The Aforementioned Glowsticks: At one point I squinted while looking around the theater, and it looked like a beautiful night full of green and blue stars. Again, lovely.

After the show, we went and hung out with the Tokyo Macross Fan Club at a pub. Too bad we had to catch the last train so soon after arriving... Oh well. There's always next time, I guess.

[Seanzilla]

Man, that sounds awesome! Did you happen to notice any cameras around the arena? Just wondering if there is a chance of putting this out on bluray.

[Gubaba]

Man, that sounds awesome! Did you happen to notice any cameras around the arena? Just wondering if there is a chance of putting this out on bluray.

Josue noticed the cameras, actually. Bigger ones than the teeny-tiny ones they had at the Yoko Kanno concert last year.

Now...possibly these were just used to project Megumi and May'n (and the actors) onto the screen...but it looks like there's a possibility they were filming it for a DVD release.

[josue]

Had a blast yesterday... Loved how May'n and Megumi are still growing as artists. Yoko Kanno is just so cute! It was great meeting you guys!

[Tochiro]

Pic I took of the new Macross F poster. Sorry for the quality. Theres a better one in the back of a concert pamphlet that I need to scan sometime.

[UN Spacy]

I'm soooo jelly.

[Gubaba]

A pic of me taken by Josue after the show:

[Tochiro]

A couple of pics to accompany Gubaba's report (pics are easier to deal with than writing with my current hangover, lol). And yes, these are uncompressed, so deal with it! lol:

Lining for merch

Couple of cosplayers

Merch stands

More merch stands (some cool art/posters)

Concert logo

Macross Frontier - at the Budokan! (again)

Congratulatory boquets are normal at these events, but this one is from...Starlight Natto?!?!?

The budokan starts filling up

Stage setup (on the left)

As usual, pics during the actual concert were prohibited.

As for whether or not a DVD/Blu will be released, its still hard to judge. There were at least 4-5 cameramen and there was footage being shot even when the actual screen was showing other footage (ie, animation, etc). Having said this, there were no tracks in front of the stage for runing shots and the footage on screen was only 4:3 ratio. But the shots looked fairly good so its really anyones guess at the moment.

[isamu]

A couple of pics to accompany Gubaba's report (pics are easier to deal with than writing with my current hangover, lol). And yes, these are uncompressed, so deal with it! lol:

Lining for merch

Couple of cosplayers

Merch stands

More merch stands (some cool art/posters)

Concert logo

Macross Frontier - at the Budokan! (again)

Congratulatory boquets are normal at these events, but this one is from...Starlight Natto?!?!?

The budokan starts filling up

Stage setup (on the left)

As usual, pics during the actual concert were prohibited.

As for whether or not a DVD/Blu will be released, its still hard to judge. There were at least 4-5 cameramen and there was footage being shot even when the actual screen was showing other footage (ie, animation, etc). Having said this, there were no tracks in front of the stage for runing shots and the footage on screen was only 4:3 ratio. But the shots looked fairly good so its really anyones guess at the moment.

I can honestly say that just looking at those pics, I know I missed out on something special. Thanks so much for sharing those Tochiro. Sounds like you guys had a helluva time.

One of these days I'll make it to one of those concerts.....one of these days.

[mike_s_6]

Hey Gubaba... I'm reading some comments over the net, and they say the new song of Ranka is "虹色くまくま". It must be a joke song, right?

[Gubaba]

Hey Gubaba... I'm reading some comments over the net, and they say the new song of Ranka is "虹色くまくま". It must be a joke song, right?

It didn't sound like a joke song, and I don't remember anyone laughing about it... I couldn't tell if it was 3/4 time or 6/8...it definitely had a loopy waltz feel to it, but it didn't strike me as terribly comical.

Josue, Tochiro, Save...? What did you guys make of it?

[josue]

Hey Gubaba... I'm reading some comments over the net, and they say the new song of Ranka is "虹色くまくま". It must be a joke song, right?

No I think it is a new song... It goes with the magical girl Ranka poster. So you can imagine what kind of song it is.

[mike_s_6]

No I think it is a new song... It goes with the magical girl Ranka poster. So you can imagine what kind of song it is.

Hmmm, so it's a "cute" song then? I just thought it was on the lines of those in CMRanka because the title is... weird. Anyway, I better just wait to hear it for myself.

[Tochiro]

Have arrived in Kobe and am catching up on some odds and ends at an internet cafe. Will head out to the concert just before it starts (its colder here than in Tokyo and I dont want to stand around outside for hours).

Will keep everyone posted if anything is different to the Tokyo gig.

[Tochiro]

Way more relaxed atmosphere pre-concert. Huge hall selling goods and fans doing karaoke.

I'll give the Osaka fans this- they can sing pretty damn well!

[isamu]

Way more relaxed atmosphere pre-concert. Huge hall selling goods and fans doing karaoke.

I'll give the Osaka fans this- they can sing pretty damn well!

Hey Tochiro, do you have any new pics from the second day you can share with us?

[Tochiro]

Hey Tochiro, do you have any new pics from the second day you can share with us?

I do indeed. Will put them up this weekend.