Idolish7 First Live: Road to Infinity
Okay guys, it’s the day after day 1 and day 2 is well on its way as I write this. I’m currently on a train ride to Kyoto so I figured any summaries are fair game (and now I have the time to do it. This will be long and full of spoilers for the live.
Metlife dome was about an hour train ride from Ikebukuro so we had to take the Seibu line out there. Seibu was pretty prepared because that’s where all the i7 ads were located as you can see below. Unfortunately we couldn’t get on the train that was decked out in i7 but at that point we just wanted to get there. Also, being from America, it was a huge shock for me to see so many i7 fans in one place. It was amazing! So many itabags and so many people were very creative in showing off their love for the boys while still being very classy.
When you got off the train at Metlife dome, there was a cutout of Riku to greet you abs take pica with. They also had the qr codes that people have used to insert the boys directly in their pics but that wasn’t working for me.
The crowds were crazy but we had the opportunity to go see the flower stands that people sent to the i7 staff to congratulate them on the live! It was pretty amazing, even Arina-sensei sent each idol group a flower stand decked out in their colors and original art. The line was pretty long to see hers, so I didn’t manage to get a pic myself, but there are pics of it floating around I’m sure.
There was also an oppprtunity to give the seiyuus and staff gifts so I submitted a letter to Eguchi Takuya (Nagi), Ono Kensho (Riku), Abe Atsushi (Sougo), and Saitou Souma (Tenn). Also left a little present for the staff ;)
And now for the actual concert!
The main screen at the front slowly rose to reveal the i7 boys decked out in outfits inspired by the live promotional art and performed Monster Generation as the opener! The boys did the choreography from the anime and the performance from the anime played on the center screen so you can see that moves matched up for the most part. Though it was a little lighter, less jumping. Followed up by Dancing Beat. Kenn did a solo dance section for Tamaki right before Sougo’s big solo. Abe and Kensho also did Sougo and Riku’s switch transition which was super cute. Joker Flag (day 2 replaced it with Funky Universe) was performed too and they even did the rap which was super awesome!
The lights went dark and Diamond Fusion starts off TRIGGERS set. The actual MV played on the center screen while Hatano, Souma, and Takuya appeared in the front center stage. The platform they performed on even raised and lowered (and was in the shape of a triangle AAAAAHHHH). TRIGGER also took advantage of backup dancers who were waving flags until they came to the center front stage and stood behind them like in the MV. When they were done… it was really hot that day and the venue wasn’t fully enclosed so they asked for a water break which was cute and actually became a regular thing throughout the concert. Takuya even said that water is yummy. Souma revealed that Hatano cried a little before the live started.
Secret Night was after that and was amaaaaazing! Souma was basically Tenn, complete with winks and finger guns.
Last Dimension was after (I heard day 2, they actually performed Destiny instead). For all those wondering how Souma would handle the “ah ah ah” auto tune part. He sang the actual note and then a recording took over while they danced at this part.
I thought Revale was going to be next but then the speakers started playing Ame so MEZZO" performed. It was so good live! They even added a rain effect to overlay the footage of Kenn and Abe performing. Koi no Kakera was next and at one point they were standing in front of the main screen and Abe made a throwing motion and you could see purple sparkles fly across the screen to Tamaki’s side. Tamaki did the same thing later in the song.
Revale finally showed up and opened with Silver Sky which was also lightly choreographed. I was very happy with Hoshi’s performance since I was told by multiple people that he isn’t the best singer but has improved since taking on Momo. No married couple banter but their interactions were still cute! Next was Dis One where they wanted us to jump with them during the chorus. Hoshi asked us to jump carefully. They also asked for a water break during their set and asked everyone to grab their drinks if they had it and had us all Kanpai together. This happened pretty often through the live.
They had a short speaking segment with all the groups on stage. They pointed out that Wing was wearing basketball shorts like pants which was different from everyone else and he had his nails painted orange for Mitsuki! Hoshi looked like a mascot character so everyone kept saying he looked cute but since he’s the most veteran out of all of them they still needed to show respect while calling him that 😂
Everyone except Massun, Souma, and Kensho went backstage which means Fure Fure was next! The brocon trio jumped into three carts that got pushed around the stadium floor while they performed which was super cute.
Next was Love and Game with Abe, Takuya, and Kenn at center front stage with mic stands. There was light choreography which included dipping the mic, light touching of themselves, and a bunch of other spiciness. The song ended with the three of them in tat pose… Yes, THAT pose ;)
MATSURI was next and probably the most fun of the shuffle unit performances in my opinion. They were in carts like Fure Fure but they were also wearing happi coats and being carted in the stands… which meant they were behind me :) I was on the side Wing and Hatano were so I could see them up close. No sexy “Appare” from Gaku, but the song was on point with everyone in the stadium cheering “Wasshoi” on cue.
There was a short break where a clip that basically summarized part 2 through lines from the game played, which set the stage for Restart Pointer. The i7 guys positioned themselves on the stairs just like the MV. The camera for the center screen even zoomed out like it does after Riku’s opening solo. Of course the units redid their actions from the MV. During the second verse each member interacted with Kensho individually (like Kenn rush hugging him from behind) since the song welcomes Riku back to his center position. Massun is last and is too shy so starts walking away, but Kensho runs and back hugs him!
They do a fashion check since they all changed to Restart Pointer outfits and each member modeled their clothes. Kenn asks Sou-chan if he’s ready for the next song and the audience realizes that Abe is at the top of the stairs sitting at a piano. Kensho introduces Sakura Message and Abe starts to play it on the piano. All the boys climb the stairs and sit at random spots to sing. Wing and Kensho were even sitting back to back. Abe missed a line or two because he was playing, but Wing stepped in for any almost missed lines.
The stage darkened again which made me think TRIGGER was up again, especially since an eye flashed on screen so I thought it was Leopard Eyes… but it was the promotional poster for Mission, Yamato’s drama from the anime. The whole stadium turned their light sticks green for Goodnight Awesome! Shirai was perfect and so dramatic and even did the moves from the anime. The boys even all opened their eyes in time to the music. It ended with Shirai doing the signature glasses push.
No Doubt starts and the center stairs open and Revale is being carted out on a raised platform while sitting in thrones wearing No Doubt inspired outfits. They’re brought all the way to the center front platform and even do some of the moves from the video.
Next Revale performed Kiseki (day 2 did Taiyou no Esperanza instead), which is originally from the vita game. I was super surprised! Hoshi was saying he didnt think he could do the dances but then felt more confident when he wore the no doubt outfit.
TRIGGER came out next in Daybreak Interlude outfits and performed Daybreak Interlude, complete with MV choreography and Gaku’s jump kick. Props to Hatano!
Next was Leopard Eyes. There’s a part in the anime version of Leopard Eyes where the screen shows the three boys appearing in beat on the jumbo tron. The production staf replicated this by doing the same thing with Hatano, Souma and Takuya in the side screens while the anime version played center screen. Yes, Takuya T-posed.
Heavenly Vistor was next. Production was able to overlay the ending credits scene with this perfectly since they stitched each boys individual visual with the seiyuu singing the actual lines side by side.
A pattern was kinda established with the last two sets between TRIGGER AND i7 - pt 1 finale song, pt 3 finale song, and op/ed song.
Memories Melodies was next with the stadium swaying light sticks side to side. Lots of unit interactions especially Pythagoras being super adorable. The boys were all wearing their wish voyage outfits.
Then was Nanatsuiro Realize and all the guys split between being in carts and being on stage. Kensho and Iori also ended up doing the kitty scratch hands like in the MV. The carts also had lights on them and they woild change color depending on who’s line in the song it was.
The carts met in the middle and traded people for Party Time Together which I was surprised to hear and didn’t fall into the pattern I predicted but it was super fun. There was even a giant balloon filled with smaller rainbow balloons that crowd surfed in the audience. Everytime a boy would say their number it would also flash the number on the screen.
Finally, Wish Voyage began! The boys even learned the choreo from the video, including pythagoras trio’s cute punching and body roll scene. The center stairs opened up an inflatable i7 airplane with clouds that followed the boys as they walked down the center aisle to the platform.
They said goodbye, but of course there was an encore. I7 came back out wearing their live group tshirts and towels for Thank You For Yout Everything. They invited TRIGGER out to join them and did the full group Natsu Shiyouze, complete with water guns. Some where being carted around the stadium and sprayed at the audience. It was really funny because they showed Abe excitedly pumping the water gun. Kenn was also having a ball with the water guns. Almost at the end of the song, Kensho invited Revale out to join in the water gun “fight.” If you liked close enough, you’d notice that Shinnosuke and Hoshi traded their wristbands in true Revale fashion. So Yuki was wearing Momo’s color and vice versa.
Last song of the night was Welcome, Future World where they invited us all to sing along. Except they did the full 4 minute version which I didn’t even know existed but it was beautiful!
There were ending remarks and lots of antics that I may touch on later but I just wanted to get this out before I forgot everything. But antics included Kensho and Souma hugging in twin fashion, Massun and Souma being exactly like Iori and Tenn, Takuya acting like Ryuu and even showing off some cleavage, Wing basically being Mitsuki, and lots of winks and blown kisses to the audience.
