Official live report of the Yokohama Arena performance on Sunday, October 15th has been released!

Official live report from the Yokohama Arena performance on Sunday, October 15th released!

2023.10.16

They held a 10th anniversary live concert, "Novelbright LIVE TOUR 2023-ODYSSEY-FINAL SERIES-".

Following their performance at Osaka Castle Hall in their hometown of Osaka on September 24th, the final performance will be held at Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa Prefecture on October 15th.

The band prepared a comprehensive set list that included some familiar numbers, and celebrated this milestone together with fans who had come from all over Japan and even overseas to celebrate this day together.

When the solemn chime sounded to announce the start of the concert, a video was projected on the screen, depicting the history of the band, from their formation in 2013 to their street performances and major debut, in an "epic" of animation and English. When the camera zoomed back, TAKENAKA YUDAI (Vo) appeared watching the video in the waiting room. The camera followed Yudai as he left the waiting room and walked down the hallway, joining YAMADA KAITO (Gt), OKI SOJIRO (Gt), KEIGO (Ba), and NEGI (Dr), and finally reached the wings of the stage. The intro to "時を刻む詩" rang out in the venue, and the five appeared on the center stage that jutted out into the arena, and the fans cheered loudly. As the lyrics say, this song depicts Novelbright 's "difficult path to get here" and promises to carve out "the future 50 years from now" with the fans, and the members faced each other and performed it emotionally. The concert was filled with deep emotion from the very start.

The five of them moved to the main stage and started "ランナーズハイ," with a special pillar of fire exploding. The screen was divided into five parts, and the members were shown in close-up for the first time. Yudai encouraged the audience, saying, "Yokohama Arena, let's go all out from the beginning!", and they launched into the "開幕宣言," and a bright mood quickly spread throughout the venue. Towards the end, Yudai called out, "Yokohama, let us hear it!" and asked for the fans' voices to sing "La La La." With restrictions on live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic lifted, this was a nostalgic scene that had finally returned, but for Novelbright, it was the first time they had experienced singing together this year since their major debut in 2020.

The band suddenly switched to a darker mode with "seeker," red laser beams spun like a net around the vast venue, and fireballs erupted. Sojiro's guitar riffs stirred up a sense of impatience. At the end, Yudai looked up to the sky and sang a long tone, which drew huge applause. After the overwhelming performance, they performed "嫌嫌," with a mirror ball shining and pop neon colors such as pink and green decorating the stage. The disco and funk music was a mature performance of a female-first-person lyric world. The power of entertainment is to surprise the audience with such a wide range and move their hearts, and it is a testament to the diversity of Novelbright 's repertoire.

The audience clapped along with NEGI 's drum solo, and Yudai called out to the audience during the intro, "How are you in the stands?", "How are you upstairs?", and "How is the arena?". When he asked "How is Yokohama doing?" at the end, the fans responded with a huge cheer. The song that started with "ラストシーン" was a newly written opening theme for the TV anime "Yowamushi Pedal LIMIT BREAK", but this song also sings about "the path to get there", and it overlaps with the trajectory of Novelbright, which celebrated its 10th anniversary. The members' expressions on the screen were bright and emotional, making us imagine what they were thinking as they sang and played. For the last chorus, they called for the fans to sing, and the song ended in unity. Following the chorus of "Wow Wow", "ハミングバード" began, and smoke erupted from behind the stage, and Yudai began singing to the piano. Starting with a relaxed beat, the five members' sounds became one mass, creating a big whirlpool as they interwoven dynamic rhythm patterns. Returning to the opening "Wow Wow," the song ended with a sudden pause as NEGI 's drum roll stopped, and Yudai whispered, "Thank you." The venue was filled with applause. As the ocean was projected on the screen and "Friends for life" began, the fans waved their hands and gave themselves over to the rhythm. Yudai's smooth English vocals were intertwined with KEIGO 's bass like a counter melody, creating a performance that was perfectly synchronized.

"Today is finally the final day of the tour. We've come to Osaka Castle Hall and celebrated our 10th anniversary last month," Yudai began, and just when you thought it would be an emotional MC, he made fun of Kaito's hair color, which is traffic light color - red, yellow, and this time green - and showed a split-thirds image on the screen, making everyone laugh.

NEGI, who was wearing sunglasses for the first time during a live performance, took them off for a moment and asked, "Do I look cool?", which drew cheers from the fans. When he called out, "It's Halloween this month, right? We got ahead of the game. TRICK OR?", everyone answered, "TREAT!". The five members' casual conversation is a pleasant one, and the harmonious atmosphere is also a feature of Novelbright 's live performances. After calling out, "Let's all create a sense of unity," Yudai introduced, "Tomorrow is Monday, so we'll play a song that's perfect for Mondays," and Novelbright showed a new frontier with the pop love song "Aika toka Koi toka." It was also refreshing to hear KEIGO operate the keyboard to play the synth bass. Fragments of images that stimulate the imagination, such as a record player, the sky, sunflowers, cherry blossoms, fallen leaves, snow-covered tree branches, and an empty bench, were projected one after another on the screen, allowing the audience to imagine a story.

The next new song, "面影", was a romantic love ballad with a beautiful melody. The phrase "I don't need to meet anyone other than you", which reminds one of the ultimate love, struck the heart. The image of the sea soon changed to a starry sky. With a delicate light image of colorful polka dots behind him, Yudai began to sing his signature song "ツキミソウ", and the audience stood still, listening intently. Soon the band joined in, and the lighting changed to brilliant red, and the five of them expressed the growing emotions contained in the song. It was a realistic performance that reminded us of the literary nature of this famous ballad, not because of the direction, but because of the five of them themselves. "Cantabile" was performed with blue and green laser beams, a mirror ball created a starry sky on the ceiling, and an image of outer space was projected on the screen. Yudai's vocals were powerful, but at the same time, his transparent singing voice with a subtle vibrato gave a healing effect.

After making the audience feel the depth of their expressiveness through a series of songs that were thoroughly enjoyable to listen to, the members moved to the center stage. Surprised at how close the audience was, Yudai laughed and said, "You'd know it if you yawned," which was a hint at the next song, "夢花火," with the lyrics, "Even a yawn seemed endearing." The performance began with Kaito strumming his guitar under the spotlight, and then Yudai and the other three joined in for an acoustic arrangement. Sojiro's guitar solo was also emotional and beautiful, with a melody that sounded almost like singing.

When the spacey and ambient sound effects started playing, the mood of the venue changed again. Kaito, Sojiro, KEIGO, and NEGI lined up on the upper stage and performed an "INST" session with just the four of them. Kaito played the acoustic guitar one moment, then showed off his right-hand electric guitar technique. KEIGO also showed off his two different sides as a bassist, playing slap and melodic phrases. After the "INST" session, which gave the audience plenty of enjoyment from Sojiro's gorgeous guitar sound and NEGI 's powerful drumming, and after the four of them finished their highlights, they came down the stairs and were joined by Yudai amid loud applause. An image of a moonlit forest was projected on the screen, and they launched into the dark melodic number "夜空に舞う鷹のように," pouring the heat they had built up during the "INST" into the overwhelming momentum they ran through. After their major debut song "Sunny drop," the performance was full throttle in both singing and playing. This song was not the only one in which the members frequently walked out onto the catwalks on both sides, but NEGI, who cannot leave her usual position, was also seen spinning her stick repeatedly during this song, and her overflowing emotions reached far and wide.

"We took a break with the ballad, right? Let's dance wildly together!" (Yudai) called out, and they moved on to "Falling Venus". The fans swayed to the danceable beat, and the chorus of <Wow Wow> piled on top of each other. "You can do more, Yokohama!" (Yudai) further encouraged the crowd, and he slammed his hand against his elbow to encourage the clapping. Kaito shook his head vigorously and was immersed in the cutting. The sight of the audience filling Yokohama Arena raising their hands and jumping all at once was a spectacular sight, and it became a song that got the crowd really excited. When the song ended and silence spread, the voices of the members calling out their names in hoarse voices echoed throughout the venue.

This was the first time they held a solo concert at Yokohama Arena, and Yudai said, "It took 10 years to get to Yokohama Arena." He boldly declared, "It's not that we've finally come this far, but that we want to go even further from here," which was met with a huge round of applause. The band made their major debut during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they said it was "finally this year" that they were able to hold a concert like this, with fans cheering out. He also said, "It was the first time this year that I saw the faces of all the fans without masks." When he asked the fans, "Where are they from?", it turned out that they were coming from all over Japan, and some even said they were from overseas, such as Thailand, Hong Kong, and the UK, which made us realize once again how widespread Novelbright 's popularity was and how special their 10th anniversary concert was.

With the intro playing, Yudai shouted, "We're going to make our final push as a rock band. Let's make sure we have no regrets from here on out! We've endured a lot of things, haven't we? We've overcome them, which is why we're here now, right? Let's savor the power of music!", and then they performed "青春旗." Clutching and waving towels and flags, the fans enjoyed Novelbright 's music with their whole bodies, and were touched by the happy expressions projected large on the screen. The band members were all smiles, and KEIGO and Sojiro faced each other as they played, playing around. It was a blissful time, with joy and fun blending together, regardless of whether they were on or off stage.

For "Morning Light," Yudai moved to the center stage, then got off the stage and walked around the perimeter of the arena, singing passionately and communicating with the fans at close range. When they returned to the main stage, the four of them gathered around NEGI and played. The fans sang "Wow Wow" together, and Yudai finished singing with all his might, and the four of them stirred up the energy with their sounds. "This is it! I've been wanting this for a long time, thank you!" Yudai expressed his gratitude. "It was 10 years since we created Novelbright last month. As you know, I'm the only original member..." he began, mentioning that the members' histories vary. The "ODYSSEY" tour "has the meaning of a journey towards the 10th anniversary. I've always said that I'm the only original member, but honestly, I don't think it would have lasted if it had been just me. I was able to reach this day thanks to meeting these four people," he said, and declared, "It was the 10th anniversary with these five people!" as if he was determined. Since the group was formed, they have sung various songs, but they were frustrated that things did not go as they had hoped, saying, "I think this song brought us to Yokohama Arena," and performed "Walking with you." This is a special song that dramatically expanded Novelbright 's popularity and fame. Leaving the center stage where he had been speaking passionately to the fans, Yudai began singing as he walked toward the main stage. When he returned to the four of them, he approached each member and sang while facing them to make eye contact, as if he was savoring the importance of being "these five." At the end, the members, led by Yudai, moved to the center stage, and roared with singing and performance that was full of emotion. Yudai, kneeling and leaning back, shouted, "This is the best, Yokohama!" The four returned to the main stage, faced NEGI, and finished by playing the last note. A huge applause rang out.

What stood out in the silent venue was the loud calls of the members from the audience who could not contain their excitement. As the warm-toned SE played, Yudai said, "It was a tour with a lot of things happening, but it was the first time I was able to sing so much with everyone, and do it at such a close physical distance... There were many times in the past 10 years to quit, but if I could see this scene, I'm glad I protected Novelbright." He savored his words. "I think everyone has had a lot of difficult times. Corona was annoying... I thought, 'Why now?' and the first time we performed at Nippon Budokan was silent, and to be honest, I can't say to myself, 'We performed at Budokan.'" He also revealed his complicated feelings. "We may look like we're sparkling now, but there are times when we feel lazy or wish tomorrow never came. We're the same as everyone else. No matter how smiling a person is, of course there are worries at home, and there is no one who doesn't have worries," he said, empathizing with the feelings of the fans. "Everyone who's here today, each and every one of you, the days you spend every day, living every day, are pretty tough, aren't they? Thanks to everyone who didn't give up on living every day and overcame those difficult times, we've been able to keep running for 10 years," he said, and "I can't thank you all enough for the love and gratitude you've shown me, and in return I've received a lot of energy and courage, so thank you so much!" he said, to a huge round of applause. "Today is the last day to look back on the past 10 years, and the rest is just moving forward, so watch from here! It's not like, 'We've come this far!', but rather, 'We're going from here!' I don't want to 'follow me,' but rather, 'I want to make it happen together.'" he said with confidence. Even if something difficult happens in the future other than the coronavirus pandemic, he reiterated his sense of solidarity, saying, "There are a lot of friends here who have overcome and won through these times," and strongly commented, "I'm confident that I can make everyone's future happy, not just a little, but with all my might," and Novelbright 's 11th year, no, until we die! Let's live together! ” he shouted enthusiastically.

"It's time for us to sing this song, so let me hear it!" he called out, and performed "Dear, Dear You", which began with the cheerful chorus of "Wow Wow". The vocals, which were more like screams than songs, and the performance reached a climax, and then they delivered a gentle "流星群". In the audience, fans shook the lights of their smartphones to create a "starry sky", and a night sky with shooting stars was projected on the screen, creating a dazzling scene of light throughout the venue. "Thank you very much! We look forward to your continued support in our 11th year!" (Yudai) expressed his gratitude and ended the main performance.

The fans clapped along and sang the chorus parts of "Wow Wow" and "Dear You", and KEIGO returned to the stage first in response to the encore. During the INST, Kaito's hair stood out in the darkness as he moved to the upper part of the stage, and it looked like a fluorescent wig was walking around on its own. He laughed, saying, "It relieved my tension (laughs)," and requested the lighting staff to turn off the lights to recreate the scene. The venue was filled with laughter, regardless of whether it was on stage or in the audience. When KEIGO pointed out that Sojiro hadn't said a word, Sojiro greeted cheerfully, saying, "Good morning!" The other members also greeted in turn, saying, "Good morning!", and some members elicited roars from male fans and cheers from female fans. It was also amusing to see them exchange comments and jealousy. When Yudai began to speak, "Let's suppose I live until I'm 60...", KEIGO pointed out, "You're singing about 50 years from now, isn't that not enough?", which caused laughter. Yudai extended the assumption to "until 70," and said, "It would be really funny if NEGI kun laughed like that when he was 70," referring to NEGI 's bright laughter that makes listeners happy. He also envied the strength of his voice. "This time, the title "ODYSSEY" also has the meaning of 10 years, so I'll do a song I wrote when I was 18," he said, and performed "Photo album." The members' expressions were shown on the screen. Kaito's clean arpeggio opened the show, and Yudai clutched the microphone stand with both hands, closed his eyes tightly, and sang the sad melody with all his heart.

After finishing the song, Yudai raised expectations for their future plans, saying, "Next year we'll release an album. We'll also go on tour. We'll be doing the biggest thing we've ever done," and then performed their new song, "ODYSSEY," introducing it as, "We've written a song that embodies Novelbright 's 10-year journey. It will be released at 9pm." The fans raised their hands to the five members on stage and sang the chorus, "Wow Wow." It was an uplifting number that evoked a ray of hope, and gave the audience the power to gallop into the future while cherishing their 10-year journey.

"After every tour, we do a backstage final. On October 18th, we'll be doing a backstage final with 250 people at O-Crest in Shibuya, Tokyo," Yudai announced. The overflowing energy was astonishing. "We'll be doing lots of live shows next year too, so please come," Yudai said. Novelbright has never considered their 10th anniversary the milestone, but continues to forge ahead with lofty ideals. Their 11th year has already begun. (Omae Tae)