With two days left at the Nippon Budokan, we asked them what they're thinking immediately after the first two days of the show.
On the evening of January 26th, we stormed into the dressing room just after the second night of their Nippon Budokan concert. We interviewed actress Kawadoko Asuka, general director YUSUKE TANAKA, and stylist Mita Shinichi, who were still in the dressing room, about the national tour so far, and the remaining Nippon Budokan concert and live broadcast.
-Thank you for your hard work over the first two days at Nippon Budokan. This is Weekly Uotami.
Kawadoko: "Ahaha, here it comes (laughs)."
-There are only two days left. What are your thoughts on what the differences are between online live shows and tours?
Kawadoko: "During the scene where I was performing, the only one where I could see the stage, 'It's Because I Listened to Bach's Melody at Night,' I remember how the other members looked so happy. Their expressions online matched the worldview they had. Also, when I was waiting with the other members just before going on stage, at first I wondered if it was okay for me to be there, but gradually I started to feel at ease as I saw everyone's faces."
-Has anything changed since the tour started two months ago?
Kawadoko: "Even though we do the same thing, it's never the same. I can hear sounds I didn't hear yesterday, and feel vibrations I've never felt before. There's something different every time, so I enjoy it, but it can also be scary."
- "ADAPT ONLINE" was held without an audience, while "ADAPT TOUR" was held with an audience. Is there anything that you have changed or has changed in any way?
Kawadoko: "I haven't changed anything, but one thing that has changed is that when we first performed in Aichi, I was really scared because I'd never had so many people watching our play. At first I was scared of the gazes, but as we performed more and more, my awareness of it changed to 'this is something we all create together.'"
--The final performance will be at Nippon Budokan. Is there anything different from previous performances?
Kawadoko: "During the live performance, there is an action scene with ICHIRO-san, but it's not going as well as usual (laughs)."
Yamaguchi: "I'm really straining myself. It's not just these past two days, but there are so many people who have had to give up on the live shows and are feeling disappointed. I feel like we've lost to COVID, and it's frustrating."
-There are only two days left until the live broadcast at Budokan. How did you feel about the first two days of the live broadcast? I feel that live broadcasts have become important in the wake of the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, but what kind of live broadcast would you like to see at Budokan?
Tanaka: "The basic concept of this tour is an 'online live'. We actually performed it 'live'. We aimed for the content shown on the service monitor to be able to stand as an 'online live' in itself. It's like witnessing the filming of an 'online live'. With the 'Budokan Live Stream', this will be taken even further online, creating a multi-layered structure. Will it be a simulated experience of 'being present at the filming of an online live', or a simulated live experience? We won't know until we try it."
-Will it be somewhere between a live show and an online live show?
Tanaka: "This tour makes me feel like I'm at ADAPT Online venue. The simulated experience of watching this live performance is an important part of the live broadcast, but I also want to tell the story I wanted to tell in the online live performance. It's complicated."
--Will things change on the 29th or 30th?
Tanaka: "The balance between the feeling of experiencing a live concert and conveying the concept may change. We're still feeling our way around."
--How the images are presented. Are there any gimmicks?
Tanaka: "There's one thing I'm thinking about, but I won't say it yet. (Laughs) I'm thinking of doing a rehearsal, and if the plan works then I'll go ahead with it, but if it fails then I'll stop. (Laughs) I want to emphasize that it's live, or rather that everything is happening on the spot. For the online version, it was made under the assumption that people would only see the video, and live and pre-shot footage were mixed together, but this time I want to be able to get away with the logic that 'it's all still live'. I'll have to try it to see if it works out."
--The last two days. From the online live to the final tour, what are your thoughts about future live shows?
Mita: "I guess it's the difference in enjoyment between online and real-life concerts. It's becoming even more enjoyable now. The difference in how the impact varies depending on the location of the real-life concert, and the sense of stability online."
- Online live shows have a lot of close-ups and parts that are easier to see, whereas at a live show you can see and feel the members and the entire venue, so there are many differences.
Mita: "People who watch the online version and then come to the real live version will probably have an afterimage in their minds, and people who watch the real live version will probably watch the online version based on their impression of the live version. So how will it look if you see which one first? Each person's sensibility is the key point. If you watch the real live version from a different location, you'll probably get an even more different perspective."
--There's only a little time left until the final performance of the real live show, how do you feel having come this far?
Mita: "It's getting better, and I can see different things. We're all wearing the same costume, but here I am, and my toes are getting caught in the bottom of Ejima's pants. There are these 7 wonders of EJIMA, and something happens every time we go on tour. Like the first button not fastening, or only EJIMA 's shirt shrinking. It's really rare for clothes to get caught (laughs). Maybe the fun of a live show is that something strange happens every time. I want EJIMA fans to pay attention to these 7 wonders (laughs)."
--Even if the COVID-19 situation calms down, I think there will continue to be calls for "online live performances."
Mita: "It may be a directing method, but I think it's interesting to have different perspectives on the same content. This time, it's a live performance to see how to present the same thing as online in a real live performance, but there are ways to present it with the stage and acting as the main focus, and there are also ways to allow the audience to freely film one song. I think there are many possibilities for online performances, not just to watch because you can't go to a live performance, but to continue to look for interesting ways to present it."
We are finally entering the final chapter of the ADAPT Project, and I am very much looking forward to the culmination on the 29th and 30th.
