Perfume ZO/Z5 Anniversary "Nebula Romance" Episode TOKYO DOME Delay Viewing Participation Record

Two months late, I finally got to witness it.

I wanted to see it with a fresh perspective, free of any preconceptions, so I did my best to avoid any information regarding the setlist or production before attending.

"Let's start over from that day once more."

Three minutes in, the moment they threw off the fluffy costumes they were wearing, my eyes welled up. It was 'GAME'...!

Five years ago in February, I was supposed to attend the final day of their Tokyo Dome tour. The frustration of having to watch the stage I was supposed to experience with my whole body on a disc at home, long after the fact. The first song on the setlist that day was 'GAME'.

Right from the start, they threw a massive amount of love straight at me. Oh man! They got me! How sincere can they be!

The footage shot by small drones flying around the three of them at such close range that I felt like, 'Whoa! They're going to collide!?' was dynamic and truly cool... I held my breath so many times. If I hadn't been in a movie theater, I would have screamed, 'Wooooo!!!' The drone angles were inserted at the exact moments I wanted them to... the editing was divine.

'Perfume no Okite' got me so hyped. The 'Okite' performance isn't something they do every time. It's quite rare. I first saw it during the 6th Tour 2016 “COSMIC EXPLORER”. The production was so cool that I couldn't sit still, so I looked it up on YouTube later and watched the Okite video from their 2010 concert over and over again.

The cheers in the Dome the moment '10 Kashiyukas' started were incredible. It gave me goosebumps. The air in the Dome must have been vibrating intensely.

The PTA corner was the usual Nishiwaki Kindergarten. They were picking pampas grass, pumpkins, and chestnuts, and I laughed that they were doing their usual routine even at their final commemorative concert 🎃🌰 It's autumn, isn't it!

A-chan's final MC. I could hear people around me sniffling. My heart was touched. The theater was filled with love... I wiped away my tears many times too. Artists look beautiful even when they're crying. I'm used to seeing A-chan cry because she does it every time, but her face doesn't get all wrinkled, and even when shown in close-up, she doesn't look unsightly at all. Professionals are amazing. I was impressed by such an odd detail.

To begin with, I had a major misunderstanding.
I had thought that the three of them had spontaneously decided they wanted to 'go into cold sleep' and had proposed it themselves, but that wasn't the case; it was suggested to them by the people around them, telling them it was okay to take a break. I think it is incredibly fortunate that they are blessed with an agency and staff who think so seriously about their lives. That, too, is a testament to their ability.

During the first Tokyo Dome performance, I felt like I was floating, with no sense of reality and my feet not touching the ground. Today is the fourth time standing in the Dome. I want to tell my past self that it's going to be okay. Listening to Kashiyuka's MC, I thought, 'Ah, this is what maturity is.' Perhaps being able to embrace and accept your past self after many years, or even decades, is a reward that only those who have aged can experience.

'It's okay if you can't accept it right away.'
'You might feel lonely sometimes, but when that happens, please listen to our songs a lot.'
'It's not because we're tired or want to be alone, but to remain Perfume for the rest of our lives, taking a break is also a challenge. Because we are a group that loves challenges!'
'When I go home and take a shower, so many words I want to tell you all come to mind, but now that I'm standing here, they don't come out well... This is the best I can do right now!'

I received so many warm words from the three of them.
I want to enjoy my life every day so that I won't be ashamed when we meet again.

Haaaa…………… (a long sigh)

It was my first time participating in a delay viewing, and since it was announced at the beginning that 'viewing while seated is recommended as a general rule,' everyone followed that and enjoyed it quietly. Naturally, I couldn't dance, couldn't shout, couldn't even clap, and couldn't do the pampas grass, pumpkin, or chestnut gathering in the PTA corner, so ahhhhhh, I was so restless!!! I felt once again that being at the venue is the best. I think everyone who was there felt the same way.

What I saw this time was edited just in time for the delay viewing, so I wonder if the disc footage will be further edited and polished? I can't explain it well, but there were tons of moments where I thought, 'Ah! I want to see that expression and that pose again! I want to burn it into my brain!' I wonder if all of those will be included. I'm nervous and excited.

They seem to be appearing on several music programs in December, including Kohaku on New Year's Eve, so those are must-sees. It's not over yet, it's not over. I can't take my eyes off them until the very end.

Taiyaki