A Colorful "Wonderful World"—I Came to Decide Between White Sugar and Brown Sugar, but It Turned Out to Be Colored Sugar ②

Takanori Sato Solo Concert 2026
SugaryBox White & Black
July 3, 2026 (Fri) 18:00 Start

Click here for the article on the first half of Part 1! ↓↓

Strangers—Sacher Torte, filled with dignity and bitterness—

The final piece of the Levey works is a song representing "Black."

From "Beethoven," it is Franz singing "Strangers."

Franz Brentano, the husband of Toni, who is Beethoven's love interest. (Franz is Franz, but he's Black Franz)

This role is incredibly abusive. It is surprising, then, that it is considered one of Takanori Sato's signature roles.

The level of perfection is said to have surprised Sylvester Levey himself.

The episode where Levey, having watched the Japanese performance, praised Sugar's Franz and asked, "You haven't been in my works before, have you!?" is truly heart-stirring.

If I were to compare this song to a sweet, it would be a Sacher Torte.

A chocolate cake representing Austria. Its appearance, wrapped in glossy chocolate, has a refined dignity.

However, the acidity of apricot jam lurks inside.

Rich, profound, and it doesn't end with just sweetness.

I thought that the depth containing that bitterness and acidity was very similar to the character of Franz.

Franz is not just a man who is merely overbearing.

A desire for control, obsession, distorted affection, and clumsiness.

It is precisely because these things are layered upon each other that the audience cannot take their eyes off him, even while feeling disgust.

Sugar expresses that precarious layering without losing the dignity of his voice.

That is why it is scary.

And that is why it is beautiful.

It was a song as rich, bitter, and somehow irresistible as a Sacher Torte.

Out There—Baumkuchen, layering wishes upon wishes—

Disney musicals were placed one song each in the first and second halves.

The first half is colored by "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

The song chosen to symbolize "White" is "Out There."

It is a number where Quasimodo, who has lived in the dark Notre Dame Cathedral for a long time, still sings of his pure wish to "go outside" and "interact with people."

If I were to compare this song to a sweet, I would choose Baumkuchen.

Baumkuchen, baked in many layers, is also a symbol of happiness, growth, and accumulated time.

There is no sweet more suitable for the heart of Quasimodo, who, even after long years of loneliness, continued to wish to believe in people and love the world.

And what surprised me most was the pure whiteness of "Out There" sung by Sugar.

This song is also one of the big "shiver-inducing" moments of the first part.

His natural gentle atmosphere becomes a huge buff in this song, and both his singing voice and his gaze are filled with a fresh brilliance, like a boy about to take his first step into the world.

Because Sugar has worn so much "Black" until now, the contrast was even more vivid.

A "White" that has not been dyed any color and is without a single cloud.

Quasimodo's wish spread quietly and beautifully throughout the theater through Sugar's singing voice.

It was such an impressive performance that if "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" were ever made into a live-action film and a Japanese dubbed version were produced, I would definitely want Sugar to play the role of Quasimodo. It would be heart-stirring if Sugar, who respects Mr. Ishimaru, played the role that Mr. Ishimaru played.

This day's "Out There" was so deeply engraved in my heart that I couldn't help but wish for that.

Hellfire—Tiramisu of temptation and contradiction—

The Disney number symbolizing "Black" is also from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Frollo's song "Hellfire."

Sugar, who was Quasimodo with pure wishes until just a moment ago, instantly transforms into Frollo, who suffers from wicked feelings for Esmeralda while being a clergyman.

That transition reminded me of the transformation of Jekyll and Hyde shown in "Confrontation" from "Jekyll & Hyde."

However, what I felt again this time is that Sugar's expression does not depict "good" and "evil" as a simple binary opposition.

Purity turns into obsession if you change the angle just a little.

Faith turns into fanaticism if it goes too far.

Good and evil are not disconnected.

They are connected on a single line, changing colors little by little.

If I were to compare this song to a sweet, it would be Tiramisu.

Bitter coffee, rich mascarpone, sweetness, bitterness, and a sense of intoxication as if it were alcoholic.

Purity and temptation are layered and overlap, losing their boundaries in the mouth.

Frollo's "Hellfire" is also a song where abstinence and desire, prayer and obsession, and purity and evil thoughts are intricately intertwined.

And I realized at this moment.

Perhaps Sugar is a performer who is good at capturing the "color" and "coordinates" of emotions.

From white to black.

From good to evil.

But that is not something that switches like a light switch.

Just as colors mix little by little and change into other colors, Sugar moves smoothly through the shades of emotion.

That thought would gradually turn into conviction throughout this concert.

Astro Boy—Pancakes, the energetic mark everyone loves—

Here, the clumsy Sugar exploded.

"Next is everyone's favorite, White & Blac... Blackyuuu!!"

The venue burst into laughter at the magnificent mispronunciation that made me think of Eiko Kano's "Staffuuu!!"

However, even such happenings are lovable.

When the song started, he suddenly changed into an energetic Atom. Walking around as if patrolling the audience, singing with a bright smile, he was simply cute.

If I were to compare this song to a sweet, it would be pancakes.

Freshly baked fluffiness, gentle sweetness, and approachability that makes everyone from children to adults smile naturally.

You don't have to think about difficult things. He just delivers the feeling of "fun!" as it is.

It was such an energetic song.

I Am Gian!—Taiyaki of magnificence and humanity—

"Is this going to be Black! (lol)"

It was a song selection that I couldn't help but retort to in my heart.

Even Gian, who had a strong impression of being a bully when I was a child, shows a human touch and a side that cares for his friends behind his magnificence when I look back at him as an adult.

Sugar sings this song, which represents Gian, with a beautiful voice that has nothing to do with "boeboe."

That gap is just cute.

If I were to compare this song to a sweet, it would be taiyaki.

It looks magnificent and has a strong presence. Yet, if you take a bite, it is filled with a gentle sweetness that is comforting.

Overbearing but not hateful.

Magnificent but warm.

Sugar delivered the charm of such a Gian cheerfully.

I Want to Know—This is the phantom, San Bu Nian—

Closing the first part is "Jekyll & Hyde."

It is "I Want to Know," representing "White."

Actually, this song is a truly "phantom" number that was only sung during the era when Kanji Ishimaru played Jekyll/Hyde.

Sugar, who has declared his respect for Mr. Ishimaru, sings that phantom song.

That alone was a heart-stirring song selection.

Dr. Jekyll's overly pure intellectual curiosity and longing for the unknown.

This song, which depicts its brilliance and danger, is also a number that I was disappointed was not adopted in this year's "Jekyll & Hyde" revival.

That is why I was really happy to meet it again with Sugar's singing voice this time.

Moreover, the venue is the Tokyo International Forum Hall C, the same as the 2026 version of "Jekyll & Hyde."

If "I Want to Know" had been sung in this year's revival, surely such a scene would have spread.

While thinking about such "what ifs," I listened to his singing voice in a trance.

If I were to compare this song to a sweet, it would be San Bu Nian.

It is a rare sweet with roots in Chinese imperial cuisine, said to "not stick to the plate, not stick to the chopsticks, and not stick to the teeth."

A "phantom sweet" that requires advanced technology and is hard to find in Japan.

"I Want to Know," which is rarely tasted and can no longer be heard in JekHyde.

The rare encounter between that song and Sugar made this day's concert unforgettable.

Alive—Brandy chocolate truffle of enchantment and intoxication—

Decorating the climax of the first part is "Alive."

The 2026 version of "Jekyll & Hyde" that shocked sweet lovers. A song representing Hyde was chosen.

You might wonder what I'm talking about, but I am still attracted to the fact that Sugar's gentle and elegant personality becomes a "buff as a debuff."

Because there is gentleness, Hyde's madness looks more precarious.

Because there is dignity, desire smells more enchanting.

Reason and instinct.

Grace and ugliness.

Clarity and richness.

Dignity and vulgarity.

It seems like it could swing to either side, but it never does.

I couldn't take my eyes off Hyde, who dances on that precarious balance, until the end.

If I were to compare this song to a sweet, it would be a brandy chocolate truffle.

Behind the sweetness of elegant chocolate, rich brandy quietly scents.

At first glance, it is calm and beautiful, but if you take a bite, an intoxicating lingering finish spreads gradually.

It was exactly Sugar's Hyde.

Until I came to this concert, I wanted to confirm which was Sugar's true charm, "White" or "Black."

But after listening to the first part, that thought began to waver little by little.

Sugar's charm is not "White," "Black," or "Gray."

It is in a place that is freer and more vivid.

I will find that answer in the second part.

(Continued in ③)