[Morning Musume. '22] ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2022 and the Greatest Summer General [ANGERME]

Before Morning Musume. '22 appeared as the opening act for the GLASS STAGE, there was the customary opening address by Shibuya-san from Rockin' On. He introduced them with a bit of grandiosity, even including some lip service, saying, '(Morning Musume.) is creating a history where this place is home not just for rock bands, but for idols too. They are leading the way in that regard.'

Since he himself has said, 'I'm talked about as a set with (Morning Musume.) as the pre-show uncle,' I figured he was quite conscious of that, but as a Hello! Project fan, I also felt proud, thinking that the lip service was only possible because they are worth that much.

However, as an ANGERME fan, I felt a little envious of the Musume. members standing on the massive GLASS STAGE, and I watched Morning Musume. '22 from the back, acting like a knowledgeable insider, thinking, 'Well then, let's see what you've got.'

Cool down the hot Earth!

The first song was 'Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~'.

The first song last time was 'Mikan'. A song that starts with 'In the dazzling morning, wow, wow, chance' was an emotional choice that perfectly matched the enthusiasm of standing on the GLASS STAGE for the first time and the early morning slot.

However, this time, 'Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~' was an even more niche choice than 'Mikan', and I was a little worried that it wouldn't have any ripple effect on the general audience. In fact, I was watching from quite far back, surrounded by general attendees, and those around me didn't seem to get it.

Next was 'Resonant Blue'.

It's a song that is synonymous with the Platinum Era, which everyone from long-time fans to newcomers loves. However, while this is also a song that gets the inner circle hyped up, it was questionable whether it was suitable as the second song on a festival stage. Personally, it was my first time seeing 'Resonant Blue' with the current members, so I was excited.

The third song was 'Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke'. Here, the people around me finally started to react, saying, 'Oh, I've heard this somewhere.' As if providing covering fire, the fans who had been scattered outside the priority area started to come alive.

As the fans gave their all to the catchy phrases and choreography, such as 'Aisaretai! Aisaretai!', the general audience who were seeing them for the first time also gradually started to get excited, thinking, 'Oh, is that how I should do it?' The way they did it was like assassins of chaos released into the city, sparking disturbances simultaneously; it was a brilliant way to light a fire, and General Duke Hyou's famous line from 'Kingdom', 'Do not let the fire die out!', crossed my mind.

This might be meaningless if you haven't read 'Kingdom', but it's a famous scene that explains that a battlefield needs 'fire starters', and that by individuals thinking and acting to create 'fire-starting spots', it becomes a major movement.

Somehow, I felt General Duke Hyou in the actions of the Hello! Project fans at the venue at that time.

And the fourth song was '泡沫サタデーナイト (Houkago Saturday Night)'.

I realized once again the destructive power of this song.

First, the fans let out a 'Wow!', and the general audience buzzed in response. And once the song started, words were no longer needed. Everyone became one with the stage and started dancing.

With the fifth song 'I surrender Ai Saredo Ai' and the sixth song 'What is LOVE?', Morning Musume. raised the voltage of the venue as if they were attacking in waves. Personally, I like Miki Nonaka, who took over the 'is it necessary?' line in 'What is LOVE?' after Maachan graduated, and I was very satisfied to hear a very good 'is it necessary?' that day as well.

Even so, the question remains whether it would have been more exciting from the beginning if they had brought 'Houkago' as the first song. I had a constant sense of discomfort that it was a strange setlist not aimed at a festival.

But I understood everything with the tumultuous medley that started from there.

A setlist condensed with the strengths of the current Morning Musume.: 'Souda! We’re ALIVE (updated)', 'Help me!! (updated)', 'One・Two・Three (updated)', 'LOVE Machine (updated)', 'Renai Hunter (updated)', and 'Renai Revolution 21 (updated)'. And as always, the perversely brilliant way the songs were connected and the dance parts during the interludes were truly a masterpiece.

Personally, the dance part connecting the medley, featuring Maria, Kaedy, Homatan, and Ishida-san, was a highlight for me. I was very happy to see 15th-generation member Homare Okamura join the three original dance members. When Ayumi Ishida performed three consecutive handsprings solo, even the general audience around me let out exclamations of 'Wow!'

Seeing such unique performances packed into a medley, it dawned on me that perhaps this setlist was a 'concentrated, reduced version of a Morning Musume. solo concert.'

I don't think the general audience experiencing them for the first time at Rockin' understood that much, but it felt like the perfect composition to experience the versatility of the group Morning Musume. in a short amount of time.

When the live performance ended, a group of young men and women in their early 20s sitting next to me (who were definitely not fans) were cheering and making noise, saying things like, 'They really did it, that was amazing,' and 'I can't handle how good they are.'

Seeing that, I felt happy, thinking, 'Ah, it was a huge success,' while at the same time, as an ANGERME fan, a sense of rivalry suddenly welled up in me, thinking, 'I can't let them win.' Even though we are both part of Hello! Project, as a fan of a group that sits at the opposite end of the spectrum, I felt both excited and worried about how my beloved ANGERME would counter this overwhelming performance by Morning Musume.

This is because the wind was getting stronger at the venue due to an approaching typhoon. Thanks to that, it was cooler and more comfortable than the actual temperature, but it was announced that the monitors on the stage for the PARK STAGE, where ANGERME was performing, would be suspended. We had to bear the handicap of not being able to see the members' expressions from the back. This was a cause for concern.

As I sat on a bench, thinking 'Ugh,' and watching the GLASS STAGE that had just finished, memories from the past suddenly came back to me.

Morning Musume. 'Let's Cool Down the Hot Earth.' School Festival

This was a Hello! Project event held from 2004 to 2007. It was an event that called for the prevention of global warming and environmental destruction, similar in position to what we now call 'Hina Fes,' and the song released as its theme song at the time was 'Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~'.

It's been 18 years since then, but back then, we were hardcore fans.

At Makuhari Messe in Chiba, the same place as Soga, the stage for this year's Rockin', we used to line up overnight for events and dance to 'Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~' blasting from a boombox before the doors opened.

Those 'hot' memories came rushing back all of a sudden.

People were calling for action against global warming back then, but 18 years later, the world is being hit by severe abnormal weather.

The world has become much worse than that.

Perhaps Morning Musume. sounded the alarm once again on the Rockin' stage, 18 years later.

I wonder if they wanted to convey a message like a Sailor Guardian to the Earth and humanity suffering from environmental changes.

I found myself fantasizing about that while watching the GLASS STAGE prepare for the next act, and at the same time, I felt a sense of nostalgia and chuckled. I'm still following them even after 18 years. Life is wonderful.

The Greatest Summer General

Morning Musume. were so wonderful that I couldn't just sit still, and I lost the luxury of acting like a knowledgeable insider standing in the back, so I decided to stand by the side of the priority area. I couldn't just watch leisurely from the back. I had to liven things up to convey the greatness of ANGERME even to the general public in the back.

That kind of sense of mission welled up inside me.

There were probably many other fans like me. When I went near the front of the stage, many restless ANGERME fans had gathered, but everyone's faces were grinning with anticipation.

Since Morning Musume. had put on such a performance, our ANGERME would definitely come with a performance that wouldn't lose. The area was filled with a feeling akin to that conviction. I wonder what that groundless confidence was.

Five minutes before the start, the usual roars of "Uoooooh!" and "Let's go!" from the ANGERME members behind the stage could be heard, and in response, the fans also went into battle mode. ANGERME is often called a zoo or a warrior race, but recently, the fans seem to have been influenced by them, and their level of enthusiasm at external festivals is incredible.

The opening music started at full volume, and the members appeared.

There was ANGERME, dressed in costumes with their member color motifs, which is rare. Rikako was bright yellow from her hair color to her outfit, shining just like the sun. The youngest member, Wakana Matsumoto's white-based skirt outfit made her look like a Pretty Cure if Morning Musume. were Sailor Guardians, and her sparkling smile had the people around me buzzing even before the live show started, saying things like "Wakana-chan is cute!" and "There's a little one!"

The first song was, believe it or not, "46okunen LOVE".

One second into the start, the venue was in a festival state. It was the exact opposite method to the one Morning Musume. took, which was to carefully and deliberately draw the audience into their own realm. With ANGERME's boldness in unleashing a finishing move from the very first step, we were already shouting "We've won!" in our hearts during the intro.

The second song was "Jinsei, Sunawachi Panta Rhei".

To think they'd do Panta Rhei at a festival! And the opening call is handled by the youngest Pretty Cure, Wakana Matsumoto!

Screams of "Gyaaaaaaaa!" erupted around us. I know we're not supposed to make noise. But it's impossible. I never thought I'd hear "Jinsei, Sunawachi Panta Rhei" at a festival. The tension that had already skyrocketed with "46okunen LOVE" went up another level.

The ANGERME fans of all ages around me were completely overwhelmed by Wa-chan's opening call, saying "Cute! Cute!"

The third song was "Aisubeki beki Human Life".

Wait, it's only the third song, right? Wait, wait!? It feels like it's been the climax the whole time!!! The inner voices of the fans echoed.

What is this? Are we going to die after this?

It's just too much fun!!!

Dancing, clapping, waving our hands, both ANGERME on stage and us in the venue were in a huge uproar of smiles. It was so much fun that I started to cry a little from this point on.

The fourth song was "Taiki Bansei".

It's not the last song, it's "Taiki Bansei"! They're doing it already! What is this setlist! Are they stupid? Are they geniuses? Are they the best?

"Everyone, let's jump!"

Akari Takeuchi calls out from the stage.

The fans in the venue instantly check their surroundings, check their footing, take a little space in front, behind, and to the sides, and start doing light stretches.

"Ta-i-ki-ban-sei!"

The fans jump the moment the song starts. A giant wall forms in front of me. Is this the world of "Attack on Titan"? Is this Wall Maria?

Everyone was jumping so much that I really thought that. When I looked toward the back while jumping, I saw a scene where many walls were forming far into the distance. Seriously, regardless of whether they were casual fans or hardcore fans, everyone was jumping, bouncing, dancing, and clapping. What is this scene? It's so wonderful that I don't even understand it.

5th song: "Natsu Shogun"

The moment the members prepared their towels, an atmosphere of "It's here!" enveloped the fans. Around this time, Takeuchi-san encouraged everyone to hydrate, saying, "Everyone, drink some water!" "We're going to drink too, so let's drink together!" "Cheers!" I think this kind of thing is also so typical of ANGERME and it's the best. Everyone held up the plastic bottles they had and toasted.

"It's summer, isn't it!" Takeuchi-san said happily.

To me, Takeuchi-san, who was singing, dancing, and fooling around with the members with such a smile, really looked like a Summer General,

Akari Takeuchi, who was exactly like the lyrics, was so dazzling that I really, truly felt glad that she was the leader, and I cried while waving my towel.

6th song, the last one was "Tomoyo".

Come to think of it, I feel like I haven't had the chance to hear "Tomoyo" since Takeuchi became leader, except for member graduations. I wonder if people who have recently become fans of ANGERME have ever heard "Tomoyo" without it being a graduation song.

It has taken on the image of a graduation song, but after all, this song is,

as the lyrics say, it is a song that promises a reunion with friends.

Everyone who came to Rockin' and watched the ANGERME stage, whether they were hardcore fans or casual attendees, everyone who met there is a "friend" and a "companion" who shared the same time.

I am grateful for that encounter and promise to meet again. There is no song more suitable for the finale of an ANGERME festival. I was incredibly moved.

A short time, a small stage, and the location is the furthest from the main stage. If so, what can ANGERME do? It is ANGERME's victory that they thought about that thoroughly, cut out the waste, made all 6 songs high-energy tracks, and created a setlist that pushed their greatest charm, "fun," to the forefront.

ANGERME drew a crowd at a remote stage that rivaled even the main GRASS STAGE. If you don't call this sight a victory, what would you call it?

On this day, Morning Musume. showed the dignity of a flagship leading the way for idols, while ANGERME expressed the cutting-edge appeal of idols.

I want to better convey the amazingness of how they each demonstrate their own idol image through completely different approaches, even within the same Hello! Project, but it was just so wonderful and the best, and I was completely robbed of my vocabulary, leaving me with nothing to say but 'it was fun'.

It was truly the best summer.