Kansai Juniors starts their year strong with their annual Akeome (New Year) Live. After skipping last year’s concert delivery of “Fresh! Fresh! Fresh! LIVE ~ Tonimokakunimo BIG Jump! ~” (フレッシュ！フレッシュ！フレッシュ！LIVE 〜兎にも角にもBIGジャンプ！〜) they came back with an online live stream of this year’s “KANJU Akeome Live 2024 ~ The Showmon Raifuku” (関ジュあけおめライブ2024 The 笑門来福)
It is definitely one of the New Year rituals for most Kanju (short for Kansai Juniors) fans looking forward to how much growth their favorite junior had over the year and spending the first week of the year with them. This year’s Akeome Live features Kansai Junior groups Lil Kansai, Boys be, and AmBitious as the show’s main protagonists, giving it a fresh vibe as it begins a new era for the juniors.
The show started with Fresh Juniors Okano Sukoyaka, Josh David, Oka Yumeto, Motoshige Eito, and Hashimoto Seigo greeting the audience with a skit and a Happy New Year. Walking down the stairs with a cute choreography while the screens show photos of the main groups for the show and the other Kanjus coming out with flags.
Opening the show with Naniwa Danshi’s Happy Surprise, Boys be coming out on trolleys in their prince uniform for the first time since their formation. Many fans were really moved seeing Boys be’s growth both as a group and as individuals. AmBitious performs their original song Reach for the Sky right after with their member-colored uniforms, setting the whole concert atmosphere even higher with stage performance.
A VTR quickly played right after showing a palace door, and the LED stage slowly opened, revealing Lil Kansai exuding their prince aura, giving the fairytale-like opening. They performed King & Prince’s Cinderella Girl and their original song Lil Miracle.
All of the juniors came out to perform one theme song after another. Singing Aho New World and Omikuji HAPPY! as everyone runs around the stage, waving at their fans and giving the juniors the spotlight through the dance break. Before the song ends, another set of fresh junior draw lots revealing this year’s fortune: “EXCELLENT LUCK”
The first time since the company changed its name, STARTO Medley began with shuffled members from Lil Kansai, Boys be, and AmBitious singing, mostly led by each Lil Kansai member. Snow Man’s Orange Kiss showcased each member’s sweet and warm voice followed by SixTONES’ Good Luck being sure to energize and motivate you enough. King & Prince’s Koi-wazurai featuring juniors Watanabe Taiga and Mori Kane leaves you love sick with their adorableness.
Taking a break from all sweet and love-like performances, AmBitious’ Mayumi Takeyuki’s shuffle unit filled Osaka Jo-hall with a classic performance of A.RA.SHI by ARASHI with their own twists and inside jokes such as Mayumi’s TAKATSU-KING outfit and jukebox inspire (and from) his admired senpai Kanjani8’s Murakami Shingo and AmBitious’ Oka Yuri rap revenge after performing it 5 years ago. Boys be’s Maruoka Kosei also did beatbox during the rap part, adding more uniqueness to the overall performance.
Kansai Juniors without groups also had their chance to shine. Performing Sexy Zone’s Lady Diamond, the chibi juniors who entered the company last year showed off their cuteness with their senpai Lil Kansai’s Shimasaki Toa. If you were new to the fandom you might also confuse him as one of them, but it was a give away when he wasn’t when he couldn’t help but keep saying “cute” towards them during the whole performance.
One cute performance after another, Lil Kansai’s Nishimura Takuya and Boys be’s Ito Atsushi performs Kanjani8 Maruyama Ryuhei and Yokoyama You’s Panpanda with AmBitious’ Nagaoka, Boys be’s Uegaki Kousuke, and Kanju’s Okano Sukoyaka and Motoshige Eito in their panda costumes. Also featuring Boys be’s Sumi Shintaro and AmBitious’ Yoshikawa Taro who suddenly entered the stage with a gorilla costume and later changing the lyrics from “Pan-panda” to “Gori-gorilla”.
Ending the performance with a gag from Sumi which in response with Lil Kansai in pet onesies saying, “That’s definitely not cute!” performing Hey! Say! JUMP’s Pet Shop Love Motion with the chibi juniors afterwards. Between Nishimura Takuya using the bamboo props as if he was exorcising spirits and Toma Ruku absolutely owning this cute concept as the youngest. They ended their performance acting terribly cute with the comments, “This is embarrassing,” and “We did our best,” showing off their “matured” charms.
The stage went dark, and strobe lights began, followed by an EDM dance performance by the juniors featuring Yamagami Rui, Ota Sora, Sasada Harunosuke, Nakagawa Ao, Kitano Kairi, Nakazaki Yuito, Miura Shinnosuke, and Inoue Aoi exhibiting their dance skills. The performance became a great indicator that they have garnered a lot of excellent dancers in recent years. Followed by AmBitious’ Nagaoka Leo and Inoue Ichita, the two are considered dance prodigies, doing their duo performance before being joined by their fellow members Kawashita Gaku and Oka Yuri, and Boys be’s Ikegawa Yukiya, and Yamanaka Itsuki. A whole dance performance by all of Kanju’s dancers before revealing Lil Kansai’s Toma Ruku emerging from the stage.
The performance continues with King & Prince’s Naughty Girl presenting a more mature and cool vibe from the group. Following the same vibe, Lil Kansai, Boys be, and AmBitious perform No LIMIT, originally performed by Naniwa Danshi, Ae! group, and Lil Kansai during 2021’s Akeome Live. Many comparisons may be made, but it was clear how much they have grown and how the former youngest are now leading the whole Kanju.
After the performance, everyone left the stage, and a VTR narrated by Snow Man’s Mukai Koji, a former Kansai Junior, played on the screens. A series of videos from previous Kanju concerts were played, showing a talent battle between Kanju and a panel of judges, with Ae! group’s Sano Masaya being the winner.
The Kanju Coliseum segment made its comeback after 5 years, making a lot of fans excited about the whole segment. Battles between the juniors reciting Pi, telling his origin story, singing an English rendition of SixTONES’ Imitation Rain, doing manzai (stand-up comedy) and letter reading. They also did a tiebreaker with a munekyun (heart throbbing) battle between Lil Kansai’s Nishimura Takuya and Onishi Fuga.
In the middle of the battles, guest contender Ae! group’s Kojima Ken surprises not only the fans but also his juniors with his Ken-chan character joining the talent show. Chaos ensues with his skit filling the hall with laughter as he shows his duality from Ken-chan to Ken-san.
The segment concluded with Kansai Juniors’ new song, Boku no Melody (僕のメロディー), with very youthful and anime opening vibes referencing a lot of the Kanju’s history and inside jokes such as iconic characters from their variety show Maido~! Jani, Boys be Sumi Shintaro’s forehead gag, Ae! group Kojima Ken’s Ken-chan and Kojiken Samba character, and AmBitious Oka Yuri’s gag from Kansai Dream Island’s Ae Break, which all of them did at the end of a short speech from the members.
What’s a New Year concert without Kansai Junior performing their signature Akeome song, LOUD-X? Greeting everyone officially, the MC segment begins with them announcing both their individual and group projects this year, including AmBitious Mayumi Takeyuki’s own radio program, upcoming musical and stage play by AmBitious’ Ouchi Rion, and Boys be, AmBitious, and Lil Kansai’s respective solo concerts.
Noticing that it was only Lil Kansai’s Toma Ruku who was promoting their group’s concert, fellow cast asked about it as the rest of the members waited behind the LED screen. The screen splits open, revealing four members of Lil Kansai wearing white hakama as they celebrate the Coming of Age Day. Members of Boys be and AmBitious gave them bouquets of flowers in their respective member colors as congratulations for becoming adults. Each member was asked to give speeches with them, mentioning their resolutions as adults and thanking their family members.
Lil Kansai leader Okazaki Kotaro added in his speech, asking for the continued support for all 5 members of the group. Fans greeted them with loud congratulations that echoed all around the concert hall, and Lil Kansai returned it with the same energy, ending the MC segment. Lil Kansai was only around 12 years old when they entered the company, and seeing them grow up and become wonderful adults was truly a heart-warming and tearful memory for the fans.
The concert continues with a performance by all of the juniors who entered in 2023 with ARASHI’s Ashita ni Mukatte (明日に向かあって). It has been the most juniors that entered as of recent years with almost 49 members. Followed by a performance of the rest of the juniors with Kanjani8’s Brulee (ブリュレ) and Boys be’s performance of Kansai Junior’s SUPER ROCKET. AmBitious takes the main stage with their new original song RIDE, showing a more mature contrast compared to their first original song.
A VTR starring Watanabe Taiga, AmBitious’ Nagaoka Leo, and Lil Kansai’s Nishimura Takuya was played. Portraying the characters experiencing love, giving a fluttering experience, and finally ending it with Nishimura’s love confession. The Love Song Medley began with another member shuffle performing Naniwa Danshi’s UBU LOVE (初心LOVE), Sexy Zone’s Love Maji (ラブマジ), and ARASHI’s Love So Sweet, filling the concert all with sweetness. Followed by a serenade of NEWS’ Koi wo Shiranai Kimi e (恋を知らない君へ).
Presenting a different kind of love aura with Kis-My-Ft2’s LUV SICK featuring Watanabe Taiga and Hakui Hikaru, who can easily be recognized from his trending video of Fifth Harmony’s Work from Home on the Junior Tiktok. The medley ends with Lil Kansai’s new original love song, Mata Kimi ga Suki (また君が好き), with the group wearing white coats with purple flower patterns and the stage being filled with bubbles, making a dreamy and charming performance that makes you fall in love.
Another dance segment begins with Hakui Hikaru and AmBitious Kawashita Gaku, Oka Yuri, Ouchi Rion, and Ichita Inoue’s contemporary dance that absolutely brings you in with the level of fluidity and emotions that was put into the performance. The main cast performs GAME OF LOVE right after showing contrast.
A drum solo performance was done by Mori Kane, showing exceptional skills and the potential of having another band coming. Kansai Juniors performs their classics such as Kimi Kara no Yell (君からのYell) and UME Goin’ On (UME強引オン!), walking on the extended stage and being lifted by their platforms to come up close and interact more with their fans. Solo speeches by each group’s center Boys be’s Ito Atsushi, AmBitious’ Mayumi Takeyuki, and Lil Kansai’s Shimasaki Toa were done, filling the concert hall with an ocean of red penlights as the concert nearly ended.
My Dreams was performed right after the speeches, giving affirmations and resolutions of them continuing their dreams for another year. It is something that would be the most growth shown from being chibi juniors who were doted by their seniors a few years ago to now leading a new era for the Kansai Juniors. It was truly the very best way to end a concert.
Of course, we wouldn’t forget the Encore. Performing more Kansai Junior classics, they all came out in more comfortable shirts singing WEST.’s BangBang!! (バンバッ!!) and Naniwa Ittou Shou! (浪速一等賞!) on their trolleys, lifts, and extended stage, interacting with their fans and giving fan service every chance they get. You can also notice how they take time reading each uchiwa, giving waves, hearts, kisses, and hugs whilst performing. Ending it with the iconic KANSAI Island. They all gathered back to the main stage and did their final yell as Kansai Juniors. Exiting the stage after one last introduction per group and concluding the two-and-a-half-hour concert.
It was an exceptionally great concert filled with both nostalgia and fresh air. The balance of traditions and history as they look back to their roots, referencing a lot of the works that have been done through the years, never forgetting the efforts that have been previously done, but also seeing growth and bringing a fresh look to continue and move. This really marks the opening of a new era for the Kansai Juniors that is sure to be something to look forward to.
Don’t miss to check out the ALL STARTO Juniors performance from their “Wasshoi CAMP!” show in 2023!
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