During his first visit to the Philippines for ANISAMA WORLD in MANILA, Kis-My-Ft2’s Toshiya Miyata pulled the crowd into his artistry and showed them what it’s like to be a princely idol.
Originally announced as a part of the lineup in March, Toshiya, also lovingly referred to by fans as Miyacchi, has been a long-time friend of ANISAMA, participating in the festival as early as 2021 in various roles, from commentator to eventgoer, before eventually taking the stage in 2024. The multi-talented idol came to Manila to perform in front of the crowd in the Philippines, sweeping them off their feet.
The world is your stage
Toshiya made his first appearance on the Manila stage at the opening of the show, sporting jeans, a white inner shirt, and an 8-kilogram jacket from Kisumai’s tour the previous year. He, along with most of the performers, sans Ave Mujica, sang and danced along to “We Are!” led by Hiroshi Kitadani—setting the mood for the night.
Toshiya switched gears—donning a black costume, also taken from Kisumai’s tour last year—and kicked things off with a dance break, wanting to show off his idol side before taking the heart of otakus at the New Frontier Theater. He busted powerful moves before settling down to start his first song, “Nemophilia.” Toshiya’s crisp vocals cut through the air, perking up everyone’s ears and bringing out the princely qualities he possessed whenever he was onstage. The collaboration track with ST☆RISH’s Tokiya Ichinose gave the crowd a surprise when Tokiya appeared through the VTR. Even those not so familiar with him still cheered, slowly transforming the venue into a purple palace.
He continued his set with a solo version of the Kisumai b-side track “Meramera,” which was used as the OP for Cardfight!! Vanguard Divinez Deluxe, the anime in which he played the role of Akina Myodo, the main character. There was more familiarity with the song, with some of the eventgoers having just come from the nearby BushiExpo, which also featured the said anime. People started noticing that Toshiya was the very person who played Akina. By the time the lights had faded and his vest had come undone, more people were standing, eager for more.
He greeted the audience, shouting “Hello Manila!” to start his MC. He acknowledged those who had come all the way from Japan in the audience before pointing out that there were Kisumai fans in the audience, holding up uchiwas and penlights. “Seeing it makes me really happy! I’m very happy!” He said in Japanese and English.
He went on to introduce the songs he had just performed his heart out for the crowd, starting off with “Nemophilia,” mentioning Tokiya and sending the crowd erupting into cheers once more. “Do you like UtaPrince-sama?” He asked the audience, who cheered. “Me too! UtaPuri Love!”
“Meramera was the song for Cardfight! Vanguard (Divinez) Deluxe. I played Akina Myodo. This is usually performed by Kis-My-Ft2. Do you know Kis-My-Ft2?” He smiled gleefully at the audience. “Thank you! They’re number one idols. I’m (an) idol!”
He promoted the nearby Bushiroad Expo and invited those in the audience to go, as it would be open until the next day. Toshiya then announced that the next song—the last song on his set—would be a collaboration with FLOW. He called for them to come onstage before promptly asking them if he could wipe his sweat before they started singing, expressing his nervousness performing with such senior artists. “I did lots of dancing,” he joked, throwing in the English word. “Now we’ll be doing lots of singing.” He joined them again after wiping his body, “Here we go, Butter-fly!”
He had previously performed this song with Kent Ito in the iteration of ANISAMA the year before and had brought his performance all the way to Manila. The three of them onstage had the audience punching the air, penlights and glowsticks in hand. The whole crowd jumped and sang along to every word, bringing the energy through the roof. As the final notes of the song hit, Toshiya invited everyone to jump together, a usual sight at venues like these. He thanked those watching once more before retreating temporarily backstage. His performance had left the audience drowning in a sea of purple just for the prince.
The next time the idol-otaku appeared onstage was to join nobodyknows+, Ave Mujica, ASH DA HERO, and FLOW in singing and dancing along to “Kokoro Odoru (ANISAManila Remix).” The artists mingled with each other, playing around, bringing up the audience energy higher than ever. He then returned for “GO!!!” with the rest of the ANISAMA FRIENDZ, even taking the time to hand out fanservice to some lucky fans.
Eventually, the energy had calmed in time for the show’s finale, a heartfelt ballad, “Stargazer.” The song was used as Animelo Summer Live 2024 -Stargazer-’s theme song. The song showcased the performers’ strong vocals, including Toshiya’s, which was further highlighted when he sang together with MindaRyn. He expressed his thanks and love for the audience before bowing down in front of the attendees at New Frontier Theater.
Memories were made
Despite being his first time in the country, Toshiya had created lots of fun memories he fondly looked back on during a radio broadcast after his return to Japan. Though not his first time performing overseas, it was his first time doing it alone. He mentioned that he was worried about people not knowing who he was, but instead, he thought, “We’re all there to enjoy music,” getting anisongs to be his driving force. He added how it was really fun for everyone to be hyped up as he performed, adding more to the overall vibe of the stage.
He explained the feelings that brewed within him in anticipation of the performance. “I appeared in this fes(tival) as Toshiya Miyata, but I wanted the world to know about Kisumai. That’s why I sang “Meramera“, and when they asked about costumes, I said Kisumai’s costumes would be good, so we used the costumes from last year’s tour.” He was not carrying only the weight of the costumes, but carrying the thoughts and feelings of Kisumai as a whole.
He wasn’t just there to perform, though. He went to explore near the venue, taking part in the Bushiroad Expo and taking photos with a standee of Akina and a backdrop of Akina and Nao, which he put up on his X account. He witnessed cardfights, where fighters used English cards, which made him think, “This is Vanguard to the world…”
During his stay in Manila, he got a taste of local delicacies at local restaurants. He was introduced to a purple treat, ube, which he enjoyed. He compared it to an ohagi, a sweet rice ball. He stated he wanted to come back, just to try more purple delicacies. But one treat he didn’t miss out on was Jollibee, a local fast food chain. He recalled how he was invited by his bodyguard to try out a fried chicken and rice meal, even putting up a picture of the food on his SNS.
He also shared an instance when he had forgotten something at the hotel he was staying at, but came across a fan event for him. He recounted how the himes (princesses), his fans, had made flyers about Kis-My-Ft2, indicating information about the members and their social media handles and a trading card of him. It made him think that they spread through the world. “After all, Kisumai is a really great group and being a member of the group, I’m glad to be inspired to do my best one day at a time, one thing at a time.”
He gave his thanks to the fans for being able to make such wonderful memories and hoped he could go back with Kisumai and head to different places in the country.
The carriage departs, but will return again
Toshiya ended his stay in Manila on a high note despite the rainy weather, creating many memories with his fellow performers and fans alike. His princely aura when interacting with fans truly shone through, making him a remarkable figure, his ethereal presence impacting many. Maybe he would step foot in the Philippines once more to try ube or purple food, or maybe to stand onstage once more. Who knows? Maybe one day the prince’s carriage will stop by Manila once again, bringing the rest of Kis-My-Ft2 along. All that’s guaranteed is that it’ll be another memorable experience for the renowned otaku.
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