The up-and-coming Kansai group AmBitious performed at Kanadevia Hall on August 9, 2025, as part of their first-ever nationwide tour: “AmBitious LIVE 2025 Hajimemashite Zenkoku Tour – AmBitious wo Yoroshiku Onegaishasu.” Running through November, the tour spans 12 cities, 45 performances, and is expected to welcome a whopping 84,000 fans in all.
Dumpling Box had the honor of attending the August 9 show, thanks to the lovely Stephanie!
Formed in 2021 by talent-producer Tadayoshi Ohkura of SUPER EIGHT with members all hailing from the Kansai region, AmBitious is a STARTO ENTERTAINMENT Junior group consisting of seven members: Takeyuki Mayumi, Yuri Oka, Leo Nagaoka, Ichita Inoue, Rikuto Ura, Rion Ouchi, and Itsuki Yamanaka.
The concert featured a setlist of both their original songs mixed with their senpai’s. Songs from Snow Man, SixTONES, ARASHI, DOMOTO, SMAP, timelesz, WEST., KAT-TUN, King & Prince, Shonentai, Ae! group, V6, SUPER EIGHT, and of course, AmBitious were arranged to tell one cohesive story.
The first block opened in a fantasy setting, where they were portrayed as heroes tasked with completing a mysterious tower. Kicking things off in stunning white costumes, they began with their original song “Ride,” and quickly jumped into covers of songs from their senpai, including Snow Man’s “EMPIRE” and SixTONES’ “NAVIGATOR” and “ANTHEM,” surrounded by cold sparks that lit up the stage. Their high-level choreography immediately captivated the audience, and they carried that energy level throughout the show.
Next up was their self-introduction section, and in typical AmBitious fashion, they showcased their humor and personality:
Reo: “Ore! Reo!”
Takeyuki: “Maegami kirisugite on Mayumi! Do you love us? I love you!”
Itsuki: “Make some noise! Are you having a blast? Keep the energy up ‘til the end of the show!”
Yuri: “Salmon, konbu? Or okaka?”
Rikuto: “Endless smile, o mo te nashi!”
Rion: “It’s not L, it’s R. It’s not Lion, it’s Rion!”
Ichita: “3, 2, 1, Ichita!”
The group’s classic call-and-response chant had “AmBi!” “AmBi!” echoing throughout the venue.
In the unit song section, fans got a taste of each member’s uniqueness. Takeyuki, Reo, and Itsuki energized the crowd with ARASHI’s “Lucky Man,” while Yuri and Ichita came back from a quick costume change to perform DOMOTO’s “Back Fire.” Rikuto and Rion began DOMOTO’s “Kiss Kara Hajimaru Mystery” before the whole group rejoined for a fresh ensemble moment.
SMAP’s “Hey Hey Ookini Maido Ari” became a highlight as they taught the audience the choreography so that they could join in on the fun. And in another AmBitious tradition, they acknowledged the standing-only section, letting them shout, “I can’t sit down!”
A stylish VTR featuring a runway and paparazzi clips signaled the transition to the next block, featuring performances of timelesz’s “NOT FOUND” and WEST.’s “AWARD.”
Next up was the MC segment. They revealed their typical rooming arrangements: Takeyuki & Itsuki, Ichita & Reo, Rion & Rikuto, and Yuri alone. Although there’s nothing wrong with the current groupings, they felt sorry for Rion, who has to room with Rikuto. They revealed that Rikuto always wakes up two hours before the assigned meeting time (no matter how early it is or how close the meeting point is), and his alarm is Naniwa Danshi’s “Sachi-Are.”
On the count of three, they all pointed at another member they wanted to room with. Takeyuki pointed at Rion and said, “‘cuz we’re friends!” Ichita pointed at Itsuki and said, “It’s because I don’t have to be overly considerate with him.” Rikuto picked Takeyuki: “I roomed with Oka-chan for two weeks last year, so I think I’ll give him a break. And I’d be worried about waking up Itsuki with my alarm,” to which Rion tsukkomi’d, with, “Hey, be more considerate of me!”
Meanwhile, Reo and Yuri pointed at each other and exclaimed, “It’s mutual!” Reo explained, “Oka-chan hasn’t really shared a room. He seems good at being alone, but he also doesn’t seem to have any negative aspects to being around people!” Yuri then shared, “Reo is so friendly! Even when I feel like being by myself, when Reo talks to me I don’t feel bad at all. But when Mayumi talks to me, instead of saying ‘ne, ne’ he suddenly comes in with ‘sheeeh!’ that weirdo.”
Takeyuki explained, “Even in the hotel room, I’m doing variety. I’m a true variety person! I chose Itsuki. We get along great!” while Itsuki picked his gaming buddy, Reo. Yuri said, “I also picked Reo. I won’t do the ‘sheeeh!’ thing, ok!” Looks like Reo is the one most of the members want to room with!
In another fun corner, each member chose a song they wanted the group to perform, and they spun a wheel to decide who won. The song selections were:
“Sekirara” by SUPER EIGHT (Takeyuki)
“Unmei Girl” by Kis-My-Ft2 (Reo)
“Ai no Dorei” by WEST. (Yuri)
“Something New” by WEST. (Itsuki)
“Real Face” by KAT-TUN (Ichita)
“Cinderella Girl” by King & Prince (Rikuto)
“Kimi Dake ni” by Shonentai (Rion)
This time was Ichita’s choice, KAT-TUN’s “Real Face!” Since the songs are randomly chosen every show, this is something fans can look forward to if they attend multiple performances!
Next, they paid homage to their Kansai senpai by performing Ae! group’s “Colorful Days” which then segued into Rion showcasing his piano skills and Yuri dancing elegantly nearby.
Another highlight was during the performance of WEST.’s “Moonlight,” where Rion princess-carried Yuri across the stage, leading to deafening “kyaaa!!!”s from the audience. And during SUPER EIGHT’s “Gamushara Koushinkyoku,” the group dashed through the aisles, getting up close and interacting directly with the fans.
As the concert neared its end, the group embraced their identity by performing their original songs, “Reach for the Sky” (choreographed by Matori Hayashi) and “Ride.” They concluded by introducing their new song, “耽美 -TANBI-,” to the delight of the audience. After the members left the stage, chants of “AmBi! AmBi!” filled the hall, calling them back for an encore. They returned to perform three final songs, closing the show with “関西アイランド.”
Takeyuki was sure to express his appreciation to the fans, “Thank you for always supporting us! The seven members of AmBitious will overcome any obstacle we face, so please keep cheering for us!”
Before taking their final bow, the members shouted, “We Are!” and the crowd responded with a resounding “AmBitious!” bringing the show to a close. Keep an eye on AmBitious, a group undoubtedly on the rise! As Reo exclaimed, “AmBitious is about to shake up Japan!”
Concert photography © STARTO ENTERTAINMENT.
Following last year’s live tour—a defining moment that showcased a more musically mature and performance-driven AmBitious to audiences across Japan—this year’s tour feels like a natural continuation of their evolution.
For a deeper look at how far they’ve come, be sure to check out our full live report from the tour, where we captured not just the spectacle, but the heart of their performance journey. Fans, whether you’ve been there since day one or just discovered them, are bound to notice how brightly AmBitious continues to shine.
