Summer is the season for anison, or anime songs.
I find that the anison I listen to in summer feel more special than those I listen to at other times. Many people out there appear to feel the same way -- there are probably more anison concerts in summer than other times of the year.
I think this is largely due to the influence of "Toei Manga Matsuri," a compilation of anime films Toei Co. showed in movie theaters during school summer holidays when people of my generation were children. Summer reminds me of anison because my mother strictly restricted the amount of anime and tokusatsu sci-fi action dramas I could watch at home, but I could watch as many of those shows as I wanted to with my cousins when I visited them during summer holidays.
Partly due to this imprinting, I make it a rule to hold events by anison singers every summer now that I hold anime and tokusatsu events every now and then.
Earlier this month, I held an event titled "Tokuuta Matsuri 31," the 31st edition of a concert mainly featuring songs from tokusatsu dramas. The event's main personalities were singer Yoffy and guitarist Imajo of the duo Psychic Lover, who are known for performing the theme song of "Tokuso Sentai Dekaranger" and other programs, and drummer Minoru Uchida. They were joined by two guest singers: Tomohiro Hatano, who sang the theme song of "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger,"and Tatsuhiko Yoshida, who made his debut with the theme song of "Kaitousentai Lupinranger vs Keisatsusentai Patranger." The sci-fi action drama about a group of chivalrous thieves and police force is currently aired on the TV Asahi network from 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.
The singers and musicians all provided fun talks and delightful singing.
Of course, they sing the songs from the Super Sentai Series dramas they are known for, but the beauty of this event is to let them take on the challenge of singing other songs from the dramas as well as anime songs. What's more, they do so accompanied only by acoustic guitar and percussion -- unlike usual anison concerts with a full band or orchestra. The atmosphere is quite different -- and fun.
The first segment of the day was devoted to "Kaitousentai Lupinranger vs Keisatsusentai Patranger." I asked Yoshida to sing the song for a robot of the chivalrous thieves, and Yoffy to sing "Searching for Truth," a song for the police force in the drama. Yoshida also sang the drama's theme song. Hitomi Yoshida, who usually sings it with him was not there, so Hatano stepped in to sing her part in her key.
In another section, the singers performed songs released in the anniversary years of some tokusatsu dramas and anime shows. Yoffy gave an impassioned performance of the theme song from "Bakuryu Sentai Aba Ranger." Then Yoshida ardently sang a theme song from the anime "Saiki Kusuo no Sainan," complete with recitation of the spoken lines. And Hatano sang another song for women, the theme song from anime "Kirakira Precure A La Mode," and won rave applause from the audience.
It is one of the joys of this event to see singers from younger generations working so hard and doing well.
They also performed anison originally sung by veteran pop star Hideki Saijo, who recently passed away, a fitting beginning to the summer. We're already in the middle of summer heat. How many anison will I be able to listen to live this summer? That's one way of appreciating summer days in Japan.
Suzuki is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior specialist and an expert on tokusatsu superhero films and dramas.
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