みんなで叶える物語——LoveLive! Series Asia Tour 2024
October 6, 2024, is a day I will never forget.
As a LoveLiver for nine years now, LoveLive! Series has been one of the franchises that has had a significant impact on my life. I have many unforgettable memories of both µ’s and Aqours. Although due to the well-known reasons and the busyness of real life, I could only watch the recent Aqours Lives, as well as those of Nijigasaki and Liella!, through livestreams, Blu-rays, or online videos, it wasn’t until I saw Liella! at Bilibili World last year and heard about the Asia tour and Aqours Finale this June that I realized once again how incredibly important it is to attend a live concert in person.
LoveLive! Series Asia Tour 2024-Shanghai stage began with a medley of opening songs from the four anime series, and when the three members of µ’s appeared—unchanged from eight years ago—the melody of 僕らは今のなかで began playing, flooding my mind with countless memories. I had to repeatedly reassure myself that this was not a dream but the reality of the moment.
Then came Aqours’ performance. As expected, 恋になりたいAQUARIUM electrified the entire audience, and Ruby’s コットンキャンディえいえいおー！ was an unexpected delight. I hadn’t listened to Deep Resonance much before, but there’s one line I love: “壊れそうなこんな世界で 出会ったのは偶然じゃない” Finally, they performed 勇気はどこに？君の胸に！ which is one of my tied-for-top favorite songs. Every time I feel down, I listen to it, and I nearly cried while singing along this time.
Nijigasaki’s segment featured TOKIMEKI Runners, Just Believe!!!, and three solo songs I’m familiar with. Kasumin was adorable, and Shu-chan might have the best English skills in all of Japan. The crowd roared every time during Eutopia’s Chinese lyrics.
Next was a video from Hasunosora and the group performance of Dream Believers. I felt a little guilty for not following Hasunosora closely, but the overwhelming love the crowd showed them made me realize how much they mean to everyone. I bought three acrylic lottery figures, all of which turned out to be Tsuzuri, so I guess fate is telling me it’s time to catch up.
Liella!’s setlist was filled with songs I’ve been listening to a lot recently. I listened to Guangzhou’s setlist on the way here. Tiny Stars and Starlight Prologue were deeply moving, and all 11 members were adorable. There were plenty of shots of KuuKaa, which made me very happy.
The climax was µ’s, the most intense part of the night. Even in the back of the arena, the floor was shaking. 僕らのLIVE 君とのLIFE felt like it pulled us back over ten years, and the most exciting moment, of course, was Snow Halation. After eight years, I was once again surrounded by a sea of orange lights. The finale was a group performance of No Brand Girls and Bring the LOVE!, and I lost count of how many times we shouted “hihihi” and “oh yeah.” It wasn’t until I heard “我一直很想见你” that I snapped back to reality.
The MC segments awakened memories of classic call-and-responses: GanbaRuby, Yosoro, Ohayoshiko, Sashisuseso, and Fighto da yo, as well as calls I had only ever heard through a screen before, like Kasukasu, “はんばあぐもいい,” and “素晴らしい声の人.” For the first time, I shouted them in person. It was also a refreshing experience to have two members fluent in Mandarin. Akina-chan also promoted Nijigasaki’s 7th Live and helped translate the members’ comments. When Aya-chan asked, “Has anyone been to the 2016 Fan Meeting?” I screamed out loud. At that moment, I felt so proud, though I’m sure one particular LoveLiver backstage must have felt even prouder.
The Asia tour once again reminded me that LoveLive! is みんなで叶える物語. The members of Aqours, Nijigasaki, Liella!, and Hasunosora, who have inherited this dream, were once Love Livers themselves. The orange miracle of Snow Halation, the legendary performances of µ’s and Aqours at Tokyo Dome and the Red & White Song Battle, the production of the Nijigasaki anime and movie, and the light show of Guangzhou’s Starlight Prologue were all realized by everyone together, including the fans. The Chinese title of the tour “伴你圆梦,” which may link to that for many LoveLivers outside Japan, the last time they attended a live concert might have been in 2019 or even 2016. This Asia tour itself is the realization of a dream.
Although we often criticize LoveLive!'s management and Bandai Namco, and there are regrets about Aqours Finale, attending this tour made me realize once again how much we all love the LoveLive! Series. Music is such a beautiful thing that breaks down walls and crosses borders. Next time we meet, it might be at Aqours Finale.
ラブライブ！最高！！