Announcement:
Tokyo, Japan February 28, 2023 – Brave group, its subsidiary MateReal who together manage the Virtual Idol Group Palette Project, and CreateRIng who operate the Aogiri High School VTuber Group, are pleased to report the successful conclusion of the two groups’ first-ever collaborative concert event; Make Up!, originally held live and in person on February 18, 2023. Archive tickets available until March 5, 2023 23:59 PM (JST.)
Make Up! The Palette Project x Aogiri High School Live Experience!
February 18th, 2023, 14 brilliant virtual performers stepped onto the stage floor of GARDEN SHIN KIBA FACTORY and greeted an amped-up audience, all too delighted to cheer and shout for their favorite performers now that COVID 19 measures had been relaxed.
The show blasted off with a deepcut, “Tricolor Step” off the 2020 virtual artist compilation album “VirtuaREAL.02”! The Aogiri High School students stepped up to the plate with heaps of enthusiasm to start the show off right. A kaleidoscope of lasers speeding around the venue lended additional atmosphere to the spectacle! Fans offered up strikes of their penlights and wild cheers to pay tribute to these bombastic performers amidst the colorful scene, enough so Aogiri themselves were noticeably moved; Tension filled the air with tension set high after just the first song.
Palette Project brought out their full seven member ensemble for the second tune of the evening.
The girls put everything they could into this stage presentation of “Dream in Bloom,” their 2022 cumulative year end single, and sixth overall that featured the entire line-up. A faster tempo than the previous tune, Palette Project upped the room fervor pulling off a compelling dance routine without missing a beat. Colorful outfits, colorful penlights, colorful members, swaying all together in a multi-colored bash! Audiences felt the sheer idol magic brought about by the singers, so clearly into it!
While they shared the stage, Palette Project and Aogiri High School both set distinctive moods with their individual performances.
Three of Aogiri’s finest, Tamako Otodama, Komaru Kurikoma, and Nekuro Yamaguro took the stage, leading an “Aogiri High School” chant and following with some of their signature banter to the delight of their fans. This Aogiri slice seamlessly transitioning into the bouncy and bubbly “Happy Synthesizer,” made quite the impression after all the talk, some thanks to the video presentation full of flying musical notes accompanying the lively stage show!
All of the sudden Kyouka Eba and Ayumu Kitami, the devilish duo who perform together as REGALILIA, manifested from the Aogiri ambiance, immediately taking the control of the concert vibe. Eschewing the familiar idol-pop tones, REGALILIA shredded through cute and colorful air with the quintessential heavy metal sound. Fans in the immediate vicinity found themselves overwhelmed by the cacophony of sounds and edgier colors, to say nothing of the pristine singing and clean choreography brought to table, keeping up fan morale.
Hardcore fans got their first taste of a crossover when Aogiri High School’s Nekuro Yamaguro and Akari Ishikari joined the REGALILIA duo for a bit of a chat.
This was quickly followed up with the first solo performance of the concert with a cover of “Universal Bunny” by Aogiri’s Akari Ishikari, ushering in a sea of red light from the audience pen lights. The elusive flavor of the song seeped into the vibe of the live show as her passionate voice reached every corner of the room, culminating into a performance so tangible you could touch it.
Palette Project’s Kyouka and Ayumu, as well as Aogiri’s Nekuro, rejoined Akari onstage for the night’s first cross-group song; A once in a lifetime four artist inter-group rendition of the REGALILIA classic “Close To You.” Excitement continually built within the audience pit, each group’s fans finding themselves becoming fans of the other group in real time.
Audience could cool down a bit for the next few songs, as the vibe transitioned from slamming guitars to breezy pop melodies.
Aogiri High School’s Rieru Gabu and Mashiro Oshiro, along with returning champion Neruko Yamaguro, payed anime-idol culture homage with a salacious cover of “soldier game.” From their broadest strokes to the smallest of gestures, it was a comprehensive performance leaving all who witnessed it in momentary awe under the pink glow of the stage.
Classically idol in sound, the Palette Project sub-group Altimate!! next claimed the stage, known individually as Rona Nanami and Kotoha Fujimiya. The duo delivered a perfectly idol-take on the track “Melancholic,” a cover song perfect for the group. Their booming vocals would seem at odds with their delicate presentation, yet for the fans seeing it in person the combination exudes a wild allure they could not drink enough of.
The room rampant with emotion, Aogiri High School’s Chiyomi Chiyoura entered the fray, almost hungry to get on the audience’s level. Sounds once again started creeping from the band, with Chiyomi popping across the stage, pink and black lights shining in her wake. She coalesced into a rather mature rendition of “IN MY DREAM,” the purposefully subdued performance lulling the fans into a collective sense of unity as the song marched on until…
Darkness enveloped the venue, and after a flash-
Fan favorite Aogiri World denizens Tamako Odotama and Komaru Kurikoma claimed the stage as their own, instantly breaking into “Turning Love!” The two may have shown up in their pajamas, evoking a relaxed hang-out atmosphere, but trust Tamako and Komaru danced and sang with all their heart. This dissonance between raw performance quality and pajamas drove the fans into a mad fervor; Extremely cute, extremely Aogiri.
“Make Up!” continued to be rich in variety from start to finish.
Those who came for Palette Project finally got to see the Sputrip ladies, Clara Akatsuki, Kaname Tokiwa, and Hanon Kanaru, under the shining stage lights.
Though, the pajama-clad Aogiri students hadn’t gone anywhere, making for an interesting visual distinction from Sputrip’s color-coordinated outfits, but arguably here-in lies the charm of co-headlining live events! Naturally that charm extended to the crossover performance of Sputrip’s “Citylight Fantasy,” Aogiri and Palette coming together to indulge the fans in a unique moment of city pop goodness that went beyond just having guest singers present; The feelings welling up in the venue could only be felt then and there.
The Sputrip three remained on stage to perform a breezy rendition of “Seikan Hikou,” giving fans who also attended Palette Project’s recent live-extravaganza something different. Sputrip did get full visual polish though, swirls and stars dancing around the stage!
Rieru Gabu and Mashiro Oshiro rushed back onto the stage, bringing with them a live-cover of “Michishirube.” From start to finish, their sparkling voices touched every heart in the room. Either Rieru Mashiro alone would have been sufficient, but the unity in their approach to the choruses and their choreography could only be called sublime, and harmony lingered until the end.
Of course, the audience found themselves consumed by the performance.
Excite continued this late into the concert, as Chiyomi Chiyoura joined fellow Aogiri stars Rieru Gabu and Mashiro Oshiro, in addition to the Altimate!! duo to perform this special combo unit rendition of “Dramatic Parade.” Pure voltage zapped through the room before the fans could recoup from the previous song. With a jam packed stage presenting quite the scene, the audiences found themselves wildly cheering before they knew it as pure euphoria gushed from the ether, any awareness of time long out the window.
All 14 members between Palette Project and Aogiri High School assumed the stage, meaning “Make Up!’s” finale had come. The overwhelming spectacle alone of 14 wonders giving their all on “Tondemo Wonders” demanded the attendees shuffle their bodies about, lest the moment leave them behind. Laser beams pierced through the air, pen lights lit up the floor, fans and performers giving their all as the night’s end loomed ever closer.
As one would expect, the love in the room necessitated an encore, with the entire Palette Project and Aogiri High School line-up offering a glorious, collaborative rendition of “Super Affection” to their fans. To the end, everyone on stage kept it up at full steam, in one outstanding culmination. Despite being a “virtual live,” the experience from these passionate performers and the brilliant songs they sang conjured tremendously real feelings in the audience’s hearts.
Beyond the fact that unique combinations of performers came together to sing songs fans likely won’t get to hear them sing again, “Make Up!” truly evoked the spirit of what makes idol concerts so special. Though the genres of music varied, seeing these two groups come together for song, dance, conversation, and cheer will remain with the fans considerably longer than the two hour duration of the concert, coming to a happy close.
Concert Archive Info
Archived Tickets (Available Until March 5, 2023 23:59): https://palette-project.zaiko.io/item/353750
Special Concert Website: https://makeup.matereal.jp/
Concert Setlist:
~Opening~
Song 1: Tricolor Step
Song 2: Dream in Bloom!
~Chat Break~
Song 3: Happy Synthesizer
Song 4: Clattanoia
~Chat Break~
Song 5: Universal Bunny
Song 6: Close to You
Song 7: soldier game
Song 8: Melancholic
Song 9: IN MY DREAM
Song 10: Turning Love
~Chat Break~
Song 11: Citylight Fantasy
Song 12: Seikou Hikou
Song 13: Michishirube
~Chat Break~
Song 14: Dramatic Parade
Song 15: TONDEMO-WONDERZ
~Encore~
Song 16: Super Affection
About Palette Project:
Palette Project is a 8 person virtual idol group guided by the idea of “Coloring the virtual to give it more life!“ established in 2018. The group’s sub-units include the classically-idol “Altimate!!,” the heavy metal incarnates at “REGALILIA,” and the city pop flavored “Sputrip.” They perform as a group and as individual units.
〈Links〉
Official Site：https://matereal.jp/
Twitter：https://twitter.com/PaletteProject_
Youtube：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cCW1xmXwRFp1tX-RD2X1Q
About Aogiri High School:
Launched in 2018 with just Tamako Odatama and Natsuki Minaduki, the channel now boasts over 500,000 followers. Its signature style incorporates high-energy posting with boundary-pushing scripted content.With Akari Ishikari joining in April 2019, then Mashiro Oshiro in May 2022, Nekuro Yamaguro the following April, Kurikomi Komaru and Chiyoura Chiyomi following in August 2021, and finally Riel Gabe in April 2022, Aogiri features a total of eight VTubers, challenging the gamut with attempts at singing, drawing, and ASMR.
<Links>
Official Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPLeqi7rIqS9uY4_TrSUOMg/featured
