Yoasobi Never Ending Stories – Concert Report

The most surprising moment in Yoasobi’s Never Ending Stories Concert at the Hollywood Bowl came when their composer Ayase remarked that this was the first time any J-pop group had ever performed at this storied venue. You’d think someone of the stature of a Utada Hikaru would have beaten them to the punch. But after poking around online, I confirmed that this was the case. Props to Yoasobi for their huge achievement, a testament to how popular they’ve become. 

They’ve definitely made a fan out of me through their anime-related inroads. It’s rare that I ever check out a J-pop group’s pre-anime catalog, but I was wowed by their catchy melodies. It’s even rarer still for me to continue to enjoy their subsequent releases. So when they announced a concert in LA, I was all in.

In another life, I’d be soloing this event, pencil and notepad in hand. This time, it was a full family affair. I went with my wife and my 7 year-old partner-in-crime. We’re talking a 7 year-old whose musical proclivities include a healthy dose of Maaya Sakamoto, various Vocaloid fare, and, of course, Yoasobi. I’d even go as far as to say that her knowledge of Yoasobi’s oeuvre eclipses mine by a good margin. Because this was her first ever live, her expectations were pretty high. So on a warm, August afternoon, we, along with loads of other Yoasobi fans, descended upon the Hollywood Bowl, leaving nary a seat unoccupied. 

With the stage set, Yoasobi launched into their megahit anime opener: Oshi no Ko’s “Idol”. Ikura’s high-energy delivery had the audience buzzing with excitement. My kiddo was similarly entranced, not only by the vocals, but also by the lighting effects and by the back-screen visuals. It made such a powerful first impression on her that she declared “Idol” to be her favorite moment. The anime continued to pile on; Ikura followed that up with “The Blessing” (Gundam: The Witch from Mercury) and “UNDEAD” from the Monogatari series. 

After a brief interlude, Ikura primed the audience for the next song by getting everyone to repeat “mou Ikkai!”. That signaled “PLAYERS”, a song used to commemorate the release of the original Playstation, would come next. Fans in the know eagerly fired off the iconic, effusive “Mou ikkai, mou ikkai!” at the start of the chorus and join in on the “Play on, you and me, set on the legacy” lines to create an electric atmosphere. 

And speaking of electric, after a cheery “Watch Me!”, Ikura asked if people had heard of Pokemon. That elicited an enthusiastic roar, including from my kiddo. Those in the know were amped up for the energetic “Biri-Biri” and my kiddo happily grooved throughout Ikura’s performance. 

At this point Yoasobi shifted from their anime and game tie-ins and moved into their original catalog, starting with the saccharine sweet “BABY”. During the next song, “Probably”, Ikura asked the audience to turn on their smartphone flashlights. The resulting sea of light across the Bowl felt magical. So much so that Ayase remarked how beautiful it looked from where he stood on stage.

 

Throughout all this, Ikura was fantastic. Her ability to manage the crowd was on point as she took advantage of the entire stage and even the front of the garden boxes to keep the crowd energized. Her emcee work, thanks to her English proficiency, added to the performance by providing the audience with more context about the songs and Yoasobi’s overall mission of growing J-pop overseas. And finally, her vocals were solid, especially her dreamy, wistful solo intro to “Ano Yume wo Nazotte” which was absolutely moving. 

That wouldn’t be Ikura’s only solo though! The second surprising point in the evening was when she emerged with an electric guitar to rip a riff from the opening of “Butai ni Tatte”. I was impressed by her guitar work! Finally, the main program ended with “Gunjou”, which I felt was a perfect selection in keeping the crowd excited and wanting more. Part of that was because of the refrain, which got a lot of people (my kiddo and myself included) singing the lines:

Shirazu shirazu kakushiteta
Hontou no koe wo hibikasete yo, hora
Minai furi shiteitemo
Tashika ni soko ni aru

Once “Gunjou” wrapped up, both Ayase and Ikura talked through their gratitude for all the fan support and they, and their bandmates, took a picture with the crowd before exiting the stage. 

It was at this moment that I was perplexed by folks who started leaving their seats. Maybe I’m an old hand (and I am admittedly on the older part of the age spectrum), but because the venue’s lights hadn’t turned back on, an encore was obviously coming! Oh well. The wait for an encore did feel longer than usual, leading to some scattered cries of “Mou ikkai!” now and then. But most people stayed firm and waited.

To keep the audience from getting restless, the Hollywood Bowl camera operators kept people amused by showcasing some fan reactions on the screens adjacent to the stage. One standout feature was when a young woman proceeded to wield her penlights by performing Aqua’s routine during the B-Komachi concert in Oshi no Ko. That was a delight, and she was showered with cheers.

Yoasobi did eventually come back for the encore because of course they would. Ikura promised two extra songs, then launched into the energetic “Adrena”. That choice dialed up my anticipation for “Yoru ni Kakeru” which turned out great, doing well to close it out.

The concert was a delight from beginning to end. For someone who’s been out of the loop because of life events hitting every which way, it was nice to step away to enjoy an artist I’ve become very fond of. Being able to share this experience with my kiddo, who enjoyed the concert immensely and cannot stop talking about it, was a bonus.

Setlist

1. Idol
2. The Blessing
3. UNDEAD
4. PLAYERS
5. Watch me!
6. Biri-Biri
7. BABY
8. Probably
9. Harujion
10. Sukida
11. Comet
12. Orion
13. The Brave
14. Monster
15. Seventeen
16. Ano Yume wo Nazotte
17. Butai ni Tatte
18. Gunjou
19. Adrena
20. Yoru ni Kakeru