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spsnI gotta say first that watching the DVD in a super huge screen do make a different. It amuses me that bigger screen shows us things that I otherwise will not take a notice when we watch the same thing using the smaller screen, eg. your regular TV, or laptop screen. So why I only say this now, not before?
That's because LOVE has so much details and seriously, details on very little things that I think I've taken things for granted when I see Arashi concerts. In LOVE you get to see how lighting (especially lighting), staging, choreographs, effects, costumes, arrangements, skits, timing, and other concert requirements that we don't see as audience planned and put together very neatly and smartly. I don't see any gaps so far in how things put together for LOVE (yeah, I watch LOVE more than 2 times already by now). And to make this even better, this concert has very smart editors and cameramen who know what to be put in the DVD and therefore, we're blessed with so many precious moments & angles.
I think what makes LOVE concert special is the great album to start with. So basically the team have lots of room to put in their creative minds to work and for some songs, the performances are totally different from what I expected, and these are the moment where I think, 'Ahh, that makes so much sense', or 'wow, I didn't expect that, just, wow'.
Did I mention fan service just now? Arashi fan service just escalated to the new level with this concert! They're literally asking fangirls to make more Arashi fanfics, and help fangirls by giving the idea of what to write. And, did Jun just campaigning the Juntoshi combi in this concert agressively? He almost always together with Ohno. Well, maybe part of it, it's because his part is mostly sung together with Ohno, but still, almost throughout the whole concert? LOL. This definitely satisfy any fans out there and it should be deemed as a new standard.
After this concert, it'll be very hard for the next concert to match or top over LOVE. I'll be looking forward to what Matsujun can bring. If he's really the brain behind the ideas for LOVE, I seriously bow down and respect Matsujun. This is one concert that you can show off to non-fans on what a good standard of a concert should be. Fan service is included, a concert without fan service is just an exhibition, not a concert, no matter how it may look 'conflicting' (it's damn kawaii OKAY) to other people's perspective (hey, I think Arashi's fan service is very mild compared to the likes of J-Rock).
Without further a do, Aiba-chan will show you to the world of LOVE (my fave performances)...
LOVE e Youkoso!
Confusion
You can tell Arashi has a superb team of DVD cameraman, and this is so apparent when Arashi does choreographs like what they did for Confusion and Intergalactic. I'm very happy that they explore the formation choreography that I saw before during SMAP's JOY performances. It looks simple, but it does have a lot of coordination & timing. Everything must be precise, else it won't come up beautifully, and it's especially beautiful when you shot this from far away angles like what they did. Plus, a bonus in Confusion is that when they shot a close up members, they have expressions as if they're in the mids of a story, which makes it even better performance! I didn't expect that they'd do something like this for Confusion, but it does make sense when you listen to the beat, which adds to the feels, sugoii!
Right?
Bonus: Sho-chan did this move awfully A LOT in this concert. It's really fun to watch especially when he combined this with rolling his eyes and or sticking his tongue XD.
Intergalactic
Intergalactic is the perfect example to showcase how the team put together clips, lighting, staging, and props together and make it look like the whole performance is an outer space adventure. Again, same choreography concept like Confusion, which I got a feeling it's done by the same person, but in a much cooler way. I think only in this performance that the lights on the stage floor is fully utilized in full color combination, and not to mention the top lighting too. Gosh, this makes me want to study the art of lighting, it's so cool!
\
Journey to the space starts here...
Note that Aiba-chan look so serious and his hair flip is *I wanna run my fingers through that hair* here XD
When all the lights are on, from afar and closer look... gosh it's so pretty and kakkoii!
Formation dance... they do the simpler one compare to Confusion, but I'd think this one require more timing and precise positioning. Splendid.
After the amazing performance, what amazes me more is the closing position and the transition to the next song, which is so smooth because for fans, that closing position means 1 song, Step & Go.
Note: Have some Nino godly movements XD... I've been wanting to make the first gif from the moment I notice that movement LOL
Step & Go
Step & Go starts nicely after Intergalactic. It's actually a quite standard performance, off course full of winking and mild fan service (considering the other CERTAIN performances).
But let me emphasize the highlight of this Step & Go for me is just due to this Midori-kun LOL, nothing else.
1. The space getup is too hot that he's so happy to zip down the jacket while prancing around the beat plus with his HAIR fluffing like that... how to resist not making gif out of it?
2. Aiba-chan would like to remind us that hips don't lie, yes, he still has it! We're too often blessed with Jun & Nino's close up hip rolls lately on concert DVDs & TV shows that we forget the other members also can do the same, and produce somewhat same effect unh, LOL!!
Sugar & Salt
Normally, I don't really pay attention to Sho-chan's solo. But this one is just pretty for color combination. Plus, I like his jacket LOL. In this performance, they give a very clear look of back dancers faces, which is much appreciated :).
Hit the Floor
Oh, Ohno. Among all member solos, I like his the most after setting aside favoritism. So I guess I set too much expectation on what I'd like to see. Why is that? Purely because the tone of the song is not what Ohno usually does and I expect Ohno would venture to showcase different dance style, which apparently not the case. That's the only disappointment for me. But if you put it the other way around, with a song which are different from his usual style, Ohno manage to turn the table and make the song actually works for his dance style, and I find it endearing. Maybe this is just me, but I find that in Ohno's solo, the lighting always play the bigger part to elevate
And Ohno's expression when he does his solo... <3
Sayonara Ato De
Ah, where do we start for this? This is my favorite song and also my favorite performance for a number of reasons. It really surprise me that they change the arrangement and add on the water drop effect. Not to mention that Ohno do the choreograph. The lighting is just beautiful from any angles, and it's timed to follow the music's water drop arrangement, very neat! The fact the costume here looks more like a sofa/rag/pillow case (especially if you live in Asia) or somehow Matsujun thought sofa cover from Marie Antoinette's era looks kakkoii when converted to jacket doesn't really matter here. Actually I didn't really take a notice of those jackets because I was too busy gawking at the lighting when I watched this the first time.
Beautiful, right? <3 <3
I like this shot <3 <3 it just gives the feels for me <3
Again, the lighting, mezmerising...
And the best part... the ending... Gah, Nino, so kakkoii!
Rock Tonight
There's only 1 item blaring from this performance, FAN SERVICE. Everything done in this performance is literally fan service. Scripted or not, the fan service here is just top notch! From the moment we have the 'babies' clip to the start, ninomi plunged to the whole, left with the 4, the dance (where Aiba's hair looks so fluffy like a chiffon cake), and everybody just having fun in this performance, ultimate fan service!
See! If this is not fan service, I don't know what is.
Fun staging full with chibi pics, Arashi in 'uniform' getup, Arashi dance with full of smiles and grins... ah, the feels!
Ninomiya also put a thumbs up for this performance!
Yamada Taro combi with AIR GUITAR! Bring back memories ne?
So, Matsujun instigate you to write a triangle love story between him, Nino and Ohno. Is he breaking Ohmiya combi?
And nothing can stop Sakuraiba fan service! I find this too much for the heart! How can Sho-chan wiggle his butt freely for Aiba-chan to pat/caress/spank???? How can this be real? I think this is just like we're seeing fanfic comes to life!!!
I love, love, love this 4 member sequence. It's too long for me to create gif, so I leave it with just 1 pic and you really need to see the performance itself! All of them were so happy to perform this. I hope this song get to appear more than just 1 concert *finger crossed*.
Dance in the Dark
From slutty sexy in 'Shake It', to vampire sleek sexy in here, Matsujun really can emulate different types of sexy and nail it! This one is my fave solo in this concert. When I listen to this song, I'd imagine Matsujun would dance in Broadway style and Matsujun answered my thoughts, in a very glam way! I think I've mentioned this again and again that Matsujun's level of confidence is on the top level and he won't be able to give such a sexy and manly performance few years ago.
This kind of vampire? I think ladies won't mind him to take a bite and suck their blood, ne?
Melting all ladies heart with that stare... a killer stare...
We have such shots in other songs as well but here is more apparent. I think the editor has some fetish with Matsujun's hand movement. And it's sexy LOL
Can you still make a noise if Matsujun ssshhh you like that?
Splendid, beautiful scene! This looks like a lonely vampire staring at the full moon (light).
Monokuro
The transition from Dance in the dark to Monokuro is just like from Intergalactic to Step & Go, but the difference is in this case the smoothness is due to the music style, not on the choreography. Ah, again, the feels...
Beautiful scene & Matsujun pose is just kakkoii...
Again, neat lighting
I'm too lazy to make gif on each movement, but here the use of hand & finger movements & chairs as prop is just smart. Couple with the masked back dancer, it gives the air of masquerade and its mystery.
I love how Aiba-chan try to put on the face there, I wonder what was he thinking at that time? Next dance step? 1, 2, 3, yosh!
P.A.R.A.D.O.X
We've seen this multiple times on TV, but on concert, it's another different ball game. Honestly, while it's a good performance, I find that Paradox is lackluster for a climax, probably because we've seen the performance so many times on TV. It's still kakkoii in dance & staging, and full of fan service too (Nino's zoom in hip roll, for example, the cameramen now is so skilled to quickly zoom into the hip area that it feels like objectifying a Nino,and I wonder if they do the same to ladies' group). That aside, I think only in here we see a proper Paradox dance, that it didn't look as messy as Music Station's, perhaps bigger stage played a part on this.
I love this Nino's expression & off course, Paradox is Matsujun's theme song :P.
Note: Did Sho mess up on this? The rest had their hand behind them and he's the only one wiggling his hip. Oh well, it's delicious anyway LOL.
Yozora e no Tegami
Aiba-chan takes a very different approach for his usual solo style, he went for the moody brooding sad ballad (yes it's sad T__T). Somebody please tell me whether I'm hearing correctly because I think they lower the key for this song so that Aiba-chan can sing it easier. The emotion flowing in this solo is just overflown, the feels, the prettiness all mixed together. How not to love this solo? And for countless time, I'll mention this again, Aiba-chan's hair is still fluffy! So, let's just enjoy the prettiness and take a deep breadth and exhale, ahhh, kireii!
From pretty clip to pretty stage...
So many shots in this solo is just wallpaper worthy, too many! Even Aiba-chan's try to brood face...
Que: wallpaper...
Wallpaper!
Soft lighting but with impact!
Prettiness!!!
Starlight Kiss
Another fun song, with everybody grinning & smiling happily dance to it while blowing kisses. Nothing to hate, it's just filled with love fuzziness. The focus for this performance is the main stage, love the ever changing lighting for the floor, it's like the disco ball substitute, a bigger one at that!
Freaking love the stage lighting here, this is so disco!
Extra cap: Pretty Aiba-chan, bit wasteful not to post
Embedded fan service into dance step, wonderful!
Five blown kisses is that powerful!
FUNKY
Did you practice the dance? It's so fun just looking at the performance, and the feels when you see the whole dome is dancing to it! And I want those glittering penlight!
The freaking funny ending post!
Note: My favorite movement from FUNKY. Arashi is best when they do the swaying move, it's like you align eels and they wiggle in sync LOL, and Nino!!!! Gah, how can a boy be so cute and enjoying this song!
Ai wo Utao
I think the team did a smart move in putting only the short chorus on the beginning of the concert and the whole song at the end! I certainly don't expect that and the effect is, wow! I don't want this concert to end! The feels! This concert ending in a very different note. In fact, the whole course is slightly different compared to the previous concerts. Normally we have about 20 minutes of up beat --> aisatsu --> fan service segment --> solo --> some real performance --> fan service segment --> another few performance --> MC --> some solo, performance (random order) --> climax --> fan service segment --> ending aisatsu --> slow song --> encore. This time, some order was slightly different, and to put slow song (the one with impact) before ending aisatsu is endearing :). By the way, the globe thing is very very cool!
Sho-chan is damn kakkoii in this song, especially the rap part!
Wallpaper worthy!
OMG, the lighting, so majestic!
The globe thing is really amazing, and see? Sho-chan is kakkoii here!
Tooku Made
Hmmm, there're only 3 items to highlight from this performance. The globe! When it opens you'll see the flower bath! It's amazing how the staff can lay out that flowery carpet nicely within course of minutes! The timing and precision behind it, sasuga Arashi concert! Wallpaper worthy shots! Look at the heart balloons! The cameramen team is really good at capturing all this. Lastly, FAN SERVICE! Seriously, somebody should just create a fic from the series of fan service these dorks threw and mail it to them! They're asking for it!
The globe and wallpaper!
The fanfic worthy fan service sequence and I still couldn't believe what I'm typing... these sentences just scream at me every time I see this part LOL
It all starts with just Jun & Satoshi, but then Jun met Nino. Jun couldn't resist Nino's cuteness and start 'seducing' him...
Satoshi found out! *gasp* by stalking Jun (jealous and possessive 'boyfriend'). Wait, wait, not be known to Jun, Nino was busy flirting with Sho-chan.
But when there's Sho-chan, there's also Aiba-chan. Aiba-chan has the unrequited feeling for Sho-chan, but alas, Sho-chan's heart went to Nino and Aiba-chan just felt that just being friends was enough, for now.
Something unexpected happened though, Aiba-chan didn't know that he could 'love' somebody else other than Sho-chan until he met Ohno, and Ohno just recovered from his heartbreak from Jun, returned Aiba-chan's feeling *d'awww*.
So, in the end, the happiest was Sakumiya, while the tennen pair was rejoicing, and Jun, left alone.
Not bad for a fic, yes? LOL, goodness!
Bonus cap: another pretty scene..
If you reach this section, thanks for reading this super long post :)
If you notice, there's 1 point that I keep on mentioning again and again and I'd like to highlight this for the last time, Aiba-chan's hair! How can that hair be so fluffy and airy from start to the end of the concert. I always thought only Riidaa could have the hair in tact from start to end due to x number of hairspray bottle. But Aiba-chan's hair is just smooth, soft and fluffy, and though he perspired and drenched from performing, his hair was not wet, only the tips... HOW can that be real? HOW?
I think LOVE is the best concert that Arashi pulled off so far. It shows Arashi's growth & maturity as an artist & performer. But to take it as number one? I don't know, my heart waver so much on this. Up to Arafes'13, I still put TIME as my number 1, but after I saw LOVE, OMG, I couldn't decide anymore. TIME is my number one because it's a sign of Arashi's growing and LOVE is like a response that saying 'Yes, we've grown and look at us now' confidently. How Arashi pull the future concert to top LOVE? Gee, I really don't know, but I'd be expecting greater things from Arashi to come because I know they won't disappoint. Again, the feels!!!
So, what's my decision, you'd say? I don't know, I can't make up my mind! This is the first time I'm so unsure about which concert I like the best. Maybe it's time for me to re-watch TIME then...
That's because LOVE has so much details and seriously, details on very little things that I think I've taken things for granted when I see Arashi concerts. In LOVE you get to see how lighting (especially lighting), staging, choreographs, effects, costumes, arrangements, skits, timing, and other concert requirements that we don't see as audience planned and put together very neatly and smartly. I don't see any gaps so far in how things put together for LOVE (yeah, I watch LOVE more than 2 times already by now). And to make this even better, this concert has very smart editors and cameramen who know what to be put in the DVD and therefore, we're blessed with so many precious moments & angles.
I think what makes LOVE concert special is the great album to start with. So basically the team have lots of room to put in their creative minds to work and for some songs, the performances are totally different from what I expected, and these are the moment where I think, 'Ahh, that makes so much sense', or 'wow, I didn't expect that, just, wow'.
Did I mention fan service just now? Arashi fan service just escalated to the new level with this concert! They're literally asking fangirls to make more Arashi fanfics, and help fangirls by giving the idea of what to write. And, did Jun just campaigning the Juntoshi combi in this concert agressively? He almost always together with Ohno. Well, maybe part of it, it's because his part is mostly sung together with Ohno, but still, almost throughout the whole concert? LOL. This definitely satisfy any fans out there and it should be deemed as a new standard.
After this concert, it'll be very hard for the next concert to match or top over LOVE. I'll be looking forward to what Matsujun can bring. If he's really the brain behind the ideas for LOVE, I seriously bow down and respect Matsujun. This is one concert that you can show off to non-fans on what a good standard of a concert should be. Fan service is included, a concert without fan service is just an exhibition, not a concert, no matter how it may look 'conflicting' (it's damn kawaii OKAY) to other people's perspective (hey, I think Arashi's fan service is very mild compared to the likes of J-Rock).
Without further a do, Aiba-chan will show you to the world of LOVE (my fave performances)...
LOVE e Youkoso!
Confusion
You can tell Arashi has a superb team of DVD cameraman, and this is so apparent when Arashi does choreographs like what they did for Confusion and Intergalactic. I'm very happy that they explore the formation choreography that I saw before during SMAP's JOY performances. It looks simple, but it does have a lot of coordination & timing. Everything must be precise, else it won't come up beautifully, and it's especially beautiful when you shot this from far away angles like what they did. Plus, a bonus in Confusion is that when they shot a close up members, they have expressions as if they're in the mids of a story, which makes it even better performance! I didn't expect that they'd do something like this for Confusion, but it does make sense when you listen to the beat, which adds to the feels, sugoii!
Right?
Bonus: Sho-chan did this move awfully A LOT in this concert. It's really fun to watch especially when he combined this with rolling his eyes and or sticking his tongue XD.
Intergalactic
Intergalactic is the perfect example to showcase how the team put together clips, lighting, staging, and props together and make it look like the whole performance is an outer space adventure. Again, same choreography concept like Confusion, which I got a feeling it's done by the same person, but in a much cooler way. I think only in this performance that the lights on the stage floor is fully utilized in full color combination, and not to mention the top lighting too. Gosh, this makes me want to study the art of lighting, it's so cool!
\Journey to the space starts here...
Note that Aiba-chan look so serious and his hair flip is *I wanna run my fingers through that hair* here XD
When all the lights are on, from afar and closer look... gosh it's so pretty and kakkoii!
Formation dance... they do the simpler one compare to Confusion, but I'd think this one require more timing and precise positioning. Splendid.
After the amazing performance, what amazes me more is the closing position and the transition to the next song, which is so smooth because for fans, that closing position means 1 song, Step & Go.
Note: Have some Nino godly movements XD... I've been wanting to make the first gif from the moment I notice that movement LOL
Step & Go
Step & Go starts nicely after Intergalactic. It's actually a quite standard performance, off course full of winking and mild fan service (considering the other CERTAIN performances).
But let me emphasize the highlight of this Step & Go for me is just due to this Midori-kun LOL, nothing else.
1. The space getup is too hot that he's so happy to zip down the jacket while prancing around the beat plus with his HAIR fluffing like that... how to resist not making gif out of it?
2. Aiba-chan would like to remind us that hips don't lie, yes, he still has it! We're too often blessed with Jun & Nino's close up hip rolls lately on concert DVDs & TV shows that we forget the other members also can do the same, and produce somewhat same effect unh, LOL!!
Sugar & Salt
Normally, I don't really pay attention to Sho-chan's solo. But this one is just pretty for color combination. Plus, I like his jacket LOL. In this performance, they give a very clear look of back dancers faces, which is much appreciated :).
Hit the Floor
Oh, Ohno. Among all member solos, I like his the most after setting aside favoritism. So I guess I set too much expectation on what I'd like to see. Why is that? Purely because the tone of the song is not what Ohno usually does and I expect Ohno would venture to showcase different dance style, which apparently not the case. That's the only disappointment for me. But if you put it the other way around, with a song which are different from his usual style, Ohno manage to turn the table and make the song actually works for his dance style, and I find it endearing. Maybe this is just me, but I find that in Ohno's solo, the lighting always play the bigger part to elevate
And Ohno's expression when he does his solo... <3
Sayonara Ato De
Ah, where do we start for this? This is my favorite song and also my favorite performance for a number of reasons. It really surprise me that they change the arrangement and add on the water drop effect. Not to mention that Ohno do the choreograph. The lighting is just beautiful from any angles, and it's timed to follow the music's water drop arrangement, very neat! The fact the costume here looks more like a sofa/rag/pillow case (especially if you live in Asia) or somehow Matsujun thought sofa cover from Marie Antoinette's era looks kakkoii when converted to jacket doesn't really matter here. Actually I didn't really take a notice of those jackets because I was too busy gawking at the lighting when I watched this the first time.
Beautiful, right? <3 <3
I like this shot <3 <3 it just gives the feels for me <3
Again, the lighting, mezmerising...
And the best part... the ending... Gah, Nino, so kakkoii!
Rock Tonight
There's only 1 item blaring from this performance, FAN SERVICE. Everything done in this performance is literally fan service. Scripted or not, the fan service here is just top notch! From the moment we have the 'babies' clip to the start, ninomi plunged to the whole, left with the 4, the dance (where Aiba's hair looks so fluffy like a chiffon cake), and everybody just having fun in this performance, ultimate fan service!
See! If this is not fan service, I don't know what is.
Fun staging full with chibi pics, Arashi in 'uniform' getup, Arashi dance with full of smiles and grins... ah, the feels!
Ninomiya also put a thumbs up for this performance!
Yamada Taro combi with AIR GUITAR! Bring back memories ne?
So, Matsujun instigate you to write a triangle love story between him, Nino and Ohno. Is he breaking Ohmiya combi?
And nothing can stop Sakuraiba fan service! I find this too much for the heart! How can Sho-chan wiggle his butt freely for Aiba-chan to pat
I love, love, love this 4 member sequence. It's too long for me to create gif, so I leave it with just 1 pic and you really need to see the performance itself! All of them were so happy to perform this. I hope this song get to appear more than just 1 concert *finger crossed*.
Dance in the Dark
From slutty sexy in 'Shake It', to vampire sleek sexy in here, Matsujun really can emulate different types of sexy and nail it! This one is my fave solo in this concert. When I listen to this song, I'd imagine Matsujun would dance in Broadway style and Matsujun answered my thoughts, in a very glam way! I think I've mentioned this again and again that Matsujun's level of confidence is on the top level and he won't be able to give such a sexy and manly performance few years ago.
This kind of vampire? I think ladies won't mind him to take a bite and suck their blood, ne?
Melting all ladies heart with that stare... a killer stare...
We have such shots in other songs as well but here is more apparent. I think the editor has some fetish with Matsujun's hand movement. And it's sexy LOL
Can you still make a noise if Matsujun ssshhh you like that?
Splendid, beautiful scene! This looks like a lonely vampire staring at the full moon (light).
Monokuro
The transition from Dance in the dark to Monokuro is just like from Intergalactic to Step & Go, but the difference is in this case the smoothness is due to the music style, not on the choreography. Ah, again, the feels...
Beautiful scene & Matsujun pose is just kakkoii...
Again, neat lighting
I'm too lazy to make gif on each movement, but here the use of hand & finger movements & chairs as prop is just smart. Couple with the masked back dancer, it gives the air of masquerade and its mystery.
I love how Aiba-chan try to put on the face there, I wonder what was he thinking at that time? Next dance step? 1, 2, 3, yosh!
P.A.R.A.D.O.X
We've seen this multiple times on TV, but on concert, it's another different ball game. Honestly, while it's a good performance, I find that Paradox is lackluster for a climax, probably because we've seen the performance so many times on TV. It's still kakkoii in dance & staging, and full of fan service too (Nino's zoom in hip roll, for example, the cameramen now is so skilled to quickly zoom into the hip area that it feels like objectifying a Nino,
I love this Nino's expression & off course, Paradox is Matsujun's theme song :P.
Note: Did Sho mess up on this? The rest had their hand behind them and he's the only one wiggling his hip. Oh well, it's delicious anyway LOL.
Yozora e no Tegami
Aiba-chan takes a very different approach for his usual solo style, he went for the moody brooding sad ballad (yes it's sad T__T). Somebody please tell me whether I'm hearing correctly because I think they lower the key for this song so that Aiba-chan can sing it easier. The emotion flowing in this solo is just overflown, the feels, the prettiness all mixed together. How not to love this solo? And for countless time, I'll mention this again, Aiba-chan's hair is still fluffy! So, let's just enjoy the prettiness and take a deep breadth and exhale, ahhh, kireii!
From pretty clip to pretty stage...
So many shots in this solo is just wallpaper worthy, too many! Even Aiba-chan's try to brood face...
Que: wallpaper...
Wallpaper!
Soft lighting but with impact!
Prettiness!!!
Starlight Kiss
Another fun song, with everybody grinning & smiling happily dance to it while blowing kisses. Nothing to hate, it's just filled with love fuzziness. The focus for this performance is the main stage, love the ever changing lighting for the floor, it's like the disco ball substitute, a bigger one at that!
Freaking love the stage lighting here, this is so disco!
Extra cap: Pretty Aiba-chan, bit wasteful not to post
Embedded fan service into dance step, wonderful!
Five blown kisses is that powerful!
FUNKY
Did you practice the dance? It's so fun just looking at the performance, and the feels when you see the whole dome is dancing to it! And I want those glittering penlight!
The freaking funny ending post!
Note: My favorite movement from FUNKY. Arashi is best when they do the swaying move, it's like you align eels and they wiggle in sync LOL, and Nino!!!! Gah, how can a boy be so cute and enjoying this song!
Ai wo Utao
I think the team did a smart move in putting only the short chorus on the beginning of the concert and the whole song at the end! I certainly don't expect that and the effect is, wow! I don't want this concert to end! The feels! This concert ending in a very different note. In fact, the whole course is slightly different compared to the previous concerts. Normally we have about 20 minutes of up beat --> aisatsu --> fan service segment --> solo --> some real performance --> fan service segment --> another few performance --> MC --> some solo, performance (random order) --> climax --> fan service segment --> ending aisatsu --> slow song --> encore. This time, some order was slightly different, and to put slow song (the one with impact) before ending aisatsu is endearing :). By the way, the globe thing is very very cool!
Sho-chan is damn kakkoii in this song, especially the rap part!
Wallpaper worthy!
OMG, the lighting, so majestic!
The globe thing is really amazing, and see? Sho-chan is kakkoii here!
Tooku Made
Hmmm, there're only 3 items to highlight from this performance. The globe! When it opens you'll see the flower bath! It's amazing how the staff can lay out that flowery carpet nicely within course of minutes! The timing and precision behind it, sasuga Arashi concert! Wallpaper worthy shots! Look at the heart balloons! The cameramen team is really good at capturing all this. Lastly, FAN SERVICE! Seriously, somebody should just create a fic from the series of fan service these dorks threw and mail it to them! They're asking for it!
The globe and wallpaper!
The fanfic worthy fan service sequence and I still couldn't believe what I'm typing... these sentences just scream at me every time I see this part LOL
It all starts with just Jun & Satoshi, but then Jun met Nino. Jun couldn't resist Nino's cuteness and start 'seducing' him...
Satoshi found out! *gasp* by stalking Jun (jealous and possessive 'boyfriend'). Wait, wait, not be known to Jun, Nino was busy flirting with Sho-chan.
But when there's Sho-chan, there's also Aiba-chan. Aiba-chan has the unrequited feeling for Sho-chan, but alas, Sho-chan's heart went to Nino and Aiba-chan just felt that just being friends was enough, for now.
Something unexpected happened though, Aiba-chan didn't know that he could 'love' somebody else other than Sho-chan until he met Ohno, and Ohno just recovered from his heartbreak from Jun, returned Aiba-chan's feeling *d'awww*.
So, in the end, the happiest was Sakumiya, while the tennen pair was rejoicing, and Jun, left alone.
Not bad for a fic, yes? LOL, goodness!
Bonus cap: another pretty scene..
If you reach this section, thanks for reading this super long post :)
If you notice, there's 1 point that I keep on mentioning again and again and I'd like to highlight this for the last time, Aiba-chan's hair! How can that hair be so fluffy and airy from start to the end of the concert. I always thought only Riidaa could have the hair in tact from start to end due to x number of hairspray bottle. But Aiba-chan's hair is just smooth, soft and fluffy, and though he perspired and drenched from performing, his hair was not wet, only the tips... HOW can that be real? HOW?
I think LOVE is the best concert that Arashi pulled off so far. It shows Arashi's growth & maturity as an artist & performer. But to take it as number one? I don't know, my heart waver so much on this. Up to Arafes'13, I still put TIME as my number 1, but after I saw LOVE, OMG, I couldn't decide anymore. TIME is my number one because it's a sign of Arashi's growing and LOVE is like a response that saying 'Yes, we've grown and look at us now' confidently. How Arashi pull the future concert to top LOVE? Gee, I really don't know, but I'd be expecting greater things from Arashi to come because I know they won't disappoint. Again, the feels!!!
So, what's my decision, you'd say? I don't know, I can't make up my mind! This is the first time I'm so unsure about which concert I like the best. Maybe it's time for me to re-watch TIME then...
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Date: 2014-08-03 11:18 pm (UTC)JFKDSJFSALJDLASFJ THIS CONCERT IS LIKE...TOPS. Their best, so far. IA with you: Time was a beautiful snapshot of them growing into who they were going to be (ofc they had no way of knowing how big they'd become but Time held such naive optimism and sheer joy and it will never not be beautiful to watch) but LOVE. LOVE is a completely different ballgame. IT IS THEM AT THE TOP, WITH SO MUCH CONFIDENCE AND, WELL, GENEROSITY. You are right, everything you have outlined about this con: lightings, stage, even the fan service, was all so lovingly created for their fans, and you could just FEEL IT. The love, mixed with experience and ease from half a decade of working the biggest concert venues in Japan to sold out audiences. THEY HAVE GOT IT DOWN.
Maybe we don't have to decide which one we like better. We can have two number 1s haha! Funnily enough I watched Time before getting my LOVE dvd! Best decision ever beccause just seeing the transformation while also sensing all the small things that have never changed was enough to make me cry.
I would like to bask in this post more and more! I was typing up my own views on LOVE (coincidence!) but now I just feel like abandoning it because you've said most of what I wanted to say. THEN I COULD JUST GO AND REWATCH IT AGAIN AND AGAIN, BECAUSE FEELINGSSSSS
I don't know how they'll ever top this either, but hey. When you have Jun in the group, complacency will never happen :DDD
AKA I LOVE THIS POST OMG ARASHI HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO US AFTER ALL THESE YEARSSSS ALSO I'M SORRY FOR RAMBLING I JUST HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS <333333
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Date: 2014-08-04 02:20 am (UTC)you're right, Arashi love and treasure their fans, and it's so apparent in this concert. It's like they package this concert with glitters, feathers and sparkles as a present for fans. They know Exactly what fans want see and the best thing is They cater this to different types of fans and different demographic as well. People wo are not into fan service still can enjoy the concert because the staging and everything are worth to gawk at, i think this is what makes arashi successful in pulling out concerts.
and let's talk about the lighting, arashi utilize their 5color mascot even to the lighting, not only their costumes, everything juse revolve around those 5colors! The feels!!!
yeah, we should just have 2 number ones lol, we're greedy! I think it's a que for Matsujun to step up to the next level, the guy loves challenges anyway, really respect him!
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Date: 2014-08-04 06:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-05 12:41 pm (UTC)Do watch the concert and share your thoughts XD
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Date: 2014-08-05 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-05 12:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-07 08:22 am (UTC)XD
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Date: 2014-08-07 12:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-07 08:26 am (UTC)i downloaded it at wee hours at my home town since only at that time the connection is better only for downloading the file XD
but it is worth the wait XD
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Date: 2014-08-07 12:27 pm (UTC)how's indo? you're there during the election, right? did you vote?
internet there is gruesome, i'm amazed that you get to download the whole thing, I couldn't even download my hotmail properly when I was there T__T...
This one concert is really full of feels, ne XD
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Date: 2014-08-07 01:54 pm (UTC)yesss the concert is full of Love, i dont regret i sacrifice my sleeping time XD
ah i went back home after election and urgh i regret that i became the volunteer for the election post as i ended up in the a city that full of indonesian worker hence the crowded and nightmarish place, my friend said it was like 'digerebek massa'. The calculation is gruesome too because we must do it manually and if the result is different, we must redo it Lol
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Date: 2014-08-07 02:03 pm (UTC)o wow, you volunteer for the election, must be a tiring day for you! you meant to tally manually between how many people register and the total votes right? that's a nightmare! oh well, it's passed and we have the trial now, when will you return to Korea?
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Date: 2014-08-07 02:30 pm (UTC)so it was like 5 night straight since i only can do it at night,at noon my schedule was full for the family gathering and other reunion :D and probably because many people were back home too so the connection was more shitty :P
and i really like intergalactic and confusion choreography too,
maybe i didn't expect the choreography was arranged like that, i imagined it was like 'mada minu sekai for intergalactic's, but i still love it :D
the formation dance reminds me with japanese precision walking on youtube, probably arashi hired the same coach XD
i'll be back to korea this weekend..cant wait to see my Love DVD XD
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Date: 2014-08-07 02:36 pm (UTC)yes i think we didn't expect intergalactic & confusion were choreographed that way, that's why the feels level went up :) the formation reminds me of the much cooler version of 'baris berbaris', apparently it's very popular in Japan, I love what SMAP did for JOY that's why it's stuck in my head hahaha...
i still can't rid off the feels for sayonara ato de, everything was so right for that performance haha... the water drop effect was fantastic :)