Seven Years of Love: Iketeru Hearts 7th Anniversary Live
Bonjour Idol’s most senior favorite idol group Iketeru Hearts have had an interesting year. This September 11th 2021, they gathered on the stage of Shinagawa Intercity Hall to celebrate the group’s 7th anniversary since their debut, not without hitting some milestones!
It was the first full-length concert for the 9-members formation of the group, after the promotion of probatory trainees Kayama Mitsuki, Minami Ichigo and Kumamoto Miwa as members of the 4th generation.
Such anniversary felt like reuniting with family members as the group performed their beloved classics, opening with optimistic anthems “Believe In My Dreams” and “LOVE♡LOVE♡LOVE”. Emotions were surely felt as the 4th generation introduced themselves in front of the audience for this first major event. 3rd generation member Yuzuki Nanaha made sure to get everyone excited by trying to control the fans’ clapping from the stage, much to everyone’s hilarity.
The seriously intense “MARIA” and “Karma Stripe” led the way to Afilia Saga’s “Jumping”, one of the group’s most iconic covers. “Otomegokoro” and “In the name of love” followed, before the segment ended on the members cracking orange glowsticks on stage as the venue dove into darkness for “Lumica Jane”, idols and fans pointing at each other from afar in this era of social distancing.
After a short break, it was time to bring out the most recent songs, starting with the cutesy vibes of “Suki da yo Sunshine”, one of the side tracks of the group’s upcoming 8th single, “SING・LA・BANG・SHOW!”. This super-upbeat crazy tune turns Iketeru Hearts into cute ninja, and will also be the theme song for PS4 game Senran Nin-nin-ninja Taisen Neptune -Shoujotachi no Kyouen- (閃乱忍忍忍者大戦ネプテューヌ -少女達の響艶-). If you are an enthusiast of idol groups such as Dempagumi.inc or FES☆TIVE, this might be just your way into the lively world of Iketeru Hearts! The segment ended with 3rd generation’s first and the group’s 7th single, “Never stop love”, and “Rosetta Stone”.
It was the right time for the group to bring out a couple of special announcements that got everyone excited! Tachibana Rie and Shiroki Leia both announced the upcoming release of their gravure photobook and DVD first, and a mysterious enveloppe came in… 2022 will be sending Iketeru Hearts on a new national tour in Spring, taking them to not only three, but five different places! Starting with Nishikawaguchi Hearts in Saitama, the group will be performing in Osaka, Nagoya, but also Fukuoka and Sendai before a finale in Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall in Tokyo in March.
The concert’s final part was launched with energy by Shiroki Leia, as the members jumped around on “Sparkle☆Power”, before “Kibou no Chizu” started with yet another remixed intro, and waving their arms around until the very end on “KAKERA”.
The fans did not want to let their idols go that easily, and clapped a peculiar encore call, as the girls reappeared wearing the anniversary tee-shirts designed by producer Yukafin. “It’s the first encore of my life”, said Kayama Mitsuki excitedly, before Iketeru Hearts sent their audience off with a bis of “SING・LA・BANG・SHOW!” – proving to soon become a fan-favorite once it officially releases on November 9th.
It has been quite an eventful year for Iketeru Hearts, seeing quite a few departures and new additions to their line-up. The 4th generation of members, this 7th anniversary and the upcoming release of their 8th single is blowing a new wind on the group, still going strong despite the trying times for the industry. Surely a good time to jump on the Iketeru Hearts train!
Setlist
01. Believe In My Dreams
02. LOVE♡LOVE♡LOVE
03. MARIA
04. Karma Stripe (カルマストライプ)
05. Jumping
06. Otomegokoro (オトメゴコロ)
07. In the name of love 〜Ai to iu mei no moto ni〜 (In the name of love 〜愛という名のもとに〜)
08. Lumica Jane (ルミカジェーン)
09. Suki da yo Sushine (好きだよSunshine)
10. SING・LA・BANG・SHOW!
11. Never stop love
12. Rosetta Stone (ロゼッタ・ストーン)
13. Sparkle☆Power
14. Kibou no Chizu (希望の地図) (Intro Crazy Ver.)
15. KAKERA
EN01. SING・LA・BANG・SHOW!
Iketeru Hearts – Official site Iketeru Hearts – Twitter
Photos by Melody.
Article and translation by Melody