Voice actor and artist Shunichi Toki celebrated his birthday on May 5, 2024 with a live event titled Shunichi Toki Birthday & 5th Anniversary Live at KT Zepp Yokohama.
This was Shunichi Toki‘s first solo live in about a year since last year’s birthday live (Shunichi Toki Birthday Live 2023 “Glorious World”).
He performed a total of 17 songs, including four TV anime theme songs, captivating a large audience that filled the venue.
This report focuses mainly on the afternoon session of the event.
Live report
Given that it was a live event after a year, the fans were eagerly anticipating the start. When the OP video appeared on the monitor, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
The opening song was a new track, “ENVY“, being performed live for the first time. As the intro played, the audience stood up, ready to get excited.
Toki appeared on stage dressed in black from head to toe, exuding a chic and mature vibe. However, his expression remained gentle and warm, showcasing a contrast unique to him. His exceptional singing ability was evident right from the start, with impressive falsetto demonstrating why he’s considered top-class among voice actor artists.
He immediately followed with “Good For“, performing back-to-back with the guitarist, and raised the audience’s energy even higher with calls of “More, more!” and high kicks, showing his proactive efforts to energize the crowd.
Then, with “Yakusoku no Overture“, he sang intensely from the center of the stage, displaying a rich expression and vocal prowess that created a different atmosphere with each song, a hallmark of Toki’s live performances.
For the first MC segment, Toki proposed a “call and response practice session” for the next song, “Hanpana Distance“. He taught the audience the rhythm claps and “Woo” calls, practicing together until everyone was in sync.
The resulting performance of “Hanpana Distance” felt like a collective effort, with the claps adding a pleasant groove and Toki’s clear vocals contributing to a uniquely joyful moment.
The next song, “Highway Love“, showcased Toki’s high notes, enchanting the audience before they took a break and sat down. Toki, acting brightly, then softly whispered the title “Wasuremono“.
Sitting down, Toki began singing “Wasuremono” softly. The stage monitors were turned off, and the lighting was reduced to a single spotlight from behind, drawing the audience’s full attention to his voice.
Fans were so engrossed that they forgot to wave their penlights, closing their eyes to savor his singing, highlighting his impressive vocal and expressive abilities.
Continuing with “Home” the acoustic arrangement allowed Toki to captivate the audience with a gentle, nostalgic atmosphere, moving slowly around the stage and sitting on the steps, showing a different side of his performance style.
After another MC segment, the audience stood up again. The latest single, “SCIENCE“, was performed with the background of the TV anime “Monthly Mousou Science” displayed on the monitors, blending the anime’s world with the live vocals.
The following songs, “original scenery” with a jazzy feel and “kitto motto” with a reggae rhythm, added to the variety of the setlist.
Despite the technical challenges of these tracks, Toki performed them with ease and enjoyment, highlighting his high potential as an artist.
The new song “Another Birthday” featured visuals from the TV anime “The Villainess Who Has Been Reincarnated Seven Times Enjoys a Free and Easy Married Life in a Former Enemy Country,” blending music and visuals seamlessly.
As the live event reached its climax, “Adolescence” included a band introduction during the interlude before returning to the song, showcasing Toki’s love for music and attention to detail.
Toki then picked up an electric guitar and performed “KEY“, “Glorious World“, and “Stand by Youth” with guitar and vocals.
This style, first showcased in last year’s birthday live, demonstrated improved skills and stage presence, raising the audience’s excitement to its peak. The final song, “Stand by Youth“, ended with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
Responding to an encore call, Toki returned to perform “Nonfictional“, captivating the audience with his sexy voice and expressions.
Relaxed in a live T-shirt, he displayed his unique charm. During the merchandise introduction segment, he impressed the crowd with yo-yo tricks, drawing big cheers.
The event concluded with “Time with you“, symbolizing the bond with fans, as Toki moved across the stage making eye contact with the audience, ending with a deep bow to thunderous applause.
The evening session had a more relaxed atmosphere, with longer MC segments and Toki stopping himself from talking too long.
The encore song “Party Jacker” saw Toki excitedly shouting “Woo!!” and enjoying himself.
The birthday live showcased Toki’s high musical and vocal abilities and evolving stage performances.
The interactive “call and response practice session” was a fun, fan-inclusive segment, highlighting the joy of music.
With a Christmas live event scheduled for December 21, Toki’s momentum as an artist continues to grow, promising more exciting developments ahead.
Setlist
DAY session
1 - ENVY
2 - Good For
3 - 約束のOverture
4 - 半端なDistance
5 - Highway Love
6 - ワスレモノ
7 - Home
8 - SCIENCE
9 - original scenery
10 - きっともっと
11 - Another Birthday
12 - Adolescence
13 - KEY
14 - Glorious World
15 - Stand by Youth
EN1 - Nonfictional
EN2 - Time with you
NIGHT session
1 - ENVY
2 - Good For
3 - 約束のOverture
4 - 半端なDistance
5 - Highway Love
6 - ワスレモノ
7 - Home
8 - SCIENCE
9 - Original Scenery
10 - きっともっと
11 - Another Birthday
12 - Adolescence
13 - KEY
14 - Glorious World
15 - Stand by Youth
EN1 - Party Jacker
EN2 - Time with you
Source: Pony Canyon official press release
©Pony Canyon
