Mei ManuelKonnichassssuuuuuu!!!
Yes yes yes! We’re close to the end point and wow, haha, this is going to be one for the books indeed.
Before you begin, some reminders. Please do read them and yes, do enjoy wont you?
This entire live report will be divided into four major parts due to the content yours truly has written for all of you. Each part will be uploaded within the next three days exactly at 8:30 pm to add to the excitement as to how everything came to place.
The photos included in this report are credited to their respective owners. If you wish a copy of any photo, please drop by at http://facebook.com/kazeshishou or use my contact page so I can speak to you about it. If you wish to feature this live report, please do the same process.
And, before you start with this wave, please do bring out your tissues, hankies or whatever because Mei will take you back to where it all began. Please also refrain from throwing any dangerous items, including your phones or computers once you do finish these parts for the sake of your family members and yourself because it is likely these posts will involve tons of random emotions. You have been advised accordingly.
If you do have any comments, suggestions, confessions and all those sorts of things because of this live report, do post at the end of the blog entry. I would love to hear from you guys just how much these four major posts will affect you all.
Lets get this on!!!!!
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Last Dance – was the next song played after ‘Clock Strikes’. This is also one of the songs Taka continuously practiced in the soundcheck (to check just why I said this and you haven’t read that bit, please look at this link) and wow! Seeing him belch out those notes with a clear visual was extraordinary! The vocal range of this man is out of this world! To me it was surreal to see him actually perform this song since when they did soundcheck, we all had super goosebumps when we at Royalty heard it. In live, it was perfect (Never ever criticize Taka again for being a perfectionist. His passion in singing Last Dance was just inspiring as he sang, his face mirrors every emotion he held).
Of course we kept singing with him (when did we not?) and the lights just added to the ambiance the song conveyed to people. Some were also clapping, which added more to the love. And to the surprise of some and might not be fully heard by everyone, he said “Salamat” on the end. YES! Taka said something in Filipino!!!
Instrumental – Ah! Many fans went gaga over this as Toru and Ryota strutted their stuff with Tomoya for an instrumental. Usually their instrumentals are top notch and no specific song from what I recall but they just showed their utter rifts and beats. At one point, Toru even went beside Tomoya and rocked out loud. Many fans loved it! I did too! (Sees Ryota’s abs… sigh. Perfect abs!!) The most perfect scene there is both Toru and Ryota in the center as if saying ‘I’m better than you Ryota’ ‘No, I’m better than you Toru’ banter of those two. Hahaha. Those two are geniuses! I also loved it when Toru would just lean back while playing while Ryota would get super close with his tongue out overpowering Toru’s rifts then Toru would get back at him.
Not that clear, but WOW! Ryota and Toru battling it out for this song!
Another shot of the instrumental battle between these three! Photo is by my friend Jumi!!!
Cry Out – Taka comes back in after the instrumental and the lights illuminated all four of them. He even called to us “Let me see you move Manila”, earning him some cheers from us. When he said, “Let’s make some noise”, he got what he want, Manila style! Us fans also sang along, especially for the first lines of the song where a second voice would be played. Toru and Ryota (with his now LED bass which I only see in some of their lives) moved along the stage as well and Toru and Ryota’s backup vocals, WOAH!
Somewhere around this same song, I took this photo of Julen Esteban-Pretel of Julenphoto. Sigh, I wanted to get an autograph of him since I brought my PF 2016 (where tons of his shots were used) but sigh, next time!
On the chorus, all of us sang so loud! I couldn’t really hear Taka much (the woes of being in the standing crowd), but we just sang so loud much to their approval. We clapped and jumped as Taka asked us to as he continued the song and we replied with the chants of the song. On the last chorus, we just came to life since we jumped and rocked on with ONE OK ROCK.
Toru rocking out for this song! Photo is by my wacky friend Jumi!!!
Heartache- The lights slowly faded for a bit as Toru took his acoustic guitar and took a seat. We all knew what song he would play and we all lost it as he strummed the first keys to this song. Taka began by saying “You guys are f-kin’ awesome. Thank you so much!!!” which got us all cheering for him. He then said how happy they all were in being in the country and shouted “Thank you for having us! We appreciate it!”.
More resounding cheers from all of us as he said that. After that, he said they will play a “slow” song which we all loved and the cheering became more pronounced when Taka said he will sing it in Japanese. While I have no qualms with the English version, the acoustic and Japanese version of Heartache is just breathtaking and pulls the heartstrings to the point you want to cry each time you hear it performed. Taka then asked the fans to sing along with him and it was a resounding yes for all of us.
We did sing along with him much like how we did in the first songs and there are often times he would just raise his mic up for us to sing for him. I dunno if people noticed it but as he sang the words to Heartache, he would often have his other hand on his chest, close to his heart and at that point, we were all melting with him as we sang along. His vocal range is also top notch and there were often times he would add new melodies and exhibit just how great his voice is! What on earth can you not do Taka?
Taka on closeup. He looks golden in this photo! He looks as if he’s challenging Manila. Are we going to surrender?!? NEEVERRRR! Photo by PULP Live World.
Throughout the song though, I dunno how it all started but slowly, we all raised our phones with our flashlights on and made a sea of lights for him just like in Be the light in MLF 2014. We didn’t plan it, we didn’t talk about it, we just did it. At that point, Taka and Toru had smiles on their faces and watched as the sea of silver went along with the song (albeit the waves were pretty much erratic. Hahaha, we didn’t have a specific wave direction at all). I wanted to cry as we sang along. It was definitely one of my most favorite scenes in the show.
View of these lights from VIP 2! YES PEOPLE! WE MADE IT!
Upper Box shot of Heartache’s Sea of Lights! Thanks to Dianne Laplana for this photograph!
Both Taka and Toru did agree on this I think as seen in their IG posts after the live. Taka’s eyes – when he got close to us ever so often – were filled with emotion that I thought we will see him cry. Awww! Taka, its ok! There were also times that his voice slightly cracked but hey, you will never notice it if you are far away but there were times he would also laugh a bit then sing. (I was that focused on him for this song)
Decision – Right after Heartache, I thought Taka would sing this in Japanese because Tyler Carter wasn’t with him. I loved both editions (including the Acoustic for the Studio Jam Sessions), but hearing Taka sing all the parts in English, WOAH! Taka! Record this pleaseeee! I have to admit I almost sang Tyler’s parts here in the original Japanese lyrics. But wow! Taka singing everything without missing a beat is excellent! Goes to show he is getting better in English! Toru also took centerstage with Ryota, showing us in closeup just how good both they are (wow, Ryota and Toru just have so much power in them too!) Taka even shouted “Manila” in the end of this song and had us cheer for him.
Toru and Tomoya here in this photo. This is another shot I took in black and white but it became colored. LOL. Regardless, it does show the VFX don’t you think?
Suddenly– Without warning, Ryota, Toru and Tomoya kickstarted with this song and the lights just added to the jumping and cheering from the crowd. Its really cool to see Taka dancing around the stage and trying to reach out to every corner of the stage so everyone could see him. Fans of course continued to sing with him with cheering in the background. In the chorus, he asked us if we were ready and we sang along loudly! We also clapped so loudly for certain bits of the song, adding to the aura of the song. We even sang the last line of the song before Taka ended with a few extra melodies that made everything fall into place.
Oh Tomoya! Finally I see you in close up in this concert! This photo is by PULP Live World.
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Lol, let’s end your torture right here minna. The longer fourth installment of this report is coming your way tomorrow and I must say, you will agree why I left it last!
ONE OK ROCK: The 2016 ’35XXXV’ Asia Tour: Live in Manila was brought to us by PULP Live World, 28 Black and Amuse Asia Inc. Event partners also include Monster Radio RX 93.1, MYX, The Philippine Star, Inquirer.net, Animax, Otaku Asia Magazine, Primer, Astroplus, Odyssey Music Video, Pulp Magazine, G/ST and SM Mall of Asia Arena.
For more details regarding this event, visit either http://pulpliveworld.com/shows/2016/one-ok-rock
or
https://www.facebook.com/events/964161710306885/
Are you floating back up to ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila? I know you are, but this report isn’t over yet!
