Nami Tamaki, who has been active as a talented musical actress in recent years, entered the 20th anniversary year of her debut! On April 23, 2023, the day of her memorable debut, she held her first solo live performance in about 10 years at Asakusa Kagekijo Theater in Tokyo, with two performances, one day and one night. We report on the daytime performance, “Nami Tamaki 20th Anniversary LIVE -Ultimate-“, in which the audience was treated to an abundance of anime songs.
TEXT BY Mika Abe
In 2003, at the age of 14, Nami Tamaki made her impressive debut with “Believe,” the third cool OP theme song for the TV anime “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED”. Twenty years have passed since then. The young girl who majestically burst onto the scene has grown into an adult, and with her clear singing voice and sharp dance performance, she has blossomed into a multi-talented artist in the J-POP scene and the musical world.
As the background music started to play, the audience in the chairs in front of the stage stood up at once, lighting penlights in Tamaki’s image color of pink, and the standing room in the back of the stage erupted in loud cheers. The first to appear on stage was Nami Tamaki, dressed in a black top, colorful mini-skirt, and long black boots, with dancers following her like a queen. Her cool and energetic dance performance to the stylish and intense tune of the song raised the tension of the audience at once. After such a vivid opening, the first song was the melodic “Sanctuary” (OP theme song of “Kiba”).
The “Nami Tamaki 20th Anniversary LIVE” held on her memorable debut day, which marked the start of her 20th anniversary year, was a long-awaited one-man live performance for all those who know her singing voice. Especially, the “Ultimate” stage of the daytime performance focused on “anime songs,” which have formed the roots of her long career. She passionately performed a total of 12 songs, ranging from tie-up songs from her own anime and special effects dramas to cover songs familiar to her fans.
Tamaki, who had kept a cool expression on her face during the opening dance part, smiled as soon as she saw the audience at the start of the song, waving her hands and raising her fists powerfully in response to the audience’s rhythmic shouts.
Then she shouted loudly, “I’m so excited!” and then she performed the rocking “Brightdown” (“D.Gray-man” OP theme song) and the fresh dance tune “Break the Chain” (“Battle Spirits” theme song) in rapid succession. No matter how hard she danced, her beautiful and elongated voice reached straight to the hearts of the audience without any disturbance. Since her debut, Tamaki has been captivating her fans with her high singing and performance abilities, and her appeal has not changed in 20 years. The solidity of Tamaki’s abilities as an artist is once again impressive.
After singing three songs in a row, the first MC said, “Hello, everyone! How are you? I’m so happy!” and the audience responded with “Cute~!“. Her cheerful personality was fully expressed in her warm Kansai dialect as she talked with the audience in a very friendly manner.
“Today’s live performance is going to be just as I am,” she said. “For those who are seeing Nami Tamaki for the first time, there may be some gaps (laughs), but I hope you will love it in all aspects”. She will be performing solo for the first time in a long while, “I know some of you haven’t seen me in a while, but I hope you will feel that I am as active as ever!” She said, “we have been seriously working on a high-calorie set list with full songs and dances”, and announced the next song. The next song performed was “Resolve,” which can only be heard while playing the pachislot “Gundam Crossover!” This song, which Tamaki said during the MC that she “wrote the lyrics” with “a crazy Nami Tamaki in terms of both music and sound“, is a stylish song with a catchy and elongating melody. The lights that the dancers illuminated Tamaki with were also dramatic. The audience went wild with excitement at the gift of this previously unrecorded song, which was being performed live for the first time. Next, the dancers held mirrors to illuminate Tamaki in an artistic performance of “Connect the Truth” (the ED song for the special effects drama “Ultraman Z”), which enlivened the audience.
“Do you think I’m too excited? It’s great, isn’t it? Because today is the 20th anniversary!” Tamaki again talked in a high-tension manner. The audience cheered her every word. “I’m going to perform my own songs and some of the songs I’ve covered”, she said smiling, “I’m sure some of you will be coming to the night show as well, but you can just muffle your voices now!” She then performed “JUST COMMUNICATION” (from “New Mobile Suit Gundam W”), a TWO-MIX song from her cover album “NT GUNDAM COVER”, and “Get Wild”. The song “Get Wild”, which was arranged and produced by Tetsuya Komuro, was also her 9th single and a big hit. The audience cheered loudly from the introduction.
After a short MC session in which she talked about her thoughts on the cover song at the time, she sang another unexpected song, the dramatic rock ballad “Akatsuki no Kuruma” (insert song from “Mobile Suit Gundam Seed”), also from the album “NT GUNDAM COVER”. This was the debut song of FictionJunction YUUKA, that Yuki Kajiura created, and is a classic that continues to remain in the hearts of fans. Slowly stepping onto the overhanging sub-stage, Tamaki delivered a passionate performance, overwhelming the audience with her beautiful high tone falsetto, sometimes gentle, sometimes powerful. The emotion carried over into “Result” (ED theme song for “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY”), which combines an exotic sense of floating with a sense of speed.
Once again, she said, “today we are celebrating my 20th anniversary. Thank you very much. Recently, people often tell me that they used to listen to the songs when they were in elementary school or that their father or mother liked it. I’m so happy to hear that!” Looking back on her debut, she says happily, “I never imagined that I would be able to continue for 20 years, and I didn’t know what the future would bring, but I am still able to do many of the things I really love thanks to everyone who supports me and everyone I have met”. Looking around at the audience, “I want to hug each and every one of you!” and then said, “I want to dance as long as my voice lasts, and I want to dance even when I am 50 or 60 years old. I’m always trying to be Janet Jackson, so you all need to train your muscles properly, follow me!”. She laughs.
A warm applause enveloped the audience. Then, with a mischievous smile on her face, she asked, “there are still three songs you haven’t heard, right?” She was met with another round of applause and cheers. “I’ll definitely satisfy you with these three songs! I’ll make sure you get zero HP!” The final songs were “Reason” (“Mobile Suit Gundam SEED” OP), “Realize” (“Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny” ED theme song), and “Believe” (“Mobile Suit Gundam SEED” OP theme song), all of which have made their mark on anime song fans. The audience called out furiously to Tamaki’s melodic voice, which was set to a light, rhythmic beat and digital rock sound, and which moved in splendid collaboration with the dancers. The excitement in the Asakusa Kagekijo Theater reached its peak.
After singing an exciting setlist that included a series of hit songs, Tamaki truly enjoyed interacting with her fans by posing charmingly and allowing them to take pictures freely. “We have a lot of plans for our 20th anniversary, which has only just begun here! Please continue to support Nami Tamaki!“
As she bowed her head deeply, the applause she received signaled the start of a glorious anniversary year.
In the 20th anniversary project that is currently underway, she has announced that she will hold a live concert on March 17, 2024 to celebrate the final of her 20th anniversary, and has launched a new “Nami Tamaki Music Channel” on YouTube, where music videos of her past songs are being released one after another. Some of the videos of the performance at the live show will also be released in due course. Keep your eyes on Nami Tamaki, an artist who continues to win the hearts of old and new fans!
Source | LisAni!