I posted the final version of my report on the dress rehearsal performance of the Thou Shalt Not Die Zero -KAI- stage play early this morning. You can expect to find a ton of amazing photos that a friend of mine agreed to do for me (he became my first-ever employee!) plus a deeper insight into the play itself and exactly what’s different from the original.
There are still a lot more I want to discuss in my editorial, including a nice interview with Matsukawa Takanori.
In the meantime, please check out the full report here!:
Yesterday was a full day, jam packed with all sorts of amazing NieR goodness. I will try to take a glance back and show what personally my day at the event was like!
First of all, the venue was held at Yokohama Pacifico, which is about a 15-20 minute walk from my house. Sales for concert merchandise opened at 9AM, so I planned on leaving my house around 8, but given my very vampire-like wake-sleep cycle, I was running a little later than planned.
It was a beautiful, sunny, clear morning, but already by 8am it was quite hot. I took a couple photos along the way to the venue, through a sort of “secret path” that most people don’t know about that winds through the Cosmo World amusement park. (As a side note, this is actually the location for a pivotal scene in a new story I’ve been planning.)
Finally reaching the venue, I got in the line for merchandise. The line was crazy, winding from one end of the building to the next, over and over again. From the point where I entered the line, it only looked like there were three or four rows ahead of me, but there were even more lined up inside. The opening of the merch booth was even delayed 10 minutes or so due to preparations running late. Here’s a look at the line!
I was probably out in the sun for about 30 minutes before the line started to move and we discovered exactly how long the line actually was. It seemed like nearly the entire first floor of the hall was full of people winding back and forth in lines. It took an additional hour before I finally managed to purchase anything; and as a side note here… There were just one row of about 20 clerks. You’d think that’d be enough, but I really think this was the reason for the extremely long line. There just weren’t enough workers to accommodate the sheer number of customers. But that’s okay since I was still able to get everything that I wanted! Yay!
Once I got my goodies, I was planning on going back home and leisurely have lunch. I had about an hour and a half or so before I needed to head back to the hall for the afternoon show.
But… I was really slow (once again) and was almost late to the start of the show. I grabbed a taxi near my house, and even though I leave really close to the venue, the roads are horrible around this area. I had about 15 minutes to get to the hall before the show started and it took about that time getting there. It actually might have been faster if I had just walked, but again, I was wearing my high-heel sandals; it would not have been a pleasant journey.
Just as I got to the concert hall, they were giving the final announcement to find your seat. I first had to stop at the VIP desk to inquire about the backstage pass that was left for me. It turned out that they even set aside a concert ticket for me, even though I already had one. I was confused and conflicted which ticket I should enter with… Ahh, dilemma!
Anyway, I quickly found my seat, which was toward the front but a short distance down the row. Carrying two bouquets of flowers, I tried to not smack the people in the face with them as I carefully squeezed my way down the row.
I’m not going to discuss too much on the content of the concert itself, simply because as I’m writing this now, it’s already been over a month, so my memory is really, really bad. Plus, I sort of feel bad about my impression of the concert as a whole, musically. My one, main gripe was with the choir. The concert began with an a cappella arrangement of “Snow in Summer”, very much like our Tsuki Oke fan concert last year. But the “tone” of the song is supposed to sound as though children are singing… not professional opera singers. I actually had an issue with this in our own fan concert, that people were trying to sing too “professionally” and not as young children. But this feeling persisted throughout the majority of the concert and it just felt very jarring to me. They were a highly experienced and talented choir, but I just felt like they didn’t understand the context of the songs; it just felt like something down to the core of the series, its very heart, was missing. Once I felt that way, it was actually very difficult to open my own heart to accept the new arrangements. I pre-ordered the orchestral soundtrack and it arrived a couple days before the concert, but I didn’t want to listen to it before the concert– I wanted to be surprised and feel more connected to the music through its live performance, the first time for me to hear the new arrangements.
At the end of the afternoon show, Emi Evans came out on stage as a surprise guest to sing a song from the first NieR. As I’m writing this now, I am entirely blanking on which song it was, but I vividly remember sobbing my eyes out yet again. It’s so difficult to hear hear her gorgeous voice, this beautiful music, and not be overcome with emotion. Add all the emotional baggage from the story of the game into the mix, and yeah… I was a mess.
Since I was given a backstage pass, I wanted to personally give Emi and J’Nique their flowers.
I inquired where I should go to one of the attendees near the “cloak” desk and waited and waited and waited. I always feel very dumb and foreign in these moments. Eventually I was led past the partitions lining the area and up a couple floors in the elevator. Almost just as I was getting out of the elevator, I came across a huge group of the YoRHa Boys and YoRHa Musical cast along with the director of the original YoRHa plays, Matsuda Ichidai, and the very awesome Sekiya-san from ILCA. They were in the middle of taking a group photo, probably this one, I didn’t want to interrupt, so I stayed out of the way until they had finished. But then… I couldn’t help myself and had to say hello briefly; I remember specifically mentioning to Doi Yuuto, who had already dyed his hair blonde, that I was looking forward to their performances in the new KimiShini stage play. He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language, even though it was Japanese, but I’m sure coming face-to-face with an unknown foreigner in the VIP area all of a sudden was a bit shocking. haha
Shortly after that, Emi and J’Nique Nicole came walking by, so I was able to give them their flowers and briefly say hello before they were whisked away by the staff. heehee On the way back to the lobby, I was going to take the stairs, but it looked like Matsuda-san had just gotten into the elevator. I bumped into him again on the first floor, where he was trying to find a way out of the VIP area and back into the lobby. Since the area was blocked off with movable partition walls, it looked like there was no way through– but given how I was shown through the area (the staff simply moved one of the partitions for me to pass), I tried to point where I had come through, but he was already walking along the length of the partitions and eventually found an opening. I followed behind him before going our separate ways. haha What a time!
After the concert, I had a little extra time before I needed to meet my friend for the evening show. I quickly walked over to a convenience store, got some snacks (it was already after “lunchtime” and I hadn’t eaten anything much in the morning) and a quick drink before heading back to the concert hall. I actually met my friend at the adjacent hotel, and we had a little time to sit and chat (while I quickly ate my snack!!) in the hotel lobby.
I want to stop here briefly to thank my awesome gaming buddy, A****, for being my side-kick to these events, to which I would have most certainly had to go alone each and every time. He found me through this site and reached out to me about two years ago, and I can’t–I don’t want to–imagine not getting the chance to meet the most humble, generous, and plain FUN guy. Thank you so much for being my friend. (#128150#)
Anyway, once I finished my snack, we headed back to the concert hall. I wanted to get a close up photo of the new merchandise including the figure by Flare and the new Dollfie Dream dolls…but the line to get close to them was too long–we wouldn’t have made it before the start of the concert, so we decided to quickly get into line at the end of the show.
Our seats at the evening show were in the absolute last row on the first floor, just below one of the cameras that broadcast the concert on NicoNico.
Since I was very rushed when I arrived at the afternoon concert and was never given the usual concert pamphlets that are given to each customer, I was finally able to look through the advertisements and read a little bit about the concert. Within the pamphlet, I was shocked to find this:
Apparently the YoRHa stage play will be performed again next year in both Tokyo and Osaka!! No further details are known thus far, whether it will be an entirely new version (Ver.1.3!?), one of the previous stage plays (Ver.1.1? Ver.1.2?) or something entirely different, perhaps a new story that merges both the original YoRHa stage play with the YoRHa Boys story?? Again, nothing is known about it yet, so it could be literally ANYTHING…! Still, I’m extremely excited about it!!
★ Important Dates & Times Revealed at the Concert
January 7, 11,942, 5:13am 2B is deployed.
January 30, 11,942, 4:25am 9S is deployed.
March 10, 11945 4:02pm: The 243rd descent operation gets underway. 4:35pm: 2B rendezvous with 9S. This marks their 48th meeting.
June 26, 11945, 2:30am 2:30am: The Bunker is destroyed and falls from orbit. 5:46am: Signal from 2B is lost.
August 6, 11945, 8:15am The collapse of the Tower and machine lifeform network confirmed. Signal from 9S is lost.
Eventually, at the end of the show, we ran quickly out of the auditorium and into line to get a close-up view of the new merch!
While we were just checking out other things in the lobby, a fellow foreigner came up to me and asked if I might be from “Fire Sanctuary”… I was like, yeeesssss. lol It turns out that she sort of knew me from that and had the guts to say hello. I told her that I rarely have the guts to do that. In person, I tend to be pretty shy and nervous even though I really do love meeting and talking with people. haha So, it really touched me to know that anything I might do here, on these pages, is appreciated by other fans. Plus, it makes me feel a little less alone. Thank you so much for saying hello!! I hope to work on this annoying character flaw of mine… *sigh*
In the end, it was a long, eventful day, but it was well-worth it! A day full of music, talent, and awesome friends– these moments are priceless!
Be sure to check out the complete image gallery album for this event! I haven’t included all of the images that I took in this post, so don’t miss out on the other awesome photos!!
Updated: 09/12/2018 – 2:18:00 PM
(This post is currently a work in progress. Additional information will be added.)
The following are the comments by the various composers and arrangers, including the usual insane comment from Yoko Taro himself. These were written in both Japanese and in English, so I have merely transcribed what was written in English. I was also using a speech to text program, so there may be some goofs here and there that I will fix later.
NieR Gestalt & Replicant Orchestral Arrangement Album
Okabe Keiichi – Composer
Back when I was making the music for NieR, I never would have even dreamed that I would be given a chance to make an orchestral arrangement album someday. Releasing an album like this after eight years is, of course, thanks to the effort of all our staff, but it is the fans who have continued to support us all this time who were the ones to truly make this possible. Thank you all so much.
The arrangements can be enjoyed by those new to NieR, but those familiar with the many versions of the songs already released can also admire this album not only for the arrangements themselves, but als for how the NieR music has evolved and grown.
I wish this album will be everything you hoped it to be as your reward for supporting us all this while.
Yoko Taro – Director
Hey, can you hear me? I said HEY! …Good, you’re awake. Listen up. I’m from the future–the year 2018–ten years from your time.
You won’t believe it, but a game called “NieR:Automata,” the sequel to the NieR that you’re working on right now, will be released in 2017 and become a huge hit. Easy there. Calm down. Don’t get too excited just yet.
You’re gonna want to hear this… After the sequel’s success, for some dd reason, the NieR Original Soundtrack sells like hotcakes. A SQUARE ENIX Music Publishing Business Division rep, seeing this, goes mad and starts saying they’re going to make an orchestral album.
The you now doesn’t know this yet, but orchestration comes with a hefty price tag. So much, that NieR and SQUARE ENIX itself may very well meet their demise… Oh, shoot! It’s them! THey’ve found me!You escape through the back door! I’ll hold them back here!
Yamashita Kosuke – Arranger
The Dark Colossus Destroys All:
THe original song featured a chorus and strong percussion, so I arranged the piece to bring more attention to the dynamics without losing the balance of a live orchestra. My approach was to incorporate a sense of mystic vivacity even among the song’s sense of urgency. In the second half I recreated the melody with classical methods, and the piece steadily builds to a climax
Grandma:
I thought I would retain as much as possible the piano and beautiful melody heard in the vocals of the original arrangement, so I incorporated a piano solo in th eintro and used an oboe solo for the melody. As a result, the melody’s charm should grab you more. Also, the string instruments, in contrast with that melody, repeat the same phrases over but gradually add new phrases to bring more depth to this arrangement.
Shinoda Daisuke – Arranger
I strived to arrange these pieces perfectly to express the delicate and beautiful feel of the original songs through orchestration.
Snow in Summer:
As the game’s opening music, I arranged this piece to reflect the original song’s mood and allow its beauty to shine as much as possible. In the second half, I endeavored to incorporate a sense of euphoria you can only accomplish with an orchestra.
Song of the Ancients:
While I made use of the original song’s heartbreakingly beautiful aura, I altered the harmony somewhat into a sound you can only create with an orchestra. I also experimented by assigning different melodies to various instruments to bring a vivid feel to the piece, and I tried making the finale into a dramatic twist. It was a worthwhile piece to arrange.
Mariam Abounnasr – Arranger
Hills of Radiant Winds:
After struggling with how I should incorporate the invigorating feeling you get when listening to the original song, I settled on experimenting separately the feeling of a soft breeze and running through meadows. Through the same melody, this piece’s first and second halves are completely different. I hope listeners can recognize the original song when comparing the two halves together.
Emil:
I arranged this piece while imagining the scene you would see in a movie. I paid special attention to express the original songs bittersweet sentiments and sense of fleetingness so that they were not lost in the grandiosity of the orchestra. Since there were large number of instruments used I’ve focused on balancing the whole song to bring depth to its world, while also making sure that the song was not too in-your-face and that it didn’t stray from being interpreted as an arrangement of the original song. I hope listeners find it moving as the peace comes to its finale.
Gods Bound by Rules:
My challenge with Gods Bound by Rules what’s to see if I could express the feel of the original song with an orchestra. Rather than feeling constrained to use a lot of percussion instruments, I tried to build up an intensity you can only achieve with an orchestra by making use of each instrument’s characteristic sound. In this song’s melody especially, I sensed sadness and a feeling of fleetingness, and yet at the same time, a sense of duty that you have to keep pressing on. While it comes off as an up-tempo battle song, I made sure to thoroughly express the melodious parts for strings and chorus.
Miyano Sachiko – Arranger
Ashes of Dreams:
I arrange this piece to further express through orchestration the lyrical undulation found in the original song. My aim was for very crisp orchestral sound with very little percussion, with the exception of only timpanis. Hopefully, it reminds listeners of pastorals you might hear somewhere in Europe. I’m a big fan of this game myself, so I took a lot of care when arranging these pieces. I hope you can enjoy them as well.
NieR:Automata Orchestral Arrangement Album
Okabe Keiichi – Composer
When we usually make music, we record each instrument separately in order to make the editing process and insertion into the game easier. We then later these tracks on top of each other to complete each song. However, this album was recorded in a concert hall with an orchestra playing in concert. Going from listening to the computer-generated Music used for reviewing the pieces and then jumping straight to listening to the live orchestra’s performance, I was blown away with the amount of life breathed into the songs. I was the first to have that great pleasure, and now I am happy to finally share that same pleasure with our fans in the form of this album.
From pieces that preserve much of the original songs, two bold arrangements that still retain the original melodies, you will find that you can listen to the whole album while still wanting more. This album’s arrangements possesses the power and sound that only a live orchestra can provide. I sincerely hope this album delights all those who listen.
Yoko Taro – Director
Why did it have to come to this?
Because we were drunk on our success with NieR:Automata, that’s why. We just couldn’t stop ourselves from releasing that damn big-budget orchestral album.
Hey, it wasn’t my idea in the first place! It was that SQUARE ENIX Music Publishing Business Division rep that assured me it’d be a hit… “We’ll be rolling in it,” he says. Hah.
In the end, the album cost the company big-time, forcing it to de-merge into two entities: SQUARE and ENIX. I lost my job, and before we knew it the entire Japanese economy flatlined. If I’d known it would come to this… If only I made my escape when I had the chance…
This all would– Wait a second! Why don’t I just use this space-time transfer device that I stole during the de-merger to do things over?
That’s it. I’ll travel back to 2008, when I first started working NieR… Yes. It’s all clear to me now. I’ll stop both NieR… and myself.
According to the official concert Twitter account (as shown below), voices of 2B (Ishikawa Yui) and Emil (Kadowaki Mai) will act as MCs at the concert’s evening show!
