Kobushi Factory Serve Up Ramen, Samba, and Summer Love at Tokyo Idol Festival 2016!

| Hello! Project | Posted by Kai Okudara on Aug.18.2016

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Kobushi Factory returned to Tokyo Idol Festival on August 5, 2016 and even without Sakurako Wada, who was absent due to poor health, they were one of the most electrifying acts of the weekend, showing off the unbelievable growth they had undergone in the short time since their debut in early 2015!

August 5, 2016 – Hot Stage – 6:35pm – 7:05pm

An overture which sounded a lot like Queen’s “We Will Rock You” with its foot stomping beat and soaring lead guitar echoing through the venue, the mood was set for the performance that was about to be unleashed. The stage lights flashed as Kobushi Factory marched into the stage dressed in blue and white pinstripes. A few beats of a high hat were followed by the churning guitars of “Nen ni wa Nen (Nen Iri version)”, setting off an explosion of energy from the crowd as they called out and swung their fists in the air.

Having stoked the fires burning in the hearts of the fans, Kobushi Factory raised the temperature to boiling with “Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta”. Shuffling from side to side while eating their imaginary bowls of ramen, they lead the audience in draining their imaginary noodles and chanting about the preparation of the beloved Japanese soul food.

With mealtime over, Kobushi Factory let out for recess with the rambunctious “Ora wa Ninkimono”, channeling the mischief and free spirit of Crayon Shinchan, even Ayaka Hamaura proving she had unflappable confidence to go along with her cute looks as she imitated Shinnosuke’s infamous “Mr. Elephant”.

Waving their fingers in the air, Kobushi Factory conducted a chorus of shouts as they continued with their cover of Melon Kinenbi’s “This is Unmei”, a song they had begun performing during their first tour. Despite their youth, they showed a frighteningly mature interpretation of a song about a scorned woman, balancing the thin line between love and resentment. As one of Hello! Project’s legendary songs, Zepp Diver City became an undulating mass of bodies as the fans jumped and shouted out loudly.

Ayaka Hirose called out the audience to check if they were excited before announcing that their performance was entering its final moments. Rei Inoue picked up an imaginary phone to take over Risako Sugaya’s opening lines to “Maji Good Chance Summer” (Berryz Kobo) and the mood lightened up as Kobushi Factory told the story of a young girl trying to get closer to her coworker over the summer vacation.

Following up with another Berryz Kobo cover, Kobsuhi Factory lit the afterburners with “Icchome Rock”, once again turning the floor area into a glowing mass of movement. Jumping and singing at the top of their lungs, they were joined by fans in a singalong in another upbeat love song, this one about a girl wanting to be noticed by her sempai.

Despite the time difference, August 5th was the opening day of the 2016 Rio Olympics so it only made sense that Kobushi Factory’s final song of the evening was the festive “Samba! Kobushi Janeiro”. Parading around the stage to the Latin rhythms, the energy of Carnival was condensed into the span of just under 4 minutes.

Kobushi Factory was one of the breakthrough artists of 2015, winning several best new artist awards and their success continuing into 2016 as they captured their first Oricon weekly #1 with their second single “Sakura Night Fever/Chotto Guchoku ni! Chototsu Moshin/Osu! Kobushi Damashii” (release date: February 17). As a group named by former Berryz Kobo captain Saki Shimizu, who also remarked how similar she thought they were, it seems as if Kobushi Factory’s future will only continue to grow brighter.

Photos by Nathan Gey

Set List

00 Overture
01 Nen ni wa Nen (Nen Iri version)
02 Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta
03 Ora wa Ninkimono
04 This is Unmei (Melon Kinenbi cover)
05 Maji Good Chance Summer (Berryz Kobo cover)
06 Icchome Rock (Berryz Kobo cover)
07 Samba! Kobushi Janeiro

Related Links

Kobushi Factory Official site: http://www.helloproject.com/kobushifactory/

Kobushi Factory Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/kobushifac_uf