ItalianoAn X JAPAN Copy & High School Girls Cosplay at 『Camui♂Gakuen』, the School Festival Show Led by GACKT／Live Report
■ Camui♂Gakuen de Dashitekuda-Sai
2015.11.05（THU） at Tokyo ・Toyosu PIT
（※14 photos）
Reaching every inch without missing a beat, the earnest play of adult men
『Camui♂Gakuen』, the annual Gakuen (school) Fest entertainment show led by GACKT. This time its the 92nd term, called 『Camui♂Gakuen de Dashitekuda Sai』, which began on 28 October (Wed) with the “Osaka Branch School” and went on to be held in 6 locations nationwide. This is a detailed report on the happenings of the performance held on 5 November （Thu）at “Toyosu Branch School” （Tokyo・Toyosu PIT）.
In the premises of the concert venue, the Purchasing Department’s goods sales section and a School Cafeteria where visitors can enjoy a menu devised by the Members was set up, and all participating students were dressed in school uniforms. Including phrases like 「Gokigenyo!」「Yoroshii ka～? (Is that alright?)」「Kashikomari～ (Understood)」「Arigataki～ (Thank you)」which are unavoidable in this Gakuen Fest, all participants enter a different dimension where they follow the strict school rules.
Following the singing of the school song and an address by Principal Kamei, the scion of the Camui Conglomerate, the Student Council President Camui Gakuto leisurely paraded through the floor, and to the podium. 「Gokigenyo!」he greeted. 「With the participation in many festivals, Camui♂Gakuen’s influence has widened, so （this time） there may be many students from “outside schools”. Without this in mind, please do show, show, show your feelings!」「I wish to spread the influence of this Camui♂Gakuen around Japan, and the world」 he appealed strongly, in his opening speech.
During the announcement ceremony for Mr. & Ms. Camui♂Gakuen, there was a scene where the selected Ms. Camui♂Gakuen was a small girl who looked up at the President with a frightened look. 「I won’t eat you」 he said gently, and after he asked 「Is that alright?」, in a split second the President used his own high-pitched girl-like voice and replied 「Understood!」. Bending over and meeting her eyes, he displayed tenderness as he tucked the girl’s sleeves into her kimono sash.
After that, the senpais who are members of “F9”, who impersonate the musicians and dancers who have a close relationship with GACKT, took the stage. After the dancers wow-ed the audience, the “Physical Fitness Test” or rather “Male Prowess Test” started. The President joins as an observer, sitting on a sofa and laughing calmly.
First, was a mash-up of tug-of-war and beach flag, the “Power Flag Showdown”, where Val senpai and Tennen senpai won. Shoes that were taken off came flying from an unexpected direction, Val senpai was gasping for breath, saying 「Scary～, I thought I was going to get hurt again」. Upon seeing his distraught form, the President smiled like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
Next, in a game where they put their hand in a box to guess its contents, Yuuki senpai and Yuusuke senpai put their hands in one by one and screamed out when they touched the bat but, the President said 「I like it a lot」 with a cool expression. Hayato senpai and TAKUMI senpai appeared to be on the verge of fainting when they touched the 1000 wriggling Perinereis (worms) at the bottom of the box. The President initially put on a facade saying 「With things like these, I’ll be perfectly fine」 but he then grimaced and said 「Actually, its really not okay」.
When it was asked who was the worst today, the audience’s voices rose up calling out 「President!」, and he has to take the challenge of the penalty. The 「Su-team (Pun: vinegar steam)」, is a penalty where the person breathes in steam that contains vinegar. The President elicited laughs when he exclaimed 「Whoa it stinks!」, and bent over, almost falling.
The second part, which started after a 20 minute break sandwiched in between, unfolded with teh Light Music Club taking the stage. The lineup saw the President doing vocals, YOU senpai and TAKUMI senpai playing guitars, Sato senpai playing bass, and Val senpai at drums.
The first song was an increased tempo version of BUMP OF CHICKEN’s 「Tentai Kansoku (Star Gazing)(天体観測)」, featuring a strong singing voice and heavy double bass during the performance. The next songs were T.M.Revolution’s 「HOT LIMIT」and 「HIGH PRESSURE」, furthermore TM NETWORK’s 「GET WILD」 was performed at the same time too. The flow called “Gakuen Shibari”, was where they choreograph and call out to the students/audience 「Shout out “Kaichou（President）!”」 and they call back and forth 「Have you readied your heartsー!?」「Kashikomari～!」 before jumping into the next song. Switching around with a dance, the performance came in a combination which saw verse 1 as 「GET WILD」, verse 2 as「HOT LIMIT」, and the chorus as 「HIGH PRESSURE」 and 「HOT LIMIT」.
Next was the previously well-received B’z’s “Ultra Medley”. With the declaration “no matter which song we start with, the end ♪ is ultra soulful!” that aggressively concludes the middle, it is inevitably a laughable power technique. The President said 「Doing the same thing is not part of my principles」, proudly showing that he created a second edition. The senpais dressed in ballet tutus livened up the stage, performing a medley of 7 songs which included 「LOVE PHANTOM」 and 「ALONE」, making everyone roll with laughter.
Wearing a cat-eared headband, the President, who removed his jacket, revealed 「We would have delivered everyone’s beloved Ga-Ga-Ga-GACKT’s 『Jounetsu no Inazuma』 here… … but, one day before the first day of the tour it was changed」, and declared a high speed performance of 「Koakuma Heaven」.
Here, Pokota senpai from the Entertainment Department was welcomed. The President asked 「Have you readied your hearts~?」, and he bravely yelled out 「Kashikomariー!」. Singing and dancing at the same time, at the end they all did the school’s official shameless shout 「Yoru・ti ku・V！」 and posed at the same time.
Later, the President reappeared in a fur coat. After showing a short clip of a monologue of a girl who stayed behind in school for the Gakuen (School) Fest preparations （※Here, it showed that they went back to a previous time）, he sang Mr.Children’s 「Dakishimetai」. With his full use of falsetto, and his arms spread open, the chorus is a masterpiece. Removing his glasses, he performed 「Mikazuki」（Ayaka） next with a strong tension in his voice that resonated. The students stood in silence, and listened quietly until the last note was played on the piano.
When the chime sounded, they went back to a week before the Gakuen (School) Fest. Everyone of the F9 started telling their “unfailing funny stories”. Pokota senpai impersonated the President and sang 「Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea」, following which Yuuki senpai advised 「It’s better if you apologised to the President later」. Maa senpai impersonated YOU senpai’s habitual 「Aka～n」 in with an extensive amount of variations, while Tennen senpai acted out a situation of “What if the Student Council President challenged Dachou Kurabu (comedians) to a boiling hot bath?”. No matter the joke, they were able to draw big laughs but, the one who was to bear the penalty was Maa senpai. He had to see off the students topless after the show.
Again, the chime sounded, 4 days left to the Gakuen (School) Fest, with the setting of people yelling in the middle of the grounds, the one who started spilling out the dissatisfaction of the band members, was Val senpai in a leather jacket. Before long, there was a time jump back to the school fest performance, and the copy band of THE BLUE HEARTS, “THE BALUE HEARTS”, appeared on stage and did a cover of 「Hito ni Yasashiku」. Wearing a T-shirt that showed his collarbone and with a thick bandanna, the sexy guitarist was, the President. He mercilessly did his Gashi call and smiled mysteriously.
Val senpai was the only one crying and saying 「This is the last live」, while all the other members were happily clapping hands. Val senpai ditched his T-shirt and leather jacket and when he had a running appearance, on his chest was “MonVal800” written. Starting with Gashi’s distortion twisting and chord cutting, they finished off with 「Chiisana Koi no Uta」. Even as Val senpai tried to wrap up the song with a jump, the members were through, and with that punchline drew laughter.
Next, an anime video of Yuuki senpai being tasked to find the vocalist of “Super EXcellent highschool students in JAPAN”, or 「S.E.X JAPAN」 for short, was streamed. Meanwhile, the students began posing with their light sticks in an X. The President, dressed as YOSHIKI, removed his long purple jacket and was topless as he took his seat at the drums set. The one who gallantly appeared as TOSHI on stage, was CHACHAMARU senpai, who wore a leather jacket with the words “復活 (Resurrection)” on the back. Shouting 「I’m back～!!」, they entered 「Silent Jealousy」 as snow fell.
Starting with an excellent sleek super high vocal tone, and the President’s raging twin bass drums, and of course song and play, down to the standing postures and actions, it’s an overwhelmingly perfect copy. Its a quality that will have you taken aback. The sight of the President’s disheveled hair as he continuously beats the drums, would have you be mistaken that you’ve just seen YOSHIKI himself.
For 「X」, following X JAPAN’s timing the students gleefully switch it to SEX JAPAN. The same goes for the call and response of 「We are？」「SEX！」. Excluding the President, the other 4 members gathered at the centre, and as they slowed down their voices overlap. Down to this tempo feel as well, it was a perfect copy.
In this huge delivery, the event was terrific to the extent that the end of the show… … felt like it wouldn’t end. When St. VAMPS High School and Kishidan Night School were projected on screen as the names of “rival schools”, they had to breakdown the impending crisis between the powerhouse schools, and the President along with the members of F9 appeared cosplaying as school girls, and performed Morning Musume。’s 「LOVE Machine」. Donning long blonde hair and miniskirts which give a slight glimpse of their thighs, the President and the members sang and danced with brilliant footwork to Camui♂Gakuen version of the songs. Saying 「Take care as you head home, everyone, love you! 」 as they posed, the curtains came down from left and right, and with that the 3-hour long school fest ends. Reaching every inch without missing a beat, the earnest play of adult men. It was a night with an overwhelming heat while being wrapped up in laughter.
Source: excite.co.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA