On October 28, the idol group FRUITS ZIPPER held their first arena concert at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and announced that they would perform a solo show at Nippon Budokan on May 18, 2024 to celebrate the group’s second anniversary.

During the concert, the group also performed the new song Kimikoi (Dear you) for the first time. The track is filled with gratitude for the legions of fans who have supported the group since their debut and is available to stream now.

This September, FRUITS ZIPPER’s first nationwide tour ‘FRUITS ZIPPER JAPAN TOUR 2023 -AUTUMN-’ took the girls to Osaka, Aichi, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, and Kanagawa. The tour culminated in a sold-out show at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, the first arena performance for the group. Presale tickets also sold out, and around 8,000 people attended the event. Even before the show started, there was plenty of excitement both inside and outside the venue.

When the show’s opening video began to play, the crowd’s fervor exploded. Penlights incorporating wireless lighting were introduced for this concert, and once the entire venue was flooded with beautiful, unified light, the members appeared. The concert began with Pure in the World, which has been popular throughout the tour. Continuing with Kanpeki Shugide☆ and Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete, the girls were ready to show off their skills in their first-ever arena show.

Once the girls had a chance to breathe, the audience’s cheers echoed throughout the venue. Each member asked the crowd if they were excited, and the fans quickly responded as loudly as they could.

During Fre-Fru Summer!, the girls rode in a giant float that traveled around the arena, bringing the members and fans even closer. Despite the show taking place at the end of October, the vibes inside the arena were entirely mid-summer. As the excitement of the fans grew, RADIO GALAXY began, featuring lasers and other flashy effects, turning the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium into a dance hall. Not letting up, the group transformed the atmosphere into something more emotional, performing Roller Coaster Heart, We are Frontier–remixed for the tour–and Zutto, Zutto, Zutto! The final song of the first half was CO-Kosei, which was performed for the first time at the Kanagawa concert in September and shows off FRUITS ZIPPER’s individuality.

During the halfway point titled WORLD KAWAII CLASSIC, the seven members were divided into three groups and performed a unit song for the first time. First on stage were the friendly Amaren Sisters (Amane Tsukiashi, Karen Matsumoto) to perform their song Pinky Red. The song’s comical lyrics and catchy melody transformed the venue into a sea of cuteness, playing into the pair’s standard interactions. The audience was also excited to see the world’s most adorable JoJo Pose during the performance. The next unit was comprised of Suzuka Chinzei, Yui Sakurai, and Mana Manaka, who performed their song Tenshinranmanwhile showing off both their cute idol-like appearance and their uniqueness. Finally, Luna Nakagawa and Noel Hayase performed Bye-Bye, showing off a next-level melody and rap segment not heard in any FRUITS ZIPPER songs in the past. Fans couldn’t take their eyes off the girls’ performance, which was completely unexpected for an idol concert. During the MC, the members shared the story behind each song and praised one another.

The second half of the show continued with the same incredible momentum as the first. Each member appeared in new costumes covered in ribbons before performing Sekaiwa Kimikara Hajimaru, Welcome to the ♡ Furuppa, and the incredibly popular Happy Chocolate. Yui Sakurai’s line ‘Naani, naani,’ which trended on TikTok earlier this year as ‘Naaze, naaze,’ immediately struck a chord with fans.

During the second half of the show, the girls gave an energetic and cool performance of Re→TRY & FLY as flames illuminated the stage. The voltage in the venue continued to ramp up as the group performed skyfeelan and Going!, making it the perfect environment for FRUITS ZIPPER to perform their new songKimikoi (Dear you) as a surprise. The track is packed with gratitude for the group’s fans who have supported them from the start and urged them to aim higher, through their first CD release, nationwide tour, and solo concert at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Kimikoi (Dear you) was produced with the hope of “continuing to make dreams come true together with the fans.” The lyric-like posts that have been posted on FRUITS ZIPPER’s Twitter over the past few days caused a stir among fans, and all foreshadowing led to this new song. The girls thanked everyone from the bottom of their hearts as they sang the moving lyrics with all of their might.

The concert came to a close with FRUITS ZIPPER’s signature track Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro. As the members danced along to their signature track, many people in the audience did as well. 8,000 people dancing in unison truly embodied the heart of “NEW KAWAII.”

But the concert wasn’t over yet. The members returned to the stage after hearing the audience loudly begging for an encore, thanking the fans for their support. “We’re not done yet, so I’d like to show everyone an even more incredible performance,” said Yui Sakurai. The group filmed a TikTok with the 8,000 audience members as they performed Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro, so visit FRUITS ZIPPER’s social media to check it out!

For the encore, the girls performed Kimikoi (Dear you) again, this time allowing the audience to record video. “Let’s get this trending,” said Matsumoto as the performance began.
Suddenly, a video began playing on the large screen on stage, announcing that FRUITS ZIPPER would be celebrating its second anniversary with a performance at Nippon Budokan on May 18, 2024. The members were also speechless, as they hadn’t been made aware of this exciting news. As some of the girls were moved to tears, the fans congratulated them with loud voices and warm applause. Fittingly, the group then sang Chou Medetai Song ～Konnani Shiawasede Iinokana?～, and the entire venue celebrated the overwhelmingly exciting news. The shouts of “Congratulations” rang out louder than ever before at the massive Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

Luna Nakagawa commented on the final performance of the tour with tears in her eyes, expressing her joy at being able to stand on the stage she had always dreamed of. Yui Sakurai, who celebrated her 10th idol anniversary on October 20, also reflected on the day she passed her first idol audition and the day she quit her part-time job to pursue showbiz. “I’m so happy to be able to stand before you all today as an idol, and I’m so glad I came back. Today, I was able to fulfill my dream of making so many people happy, and I hope I was able to repay everyone for their incredible kindness.” Suzuka Chinzei continued with her final remarks. “I want everyone here tonight to be happy,” she yelled with a huge smile on her face before the group launched into their debut song Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete. The girls showed their determination to strive towards the next stage of their careers, and after the song, Luna Nakagawa asked that the lights in the venue be turned off so that the girls could only see the penlights in the crowd. The seven-colored lights illuminating the venue may as well have been beacons leading FRUITS ZIPPER towards their bright future.

FRUITS ZIPPER has had a total attendance of over 16,000 people since its nationwide tour began in September, and is scheduled to perform at Nippon Budokan in May. Fans look forward to seeing what kind of happy performances await them in the future as the girls continue to evolve.

<Member Comments>

Comment from Suzuka Chinzei
“It’s a miracle that we’ll be able to perform at Nippon Budokan on our second anniversary, and it’s all thanks to the fans and people who have always supported us that this dream is coming true. We’ll give the best possible performance as a girls’ idol group worthy of standing on stage at such a legendary venue, so I hope that everyone in the world and the universe comes!”

Comment from Yui Sakurai
“I can’t believe that we’ll soon be standing on stage at Budokan. It’s the goal of every idol, and we’re doing it just two years after our debut. I hope that the fans will look forward to that special day–we’ll work hard and do our best to truly become idols worthy of Nippon Budokan!”

Photos: Yuuna Yoshimori, Yoshihiro Mori, Momoe Ono, Kyoka Uemizo

<Concert Information>
FRUITS ZIPPER JAPAN TOUR 2023 -AUTUMN- The Parlor of FRUITS ZIPPER TOUR FINAL
Date: October 28, 2023
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

■Set List
OP OVERTURE
M01 Pure in the World
M02 Kanpeki Shugide☆
M03 Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete
M04 Fre-Fru Summer!
M05 RADIO GALAXY
M06 Roller Coaster Heart
M07 We are Frontier -Tour Remix ver-
M08 Zutto, Zutto, Zutto!
M09 CO-Kosei
M10 Pinky Red (Amane Tsukiashi, Karen Matsumoto)
M11 Tenshinranman (Suzuka Chinsei, Yui Sakurai, Mana Manaka)
M12 Bye-Bye (Luna Nakagawa, Noel Hayase)
M13 Sekaiwa Kimikara Hajimaru
M14 Welcome to the ♡ Furuppa!
M15 Happy Chocolate
M16 Re→TRY & FLY
M17 skyfeelan
M18 Going!
M19 Kimikoi (Dear you)
M20 Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro

Encore
M21 Kimikoi (Dear you)
M22 Chou Medetai Song ～Konnani Shiawasede Iinokana?～
M23 Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete

■U-NEXT Livestream Information
Available: November 11 at 10:00 ~ November 24 at 23:59
Details: https://t.unext.jp/r/fruitszipper