On June 3, ‘FRUITS ZIPPER 3^rd ANNIVERSARY Chou Medetai Live -San-‘ was held at Saitama Super Arena. Around 18,000 fans gathered at the venue to celebrate the group’s huge milestone.

FRUITS ZIPPER, an idol group created by ASOBISYSTEM’s KAWAII LAB project, aims to share Japanese idol culture with the world. In their third year, the girls have performed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Nippon Budokan, K-Arena Yokoyama, and Saitama Super Arena, all while becoming a driving force in the current idol scene. 

A packed house of fans gathered at the venue to celebrate the group’s third anniversary. Even before the show began, the excitement in the venue was palpable, with fans eagerly awaiting the live performance. Suddenly, the venue went dark, and the seven-colored lights from the fan’s penlights sparkled throughout the venue as the members appeared on stage to welcome guests dressed in cute outfits that resembled a three-tier cake. The venue was filled with a joyful mood as the concert kicked off with Chou Medetai Song ~Konna ni Shiawase de Iinokana?~ The popular songs Pure in the World and Happy Chocolate followed, boosting the energy in the arena from the very start. 

During the first MC segment , the members greeted the fans gathered at the venue. “As an idol, I am so happy to be able to stand here in Saitama Super Arena, something I’ve wanted to do for so long,” said Yui Sakurai. “I slept for 7.5 hours so I could properly enjoy today’s show,” Karen Matsumoto said, showing her incredible enthusiasm. 

Riding on trolleys around the venue to get closer to the fans, the girls then performed Sekai wa Kimi kara Hajimaru and Zutto, Zutto, Zutto!  The audience heated up, cheering loudly each time a member passed in front of them. After returning to the stage, FRUITS ZIPPER then performed their signature song, Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro, which has been a massive hit since the group’s debut. While the song hasn’t changed, the girls were eager to show how much they’ve grown since it was first released. Keeping up the momentum, the group then performed its latest song, San, which was created to commemorate their third anniversary. The song is the first collaboration between Sho Yamamoto, who has worked on FRUITS ZIPPER’s best-known songs, and Minoru Komorita, who has written songs for numerous artists. The more fans listen, the more they’ll hear the word ‘san’ (‘three’) throughout the track.

During the live portion that followed, the group transformed from ‘cute’ to ‘cool.’ Luna Nakagawa’s elegant vocals during BABY I LOVED and her powerful voice during We are Frontier echoed through the arena. With no time to be surprised by their unprecedentedly mature appearance, the members reappeared on trolleys, dressed in new costumes that resembled whipped cream. FRUITS ZIPPER performed Fruits Basket, Kagami, and NEW KAWAII, all while allowing fans to record the performances on their smartphones and share videos and photos on social media. Those who weren’t able to attend the concert should search #Furuppa to see the show’s power for themselves. 

The concert wasn’t over yet. Fans were bewitched as the girls performed Kawaii the Magic with a new kind of cuteness, with the theme song for Oshiri Tantei the Movie: Star and Moo recently hitting #1 on the Oricon Single Weekly Ranking chart. Before the group performed Going!, they taught the choreography to the fans. “Please give it your all today,” said Noel Hayase, prompting the energy in the venue to skyrocket. The members and fans united as one, shaking the Saitama Super Arena to its very core. In the midst of this excitement, RADIO GALAXY and Co-Kosei followed, with loud shouts filling the space. Starlight Valkyrie was punctuated by a pillar of fire, with fans responding with pure energy and joy. The flames seemed to symbolize the rapid growth of the girls from their debut to the present day, burning hot and high with undiminished strength.

Before the final song listed in the main program began, Nakagawa reflected on the journey to get to Saitama Super Arena. “Looking back over the past three years, all I can think about is how happy I’ve been,” she said, expressing her gratitude to the fans for pushing her forward. “I want everyone to have dreams and I want everyone to be happy, so I hope that we can push you forward when you need encouragement.” Continuing on, she also shared her hopes for the future. “We want to perform at Tokyo Dome! But now, we’re going to keep singing.” The fans were then treated to a passionate performance of Kanpeki Shugide☆ to wrap up the main show.

It didn’t take long for fans to start shouting for an encore, not giving the members a moment’s rest. The volume in the venue never diminished, and the girls quickly reappeared on stage. After a group photo shoot, which is a familiar part of their live performances, they performed Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete and Rainbow, expressing FRUITS ZIPPER’s never-ending dreams and the group’s gratitude towards the fans. To wrap things up, the song San was performed again. Fans in the audience couldn’t help but smile and cry as the members hugged each other on stage. “I’m so happy to see my dream come true alongside all of you,” said Karen Matsumoto, who had previously stated that she wanted to perform at Saitama Super Arena someday. “Next stop, Tokyo Dome,” she declared, wowing the audience. Amid such euphoria, the group’s third anniversary live concert, which lasted over two hours, ended as a resounding success.

FRUITS ZIPEER started out in a small concert venue and has now filled Saitama Super Arena to capacity. Their efforts to date have steadily borne fruit, and the girls have now grown into a group that brings smiles to the faces of people of all ages and genders. However, the girls still have dreams that they’re striving to accomplish. Fans are excited to see what FRUITS ZIPPER’s fourth year will bring as the members tirelessly work to achieve their goals.

During the concert, it was announced that FRUITS ZIPPER will hold solo events at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on October 4 and 5, and at INTEX Osaka on November 15 and 16. Additionally, a DVD and Blu-ray of last year’s first nationwide hall tour, ‘FRUITS ZIPPER JAPAN TOUR 2024 – AUTUMN THE STORY OF SEVEN COLORS-,’ is now available to pre-order. A Limited First Edition Blu-ray and Standard Edition DVD will be available, with the Limited First Edition including a photo book filled with photos from the concert, rehearsal images, and more.

【SET LIST】
M1 Chou Medetai Song ~Konna ni Shiawase de Ii no Kana?~
M2 Pure in the World
M3 Happy Chocolate
M4 Welcome to the FRUITS ZIPPER!
M5 Sekaiwa Kimikara Hajimaru
M6 Zutto, Zutto, Zutto!
M7 Click the Like
M8 Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro
M9 SAN
M10 BABY I LOVED
M11 We are Frontier -Remix ver-
M12 Fruits Basket
M13 Mirror
M14 NEW KAWAII
M15 Kawaii the Magic
M16 Going!
M17 RADIO GALAXY
M18 CO-Kosei
M19 Starlight Valkyrie
M20 Kanpeki Shugide☆
EN1 Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete
EN2 Rainbow
EN3 SAN

櫻井優衣

松本かれん

鎮西寿々歌

仲川瑠夏

早瀬ノエル

真中まな

月足天音

PHOTO：ヨシモリユウナ、森好弘、高田梓