Unexpectedly, Akkey still makes me cry just like 4 years ago
A Concerto Day 2 (Nijifes 2026) retrospective
This might just focus more on Akkey (Saegusa Akina) troughout Concerto Day 2 so don't expect a fair review of Concerto Day 2 but more of a retrospective of me as a doushi (Akina fan) since 2021 who is thrusted upon Concerto Day 2 lol Happy reading!
Where do I even start? Maybe let's start from me suddenly getting back into vtubers right after watching 3SKM's 3D live last November. Truly that's another can of worms to elaborate but all you need to know it sparked my love for vtubers once again. Then Nijifes 2026 concert lineup was announced last November
And there you have it, Akkey in the sea of newbies lol. It gave me a chuckle because this old ass 2019 debut guy is gonna sing with what? His juniors from 2022-2024?
The announcement didn't really meant anything to me to be honest because:
Hes done this before back in Fantasia 2023
Hes a guy who managed to sold out a stadium back in 2024 for his solo concert
Of course he sticks out like a sore thumb in the lineup but it wasnt anything big nor new when it came to his achievements. So in the end I'm just neutral about it. Fast forward to May 2026, unfortunately the Nijifes 2026 hype got to me and since I have an IRL friend whos a huge yaminion and shes willing to do a Concerto day 2 watchalong. There are other factors aside Akkey that pushed me wanting to watch Concerto Day 2:
I am a voltaskm oshi so ofc I would want to watch Serao, Kanato and Kitamin perform
Well. Unfortunately. I've been liking Tetsu as of late and. Yeah. Well I dont need to explain much (sweats) So that means 5/8 of them are my oshi technichally...
The day has dawned for me to watch it, comically we watched the concert in our sculpting studio/ atelier (For context I go to art school) since the yaminion friend of mine wanted to work on her sculpture while rewatching the concert. Im pretty okay troughout the 1st half of the setlist. There are some Akkey centric notes I took:
Akkey singing in English for ANTI-HERO was crazy that was unexpected at all i was GAGGED
AISCREAM SAIKOOO WWWW 北見くん天才じゃんww tysm Kitamin ur so goated I now can witness Akkey performing aiscream tskr
I think I blacked out in NEW ERA I don't remember much I think I need to rewatch it
Non akkey note: I cried during Alban's Fire Flower goddammittt you got me Alban. This song is so nostalgic to me so it really adds to my feeling when he sang this
If you noticed (if you actually watch the concert) they had not sang a single ballad song in the setlist. Hm strange, I thought. And all the while if you're a doushi, you would know Akkey specializes in ballads and relatively slow/ emotional songs.
And then... Niji (Takahashi Yu) happened And it came like a waterfall
Truly I didn't expect much from this concert, I genuinenly just wanted to have a good time watching it. But man. Man. It doesent help the fact that this song is about reaching out for your dreams and how difficult the dream may be you will prevail and make it come true yourself... All the while using rainbow (niji) allegory... GAH.. Im so full of emotions just thinking back to this performance. The moment it got to
その手をかざせば, 夢に届きそうだ (if you raise your hand, it seems you can reach your dream)
I just started crying full on tears it did NOT stop. Suddenly my memories of watching Akkey back in 2021 flooded my vision, hell the last time I saw him perform was back in FuwaGusa 3D Live 2021. He truly grown so much and I could not contain myself. I kept spouting "sialan (damn you) Saegusa Akina" in between my tears, I am truly truly truly damned from the start the fact that I am a doushi.
He holds his mic vertically upside-down and I felt it so well, you know hes putting his heart on his sleeve and pouring all of his feelings in his singing. When he does this it's over, theres no going back, he's gonna give his all.
When he sang
7色に変えていく (change into 7 colors)
I felt my cheeks getting hotter and truly the 7 colored rainbow behind him doesent help at all lol. If I was sobbing before, this part got me more emotional.
I keep forgetting which part was it, but the camera would switch into his pov to the audience and to see him surrounded by those red penlights, yeah truly
奇跡を待ちはしないよ, それを起こしに行くんだろう (you won't wait for a miracle, you'll go and make it happen)
this song is made for him.
He ended the song with a bow and a rainbow colored lights behind him and red penlights in front of him, then he wiped his sweat. Its truly a performance you got to see with your own eyes and ears. I have never felt this shaken over a vtuber performance before. Its been four solid years mind you. If you want to know how untapped I am in these four years when it comes to vtubers: I didnt even watch Unity (his solo concert) back in 2024 nor did I care enough to stream his mini album UniVerse.
Four years of not even giving a damn to vtubers and yet here I am. The fresh feeling of supporting my first ever Nijisanji JP kamioshi is still there and I'm glad I'm here to witness Concerto Day 2.
And I'm glad for ever being a doushi.