June 21, 2024
JAKARTA – It was almost a typical start to an orchestra performance: The audience rushed to fill the theater seats, the house lights went dark, and then the choir, instrument players and conductor all came onstage.
In this concert, however, the conductor cheekily put on a famed straw hat worn by the fictional character Monkey D. Luffy from the anime One Piece, drawing thunderous applause from the audience before the show even started.
Such sightings would continue as all the orchestra members emulated a certain anime character during the Jakarta Concert Orchestra’s show called An Anime Symphony: Resonance, which was held on Saturday at the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) Convention Center & Theater in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
Anime, a term for Japanese animation movies or TV series, has long been a beloved cultural import in Indonesia. Each generation grew up with its era’s specific popular anime shows; some caught them on Sunday morning cartoon programs in the 2000s, while others dived into them through streaming platforms in the 2020s.
One hundred young singers from The Resonanz Children’s Choir take to the stage to sing the Indonesian version of famed anime Crayon Shin-Chan during the Anime Symphony: Resonance on June 8, 2024 in Jakarta. PHOTO: JAKARTA CONCERT ORCHESTRA/THE JAKARTA POST
This symphony was the third installment in the series of anime symphonies by the Jakarta Concert Orchestra. Like the massive success of the previous two, this one also drew an enthusiastic audience, raking in nearly 5,000 people throughout its two-time slots, at 3.30 and 7.00 p.m.
Going into its third iteration, nationally heralded conductor and the show’s program director Avip Priatna wanted to please more anime fans in the country. The team scrapped the previous shows’ setlist and came up with songs they had not covered before.
“Choosing the songs wasn’t easy. We have to figure out how to grip the audience’s attention for nearly two hours,” Avip told The Jakarta Post after the show, adding that they only had less than a month to prepare.
The setlist for this show reflects the range of anime fans in the country; parents who grew up watching Doraemon and Crayon Shin-Chan, young adults who devour mainstream hits like Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan, or even the “alternative” subset of fans who religiously watch Violet Evergarden.
All 23 songs ranged evenly in genres, from classical to pure Japanese pop, or J-pop, beats. How would Avip and the Jakarta Concert Orchestra juggle all these songs in the symphony?
Nearly 5,000 people enjoyed the two shows of the Anime Symphony: Resonance by the Jakarta Concert Orchestra on June 8, 2024, in Jakarta. PHOTO: JAKARTA CONCERT ORCHESTRA/THE JAKARTA POST
Third time’s charm
The answer was to have an orchestra that had no shortage of spectacles. During the Anime Symphony, each soundtrack was turned from a mere concerto into an entertaining, theatrical show.
The concert started with the famed soundtrack “Overtaken” from One Piece before swiftly moving to “Koibito ga Uchuujin Nara” from Mojacko. At this point, the Batavia Madrigal Singers (BMS) choir left the stage and two singers dressed like the anime’s characters took center stage to belt out the soundtrack.
The singers continued to showcase their vocals as the anime’s lead characters: Stefani Yang of the BMS became the fierce Mikasa from the hit anime Attack on Titan, complete with her famous boots and brown jacket, to sing “Akuma no Ko”. She later skillfully sang as Nezuko from Demon Slayer while jumping around with her character’s brother Tanjiro and friend Zenitsu.
The spectacle heightened as the choir girls changed into white dresses and danced with white parasols as they sang the sentimental soundtrack from Violet Evergarden. As if the variety of performances were not enough, four of the choir boys got the crowd going by rapping through a hip-hop number from Mashle: Magic and Muscles.
But one of the biggest highlights of the night was The Resonanz Children’s Choir, comprising nearly a hundred little kids aged 4 to 7 who sang the Indonesian version of Crayon Shin-Chan’s soundtrack. The anime was a regular Sunday cartoon loved by the nation, and the audience sweetly cheered on the kids’ adorable performance. The older kids, aged 8 to 17, also matched their charm as they later sang and danced to the Cardcaptor Sakura soundtrack.
The concert also excelled in its serene moments with no vocals, especially in two songs from Studio Ghibli’s animation films: Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The former moved the audience as they listened to the symphony intently, whereas the latter evoked the childlike wonder of the film through the playful strings and marching drum beats.
The cast of the Anime Symphony: Resonance show bows to the audience after performing soundtracks from Japanese anime shows on June 8, 2024, in Jakarta. PHOTO: JAKARTA CONCERT ORCHESTRA/THE JAKARTA POST
Music that resonates
The performance showcased conductor Avip’s ability to tie the various genres from the different songs. Where the rock-leaning soundtracks came during Attack on Titan and Frieren, drums filled the lull in the symphony; and in the classical-heavy songs, a piano solo wowed the audience during two tracks from the beloved figure skating anime Yuri on Ice.
“As a music fan, the show was really enjoyable,” 25-year-old concertgoer Faiz Adam Razaq told the Post after the concert.
Faiz, an aspiring musician from South Tangerang, Banten, had just gotten into anime earlier this year and only realized how unique the soundtracks are.
“I feel like I just encountered a new world in anime music that is begging to be explored,” he added.
This sentiment was felt throughout the concert as the audience became more energized as the setlist went on. By the time songs from Naruto, one of the best-selling anime shows of all time, were performed at the end, the audience were waving their glow sticks enthusiastically back and forth.
“We are fighting dreamers!” all the singers sang together onstage. The choir members were clad in black and red, while Avip wore the iconic Naruto jacket and headband.
“Anime has its own power through its story. But the songs, most of which are easy to listen to, also resonate deeply with viewers, as can be seen today,” Avip said.
That resonance was most visible through the orchestra’s tribute to the late Akira Toriyama, who created the worldwide classic Dragon Ball anime. The legendary mangaka (Japanese comic artist) passed away in March this year and was remembered internationally for his highly influential work.
“Let us sing the soundtrack together to remember the great artist,” Avip said to the audience onstage before conducting the orchestra with no choir at all.
The audience, unsurprisingly, knew every word and melody of the Indonesian soundtrack by heart without any vocal backings to help them; a bittersweet reminder that Akira’s anime lives on across the globe and generations.