Tohjinsai 2015

Tohjinsai 2015, or Momoclo Open Mic Night as it has come to be known, was held in Shizuoka prefecture, and was a two-day endeavor that let local inhabitants take a shot at fame and fortune. While this seemed like a good idea on paper, it did not turn out the way anyone had expected. With the talents of the local population, Reni performing with a broken wrist, and the appearance of both of Aarin's uncles, this was indeed a concert to remember.

The girls were backed up by the Downtown Momoclo Band, featuring Taikoldplay for the traditionally Japanese versions of the songs.

Opening Ceremonies and The Head Monk
The concert started off with local inhabitants performing a celebration of Death, by showing off their local funeral rites. Walking in a procession toward the main stage, and passing through a gate into the spirit realm, this alone was enough to make many in the audience feel uneasy. If Death was how it all would start, then what would happen next? That question would not be left unanswered for long, as following an introduction video, many of the local performers flocked to the arena. Men in lion suits danced, and mysterious Mask Changers from China... well, changed masks, all of this to the booming voice of The Announcer. The ceremonies were brought to an abrupt halt when The Head Monk made an appearance. Being part of an ancient order trying to preserve stability in a chaotic and ever-changing Cosmos he has spent his entire life in the temples of the order, practicing the incantations found on their scrolls. Appearing at the concert he read these very incantations, hoping that he could put a stop to all of this madness before it could escalate further. However, this was to no avail, and the cosmic forces cared not for his pleas. While he managed to delay the inevitable, as soon as he finished speaking the Overture began, and with that the concert commenced.

First act and Open Mic Night Round 1
The girls appeared wearing Tengu masks, that were quickly discarded as they jumped into the first song of the night. After a few songs, the girls introduced themselves, before going into Chai Maxx ZERO, followed by Chai Maxx. During the performance of Chai Maxx Aarin taunted Momoka, in an attempt to establish dominance. In a surprising turn of events, Momoka fights back, and Aarin ends up playing the whole thing off as a joke. After this the girls disappeared briefly, allowing for the first proper open mic performance. This turned out to be a few local elderly people performing something very ill-rehearsed. Including trumpets, an assortment of cymbals, and a homemade fireworks contraption it was nothing short of a miracle that the group didn't burn the place down. Simultaneously a separate group performed a dance with a homemade dragon effigy, most likely a tribute to The Dragon of Life and Death. Both groups left the stage after finishing, and the girls returned to perform 'Z' no Chikai. A while later, while the girls changed their costumes, three more groups took their shot at the open mic. The first was a group attempting a form of musical medley. The lead flutist channeled all of his pain and angst into what was meant to be a performance of Momoiro Clover Z's classic song Hashire, but soon spiralled out of control. While this happened, another man performed a ritualistic dance. To this day it is not clear whether he was an intended part of the performance. The next group to appear was a large number of elderly women from a nearby fishing village. Together with their village maiden they performed a song, telling the heartbreaking tale of the tsunami that killed nearly all of the men in their village many years back. While their message was indeed a beautiful one, they were ill prepared for the scale of their performance, and realised far too late that no one had actually really practiced their coreography. Amidst their confusion Kanako managed to sneak in and take part of the performance, doing about as well as the rest of them when it came to the coreography. The third group to perform turned out to be the only ones who had actually prepared for their performance, and naturally were the ones allowed to move on to the next round. With a combination of drums, rythmic chanting, and powerful dance, they were able to impart cosmic powers upon the audience.

As Reni shot up from the ground, bursting into her favourite summer song - Momoiro no Taiko Dodonga Setsu, the winners of the last round were allowed to join in for the performance. This was followed by a group of local acolytes using cursed artefacts to put the girls into a trance. This was only mildly successful, and the girls soon shook it off, and launched into Zenryoku Shoujo, for which they were accompanied by their 3B Junior apprentices. For the second day performance of this song Aarin's apprentice attempted a coup, but was swiftly struck down. The exact punishment she suffered for this transgression is not known, but it is sure to have been harsh.

Wrestle of the Heroes (Day 1)
The feud between songwriter Hyadain and The Manager had been going on for years at this point. And a few months earlier, after being physically assaulted by Hyadain, The Manager challenged his once best friend to a wrestling match, where they would settle their score once and for all. The match was to take place during the first day of Tohjinsai 2015. After attempting a strict training regimen The Manager found that there was more to wrestling than just fame and the glamorous lifestyle. However, unable to back down from this, The Manager did his best at preparing for the match. But in the fateful moment where he was raised into the arena the realisation of what he had gotten himself into struck him in full force. As he walked toward the wrestling cage built for the occasion he attempted to keep his head high, and not show any sign of weakness. But when his opponent was appeared, to a rap tune he had written himself for the occassion, the mask that The Manager was trying to keep up fell completely. He realised he was done for. As the bell rung and the match begun he did as well as he could, and even managed to get a few (lucky) hits on Hyadain. However, it was to no avail, and Hyadain eventually stood as the clear victor. Not believing his eyes The Manager's son, who had been watching from the sidelines, stormed up on to the battleground, in an attempt to invalidate the victory. However, upon seeing his father's passed out form he realised there was no way to spin this, and instead shook hands with the man who had defeated his father. As The Manager's consciousness returned from wherever it had been beaten to, he realised the errors of his ways. He had spent years begrudgingly hating his best friend, for something neither of them could remember at this point. With both of them simultaneously realising how many years of creative potential had gone to waste, the two former enemies hugged it out, and pledged never to fight each other again. In celebration of their rekindled brotherhood the girls launched into a special performance of Hyadain's magnum opus; Ikuze! Kaitou Shoujo.

Yakuza and The Superstar (Day 2)
On the second day of Tohjinsai 2015, in the middle of their performance of Naitemo Iindayo, the girls were attacked by the Yakuza. The boss of the regional Yakuza division saw this as a chance to gain more notoriety and respect within the organization. If he showed that he was capable of defeating five cosmic beings he was sure to be promoted. And for a start, everything seemed to go his way. The girls were subdued, and he had planned for their every possible countermove. Even though the girl's personal security guards showed up, crushing many of The Boss' henchmen beneath their custom motorbikes, they were eventually defeated by The Boss himself. However, there was one thing he hadn't counted on; Aarin's uncle, and feared Yakuza hunter, The Superstar showed up, having heard rumours of Yakuza activity in the region. He made quick work of the remaining Yakuza, and wooed the audience and girls alike by performing a smooth ballad. Together, they all finished Naitemo Iindayo, which the Yakuza had so rudely interrupted.

Encore
On the first day the encore opened with Nagisa no LALALA, a tune written by the legendary guitarist who sired The Crazy Guitarist, and his brother The Hunky Guitarist. Partly in honour of his recent death, and partly in honour of Kanako, as many believe her to be the living incarnation of Deko-sama; a local deity.

Momokuri 2015 Announcement
On the first day during the encore performance, there was a last-minute addition to the Open Mic roster. An old lady, native to northern Japan, who lives on and operates a ski resort in the mountains appeared on stage, performing a ballad wherein she offered to host Momokuri 2015 at her own resort; Karuizawa Snow Park. The girl's were intrigued by the offer, as it was very different from the usual stadiums and arenas they would performa at. When she threw in an all-inclusive weekend at her hotel, the deal was done.

Amaranthus, Hakkin no Yoake & Dome Trek Announcement
With Momokuri already booked, many speculated whether The Arena Man would make an appearance on the second day, and if so, what he would announce. It turned out that what he came to bestow upon the girls was bigger than any possible Momokuri venue. It had been almost two and a half years since the girls last released an album. Therefore it was to the great pleasure of mononofu, the girls, and the Cosmos itself, that The Arena Man announced the upcoming release of two new albums; Amaranthus and Hakkin no Yoake. They were to be released on the same day, February 16th 2016, marking a cosmic event. However, The Arena Man was not content even with this grand announcement. His chance to host Momokuri 2015 at one of his arenas snuffed out on the day before he decided to host a spring concert in style instead. To celebrate their new albums the girls would have a tour, a Dome Trek, where they would host two day concerts at a number of Domes around Japan. This is a feat that few have been allowed to attempt before, and even fewer have succeeded. Clearly The Arena Man deemed that the girls were now worthy of such an honour, but also capable of pulling a feat of that scale.

Ending
Both days ended with a performance of Hitotsubu no Egao De... (more commonly known as Ode to Robot), with a full introduction of the band, and all of the local performers. To nobody's surprise, the drumming troupe were announced as winners of the Open Mic Competition. While introducing the band, Momoka as per usual, attempted to get the attention of The Hunky Guitarist, but to her great dismay he only had eyes for Aarin.

Behind the scenes

 * Reni cast.png, with her custom made cast.]]During the concert rehearsals Reni had an accident where she injured her wrist. She was able to perform at the concerts, wearing a specially crafted cast of purple mithril. This did however require her to restrain her dancing, which was arguably a bigger challenge for her than performing with an injured wrist.
 * The second day marked the first time that The Arena Man and his little brother The Superstar were in the same building in many years. The Arena Man had hoped to avoid an encounter, but his brother found his hiding spot, and the two of them shared a short, but ultimately very nice, reunion.
 * Prior to the concert beginning there were a great deal of activites taking place outside the stadium. For example, concert-goers could enjoy Kanako's specially produced water. There were also many other performances taking place; everything from a dance contest, to a man proving to his friend that he could "totally eat a bowl of noodles while standing on his head."