Presenting Keiko Toda as an Artist

Keiko Toda (hereinafter Toda) and Go Ueki (hereinafter Ueki)Well, it's over! Great job, everyone!

TodaFirst, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Go for handling the direction, staging, and choreography for this live performance.

UekiNot at all. It was a great honor for me as well.

TodaFor my anniversary lives, I've always asked people close to me who know me well to direct. When I thought about who to ask for my milestone 60th birthday live, the perfect person was right beside me (laughs).

UekiThat's right (laughs). Especially over the past 10 years, we've built so much together, and I understand so much about your personal and professional life.

TodaAnd Go's career has also seen tremendous expansion and growth over the last decade, with appearances in many stage productions and producing "WASABEATS." Your achievements have been remarkable.

UekiCreating the content for this show came together quickly, drawing from your rich life experiences. From the opening to the middle and the latter half of the live performance, I understand all the interesting and fun elements you possess. I was determined to showcase what you, Keiko Toda, are trying to express as an artist, not just as an actress or voice actor. That's what I felt.

TodaThat's profound (laughs).

UekiThat human power is strong. Whether it's the live performance, the content, the music, or the sound, I couldn't do it in my own shows, but I felt your power could make it happen, so I incorporated it.

TodaHonestly, it was tough (laughs).

UekiIt was tough, wasn't it? (laughs)

TodaEveryone told me it was a test of endurance! They said, 'Wow, you can still move like that!' Even the Anpanman team praised me, saying, 'This is what a professional is.'

Everything was Great!

UekiEveryone was surprised. You even did a cartwheel (laughs).

TodaAcross all five stages, I didn't have a single perfect run, but every time was fun.

UekiI'm glad to hear you say that. I watched from the wings every time, and about 20 minutes into the show, the applause and laughter were already far beyond what I had calculated or imagined. I realized you transcend direction. Your power of words, your persuasiveness, is incredible.

TodaMy fans are so kind. And the 'visuals' I wanted, the projection mapping, and everything else, were simply superb. That moment when I wrote 'とだけいこ' with a brush as a child, I felt so proud. I felt like I was doing things now that I couldn't have done before, even if I wanted to. It was a joyful time.

UekiFrom the red on your flyer to the staff, band, dancers, DJ, and guests, I think everything about this was great. Everyone was really into it.

TodaEveryone truly dedicated their time to me.

UekiThe lighting crew even added lasers as a celebration! I was touched by the nostalgic visuals. It felt like, 'This is how we all live.' The video team also came to rehearsals every day, making adjustments.

TodaEven after Go finished all the direction, TAKAHIRO and HILOMU rehearsed daily, and the performance became more complete. I truly felt the power of rehearsal, and though the time was short, it fueled my determination for the anniversary live.

UekiI could feel that accumulation even when I was away. And the songs in the live performance, they have so much persuasive power! That's why I was confident we could play around in the first half. That's what I believed.

TodaI'm also grateful to DJ Iiichiro and the five guest performers.

UekiEveryone brought their originality and put in a lot of effort.

TodaAll of them are guests I adore. The audience was also incredibly excited. I think they could feel the power and brilliance of comedians who regularly perform live.

UekiWatching from the side, I thought, 'They're amazing.'

It was so good, I could have retired after this

TodaOverall, how did I do (laughs)?

UekiI truly felt like 'Keiko Toda' just ran wild. She transformed into different characters, her childhood, her singing career, her voice acting, her acting career – she went wild in so many ways, all on her own. It was like she didn't need me to do anything.

TodaOur banter was also quite amusing, wasn't it?

UekiThe audience apparently thought it was scripted. It was just like our usual conversations (laughs).

TodaIt felt quite realistic, didn't it? (laughs)

UekiBecause it was you, I felt completely at ease. No matter what I said, you always picked it up.

TodaYour solo dance was beautiful. The mapping was also enhanced, and I was happy that you expressed that unique, emotional dance with such resolve.

UekiI put my all into it too.

TodaI have so many memories, but I'm so glad I did it! It was fun. I honestly feel like this could have been the end.

UekiEveryone is saying how cool it was. They're like, 'She's incredible.'

TodaI'm so grateful. Thank you again for a wonderful stage.

UekiEven during rehearsals, everyone was saying, 'This is so funny!' I knew we had it in the bag!

TodaThat was when I was worried I might seem pathetic (laughs).

UekiHonestly, just seeing you wearing a school backpack and kicking a stone brought tears to my eyes. I loved that scene where you fly home.

TodaThank you. It was worth wearing that backpack (laughs). When I sang Ayumi Akemi's song, I felt an immense nostalgia, a culmination of so many emotions. I didn't forget the lyrics, which shows how many times I've sung it (tears). I'm so glad I had the chance to sing it properly again. Thank you. This anniversary live was my way of expressing my gratitude for reaching 60 and my sixtieth birthday in good health. I sang with all my heart until the very end.

UekiYou kept saying you wanted to express your gratitude to everyone through a special performance. Thank you for choosing me for this. Thanks to everyone, I have no regrets. How about something purely acoustic next time?

TodaYou're already thinking like a director (laughs). I'll continue to do my best to meet your expectations.

UekiI'll keep up too.