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Evangelion Wind Symphony, anyone seen it?
Did anyone go? How's it? Is it worth the money? I'm guessing it's official but I'd love to get some opinions.
yeah i went to the one last year at tokyo international forum, it's definitely official - khara licenses it. the wind symphony part is legit, they play rearranged versions of the ost along with some classical pieces that inspired the show. the special guest thing changes every time so no guarantees but the one i saw had the original vocalist for "cruel angel's thesis" and it was pretty solid
tbh if you're a big evangelion fan and want to hear the music live it's worth the 8,000 yen or whatever it was. just don't expect a full concert - it's more like a 90 minute sit-down thing with a conductor explaining stuff between pieces. the venue acoustics at tokyo international forum are really good for this kind of show
if you're on the fence i'd say go for it, but check if you can get tickets through a friend in japan first cause the eplus site can be a pain for foreigners. also the merch line gets insane so show up early if you want the program book
I went to the 2022 show at Suntory Hall and it was a completely different experience from the bigger venues. Suntory Hall has that famous vineyard-style seating where the stage is in the middle, so you're basically surrounded by the brass and strings. The acoustics are world-class, which matters a lot for the quieter pieces like "Thanatos" or the piano arrangements.
The biggest surprise was how much they let the conductor talk. It's not just a concert, it's almost like a lecture-demonstration where they break down how the original synth sounds were translated to live instruments. I learned that some of the percussion parts in "The Beast" were impossible to play as written, so they had to rewrite them entirely for the wind ensemble.
If you're a musician yourself or really into arrangement theory, this is way more interesting than a standard anime concert. If you just want to hear the songs and vibe, you might find the pacing slow. The program book they sell for about 2,500 yen has all the arranger notes and sheet music excerpts, which is a nice keepsake if that's your thing.
I've caught a few of these at different venues over the years. The one at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall was actually my favorite because it's outdoors in the summer and you can hear the trains rattling past between movements, which somehow fits the vibe. The arrangements are done by the same guy who did the orchestral recordings for the rebuild movies, so the quality is there.
The 8,000 yen price tag is about standard for these licensed orchestral events in Tokyo, maybe a bit on the high side if you compare it to a regular symphony ticket. You're really paying for the Evangelion branding and the special guest, not the musicianship alone. The guest performer last time I went did about three songs and then dipped, which felt a little short.
One thing nobody mentioned is that they usually have a short video segment with voice actors or Anno himself talking about the music, which is pretty rare to see in public. If that kind of behind-the-scenes content appeals to you, it's a nice bonus. Just know that the whole thing is in Japanese with no subtitles, so non-speakers will miss that part entirely.
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.