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Tam Nakano and Natsupoi Perform at Belluna Dome, But Not in a Ring

2 years ago

Tam Nakano and Natsupoi Perform at Belluna Dome, But Not in a Ring

Tam Nakano and Natsupoi Perform at Belluna Dome, But Not in a Ring

By: J. Curbelo

Bushiroad, home to New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Wonder Ring STARDOM, celebrated 15 years in activity this year. Takaaki Kidani’s beast of an entertainment corporation has launched and worked with some of the most popular franchises in mobile and trading card gaming as well as anime and, of course, professional wrestling in the last decade and a half.

As part of the celebrations, an all star live show was announced in June including performers from said franchises such as BanG Dream!, Revue Starlight, Assault Lily, D4DJ and LoveLive! Some of these brands have already collaborated with STARDOM in their mobile games and, in the case of Assault Lily, had Cosmic Angels member Natsupoi as an actress for a theatrical adaptation.

STARDOM’s idol driven aesthetics meant that it was only a matter of time for bigger crossovers to take place, and today was the first case of many. Four hours into Bushiroad’s 15th Anniversary Live at Belluna Dome, fans were surprised with a “Next artist” announcement of meltear, Tam Nakano and Natsupoi’s tag team.

To a shy reaction, the tag team champions walked to the stage and performed their own entrance theme song, “Double Frontier”, in which the duo gradually earned the crowd’s excitement as they started shaking their lightsticks to the emotional tune. The screens behind them showed highlights of their dramatic rivalry and subsequent alliance to tell the story of the team to those unfamiliar with them.

It’s evident that STARDOM still hasn’t reached the heights of popularity that other Bushiroad IPs enjoy, but at the end of the wrestlers’ performance attendees were welcoming of the joshi stars, a sign of potential for further crossovers.

With TJPW’s Maki Itoh also performing at emblematic J-Pop group SKE48’s concert with Yuki Arai a couple of months ago, it’s almost inevitable to think of the golden years of joshi puroresu, where many of the most popular wrestlers at the time also ventured into fruitful music careers, growing their popularity in the process. Will the women of wrestling in Japan recover that crossover success of yesteryear?

 

Date:

November 13, 2022

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