It was an enchantingly spooky evening as the Phantom Siita made their Philippine concert debut at the Samsung Hall on January 18. The retro-horror idol group, composed of Mona, Miu, Rinka, Hisui and Moka, performed their latest hits as well as a number of well-curated old-school covers. Manila marked the 2nd stop of their 1st world tour titled Moth to a Flame. 

The five members of Phantom Siita were selected from an audition spearheaded by the popular singer Ado, backed by her talent agency Cloud Nine. Since then, Ado has actively directed their concepts, their song production and even the design of their costumes.  After making their official debut just seven months ago, the group is already embarking on a world tour, and they are set to make a name for themselves. 

Dubbing themselves as a “retro-horror” idols, Phantom Siita’s music is an amalgamation of  many things: You’ll get to hear streaks of ‘80s to ‘90s city pop, modern pop, traditional Japanese music, temperamental tempo breaks – all laced with the ladies’ haunting vocal harmonies.

Phantom Siita made a strong entrance with “Just Wanna xxx With You” and “Devilish Girl”, resplendent with the delicate choreography with an extra flair for theatrics. The girls donned their black sailor-style uniforms with ombre red hems, the same outfit they wore for one of their music videos. Not only were they all proficient in dancing and singing, they also exuded a veil of horror as they stared down the crowd with their intense gazes – partly crazed and seemingly haunted. The Filipino crowd welcomed them with the loudest cheers, waving their lightsticks in excitement.

The concert also highlighted each member’s versatility and talent during their solo stages. It was a throwback to the glitz of the ‘80s as Mona performed Seiko Matsuda’s “Aoi Sangoshou” and Rinka sang Meiko Nakahara’s “FANTASY”. Going the anime-flavored route, Miu covered Kenshi Yonezu’s “KICK BACK” from Chainsaw Man while Hisui did Utada Hikaru’s “One Last Kiss” from Evangelion 3.0+1.0. Moka held her end with her charming rendition of “Fly-day Chinatown” by Yasuha. In a show of support, fans changed the color of their lightsticks to match the representative color of the member performing on stage.

Phantom Siita saved their best for last. Towards the end, they performed  the irreverent “Otomodachi” and  the melancholic “HANAGATAMI” which hyped up the crowd even more. Add to this, they also showed their distinctive take on the iconic J-pop favorites “Mayonaka no Door/Stay with Me” by Miki Matsubara (the retro pop song that became a viral hit all over social media) and “Moonlight Densetsu” by DALI (the theme song of the quintessential ‘90s anime series Sailor Moon). As homage to their producer Ado, they also performed “Tot Musica”, the song that became the basis of their whole concept as a group. 

During their ment, the members repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the crowd’s loud cheers and support. Mona mentioned that it felt surreal to have a lot of fans in the Philippines. Rinka shared that they ate halo-halo the day before and said it was delicious. They also asked their fans to keep supporting them as they continue to grow as artists. For the finale, they performed the thrilling “Zoku Zoku”. 

Seeing Phantom Siita live was an interesting concert experience. Just like the intended meaning of their tour title, watching their show felt a bit eerie, but it was difficult to look away. Their choreography, matched by the girls’ haunting execution, was captivating. Their brand of retro-horror is a refreshing twist that offers a lot of potential, with songs that are remarkably catchy. We left the concert humming the chorus of “Otomodachi” and “Zokuzoku” repeatedly.

Phantom Siita will continue their world tour in North America and Europe until February.

Special thanks to Ovation Productions and AEG Presents Asia

by Sandra Mae Laureano