Umezu Carnival 2011

If it feels like there hasn’t been much Umezu Kazuo news lately, it’s because the mad manga-ka has cloistered himself in his recording lab over the past year making the final modifications to his latest musical experiment, Yami no Album 2, a sequel to the original 1975 oddity.

Sample the tracks here.

This year’s Umezu Carnival capped off the Kichijoji Animation Wonderland and served as a testing ground for his latest creation. Normally the annual talk show and concert are held separately, but Kazz’s band didn’t have time to prep for the new material, leaving him free to hog the spotlight and rock it karaoke-style.



The focus here isn't Kazz's grand entrance, but rather his shirt featuring Makoto-Chan using his sister Mika as a human toilet. That pretty much set the mood for the rest of the night.



Kazz serenades the crowd with Shinjuku Crows, his throwback to wandering pub minstrels from the early post-war days. Obviously he's playing the femme fatale.



It's not ironic if it's authentic! Rocker Kazz dusted the mothballs of his 70's digs to prove that he's had this prima donna thing down cold before most of the audience was even born.



For the talk show portion, Demerin played Ran-Maru, the geriatric rock star from Makoto-Chan who hides his potbelly, male pattern baldness, and erectile dysfunction with prosthetics. He's the most family-friendly character in the series, all things considered.



Kazz has always dreamed of becoming a pirate. Not because of the high-sailing adventure (he gets seasick), but because of the red-white stripe uniform! Though he admits that his Peter Pan complex might have something to do with it as well.



The lovely mustached crew of the Gwashi Dancers try out their sea legs as they perform Pirate Rock, the hot new cut from Yami no Album 2.



Momo-Chan, the little girl up front, memorized the choreography through repeat viewings of the DVDs and was rewarded with a spot as an honorary Gwash Dancer. Things are looking up for the future of the Umezu empire.



Though it's probably a good idea to leave the kids at home with perverts like this running loose. Voidmare (left) is in his award-winning white haired witch costume while Gokicchi (right) is looking to administer a savage tickling as Miira Sensei, or the Mummy Teacher.

Find out more about the Nakayoshi reprints here.

Between the release of his first new album in over three decades and a focus on reprints of rare, early Shojo material, 2011 has been a throwback year for Kazz. If everything goes according to plan, next year he'll have the band back together with new arrangements, new antics, and new ways to gross us out!