Young retro horror-pop quintet Phantom Siita drew the curtain on their first world tour with a finale in London’s alternative capital, Camden, hosting a night of unhinged idol theatrics as part of their Moth to a flame tour.
Formed under Ado’s guidance in 2024, the group—Mona, Miu, Rinka, Hisui, and Moka—were handpicked from 4,000 applicants and have since hit career milestones at a dizzying pace. In just eight months, they’ve gone from supporting Ado in stadiums across Japan to a solo debut at the Nippon Budokan, releasing their first album ‘Girlhood Memories’, and taking their sound worldwide with shows across Asia, North America, and Europe.
Though the venue was only half full, fans packed in tight, waving official Phantom Siita penlights that illuminated the room long before the group took the stage. When they finally emerged—clad in black dresses with blood-red accents—it was to a deafening roar. They stood motionless at center stage, staring into the crowd with a Village of the Damned dead-eyed glare before snapping into a synchronized pose and launching into their opener.
Idol Horror Theater
‘Kimi to ×××× Shitai dake’ is Phantom Siita at their most twisted. The track’s chorus plays on double meanings—“Chuuchuuchuuchuu shitai dake” (a sweet plea for kisses) twists into “Anata no chicchicchichi ga mitai”, where chi (blood) shifts the sentiment from affectionate to obsessive. Onstage, the contrast was heightened by choreography that turned delicate finger touches on chuu into violent chopping motions on chi, making the song’s warped theatricality even more unsettling. Ado’s fingerprints are all over Phantom Siita’s vocal approach—breathy taunts, whispered menace, and sudden yelps pushing their delivery into something genuinely eerie.
‘Devilish Girl’ followed, its thumping electronic club-worthy beat keeping the track grounded while a warped, detuned piano tugged it into something more surreal. The choreography mirrored the track’s instability, shifting between fluid, spectral movements and jagged, almost puppet-like contortions. Even ‘Hanabami’, the closest they get to a traditional idol song, carried an underlying intensity. What could have been saccharine was undercut by sharp, violent choreography, the audible thuds of bodies hitting the floor echoing through the venue.
‘Conflicting’, a sudden and welcomed detour into jazzy, high-energy swing, followed next. Theatrical and brimming with playful menace, the track felt like a murder ballad in idol-pop form.
Phantom Siita’s Originals Shine Between Eclectic Covers
Between songs, each member introduced themselves to a flood of cheers and aggressively shaken light sticks. Given their still-limited catalogue, with only seven original tracks to their name, the set leaned heavily on covers—sometimes to great effect, sometimes to the show’s detriment.
Their take on Jun Togawa’s ‘Suki Suki Daisuki’ was a highlight—already psychotic in its original form, Phantom Siita pushed it even further into madness with manic laughter, exaggerated movements, and piercing stares. The crowd ate it up, screaming back “Ore mo!” in response to the chorus’ obsessive “Suki suki daisuki!” refrain.
Solo covers gave each member their moment in the spotlight:
- Mona – ‘Aoi Sangoshou’ (Seiko Matsuda)
- Rinka – ‘Kagami no Naka no Actress’ (Meiko Nakahara)
- Miu – ‘KICK BACK’ (Kenshi Yonezu)
- Hisui – ‘One Last Kiss’ (Hikaru Utada)
- Moka – ‘Fly-day Chinatown’ (Yasuha)
The mix of city pop and modern anime anthems hit different nostalgia pockets, though the contrast between styles occasionally made the set feel uneven. After a group performance of Taeko Onuki’s ‘4:00AM’, they pivoted back to their own material with ‘HANAGATAMI’, a slow and smooth track thick with classical instrumentation and cinematic strings.
A cover of ‘Mayonaka no Door ~ Stay With Me’ (Miki Matsubara)—the song that almost single-handedly fuelled the international city pop revival in the 2020s—turned into a full-venue singalong before they closed the first set with their debut single ‘Otomodachi’. Its wobbly, off-kilter piano and ghostly lullaby quality left the audience in suspense as the group disappeared into the darkness.
An Encore That Ties It All Together
Chants and stomps for Phantom Siita shook the venue, and when they finally returned, they opened the encore with Ado’s ‘Tot Musica’—a full-circle moment linking them back to their audition process. The energy peaked with ‘Moonlight Densetsu’, the iconic Sailor Moon opening theme and the final cover of the night—fitting, given the franchise’s live show currently running in the city. Some fans, still sporting merch, had clearly rushed straight from the afternoon performance.
What’s a tour final without a few tears? Across 15 minutes of heartfelt speeches, each member took the mic for a sendoff, struggling to keep their composure as they thanked the crowd for sticking with them through their whirlwind debut year. It was a genuine moment, tinged with uncertainty about what’s next for the group.
Finally, they closed with ‘Zoku Zoku’, their latest single—a chaotic, rhythm-heavy track laced with Latin influences, proving Phantom Siita aren’t just banking on horror aesthetics. They took their final bow, exiting in a slow, orderly line—measured, deliberate, leaving just enough room for mystery.
Despite some uneven moments in the setlist, Phantom Siita proved they can hold their own. Whether they have the staying power is another question. Right now, they’re riding Ado’s influence and one of the most attention-grabbing idol debuts in recent years. With more original material and a clearer artistic direction, they could be a real export. If they can build their next tour around their own songs rather than borrowed ones, they might just establish themselves as more than Ado’s project.
Photos by Charles Shepherd
