ano Plays Her First Solo Shows in Korea, Two Nights in Seoul With Korean MCs and Anime Theme Songs
ano played her first-ever solo concerts in Korea, 'ano LIVE in SEOUL, KOREA 2026', on Oct. 17 and 18 at BLUE SQUARE Woori WON Banking Hall in Seoul. It was her first trip to Korea in about a year, since she appeared at the music event WONDERLIVET 2025 last November. Crowds gathered outside the venue well before the doors opened, and most of the conversations around the hall were in Korean.
22 songs on night one, her longest solo set yet
She opened on electric guitar, moved through rock tracks such as 'Fuhen' and 'KILL LOVE', switched to acoustic guitar for three quieter songs, and then ran through her recent singles. The first night came to 22 songs, the most she has performed at any of her solo concerts. During 'Chu, Tayousei.' she stepped down onto the floor and sang surrounded by fans. On the second night she swapped several songs in the setlist.
Korean MCs and anime theme songs bring the room together
ano greeted the crowd with 'Annyeonghaseyo!' and mixed Korean into her MCs throughout the night. 'Kirai Nochi Suki!', the opening theme for the anime 'Keroro', drew a full-room call-and-response. For the encore she sang 'Iinazukkyun', the opening theme for 'Ranma 1/2', followed by 'Picaresque Hero', the opening theme for 'TRIGUN STARGAZE', and closed by promising in Korean that she would come back.
Our take
For many fans outside Japan, anime theme songs are the first door into Japanese music. Meeting fans at a festival, coming back a year later for a solo show, speaking their language and using anime songs to bring the whole room together: it is a clear example of how a Japanese artist can grow a relationship with an overseas audience step by step.
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Source: Natalie (Japanese)
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