My first proper solo set in Germany is behind me — and what a curious, wonderful feeling it was.
When I sang at Idolfest Germany, it was a single, spontaneous song. This time was different: a full 25-minute stage of my own, on Saturday afternoon at Anime Marathon 2026, at the AVALON Hotelpark Königshof in Königslutter.
I'll be honest with you: I was a little unsure going in. Most of the songs I love to sing are lesser-known or older Japanese pieces, and it's hard to guess what will land with a German audience. Would these songs, so dear to me, reach people here the way they reach me? That not-knowing made me nervous — but it also made every moment on that stage feel alive.
Here's the setlist I brought with me:
I chose it carefully. I opened with "Eternal Love" and closed with "I Still Shine" — my two songs, the two halves of my heart. And in between, I sang three Japanese songs I deeply love. That was the whole idea: to carry a little of the music that shaped me across the sea, uncertain as I was, and simply share it with you here.
To sing my own songs, in my own set, for a German audience for the very first time… I'll hold that feeling for a long time. Two homes, one stage, one afternoon.
Thank you to Anime Marathon for having me, and to everyone who came and spent those 25 minutes with me. This was a first I'll never forget — and I already can't wait for the next stage.
Aisaretai, aishitai — demo yappari aisaretai. — Ai-chan