This Saturday – 21 January 2017, join fellow fans in celebrating the inspiring career of one of anisong’s brightest stars. Eir Aoi, the powerful voice behind some of anime’s biggest theme songs, will be taking a sabbatical from her musical career, and her 5th Anniversary Special Live 2016 -LAST BLUE- is the final performance before her long break. A special screening of the concert will be held in both Singapore and Thailand, and fans are invited to get together and show their support.

When Eir Aoi first announced her intention of going on indefinite hiatus, it sent shock waves through the worldwide community of anime fans and J-pop enthusiasts. Eir is one of Japan’s fastest rising musical stars, and was poised make it big in mainstream media — when her health concerns forced her to make the difficult decision of putting her singing on hold.

Although much is yet to be revealed about her condition, the somber news should not cast a shadow on her incandescent and inspiring musical career.

The Early Years

Eir has always been a singer at heart. After being part of a band in high school, she first caught the eye of record label Sony Music Entertainment when she posted covers on Japanese video site niconico (then called niconico Douga). She released her first single “Memoria” on 19th October 2011, and the track was used as the first ending theme of “Fate/Zero” – part of the giant multimedia Fate/ franchise. Eir’s second single “Aurora” — released on 5th September 2012, was subsequently featured as the fourth opening theme song of another massive Japanese franchise: Gundam’s twelfth instalment “Mobile Suit Gundam AGE”.

Her third single “Innocence” was released on 21st November of the same year, and was used as the second opening theme song of long-time fan favourite “Sword Art Online”. Her fifth single, “Sirius”, was released on 13th November 2013, and was used as the first opening theme of the ground-breaking series “Kill la Kill”. The B-side track to the “Sirius” single – entitled “Sanbika”, was also featured as the series’ insert song.

The Sky’s the Limit

Eir’s career began to pick up speed when her sixth single, “Niji no Oto” – released on New Year’s Day 2014, was featured as the opening theme to the “Sword Art Online: Extra Edition” special. Her seventh single “Ignite“, released on 20th August 2014, became the first opening theme to the second season of “Sword Art Online”. Her eighth single “Tsunagaru Omoi” – first released on 12th November 2014, became the opening theme for the TBS variety show “Rank Okoku”.

 

Eir continued her collaborative work with “Sword Art Online” when her twelfth single “Cynthia no Hikari” — released digitally on 25th March 2015, was featured as the opening theme of the video game “Sword Art Online: Lost Song”. Her twelfth single “Accentier” – first released on 2nd March 2016, became the opening theme for the PlayStation Vita game “Digimon World: Next Order”. Her thirteenth and ultimately final single “Tsubasa” — released on 20th July 2016, became the opening theme for the second season of “The Heroic Legend of Arslan”.

The Endless Tour

Many fans have speculated that part of Eir’s health issues were brought about by her tireless desire perform live and be close to her fans. Eir has performed impressive live concerts all over her native Japan, but her overseas tours are equally formidable. In her brief career, she has been to Paris, London, San Francisco, Atlanta, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila, Mexico City, and many more places than other Japanese performers who have been active for decades!

Eir performing overseas is a sight to behold. She has taken the high altitude and thin air of Mexico City in stride, and her performance was as exciting as ever.  She has fielded intruding and personal questions from uninformed local media with true grace and quiet aplomb. She did not even see the annual haze in Singapore as a sign to quit touring – she simply postponed her solo concert to a time when the weather was better. Her love for singing, and the genuine value she places on her fans, has inspired loyalty in so many of them, Japanese or otherwise.

Into the Last Blue

Eir’s shock announcement came on the 15 August 2016, with her staff stating that all her performances for the month of August were cancelled, all the way to her planned appearance at Animax Musix 2017 in January of the next year. Two of these events included our very own Anime Festival Asia – both the Thailand and Indonesia legs were affected by the cancellations. But the outpouring of support from the fans and the genuine concern for Eir’s health outweighed the disappointment of not seeing her perform live, and many people were cautiously optimistic that this was a temporary setback.

Ultimately, Eir and her team decided that it was best for her to stop all her activities completely, and the fifth anniversary concert slated at the Nippon Budokan became a farewell concert of sorts as well. Fans trooped in their thousands to see Eir before she goes on hiatus. Eir’s performance at her anniversary live was both powerful and emotional. She didn’t spend a lot of time talking – she simply conveyed her thanks through her songs.

Fans in Singapore and Thailand can also experience the bittersweet emotions of Eir Aoi’s fifth anniversary live at the Eir Aoi 5th Anniversary Special Live 2016 -LAST BLUE- Screening Event in Singapore and Bangkok. Both screenings will be held on the 21st of January 2017 at The Projector in Singapore, and at SF Cinema City in Bangkok. Tickets are available via AFA World for Singapore, and via Dexclub in Thailand. You can also check out the official Sozo Facebook page for more information.

Eir Aoi 5th Anniversary Special Live 2016 -LAST BLUE- Screening Event

Bangkok Screening

[ประเทศไทย]
วันที่และเวลาแสดง : วันเสาร์ที่ 21 มกราคม 2560 เวลา 13.30 น. (เวลารวม 143 นาที)
สถานที่ : เอส เอฟ เทอร์มินอล 21 (SF Terminal 21) (ศูนย์การค้าเทอร์มินอล 21, กรุงเทพ, ประเทศไทย)
ราคาตั๋ว : 750 บาท (รวมภาษี)

หมายเหตุ : ไม่มีบริการจัดส่งบัตรทางไปรษณีย์ รับตั๋วหน้างาน

Singapore Screening

Date: 21st January 2016
Time: 2:00PM (cinema doors open); 2:30PM (movie starts)
Run time: Approximately 145mins
Venue: The Projector, 5th Floor, Golden Mile Tower
Price: S$40 + GST

Singapore fans can also get to take the experience home with the exclusive Sony Store 313@somerset promotion.

Pre-order your EIR AOI “5th Anniversary Special Live 2016 Last Blue – First Press Limited Edition” DVD/Blu-Ray disc with 2 CDs at SGD$118 and receive an exclusive EIR AOI poster. This promotion is available at Sony Store 313@somerset, and is valid till 3rd Feb 2017.

We look forward to seeing you all there and let us celebrate the unique talent, grace, and beauty of the one and only Eir Aoi.