Japanese pop culture fans rejoice! C3 AFA Singapore 2017 is headed to the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on the 24th to the 27th of November 2017! Performing on her first I Love Anisong concert is Friday’s opening act: multilingual Malaysian talent Iris, who took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for WOW Japan.

Is this your first time performing in Singapore? What are you looking forward to the most with your upcoming performance?

Actually, my aunt lives in Singapore. So I visited Singapore many times to see her, and here is very familiar to me. But, as a singer, this is my first time. It’s like ‘coming back my home town’. Because Malaysia and Singapore are so close, and I heard my dad and mom, friends, will come to see me. I’m very looking forward to my performance in Singapore !

You became very popular in Japan after doing a TV show where you hitchhiked your way around the country. What was that experience like? Do you have some advice for other people who would like to try it as well?

I pass the audition of that TV program at that time. They wanted someone who couldn’t speak Japanese well, but had a curiosity to go around Japan. The project was to examine ‘if a foreigner was to travel from the northernmost point to the southernmost point of Japan without money and the skill of Japanese language, how will it go during the trip?’

It was such a great experience for me. I could feel real Japan and real Japanese kindness, and I learn a lot of Japanese language throughout the trip. Also I can say now I have a lot of Japanese family in all around Japan. But I won’t recommend it to everybody, especially to females. Japan is safe, so I could achieve the goal.

But, you know, it’s so hard to hitchhike, and very difficult to find the kind people who let me stay the night at their home. If you want to do it, you’d better find the people who had the same experience overseas. They know how hard it (hitchhiking) is, so they will provide hospitality ‘O-Mo-Te-Na-Shi’.

You can speak at least four languages – of the four of them which do you find the most difficult to learn? How about the easiest? Do you have any tips for fans attempting to speak a foreign language as well?

Actually I can speak 6 languages: English / Mandarin / Cantonese / Hokkien / Malay / Japanese. Japanese is most difficult for me. The pronunciation is very different from other languages. It’s.. how to say.. very hard and solid. And the difference of honorific or modest word are very complicated.

My advice for learning languages is simple: “Don’t mind about making a mistake in conversation. Talk and talk and talk!” My Japanese improved during my Hitchhike travel. At that time I had to talk and have a conversation to survive the trip (laughs).

You sang Aka dake Ga Tarinai, the theme of the Code Geass film. What was that experience like? Can you give us a few hints about the movie?

‘Aka dake Ga Tarinai’ : Only Red is missing — it’s the theme song of Code Geass film. It was a big challenge for me to sing such a literary and strong message lyrics. It took some time to understand what it means. Also the big Producer Daisuke Asakura guided me when it recorded. I was too nervous to sleep at the day before. It’s a great chance to sing the theme song for such a famous animation and work together with a great composer.

From now on, the Code Geass will compile as a 3-part movie. This is the 1st part of those. The protagonist named Lelouch got the special power and want to change the world, and secure the safe future for his sister. It seems everything proceed what he planned to but he realize that the important ‘piece’ won’t fit to his ideals.

Tell us something interesting about yourself – for example, when you are sad how do you cheer yourself up? What is your favourite activity with friends? Do you have a special skill not everyone knows you have?

Having delicious food, and having delicious sake (Japanese alcohol), and having a chat with my friends, for cheering me. I’d like to recommend the sake named ‘Dassai’ which from Yamaguchi in Japan or ‘Kaze no Mori’ from Nara in Japan. What am I doing with my friends?? Well, just having delicious food and sake.

I’m good at doing mimicry of ‘SADAKO’ which is famous as a Japanese horror movie.

● Event Information
C3 AFA SINGAPORE 2017

24 – 27 November 2017
Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre

Official Website: c3afa.com/singapore17
Online Ticketing: c3afa.com/singapore17/tickets