Aimer brought the sun and rain to Tokyo International Forum.
Aimer performed two sold-out shows over two days at the Tokyo International Forum. Unlike other female artists who prefer flashier stages and wardrobe gimmicks, Aimer focused on the simple yet deep theme of the duality of the sun and the moon and her powerful voice. There were no backup dancers — just her band and a wonderfully designed stage that had an arched bridge with steps on both sides. A dual logo for the tour that showed a sleepy sun on one side and an umbrella with raindrops on the other hung over the stage.
Before the show began, the tour name "soleil et pluie" was projected on the black stage curtain. The show started with instrumental music; the black stage was filled with smoke and turned deep blue from the spotlights. The side stage lights shone bright as if to mimic white stars.
The set opened with ONE, the guitarists taking the lead. The logo shone brightly, the sun part highlighted. Aimer entered the stage, donning a slightly ruffled white dress with matching white shoes, a nod to the sun theme that was reinforced by shiny green lasers, the logo changing from yellow to red and the happy bounces Aimer did through part of the song.
Aimer thanked everyone for coming to her show and introduced the next song, a new song. A blue stage filled with pink, teal and yellow spotlights, and lasers kept the sun theme going.
Suddenly, the background lit up with LED lights that danced up and down, resembling falling rain. The stage colors switched from bright and happy to gloomy, with deep blues that had a tint of pink. Believe Be:leave reflected the rain image. The background lights switched to moving diagonally, going from blue to pink to green for the next song, another new song.
Aimer explained that the tour name was in French, meaning "sun and rain”. The reason for this was that there are some songs that make you feel like the sun is shining and you feel happy, but there are other songs that suit the mood when it rains. That was why the lights around the logo and on it changed to suit each song’s mood.
The next songs alternated between the rain and sun themes. Deep blue lights shone on Aimer during Anata Ni Deawanakereba ～Kasetsu Touka～, making her dress blue from the waist down, creating the feeling of being under water. After a while, the lights turned yellow like the sun had come back up and it reflected on her dress as well. Following up, Kyou kara Omoide - Evergreen ver. had a nice piano touch and the stage was illuminated by warm bronze lights.
Aimer asked the fans to clap along with her and her band members for KATAOMOI, an upbeat song from her fourth album daydream. The stage was filled with pink, purple and yellow lights.
The logo lit up with bright orange lights for Omoide wa Kirei de and then a rainbow appeared on the background. The song ended with Aimer leaving the stage but her band kept playing and then jammed together amid lasers and colorful lights. Even the logo danced to the happy lights and beat of a great, fun guitar solo at the end.
The rain returned after the party. Even before the song started, there was the sound of falling rain and a light curtain that looked like falling rain. Aimer returned, wearing a black dress for "Ref:rain”, a ballad with a strong finish that is also the ending theme of the anime "Koi wa Ameagari no You ni”.
The raindrops turned teal and the logo blue. As purple lights enveloped the stage, another ballad and the ending of "BLEACH", Re:pray rained on with white raindrops falling faster.
Fog-like smoke filled the stage and reached several rows of the audience. Against a white, starry backdrop, purplish pink spotlights shone on Aimer. With deep red, blue and purple lights Hana no Uta from the anime "Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]” set the mood for a meteor rain on the high and deep parts of this heartfelt song. The rain, like lights, fell not only in front of the band but also in front of Aimer, a lighted cell she is freed from at the end of the song.
Aimer encouraged the audience to keep enjoying the show and thanked them when some screamed her name from the highest parts of the big venue. She reminded them of her upcoming 16th single I beg you / Hanabiratachi no March / Sailing, slated for released on January 9th.
Going on with the show, Black Bird made the stage go dark blue and torches around the band lit up with fire. A mix of rain and fire flowed through the song, blue and red lights transitioning over the logo and stage to complement the song’s mood.
Aimer introduced the next song. Aptly titled After Rain -Scarlet ver., it brought the sun back with a happy sound and colorful lasers. Aimer pointed the microphone towards the fans for them to sing the chorus along with her. The logo shone bright again with light rays around it, the stage turning sky blue at the ending part of the song. Alongside the smoke, it gave a calming effect.
The song Hz was next and had fans fist pumping. Aimer ran across the stage, greeting the happy fans and twirling from time to time. Almost at the end of the song, a chorus of "la, la, la”, “one, two, three, four” and “yes, yes, yes" was sung on cue by the whole venue while Aimer stood over the arched bridge. At the end, she did a longer, happy twirl.
After leaving the stage for a bit, Aimer returned, asked if everyone had fun and waited for responses from every level of the venue. She thanked everyone again for their ongoing support because without them, as she explained, she wouldn’t be performing in such a venue again. She said she certainly felt her fans’ love and was truly grateful for it.
Chouchou Musubi was the last song before the encore, a soft but beautiful piano arranged song. Aimer left the stage at the end of the song. While fans waited for her to return, the curtain of rain fell again. The keyboard was brought forward and put on a riser with a microphone and seat for Aimer next to it.
Aimer returned on stage before long, wearing a black t-shirt over her black dress. She asked the fans where were they came from, and screams of places inside Japan to Hong Kong and even Brazil came from all parts of the venue.
Sailing, part of the upcoming single, was the next song to be played. The last song of the night was KIZUNA from her third album DAWN. After the evening’s rollercoaster of bright and dark emotions, Aimer thanked the fans and left the stage amid claps and cheers, with the promise of another show the next day and more dates next year.
Set list
01. ONE
02. New Song - Title TBD
03. Believe Be:leave
04. New Song - Title TBD
05. Anata Ni Deawanakereba ～Kasetsu Touka～
06. Kyou kara Omoide - Evergreen ver.
07. KATAOMOI
08. Omoide wa Kirei de
09. Ref:rain
10. Re:pray
11. Hana no Uta
12. Black Bird
13. After Rain -Scarlet ver.-
14. Hz
15. Chouchou Musubi
En1. Sailing
En2. KIZUNA
