Looking Back at My Half-Anniversary & Birthday Celebration

Good evening, everyone!

I always mean to post these earlier... but then I blink, and it's suddenly past midnight again. I'm so sorry I keep doing this to you guys!

But putting that aside for a moment, I wanted to officially thank you all for my birthday stream yesterday!

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to come hang out and celebrate with me!

If I hadn't started streaming, I never would have met any of you. Being able to spend time together like this, and receiving so many wonderful birthday wishes... it was an incredibly moving, unforgettable day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

We actually started discussing the collab song and planning the half-anniversary and birthday merch about five months ago, and we kicked off the real promotional campaign about a month out.

Because we spent so long preparing for this event, my honest feeling right now is just pure relief that everything went off without a hitch.

I can almost hear some of you saying, "Isn't that a bit overkill for a stream?" But when you think about how global pop stars plan their tours over a year in advance and start marketing six months out, it really inspired me to put that level of effort in! (I'm being completely serious here!)

Here is what I really wanted to achieve with this milestone stream:

• Show my gratitude to Zhima Bao and put together a project that makes you all happy
• Make you feel included in the prep process so we could build up the hype together leading up to the big day
• Run the event with the same energy and flow as my debut stream
• Level up the visual quality of the stream

Hmm. I wonder if all of those intentions actually came across... It's definitely tougher than it looks.

I used to work in planning, so I genuinely enjoy putting this kind of stuff together. But when you do it all by yourself, you lose that objective perspective, so I'm not even sure if it was a success or not. *tears*

If I wrote out the reasoning behind every little detail, this post would turn into an absolute novel, so I'll spare you. But I do do want to talk about my song choices, since I always put a lot of thought into those.

First, my collab with Hikari on "TOKYO BON".

I've known this song for a long time and always thought it was super fun!

It introduces Japan in such a catchy, charming way. As someone who streams for an international audience, I really wanted to share it. Plus, I just thought it perfectly fit Hikari's vibe.

It's a perfect match for her great sense of humor, right?

Not only did Hikari feature in it, but we also had appearances from everyone at SODAART! Thanks to the support from SODAko and REEF, and all the incredible creators who worked on it, the cover turned out absolutely amazing!

Next, my choice of "Hero Too" for the live opening song.

I've always been a massive *My Hero Academia* fan, and I absolutely love this track.

But believe it or not, I had actually never sung it on stream before!

Why? Because the lyrics just hit way too close to home.

I still remember crying my eyes out the first time I heard it, haha.

It's a lot like YOASOBI's "Gunjou"—if you've ever had to step away from your dreams, the lyrics just resonate on a whole different level.

The whole song is in English, but the final line—"Now it’s my turn to be the one to make you smile"—is exactly the message I wanted to send to all of you, my Zhima Bao.

Finally, my closing song, "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari".

I actually sang this as my live opener during my debut stream.

Back then, I was so incredibly nervous that my voice was shaking, and I've always regretted how it turned out. I chose it again this time hoping I could show you all how much I've grown.

(Wait... I *have* grown, right...??)

Aaaah! Honestly, looking at the planning and the stream setup (especially the visuals), part of me is screaming, "I want to redo my debut stream with this level of quality!!"

But I also have to remind myself that this quality is only possible *because* of everything I've experienced and learned since I debuted. I really should be thankful for that.

It really has been a whirlwind six months.

Between the 1,000 Likes/RTs challenge (thank you all SO much for your help with that!) and the countdown announcements, I put a lot of pressure on myself. But I think it paid off, and I was able to show you a true culmination of my last six months.

I know I still have a lot of room to grow, but thank you so much for always supporting me with such warmth!

Like I said on stream, I would be absolutely thrilled if you stick around to celebrate my 10,000 subscriber milestone and my 1-year anniversary with me.

It might sound a bit cliché, but please continue to support me going forward!!