Mixing K-Pop idols with the hyper-strict norms of the Japanese music scene is always playing with fire, and the INKIGAYO LIVE festival ended up proving it in the worst way. During the second day of the event at the Belluna Dome in Saitama, the mysterious singer Ado was in charge of closing the night, but the result was far from a triumphant party when attendees unleashed a hail of boos as the lights went out.

The discontent among the audience didn’t come out of nowhere. Since the setup for the singer’s turn began while the female group IVE was still on stage, tension started to rise among fans. The production installed the well-known closed structure the artist uses to protect her identity and applied extremely rigid security measures, banning not only photos and recordings but even the use of binoculars to try to see her through the grates.

Ado opened her set with the song Monster and decided to say goodbye by performing Odoru Ponpokolin, her well-known version of the classic Chibi Maruko-chan theme. The real trigger happened after the song ended. Unlike the previous day, where all the groups went together on stage to close the festival with applause, on this second day, the lights suddenly turned on and the speakers instructed the audience to evacuate the venue immediately.

The combination of the absolute ban on using binoculars, the choice of closing song, and the sudden cancellation of the final number with the entire cast deeply upset many attendees, who didn’t hesitate to express their dissatisfaction before leaving the venue. It should be noted that the singer’s segment was not included in any televised broadcast of the event, leaving the controversy confined within the dome.

About Ado

Ado is one of the most popular and influential Japanese singers of the current era, recognized worldwide for maintaining her face in anonymity while dominating the hit charts with her powerful vocal range. The artist achieved global stardom after performing Uta’s songs in the movie One Piece Film Red and has lent her voice to various anime themes. Her version of Odoru Ponpokolin, originally released in December 2025 with arrangements by Hyadain, was selected as the opening theme for the legendary anime Chibi Maruko-chan.

Do you think the organizers were wrong to cancel the group closing, or was the audience’s reaction exaggerated?