Japanese model, actress, former J-pop idol and current company employee, Saori Araki, known publicly as SAO, delivered her first solo performance at L.A. Comic Con on Sept. 28. After posting an unassuming photo of herself in her workplace attire on X, the post took the site by storm, reaching viewers all over the world.
After previously being announced in a short on her YouTube channel, SAO finally made her way to L.A. Comic Con to perform her single “Ohayo.” Hundreds of fans gathered in excitement to attend her first solo performance.
おはよう☀️ pic.twitter.com/QsnlnJCynv
— 佐保里（SAO） (@kawausosuki0513) July 24, 2025
On Jul. 24, SAO posted this photo of herself to X with the caption “おはよう,” meaning “good morning” in Japanese. Soon after, the post went viral, garnering over 86 million views at the time of writing. This sudden surge in popularity came as a shock to everyone, with people from all over the world recognizing the picture. While an incredible feat on its own, what is equally interesting is where those views came from.
In a screenshot shared by SAO, she showcases the analytics of which countries have viewed the post the most. Sitting high at the top is America with 39.3% of views, while no other country, including Japan, even scratches the 20% mark. The photo has made appearances all over social media, with people creating memes and Elon Musk responding to a Grok Image video of her.
“That photo was originally taken about a year ago for a Japanese company website’s homepage,” said SAO in an interview. “But when I posted it over a year later, it went viral. I feel incredibly confused, happy, and lucky.”
“When I was in high school, I was an idol in my hometown of Nagasaki Prefecture. While working as a company employee, I was also pursuing idol activities in Tokyo,” SAO said. “I currently work at a financial company. It’s only been about seven months since I graduated from being an idol, but now I’m back to working every day as a regular office worker again after a long time, and I’ve been busy working every day.”
After gaining her newfound fans and platform, SAO then decided to create her YouTube channel, posting her first short talking about her viral post and eventually her single “Ohayo,” the same word in the caption of the original viral tweet. At the time of writing, the song has amassed over 3.5 million views within its first month of being posted online.
When asked why she created the song, SAO stated that it is her form of gratitude to all her fans involved in helping her reach where she is now.
“Thanks to everyone involved in this viral moment, I’ve been given so many wonderful opportunities, like getting to perform on stage. I wanted to express my gratitude to all those people, so I created this song,” SAO said.
With this year being the first year of Akiba Station, an area dedicated to Asian culture at L.A. Comic Con, SAO was invited by its organizers, Otaku Collective, to host a meet and greet for fans and perform “Ohayo.”
“I was invited as a guest right around the time I went viral,” SAO said. “Since people have created memes featuring various characters of me, I felt like the event was a perfect fit, so I was able to participate in L.A. Comic Con.”
The first 100 fans were given the opportunity to line up, meet SAO and take photos with her. In addition to this, each fan was given a ticket to be entered into a raffle for the chance to win a signed polaroid photograph with SAO after the performance. With only 100 slots being available, the meet and greet line quickly filled up and ended almost an hour ahead of schedule.
After the meet and greet, it was finally time for SAO to appear on stage. Before the performance began, SAO greeted the audience, who excitedly cheered back. SAO talked about how grateful she was to her fans and how exciting it is to be performing in Los Angeles.
“This is actually my first time performing solo on stage in my life,” SAO said. “Being in Los Angeles is incredibly wonderful, I’m incredibly happy, it really makes my voice come out and I’m also very nervous.”
SAO’s excitement and happiness were fueled by the energetic crowd, who screamed and cheered her on at every possible moment. The energy continued through and after SAO’s performance with fans hoping to win a signed photograph with SAO. After the event, SAO posted a video of her onstage, which captures her reaction to the enthusiasm of the fans.
“Los Angeles is a city I really love, so I want to keep working hard in order to come back here more in the future,” SAO said.
Since L.A. Comic Con, SAO has continued to enjoy her time in LA, where she has continued posting videos on her Instagram account. With one of SAO’s latest posts featuring her in a Lakers uniform in Venice reaching over 174,000 likes in one day, the reach SAO has online is apparent.
When asked about the direction of her career, SAO stated “I’d also like to try streaming on platforms like Twitch where I can chat directly with fans.”
Asking about SAO’s plans for the future, she stated “I definitely want to keep creating music going forward. Furthermore, if opportunities arise, I’d like to take on any kind of work I’m offered and challenge myself with anything.”
While no one could have expected her post to go viral, it’s clear that a new chapter in SAO’s career is just beginning.
*Hirohito Ishigaki contributed with the transcription and translation of this reporting.