On February 28, 2026, Japanese singer Ado released the music video for her single “Vivarium,” marking her first live-action project and so-called face reveal. Since her debut online in 2017, Ado has protected her identity by avoiding full-on camera appearances and real-life photos. This new video represents a major step, as it features non-silhouetted footage of the artist and reveals a part of her face. The project was directed by Kyotaro Hayashi and produced by Mizuki Ohno. The music video is part of a larger “Vivarium” concept that also includes her autobiographical book “Vivarium: Ado and Me,” written by Narumi Komatsu.
The clip contains around 300 cuts and moves quickly between performance scenes and artistic shots centered on Ado. The director uses profile angles, extreme close-ups, and controlled lighting to show more of her figure than ever before without fully revealing her face. In addition, animation by bees inc. blends ORIHARA’s illustrated version of Ado with her real on-screen presence. The music video also allows her illustrated identity to appear, putting both Ado versions together.
Before and after the premiere on February 28, 2026, Ado hosted YouTube livestreams to discuss the project. She admitted she felt nervous about appearing in live action for the first time. During the post-release stream, she confirmed that she performed almost every scene herself, including the water and running scenes. She shared that she repeated one fall into a pool 13 times and described running in heels as very challenging. Read her full statement here:
“Since this is my first live-action music video and I am appearing in it myself, I think it turned into something truly worth watching. There are quite a few bold scenes throughout, so some listeners might feel a little surprised or even bewildered at times (laughs). I also performed the water scene, so I really hope you will pay close attention to that part. I got very wet filming it.
As for the running scene, I look pretty desperate there, which I actually find kind of amusing. But in reality, running in heels was really tough (laughs).
Still, I believe this has become a truly important work for both the song “Vivarium” and the novel “Vivarium: Ado and Me.” No matter the form, I am still myself. I hope you will watch it many times!”
