There’s no doubt that J-Pop idol group i☆Ris is one of the strongest presences at Anime NYC. From panels, to meetups, to entire concerts, their energy was palpable and something that resonated quite strongly with fans. We got a chance to talk to them and learn their perspectives as idols and voice actors. Furthermore, they share some details about their favorite works over the years and many beloved anime works.
Becoming an idol and voice actor
Due to restrictions and setbacks from the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been four years since i☆Ris was last at a conference in the US. We wanted to understand what it’s like to be both an idol and a voice actor, as well as what it’s been like to balance both over the group’s nearly 11 years of existence. Yamakita Saki, leader of i☆Ris, explained that their unique dual roles as idol and voice actor complement each other quite well in the PriPara anime. All six current and former members of the group are voice actors on the series, which itself is an IP that connects to games, music-related apps, and other films.
“Because the characters in PriPara are also idols, we can sing and dance in that anime work. It really makes us understand the feeling in that context.”
However, it’s clear that being a hybrid seiyuu idol group brings with it challenges, tensions, and difficulties to balance. Yamakita noted that it was spectacular how well the team worked together and that only one member graduated in 10 years.
“In the Japanese idol society, or the idol world, it is quite rare for a female group to exist for 10 years without any member changes. I think our trick to doing this is that we keep a certain amount of distance to have our own personal space and that’s how we got this far. This is our 11th anniversary, so moving forward, we don’t know what lies ahead but we want to keep the future fun. Having fun and having fun is what we want to focus on.”
“It was purely coincidental that we worked so well together. When it works, we work. Personally, I think: if we are friends first, we will work together. If the friendship breaks down, it will also affect work. You must separate your work and private life to a certain extent. It is important. But, we really trust each other and I trust the other members [của i☆Ris].”
With the team’s unique hybrid model, busy schedules can certainly pile up quickly and blur the lines between role and roles. the rest of your life. Serizawa Yu explains that one aspect of balancing life as a voice actor and an idol is getting more and more used to it and integrating the schedule into regular life.
“It’s something that happens every day and is normal, and the schedule is just to come. That’s just life. I don’t know if I see a difference between the two parts [diễn viên lồng tiếng và thần tượng] or not. When there’s too much to do, [tức là] When both the dubbing schedule and the idol schedule were in our plans, I felt disappointed and I didn’t like it. But when I’m on stage, it’s fun.”
Despite how busy their schedule may be appearing at crowded conventions like Anime NYC, i☆Ris expressed that they are happy to participate in getting back to face their fans once again. Again. It’s the aspect of their careers that has been most affected by the pandemic, which Yamakita explains to us.
“[Ảnh hưởng lớn nhất của đại dịch] is that we canceled the tour. i☆Ris’s live performances give a strong feeling of being done with fans, and the fans’ voices are important, so it’s hard not to be able to say anything.”
i☆ Ris Favorites
At this point, i☆Ris has done an incredible amount of projects, and each member themselves has done a lot of work outside of i☆Ris. Personally, I’m very curious about what each member’s favorite musical project is in general.
Yamakita Saki: For me personally it would be “Queens Bluff”. This is the opening theme song of the anime series Kakegurui. I’ve always wanted a more adult-like role so this song really suits me and I’m very excited about it.
Serizawa Yu: Currently I’m singing the opening theme song for MF Ghost, with MOTSU [“Jungle Fire”]. The car animations are really fun and the Eurobeat music is really fun. It’s an opening song that really fits the anime and I really like it.
Akaneya Himika: My favorite part is the ending of MF Ghost [“Stereo Sunset”]. The anime itself is really intense and has a lot of action in it. But the ending song is really gentle and delicate with city pop elements. This is my first single and I highly recommend it.
Wakai Yuki: My first opportunity to sing for anime was for the anime Kingdom [“Destiny Sky” – bài hát kết thúc cho Vương quốc tập 20 đến 30]. Kingdom is a very popular anime in Japan and I feel very proud of myself.
Kbota Miyu: “Ultimate Magic.” This is the opening song of the anime Wiseman’s Grandchild and the song itself is really energetic. The fans are really supportive and this is a song that really fits the anime so I like it.
They also shared a few details about their favorite solo activities to date.
Yamakita Saki: So it’s not about me solo activities or my idol activities, but recently I’ve been enjoying streaming. But I am not good [nói] very English. I want to learn more about how to communicate in English and communicate with my fans more.
Serizawa Yu: This applies to both me in i☆Ris and my solo but I really enjoy being able to call and respond during concerts with my fans. During my solo activities, I’m really proud when I see my own album in front of me. I am often invited to sing in America. But I like acting the most. I think acting is associated with many different ways of expression. I think singing is also a way of expression, but if one day I am invited to America or New York as an actor, that would be my dream.
Kbota Miyu: One of the things I enjoy is living the life of a seiyuu [trải nghiệm cuộc sống trong nhân vật]. I give concerts as a voice actor, but sometimes I live as my character and I find that really fun
Since we already knew about their favorite anime songs to compose, I was also curious to know about them. Anime is popular, especially lately with so many incredible new movies coming out.
Serizawa Yu: Attack on Titan [cô ấy hát “Shinzo wo Sasageyo!” và thực hiện tư thế nắm tay trên trái tim; thật không thể tin được]. I think it is an anime that will go down in history for a very long time. Every morning, I will listen to the theme song of this anime and pour my heart out.
Yamakita Saki: I like Pokémon. I’ve been obsessed with the Pokémon card game lately so I’m excited to be back [thành phố New York] to be able to buy lots of Pokémon cards.
Akaneya Himika: I love Cardcaptor Sakura. [Bộ truyện] This is actually one of the reasons why I fell in love with anime and the costumes in Cardcaptor Sakura are really beautiful so I really like it.
Kubota Miyu:anh> My favorite anime is Golden Kamuy. I read the manga, watched the anime, and even visited Abashiri Prison in Hokkaido. It’s related to this anime [Golden Kamuy kể về cuộc đột kích vào Nhà tù Abashiri như một trong những điểm cốt truyện chính của nó].
Wakai Yuki: My favorite anime is Slam Dunk, and I want to marry Rukawa Kaede.
A message to fans and aspiring performers
Every member of i☆Ris noted that they would like to continue performing more in the United States and would definitely invite Them back. There are specific aspects of concerts and events in the US that many members have pointed out to us.
Yamakita Saki: I’m really excited to meet American audiences because they’re usually a lot more excited [về việc la hét và cổ vũ ầm ĩ] compared to Japanese audiences. They are more reactive; I’m very excited and [luôn] looking forward to that.
Akaneya Himika: I really enjoyed seeing the cosplayers at this convention. Sometimes for an anime character, people from abroad can look better in those cosplays [so với chính nhân vật anime đó]. When I look at them it really looks like they jumped out from the screen. So I’m excited to watch them.
Kbota Miyu: In addition to holding live performances, there are also autograph sessions and I was really surprised to see that a lot of my fans would talk to us in Japanese and I saw that they had learned the language. Nhat is very hardworking and that makes me really happy.
Ahead of any future performances, there are two ways fans can interact with i☆Ris’s upcoming feature: the upcoming i☆Ris the Movie – Full Energy! !, and the mobile game Idol Land PriPara. Regarding the game, and specifically is there anything about the game that fans should know, as well as about the upcoming film project, Yamakita Saki had the following to say:
“We have been recording voices for this app for a long time. The production team worked very hard and after a few years, it was finally released. The production was really interesting. Production is ongoing and I believe there will be updates and it will become more and more interesting.”
“Iris, the movie Full Energy is a special work that we, Iris, will act in ourselves. This film will be released in 2024. This is our 10th anniversary project and we play ourselves so we are really excited about it.”
“This is my first time voicing myself, so I’m really looking forward to seeing myself in an animation. If you just think about it normally, people cannot have their own personalities and we have made this possible. And so I felt as if my idol could last forever. I want to cosplay myself from the 2D world. What I will focus on is the mole under my eye and my cute nose.”
Everyone in the group was also quite excited about the idea of being able to buy their own anime character figurines. , which admittedly very few people have the opportunity to do.
Finally, Serizawa Yu has a message for all the aspiring voice actresses out there:
“I think the most important thing is to believe in yourself. That’s my personal motto: believe in yourself. There are many people who look cute and are good at acting. But it’s not all about it. It’s all about believing in yourself, being comfortable with your own voice, and liking yourself.
© API・81P/FullEnergy!!Production Committee