(LisAni!) Ikizurai-Bu! Cast Relay Interview Part 6: Ria Seko (Noriko Chofu) — These Days of Discovering Parts of Myself I Love Through Noriko
Original Article: https://www.lisani.jp/0000292281
There was no boundary between those standing on stage and those in the audience
—— Have you become used to the Ikizurai-Bu! livestreams and such?
Ria Seko: I think I’m getting used to it the more we do them. I’m thankful that the 10 of us cast members are very close to the point where it feels as relaxed as school club activities. There’s cooperation like “someone will back me up here,” so luckily we can help each other out during it.
—— You all sound very close.
Seko: Absurdly close! (laugh). If someone’s mood is down, someone will pick up on it, ask “what happened?,” and invite them out to eat. They’re very kind.
—— Ikizurai-Bu! performed as opening act for the Osaka, Kansai Expo live U-NEXT MUSIC FES LoveLive! Series EXPO 2025 STAGE ～Right now!~ and held a release event the next day at the Abeno Q’s Mall in Osaka. Please tell me your impression.
Seko: It was fun, but I fully felt the difficulty of an outside stage. Our seniors seemed to perform without feeling the heat, while I became so desperate that I wondered if it was obvious how hard I was fighting to not collapse. I think I worked hard to have a sparkling smile, but I also feel that I wasn’t able to hide that desperation… I fully felt the importance of the performance quality not being impacted by the environment.
—— Was it the physical stamina?
Seko: It was also about stamina, so a poker face was necessary (laugh). It was really hot to the point I thought that I have to pay attention to my health from now on.
—— Now that you’ve experienced that, you can move on with that understanding.
Seko: I’m continuing to learn new things, it’s so fresh it’s fun.
—— How did the release event go?
Seko: The distance from the audience was really small! It was so close that everyone was embarrassed. But we were surprisingly able to understand each other’s feelings just through eye contact. Our first stage was the LisAni! LIVE 2025 NATSUYASUMI and I announced the release event at that time. So I thought that I wanted to convey it in my own words and I was able to properly remember and communicate the contents of the announcement. Anyway, after I finished saying it, besides me Miracle Kanazawa’s voice actor Aiha Sakano said “great job!” and the audience members I looked at smiled at me and nodded as if they were saying “perfect!” I realized then that we’re not the only ones giving. I’m also receiving things from being in the same space as our audience. At times when I was the one watching from the audience, I felt there was a boundary between the stage and the audience, but now that I’ve stood on the stage myself, I don’t think that’s the case at all. I kept telling myself that everything would be fine because if I looked left to right I’d see my 9 companions, but standing on stage, I realized there’s plenty of supporters in front of my eyes. Since LisAni! LIVE, the course of events has been that I’d feel nervous right before getting on stage, but once I was on stage my nervousness would come undone.
—— Everyone’s support is becoming your power.
Seko: It is! We thought it wouldn’t be strange if we faced more headwind. That’s how series like these go and we were keenly aware of how great our seniors are, but everyone welcomed us with warmer words than we could have imagined, so I was super thankful. I think because of that, we’re able to happily and comfortably learn different things.
—— With that, what do you think the charms of Ikizulive! Love Live! Bluebird are?
Seko: I want to push the idea that you can participate whenever you feel like it. There’s developments occuring on YouTube, X, and various other mediums, so it’s suited for the modern age, and you can read the magazine Love Live! Days at your own pace. I think its good point is that you can pick your preferred style. I think it’s okay to not follow all the members’ posts on X. Us cast members also share things like “that girl posted about that thing” and I think the fans can also share experiences like that too… I think everyone is really busy in modern society, so I think that convenience and lightheartedness is its selling point!
—— It’s that it’s okay not to force yourself.
Seko: Yes! Also, the concept of “even if you lose, there’s another chance” is great. Takahashi Polka-chan, who experienced setback after her high school exams, thought about her future until her limit, but there’s no person who hasn’t experienced failure, right! Maybe in fiction there are completely perfect people, but in the reality we all live in not everything goes smoothly, so that’s why it’s prefixed with the word “Ikizurai.” I thought that was fresh to this content and because of that, I thought that it could snuggle close to everyone’s feelings.
—— The characters themselves are all awkward.
Seko: That’s right. That’s why I think there may be many people who relate to them.
—— The cast members are also being cheered on by them.
Seko: Definitely. I’ve also led a pretty difficult life… Truthfully speaking, I was overjoyed when I passed my audition, but shortly afterward I wondered “why did they accept someone like me? why did they entrust this to me?” But after that the work’s title was decided and when “Ikizulive!” was written, I thought “that’s why they accepted me, huh!” (laugh). In that sense, I feel that I was the first person to receive the message of this work. I always thought that I must live while hiding the difficult parts of my life. But I was affirmed by that message and felt warm.
—— In reality, everyone has experienced difficulties in life.
Seko: Because of that, I started to love anime where it doesn’t shy away from a difficult reality, and my existence has been saved and cheered up by anime. So I’m grateful to take part in this work and I hope a lot of people can be cheered up by this content.
—— That’s reassuring. Other than that topic, through the “Cover Song Video” where users decide the song covered, it was decided that Fukui Satellite’s Miracle Kanazawa and Noriko Chofu will sing Pink Lady’s UFO.
Seko: I’m grateful to the people who requested the song “UFO” because we’re able to sing such a lovely song. Rumour has it that Noriko’s trying for a sexy image lately (laugh), but I want to show Miranori’s (Miracle & Noriko) unity. Somehow, Sakano and I ended up having an amazing chemistry!
Since Ikizurai-Bu!’s activities began, I’ve started to smile a lot
—— Please tell me what you think the charms of Noriko Chofu are.
Seko: Noriko-chan has really low self-confidence and has a complex about being so ordinary that she’s “mass-produced,” but I felt “is she really ordinary?” (laugh). But judging yourself objectively is hard, isn’t it. I also thought I was far from ordinary and inferior, so I lived thinking “I have to become normal,” but through Noriko-chan, I’ve been able to notice the good parts of myself more.
—— She’s actually quite bold.
Seko: She’s usually shy since she’s a late bloomer, but when the time comes to step forward, I think she’s strong. I also think her enrollment in L High was also her going “I want to make my dream of becoming a voice actor come true, all or nothing!” It’s something I’ve also experienced, but applying for an audition is very scary. I think Noriko-chan must have courage to be able to do that, and while she’ll often be toyed around with by Miracle-chan in the Fukui Satellite, she also has the strength to declare “this is who I am” and a part of her that won’t surrender. In that sense, I think she might actually be quite the stubborn kid (laugh).
—— It may be because they’re both strong-willed that her chemistry with Miracle is so great.
Seko: That’s right! I think Noriko-chan is drawn to Miracle-chan because she is open about her strong will and declares “I’ll make my chosen path a success.”
—— On Noriko’s profile, it says she has perfect pitch, is great at playing setter in volleyball, and loves sweets in general.
Seko: Noriko’s kind, so she can think about small details like “wouldn’t it be easier for this kid to hit it if I toss it around this high?” (laugh). I feel that her sweet tooth is also a part of her good chemistry with Miracle-chan. Though Miracle-chan herself seems to prefer salty food… Noriko-chan eats what Miracle-chan makes, so I think a good cycle has been born.
—— It makes me want to think of these two as a set.
Seko: Right! Their colors also match.
—— In connection to that, Noriko Chofu’s member color is purple.
Seko: You know, I really love purple! I may be changing this conversation to be about me, but the character that inspired me to aim to become a voice actor also had a purple similar to Noriko-chan’s. So when my role was decided and I saw the color, I was shocked!
—— While we’re at it, I want to ask about Seko-san personally from now on. So, you liked anime?
Seko: Since I was little, I’ve solely watched anime. At first, I thought I’d aim to become a mangaka because I’m skilled at art, but around my fourth year of elementary school, I saw an anime with a purple color character. That character sang the theme song. I thought “what’s that about?” and looked at the commercials and ending credits and from that I realized that voice actors also sing. That’s how I learned about the job of voice acting. Since then, I’ve always thought that I want to become a voice actor.
—— Did you start doing some kind of training from then on?
Seko: I couldn’t quite take the first step forward. I wanted to try acting and occasionally voiced manga as I read it, but it really just remained a dream. There were kids around me who had been in voice actor training since elementary school, and voice acting is so competitive, that I wondered if someone like me who couldn’t even become normal should even aim for it. I spent many years stuck like this.
—— Did you experience some kind of turning point?
Seko: It was around when I graduated school and hadn’t decided anything about my future yet, so I thought “what do I do…!” It was an even more dangerous situation than Polka-chan (laugh). But I was so cornered that I had little left to lose and we only have one life, so I thought “it’s fine if I embarrass myself, I’m going to try it out!” So with that, I submitted an audition to the agency I currently belong to, passed, and in my empty future, I was able to join an acting study program. I didn’t even know the basics or anything, so even just studying made me happy.
—— Moreover, right after being accepted into an agency, you became a member of the group you auditioned for, Ikizuraibu!
Seko: During the audition, I didn’t hide the difficult parts of my life and appeared like I thought I was inferior to normal people, like I was somehow weird, and that pain of my life became useful to me in the end.
—— Listening to that story, there are a lot of points that overlap with Noriko Chofu (laugh).
Seko: That’s why I thought “everything until now was worth it!” I say that I want Noriko-chan to rid herself of the mass produced mentality too, but I really want to tell her “you’re already special as you are” and “you can be yourself!”
—— By the way, didn’t you sing and dance as well?
Seko: I love singing itself, so I’ve always sung at home, but I can’t say I was particularly good at it. Also, since I barely moved, I had no dance experience at all and when we started dance lessons as Ikizurai-Bu!, I couldn’t even do an easy two-step, so it felt like I alone started out with a disadvantage (pained laugh). So that’s why I desperately tried to get my teeth into it.
—— Has your view of the world changed considerably?
Seko: It’s changed a lot! Also, there’s a lot of people around watching over me, so being recognized through the words “good work!” is really saving me. Until now, I couldn’t accept people’s kindness very well and avoided community life because of it. Even when someone liked me, I often distanced myself from them, so I feel that I’ve learned how to be more honest from everyone. Ever since I started activities as Ikizuraibu!, I smile so much that it’s incomparable to the past, so it’s like I’m only being given positives.
—— People really can change, can’t they.
Seko: People can change! I’m experiencing it myself (laugh).
Through Noriko-chan, I’m starting to like Noriko-chan and myself
—— When you first heard the title song of Ikizurai-Bu!’s 1st Single “What is my LIFE?,” what did you think?
Seko: My first impression was that it was a Love Live! Series-like beginning song. I think this series has sung a lot about the anxiety and hope that comes with beginnings, and Ikizurai-Bu!’s start is like that too, but I also feel that there’s a casualness in their speech. Just like “(Nani sore? Shiran? Ran! / What is it? Don't know? No!), the song incorporates a lot of words that hadn’t been seen until now which felt playful. I thought the message of “it’s okay not to fall into the typical mold” is communicated throughout the entire song. Most importantly, it puts you in a cheerful and optimistic mood by listening to it! Because of that, when I’m about to become disheartened during lessons, this song gives me a push on the back. I always wonder how songs from the Love Live! Series have the power to give so many people a push on the back.
—— What approach did you use when singing as Noriko Chofu?
Seko: This song was my first song singing as Noriko-chan, so my challenge was really to include all my power in my singing. It was fun putting nuance into exciting lyrics. Noriko-chan’s solo part was “I secretly think that dreams are light,” and just like I talked before, I related to this part myself since I came this far because I couldn’t give up on my dream of becoming a voice actor, and therefore I couldn’t give up on life either, so I was able to sing with my own emotions. I want it to be an appeal that it’s filled with so much emotion (laugh). With the other phrases, I sang them with a lot of nuance, so please listen while reading the lyrics.
—— I think it was your first time recording too, so how did it go?
Seko: I’m recording a solo version of “What is my LIFE?” for my solo single, so I definitely want people to listen to it, but personally, when I was singing the “yay” cheer, I took the advice “try holding the note this long” extremely literally because I am a beginner, so I just sang it by just extending the note. So it ended up having a slightly mechanical, strange feeling to it.
—— I thought that singing style was chosen to keep the 10 singers balanced (laugh).
Seko: It’s not like I was even given a high part, it was just holding my voice longer (laugh). But I thought maybe taking that so straightforward is something I have in common with Noriko-chan?
—— When you heard all 10 voices, what did you think?
Seko: I became super happy when I was able to feel the singing voice of Ikizurai-Bu! Everyone is great at singing, which I thought was reliable to someone like me who is bad at it, but at the same time, I strongly feel that I want to get better so I can stand shoulder to shoulder with my confident groupmates.
—— What about the coupling track “Himitsu Michi?”
Seko: In Noriko-chan’s introduction video, she has the line “I’m 8th in line, Noriko Chofu,” which shows that she’s so inexperienced that she wants to be the 8th person in line to audition. But, in this song that has everyone in line singing their solo parts one after another, Noriko-chan is first! I was also moved to see her immediately gather her courage to go first (laugh).
—— It’s during the “each and every one of us has a different future” part.
Seko: That’s right! I think this song became an indispensable song to Ikizurai-Bu!’s story because it communicates the work’s concept itself, that because they are in an online high school, the distance and difference in dreams doesn’t matter, and the meeting of the members.
—— Her solo single title song is “Koi no One Time Password.” It has mature lyrics and Noriko’s singing style is even sexy.
Seko: First, I couldn’t imagine Noriko-chan’s solo song at all, so I wondered that maybe a mellow song would come? When I heard what I would actually be singing was a bold and sexy song, I became excited.
—— And with that you used a sexy singing style.
Seko: Since Noriko-chan is aiming to be a voice actor, I kept wondering what range of mine to use where. For Noriko-chan herself, if it came down to whether she’s cute or sexy, I think she’s the cute type, and my strength in acting is also the cute type. I thought that Noriko-chan would go on to show her cute side, so a sexy song was fresh, and when I actually tried a sexy voice, I thought it fit Noriko-chan perfectly (laugh). I didn’t think I could voice a sexy, mature lady yet with my voice type, but when I tried voicing it as Noriko-chan, I realized that I can also present my voice sexily. So I think through recording this song, Noriko and I gained a new asset.
—— The way you ended sentences by drawing out your breath was amazing. Was that your idea?
Seko: When I was adding nuance to the words, I worked out specific situations in my mind. Also, my singing teacher’s speciality is Showa era songs, so referencing that singing style was a huge part of it. Until then I thought by cutting off Noriko-chan from myself. But it seems like acting isn’t meant to be like that, and the more I included my genuine self, the more flavor and depth came out. So I decided I wasn’t going to put any more arbitrary limits on myself and expressed it with that attitude in mind. Once I did that, it sounded so much like Noriko. When I realized that during recording, it felt like I was breaking my limits while singing.
—— I didn’t think Noriko Chofu could sing this sexy (laugh).
Seko: Ahaha (laugh). Even I was surprised too. Actually, it seems like my singing teacher also didn’t think I could sing like this. I tried to sing it using my teacher’s singing style as a reference and they said “well done!” I was able to sing it even during the recording. So it’s a song that taught me about a side of myself I didn’t know existed.
—— By the way, what about the nostalgic melody?
Seko: I thought it was a mature, chic melody. I also listened to old songs playing on TV and in the car, so somewhere there’s that sense of security as if it were a song I used to listen to as a kid. It feels like a Showa and Heisei era song arranged for the Reiwa era, with the kind of sound I want to listen to forever.
—— It feels like it’s in the boundary of the transition between the Showa and Heisei eras. It has an accessible impression due to the modern style. If you sing it live, I suspect the “bakyun” part will make everyone collapse.
Seko: I’ll shoot through everyone’s hearts there! (laugh).
—— Also, the Noriko on the solo single jacket boldly showed off her legs.
Seko: They finally appeared! Actually, when I first saw all the member illustrations, I felt that Noriko-chan hiding her thick legs with a long skirt was a point that we have in common. I also had no self-esteem and had a complex when it came to my legs, but Noriko’s legs are her charm, aren’t they. I also started to like my legs because of that and can take pride in them. As I fall in love with Noriko-chan more and more, I think I’m starting to love more of myself through Noriko-chan at the same time.
—— With that, what event has left the deepest impact on you in your activities so far?
Seko: My duet with Miracle-chan, or in other words, my duet with Shake (Aiha Sakano)! When I read the script at home, I don’t imagine Miracle-chan’s lines. The reason is because even if I picture it, Shake is definitely going to act it in a way beyond my imagination! And with that, responding with “if you gave me that, then I’ll do this!” is also amusing. Shake also seems to think that, since apparently the Noriko she imagined was completely different. That’s probably because my negative parts came out, but I think us being on different wavelengths actually makes it mesh well together, so every time it feels so fresh that it’s fun (laugh).
—— In the final version, it seems like the acting is completely different than what you imagined.
Seko: Every time, I think it’s more interesting than I imagined. Every time we have more activities together, I think of how great it is that Noriko-chan has an existence like Miracle-chan with her, and I am also glad to have Shake with me.
—— Even so, the nickname Shake is incredible (laugh).
Seko: By chance, I happen to really like salmon! When we met face to face, the moment Sakano said “my nickname is Shake,” I thought “this kind of fate does exist!” (laugh). It’s very fateful.
—— Finally, Ikizulive! Love Live! Bluebird is a project that hasn’t decided anything yet. What do you want to do in the future?
Seko: This is my goal as an actress, but through this work, I want to give people energy and courage to power them through their daily lives. I’ve already been able to do what I’ve always wanted to do, so in the future, I want our activities to keep broadening. My hidden ambition is that I want to sing many more songs and stand on plenty more stages. But, I’m always thinking that having people coming to our lives is not guaranteed. So I want to continue showing my gratitude for this current situation. With that, I also want to keep working hard without giving up and reliably carry out everything put in front of me.
