Interview with Yuu Serizawa in commemoration of his 2nd solo mini album and birthday live! I want to show you what I'm number one at the moment!

Yu Serizawa, a member of the idol voice actress unit "i☆Ris," will release her second mini-album on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, and will also hold her second birthday solo live on Sunday, December 3, which is also her birthday.

In 2012, Yu Serizawa debuted as a member of "i☆Ris," a hybrid unit of voice actors and idols under the double management of Avex Group and 81 Produce, and since 2013, all members of i☆Ris have been performing as voice actors in the main casts of TV programs. Since 2013, she has played the roles of Minami Mirei in the anime "Pripara," Shirakami Yoko in "In fact, I am" and Tenkubashi Aika in "I've been let go as a 'commoner sample' at an ojousama school" among many other famous casts. In addition to her voice acting, she has also been active as an artist, successfully performing at Budokan in November 2016 to celebrate the 4th anniversary of i☆Ris' debut, and releasing her ^first solo mini album in April 2017 with Masatomo Ota of SCREEN mode as her producer. She also released her first solo mini-album in April 2017.

We asked Ms. Serizawa to share her enthusiasm for the release of her 2nd mini-album and her solo live performance information all at once!

The theme of the 2nd album is "Seriko's favorite one

─ How do you feel about the release of your 2nd mini-album?

To be honest, I'm relieved...I know there are people who are worried about me since I haven't made any big moves since my ^first mini-album came out, but I'm glad to hear that I can move forward with my solo activities.

─ Your last album was produced by Masatomo Ota of SCREEN mode, and it was a piece packed with Serizawa's charms. What kind of album do you want to make this time?

We asked Mr. Ota to produce this time as well. Last time, I appealed the charm of "cute" to the public, but this time, I think it will be more varied than that. For example, I hope that even fans of i☆Ris members other than myself will like it. And this time, we have more production time than last time, so Mr. Ota has created more songs than the number of songs recorded, and we have many choices of songs to choose from. As for the songs, although they are my own songs, I chose songs that I would like to listen to on a daily basis.

I think it's great that songs with a lot of call-and-responses get people excited, and it's also great that songs that are sung many times at live shows become popular as exciting songs, but the number of times I can do live shows only as a soloist is inevitably limited, so I can tell the audience how I want them to get excited just by listening to the CD once or twice. I would like to include two or three songs that can convey what I want the audience to get excited about just by listening to the CD once or twice, and that the audience will understand how to get excited after listening to it one time.

─ Do you feel a change in your relationship and environment since you have worked with Mr. Ota for two albums in a row?

I feel that very much. Last time, I had to figure out how to digest the songs I received. Last time, I thought it was important how I digested the songs I was given and how I could make them more attractive. This time, I was allowed to choose freely from among many songs, so I think my taste will be conveyed to the audience through the sound. From the very early stage, I would ask them "What kind of music do you listen to? I think our relationship has become closer than on the first album.

───Your last album was like a "business card" for you, Serizawa-san. What would you like your second mini-album to be in a nutshell?

The last album was "one that everyone likes," but this time I want to make "one that Seriko likes. I hope to be able to show more of my taste and preferences.

─ I understand that you are currently working on the jacket, but what kind of image do you think the jacket will have?

I am hoping to make a jacket that will convey my intentions and tastes to everyone, since most of my ideas were adopted in everything from the music video to the jacket photo.

First time in my life!　For holding a birthday live concert on the day of my birthday

─ ─ What kind of concert do you want your birthday live to be?

The last time was my first time, so I felt like I put everything I could into it. This time, of course, I will do my best again, but I would like to make it a live concert with a theme. Also, I played the piano at the last show, but I made a little mistake and said "I can do better on the guitar," so I want to make sure that doesn't come out as a lie.

─ Is there anything you would like to do at the live show, or anything you would like the audience to do?

It is my personal wish, but I would like to make time to have a photo shoot. This year I have less time to interact with fans than in the past, so I would like to have that kind of time, even if just a little. If I am allowed to do so, I would like to take a picture of one song with my phone and post it on social media. I think that if the people who were there could upload what they saw, it would be a more direct way of conveying what I can do now to everyone, so I am now proposing such a thing. I want to make it a live performance where people can feel close to me.

─ ─ Aya Hirano made a guest appearance at the last live concert.

We have not decided yet, but we are preparing a surprise. I'm thinking of writing a letter and asking for a favor, but if my love reaches them, a miracle may happen (laughs).

─ You mentioned on Twitter the other day that you were impressed by Suzuko Mimori's live performance.

I was genuinely impressed by Mimori's live performance. However, her performance this time was a musical, and I don't think I can do it that well because I'm not mature enough yet. However, I hope to create a theme that will give people expectations just by looking at the stage and the title of the live performance, and I hope I can convey this to everyone as soon as possible.

─ ─ What is your next goal?

I want to beat i☆Ris! First of all, I would like to go over the Budokan (laughs).　I am sure that the higher I go in the future, the bigger stage i☆Ris will be on. When I get to know a bigger stage, I will want to perform on a bigger stage as a solo artist. That is why I would like to go higher greedily.

─ ─ This year you will be performing on your birthday.

For me, birthdays are too special and I hate them because I feel sad when they end. I used to cry because of it (laughs). But this year, I think I will be able to sleep well with the feeling of having done a live concert.

─ ─ Finally, please give us a few words on your enthusiasm.

I like myself and I like to express what I think. In honor of my Instagram account "seriko_is_No.1," I will show "the current, 23-year-old Serizawa's No.1" in this album and live performance. Also, the album will be released on November 29, so I will do my best by eating good meat (1129). So please eat good meat and listen to it, too (laughs).

Thank you very much!

CD Information

Yuu Serizawa 2nd mini album

Release date: Wednesday, November 29, 2017

・Price: CD + Blu-ray 4,500 yen (tax not included), CD 2,300 yen (tax not included)

Contents: 6 songs (new songs)

Blu-ray includes: Music Video and Off-Shots (tentative)

Live information】 ■Yu Serizawa Birthday

Yu Serizawa Birthday Live (tentative)

Schedule: December 3, 2017 (Sun.)

Time: Daytime show starts/opens: 14:15/15:00, Nighttime show starts/opens: 18:15/19:00

Venue: Zepp Divercity, Tokyo

Ticket prices

All seats reserved 6,800 yen (tax included) with a gift for visitors / Drink fee 500 yen at the door

Limit 4 tickets per person per show.

Number of tickets limited to 4 per person per performance. No admission for preschool children.

The visitor's gift will be given only on the day of the performance.

Defective exchange will only be handled on the day of the performance.

Reservations for the FC "Niji-kai" ticket lottery are now being accepted at the official FC! ★Reservations for "Niji-kai" tickets are now being accepted by lottery at official FC!

Acceptance period: September 8, 2017 (Fri.) 15:00 - September 14, 2017 (Thu.) 23:59