On November 15th, voice actress idol group i☆Ris celebrated their 13th anniversary with a concert titled "i☆Ris 13th Anniversary Live -TITLE MATCH-" at Pia Arena MM (Nishi-ku, Yokohama). i☆Ris held their 12th anniversary concert at the same venue last year, but tickets were not sold out. This 13th anniversary concert sold out, giving them their revenge. The concert drew the largest attendance in i☆Ris's history, and leader Saki Yamakita, looking at the packed audience, said with tears in her eyes, "It hasn't always been smooth sailing. I'm sure we all had our struggles, but 13 years ago, I never imagined I'd be wearing such cute costumes and being surrounded by so many people. It wouldn't work without our fans. I was disappointed last year, but it's all thanks to you all that the venue was packed. Thank you."
The live started with "Platonic" and "Spending," with the members dressed in black outfits putting on a captivating performance. When the third song, "Arien Hodo Fever," began, they took off their black outfits and changed into outfits in their member colors, captivating the audience with their powerful singing and dancing.
In keeping with the concert's title, "TITLE MATCH," there were plenty of solo segments, with Yamakita Saki competing in a cute "showdown" with "#SakisamaKawaii" and Kubota Miyu competing in "Lovely Time."Yu Serizawa livened up the crowd with her Eurobeat-infused "JUNGLE FIRE feat. MOTSU," while singer-songwriter Yuki Wakai showed off a side of herself that's different from voice actresses and idols by playing keyboards and shouting in "Yuigon," and Akaneya Himika delivered a mellow rendition of "Stereo Sunset," highlighting each performer's unique individuality.
They performed their debut single "Color," the opening themes for the TV anime "PriPara," "Dream Parade," "Memorial," and "Realize!," as well as their latest single "A Piece of Dreams," the ending theme for the second season of the TV anime "The Ghost of Sorrow Wants to Retire."
As Serizawa said, "Everyone in i☆Ris is amazing! They're full of charm!", the live performance gave a sense of each member's individuality and their power as a unit.
During the encore, the members were informed that the tickets had sold out, and Kubota said, "Did you have fun? I heard they were sold out!! I'm really happy to have been able to spend such a fun time with you all", Wakai said, "They've been doing this for 13 years and I hear they're now the best-selling group ever! After 13 years, surely they still have a lot of potential!? Being an idol is the best kind of youth! I want to continue to see bigger things together with you, so will you continue to come with me?", and Akaneya rejoiced, "Thank you for selling out! Thanks to everyone here, I was able to spend such a happy day."
Yamakita, 34, said, "I've always wanted to be an idol from the beginning, but I wonder if it's still okay for me to call myself an idol? Is it okay? I thought about it alone, but every time we have a live performance, I'm pulled back into the idol world. When I turned 30, the members told me, 'We'll keep going as long as Saki-sama keeps going,' but I think I'm being pulled by the other members. I think we're a group that's never been done before, but we're actually the best-selling group right now." She expressed her joy, saying, "Honestly, I want to be even more popular. Being popular means something even bigger. We're free over the New Year holidays, and our faces and names aren't well-known yet. I still want to see something amazing happen. I'll keep working hard and sweating." She vowed to continue doing even better.
It was also announced on this day that i☆Ris would be holding their 11th nationwide tour, and we can look forward to seeing them continue their success.
