Today we’d like to introduce you to Irodori Idols.
Irodori, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As the leader of Irodori Idols, I’ve always been a big fan of idols and how they were able to give such immense happiness to individuals all over the world. Before starting my own idol group, I had already had the pleasure of performing on stage with several different groups. I learned all that I could during my time with these other groups for a few years, taking notes and growing my personal skills as a dancer and entertainer. As time passed, I slowly realized I wanted to take a leading role, to make a group of my own – one that I could call home and one that could also give immense happiness to as many individuals as possible. This thought is what made me start my path towards making my own idol group. It all happened so fast. One moment, I was saying my goodbyes to my previous group, and the next, I was in full leader mode. Thanks to the help of a close friend cheering me on every step of the way, I went full force into making this a reality. I contacted several very talented friends and acquaintances to see if they would like to be part of this idol journey with me, drafted possibilities for our group name, and the rest is history. We started our journey back in February 2020 as an idea – a dream at most. In October 2021, we released our first-ever music video, and now we have 8 music videos and have had the pleasure of performing at so many amazing events such as IdolFest, Anime Pasadena, and Anime Los Angeles. We are so eternally grateful for how supportive everyone has been towards our group. We hope to continue to make our fans proud.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggles we have faced as a group with as many members as we have is consistency with members. Our current core group consists of 9 members since our current idol group focus is doing Love Live! dance covers. Each individual represents a different idol member from the Love Live! universe, but sometimes individuals come and go, such as life, as it’s ever-changing. We all have dreams and goals that may change as time passes, but regardless of where life takes our members, we always support them wholeheartedly. Regardless, losing idol members is hard since we build such strong bonds with each other, so it’s quite hard to adjust. Additionally, losing individuals means we cannot perform certain sets for a long time due to having to re-learn and adapt to these setbacks. Luckily, as time has passed, we have adjusted to this obstacle just in case it’s ever needed. Now have several different setlists we can perform with 9, 5, 3, and 2 members, meaning we can still perform despite the ever-changing flow of life and friends coming and going. This isn’t always a constant struggle, of course. Our current idol unit is, without a doubt, stronger than ever, fully determined, and so passionate about performing. We truly feel we have a bond as strong as the idols in the Love Live! universe have and hope to continue making more memories in Irodori Idols.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Irodori Idols is a dance cover group – and a very specific one! To give you an idea of what exactly it is we do, let me start with a bit of background. Japanese idols are similar to American pop stars. They are entertainers, primarily focused on singing and dancing. There are many sub-genres of idols, but the staple idol image is cute and friendly. Idols are so popular that an anime called Love Live! was made following the story of 9 determined school idols who called themselves μ’s (Muse). While the characters are fictional, the voice actresses are very real and put on huge concerts where they sing and dance live in venues packed with thousands of devoted fans. The Love Live! franchise has since grown to include several groups and is now celebrating its 11th anniversary. While there are many groups that cover these dances and groups, Irodori Idols strives to be as clean and professional-looking as possible. We practice every single weekend and work hard to perfect our setlists. We collaborate to make sure each detail is as true to the source material as possible. This consistent dedication and collaborative spirit is what elevates our skills. Something else that sets us apart isn’t quite as tangible but makes a huge difference in our performances.
The nine of us are all great friends. Some of us started as total strangers to each other, but now we are inseparable. We work very hard at our practices, but we also take time each week to bond and get to know each other. After we rehearse, we all go to lunch together to refuel and socialize. Our bonds off the stage really shine through when we perform. Many of the characters have cute interactions in the dances, and to us those are genuine moments, not just choreographed moves. The nine of us are synchronized in both movement and in spirit, and that is what truly sets us apart as a group.
What matters most to you?
More than anything, we want to spread happiness to as many people as we can. We love meeting new friends and fans all over the world. We hope to continue doing so for as long as we can~ Let’s reach for the stars together and make the world more colorful!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://iirodoriidols.carrd.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irodori.idols
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@irodoriidols
