[Interview] On the charm and personalities coming together at the live show: Streamers performing at "Idios 1st LIVE" share insights on their members' growth and surprising sides
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999108/20251021019/
Writer: Watanabe Misaki | 2025/10/30 09:00 (UTC)
The live event “Idios 1st LIVE ‘Seize the day’”, featuring debut VTubers from virtual idol group “Nijisanji” who debuted in the same year, will be held on November 7th and 8th, 2025, at the Toyosu PIT in Tokyo.
Official website for “Idios 1st LIVE ‘Seize the day’”
In this first-ever live performance, Day 1 and Day 2 will feature distinct setlists and unique live concepts. Beyond just the main concert segments, a special segment titled “Serious Challenge” will also be included, allowing each of Idios’ seven members to fully showcase their individual charm and personality.
This time, 4Gamer had the opportunity to interview members of Idios. The following is our report from those interviews. We spoke with Toru Koizumi, Akari Shishidou, and Sophia Valentine.
Sophia Valentine (X / YouTube)
“Two Days, One Live” — Thoughts ahead of the 2-Day Event
4Gamer:
The announcement for “Idios 1st LIVE ‘Seize the day’” was made during a 3D live stream in August 2025. How did you feel when it was finally announced?
Sophia Valentine (hereafter, Sophia):
I felt like we couldn’t back down now that we’d already announced it. But I also felt happy to finally be able to share the reason for being so busy—some of our lessons had already started by August.
Toru Koizumi (hereafter, Toru):
The teaser video shown at announcement was super cool! And there was definitely a sense of relief: “We finally got to say it!”
Akari Shishidou (hereafter, Akari):
Definitely. I really wanted to share this news quickly and was excited to see everyone’s reactions.
4Gamer:
The event is structured over two days, with different setlists and live concepts for each day.
Sophia:
Yes. Many people probably already have an idea of what Day 1 might feel like based on visuals and atmosphere, but we’ve prepared setlists and performances that truly reflect those impressions.
Akari:
Exactly! That’s why both days are designed to be enjoyable for fans who attend either one.
Sophia:
Yeah. I remember finding the dance routine for Day 2 especially tough—how about you two?
Akari:
I’d say Day 2 was rougher for me too…
Toru:
Personally, in terms of dancing, Day 2 felt harder—but when it comes to singing, since it’s more personal and fits my style better, I actually found Day 1 tougher.
Akari:
Because each day has a different vibe, fans will get to see aspects of us they usually don’t—our unexpected sides or differences!
Sophia:
Each member brings their own unique charm. It’d be great if people could enjoy all of it.
4Gamer:
Toru and Sophia have experience performing live before. With an audience present, the stage atmosphere changes completely—how did that feel when you performed again?
Sophia’s performance (report article here)
Toru’s performance (report article here)
Sophia:
I was really nervous at first, but I went on stage with the goal of energizing the audience—and their cheers actually gave me energy in return.
Toru:
At first, my only thought was “I have to give it everything!” But once the live show started, it was incredibly fun. The audience’s voices truly touched me emotionally. Personally, I’d like to move beyond just giving my all and deliver an even better performance next time.
Sophia:
Back during our 2nd anniversary concert, Shii-chan (Toru) looked completely drained after one song—but now he seems totally fine dancing through long shows! That’s amazing!
Toru:
Definitely growing up! I’m happy about it（笑).
4Gamer:
Akari, this is your first live performance. What are you feeling right now as the event approaches?
Akari:
Honestly, I still can’t fully imagine performing in front of a real audience. But I really want to get on stage soon and see fans cheering and waving their lights. I’m super nervous—I haven’t even truly grasped that this is actually happening yet.
Toru:
That’s probably because you won’t feel it until you hear the crowd’s voices for real. You’ll only truly realize it when you’ve greeted everyone, heard the cheers right in front of you.
4Gamer:
You’ve already started rehearsals—any memorable moments during practice?
Sophia:
After rehearsals, we often go out to eat or visit hot springs together. We also talk a lot even during practice sessions.
Akari:
Oh, and there was that incident with the GODIVA chocolates being gone (laughs). The truth is still unknown—see here.
By the way, another recent event happened: I ordered some Shine Muscat grapes, but someone ate them without telling me (laughs).
Sophia:
We often order fruit during practice and have it stored in the fridge. At one point, Akari wasn’t there with four of us—so we asked if anyone had requested the muscats. No one raised their hand, so I assumed someone else bought extras. Me and Nonchan (Nozomi Ishigami) and Rottie (Roko Tadaki) just ended up eating them.
But I only ate one grape—I’m begging for forgiveness!!
Akari:
Later, Nonchan asked the manager: “Can we get more Muscat grapes?” with a very apologetic tone. The reply was: “Sorry, no Muscats left. We’ll try to request them through hometown tax donations.” (laughs)
Toru:
I had no idea something like that happened behind my back (laughs).
Akari:
Exactly—when there are seven of us, it’s impossible to confirm everything with everyone.
Sophia:
True! Also, Idios seems full of food-related incidents (laughs). In our song “Ambrella Cinderella” from the first mini-album By Colors!, we even sing: “Forget about stolen kalbi—whatever!” (laughs)
4Gamer:
That’s quite a story. This live event also features a special segment, “Idios Serious Challenge.” Could you share what inspired your choices for this challenge?
Toru:
I’ll be trying acoustic guitar singing. I’ve always been interested in it, but opportunities to actually buy an instrument and try are rare—so that’s why I decided to do it.
4Gamer:
We heard Toru is new to playing the acoustic guitar. How has your practice been going?
Toru:
I did play piano as a kid, but unlike piano, guitar gives me finger pain at first. So we started with simply getting used to my hands. At first it was really tough—but lately I’ve slowly gotten used to it and things are finally shaping up.
4Gamer:
For the “Idios Serious Challenge,” you’ll be singing “Tobacco” by Colosseum. Through this experience, do you have any other songs you’d like to try next?
Toru:
Right now I’m so obsessed with “Tobacco” that I can’t think of anything else! Since it’s a gentle tune, I’d love to challenge something faster-paced next time.
Sophia:
I want to hear you sing “Aimiyon”’s “I Want to Convey Love.” It would totally suit you!
Toru:
Do you know “Marigold” by Aimyon?
Sophia:
“Marigold” also feels like it pairs well with guitar—please do sing it!
Toru:
I’ll definitely try (laughs).
4Gamer:
We’re really looking forward to the live show. Sophia, you’re tackling a spy action challenge, right?
Sophia:
Yes! I normally handle espionage tasks—but people say “she can do anything except being a spy” (laughs). So I thought, “I need to change this image!” and decided to take on a spy-action performance.
When I first joined the rehearsal, my muscles were so sore I couldn’t even roll over. It felt like I was using completely new muscles—unfamiliar ones! But as we trained more, they gradually got used to it, and I’ve slowly gotten stronger. Still, after every session, my legs hurt (laughs).
Akari:
And she’s also taking dance lessons. Watching Sophia dance for six hours while still suffering from muscle pain is truly impressive.
Toru:
Before, whenever everyone else was exhausted, Sophia would always look perfectly fine—so I thought: “What kind of training does she even do?” to be affected by soreness too (laughs).
Sophia:
You’ll have to come see for yourselves! How hard we trained and how the performance turned out—that’s something you just need to experience live!
4Gamer:
Akari, you’re attempting speed climbing in “Getting Over It” (Pot Father), correct?
Akari:
I don’t know how it happened—but suddenly I found myself here with no way back (laughs). Honestly, I’d love to go back and tell my past self: “Just quit!”
Sophia:
But you’ve been working so hard! Your time has really improved.
Akari:
True. Now I can get through 7 or 8 minutes—(note: interview conducted mid-October)—but beyond that, it’s not improving at all. I’m only prepared to kneel and beg for mercy (laughs). Still, I’ll keep pushing forward—please cheer us on!
4Gamer:
We’re really excited to see the results of your hard work. Now, what would you say are the highlights or must-see moments in this live show?
Toru:
Since we have two days, it feels like one big event across both days. So I strongly feel that fans should come and see both!
Akari:
Exactly—this is where the fun really lies! Also, we’ve been working hard on dancing for months now—and there’s a “Layback Camera” feature too, so please don’t miss it!
※ Layback Camera: A camera focusing only on specific performers
Toru:
The layback camera captures every single dance move—seriously amazing (laughs). It shows the good parts… and also all the mistakes (laughs).
Akari:
Future Akari will definitely never make a mistake! (laughs)
Sophia:
You’ll be able to catch every single movement of each performer, so I highly recommend checking out the layback camera.
The Unexpected Sides of Idios Members: “Akari is actually the most responsible”
4Gamer:
Since we’re a gaming media outlet, let’s talk about games. What genres do you usually play? Any favorite titles?
Akari:
I love FPS games like VALORANT—lately I’ve also gotten hooked on League of Legends (LoL).
Toru:
I thought you said you’d “put it away,” but I saw you playing recently (laughs).
Akari:
That’s different. Actually, to focus on “Pot Father,” I’ve been avoiding other games—but we have a rule: during live streams, I can play them.
Last time, I really wanted to play LoL, but since it went against my personal rules, I just played it in the stream instead. Also love Splatoon! Once I get into something, I stick with it for a long time.
Toru:
I mostly play LoL when playing multiplayer games—probably around 6,000 hours. For single-player stuff, Minecraft comes to mind.
Generally, during streams, I do lots of farming, ranching, or survival-type games. Recently I’ve also been loving Digimon and Pokémon—really into them! Also enjoy card games like Yu-Gi-Oh.
Sophia:
Pokémon just released a new series: Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A!
Toru:
Yes! I’m thinking about trying it after the concert.
Sophia:
On stream, my most common content is horror games and STREET FIGHTER 6.
I started with horror because I love scary stories and creepy content—but during regular playtime, if I feel like “I can’t go on,” in a live stream, that feeling flips: “There’s no choice—I have to keep going!” So I end up playing more.
Toru:
Even though I don’t talk much in multiplayer games, with SF6, I’ve completely lost it (laughs).
Sophia:
It’s addictive! You just can’t stop—this game has a real “hook” that makes you play nonstop.
4Gamer:
You all tend to have fairly long streaming hours. What keeps you going?
Akari:
Actually, who’s the longest streamer? Shii-chan (Toru), right? (laughs)
Sophia:
Right! Toru is definitely the one with the longest streams.
Toru:
I don’t really see it as motivation—I’ve just always liked playing games for long periods. I’m just sharing that habit through streaming.
Akari:
Exactly. It’s not like I plan to play for hours—time just slips by.
Toru:
Yeah, exactly.
Sophia:
I often go into streams thinking: “Today, I’ll definitely end after two hours!” But then suddenly four hours have passed (laughs).
Akari:
So true. Recently with dance rehearsals, I’m trying to finish earlier—but still, somehow it always stretches by an hour or so (laughs).
Toru:
Even so, sometimes it just grows another hour (laughs).
4Gamer:
Recently, all three of you posted a “cover song” video. During the off-collab stream announcement, Toru mentioned: “I wanted to sing with these two, so I reached out.”
Toru:
We performed “Aii♡Sukurīmu!” This was the first time I heard it—and instantly thought, “I want to sing this!” When thinking about who else to join, you two were my top choices. I figured: “If we do it together, it’ll be awesome!” So I reached out.
4Gamer:
That’s nice! How did it feel performing together?
Toru:
It was perfect from the start—and Sophia saying she’d only pick this team if she were singing herself made me really happy.
Sophia:
During the “hai!” parts, when I heard your voices, I thought: “This has to be these three!”—so my energy went up instantly.
4Gamer:
At the announcement stream, we also learned about Sophia’s participation in a milk rock-paper-scissors game—an unexpected moment. What surprising side of Idios members have you discovered through activities?
Sophia:
Many people think Akari looks like a baby—but within Idios, she’s actually the most responsible and truly kind-hearted.
Akari:
Recently I’ve been getting stricter about being on time—trying to calm down. If I’m strict with others, I need to be even stricter with myself… otherwise I’ll end up hurting my own progress.
I always arrive at least 15 minutes early—but once staff told me: “You’re too early!” (laughs)
Toru & Sophia:
Wow!
Akari:
Also, something surprising was Nozomi (Nozomi Ishigami). I don’t like messy dressing rooms and usually want to clean them up. But while chatting with staff one day, I saw that Nozomi had already cleaned the room! Even though she’s often seen as a joke character, she really helps keep everyone together—she has such a solid side.
“Everyone influences each other” — Recently hooked on hot springs and fruit?
4Gamer:
Nijisanji includes diverse performers. Is there something you feel like you can’t lose to anyone else?
Toru:
I’d say “the ability to focus deeply on one game.” This also ties into my long streaming hours—the concentration I get when immersed is definitely one of my strengths.
Akari:
Mine would be the “drive to keep going until I’m satisfied.” When preparing for VALORANT tournaments, I once slept only two hours a day for an entire week while training with coaches. My dedication to things I commit to feels pretty strong—though everyone else, both seniors and juniors, is amazing too.
Toru:
I know what Akari’s strength is—it’s her ability to handle pressure during live events?
Akari:
No way! I’m actually really weak in that regard (laughs). But somehow the team always stays high-spirited—so on performance day, we get a strong morale boost. My stomach gets bad too—I often suffer from stomach pain right before shows (laughs). Maybe my luck is good?
Toru:
Still, winning just by luck isn’t how it works in Nijisanji events.
Akari:
So I make up for it with more practice time!
Toru:
Exactly—effort really pays off.
4Gamer:
Sophia, what about you?
Sophia:
I love trying new things. So my strength is “the drive to turn ideas into reality.” I’m not very organized, but when I get fired up and say: “Let’s do it!”—that energy becomes my biggest asset.
Toru:
Sophia also has incredible stamina!
Akari:
Yeah! Once she said she’d been dancing for around 30 hours straight while still awake.
Toru:
That’s true. And after coming back, she even did a live stream!
Sophia:
Exactly! Once I start something, I just want to see it through until the end—so maybe stamina is my strength?
4Gamer:
All three of you will be entering your 4th year since debut next January. Have there been any moments when you felt “It’s great being a performer”?
Sophia:
The recent “1-on-1 Online Talk” event※1 and the viewing room at “Nijisanji Festival”※2 were amazing—direct interaction with fans was so special. Being able to hear their feelings directly made me feel truly happy.
Akari:
Definitely. That 1-on-1 talk happened around my birthday, and fans said: “Let’s celebrate together!” Some even brought cake. Their thoughtfulness and effort really left a lasting impression.
※1 “1-on-1 Online Talk”: An online event held to commemorate the release of Idios’ first mini-album By Colors!. Fans could have one-on-one video calls with Idios members via an app.
※2 Viewing room at “Nijisanji Festival”: One of several events within the Nijisanji Festival. Offers 1-on-1 talks and group photos with selected performers.
4Gamer:
Being able to interact directly with fans is a rare and precious opportunity. By the way, any recent hobbies?
Sophia:
My commute time has increased lately, so I’ve been getting into watching anime and listening to music. I download content from streaming services so I can enjoy it even outside—so I’m probably spending more time immersed in anime than before.
Toru:
Me too—I just remembered: didn’t we go on a hot spring trip together recently? It was so fun, I thought: “I really want to go again…” Maybe that’s what being “hooked” means (laughs)?
Sophia:
You’re totally hooked! (laughs)
Akari:
Definitely. I’ve even started going to public baths alone lately (laughs). Also, since we often order lunch together as Idios, maybe that’s why I’m now obsessed with convenience store fruit.
Sophia:
Totally get it! Seriously, so relatable!!
Toru:
Everyone influences each other in their own way (laughs).
4Gamer:
The strong bond among Idios members really comes through. Finally, any message for fans who are excited about the live show?
Toru:
We’ve worked incredibly hard—so please buy the layback camera and watch both days entirely!
Akari:
We’re making this the best live ever—please look forward to it!
Sophia:
We’ll be giving our all, so enjoy the performance to your heart’s content!
Toru:
Let’s make these two days unforgettable—together!
—— Recorded mid-October 2025