[Anime Central 2025] Nakamura Eriko, Voice of Amami Haruka in The iDOLM@STER

I’m not a hardcore fan of The iDOLM@STER, however I understood what a giant deal it was to have Nakamura Eriko and Imai Asami as company, aka the respective voices of first-gen “765 Professional” members Amami Haruka and Kisaragi Chihaya. I used to be in a position to attend one of many panels for Eriko, however sadly couldn’t make it for any of Imai Asami’s.

As a result of I’m not an iM@S Producer or something, there are issues I in all probability obtained flawed. Nonetheless, I nonetheless wish to submit my notes from this panel. At the moment, merely having info on the market on the web to seek out may be tough. Additionally, The iDOLM@STER simply celebrated its twentieth anniversary, so I figured it might be a great time to submit this.

Eriko was in Chicago for the primary time, and the panel was a Q&A. She turned out to be fairly the jokey sort, or not less than that’s how she introduced herself. She talked about getting misplaced attempting to get to the Opening Ceremony, and that her dream was to be “extra greatest,” i.e. taller, so she will be able to see additional again.

When requested how she determined to turn out to be a voice actor, Eriko mentioned she thought it was the sphere the place she thought she may stand out most as a performer. She described her path there as being haran banjou, a Japanese time period meaning a lifetime of many ups and downs, however may also imply life is one thing the place stunning issues can occur. Somebody adopted up by asking what it was wish to audition for Haruka, to which she first pretended she couldn’t bear in mind, then elaborated that it really didn’t contain any singing. She obtained a script and a storyboard, and performed Haruka searching from the prepare. She mentioned that this was the primary and solely time she had such a free-feeling audition. 

Later, Eriko elaborated on being part of that first technology. They recorded their components individually: simply her, the script, and the sound engineer. Again when it was simply that authentic recreation, she needed to think about what it was like for everybody to be collectively, and the primary time she heard all of it collectively, it was like 765 Professional had come to life.

When she obtained the prospect to carry out songs from a unique department a few years later, and for others to carry out songs from hers, she responded that seeing others construct on the muse they laid was a priceless expertise.

The viewers of followers obtained her to say the road, “Producer-san, Dome desuyo! Dome!” in reference to Haruka being an idol and the significance of the Tokyo Dome as a serious landmark for idol performers. Eriko mentioned the final time she was in a position to say that was the truth is  two years in the past on the Tokyo Dome.

When requested what recommendation she would give a voice actor, Eriko revealed that there’s a live performance in August, and her reply is in that pamphlet.

As for what has modified, Eriko talked about that she chats much more with individuals after recordings as a result of she’s been doing it for 20 years with all of the employees and everybody else supporting them. Eriko can also be at all times sending messages on LINE, particularly stickers, to the purpose that the others inform her to cease. The members of Million Stars inform her that they should sleep.

One particular person requested Eriko what she thinks about when she’s on the market as a serious consultant of The iDOLM@STER. Her response: “I don’t take into consideration that in any respect. Haruka is only a 15-year-old woman, she will be able to’t have the wait of the franchise on her shoulders.”