Exclusive Interview with You Kikkawa

After her first performance in Brazil at the Anime Friends event in Sao Paolo, and a Q&A session with fans the following day, JaME had the opportunity to interview the idol singer You Kikkawa about her career, her time in Brazil and plans for the future.


Could you please introduce yourself for our readers who aren’t aware of your work?

You Kikkawa: I am You Kikkawa, a solo idol. I am 22 and love idols, Morning Musume。 in particular. I could not pass the audition for that band, but I am in the same agency as them! As a solo idol, I try to do my best on my own! Besides singing, I also participate in CMs and variety shows and I act as well. I try many genres! It’s rare for a Japanese idol, but my body is voluptuous and my heart is big – I call myself “Kikkawa You, the wagamama body” (Kikkawa You, with the voluptuous body)!

You were formerly an apprentice in the Hello! Pro Eggs and are now a solo artist. Can you explain how this evolution came about?

You Kikkawa: At the end of the last live of Eggs, a staff member asked me to come with him. I got into a car and was driven to the record company, where I was informed about a movie about my solo debut starring me! After this, I slept alone at the hotel, but was shaking so much that I dropped my coffee.

This is your first time in Brazil. Did you know you had fans out here?

You Kikkawa: I have a weekly web show “Showroom” that is broadcast all over the world. I received messages during this show from Brazilians, so I knew there were fans! However, I am so grateful to know there were people even in Brazil supporting me! Those fans who follow me on the internet cover my songs, copy my dances and costumes! Right now, I’m appearing in the tokusatsu TV series “Kanpai Senshi After V” and someone came in the cosplay of the combat uniform! We made the crazy pose and standard poses of sentai together! I told the other cast members of the series this and they were really happy! It’s incredible to think that people can discover us through the internet!

How was Brazil? Was there anything that you particularly liked?

You Kikkawa: Brazilians like music and dance, so I was dancing happily all the time! Just seeing them dance so cheerfully made me want to dance! I want to meet powerful Brazilian people full of cheerfulness and power right now! I would dance the dance of victory I learnt with the staff of the Anime Friends convention while listening to the songs! I love spontaneously making friends with everyone just by being at a place with an atmosphere full of smiles!

How was your performance on stage in Brazil? Was it as expected?

You Kikkawa: The opening act was a cover of Milky Way' song Tantan Taan! with members who cosplayed and danced like us. I was so happy to see them practicing backstage! In the setlist of the Brazilian performance, there were three songs from Milky Way so with those three, we danced together on stage. I was so glad! I was probably more excited than those three people! I was also happy for being able to communicate in Portuguese during the MC. I really tried my best to remember some Portuguese. Then, I was glad that people were familiar with my songs. It was great to sing in front of so many people under the wide Brazilian sky! Perhaps it would have been better if I had studied more Portuguese to communicate? At least that’s what I think.

After the event, your number of fans increased. Would you like to come back to Brazil?

You Kikkawa: Some people who became fans during the live came for the Q&A, I was so happy! I was quite shy because of my limited Portuguese, but everyone tried enthusiastically to understand me, so we had a good conversation! Even with my bad Portuguese, I got to some booths to promote myself and many people looked at me! Then, a live under the sky of Brazil, the landscape changed from afternoon to evening, the encouragement from Brazilians, being the first female idol to perform at Anime Friends, being able to sing in a place this beautiful!! With all this, of course I want to perform again in Brazil!

Do you have any other plans to perform overseas this year?

You Kikkawa: There’s no plan for the moment but I really want to ask the staff of Anime Friends if I can reappear next time! I would also like to mention the warmth of people. I want to learn more Portuguese so I can communicate more with Brazilians. You Kikkawa, the woman who came back to her country, would like to perform overseas again to show her feelings. I love these kinds of overseas performances!

Do you have any plans for a CD or DVD release?

You Kikkawa: I recently wanted to lose 2 kilos in a week and succeeded, so I asked for a new song in exchange. I know it’s not easy to get a new song to sing but I got an OK! I am happy! The details aren’t quite clear yet but there will be a new song from me soon, and I am looking forward to it! My most recent song was released on June 25th, but I would like to spread the new Kikka sound to everyone! Please wait for it!

Please give a message to our readers.

You Kikkawa: Brazil was so fun! I am so grateful that some people discovered me! Moreover, people who came in cosplay made me cry with happiness. The Brazilian people who encouraged me so warmly did not lose to the hot Brazilian sun! Kikka is a performer, an idol and much more! I promise you that I will sing a nice song to make everyone smile! I love Brazil! I love you all! Obrigado!


JaME would like to thank Yaz Noya and Philippe Hayot from UP-FRONT for making this interview possible.

You can catch Kikka's web show “Showroom” every Monday @ 21:00 JST.