Iori Saeki (佐伯 伊織, Saeki Iori; born July 22, 1994), also known by the stage name NU-KO, is a Japanese singer and voice actress affiliated with Swallow. Beginning her activities as a dōjin (self-published) musician in 2012, she began voice acting activities in 2018. She is known for her roles as King Halo in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, Kimie "Tanpopo" Kamata in Oresuki, Vanilla in Nekopara, Ashley in Lapis Re:Lights, and Yashiro Chikama in Adachi and Shimamura.
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Biography
Saeki was born in Kanagawa Prefecture on July 22, 1994. She grew up in a family that was fond of playing video games such as a fighting game in the Saint Seiya series. While in elementary school, she became interested in anime after watching the series Neon Genesis Evangelion and developing a fondness for the character Shinji Ikari and his voice actor Megumi Ogata. She also became a fan of Nana Mizuki, and was impressed by how Mizuki was able to find success both as a singer and as a voice actress. Although she initially wanted to pursue a career in voice acting, she decided to start out as a singer instead.
In 2012, Saeki learned of an audition to perform songs for the arcade game series Pop'n Music. Under the name NU-KO, she applied for the audition, and after passing, performed the song "Ren'ai Kansoku" (恋愛観測) for the series. She would continue singing songs for Pop'n Music, including "Katate Dokusho" (カタテ読書), "Aka to Ao no Rampage" (朱と碧のランページ), and "Sing a Song Sigh". She would also release several more dōjin songs under the NU-KO alias.
In 2017, Saeki began a voice acting career, and trained at a school run by the talent agency Swallow. After training, she became affiliated with Swallow in 2018 and made her voice acting debut as a maid in the anime television series Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles. She was then cast as King Halo in the multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Later that year, she was cast as the characters Maiko Kurashiki in the mobile game Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine and Mitsuki Gero in the mixed-media project Onsen Musume, replacing Yurika Endō who had announced her retirement from voice acting. In 2019, she reprised the role of Maiko for the anime television series adaptation of Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine, and played the role of Kimie "Tanpopo" Kamata in Oresuki. In 2020, she played the role of Vanilla in Nekopara, played the role of Kozue Kasugai in Rebirth, reprised the role of Ashley for the anime television series adaptation of Lapis Re:Lights, and played the role of Yashiro Chikama in Adachi and Shimamura. In 2021, she played the role of Kei Ayamine in Muv-Luv Alternative. In 2022, she played the role of Menou in The Executioner and Her Way of Life, and played the role of Moe Yanagida in Tokyo Mew Mew New.
Filmography
Anime
2018
Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles as Maid
Umamusume: Pretty Derby as King Halo
Revue Starlight as Hinano Kyōmoto (episode 1), Marina Banbaen (episode 2), Classmate, Child, Costume B
2019
Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine as Maiko Kurashiki
Gifu no Taketayo as Gero Kaeru Noyatarou
Z/X Code reunion as Honome Chōgasaki
Oresuki as Kimie "Tampopo" Kamata
2020
Nekopara as Vanilla
Rebirth as Kozue Kasugai
Lapis Re:Lights as Ashley
Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation Season 2 as Boy
Umayon as King Halo
Adachi and Shimamura as Yashiro Chikama
Assault Lily Bouquet as Hiromu Sejima
2021
The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬ as Tsubaki
SSSS.Dynazenon as Kano Minami
Fairy Ranmaru as Schoolgirl 2, Fan 2, Idol B, Schoolchild, Tina Musuko
Blue Reflection Ray as Yukiko Takaoka
Video games
2015
Otocadoll as Nyandora
2018
Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine as Maiko Kurashiki
Gothic wa Mahou Otome as Mitoca
Shōjo Kageki Revue Starlight -Re LIVE- as Yuyuko Tanaka
Megido 72 as Baphomet
2021
Umamusume: Pretty Derby as King Halo
2022
GrimGrimoire OnceMore as Lillet Blan
2023
TEVI as Jezbelle, Serulea
Azur Lane as Constellation
TBA
Lapis Re:Lights as Ashley
Others
2023
CoeStation as Hasuki Nemu
2024
Project:;Cold as Misato Kazahari
Dubbing
Mercy as Britt Raven (Kylie Rogers)