AiScReam: It’s the End of an Era for Japan’s Biggest Anime Release

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It’s officially the end of an era for one of the most viral releases from Japan.

The official Love Live social media announced that Ai Furihata, who voices Ruby Kurosawa, will be leaving the group AiScReam in March 2026. AiScReam will continue with two new members from the Hasunosora Girls’ High School Idol Club and Love Live! Bluebird units. Their next song will showcase this new lineup.

It feels like a chapter is closing with Furihata leaving AiScReam. It’s especially poignant because AiScReam was such a popular group, and it also brings to mind the recent conclusion of Aqours – the larger idol group Ruby was a part of – which finished up activities with all nine members in 2025.

Love Live’s AiScReam to Relaunch with New Members in 2026 Following Graduation of Founding Member

Ai Furihata, the voice actress for Kurosawa Ruby, is leaving AiScReam after hosting the podcast Love Live! Series Official Card Game presents AiScReam’s Melting Time. The final episode aired on March 27, 2026, according to an announcement from the official Love Live social media accounts.

We’re incredibly thankful to Furihata for her long-term commitment to AiScReam. She went above and beyond what was originally planned for the group, continuing to support it for years, even going back to when it started as Love Live! Series All Night Nippon GOLD.

After Furihata leaves, AiScReam will continue as a four-member idol group and launch a new podcast series on April 10, 2026.

AiScReam is adding two talented voice actors to their lineup: Miu Miyake, who voices Ceras Yanagida Lilienfeld from Hasunosora, and Rina Endo, who voices Mai Azabu from Bluebird. Both previously performed the popular 2025 song live at the U-NEXT MUSIC FES – Love Live! Series EXPO 2025 STAGE ~Right now!~ event in August 2025.

I’m so relieved to hear that Aguri Onishi, who brings Ayumu Uehara from Nijigasaki to life, and Wakana Okuma, the voice of Shiki Wakana in Liella, are both continuing with their work! It’s fantastic news for fans like me – their performances are just amazing, and I’m really excited to hear what they do next.

Furihata addressed fans about her upcoming graduation from AiScReam.

The song ‘Ai Scream!’ gained a lot of attention last year, which helped introduce many people to Ruby and the Love Live! series, she explained. Even though the experience was brief, she feels incredibly grateful for everything she accomplished and learned through it, recognizing that you never know what the future holds.

Ruby is graduating, and I’m hoping we’ll still enjoy lots of AiScReam! If you all let us know what you think, maybe this special flavor can become a regular one… – Furuhata Ai, voice of Kurosawa Ruby.

AiScReam started as a short-run radio program with its initial three members. They later released an album that included the song “AiScReam” and “Ice Limit,” forming a unique subunit that brought together members from different generations – a first for the Love Live franchise.

The name “AiScReam” came from a fan suggestion, and it’s a playful nod to the radio hosts’ Love Live character names – Ayumu, Shiki, and Ruby. That’s why the first letters of each word in “AiScReam” are capitalized: A, S, and R.

The album “AiScReam” came out on January 22, 2025, but its title track didn’t become popular until a video of it being performed live at the Love Live! Series Asia Tour 2024 was released.

The song quickly became popular on TikTok and YouTube, sparking a trend of memes. These memes centered around a memorable back-and-forth part where fans would ask a band member their favorite thing, and the member would reply with an ice cream flavor, adding “I love you” more.

Fans and celebrities alike, including the K-pop group Twice and VTuber Houshou Marine, have recreated the song and its choreography. The song has even been performed with members from the Love Live series, as showcased in AiScReam presents TOPPING LIVE ~Tokechau Mae ni Ai ni Kite♡♡♡~, which took place in September 2025.

The official lyric video for “AiScReam,” featuring animation, is the most-watched video on the Love Live YouTube channel, with 13 million views. The original TikTok video that sparked the song’s popularity has even more views – over 26 million since it was posted.

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2026-02-19 00:41