1995–2018: Early life and Nogizaka46 Ikoma was born in
Yurihonjō,
Akita Prefecture on December 29, 1995. During elementary school, she was bullied, which made her not want to go to school, but she still did so that her mother wouldn't worry. Ikoma had been learning to dance since childhood, and became involved in the show business with the encouragement of her father who encouraged her to audition for
Nogizaka46. This would be Nogizaka46's system during the group's early period. The 4th Single "
Seifuku no Mannequin" would become her signature song. On 24 February 2014, it was announced at the
AKB48 Group Team Shuffle that she would join AKB48's Team B. On 26 February 2015, it was revealed that Ikoma will star in a live-action film based on the
Corpse Party series of video games. Exactly a month later, on 26 March, it was announced that she would leave AKB48. On Nogizaka46's 12th Single "
Taiyō Nokku" released on 22 July 2015, Ikoma returned as the group's center from her concurrent position in AKB48, last holding position zero on their 5th Single "
Kimi no Na wa Kibō" two years prior. She published her first solo photo book,
Kimi no Ashiato, on 24 February 2016. It sold 16,000 copies in its first week, and ranked 1st on the
Oricon weekly photo book sales chart. On 29 March 2016, Ikoma participated in the
ceremonial first pitch before a
baseball match between The
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the
Saitama Seibu Lions. She also appeared in
SoftBank's advertising as the voice of "Giga-chan". In the same year, she reprised her lead role in the sequel to the
Corpse Party film,
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows. The film was released in Japan in July 2016. Ikoma also appeared in a musical adaptation of
Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo in September 2016. On 31 January 2018, Ikoma announced her graduation from Nogizaka46 on the group's official blog. On 22 April, her graduation concert was held at the
Nippon Budokan. Nogizaka46's 20th Single,
"Synchronicity" was released on 25 April. It was the group's last single to feature Ikoma. After the revelation of her position at the middle of the second row caused a huge shock because the face of the group wasn't center for her own graduation as anticipated, amid reports, it was confirmed in her interview with
Nikkan Sports that producer and songwriter
Yasushi Akimoto expressed "Synchronicity" was for Ikoma to center, but she declined, for she didn't want the first single since winning the Grand Prix at the
Japan Record Awards to be about her. Ikoma's graduation song and 1st Generation song, the B-side "Against" was the group's final song with her as their center, reuniting the front three with
Erika Ikuta and
Minami Hoshino for the first time since "Kimi no Na wa Kibō". She came up with the idea for the music video. On 6 May, Ikoma officially graduated from the group after an event at
Makuhari Messe.
2018–present: Post-Nogizaka46 Ikoma appeared in a musical adaptation of
Mahō Sensei Negima! as Negi Springfield in July 2018. She opened a
YouTube channel in 2020 called "生駒里奈 'IKOMACHANNEL'". As of July 2021, it has 220,000 subscribers. == Discography ==