Interview: Nekopuf
Photo by Animertphoto
Nekopuf is a Mexican-American idol based in Los Angeles. She originally debuted in May 2022 under her previous alias, Harpoonur. Prior to becoming a regular performer under the moniker Nekopuf, this kitty idol would record and post covers of her favorite anime and J-pop songs on her YouTube page.
Since then, Nekopuf has had the opportunity to perform on incredible stages, including Anime Expo’s Summer Idol Escape and the Anime Impulse x Asayoru Maid Cafe collaboration, Star Garden, where she shared the stage with established Japanese icons like at-home cafe and FES☆TIVE.
The 19-year-old idol has quickly risen the ranks of kaigai idols with a background of professional music training and a ton of at-home practice to claw her way up to the top among the idols she was inspired by.
We spoke to Nekopuf ahead of her appearance at our upcoming Plus Ultra Fest!, a day dedicated to celebrating the past decade of My Hero Academia and to raise funds for the Fire Poppy Project and CHIRLA in an effort to be real-life heroes to our local community.
When did you first watch My Hero Academia and what moment did the show shift from a fun watch into a personal favorite?
I first started watching My Hero Academia when I was in middle school. It was one of the first animes I watched that got me into anime in the first place. Since the very first episode, it became a personal favorite of mine, but if I had to choose a moment, it would be during the sports festival. Deku knew Todoroki wasn't using both his fire and ice quirk since Todoroki's father, Endeavor, wanted to basically live his dreams he couldn't reach through Todoroki. But he wanted to reject his father and all the horrible things he did to his family, so he only used his ice side inherited from his mom as rebellion to following in his father’s footsteps. During the sports festival, Deku yells to Todoroki, “It’s your quirk, not his!” letting him know it’s his power to use at his will, not his father’s or anyone else’s.
At that moment, it almost felt like Deku was speaking directly to me. During my time in middle school, I was fortunate enough to sing at recording studios. Though I never got to sing what I actually wanted to sing, which was My Little Pony songs. It often felt like decisions were being made for me instead of by me, like I needed to sing songs that my father or the people at the studio wanted me to, as well as feeling pressured from my parents that singing was the only thing I could do as a career. So I made the decision to quit singing all together [and] quit going to the studio so I could feel free to pursue other things I had enjoyed, especially art. That moment in MHA made me reflect on my career now, even though I chose to go back to music and to become an idol, I did so on my own terms, singing the songs I love and dressing in a way that felt truly me. Making sure I was the one making decisions managing my own performances and brand, but also learning that it's ok to ask others for help. So in a way, growing into my own person and not a person others want me to be. That’s why I love doing this, because I can be as creative as I want to be without people telling me no, and I feel like that was one of the many moments that really made this anime become a personal favorite!
Warning: MHA SPOILERS
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Warning: MHA SPOILERS ☆
Which characters are your favorites and why are they important to you?
My top three favorites in MHA are Deku, Toga, and Uraraka.
Deku inspires me every day to keep pursuing my dreams and improving my craft. Since I’m in college right now, I use him as motivation for my studies. Whenever I feel like slacking off, I ask myself, “Would Deku do that though?” His never-ending drive and passion for following his dreams, writing his own future, and helping others, push me to stay motivated every day in my own life.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, I absolutely love Himiko Toga. Her character is incredibly complex, and [she] was one of the many villain characters in this story who was failed by society as a child. In her back story, she brought home a dead baby bird and her parents assumed she had killed it. They reacted with disgust and sent her to quirk counseling to get rid of her “abnormal” tendencies and personality. She was taught to bottle up everything she felt, everything that made her her. The more pressure she felt to act like someone she wasn’t, the more she lost herself. She eventually became a villain and felt like being one was the only way she could finally be free and exist as who she was, but in reality she still never truly felt accepted by anyone.
That’s part of why Toga means so much to me. I resonate with aspects of her character and the feelings of being misunderstood, alone, and just wanting to be accepted for who I am. Her story hits deeply.
And then there’s the relationship and final confrontation between Toga and Uraraka. It’s one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful moments in the series. Uraraka doesn’t excuse Toga’s actions as a villain and the many people she has killed, but she does see her humanity. In that moment of death, the two of them finally connect girl to girl, heart to heart, after so many battles and misunderstandings. When Toga asks, “Am I cute?” and Uraraka, literally dying, tells her, “The cutest in the world,” it becomes the first moment in Toga’s life where she’s truly accepted. For the first time in Toga's life, while they are both laying on the rubble and Uraraka is bleeding out, Toga uses her quirk and turns into Uraraka to give her own blood to her, even if that means she will die from it. Then comes the saddest realization of all: Toga could turn into someone and GIVE them her blood instead of taking it. She was never doomed to hurt people or only become a villain. Her life could have been so much different if the adults around her had cared enough to understand her. In the end, you see Toga, now older, with the same baby bird she held as a child but this time it's alive and she lets it fly free, symbolizing her own freedom of acceptance.
I sobbed so hard at that scene because it was just so tragic, but also heartwarming. It showed how different her life might have been if she’d been loved the way she needed. It’s one of the most beautiful stories in the series, and it will always stick with me.
End MHA Spoilers
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End MHA Spoilers ☆
Nekopuf dining in Little Tokyo with her Toga plush
My Hero Academia has a lot of standout music, from iconic openings and endings to an impressive score by Yuki Hayashi. Which 2 or 3 songs have had the biggest impact on you?
“Heroes” by Brian The Sun and “You Say Run” by Yuki Hayashi are my two favorites. At the time I got into this anime, I never even knew I wanted to be an idol, but I did know I wanted more for my life and I guess these songs inspired me to keep dreaming and keep going. I remember just being in the car looking out the window and imagining what my dream life would be like or working on something I'm passionate about while one of the two songs were playing full blast on my headphones. The motivation they give you is so unreal, that's what makes them special to me.
If you were to create your own hero, what kind of power would they have and what would their slogan be?
I would probably be an idol rescue hero, so I would have shows part time and then the other half doing hero rescue work. I’d have a cyber cat theme and, as for power, maybe a phantom keyboard and when I play phantom kitties show up and are able to cast attacks or lift heavy items. The better I play, the more complex my power gets! As for the slogan, I think mine would be, “Meow meow, moe moe! I'm Nekopuf, your cyber cat idol!”
Who is someone that’s a real-life hero to you?
Lauren Faust, the creator of My Little Pony, is my hero. I thought long and hard about this question, but if this show never existed I don't think I would've been the person I am today. It taught me how to be a good friend, what to look out for in bad friends, and gave me a reason to keep going. It was one of those shows that gives you an escape from real life, but that also gives good messages that inspire you to keep moving forward! That's why the person who created this show to even exist in the first place, Lauren Faust, is a true hero to me.
Photo by Animertphoto
How did you discover the world of idols and what drove you to want to become one?
I first discovered idols through the show Love Live School Idol Project! From there, I found out about Overseas Idols online and I thought, “WHAT?? Do idols exist outside of Japan? I want to do that too!” So I just decided to become one, and my first idol name was Harpoonur, the name of my orange cat, and I had an all purple color scheme. The problem was that I didn't even like the color purple, and I felt like my idol name wasn't truly mine since it was my cat's name haha. Eventually, I just didn't have the motivation to keep being one nor did I have any videos of me performing (that I liked) that I could send for applications.
It wasn't until attending Anime Los Angeles for the first time in Long Beach, CA, [that] I discovered their idol showcase and went to my first ever idol concert! I was star struck and absolutely amazed. One group stood out to me most and that was Bubble Girls Idol Experience. Going to that show literally lit a fire in me. I instantly knew that this is what I wanted to do and I decided to rebrand under a name and theme that truly felt like me. So, eventually I settled with my new name Nekopuf! Neko because I’m a cat girl and P stands for performance, U stands for unity, and F stands for friendship. I chose Magenta pink as my primary color but I didn't want that to be my only color so I chose purple and a gold color as my secondary colors. The initial drive was going to that show, but what kept me going was the fact I get to be whoever I wanted and that I get to be in an amazing community who accepts me for me!
Kaigai idols have continued to grow in popularity since the Love Live! boom. Are there any experiences or moments with fellow kaigai idols that helped inspire you to push yourself in the craft?
I'd say Strawberry Sunday and Moe↗Age! are two groups who inspire me to keep on improving, especially business and branding-wise. One moment that touched me was when I was at one of Asayoru Maid Cafe’s recurring events, Milkyway Marketplace. I wasn't performing, but I just wanted to be surrounded by the community and have a pick-me-up day after feeling really defeated from a rejection for an opportunity I worked really hard for. I knew staying at home wallowing wasn't gonna do me any good, so I decided to have fun. After enjoying performances, I was waiting for a cheki when all of a sudden one of the members from Strawberry Sunday, Ai, said to me, “ Hi! You're Nekopuf, right? Your singing is so beautiful!” I was caught off guard so badly, and in my head I was like, “WHAT?? YOU KNOW ME??” It was one of those moments where it's like, “This person I look up to knows who I am!?” It was a very surreal experience that absolutely made my day. One thing about their duo is how hard I know Ai and Sakurin work, like running events, performances almost every week, and a new song!? Their work ethic is absolutely admirable, and I hope to produce quality work like Strawberry Sunday and Moe↗Age.
Nekopuf attending her 1st Birthday Live at Tsun Scoops
Most heroes have a collection of incredible sidekicks by their side. I saw that your aunt made your signature pink and white outfit. Who else, non-idol, has been important to helping you reach this current stage?
My sibling SP, my dad and mom, as well as friends from college, and most of all my fans! My sibling SP has always been there for me as someone to talk to if I'm scared before going on stage or someone to laugh with. Even though now they have a tighter schedule, which makes it hard for them to come out, SP was vital for me at the start of my idol journey, taking me to my performances and overall being just an amazing person. My dad and mom have always supported me unconditionally in all of my musical endeavors. They were able to afford vocal lessons for me in elementary school til middle school which absolutely gave me the fundamentals I needed to succeed vocally now. My friends from college are always supporting me either behind the scenes or sometimes coming to help me booth. Most importantly, I would be nowhere right now if it wasn't for my fans. The amount of love and support I receive at each performance makes me cry. Their support, on and off stage, gives me more opportunities I would've never received without them. The fun conversations, laughter and moments I receive are so meaningful to me and always gives me the push to keep moving forward. I am blessed everyday with everyone's support which ultimately is one of the best things I could ever ask for.
You’ve recorded a lot of covers and posted them on YouTube over the years. What do you use to record and edit with? Any advice for those wanting to try it out for themselves?
I use my Blue Yeti microphone and Band Lab to record and mix my covers, as well as using my iPhone 14 to record video and CapCut to edit. I still certainly have a lot to improve with recording, but my number one piece of advice for those who want to get started is to JUST POST IT! It doesn't matter if the audio is bad or if it's not perfect, but the hardest part with starting something new is actually starting it! You will learn things along the way that will help you improve, but just know when you give up that's when your dreams end. YOU decide to keep your dreams and goals going!
In addition to singing and performing, you also draw a lot of the art for your videos and animations! How long have you been drawing, and have you used any resources to learn from outside of school classes?
I have been drawing since I was 11! I originally started drawing My Little Pony characters as well as my own ponysona OCs, but when I got into 7th grade I made the shift to anime which inspired me to start drawing humans! I mainly used YouTube videos and human references to improve. When I entered high school, I went to a school that specifically specialized in art and graphic design pathways. While I attended this school, I learned from my teacher Mrs. Sun and she taught me all the basics to using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, which absolutely helped me now creating my own merchandise, flyers and other things! I actually created my Nekopuf logo myself in her class! She encouraged me to make stickers of it, and that's how the Nekopuf logo was born!
With the year coming to a close, do you have any goals for 2026 coming up?
Many of my fans know that this is just a matter of when and where, but my top goal is coming out with my very first original song in 2026! As well as creating more in-person events similar to my recent birthday live I hosted at Tsun Scoops.