AMEFURASSHI Airai makes an exclusive confession! The senior whom I admire is “Momo Kuro” and I want to be active overseas someday.

When I was in the corner of the stage, I was very frustrated, even though I was in elementary school. I used to play tag in the sand in the schoolyard before I joined the office (laughs).

Aira, 20, a member of the four-member idol group “Amefurasshi,” says this with a big smile on her face. Aira’s dance video posted on TikTok in April of this year has now received over 4.5 million views, and her subsequent videos have all received no less than 1 million views. The new star of Reiwa has had a surprisingly long period of time as an underachiever.

In fact, I’ve been in the business for 13 years. I joined an office when I was in the third grade of elementary school and participated in a group of over 10 members called “Minichia Bears,” as well as several other idol groups. In the beginning, it was normal to be allowed to sing only one chorus, so when I saw high school girls being allowed to hold the microphone and dance in front of the audience, I thought, ‘I’m so frustrated! I thought, ‘I’m going to quit now. I hate to lose. Even now, I get frustrated just by losing a game of rock-paper-scissors (laughs).

While she was still having a rivalry with her seniors who were a year older than her, Momoiro Clover Z, the senior group at her office that was growing rapidly at the time, appeared in front of her.

She was overwhelmed by the coolness of the group, which was breaking new ground among the various idol groups out there. I was allowed to participate in “Momoiro”‘s events as a back-up dancer, and when I met them, they were always kind and approachable. I admire her powerful performance and her openness.”

After that, she trained hard, mainly in dance, with her natural competitive spirit. Gradually, he moved closer to the center of the stage, and he had more opportunities to hold the microphone in the center of the stage.’ In November 2006, he formed his current group. She devoted her youth to idol activities.

I was crazy about it, but about two years ago, I felt like quitting. The timing of my high school graduation coincided with the COVID-19 crisis, and I became unstable. I saw various gigs and events being canceled, and I thought I would just concentrate on my studies. I was so stressed out that I refused to perform at a live concert at Zepp that had been scheduled, saying, “Even if I die, I don’t want to do it. In the end, we were able to do it, thanks to the members’ desperate efforts to persuade me.

A dance video posted on TikTok by a fan brought about a turning point in her life, as she had been feeling a sense of entrapment.

She says, “The media picked up more and more of my videos, and some of the photos from my live performances became known as ‘Reiwa’s version of Miracle Pictures. I was approached by people on the street who said, ‘The first idol I fell in love with was Airai-chan,’ and at idol events, other idols started asking for photos of me. I was asked, “Are you sure you want to be me? I haven’t caught up yet.

So far, she has appeared on “Mezamashi TV” (Fuji TV) and “Wolf Boy: Hamada Song Festival” (TBS). Contrary to her cool appearance, she also wants to try her hand at muddy location work on “Itte Q” (Nippon Television Network Corporation)! He laughed and showed a glimpse of his gap between the two.

He is sometimes seen as having a harsh personality or a smooth appearance, but when he talks, he is a clunker. …… Now, I want to learn how to talk from comedians. I especially like Daisuke Miyagawa. I am shy and can’t give funny replies. I can improve my dancing and singing by practicing, but to be funny, I need to experience the atmosphere of the place and get a lot of opportunities. ……
As I get busier, I have more opportunities to try things for the first time. When things don’t go well, I hold my mouth with a towel and shout, “Ah! (laughs). (Laughs.) I have a strong desire to go overseas someday, but before I can do that, I need to be recognized in Japan before I can move on to the next stage.

The girl who was biting her teeth in frustration in the corner of the stage is about to spread her wings to the world.

From the November 3 , 2023 issue of FRIDAY