WHITE SCORPION Series: ALLY “I Want to Say Tsukkomi in My Kansai Dialect”

The idol group “WHITE SCORPION” (White Scorpion), produced by Akimoto Yasushi, was formed through the “IDOL 3.0 Project,” an audition that ran for about six months from April ’23.

They debuted on December 7, 2011 with the single “Gaze Sniper,” and their third single “Emergency Measures” was released on February 7, 2011.

A special series of articles on the girls’ personal lives has begun.

In the first installment of the series, we present a long interview with ALLY, the oldest member of the group!

He quit his job and chose to become an idol.

─ Did you like idols since you were a child, and did you have a yearning for them?

I started liking idols rather late, when I was in high school. I was shocked when I saw a DVD of a live performance by Keyakizaka 46 (now Sakurazaka 46) that I borrowed from a friend. My image of idols was one of cute mini-skirted outfits and singing heart-warming love songs, but Keyakizaka 46 was far from that image, in a good way. Seeing their cool outfits, song style, and powerful performance, my concept of idols was overturned.

─ Did you feel that “I want to be an idol too” when you learned about Zelkova Slope 46?

When I became a university student, I decided to try my hand at being an idol, so I looked into auditions for new members of the Sakamichi group. However, there was an age limit of “up to 20 years old” in the application qualifications, so unfortunately I could not audition. It wasn ‘t a realistic dream to begin with, and I didn’t want to inconvenience my parents, so after graduating from college, I worked at an apparel company in Osaka as a new graduate.

─ ─ In March ’23, the “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT” was announced and an audition for WHITE SCORPION was held.

I had given up on my dream and started working, but even while working at the company, I kept wanting to try my hand at being an idol if I had the chance. That’s when I found out about the “IDOL3.0 PROJECT” and the eligibility requirement was up to 25 years old. When I saw that, I thought this was my last chance, given my age, so I decided to take it! I made up my mind.

─ Did you quit the company you were working for to audition?

There was a camp for candidates who made it to the final stage, and I resigned at that time. I hadn’t told anyone at work that I was auditioning for idols, so everyone was surprised. But my boss was very kind and said, ‘We will support your dream. My family did not oppose my decision to quit my job and become an idol, and they also gave me their support.

─ So you seized your last chance and fulfilled your dream of becoming an idol.

I was able to actually become an idol, and it was like a dream come true. However, WHITE SCORPION releases a new song every month, so I have been busy with recording and choreographing. When I performed on TV for the first time, there were many things I had to be aware of, and I realized how hard it is to be an idol (……). At the same time, my respect for the older idols grew even greater.

───The music video for your debut song “Gaze Sniper” has been viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube (as of February 9, 2012).

The response was great. I hadn’t told many people around me that I had become an idol, but when a friend from my hometown saw the music video, he contacted me and said, “You became an idol? (laugh). That’s how big the reaction was.