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.

─ ─ ALLY is the oldest in the group. As everyone’s older sister, do you lead the group?

The members call me “ALLY” (laughs). (Laughs.) Since I am the oldest, I often give speeches on behalf of the group, but I don’t lead the group as a whole. Rather than leading the group, I am more the type of person who warmly watches over the younger members. I am close with younger girls in my private life, so I like to take care of them and look after them. I even help them arrange their hair at events and handshake events.

─ What do you want your fans to know more about you?

I tend to give the impression of being calm , but I am from the Kansai region and I love to talk. At my first handshake session, I chatted frankly with the fans as if we were friends. Also, when a member blurts out a joke, I immediately give him a quick comment. Many of the members are cheerful and like to be outspoken, and there are not many people who can play the role of a quick commentator, so I may inevitably be the one in charge of making a quick comment (laughs).

──There is a gap between your pretty, sissy-like visual appearance and your Kansai dialect.

I also love comedy and often watch variety shows by Chidori-san and Kamaitachi-san. We don’t have many opportunities to talk in our daily activities, but I hope one day we can appear on TV or radio and have a lot of chats. At that time, I would like to make a point with my Kansai dialect (laughs).

I have no experience in singing or dancing, and I feel pressure to be in the first row.

─ Do you have an ideal idol?

I have no experience in singing or dancing, and I feel pressure to be in the first row. We are a group of 11 members who have different personalities and strong characters, so it’s hard for us to be united. But we are all working in the same direction these days. …… (laughs). But recently, I have been feeling more and more that we are all facing in the same direction, and we are gradually becoming more cohesive as a group, so I hope that we can strengthen our bond and increase our unity in the future.

─ ─ Ms. ALLY is performing in the position next to the center.

I was not able to sing or dance at all, so I was not able to get any experience in singing or dancing. I had no experience in singing or dancing, so I felt a lot of pressure to be in the first row. Also, TAKAHIRO-sensei, who choreographed our debut song “Gaze Sniper,” also choreographed for Sakurazaka 46. I was nervous about being taught by someone I admire.

─ Which part of the dance was difficult for you?

No, it was difficult overall (laugh). But because I was in the first row, if I made even the slightest mistake, it would stand out, and HANNA, the center dancer, and ACE, also in the first row, are good dancers, so I had to practice more and catch up with them! I really feel that I have to practice more and catch up with them.

Although the group is still a newcomer, I can feel the richness of their expression and power that makes it hard to believe that they are a rookie group.

I am grateful that so many people have praised our performance. I am very conscious of my facial expressions and fingertips while performing “Gaze Sniper,” because it is important to sing the song with emotion. I was anxious during the shooting of the music video because it was my first experience, and I was tired after the long shoot, but Mr. TAKAHIRO kept our morale up on the set and we were able to keep our spirits high. We were able to get through the shoot by encouraging each other, “Let’s work hard together! We were able to get through the shoot while encouraging each other, so when the shoot was over, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I had never experienced before.

─ What was the most emotional moment for you?

After all the filming, Mr. TAKAHIRO gave us a message for the members. He said, “I know you have been through a lot of hardships in the past, but this time everyone was very focused on the shoot and we were able to make a great film. I am not the only one, but there are many members who have experienced difficulties and frustrations before passing the WHITE SCORPION audition. but when I heard what Mr. TAKAHIRO said, I was so moved that I cried too.”

What are your future goals as WHITE SCORPION?

I would like to have a one-man live concert. At this point, we don’t have many songs yet, but I really hope we can hold one this year. I would like to perform at outdoor festivals, and I would also like to do a triumphant return live performance in each member’s hometown. I would also like to perform on “Music Station” and other prime-time music programs. I would like to take a commemorative photo with the famous tissues that the artists on “Music Station” give away as souvenirs (laughs). I have many dreams, but we are still a fledgling group that has just debuted, so I think the most important thing is to work steadily and diligently at the jobs we receive.

─ ─ It would be great if you could someday perform live in your hometown and invite your family.

My family lives in the Kansai region, so they have yet to come to any of our events, but they watch our music videos over and over again, and they buy all the magazines that feature us and read them to the point of boredom. I am still a little embarrassed to let my family see me as an idol …… (laughs). Also, my brother works at a TV station in Osaka, so I hope to meet him on the job someday.

─ ─ Do you have any personal dreams that you would like to fulfill?

I would like to make use of my experience working for an apparel company and do the styling for the members. Each member wears a different style, such as skirts or pants, and I would like to come up with outfits that match each member’s individuality. Eventually, I would like to be able to produce costumes. Also, I have an SLR camera, so someday I would like to take artist photos of the members.

─ ─ Is there anything you are into in your personal life these days?

I am happy when I am shopping online. I don’t have much time to go out and shop these days, but now that I am an idol, I have to pay more attention to clothes and beauty than ever before, so when I check online shopping sites and find something I like, I tend to hit the buy button (laughs). I may have taken a detour, but I have finally found my dream job as an idol, and I want to enjoy it to the fullest.

PROFILE
ALLY
Born on April 17 in Kyoto Prefecture.
Hobbies: Camera, Internet shopping, watching variety shows
Skills: Drumming, solving riddles, playing rhythm games on smartphones