White Scorpion: Part 7 ACE: “Beyond Skill: The Art of Delivery”

“WHITE SCORPION,” an idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto, was formed through auditions known as “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT,” which took place for approximately six months starting in April ’23.

 

They debuted on December 7th, ’23, with their digital single “Gaze Sniper.” Releasing a new song every month, they unveiled their 4th digital single, “Loneliness in the Crowd,” on March 7th.

 

Their 5th digital single, “Satisfaction graffiti,” is set to be released on April 7th.

 

A special serial exploring their personal lives begins, offering insights into the members.

 

In Episode 7, we present a long interview with ACE!

Idol is what I have been aiming for since I was in elementary school.

── You became a member of WHITE SCORPION after going through about six months of auditions.

“The sense of relief and accomplishment when my name was called as one of the final qualifiers was immense, given the lengthy audition period. I had actually been eliminated twice during the audition process, but thanks to the ‘White Knight System’ (a system applied in this audition where eliminated contestants can be revived through fan voting), I was able to make a comeback. It was grueling, but it strengthened my once weak heart and deepened my bond with the fans. I used to be really fragile, crying at the drop of a hat (laughs). But facing myself through the audition process made me incredibly strong. Looking back now, I can say that I’m glad I went through that audition period. It was a valuable experience.”

── What were your thoughts and feelings as you approached the auditions?

“Throughout the auditions, I’ve always wanted to create a version of myself that I wouldn’t be ashamed of as an idol. Ultimately, I think I achieved that.”

── Could you share what inspired you to become an idol?

“When I was five years old, I saw AKB48 on TV. Atsuko Maeda, the center, was sparkling and had a cute smile. Since seeing her, becoming an idol became my dream, and that dream never wavered. From the fifth grade, I attended a training school in my hometown of Fukuoka, where I received lessons in acting, singing, and dancing. In junior high, I auditioned for various idol groups, but I kept getting rejected.”

─ What kind of idols were you auditioning for?

“I auditioned for Hello! Project twice. I was also interested in Sakamichi groups, but I felt like I wasn’t quite their type (laughs). Sakamichi groups have this image of being beautiful and elegant, like unattainable flowers. But I felt that I wasn’t like that. I thought I would suit more as an idol who sweats and works hard while singing and dancing.”

 

── So you were doing self-analysis as well.

 

“About two years ago, I also auditioned for ≒JOY, the sister group of =LOVE and ≠ME, which I loved. I made it to the final audition, which was an experience I hadn’t had before, and I also participated in the SHOWROOM audition, which I admired by watching other idol auditions. But it didn’t work out. That’s when I felt defeated, or thought maybe I wasn’t cut out for being an idol… I had put a lot of hope into this audition, so I was quite depressed.”

 

── But you couldn’t give up?

 

“I still had the desire to become an idol, but for the next year and a half, I decided to focus on my studies and part-time work. I worked as a wedding staff member and at a hot pot restaurant. It was during that time that I saw the announcement for this audition on social media. I was drawn to the concept of ‘updating to meet the needs of the times’.”

“I like both cute and cool songs, so when I saw that the concept was to update according to the needs of the times, I felt like I could challenge myself in various styles, which was attractive to me. I thought that by changing with the times, we could become a group that would be loved for a long time. So, I decided to apply for this audition, considering it would be my last chance. I had suppressed my feelings for being an idol, but seeing the activities of Nearjoy (≒JOY), who made it to the final audition but still fell short, I felt frustrated. I realized that I still couldn’t give up on my dream of becoming an idol.”

── Is there anything you feel you wouldn’t be the same without during your journey to debut?

 

“Definitely, the training camp audition. It was refreshing for me to become friends with girls from different places and ages who shared the same dream and engage in group activities. I experienced a lot of frustration there and found aspects of myself that were lacking, and I also learned a lot.”

 

── What aspects of yourself did you find lacking?

 

“My true abilities in singing and dancing. I had taken dance lessons and practiced singing, so I was confident in myself. Honestly, I thought I was better than others. But I was far from being good enough. I realize now that I haven’t been able to objectively assess myself.”

“I learned through this audition that singing and dancing require ‘expressiveness’ in addition to skills, and that’s actually extremely important. I used to think that just honing my skills would be enough, but I realized that it’s not enough to deliver something to others, let alone to reach them. That’s why I failed before. Recognizing this, I believe I was able to start fresh and make efforts from scratch during the training camp.”

“I also realized that I had been setting my own limits. There’s a part of me that becomes desperate when results don’t come. It was really good to recognize that. Because the audition was long, I developed patience, and I gained the strength to keep trying no matter how frustrating it got. Also, I feel a strong sense of gratitude towards those around me. It might seem obvious, but I don’t think I would have felt this strongly if I had just been living a normal life.”

── Why do you think you started feeling that way strongly?

“The presence of the fans who revived me was huge. And also, the staff members. There are so many staff members involved in this audition and in the WHITE SCORPION group, and they work for us from early morning till late at night. Seeing their dedication, I realized how fortunate we are, and it made me want to cherish people even more than before.”

─ ─ At this point, please tell us what you are proud of as an idol that you can not lose in this area.

“I believe my self-producing ability is superior to any other member of WHITE SCORPION!”

 

── You even list “signature facial expressions” in the special skills section of your official profile.

 

“Yes, haha! I put a lot of effort into studying how to present myself during performances and how to behave on stage. I’m always thinking about how to make our fans happy and excited. I’ve watched a lot of videos of idols to study. Especially =LOVE, because they have a wide range of music styles, so I can learn various presentation techniques from them. Among them, Inori Noguchi stands out for her expressiveness, so I take her performances as a reference for my own.”

─ ─ In the special skills section of her official profile, she also lists “cooking” and “writing.

“I think I’m good at cooking because I used to prepare meals when my parents came home late. I can cook Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes. For Japanese food, I make tonkatsu, for Western food, I make hamburgers or shrimp fry, and for Chinese food, I make dishes like shrimp chili, sweet and sour pork, and bang bang chicken.”

 

── In this day and age, “writing” as a skill seems a bit unusual.

 

“I enjoy writing. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to become an idol, but I also dreamed of becoming a novelist. So, I used to write down my daily experiences in a notebook. My favorite author is Mizuki Tsujimura. I admire her beautiful choice of words. I think conveying emotions beautifully through words is wonderful, and I wanted to become a novelist myself.”

 

── Former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama made her debut as a novelist while still in the group, and former SKE48 member Rena Matsui has also published novels.

 

“That’s right! Maybe I’ll give it a try in the future, perhaps, haha.”

I want to bring back to the group what each member has gained individually.

── In terms of the future, what ideal do you envision for WHITE SCORPION?

 

“I mean, think about movies like ‘The Avengers.’ They’re amazing, right? Each character is a hero on their own, but when they come together as a team, their power multiplies. For WHITE SCORPION, I think it would be ideal to become that kind of team. Each member of WHITE SCORPION has the potential and passion to shine individually, so imagine if we all excel in our respective genres, bring back what we’ve gained to the group, and deliver the best performance to our fans. If we can achieve that, we’ll have so many great live shows, maybe even fulfill our dream of a nationwide dome tour, and I believe it would open up a wider world for us. If we can dive into that world together, it might even lead to international success.”

─ ─ As for your personal activities, what would you like to try?

“I’d love to be featured in various magazines, sing solo songs, and perform in solo concerts. Through these experiences, I aim to enhance my own presence and increase my personal popularity, which I believe could also contribute to the group.”

 

── By the way, have you gotten used to the name ACE?

 

“Well, the name I came up with during the audition was ‘PEACE.’ I wanted to participate in the audition with a sense of fun and peace, and also because my pet hamster at home is named Sue-chan, so I thought it would be nice to be called Sue-chan without the ‘S’ in PEACE. But when I passed the audition and became a member of WHITE SCORPION, I was given the name ACE. I think they gave me that name based on how I appeared during the audition, and people who know my name might think, ‘Is this girl the ace of the group?’ Since the moment I received that name, I’ve resolved to become someone who’s not ashamed of the name ACE. I’ll live up to the name ACE!”

PROFILE
ACE
Born on November 6 in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Hobbies: Snowboarding, playing games, sleeping
Special skills: Cooking, writing, and making a face.