Rain Tree Serialization [Part 7] Mio Suzuno and Mari Nagase: “I realized that I am an idol! I realized that I am an idol!

Nagase: “I want to turn them all around!

For the past year, the 17 members who were not selected in the final round of the “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT Audition,” produced by Yasushi Akimoto, have been performing under the name “FINALIST. They are now starting a new group under the new name “Rain Tree” and will make their major debut with their first digital single “ILU” on January 29, 2025.

In this seventh installment, we present an interview with Mio Suzuno and Mari Nagase!

–How would you describe each other’s character in a few words?

Mio Suzuno: ” Mari cries a lot (laughs).

Mari Nagase “She is very tearful and cries easily. For example, I have such a loose lachrymal gland that I cry when I watch the last episode of a drama I don’t know. I cry when I’m happy, I cry when I’m frustrated, and I cry when I’m nervous. …… All of my emotional expressions are “crying. Moreover, out of the 17 members, I cry faster than anyone else.

Suzuno: ” Even when everyone else is not crying, when I look at Mari-chan, she is already crying.

Nagase: ” Mio is the youngest in the group, but she is so firm that you don’t feel it. She may take advantage of the older members, but she never makes a weak remark, and I have rarely seen her cry. I think she is the type of girl who can solve problems by herself without relying on others.

Suzuno: ” She hates to lose.

Nagase: ” She is always energetic and is a mood maker of the group. When all the members get together for a serious talk, Mio sometimes starts a skit in the middle of the discussion, which makes the mood more relaxed.

Suzuno: ” I try to tell the members exactly what I’m thinking, but if I do that and the atmosphere gets too heavy, it can get awkward, so I sometimes do skits like, ‘For example, if Anpanman did this…’ “

–How did you two become interested in idols?

Nagase: ” My sister is a fan of Nogizaka46, and because of her influence, I also started to like idols. When I went to see a live performance by Hyuhizaka46, I was so moved that I got goosebumps. I wanted to be an idol who could move many people! 　That’s when I started auditioning.

Suzuno: ” When I was in the sixth grade, an audition program called “Nizi Project” was popular in my school. I saw the show and was instantly captured. I wanted to be someone who sparkled and shined like NiziU! 　 That’s what made me want to be an idol.

–Although she made it to the final round of auditions for the “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT,” she narrowly missed out on her debut. After that, you became active as a FINALIST. What was the moment when you realized that you had become an idol, too?

Suzuno: “I thought that once I became an idol, a glamorous stage would be waiting for me from the very beginning. I imagined myself in the spotlight at a packed venue and receiving a lot of cheers from fans……, but I realized that this was a naive idea and that in reality you have to put in a lot of effort.

But no matter how small the stage is, fans always take pictures of us while we are performing. When I saw a picture of myself dancing with my hair blowing in the wind and my hands outstretched, I realized, ‘I’m an idol! I really felt that I was an idol.

Nagase: ” I didn’t really feel that I had become an idol for a long time, and although I received original songs as a finalist and even performed on stage, I always felt like I was dreaming. But when I was performing on stage, it was natural that some people were looking at me and others were looking at the other members. I wanted to make them all look at me! I think that this is the beginning of my self-awareness as an idol.

–The road to your debut was not a smooth one. Were there any memorable moments or events?

Nagase: ” We participated in WHITE SCORPION’s release event as the finalists, and we planned everything by ourselves and prepared the costumes by ourselves. We planned everything by ourselves and prepared costumes by ourselves. In many situations, we felt that this was the difference between a group that had debuted and a group that had not yet debuted, and we sometimes cried in frustration. But it was because of these experiences that we were able to train ourselves mentally, and I think it strengthened the bond between the members.

Suzuno: ” During the year leading up to our debut, I was half frustrated and half happy, and every time I saw WHITE SCORPION appearing on TV programs and performing in head-to-head events with famous people, I wondered, ‘What would have happened if I had passed the audition and debuted? I wondered what would have happened to me if I had passed the audition and debuted. But at the same time, I was happy to see the members of WHITE SCORPION standing on the gorgeous stage, and I felt proud that I had auditioned with them.

–What was the reason you were able to keep working hard despite your anxiety and frustration?

Nagase: ” To be honest, I didn’t know what would motivate me to work hard, and I felt like I was going to lose heart many times. But I had many dreams of becoming an idol and making them come true, so I couldn’t give up halfway through. I believed that if I kept working hard and never gave up, there would surely be something for me …… and I was able to make it this far. “

Suzuno: “I was thinking in my mind , ‘I will definitely become like this when I debut! I was watching WHITE SCORPION’s release event, thinking in my heart, “I will definitely be like this when I debut! Of course I wanted to support them, but I also wanted to study the members while I was there to see how they looked on stage and what they were conscious of, so I went to all of WHITE SCORPION’s release events.

–So you were simulating the day when you would make your official debut, believing that the day would come.

Suzuno: ” Ever since I was a child, I have been a competitive person (laughs). I was in the student council and participated in rhythmic gymnastics competitions, so I would definitely get good at it!　I’m definitely going to get good at it and win first place! 　 I think I have a strong desire to do well and win first place.

Suzuno: “My goal is to continue to be selected as a main selection member.

–What is your appeal point that you want your fans to know more about you?

Nagase: ” There are girls who have idol-like characters, but I really reveal my true self. As I mentioned at the beginning, I cry easily (laugh). (Laughs.) Even on TV programs, I talk about my feelings without making any attempt to mend them. Many of my fans tell me that they like my passionate and human side, so I want to continue to be an idol who can express my thoughts and feelings in a straightforward manner.

Suzuno: ” I think my strength is my positive attitude. For example, if I have something to reflect on, I take it as an opportunity to grow and transform it into something positive, saying, “This is a chance for me to improve myself even more! I can turn it into a positive thing. I have a cheerful personality and like to interact with people, so I want to be an idol who can bring smiles to the faces of my fans.

–What do you think makes Rain Tree such an attractive group?

Nagase: ” I personally think that most of the members have a gentle and calm personality. However, even though they are calm, they all have passionate feelings inside. They have a fierce determination not to be defeated because they did not pass the audition!　I am glad that you can see this side of our members. I would be happy if you could get to know this part of our members, and I would like each of the 17 members to show their individuality and bring out the colors that are unique to Rain Tree.

Suzuno: ” There are girls who are good at dancing, girls who are good at singing, girls who are funny, girls who are kind and angelic…… all have a lot of potential, and I think we are a group of members with a variety of personalities. We are a group of 17 people with such amazing personalities! 　 I want you to know that we are a group of 17 amazing people.

–What kind of year do you want 2025 to be?

Nagase: “We have a selection system to select the main members for each single, but I am not good at singing or dancing, so I am honestly worried about the future. Since I am active while attending university, I think I sometimes don’t have the time to pay attention to what is going on around me. However, when I look back in 2025, I would like to have something that I can proudly say, “I did my best in this! I hope I can do something that will allow me to proudly say, ‘I worked hard on this!

Suzuno: “I want many people to know Mio Suzuno of Rain Tree, so my goal is to continue to be selected as a main member in the selection system. My goal is to continue to be selected as a main member through the selection system. I also want to work harder than anyone else, polish my personality, and become a pretty girl! 　I would like to do my best in each of my jobs, such as social networking and live-streaming, so that people will have more opportunities to see us.

–Do you have any personal challenges or dreams that you would like to achieve?

Nagase: ” I would like to become a model or an actress like Mai Shiraishi and Nao Kosaka, who are my idols. I love shoujo manga, and most of my favorite manga are usually made into live-action films. Every time they do, I hope to someday play the role of the heroine in a drama or movie too. I read manga at home and speak the lines by myself, so I’m well-trained (laughs).

Suzuno: “I would like to participate in variety shows. Surprises sound fun, and I would like to try my hand at eating hot and spicy food. Also, I think dancing is my special skill, so I would like to participate in a project like a dance battle in which I dance to the beat of my own drum.

–Mari Nagase, a member of Rain Tree: “What have you been into in your private life recently?

Nagase: ” I have always liked taking pictures of the sky and the sea, but recently I have been using a compact digital camera to take pictures of the members in their dressing rooms. I have a lot of photos that show the members’ usual flirtatiousness with each other, and I would like to share them on SNS and other media.

Suzuno: ” I am currently in my first year of high school, and I have a lot of school assignments and my schedule is packed every day. But in the midst of my busy schedule, I am addicted to finding things that make me feel relaxed. For example, when I am walking in the park, I can smell the fragrance of the fragrance of the osmanthus, or I wonder what the ants are thinking about when they are standing in a line. 　I feel a little happiness in such events and I’m relieved. “

Nagase: ” Are you really 15 years old? (laugh) “

Suzuno ” Also, being from Kumamoto Prefecture, I like hot springs, and recently I found out that there are hot springs in Tokyo as well, so I often go there. I enjoy imagining what people in the Edo period were thinking when they soaked in hot spring water while relaxing. 　 I enjoy imagining what people in the Edo period might have been thinking when they soaked in the hot spring water.

PROFILE
Mio Suzuno
Born on January 21, 2009 in Kumamoto Prefecture
Special skills/hobbies: Dancing, singing, soft body

Mari Nagase
Born on April 27, 2005 in Chiba
Special ability/Hobbies/Listening to music, reading girls’ manga, piano, trombone