WHITE SCORPION Serialization: Episode 10 – CHOCO’s Aspiration to Become an Idol Like Watanabe Mayu-san

WHITE SCORPION is an idol group produced by Akimoto Yasushi and formed through the “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT,” an audition that ran for about six months from April 2011.

The group debuted on December 7, 2011 with the single “Gaze Sniper.
They released a new song every month, and released their 4th single “Zozoku no solitude” on March 7, and their 5th single ” Satisfact ion graffiti ” on April7.

This is a special series of articles that delves into the personal lives of these girls.

In this 10th installment of the series, we present a long interview with CHOCO!

I finally became an idol for the third time.

─ Where are you from?

I was born in Tokyo, but moved to Hokkaido when I was in the 6th grade of elementary school. One day, my father said to me, ‘I want to move, but I want to be on the edge of Japan, so I want you to choose either Hokkaido or Okinawa. We had visited Okinawa every summer for family vacations and wanted to continue to travel together, so we decided on Hokkaido because of ……. My father has a free spirit, or rather, he is quite a free spirit.

─ Did you also grow up free and uninhibited in Hokkaido?

My parents were rather strict and strict about my studies. My parents were rather strict, and they were very strict about my studies. They were always against me auditioning for idol shows. They said, ‘It’s not good to neglect your studies by auditioning for idols, even though you don’t know if you will pass. So when the auditions were held in Tokyo, I paid for my own round-trip airfare from Hokkaido to Tokyo. I used the money I had saved up by working part-time at a call center. I don’t even want to think about how much I spent on transportation expenses until now. …… (laughs).”

─ Did you want to become an idol all the way down to that?

Yes, I wanted to be an idol. I remember looking forward to AKB48’s general election every year, and I used to watch it with my eyes glued to the TV. My favorite girl was Mayu Watanabe. I was drawn to her not only by her perfect visuals, but also by the way she radiated a sparkling aura on stage. I thought it was wonderful that she was active in a variety of fields, including variety and acting, while still maintaining her core of being an idol, and I wanted to be a royal idol like Mayu Watanabe.

─ Did you ever tell anyone around you about your dream of becoming an idol?

Have you ever told anyone about your dream of becoming an idol? I always hid the fact that I was auditioning for idols. So when my high school friends invited me out and I turned them down, they wondered why I didn’t have any money if I worked so hard at my part-time job. They wondered, ‘How come you don’t have any money when you work so hard? My friends didn’t know that I was spending the money from my part-time job on plane tickets (laughs).

─ ─ What did you study in high school?

What did you study in high school? “I went to a high school that offered a course to become a veterinarian, partly because I love animals. I studied specialized subjects such as thinning pig corneas and presenting research in groups according to themes. However, although I love animals, I could never say “yes” to the question of whether I wanted to be a veterinarian in the future. After all, what I had always wanted to be and admired for a long time was an idol. …… So I auditioned for Hinatazaka46 and for Aozora, which I wanted to see, but unfortunately I was not accepted. Unfortunately, I was not accepted. My friend passed both auditions, so I felt a little disappointed at the time.

─ Was it a friend from the high school you attended?

No, it was Kaho Fujishima (a member of Hyuhizaka 46) and Yui Kudo (a member of Aozora, whom I wanted to see), both from Hokkaido, who I met and became friends with during the audition. I was seated next to Yui at the announcement of the acceptance ceremony for Aozora, whom I had hoped to see. Those whose names were not called left the room first, but I was happy to hear Yui say to me as she was leaving, “Let’s definitely meet again. If I have the chance to perform with her at a festival or event in the future, I look forward to seeing her again.

How did you feel when you passed the audition and were chosen as a member of WHITE SCORPION?

I had no experience in singing or dancing, so I didn’t think I could pass the audition. I had never sung or danced before, so I didn’t think I would pass the audition.　I was called?’ and my mind went blank. I was so surprised that I was a little confused, even though we had to move to the stage in order of who was called first.

─ So, you caught your dream of becoming an idol on the third try. Were your friends at school surprised?

I was surprised to find out that I was auditioning for WHITE SCORPION because there was an open screening (laughs). (Laughs.) It was the first time for me to try out while being cheered on by the people around me, so everyone’s encouragement gave me strength and helped me do my best. On the last day of school, my classmates gave me chocolates as a gift in honor of CHOCO, saying, ‘It’s the last time.

“Also, my homeroom teacher and my classmates made a surprise message video for me. And it was a huge movie, about 15 minutes long (laughs). When I watched the video, everyone danced to our debut song “Gaze Sniper” after the message of support. I was really happy to be sent off so warmly by everyone.

─ Have your views on idols changed since you became one yourself?

I have even greater respect for idols now. I was particularly impressed by Sakurazaka 46’s dance skills and their united performance, but WHITE SCORPION was also choreographed by TAKAHIRO, and I realized how difficult it is to create such a high level of perfection in such a short period of time. I realized how difficult it is to create such a high level of perfection in such a short period of time. Because I had no experience in singing or dancing, I felt I had to work harder than anyone else.

─ What is your ideal idol?

I would like to be a royal idol like Mayu Watanabe, whom I admire so much, and I would like to be able to make cute expressions and gestures during the performance. I hope I can make cute facial expressions and gestures during the performance. I think that some people will pay attention to those parts.

─ What kind of character do you often get described as by the members?

It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but I get compliments from the members who say that I am a natural idol. I make mocking gestures and poses (laughs). (Laughs.) I have a gesture where I put my index finger on my chin, which I used to do unconsciously at first. Then, one of the members commented to me, “You’re pretending! and before I knew it, it became known as the “CHOCO pose” (laughs). (Laughs.) Even at handshake events, I get requests from fans to do the “CHOCO pose.

─ Do you have any special skills that you are proud of?

I am a two-dimensional otaku who loves anime and games, and I can build my own PC. I like the games “Harakami” and “Fortnite,” and I wanted to enjoy these games more comfortably, so I bought a high-spec graphics board and other parts and installed them myself.

─ Did you always have knowledge of computers?

No, I looked it up from scratch on the Internet (laughs). Speaking of knowledge, I learned about animals in high school. I raise chinchillas, the common flying squirrel, the Ezo salamander, and other rare creatures, so I hope that this aspect of my work will appeal to people who like home-built PCs and animals, and that I can contribute to broadening my fan base.

─ ─ As a group, what dreams do you want to achieve in the future?

Since the audition, we have been trying to become a group that can be accepted not only in Japan but also in the world, so our ultimate goal is to go on a world tour. I think all the members have the same dream, and I definitely want to make it come true, but in order to do so, I would like to seriously tackle each and every task in front of me now. If I do that, I think the scope of my activities will gradually expand, and the number of people who are interested in my work will increase. Rather than aiming for something big out of the blue, I would rather work steadily and steadily, and continue to be loved by everyone.

─ What would you like to challenge yourself personally?

I would like to do something related to animals, which I love!　I would like to appear on a TV animal show, go to the backyard of a zoo to help the zookeepers, and take care of newborn babies. Also, I am a two-dimensional otaku and I love anime, so this is really a dream come true, but I would like to try my hand at voice acting one day. Anyway, I love animals and two-dimensional things, so I hope to be able to put that to use in my work in the future.

Idols are like ‘different creatures

─ Do you ever reveal your true self?

I think that idols, to me, are beings that make me dream. I like idols that are perfect, yet somehow fragile, and make me have illusions, like Mayu Watanabe. I like idols as if they are different creatures, “idols,” rather than human beings. So, I think it is a little different if they expose their true selves or if they are too close to us. Personally, I think it’s not right to be too close to them.

So I would be happy if fans like CHOCO as an idol. I would be very grateful if they could get to know me more deeply, like ‘I didn’t know she was actually like this’ or ‘I didn’t know she was more than just a cheeky character.

─ What kind of year do you want 2024 to be?

What kind of year do you want 2024 to be? First of all, I think it is important to get the name of the group known by many people, so I would like to take on more and more challenges in various jobs. I myself have many unique hobbies and special skills, and many of the other members have special skills that are not usually possessed by most people. I would like to work hard this year so that we can do a lot of jobs that make the most of each member’s charms and special skills.

PROFILE
CHOCO
Born on December 27th. Born in Tokyo.
Hobbies: Watching anime, playing games, loving my pet Chira.
Special Skills: Home-built PC, horseback riding, piano