RESCENE Minami's bold gyaru look: 'I had to do this to stand out'

Minami, a Japanese member of the girl group RESCENE, revealed the behind-the-scenes story of her bold decision to adopt 'gyaru' makeup to promote her team when no one was paying attention during their early debut days. Despite receiving reactions like "Are you crazy?" from her Japanese friends, Minami chose this unconventional path, thinking, "I have to do at least this to stand out." Ultimately, this unfamiliar attempt became one of the key pieces of content that led to the group's sudden rise in popularity.

Appearing on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's 'Radio Star' aired on the 16th, Minami shared the process of how she came to pursue her dream of becoming a K-pop idol and work in South Korea, as well as the story behind RESCENE's surge in popularity.

During the show, Kim GuRa asked Minami, "There are rumors that you are being mocked in Japan."

Minami explained the situation at the time, saying she told her friends back in Japan about her intention to become a K-pop idol and went around attending auditions.

The problem arose after her debut in South Korea.

"I told people in Japan that I would go to auditions to become a K-pop idol. But after debuting in South Korea and appearing in gyaru makeup, my friends were shocked," Minami said. "They asked me, 'Are you crazy?'"

To her friends, the image of the K-pop idol she dreamed of felt somewhat disconnected from the gyaru style. However, rather than sticking to a conventional image out of concern for how others might perceive her, Minami sought a way to stand out.

She expressed her mindset at the time as, "I have to do at least this to stand out."

Though a short sentence, it captures the situation RESCENE faced after their debut. In the crowded K-pop market, it is not easy for rookie groups to capture the public's attention. It takes considerable time to make a name for oneself through music and performance alone, and especially in the early stages of debut, imprinting individual members' characters on the public becomes a major task.

RESCENE also did not receive much attention for about two years after their debut. However, the situation changed as the gyaru makeup content presented by Minami and the so-called 'Yahoo' video filmed in Geoje began to be talked about online.

Particularly in an environment where consumption of short-form video content has become routine, unexpected member characters and scenes that leave a strong impression can serve as new entry points for fans, separate from the music content itself. Minami's gyaru makeup also functioned as a device that went beyond a simple image transformation to make the name 'RESCENE Minami' memorable to the public.

Minami explained that she did not grow up being exposed to gyaru culture in Japan.

"When I was in Japan, I had never encountered gyaru culture; I started it for the first time in South Korea," she said.

However, there was another twist. Minami revealed, "My mother used to use a style and way of speaking similar to gyaru. I received know-how from my mother when I was imitating gyaru."

While she first encountered gyaru—a specific subculture in Japan—in South Korea, she explained that her mother's speech and style served as a kind of reference when acting out that style. For Minami, gyaru was not a culture representing her identity from the start, but rather a character she found to express herself in a new environment.

That choice triggered a larger response than expected.

During the broadcast, Minami also spoke about the Geoje 'Yahoo' meme. She mentioned that fans frequently ask her to shout 'Yahoo,' saying, "I think I shout it about 30 times a day." She added, "The 'Yahoo' video has surpassed 13 million views."

'Yahoo' is an example of a case that gained attention as the unique expression and character shown in the video Minami filmed in Geoje spread as an online meme. Minami explained, "'Yahoo' is a friendly greeting used in Japan."

While it is a familiar expression in South Korea, it began to be consumed as a character-defining language as Minami, a Japanese member, repeatedly used it with her unique accent and gestures. This also offers a glimpse into the changing ways K-pop content is consumed, where an idol's catchphrase can spread beyond the fandom without being directly related to the music.

However, it seems the excessive repetition of 'Yahoo' caused another concern for Minami.

She declared, "I think I've done enough 'Yahoo.' I will shout it to my heart's content here today and then graduate from it."

At that, Yoo Se Yoon immediately intervened. He caused laughter by saying, "Don't graduate from 'Yahoo.' I am still doing the Baboon." He was making a joke to Minami, drawing from his own experience of repeating a character that once represented him on broadcasts for a long time, advising her not to let go of her catchphrase so easily.