Girls' unit VINII   

A unit that is revolutionary in the Reiwa era girl group world, with the concept of "GIRLS NOISE."

VINII
RINNE/SAKI/TYRA/MEI
*TAKARA was absent on the day of the interview.

■ Profile
In an age where we are constantly told to be beautiful, we resonate. Anger, desire, and distortion are all fine just as they are. We don't join the crowd, we don't flatter, we stand out in the front.
This unit is a revolutionary in the Reiwa era girl group world, with the concept of "GIRLS NOISE."

VINII is a five-member girl group selected from the "BLACK&WHITE" audition run by music IP production company VOLVE CREATIVE. They held a pre-debut live concert in November last year, and are preparing for their first two-man live concert in March this year. We asked them about their current state of mind as they begin their full-scale artist career.

■What I focused on during my student days

RINNE: I've been dancing since I was in elementary school, and made my solo debut in my second year of junior high school. It was a hard life, flying from my hometown of Hokkaido to Tokyo on weekend nights and returning the next morning, but I was able to continue thanks to the support and encouragement of those around me.

SAKI: My situation was a little similar to RINNE's; I was busy even in high school. I only went back to my hometown of Osaka during exam periods, and otherwise I was always in Tokyo. With the support of my friends and teachers, I think I was able to study hard.

TYRA: I started volunteering in my third year of high school, so I was just a regular student until then. I was a member of the Interact Club, a community service club, and I had a strong interest in contributing to society.

MEI: Until last year, I was a high school student and a member of the dance club. During the audition period, it was especially difficult to balance my studies with school, but with the support of those around me, I was able to work hard until this point.

■ How I felt during the audition

RINNE: I've always been interested in working in a group. Even though there may be conflicts, I was envious of that kind of relationship.
I thought, "I want to live a life where I can do what I want to do, so I have no choice but to do it," so when I found out about the audition, I applied without hesitation.

SAKI: I've been performing live since I was in the fourth grade of elementary school. I've played a joint band with RINNE in the past, and we've kept in touch ever since. I took a break from activities for a while, but when I saw RINNE trying to take a step forward with this audition, I thought to myself, "I have to work hard too," and decided to apply.

TYRA: Before I found this audition, I was in a mixed-gender group. However, the group disbanded, and after that I went through a period of time where I was doing part-time jobs and gaining a variety of social experiences. During that time, I realized that I really wanted to sing and dance in front of people. That's when I came across this audition.
I was very nervous during the final audition, as the results were announced in front of an audience. But after passing, I gradually began to get the idea that "we'll be working with these members." On the other hand, because this was a different girl group than what I'd done before, I was worried about whether I would be able to get along. I had a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

MEI: I've loved idol groups since I was little, and I've always admired them. But up until high school, I was living a normal, fulfilling life, with school life and part-time jobs. However, I also felt like I was lacking some kind of stimulation. When I realized I needed something inside me that made me want to work hard, I found this audition and decided to take it right away. From the beginning, I thought of passing as just a stepping stone, not the goal, so rather than feeling happy, I felt more nervous, in a good way. The other members have experience and careers, so I can rely on them. But I'm always conscious that I need to be independent and not rely too much on them.

■About the concept "Goddess of Victory"

RINNE: It's like we have five goddesses of different kinds! (laughs) Right now, there are still areas where we're lacking, but I want to keep growing in that direction.

SAKI: I think there are many different types of victory, but right now I'm still in the process of exploring. I'll continue to explore it little by little, and in the future I'd like to create something that makes sense to viewers and makes them say, "I see."

TYRA: When I stand in front of everyone, I want to be someone that people think is cool and admire. I have weaknesses, but I can overcome them too. I want to be that kind of "goddess of victory."

MEI: I want people to see the concept and performance and understand, "So that's what it's all about."

■ Enthusiasm for the 1st live show

RINNE: I think this is where we really start to show our true potential. I hope that by accumulating our efforts like a flight of stairs, we can one day reach a place of light. I also want to become popular and perform solo concerts at big venues. But first, we want to cherish the "now" and increase the number of moments when our true selves naturally come out. I'm looking forward to that process.

SAKI: During our pre-debut, I got through it with the feeling of "Please love me even when I'm unfinished." But at our first live show, the songs we performed at our pre-debut will be released, so I want to surpass the original recordings. I'm the type of person who likes to set goals for myself, and this year my goal is to appear in some way at a New Year's countdown live show.

TYRA: I thought our pre-debut live was good, but next time I want to convey our concept better. I want it to be a live performance that lets people understand what we're aiming for. I'm also looking forward to seeing what kind of relationship we'll have in a year. I want to strengthen our unity as a group through various projects.

MEI: I'm really looking forward to performing at this first live concert with five songs already released. I want to see how the songs will be received at the venue once everyone has gotten to know them. I haven't decided on a specific dream for the future yet, but I want to carefully approach each song, performance, and so on.

■Message to students

RINNE: I admire being a university student. Just have fun!

SAKI: I have the impression that many university students are torn between what they want to do and what they are being told to do, and end up not knowing what they want to do. That's why, when it comes to making a big decision, I want them to go all out and do what they want to do.

TYRA: I'm about the same age as university students, so I think it's amazing that everyone is studying so hard. In fact, my grandfather is currently working while attending university, and I feel that you can do what you love at any age. I think that university students are particularly free in many ways, so I hope they don't worry too much about time and just enjoy themselves to the fullest.

MEI: I will be a university student starting in the spring. I am going to university because I have a clear idea of ​​what I want to do and what I want to learn. Be proud of yourself for having something you want to do, be grateful for the environment in which you can learn, and let's all have fun together!

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on January 13, 2026 by Kyohei Nakazawa, a second-year student at Waseda University

＜VINII＞
Official site:https://vinii.bstage.in/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/vinii_artist/
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@VINII_artist_official
The first two-man live show is scheduled for March 19, 2026 at The Garden Hall.

Kyohei Nakazawa, second-year student at Waseda University; Seizo Ishida, first-year student at Musashino Art University; Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University; and Daiki Shimada, fourth-year student at Hosei University.