It has been announced that Mio Matono will be the center for the idol group Sakurazaka46's 12th single "Make or Break" (on sale June 25th). This is the first time that Matono will be the center for a title song, and it has attracted a lot of attention.
Matono is 18 years old, born on November 8, 2006. He joined the group as a third-generation member in January 2023. At the time of joining, he was 16 years old and the youngest member of the group, but he had a mature atmosphere and a high level of expressiveness, making his presence known from an early stage. At 167 cm, he is the third tallest member of the group, following Ten Yamasaki(168.4 cm) and Murayama Miu (168 cm). He is also known as "handsome Matono" due to his low voice and cool impression, and is very popular with female fans. Last year, he cut his long hair into a short one. He looks even more mature and seems to have become more popular.
The group has been garnering attention for their illustration skills, which they frequently show off on their blog, but their talent with Lego blocks, which they showed on the group's signature program, "Soko Magattara, Sakurazaka?" (TV Tokyo and others), has also been a hot topic. Matono, who has been playing with Lego since he was in elementary school, says he likes to build things freely without relying on assembly instructions, and is so particular that he even orders individual parts. He has also amazed everyone in the studio with the quality of his original "capsule toys" and "electric fans."
When she was announced as the center, she commented, "I haven't found my strengths or my weapons yet," but added, "I'm sure people have high expectations of me. I want to become someone they can rely on with this single." Still only 18 years old, it will be exciting to see how she grows after being the center of the title song.
