NAZE is a seven-member boy band that will be appearing in the drama series "DREAM STAGE" (TBS, Friday 10pm). In addition to filming the drama, they have also taken on a variety of challenges, including stage performances, production press conferences, and interacting with fans at free live shows. We asked the members about their impressions of filming.
◇Delighted by the response to the drama. What did you learn through filming?
"DREAM STAGE" is the story of Jun Azuma (played by Nakamura), a former genius music producer who was expelled from the industry for causing trouble, and seven dropout trainees from a small Korean entertainment agency who form the boy band NAZE and work together to achieve their dreams.
NAZE was formed by CJ ENM Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of CJ ENM, Korea's largest entertainment company that has produced numerous K-pop groups, and the Korean talent agency C9 Entertainment, who spent three years selecting members from various Asian countries. The group consists of seven members: Yoongi, Ato, Kim Gun, and Dohyuk, all from Korea; Tarn from Thailand; and Kaisei and Yuya, all from Japan.
--What kind of response have you received about this work?
Kaisei: I hadn't told many people other than my family that I was doing this kind of entertainment work. So a lot of people found out about my work for the first time when they saw "DREAM STAGE." Then, one of my friends went to a sauna and "DREAM STAGE" was playing on the TV inside. He knew he should have gone in quietly, but when he realized it was Kaisei, he couldn't help but shout out (laughs).
Atto: My close friends would jokingly ask me, "Are you really going to be in a drama?" But after they saw the show, they told me, "The story was very moving." I was so happy.
Turn: I have two. The first is when a friend who used to be an influencer with me said, "Turn, you've grown so much." I was really touched. The second is when my parents watched the drama and said, "That's my son." I almost cried when I heard that.
-What did you learn through filming this movie?
Yuya: I learned so much in about six months. As I learned about acting from Tomoya, Eliza Ikeda (who plays Endo Suisei), and the directors, what particularly impressed me was the importance of looking the other person in the eye when speaking. I felt that this is important not only in acting, but in everyday conversations as well. I feel like I received many important hints for life through the drama. It was an invaluable experience for me.
For example, Tomoya-san is always natural and very calm even on set. Seeing him like that made me realize that it's important to relax when speaking in front of people. In fact, I think he's become a little calmer during interviews and MCing at live shows, and is able to express himself in his own words. I hope to keep what I learned this time in my future activities and continue to grow little by little.
Yoongi: This was my first time acting, so there were a lot of things I didn't understand. But Tomoya and Eliza taught me the things I wasn't good at and the things I didn't know, so I was really grateful. This filming period was a very important time not only in the drama, but in my life as well. Even after filming is over, I want to continue my activities while remembering the words they gave me.
-Was there anything that surprised you during filming?
Dohyuk: There was a rain scene, and even though it wasn't actually raining, they used a sprinkler-like device to make it rain, which surprised me. In the music video for the theme song, "BABYBOO," they used a machine that made snow and a machine that blew wind to make it snow, which also surprised me. I thought it was really strange.
Yoongi: There was a scene where I had to fall, and I was wondering how to make it look natural. At that time, Tomoya told me, "If you try it like this, it will look natural." When I tried it, I was surprised that I could fall really naturally.
--Choreographer NOSUKE (Team "S" special) is in charge of the choreography for the film's theme song, "BABYBOO." Please tell us what you learned from the lessons.
Kim Gun-san: When we performed "Wanderlust," a song from the drama, at TGC (the 41st Mynavi Tokyo Girls Collection 2025 AUTUMN/WINTER), it was the first time we performed our own song. We were very worried about how to express our own song, rather than just a cover. But in NOSUKE's lessons, we were taught not only the choreography, but also facial expressions and gestures, and we learned a lot about how to bring out our charm.
Turn: During the lesson, I was told to "try it once," and after I danced, I received feedback. "Turn, you're good at dancing, so next time try to be conscious of your facial expressions and angles," they said. They taught me that the direction of your face doesn't just have to be straight ahead, but also to the right and left, and that the direction you look is also important. Afterwards, I watched the video and thought, "It's really different." It really showed the charm and fun, and I learned a lot.
Yoongi: Many of the songs we perform on "DREAM STAGE" are bright and youthful. At first, I was worried about whether we could express that youthfulness. But as we continued to take lessons, I gained confidence and thought, "We can do it." With each performance on stage, I felt like we were growing. There were different ways of expressing ourselves in each song, which was fun.
--Yoongi and Yuya are in charge of the acrobatic choreography in the song "BABYBOO." NOSUKE apparently showed you how to do it, but did you get the hang of it?
Yoongi: It was difficult at first, but after seeing the example, I started to get the hang of it. I think I'm pretty used to it now!
Yuya: I feel safe entrusting them with my back!
◇Interaction with fans is encouraging
--Please tell us your impressions of the "DREAM STAGE NAZE Showcase Tour" that took you to Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. Was the tour fun?
All: It was so much fun!
Atto: At the Tokyo concert, I was a little surprised that the distance between me and the fans was closer than I expected. But I thought that closeness was really nice. I don't think there are many opportunities to meet people up close like that, so I was happy.
Yoongi: In Osaka, there were so many people cheering loudly every time we performed, which I was really grateful for. I thought it was interesting how the atmosphere was different depending on the venue and area. Kaisei's friends came too!
Kaisei: That's right!
Yuya: I was the MC, and it really went by in a flash. I felt a little sorry when I had to interrupt everyone while looking at the script. But that just shows how much fun we had. Everyone's Japanese has improved so much, and we were able to perform in Kaisei's hometown, so I feel like our dreams are coming true little by little. It was a truly valuable experience, and it was amazing.
-What was it like interacting directly with fans at the event?
Kaisei: Through the broadcast, I gradually began to feel like I was starring in a drama, but meeting the fans in person and realizing that there were people who had fallen in love with me because of the drama made me really happy. It was a great encouragement to realize that more people than I had expected were watching.
Dohyuk: I was happy to meet all my fans. But more than anything, I wanted to show them how much I've grown. When the ribbon on my costume came undone during the Tokyo performance, I was saved by the people who said, "You're cute." Thank you!
--There are still some fans you haven't met in person yet.
Kim Gun-san: The drama will end soon, but NAZE is just starting. I hope to create more opportunities for us to meet in the future, and I want to show you all our different charms, so please keep supporting us!
-Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
Ato-san: Thank you for watching the drama up to this point. I hope you will continue to pay attention to NAZE until the very end.
Yuya: I would be happy if viewers could feel the wonder of pursuing their dreams. Not only NAZE, but Azuma, Suisei, President Nam (Ha Yeon-soo), and TORINNER all have their own dreams. We have worked hard from the first episode to this point so that viewers would think, "Dreams are great," and "I want to challenge myself too." We will do our best until the end so that we can show our growth.
Atto: Let's do our best together until the end!
Everyone: Let's do our best!
