Rei, the Japanese gem in IVE, is part of this Gen 4 group killing it with slick visuals and marketing that’s straight fire. Fans stan her as a “multilingual queen” or “language prodigy” ‘cause she speaks Japanese, Korean, and some English. But let’s be real—in K-pop’s current scene, that’s not some crazy flex. It’s basically a job requirement, and the hype around it can feel hella extra.
Foreign idols in K-pop? Old news. Japanese stars like Sana, Momo, Mina from TWICE, Sakura from LE SSERAFIM, or even Lisa from BLACKPINK (Thai queen) had to grind Korean from scratch, dodging hate for sounding “too foreign.” Rei’s in the same grind. She didn’t learn Korean to pop off; she learned it to survive. In her June 2025 L’Officiel Singapore interview, she spilled that picking up Korean as a trainee was less about language and more about cracking open her shell after years of staying low-key.
Deadass, Rei’s not IVE’s language star. At global gigs, Yujin or Wonyoung grab the mic, spitting better English and soaking up the spotlight with Starship’s promo machine hyping them as main characters. Rei’s English? Think “thank you for coming” or “we love you”—cute, scripted, nothing wild. A fan vid from Gimpo Airport (May 20, 2024) shows her chatting with a stylist in basic English, just everyday vibes. She’s keeping up with language as her survival kit, not chasing clout.
But in Japan? Rei’s the plug. Her Japanese roots give IVE a leg up in that market. She’s the only one who can chop it up with Japanese media and fans, no translator needed. She’s not IVE’s face, but she’s their Japan cheat code, helping Starship tap into the world’s second-biggest music market. Case in point: her bilingual MC role at the 2025 ASEA Awards in Yokohama’s K-Arena. She flipped between Japanese and Korean like it was nothing—carrying that cross-industry clout with zero backup.
At IVE’s “IVE SCOUT IN JAPAN” fan-con in her hometown Nagoya (April 12–13, 2025), Rei hit 10,000 fans with a heartfelt Japanese speech: “Performing where I was born is a dream come true.” That wasn’t just talk—it was her serving emotional realness, connecting with her people in a way no other member could. Language wasn’t a stunt; it was her bridge to home.
Check the “ELEVEN (Japanese ver.)” MV from September 2024. Rei kept her Korean rap untouched while the others went full Japanese. Sliding between languages like that? It’s not just clean delivery—it’s her respecting the OG track’s vibe while fitting the Japanese version’s flow. Smooth as hell.
Here’s the tea: Rei’s a utility player—not stealing the show, but clutch AF. Her language skills don’t make IVE global superstars, but they keep the group from flopping in Japan. No viral rap moments, no fancams hitting millions, not the visual queen—but no scandals or dragging the team either. She’s chilling in that middle zone: not shaking the table, but keeping the vibe steady.
Rei’s real glow-up? She doesn’t try to sell that “global idol” fantasy like some others. No pushing shaky English, no milking Japanese for clout, no language drama for pity points. She uses language like a tool, no cap. In a K-pop world obsessed with glitz and hype, that kind of chill, no-nonsense energy is rare AF and honestly iconic.
