Kuromiya Junior Idol: Rei

: In 2023, she reunited with former LADYBABY member Rie Kaneko to form REIRIE , a duo that explores genres like heavy rock, J-pop, and EDM. Legacy in Idol Culture

However, Rei’s discomfort with traditional idol culture remained. In 2017, she officially withdrew from the group (then known as "The Idol Formerly Known as LADYBABY"), citing: Rei kuromiya image rei kuromiya junior idol

Viewed the junior idol world as restrictive and emotionally numbing. : In 2023, she reunited with former LADYBABY

: Analysts and fans have often cited her early career as a case study in the "sexploitation" of children within the Japanese idol industry. Her 16th-birthday photos, in particular, were seen by some as a reflection of the emotional damage caused by being treated as a sexualized object in her single-digit years. : Analysts and fans have often cited her

Her background as a junior idol provided the foundation for her later, more famous projects: