Former MNL48 Member Ashley Cloud on J-Pop and Life After Becoming an ‘Idol’

A lot of us had dreams when we were young. We may still be trying to reach them, or maybe we’re almost there. But what happens after we reach those dreams?

Ashley Cloud Garcia, or Ash for short, channeled her passion for Japanese culture to obtain a Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N3 certification under her belt. She can hold conversations in Nihongo and provide translations for her current company, which she has been part of for two years. 

But that’s just the icing on the cake. Ashley was also a member of MNL48, the Philippine counterpart of one of Japan’s biggest idol groups and Manila’s first-ever P-Pop girl group.

The Beat Asia spoke with Ashley to talk about how she got into Japanese culture and music, how she achieved her dreams of becoming an idol, and her life after graduating from MNL48.

The Japanese Culture Fan and Idol Wannabe

If you ask any fan in the Philippines how they got into Japanese culture, you’ll most likely get the same answers: anime, games, or music. For Ashley, it’s almost all of the above. 

“I watched anime and dramas when I was a child, but what got me deeper into J-culture was when I had a rewatching spree of Japanese dramas at the start of high school,” she shared.

Like how Philippine TV is now full of Tagalized Korean dramas, there was a time when anime and Japanese dramas were the kings of primetime afternoon. Among the longest-running shows that were aired are the live-action Japanese drama series “Gokusen” and “Hana Yori Dango” (or more commonly known as “Meteor Garden”).

“I liked the songs featured in ‘Hana Yori Dango,’ but what really got me into everything was ‘Gokusen.’ I thought that the male leads were handsome, particularly Takaki Yuya of ‘Hey! Say! JUMP.’ I then found out that each season featured Johnny's [Entertainment] talents and songs. I spiraled down the J-pop hole shortly after that.”

Her rewatching spree plus her huge interest in Japanese culture eventually sowed the seeds of her desire of becoming an idol, just like the actors in the dramas she watched.

“I wanted to be an idol early on after being introduced to J-pop. I remember being a fourth-year high school student and being asked what I wanted to do after graduation. I said I wanted to work for Google, but deep inside I wanted to say that I wanted to be an idol,” she said.

The term “idol” refers to a type of artist that originated in Japan. Depending on the group and the agencies handling them, there are strict qualifications and rules that people working in this industry need to follow. There are also multiple sub-categories under it depending on how you present yourself. For Ashley, she was inspired by the three big names in Japan’s idol industry.

“I was pretty inspired by the groups from Hello! Project, AKB48, as well as [Johnny’s Entertainment], of course. My very first cover was AKB48's River, but [it] was deleted quickly,” she said.

“What ultimately got me started on my YouTube covers, though, was the song ‘Evergreen’ by the LDH [Japan Inc.] group GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE. I found it very cool but noticed no one has covered it yet since the song was new. I figured to try it since it was the summer going into college and I had a lot of free time.”

Ashley’s YouTube covers eventually gained traction, particularly in Japan. The comments she received were mostly positive, which motivated her to keep going, although she admits that she also received hate because she wasn’t that good at dancing. Still, the people who enjoyed her videos requested other songs and that “got the ball rolling” for her.

Becoming an MNL48 Idol

For a country that isn’t familiar with Japan’s idol concept, it’s a far-fetched dream to become one. But luck was on Ashley side. She didn’t have to fly to Japan to make her dreams come true.

AKB48, a Guinness World Record holder of the largest pop group in the world, announced in 2016 that they’ll be branching out overseas, including the Philippines. From doing dance covers, Ashley just got her chance to become the idol she’s been admiring on screen.

“When it was announced that there would be a sister group here in the Philippines, I honestly couldn’t believe it. I was outside during a family dinner, and I was surprised by the news but had to contain it at first. I was also there in the fan meeting when the app was announced, and the audition opened. I felt very hopeful at the time.”

Motivated, Ashley told her family right away about her plans to audition for the upcoming group.

“I told my family about the audition straightforwardly. They knew I loved Japanese culture, so I didn't have to explain too much about what it was. They were supportive, but I think they did not expect me to be taking it so seriously because I’m pretty shy.”

During the auditions, Ashley was one step ahead among the other girls who tried to get into the group as she was already doing dance covers on YouTube, which made her become a familiar name in the Japanese fan community. Plus, she’s fluent in Nihongo.

“At first, I relied heavily on my YouTube reach, but my audience were mainly Japanese people. Later on, local 48G fans took notice and started promoting me alongside their favorites. I was very lucky.”

The audition process was televised during a segment of the noontime variety show “It's Showtime” where 200 aspirants aged 15 to 20 years old were divided into groups to perform in front of a live audience. The girls faced a challenge every week where their singing and dancing skills were put to a test. Ashley said the auditions felt long, but she was excited each day as she inched closer to the final lineup. On April 28, 2018, she officially became a member of MNL48’s first generation after ranking ninth among the 48 girls.

“I felt a lot of emotions. There were things that had to be sacrificed, but I was thankful to the people who voted for me, and I was happy to achieve such a high placement. I was optimistic and was looking at the opportunity with bright eyes.”

MNL48 follows AKB48’s ranking system where only a select few — the top 16 — will become part of the senbatsu (the Japanese word for “selection”) and promote the A-side of the group’s newest release. The rest will be part of the Under Girls (Top 17 to 32) and Next Girls (Top 33 to 48) who will sing the B-sides. The rankings also decide who will become the “center girl” of each song.

Upon becoming an official member, Ashley was able to participate in MNL48’s debut single “Aitakatta - Gustong Makita” and its coupling song “Talulot ng Sakura.“ A year later, she ranked one spot higher at Top 8 during MNL48’s 2nd General Election, allowing her to participate again in a new release titled “Ikaw ang Melody.” She also took part in a few other tracks as part of MNL48's Team L, such as “Umiindak na Saya” and “Igai ni Mango.”

From concerts to events and mall shows all over the metro, you would think that Ashley is living the dream and don't want to wake up. But that wasn't the case.

The ‘Idol Wannabe Turned Former Idol’

Like a cloud that shifts and takes different forms, the Ashley Cloud of MNL48 later decided to leave the group. It was a dream come true for her, but it’s now time to move on.

“I have felt the want to leave for a long time. I struggled with it a lot. At the time I was making my decision, I was also about to graduate from college, and that really put a lot of things into perspective. For a long time, being in the group felt like an organization or club at school instead of work.”

Many fans were aware of Ashley’s university graduation because she showed the biggest flex during the second day of their “365 Araw ng Eroplanong Papel” Handshake Event. After her school’s graduation ceremony, she went straight to the event without changing clothes. Little did everyone know that she’ll be having another graduation — from MNL48, this time — two months later. Still, the group and her fans respected her decision. She even held a mini graduation live at Movie Stars Café on Sept. 15, 2019, along with her team members.

After officially graduating from the group, Ashley deactivated her official MNL48 Instagram account with a following of more than 30,000 and started anew. With more time for herself while mulling her career after college, she was able to hold a solo live in November 2019 titled Kumo Matsuri at Cinema '76 and go on a vacation to Japan the month after. She also released a photobook in March 2020.

Right now, Ashley gets sponsorships to do makeup and skincare reviews. She is also still doing music through polar, a duo composed of Ashley and former MNL48 member Faith Santiago under OtaCutE, and have so far released two singles and music videos.

Ashley is also a member of Day Night Explorers (DNE), a collaborative YouTube channel that’s divided into two modes: Day Mode where they post song and dance covers, and Night Mode where they stream games and other fun challenges. Recently, they were invited to perform as an opening act for anisong singer MindaRyn and virtual YouTuber Pavolia Reine of hololive Indonesia at Cosplay Mania’s Japanese Anime Music (JAM) concert.

At the end of our chat, we asked Ashley one last question: For those who are aspiring to become idols, would you still recommend it to others after becoming one?

“Yes. It’s an experience that I did not regret having. If you have a passion for it, I say go for it!”