The leader of MAZE, who pursues a perfect stage through perseverance and hard work instead of explosive talent. A charismatic idol who works even harder to fulfill the faith of his fans.
Since his debut, he has focused on performance activities, gaining experience on various large and small stages. Through a variety of cover songs and choreography videos, he has shown his growth from being just a main dancer into a versatile artist. Even during his breaks, he prioritizes self-care, working hard to improve his physical fitness as well as refining his dance and vocal skills.
Though he immerses himself in his work, he remains somewhat out of the loop regarding the latest trends and buzzwords. This earnestness often adds a comedic element to his personality, leading everyone on set to laugh. Someone once remarked that he is an unintentional and involuntary comedian. When he appears on variety shows, he often acts as if he’s broken, but his sincerity has touched the public, who now cheer him on as he forges his own path.
Despite his stiff and reserved demeanor, he occasionally reveals a caring and thoughtful side that gets people talking. He has been known to calmly catch a fan who nearly falls at a fan meeting, worry about fans’ commutes home after concerts, and respond to a fan’s story during a live broadcast with maturity and empathy.
For fans curious about what he does in his free time, he posts once a day on social media. His posts usually feature a photo of himself with a serious expression and a caption reading “Workout of the Day.” He is so dedicated to his fitness that he has even taken up combat sports during breaks and participated in amateur competitions. Due to a bandage on his left hand, he struggles to use his smartphone, which often leads to posts filled with typos. This has resulted in a meme called “Raven’s Typo Compilation.”
Ciel, a former servant of MAZE, now supports the group members with a blend of gentle care and cool-headed composure. He is a magical idol who captivates fans with his deepening, uniquely irresistible charm.
With flawless rapping and dancing skills, Ciel is a well-rounded idol known for his charismatic speeches and sharp sense of entertainment. He has evolved into the perfect idol, moving beyond his days as a former manager. His relaxed stage presence, thoughtful approach to fan service, and smooth talking have endeared him to the public, making him a key figure in MAZE’s success.
Lu often wishes to share the stage with Ciel, and this wish frequently comes true. Their duet performances, featuring rearranged versions of each other’s group songs, consistently climb to the top of viral video charts. Their undeniable chemistry during joint appearances has led to frequent fan requests for them to form a mixed unit.
Ciel has a fondness for cute things, regularly filling his social media with pictures of adorable dolls and animals. This has led fans to jokingly question whether his posts belong to a 17-year-old high school girl or a male idol member. He also shares photos showcasing his cooking, and over time, his posts have increasingly featured an abundance of bread and chocolates. Eventually, he announced that he had become a certified pastry chef and chocolatier. One of Ciel’s dessert recipes was highlighted on a TV show and became so popular that convenience stores across the country now sell products featuring his face. For Ciel, it’s clearly more than just a hobby.
Everyone affectionately calls Ciel “big brother,” regardless of his age. This nickname arises from his caring, brotherly demeanor toward Lu and his warm, affectionate nature toward fans. It became even more fitting after his role in a recently released noir action movie, where Ciel’s powerful performance left a lasting impression and garnered admiration from both female and male fans.
With his gentle smile and sweet voice, Ain blends harmoniously into the stage. Ain is an all-rounder idol that captures the hearts of his fans with his unwavering aura and mysterious charm.
Before his debut, there was little information about Ain’s personal life. However, he has recently been spotted at other teams’ concerts and various performances. One fan reported being surprised to see Ain sitting in a musical theater when the seat diagonally below them had been clearly empty before. Other mysterious behaviors of Ain include appearing at different local venues at various times and quickly disappearing when fans try to talk to him. Fans were particularly startled by Ain’s unusual viewing attitude—he sits unmoving and unresponsive at concerts, which contrasts sharply with the way he smiles at his fans. Mias commented on this with remarks such as, “A true introvert,” “Still chic and cool even when he’s not smiling,” and “Thank you so much for smiling at us!”
Unlike the other members who share details of their daily lives, Ain runs a social media account where he exclusively posts photos he has taken himself. He often uploads images of seemingly ordinary landscapes, such as tangled electricity cords on telephone poles, maple seeds scattered on the road, or old playgrounds overgrown with grass. Many of these photos appear ordinary at first glance but are composed in ways that seem almost impossible for humans to capture. This has led fans to speculate about what kind of equipment he uses. Ain even went viral for liking a comment that read, “Isn’t he actually an alien, disguised as an idol, exploring Earth? Maybe he’s transmitting information to aliens.” Fans reacted with comments like, “Did Ain just react to that post? Is he really an alien?” “I don’t know how far the invasion of Earth has progressed, but it seems like Ain has invaded my heart completely,” and “You can have all of Earth, Ain!”
Unlike the other members of the ELSTAR Project, who are actively engaged in broadcasting and commercials, Ain has been spending his time quietly and alone. However, fans have recently noticed an increase in photos of props in the background of the practice room, leading many to predict that a second album comeback might not be far off.
I feel this every time we practice together, but now he truly resembles a trained idol. There is always something I can learn from him, such as how relaxed he is on stage, his stage manners, and his interactions with fans. He helps cover my weaknesses, so I always trust him to be by my side. Although he and Ain sometimes bicker, I believe it’s a sign of how close they’ve become…
I used to think he disapproved of me and that he had many secrets, but now I understand that he has his own problems and things he can’t talk about. Over time, we’ve built up trust, and I feel like he trusts us a little more now. I’m not as skilled at finding fan reactions as he is, so I asked him about his secret. He replied, “If you can’t find them, just disappear.” I’m still not entirely sure what he meant by that.
Elsword’s recent growth has been remarkable, transitioning from being a live performer to taking the stage in broadcasts. He has been capturing attention everywhere. His tireless enthusiasm and energy are inspiring to witness, and I find myself energized by it as well. Occasionally, he stops by our shows just to say hello before leaving, and I notice that his eyes are very serious as he watches the performance. I don’t want to disappoint him, so I strive to prepare for an even better performance.
As a fellow leader, I frequently seek her advice when I’m facing challenges. She has an extensive career in the entertainment industry and is more flexible and sociable than I am when it comes to interacting with people, which makes me comfortable discussing my concerns with her. Our sports hobbies surprisingly align, so we often run into each other. Although we’ve never competed in the same weight class, I’m certain it would be a challenge if we did.
I often felt like someone was watching me, and I would find her hiding behind a wall, observing me. When I asked if she had anything to say, she would rush over and place a pink character band-aid on the bandage on my arm. She said something like, “I can’t share my strength, so I’ll give you this!” I wore it all day, and Ciel took a picture of it and posted it on social media. Fans found it hilarious, so now my arm gets covered in band-aids at every fan meet and greet…
Raven has an incredible amount of willpower because once he sets his mind to something, he always accomplishes it. He’s very sincere and serious, but sometimes I wonder if he’s pushing himself too hard, as he can be quite tough on himself. So, we often take breaks together. I’ll show him a short clip of a trending meme or a trending video, and he’ll blink in confusion while it loops, not quite understanding what’s funny, which is hilarious. My goodness, haha. Some people think this aspect of Raven is all made up, but it’s not. There are people like this in the world.
It took a while for us to get to know each other because there were a lot of unclear aspects, but now I can say that we’re pretty close. Ain may seem very talkative and like a mood maker on the outside, but the truth is a bit different. He’s quiet and likes to spend time alone. There’s always this feeling that there’s an invisible wall you can never get past, but everyone has that wall, and I think that secretive side is part of his style. When I make a new dessert, he’s always the first to try it and give his evaluation. He’s pretty sharp and picky, so if it passes him, it becomes the perfect dessert for everyone. I think he’d do well as a judge on a competition show… Wait, does that mean he’ll get more haters?
He’s a friendly little kid. Even when I’m in the waiting room with the door closed, I can hear him shout a greeting from the hallway, and I think, “Oh, trinityACE is here.” I often give him food whenever I see him because I want to make sure he has something to eat, and he always says, “That’s so delicious! Thank you for always taking care of me!” It’s so cute. I take care of him because of his reaction; it’s a lively and cheerful sight you don’t often see at MAZE. The other day, he wanted to repay me for always getting things for him, so I gave him a doll—a golden retriever that looks just like him. He places it on the couch and pats it every time he watches a movie.
I had heard that she was a talented photographer, so I asked Lu to introduce me to her. I must say, her shots are unique. The way she positions the subject, the direction of the light, and her approach to exposure all stand out. She explained a lot about her techniques and asked how I usually set up my shots. I told her that I typically just flip through the filters on my camera and choose the one that looks good enough. After that, she stopped explaining and set everything up for me. I felt like I had put more of a burden on her than I intended, so I brought her some sweets when I left. Since then, she often shares café menus and photography tips with me through messenger, which makes me feel grateful. I wondered if I should do something else to repay her kindness, but she insisted that sweets and tea were enough. However, I noticed on social media that Lu and Laby seem to be the ones finishing all the sweets. Is that really enough…?
I was surprised to see her debut because she used to be a part-time worker at the store where I bought baking ingredients. I was impressed with how she handled entitled customers and thought she would do well in the entertainment industry, given her confident and bold personality. To celebrate her debut, I baked her a cake, and she happily ate it. She mentioned that she remembered seeing me buy flour in bulk and had often wondered what I was doing with it. Recently, she has been encouraging me to go into business together. At first, I thought she was joking, but then she presented a pretty solid plan. Although I don’t intend to start a business right now because I want to focus on my current activities, thanks to her, I won’t have to worry about starving when I retire.
The more I got to know him, the more I realized he’s pretty goofy. Can you believe there are people in this world who don’t watch videos or even use their cell phones? Apparently, handling machines isn’t something he’s very comfortable with. The other day, he went to a restaurant near our practice room, and he kept getting stuck at the kiosk while ordering. It kept asking if he wanted to upgrade to a set, and he was so flustered that he couldn’t move forward. After struggling for a while, a woman standing in line behind him ended up helping him out. How do I know? Well, I happened to be at the same cafe, and I secretly watched from a corner because it was just too funny. Haha.
Lately, Ciel has been spending more time making desserts than ever before. When I asked what he was doing staying up all night, Ciel said he was practicing because his certification exam was coming up. I’ve never seen Ciel pull an all-nighter for choreography practice, but here he is, perfecting desserts instead. These days, he keep bothering me to sample new desserts, so I have to try them for them every time. Hmm··· Who knows? Maybe he’ll quit being an idol and open a bakery instead. Should we start looking for a new member? Haha, I’m just kidding.
Contrary to her image, she’s sharp and charismatic. During practice for the joint performance, things were chaotic, with so many people messing up the choreography. Then she raised her voice, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention, pinpointed the issues, and organized the situation in the blink of an eye. She even caught someone trying to slack off. I had to be extra careful not to get noticed myself. Why? That’s a secret~.
Noah is pretty fascinating to watch. A rookie with a chip on his shoulder who’s always making mistakes and getting flustered, but he just keeps pushing forward, and somehow, people can’t take their eyes off of him. I think he’s brought a fresh vibe to the team that wasn’t there before. He’s always with his manager, and whenever our practice schedules overlap, we end up running into each other and exchanging quick hellos. He claims he doesn’t want to stand out too much, so he keeps to himself… but is that really true?
Eve seems cool and perfect on the outside, but she has some interesting sides. The other day, I saw her standing at a vending machine in the hallway at work, getting upset. Eve was talking to the machine, complaining that it was broken and demanding her money back if there were no drinks. As I got closer, I noticed the return button and pointed it out to her. She panicked and quickly explained that she hadn’t seen it because she was exhausted from pulling an all-nighter. Her voice was really hoarse, so I told her there was a vending machine across the street that would listen to her without all that yelling.