AMONG THE NEW BAGETS stars, most writers are placing their bets on
Aki Torio, the Japino with a Pinay mom and Japanese dad, as the newcomer most likely to succeed. Even if he’s vertically challenged, Aki exudes a lot of natural charm and he’s funny without even trying, on and off screen. At the presscon of “Bagets” season 2, shown Sundays at 4 PM on TV5, a future episode's trailer was shown with Aki and the other guys dressing up in women’s clothes. Aki is the most “malandi” among them. Did he enjoy being in drag? “Sa story po, natalo kami sa pustahan at naparusahan kaya nagdamit babae kami,” he says. “Pero lalaki po ako, hindi pa po ako bading.”
Hindi pa? the press laughed. He realized his mistake and said: “What I mean is hindi na po ako bading.” When the press laughed again, he quipped: “Basta, hindi po ako bading.”
Aki didn’t speak Tagalog at all when he came to Manila three years ago as he grew up in Japan. He then joined Kuya Germs’ “Walang Tulugan” and the boy band XLR8. Now, he speaks Tagalog well but with a slight Japanese accent. “I’m so thankful people like ‘Bagets’ and everywhere I go, ang gaganda ng feedback ng fans kaya lalo kami inspired sa Season 2. Sana magkaroon pa Season 3, 4, 5, 6 and so on,” he laughs.
