Model IMALU in magazine Anan

Selasa, 29 Juni 2010 |

Imalu

Model and singer, IMALU, appeared in the magazine “anan” and talked about her parents. IMALU has been bashed on the internet that she was not good enough to be on TV. She is the daughter of Akashiya Sanma (a big name comedian) and Otake Shinobu (veteran actress), and she debuted through the influence of her parents.

IMALU said on the magazine, “I know that I’m here because of my parents, and I’m not enough to be at the position I am right now.”

Having big name celebrity parents is not always a good thing, and people will expect her to be as great as her parents, but she also said positively, “I have tried many things, and it made my world a lot bigger. I will challenge anything from now on.”

tokyohive

Suzuki Honami return in drama Gou, Himetachi no Sengoku

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Suzuki Honami

Suzuki Honami (43) is to make an overdue return to acting in next year's NHK taiga drama. Making her first public appearance in 11 years yesterday as she was named as one of the stars of "Gou, Himetachi no Sengoku," she said she was "very nervous." The historical drama series, which will air every Sunday evening throughout 2011, focuses on the younger sister of medieval warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-82). The main female cast members were announced yesterday, and the lead role will be played by Ueno Juri (24), while Suzuki will play her mother. Other stars include Ohtake Shinobu (52), Miyazawa Rie (37) and Mizukawa Asami (26). Filming will begin in August.

One of the most popular actresses of the late 1980s and early 90s, Suzuki married comedian Ishibashi Takaaki (48) of the duo Tunnels in 1998 and retired when she became a mother the following year. Like the character she will play in the taiga drama, she is now the mother of three girls. Her last public appearance was in September 1999, at a PR event for her last movie, "Ichigen-san."

japan-zone

Idol Group Buono! released album The Best Buono!

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Buono

Idol group Buono! will release their first best album on August 10, titled "The Best Buono!"

The limited edition of the album will contain 2 CDs and 1 DVD. The first CD will be a selection of their best songs and is tentatively planned to have 19 tracks. The second CD will be a B-side collection, while the DVD will include making-of clips and previously unseen footage of the group.

Buono! is also planning a 3-city tour in August, just after the album's release.

tokyograph

AKB48 Rina Nakanishi become AV Actress

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AKB48 Rina Nakanishi

Reports have spread that former AKB48 member Rina Nakanishi (22) is entering the world of AV. It started with a full nude gravure appearance in the most recent issue of FRIDAY and will continue with her first adult DVD in August.

Nakanishi was one of the first generation members of AKB48, but she graduated from the group in November 2008. On June 6, 2010, she wrote in her official fan club blog that she was returning to her hometown in Oita, seemingly to take a break and to refresh herself. However, it appears that she is really just undergoing an image change, moving into the adult industry under the stage name "Rico Yamaguchi."

The news seems to have first been broken by the magazine Shukan Taishu, whose June 21 issue reported that a former AKB48 member was going to make her AV debut. At the time, a writer for Cyzo speculated that the girl in question was Nakanishi. On June 25, that guess was confirmed when her nude photos appeared in FRIDAY, and AV company Alice Japan announced the debut DVD of Rico Yamaguchi, scheduled to go on sale on August 27. In addition, it has also been announced that Yamaguchi will get her first nude photobook titled "Departure" on July 13.

tokyograph

Ai Otsuka married iwth rapper SU from group RIP SLYME

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otsuka Ai

Singer Ai Otsuka (27) announced on Saturday that she is now married to rapper SU (36) of the hip-hop group RIP SLYME. On her official website, she wrote a message revealing that they registered their marriage on June 25.

SU also made an announcement on RIP SLYME's official website around the same time.

This past February, Josei Seven published an article claiming that the two were dating, but the story was neither confirmed nor denied by their agencies at that time. Their relationship reportedly started last year, when they worked together on the song "aisu x time" from Otsuka's "LOVE is Best" album (released in November).

SU is the second RIP SLYME member to get married recently. ILMARI (35) tied the knot with model Yuri Ebihara (30), and they held their wedding in Paris earlier this month.

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AKB48 release album Kamikyokutachi in US

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AKB48

All-girl supergroup AKB48 will release their latest album Kamikyokutachi in the US through American-based label Maru Music.

Taking the world by storm, AKB48 have reached the point of worldwide recognition. This highly-anticipated North American release, coupled with their performance at the Anime Expo Convention in Los Angeles is sure to make July a month to remember.

Kamikyokutachi contains 16 tracks, many of which have also become high charting singles, and a DVD with three choreographed music videos in multi-angle format so that fans can learn and recreate their dance moves. An exact release date has yet to be announced.

Maru Music will be present at Anime Expo this year and will be making nine major release announcements at their panel. This is the first of those announcements, so expect more release news soon.

jame-world

Aragaki Yui photo mook Adult Gekkan Series

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Aragaki Yui

Next month the popular monthly photo mook series "Gekkan Series" will feature actress Aragaki Yui (23) in her first big photo collection since "Nikkori" 3 years ago. Every month the Gekkan series features a popular female talent in various artistic and often daring photo spreads.

The mook will work as promotion for her upcoming movie "Hanamizuki" that will open on August 21. Several pictures were taken in between the filming in New York and show us a more mature Gakky. It is actually her first big collection of photographs since she turned 20. "I hope you are going to enjoy the new Aragaki Yui just as much as the old one," Gakky commented with a lot of self-confidence.

It seems like she's currently trying to get a more mature image. "Hanamizuki" features Gakky in a mature love story in where she has to play the same woman in the stretch of 10 years. Similar to the mature theme of the movie, the photo mook features her in various gorgeous dresses to make her look more mature and shows a Gakky with a lot more gloomy expressions instead of her trademark smile. This month she turned 22, so you can't blame her for trying to tone down her cute image. Of course we are still going to see her smile a few times and also pictures with a very natural atmosphere like Gakky taking a walk or Gakky eating a pizza.

One party dress must have suited her very well in particular, since the staff repeatedly complimented her looks when wearing it. Gakky looked back at the shooting, "We've taken some very beautiful pictures from perspectives we've never tried before. The shooting was very stimulating and a lot of fun."

The photo mook "Gekkan Aragaki Yui Special" featuring the new "Adult Gakky" will go on sale on July 22, 2010.

kawaii-joyuu

News Yamashita Tomohisa

Yamashita Tomohisa, also known as Yamapi, member of the popular Johnny's group NEWS, will release a new solo single on July 28th.

One in a million will be available in three versions: a regular edition and two limited editions. The limited type A will come with a live DVD featuring footage from his first concert "TOMOHISA YAMASHITA SHORT BUT SWEET 2009.11.23", while the limited type B will come with a bonus track, a photo, and a 12-page booklet. The regular edition will include three bonus tracks which do not feature on the limited editions and all three versions will feature the B-side Kuchizue de Adios.

jame-world

AKB48 Atsuki Ishiguro dropped out because dating

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AKB48 Atsuki Ishiguro

Nikkan Sports is reporting that Atsuki Ishiguro (16) was dropped from AKB48's kenkyuusei for breaking the group's policy against dating. Earlier this month, a picture of her and a boy taken in a photo booth was leaked onto the internet.

The photo was leaked during the voting period of AKB48's most recent "senbatsu" election, which determined the lineup for the group's next single. On June 9, the senbatsu results were announced, and Ishiguro was revealed to be #40, giving her the final spot in the 19-member "under girl" unit that will record the single's B-side. At the time, Ishiguro was still just a candidate for the official Team Kenkyuusei.

On June 12, AKB48's Team Kenkyuusei selection process took place, and the results were announced on June 20. Despite being popular enough to make the cut in the senbatsu, she was one of three girls who failed the selection - the other two were Momoko Kinumoto (15) and Sara Fujimoto (13). At the same time, another kenkyuusei member, Eri Takamatsu (17), left the group on her own.

According to Nikkan Sports, Ishiguro failed the selection because of the photo. A source familiar with the situation said that it was unfortunate because the photo seems to be old, implying that Ishiguro is not currently dating. There is even speculation that the photo may have been taken before Ishiguro joined the group of kenkyuusei candidates this past September, but there has been no confirmation of that. Still, AKB48's no-dating policy is strictly enforced, evidenced by the previous dismissal of Ayaka Kikuchi (16) in 2008. A separate source explained that the management has no choice but to set an example for the many other members.

It was not made clear whether someone will replace Ishiguro in the "under girls" for the upcoming single, which goes on sale on August 18.

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Yui 5th album Holidays in the Sun

Rabu, 16 Juni 2010 |

Yui

After two years and three months, YUI will be releasing her 5th original album "HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN" on July 14th this year. With her latest single "to Mother" only released on June 2nd, she was able to reach the top position of ORICON charts with five releases in a row, making it a record, which was last reached by Utada Hikaru 6 years ago making her the second ever in history. All five singles, who created this record, will re gathered on this new album, which is a first timer for a female singer-song-writer.

In accordance to the release of "HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN" YUI commented: "It's really been a long time since the last album, and I am just a little nervous about it. (laughs) During these two years, towards all the people, who have supported me, all friends and relatives and more than anything the fans, who have been anticipating my activities - I am so full of gratitude. Thank you so much! This album has become a record with a great number of memories of mine. It's something I am proud of. I'd be really happy if lots of people listened to it and am looking forward to your support."

musicjapanplus

Kyoko Fukada and Kippei Shinna in film Renai Gikyoku

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Kyoko Fukada

Hard to believe, but popular actress Kyoko Fukada has not had top billing in a film since Mayumi Miyasaka’s “Tenshi”, which was released over 4 years ago. Today comes word that Fukada will be making her return to leading lady status the hard way in Renai Gikyoku: Watashi to Koi ni Ochite Kudasai (literally “Love Drama: Please Fall in Love with Me”), playing a role consisting of 3 distinct parts.

The film is an adaptation of playwright Shoji Kokami‘s hit stage play “Renai Gikyoku”, and Kokami himself will direct. Fukuda will play a popular television screenwriter named Mayumi Taniyama and actor Kippei Shiina will play a totally clueless TV producer named Mukai in his first purely comedic role. Taniyama is suffering from writer’s block, so when Mukai enthusiastically requests to work from one of her scripts, she asks him to fall in love with her first.

Fukada’s role is broken down three parts as the story bounces back and forth between fantasy and reality: the real-life screenwriter selfishly abusing a man for her own purposes, the lonely housewife in her script, and the gorgeous woman in the fictional housewife’s script.

The rest of the cast includes Takashi Tsukamoto, Masatoshi Nakamura, Misa Shimizu, Masahiko Nishimura, and Jun Inoue.

“Renai Gikyoku” will begin its gradual nation-wide release in Japan on September 25, 2010.

nipponcinema

Yamada Yu or Moe Ishikiri will become Ebi-chan

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Oshikiri MoeYamada Yu

The countdown is almost over in the wait for the Paris wedding between model Yuri Ebihara and Rip Slyme’s Ilmari, which is to take place on Wednesday. But now that Ebi-chan’s wedding is almost a done deal, media attention is focusing on her fellow CanCam and AneCam models Moe Oshikiri and Yu Yamada to see who will be next to walk down the aisle.

Yamada, who is 25, once declared that she wanted to be married by 28. But, as one celebrity journalist explains, “Yamada moved in with boyfriend Shun Oguri last year after only having dated him for five months, and after a while he got tired of her persistence and gave up on the relationship. Apparently he’s demanding she give him back the key to his apartment and she refuses. It doesn’t look like Yamada will be walking down the aisle any time soon.”

Oshikiri, who has hit the ripe age of 30, broke up with boyfriend—Giants pitcher Takahiko Nomaguchi—last autumn, and not a word about a budding romance has been heard since.

japantoday

Eikura Nana in Fuji TV Drama naka nai to Kimeta Hi

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Eikura Nana

This January actress Eikura Nana (22) starred in "Naka nai to Kimeta Hi", Fuji TV's drama series centered around bullying among office workers, and today it was announced that the story will continue in a special called "Zettai Naka nai to Kimeta Hi ~Kinkyuu Special~" this summer.

Eikura plays a new employee who tries her best not to lose against all the bullying she experiences at the office. Apparently the reaction from the viewers was so amazing that they decided to continue the series with a drama special. This time Sato Eriko's (28) play as the leader and bully at the office is supposedly going to be even more powerful. Viewers can look forward to an intense and sexy showdown thanks to the beautiful office uniforms.

Eikura about the special, "I'm getting bullied again? I kinda feel that way too, but of course I'm happy that we are going to film a special."
Sato, "You can look forward to more teasing remarks!"

Fuji TV has yet to announce a date for the special.

kawaii-joyuu

Morning Musume Member Miki Fujimoto got car accident

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Miki Fujimoto

Another celebrity car accident was reported on Thursday, this time caused by former Morning Musume member Miki Fujimoto (25). The accident took place last week, on June 2.

While driving in the Omotesando area at around 7:10pm, Fujimoto stopped for a red light at an intersection. However, she accidentally released the brake and her car moved forward, hitting the rear end of the taxi in front of her. No one was hurt.

Fujimoto released a statement through her agency on Thursday, apologizing for her carelessness.

tokyograph

Japan Actress Keiko Kitagawa in Melodrama Matataki

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Keiko Kitagawa

Actress Keiko Kitagawa, 23, takes on a serious role when she plays a woman who loses her boyfriend in a car accident in the melodrama “Matataki.” Traumatized by the event, she becomes unable to recall memories of their final moments together. The film, which opens on June 19, is based on the novel by Ren Kawahara.

Kitagawa and co-star Masaki Okada, 23, were joined at the recent Japan premiere by 120 fans invited to attend via the social networking site Twitter. Kitagawa—who said that she lost many friends her age in the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake—told the audience that the message of the film is that “we should make every moment of our life count because it can be lost in an instant.”

The busy Kitagawa can also be currently seen in the Fuji TV drama “Tsuki no Koibito - Moon Lovers.”

Japan Today

Singer Arashiro Beni goes to Anime Expo 2010

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Arashiro Beni

Singer Arashiro BENI (24), who just achieved her first #1 album this past week with "Lovebox," has been confirmed as an official Guest of Honor for this year's Anime Expo convention in Los Angeles.

Anime Expo 2010 is being held on July 1-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. BENI is scheduled to perform a concert on July 3 at the Nokia Theater.

BENI, who used to perform under her full name Beni Arashiro, once attended an elementary school in San Diego, California. However, this will be her first time performing as a singer in the continental United States.

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Okada Masaki Keiko Kitagawa

Okada Masaki and Kitagawa Keiko made an appearance in Tokyo on Wednesday to promote their new film Matataki. There were 5,000 fans in attendance at the event. The two lead actors were asked to write down their pledges of love on heart-shaped cards to wish for box office success. However, on Okada's card he wrote, "I promise to overcome my fear of bugs", which caused the entire audience to laugh.

As for the film Kokuhaku, which pairs Okada alongside actress Matsu Takako, it has earned over 200 million yen the past two days at the box office, successfully clinching the top spot.

Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: sparkles_n15 @ asianfanatics.net

Okada Junichi new girlfriend Uchiyama Rina

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Okada Junichi

After splitting with actress Aoi Yuu last year, Japanese idol group V6 member Okada Junichi has found a new girlfriend. According to the latest issue of Japanese magazine Josei Seven, he is currently dating someone from outside the entertainment industry who has a resemblance to actress Uchiyama Rina.

Currently 29 years old, Okada's new girlfriend is 23 years old and is from Fukuoka. Earlier this month, reporters saw him pick up his girlfriend from Tokyo's Omotesando. However, she was careful to avoid the passenger seat and sat in the back instead. The two returned to Okada's home. Ten hours later, Okada was seen leaving his house. After a few hours, his girlfriend was seen taking a dog out for a walk, before returning back inside.


Source: Mingpao
Translated by: sparkles_n15 @ asianfanatics.net

Matsushita Yuya debut album I AM ME in Korea

Kamis, 10 Juni 2010 |

Matsushita Yuya

R&B singer Matsushita Yuya, who is playing the lead role in Musical Kuroshitsuji (lit. Black Butler), has released the 1st album "I AM ME" through CD and online digital music in South Korea, as well as in Japan.

Matsushita Yuya made his debut in 2008 and had his one-man tour sold out before the album released. On his official website, he wrote some message to his Korean fans in Korean: "Everyone in South Korea, nice to meet you! This is Matsushita Yuya. I am totally happy and surprised to have 'I AM ME' released overseas especially in South Korea. It's like a dream that my first album can debut overseas. And I wish all of you in South Korea would enjoy this album. I'd be happy to hold a live and meet you in South Korea in the future. Please keep on supporting me as always."

Having celebrated his 20th birthday last month, Matsushita Yuya is heading for a busy schedule with release events and live concerts in the near future.

musicjapanplus

Arashi DVD Saigo no Yakusoku broke record

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Arashi

With the sales of Fuji TV's "Saigo no Yakusoku" (released on the 2nd), a New Year drama special DVD starring popular group Arashi, at 126,000 copies within its first week of release, they have achieved first place in the comprehensive DVD sales for the week of 6/14. Not only it is the first time a drama-related product has broken through the 100,000 copies mark in its first week, it is also the highest first week sales ever recorded in the history of drama DVDs.

This product has sold almost three times as much as the previous first week sales record for drama DVDs of 41,000 copies, held by "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (First Season) Vol. 1" (released in January of 2009). The current accumulative sales record of 75,000 copies for domestic drama DVDs by "ROOKIES Omote BOX" (released in July of 2008) was also surpassed in one mere week.

With the addition of this record to their concert DVD, "ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5x10" (released in April), also recording the highest first week sales in the history of music DVD releases with 470,000 copies sold (accumulative sales at 682,000 copies), Arashi has become double first week sales champions in both the "music DVD category" and "drama DVD category". These results have once again shown us their tremendous popularity.

oricon
translations credits to acidae @ arashi_on

Ishihara Satomi

Comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa (38), of the duo Shinagawa Shoji, recently completed filming for his second movie as director. Titled "Manzai Gang," the picture stars Ryuta Sato (30) and Yusuke Kamiji (31), but it has just been revealed that Satomi Ishihara (23) will play the story's heroine.

Adapted from one of Shinagawa's novels, "Manzai Gang" has Sato playing a professional manzai comedian whose partner quits due to their recent lack of success. He tries to drink his sorrows away but winds up in a detention cell, where he meets a thug (Kamiji) with a natural sense of comedy, leading the two to become friends and form a new manzai duo.

Ishihara's role is described as an ordinary type of woman that could be found anywhere. She plays the part of Yumiko, the ex-girlfriend of Sato's character who continues supporting his lifestyle even after they have broken up. It is said that Ishihara has never played a character of this type before.

"Manzai Gang" is expected to finish post-production by the end of this year. Theatrical release is scheduled for 2011.

tokyograph

Nozomi Sasaki debut single Kamu to Funyan feat. Astro

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Nozomi Sasaki

Model Nozomi Sasaki (22) will achieve her CD debut next month with a single titled "Kamu to Funyan feat. Astro." The song, being used in Sasaki's new commercial for the Lotte chewing gum Fit's, includes rapping by the six-member hip-hop group Astro.

The new commercial goes on the air on June 14. "Kamu to Funyan" will be available as a chaku-uta two days later, then will be released as a CD single on July 21.

tokyograph

Maki Goto Semi Nude in Glamorous Magazine

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Goto Maki

A month after her mother's death, Maki Goto (24) came back into the fray and out of her hiatus on 3rd of June. For the first time, she has posed semi-nude for female magazine GLAMOROUS which goes on sale on the 7th. The photo (shown above) is rather a bold move for her.

myfirstgossipblog

Aoi Miyazaki and Sho Sakurai in Kamisama no Karute

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Miyazaki Aoi

Arashi's Sho Sakurai (28) is set to star in a new movie by director Yoshihiro Fukagawa, titled "Kamisama no Karute." He will for the first time be joined by actress Aoi Miyazaki (24), who plays the heroine of the story.

Sakurai has been cast as a doctor for the film, which is based on a bestselling novel published last year by an actual doctor named Sosuke Natsukawa. Ichito Kurihara (played by Sakurai) is a local physician in Nagano who meets an elderly woman with terminal cancer. His interaction with her leads to his own growth as a doctor and as a person. Miyazaki plays Sakurai's beloved wife Haruna, who works as a photographer.

The staff for the film includes the production team from the movie "Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu" and screenwriter Noriko Goto, whose credits include the dramas "Blackjack ni Yoroshiku" and "Team Batista no Eikou."

"Kamisama no Karute" will be released during the second half of 2011.

tokyograph

Noriko Aota suspend work for her lover Koji Tamaki

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Noriko Aota

Talento Noriko Aota (42) announced on her blog on Friday that she is on self-suspension for an indefinite period of time, as a result of her relationship with Anzen Chitai vocalist Koji Tamaki (51).

It was learned last month that Aota and Tamaki are dating. Although she was warned by her agency, Oscar Promotion, to avoid being seen in public together, they were photographed at the airport on May 23. In front of the reporters there, Tamaki made several unexpected statements, including a claim that Oscar Promotion has made Aota quit and a public declaration that he and Aota are having sex.

With Aota's agency upset by Tamaki's actions, she decided to mitigate further problems with her self-imposed hiatus. At the same time, she denied that there are problems between Tamaki and Oscar Promotion. It is not known how long the suspension will last.

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Ryoko Hirosue

The drama special for this year's "24 Hour Television" telethon has been revealed. The drama is titled "Miporin no Ekubo" and will star Ryoko Hirosue (29) with TOKIO's Tomoya Nagase (31).

Hirosue and Nagase will play a married couple in this tearjerker, based on a true story of two parents who are told that their daughter Miho (played by Manatsu Kimura) has one year left to live due to a brain tumor. The drama depicts the family's remaining time together, including the 359 letters that Miho drew before her death.

NTV will air the drama on the night of August 28. The "24 Hour Television" program will start earlier that day.

tokyograph

AKB48 Ponytail to Shushu with bikini on the beach

Selasa, 08 Juni 2010 |



A-K-B-forty-eight or Akihabara48 is a Japanese theater/idol group produced by Akimoto Yasushi. The group has 48 members, divided into 3 subgroups, namely Team A, Team K, and Team B. They have released 4 singles as of present, and will be releasing their next single in April of 2007. Unlike other idol groups in Japan, AKB48 is theater-based and have their own theater in Akihabara (a district in Tokyo) where they perform once every weekday. AKB48 released its debut single "Sakura no Hanabiratachi" in February 2006.

AKB48’s 16th and latest single Ponytail to Shushu (ポニーテールとシュシュ). This video features the girls sporting ponytails whilst dancing on a beach。What a wonderful view is all the girls are wearing only colourful bikini and sexy pants. Although it is not so hard for us to see Japanese young ladies in bikini photoshoot (MV/pictorials), but fans still so pleasure to watch again AKB48's young teen in bikini on the beach. Plenty of bikinis, sunshine and beach, the MV was filmed in Guam.

Contrary to their conservative neighbours, it’s pretty common for mainstream Japanese idols to don in bikinis for MV/pictorials beside the fact that most of them are doing so at teen age. It’s almost a cultural thing;

As stated on Oricon, the last female group to break the half million sales record was Morning Musume with 515,000 copies of their Renai Revolution 21 「恋愛レボリューション21」 back in 2000 . The first female artist to break the half a million record was Hikaru Utada with 784,000 copies of Can You Keep A Secret?.

Here’s the member that were featured in this music video:

Team A: Kojima Haruna, Shinoda Mariko, Takajo Aki, Takahashi Minami, Maeda Atsuko
Team K: Itano Tomomi, Oshima Yuko, Ono Erena, Minegishi Minami, Miyazawa Sae
Team B: Kasai Tomomi, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kitahara Rie, Miyazaki Miho, Watanabe Mayu
Team S: Matsui Jurina






Watch AKB48 Ponytail to Shushu ポニーテールとシュシュ PV video here :

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