(the) Road to the Deep East

According to Sankei Sports, it turned out an ex-member of Miniska-police has become a 'OL' ('Office Lady', office worker),from last April.

This woman, Nagai Runa, 25 year-old, was a gravure idol who was famous as the 6th gen member of the TV show, 'Miniska-police' Miniska-police was a popular mid-night TV show in which girls in Police-cosplay challanges to many things without caring about upskirts, and it became a boom around 2000.

After she graduated this TV show, in 2002, she entered Rikkyo University, another university in Tokyo which belongs to 10% from the top, and studied English and American literature in Tokyo. In 2006, she graduated and began to study English language at a graduate school in London to become an international actress.

While she is studying in London, she changed career plan, and decided to become a common people, and work as a OL at a common company.
(picture & article from sanspo)
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200805/gt2008051811.html

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Strangely, although this is a kind of sad story – one ambitious girl gives up dream and starts to work as a common people – when it comes to 'gravure' world, it sounds like to me a very happy news.

How many gravure idols ended their career in the weirdest way since last year? As far as I introduced in this blog, two girls disappeared suddenly after they were forced to sleep with a producer, while other woman was arrested in Akihabara for obscenity. A girl killed herself after she was forced to become a porn actress, while another one killed her old boy boyfriend with a kitchen knife and tried to stop the blooding with an instant glue.

But now, this 25 year-old became a common people and going to work as a English-speaking Rikkyo graduate. It's not certain what kind of industry she chose, but it's sure it won't be the one like Mcjob. Job searching for excellent university students is becoming easier, so I won't be surprised even if she says she is working at Morgan Stanley or Merrill Lynch. She couldn't become an international actress as she'd been wishing, but it must be the happiest ending which belongs to 3% of all gravure idols from the top.

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Only the matter of concern is, her past career. In the blog entry she posted just before she left the show business, she is worrying about the clips posted at youtube. When she searched on the Web with key word of her name, '永井流奈', while she felt nostalgic about the gravure pictures which she had already forgot, she was shocked by the clips at youtube, because they were the clips taken in the hardest time in her life.

She was searching for the method to delete these clips, but it seems these clips are still available at youtube, and certainly, they are shocking ones. About 10 years ago, people can enjoy this kind of clip freely on TV in Japan, and she was the casualty of this hentai-TV-show boom era.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuqJ7AvL2Us

However, I don't think she will be fired after these clips are discovered by the company she belongs to. It's the era of the Internet, so I don't think the personal department of the company didn't search her name just as she did and hired her without knowing that she was that kind of miniska police. Miniska-career is a kind of Karma she has to be burdened, but I just wish the best in her next career.

Are you happy to undress a female high school student?

If we men are asked this question, I guess almost 75% of men will say 'Yes.'. Some may say 'No' after thinking twice about anti child-porn regulations, but at least, in their brain, instinctively, there is no reason to resist to the desire. (*Of course, we have to excludie some of human beings who thinks even high school students are too old., though. )

Actually, this question was thrown by a 17 year-old, high school student gravure idol named Fujima Honoka. It was the cover of her latest DVD that made her angry. In that cover picture, her body was taken from the superb angle, and it almost look a nude.

When this photo was taken, she was explained that the agency won't use this picture for the cover, but it seems they didn't keep the promise, and she posted a blog entry to express her furious anger. Soon this entry was deleted by her agency, but here is the cache from livedoor news. (link to the picture, left girl)

(translation)
This is the cover of DVD which I acted with Hitomi(*right girl). When I saw it first, it looked like a nude. Of course, I'd put on swimsuits then.

Hitomi and I told the manager not to use this costume for the cover. (The area of )costume is too small.

What do they want to do? Do they want to strip me? The gravure world today is weird.
I felt like cheated. No, I was cheated. They promised me not using this costume for the cover. I don't want to appear in the event (for this DVD).

Are you happy to strip a high school student? Are you happy to strip a girl who doesn't want to do? I think it's wrong.
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The event she tells in this entry will be held on May 11th, but it's not sure she will attend to this event or not.

Ameba news has a comment from the informed person working in gravure DVD industry.
http://news.ameba.jp/domestic/2008/05/13504.html .

This man says,
'Her manager did't told her request to the publisher. It is not so unusual that the released is canceled or delayed after the claim from the agency like this.'

'The regulation on Junior Idol is getting strict, and makers have to do something to to take the pictures very close to nude. This kind of cover art is becoming a standard template, and if a maker doesn't follow it, the DVD won't sell well. Makers have to do it, whether it loves it or not.”

He also answered to the question from this unfortunate high school student gravure idol.

'It's not about being happy or unhappy, but it's just our business. Some girls understand and and do it, and those girls can get success in this industry. I think Miss Fujima should leave and become a common high school student again.'
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Well, I think the problem is, for some girls, to become gravure idol and put on swimsuits is just the fist step of ladder for success. The agency they belong to tantalizes girls with the brightest future goal: 'You can become a singer!! You cancome be a musician!! (in the future)!!' But actually, it's the purpose of the agency, not the goal.

So, it is another tragedy of this twisted structure after Shiratori Yuriko's cut few months back. As the man answers in the ameba's interview says, I agree that she can become happier when she left this business.

By the way, what kind of persons can enjoy this crooked business?

Well, it's sure this girl is enjoying it very much....

According to ameba news, the girl who rescued us from Japan-China crisis 3 years ago is now troubled herself about the recent circumstance between China and Tibet.

(article & picture)
http://news.ameba.jp/entertainment/2008/04/13070.html

The girl who was known as '11 year-old F-cup' is now a 14 years old high school student wannabe. It seems she has grown up very naturally, and beautifully in 3 years. And her boobs are just being okay, although her height became 1cm shorter than last year.

She held a memorial event of her latest DVD, 'SA-YA' in Akihabara last Saturday, and at the press conference held after the event, one reporter who knows about her legend 3 years ago asked, 'What do you think about the confusion in China recently?'

She answered, 'I don't know about the previous one well, because it happened when I didn't know about it well. But I think I have to do something.(dounika shinai to ne)'

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Will she take some reaction to Tibet-China problem by herself??

Actually, the last phrase she answered 'Dounika shinai to ne' is confusing. It's a typical usage of ambiguous Japanese Language, which sometimes omits the subject. It can be taken for both 'I have to do something' and 'I just wish things go well'. But , thinking in common sense term, she must have just said 'I wish the problem between China and Tibet will be solved somehow. '

But if she does something on her own will, it must be wonderful. It's not bad to go to Zenko-ji temple and protect Japanese monks from Chinese, shouting:''This is a holy place!! Please get away!!' ... of course, in bikini. And it's also good attend some demonstlation as a representative of angry Japanese teens... of course, in bikini.

(* Zenko-ji refused to set the start position of torch relay in the temple, and it is being attacked by Chinese.)

Anyways, there is one thing for sure. Three years ago, when she was 11-year-old F-cup, she couldn't understand what is going on while her picture was used by some Japanese Web users as political eye-candy to console angry Chinese people. However, now, as a 14-year-old-F-cup, she can understand, something wrong is occurring in China, and she is worrying about the peace of the world.

This internal growth of Saaya just shocks me. But I'm feeling some happiness at the same time, just like an uncle who meets his nephew first in three years. The girl whom I thought was the most beautiful and hopeful girl in this world is now getting a sprout of intelligence, or internal beauty.

It is almost two years since I lost interest on Saaya for her too otakky and music-less activity. But if she holds a demonstration, I'd like to go and attend to it, of course, in bikini.

Although we can enjoy Japanese entertainment everyday, it's very difficult to know how the structure is like. Only a common people can do is just guessing from some rumors which tabloids brag with a sense of sensationalism.

But now, some internal documents from a talento agency where Otoha or Sato Hiroko belong to were mistakenly leaked on the Web, and these some documents tell us a vivid structure of Japanese entertainment world, especially gravure idols one.

(article from Rakuten News)

First of all, the thing made a large controversy was the one of gravure photo , on which the person who is assumed to be her manager instructs the points to use photoshop. 'Smooth the armpits' 'Erace birthmarks' 'Whiten the crotch like the costume'... and so on.

It is considered as the one from Kato Sayaka, Idoling 1gou, and some evil persons began to accuse her of this usage of photoshop, calling it a fraud. And Her schedule in 2007 (made by Micosoft Excel) was also leaked.

But the one I was intrigued most was the minutes of a meeting among managers of this agency.

In this meeting, managers are reporting about recent activities of the idols they administrate, and exchanging some useful information. For example, 'There is a mobile phone website XXX administrated by Mr XXX. San. (*bprofessional photographer). There is a problem that we can't get paid, but we can use the pictures in a promotional activity freely. Need more consideration.'

And in reports of activities, there is a note which suggests the cut. 'After this works ends, XXX(idol's name) quits.' To confirm the reliability of this document, the idol from this agency mentioned in this minutes of the proceeding actually has retired.

In the end, they draw a picture of the structure of their organization, using Microsoft word(maybe). ( like this.)



It is very interesting. There is a sales person of idol talents just like other companies, and it is this sales person who contacts with clients directly. It looks the person called 'managers' are just administrating the schedule and some personal problems of talentos.

Sometimes, Japanese fans of talentos, including musicians, blame the manager for the lazy activities of the talents they love. However, as far as judging from this memorandom, it is just barking up the wrong tree. They should blame the sales person then.

Of course, it is just one case from one agency. However, it seems Japanese entertainment world is not as evil as some tabloids report. They are recording the proceeding of a meeting, and administrates the schedule of talento, using Microsoft products just many Japanese honest companies do. Or, I should say, they are better than some companies regarding the usage of documents.

Nobody says in the meeting, 'She can't get any jobs recently. Let's made her sleep with Fuji TV's producer' , 'Recently, there is an annoying fan who reports about dark side of our business. Let's hire a yakuza and erace him.' ... at least, in public. I still believe there is a dark side, and they sometimes do (Remember there was an idol girl who retired after she confessed about 'casting couch', or the mysterious leave of Shiratori Yuruko.), but it seems generally, talento business is managed just like other common business.

(you may be able to see the original leaked documents from here.)

According to her official blog, Shiratori Yuriko, 24 year-old actress who became popular for Hana from Kamen Rider Den-o last year, leaves her agency and becomes free-lancer.

At the first look, it may sound a very positive news – an actress who could get a national popularity for tokusatsu drama leaves her agency, and becomes freelance to earn more. However, it's not the case.

Just a reference to borrow a picture legally.

Fans of Den-o must have already known, but last July, she suddenly disappeared from the drama, and in the story, instead of Yuriko as Hana, another little girl actress substituted for her as Ko-hana. In the story, one day 19 year-old Hana becomes a little girl for some influences from the enemy. (It may sound odd, but remember it's just a tokusatsu drama for kids and part of special adults.) And until the end of Den-O, Yuriko as Hana couldn't appear in the story again. She had been taking a leave for a 'health problem' for over 6 months.

So, to tell the truth, this leave is not an independence, but just a kind of cut from the agency. In fact, on the entry she announced the leave, with a lot of reference to the Den-o she says; “I'll back to the past, and start from zero. As a common girl, I'd like to chase my dream to become an actress.'

http://blog.livedoor.jp/rainbow_mickey/archives/51018075.html

As you can see the pictures on the entry, Yuriko is truly a beautiful actress... and has nice things on her chest. If she were in good health, I had picked up her as the next candidate for my anti-Lolicon project.

And her name is beautiful, too. Shiratori Yuriko (白鳥百合子), 'shiratori' means swan, 'Yuri' means lily. It sounds like a character of shojo manga, but incredibly, it's her genuine name. She might be born to become an actress. However, unfortunately, for some reasons, her career was reset, and now this Miss Lily Swan has to restart without any helps from an agency. And the agency will interfere her restart. It'll be a narrow and tough road, but I just wish her the best luck.

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By the way, why did she have to leave – or, was chased to the corner until she fell ill?

There are lot of rumors. One rumor says fans of other kakkoii actors in Den-o envied her and harassed her while the other says the agency forced her to do more gravure activities. And it is very easy to remember the darkness of show business of our country – infamous Makura eigyou.

In fact, on the same entry, she infer that there were some troubles regarding the dark side of Japanese show business. :

'If I had known the structure of show business, I might be able to walk another way. But in reality, it's very hard to do, and many including me have a setback. I was always supported by a phrase: “Work hard” and “Keep the sun in heart.” Thanks to those phrases, I didn't have to leave from the straight and narrow, and I could go my way feeling a little happiness.'

It looks that's the truth of the world we are interested in. But now, our noble Miss Lily Swan rejected the evil world, and decided to fly away with her own wings. Just like a swan, she may have to struggle under the surface, but I'd like to watch over Yuriko affectionately, just as I do for an angel from Biwako now.