Kirin Kiki (樹木 希林 , Kiki Kirin^?) (born 15 January 1943) is a Japanese actress known for her work in cinema and television.

Kiki was born in the Kanda area of Tokyo as the daughter of a master of the biwa lute.^[1] After graduating from high school, she started her acting career in the early 1960s as a member of the Bungakuza theater troupe using the stage name Chiho Yūki (悠木千帆).^[2] She eventually gained fame for performing uniquely comedic and eccentric roles on such television shows as Jikan desu yo and Terauchi Kantarō ikka and in television commercials.^[2] She changed her name to "Kirin Kiki" when, after being asked on a television show to auction off something of hers, she ended up selling her first stage name, claiming she had "nothing else to sell."^[1]

While battling various ailments, including a detached retina in 2003 and breast cancer in 2005,^[3] Kiki has continued to act and has won several awards, including the best actress Japan Academy Prize for Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad in 2008,^[4] the best supporting actress award from the Yokohama Film Festival for her work in Kamikaze Girls and Half a Confession in 2004,^[5] and the best supporting actress Blue Ribbon Award for Still Walking in 2008.^[6]

Kiki married fellow Bungakuza actor Shin Kishida, but they divorced in 1968. She is currently married to the rock musician Yuya Uchida.^[1] Her daughter, Yayako Uchida, is an essayist and musician; notably, Uchida portrayed the younger self of Kiki's character in the film Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad. Yayako Uchida is married to the actor Masahiro Motoki,^[1] who was adopted into the Uchida family as a mukoyōshi.^[7]

Selected filmography[link]

• Zigeunerweisen (ツィゴイネルワイゼン, Tsigoineruwaizen) (1980)
• The Triple Cross (いつかギラギラする日, Itsuka giragira suru hi) (1992)
• Pistol Opera (ピストルオペラ, Pisutoru Opera) (2001)
• Returner (リターナー, Ritana) (2002)
• Kamikaze Girls (下妻物語 Shimotsuma monogatari) (2004)
• Half a Confession (半落ち, Han'ochi) (2004)
• Still Walking (歩いても 歩いても Aruitemo aruitemo) (2008)
• Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (東京タワー 〜オカンとボクと、時々、オトン〜, Tōkyō tawaa ~ okan to boku to, tokidoki, oton ~?) (2008)
• The Borrower Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ, Karigurashi no Arrietti) (2010)
• Akunin (悪人) (2010)
• Ghost: In Your Arms Again (ゴースト もういちど抱きしめたい, Gōsuto mō ichido dakishimetai^?) (2010)
• I Wish (奇跡) (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kirin Kiki at the Internet Movie Database
• Kiki Kirin at the Japanese Movie Database (Japanese)

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Atsuko Maeda
Atsuko Maeda performing at the Anime Expo AKB48 live in Los Angeles, 2010
Background information
Also known as	Acchan (あっちゃん)
Born	(1991-07-10) July 10, 1991 (age 20)
Origin	Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan
Genres	J-pop
Years active	2005-present
Labels	DefStar Records/King Records

Atsuko Maeda (前田 敦子, Maeda Atsuko^?, born July 10, 1991 in Ichikawa, Chiba) is a member of the Japanese idol group AKB48. She is in Team A and one of the most prominent members in the group, being voted number one in the 2009 and 2011 Senbatsu Elections. In the 2010 Senbatsu Election, however, she lost to fellow member Yuko Oshima, who was the lead for their 17th Single: Heavy Rotation. She is part of the "Senbatsu" group which consists of AKB48 members that are featured in their most recent singles. On Sunday 25th March, 2012, she announced her retirement or 'graduation' from the group.^[1]

AKB48[link]

AKB48 released "Aitakatta" on the major label Defstar Records. Before this release, two singles were released as independent records. For this song, 20 members were selected from the 36 members of Team A & Team K. Maeda was one of these selected members, and she performed a leading role in the promotional video of this song. She has appeared at the front of every single ever since.

The group's 12th single, "Namida Surprise!", included voting tickets for the 2009 AKB48 Senbatsu Election, where fans can vote for who will be featured in the next single. Maeda won with 4630 votes, becoming AKB48's most popular member and frontgirl for their 13th single, "Iiwake Maybe".^[2] However, in 2010, another election was held and Maeda lost to Yuko Oshima, who had 31,448 votes, whereas Maeda had 30,851 votes, so Yuko became the frontgirl for "Heavy Rotation".^[3]

Later that year a different type of election was held (AKB48 Janken Senbatsu Tournament) where any member in the group could be front girl. The members were selected by using the rock-paper-scissors method and Mayumi Uchida received the top spot of AKB48's single "Chance no Junban" which marked the first time a relatively unknown member has been at the front of a single.^[4] Maeda and Yuko were back at the front spots for the next single, "Beginner".

In 2011, a third AKB48 senbatsu election was held. During the early results, Yuko Oshima was leading with first place. However in the final results Maeda won first place with 139,892 votes whereas Yuko Oshima had 122,843 votes beating her with 17049 votes.^[5]

On 25th March 2012, during an AKB48 Concert at the Saitama Super Arena, Maeda announced that she will be graduating from AKB48 soon.^[6] Later, it's been announced that Maeda will graduate right after AKB48's Tokyo Dome 3-day concert that will take place between August 24, 2012 to August 26, 2012.

As a solo singer[link]

On April 23, 2011, it was announced by Maeda herself at AKB48's handshake event in Nagoya Dome that she would make her solo debut with her debut single "Flower", one of the insert songs for Moshidora, a movie in which Maeda plays the leading role, released on June 22, 2011.^[7][8] She is the second AKB48 member to release a solo single after Tomomi Itano with the single "Dear J".

Acting career[link]

In 2007, Maeda played the sub-leading role in the movie "Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata" (「あしたの私のつくり方」^?), which was her first performance as an actress. She started shooting this film August 20, 2006 and finished it in late September. After that, she landed various TV drama roles, including lead roles in the dramas "Majisuka Gakuen" and "Q-10."

Maeda, along with fellow AKB member Minegishi Minami, starred in Moshidora, a film released on June 4, 2011, marking her first lead role as a movie actress. Moshidora is a movie about how a weak high school baseball team's caretaker named Minami Kawashima that Maeda plays leads the team to the National High School Baseball Championship by learning strategies from Peter Drucker's business book Management.

In 2011, she played Mizuki Ashiya in Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, a remake of the popular 2007 drama series.

Maeda will also be starring in an upcoming film, "Kueki Ressha", which will open in theatres nationwide on July 14, 2012.

AKB48 senbatsu elections[link]

• Ranked 1st in the 1st Senbatsu Election, held in 2009
• Ranked 2nd in the 2nd Senbatsu Election, held in 2010
• Ranked 1st in the 3rd Senbatsu Election, held in 2011

Solo discography[link]

Singles[link]

• "Flower" (June 22, 2011)
• "Kimi wa Boku da" (June 20, 2012)

Appearances[link]

Maeda is known as the only member of the group to have been featured on every one of their singles as well as its title tracks until in 2011 when she lost to Team K captain Sayaka Akimoto at the rock-paper-scissors tournament which determined the featured members for, "Ue kara Mariko".^[9]

Single[link]

• Sakura no Hanabiratachi
• Skirt, Hirari
• Aitakatta
• Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru
• Keibetsu Shiteita Aijou
• Bingo!
• Boku no Taiyou
• Yuuhi wo Miteiru ka?
• Romance, Irane
• Sakura no Hanabiratachi 2008
• Baby! Baby! Baby!
• Oogoe Diamond
• 10nen Zakura
• Namida Surprise!
• Iiwake Maybe
• River
• Sakura no Shiori
• Ponytail to Chouchou
• Heavy Rotation
• Beginner
• Chance no Junban
• Sakura no Ki ni Narō
• Dareka no tameni -What can I do for Someone?-<Download-only charity song>
• Everyday, Katyusha
• Flying Get
• Kaze wa Fuiteiru
• Included in Ue kara Mariko

  • Noël no Yoru
  • Rinjin wa Kizutsukanai

• Give Me Five!
• Manatsu no Sounds Good!

Stage Units[link]

Team A 1st Stage

1. Skirt, Hirari (1st + 2nd Units)
2. Hoshi no Ondo (2nd Unit)

Team A 2nd Stage

1. Nageki no Figure
2. Nagisa no Cherry
3. Senaka Kara Dakishimete
4. Rio no Kakumei

Team A 3rd Stage

1. Nage Kiss de Uchi Otose!
2. Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru

Team A 4th Stage

1. 7ji 12fun no Hatsukoi

Himawari-gumi 1st Stage

1. Idol Nante Yobanaide (1st Unit)

Himawari-gumi 2nd Stage

1. Hajimete no Jelly Beans (1st Unit)

Team A 5th Stage

1. Kuroi Tenshi

Movies[link]

• "Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata" (「あしたの私のつくり方」^?) Part: Hanada Kanako (April 2007）
• "Densen Uta" (「伝染歌」^?) Part: Takahashi Kana (August 2007）
• "Nasu Shōnenki" (「那須少年記」^?) (summer 2008）
• Moshidora (June 2011）
• Kueki Ressha (苦役列車^?) (July 2012）

TV drama[link]

• "Swan no Baka! -Sanmanen no Koi-" (「スワンの馬鹿！ ～3万円の恋～」, Stupid Swan -Love of 30 Thousand Yen-^?) (October - December 2007）
• "Taiyo to Umi no Kyoushitsu" (「太陽と海の教室」^?) (July - September 2008)
• "Majisuka Gakuen" (「マジすか学園」^?) (January - March 2010)
• "Ryōmaden" (「龍馬伝」^?) (March - November 2010)
• "Q-10" ( 「キュート」^?) (October - December 2010)
• "Sakura Kara no Tegami" ( 「桜からの手紙」^?) (February - March 2011)
• "Majisuka Gakuen 2" (「マジすか学園2」^?) (April - June 2011)
• "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" (花ざかりの君たちへ^?) (July - September 2011)
• "Saikō no Jinsei no Owarikata: Ending Planner" (January - March 2012)

TV Shows[link]

• AKBingo!
• "Shukan AKB" (「週刊AKB」^?)
• "AKB48 nemousu TV" (「AKB48ネ申テレビ」^?)

Radio Shows[link]

• Atsuko Maeda's Heart Songs (Tokyo FM)

Photobook[link]

• Atsuko Maeda 2009 Calendar
• 1st Photobook "Hai" (1st写真集『はいっ』^?) (January 23, 2009）
• Atsuko Maeda 2010 Calendar
• 2nd Photobook "Acchan in Hawaii" (2nd写真集『あっちゃん in Hawaii』^?) (February 25, 2010)
• 3rd Photobook "Maeda Atsuko in Tokyo" (3rd写真集『前田敦子 in Tokyo』^?) (April 26, 2010)
• 4th Photobook "Atsuko in NY" (June 7, 2010)
• 5th Photobook "Bukiyou" (March 16, 2012)

DVD[link]

• "Mubōbi" (「無防備」^?) (16.02.2009）

References[link]

1. ^ "Atsuko Maeda says she will leave AKB48". Asia and Japan Watch. Asahi Shimbun. March 26, 2012. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201203260043. Retrieved April 3, 2012. 
2. ^ "AKB48、13thシングル選抜総選挙「神様に誓ってガチです」" (in Japanese). livedoor Co.,Ltd.. http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/4241264/. Retrieved 2011-10-08. 
3. ^ "AKB48 17thシングル選抜総選挙『母さんに誓って、ガチです』レポート(4)" (in Japanese). Scramble-Egg Inc.. http://www.scramble-egg.com/artist/akb48/127sousenkyo07.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-08. 
4. ^ "AKB48『選抜じゃんけん大会』 "圏外"内田眞由美が19thセンターを奪取!" (in Japanese). Oricon. http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/entertainment/80264/. Retrieved 2011-10-08. 
5. ^ "１１０人分足してもかなわない　最強すぎるＡＫＢ２トップ" (in Japanese). Sponichi. http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2011/06/11/kiji/K20110611000995260.html. Retrieved 2011-10-08. 
6. ^ あっちゃん、AKB卒業へ…「私なりに頑張った6年半でした」
7. ^ "前田敦子　ソロデビュー曲決定「話を聞いたのは最近ですが…」" (in Japanese). Sponichi Annex. Sports Nippon. http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2011/04/23/kiji/K20110423000684240.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
8. ^ "[Update: Video AKB48's Maeda Atsuko will officially go solo in June"]. tokyohive. tokyohive. 2011-04-23. http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/04/akb48s-maeda-atsuko-will-officially-go-solo-in-june/. Retrieved 2011-04-24. 
9. ^ http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/09/live-updates-akb48-janken-tournament-results-for-24th-single-senbatsu-members/

External links[link]

• AKB48 Official profile
• Atsuko Maeda at the Internet Movie Database
• Ohta Pro Profile
• Atsuko Maeda Official Blog
• Atsuko Maeda (English page)　－　Google+