This morning Japanese websites all over lit up with pictures of Fukuoka-based idol Kanna Hashimoto. After images including the one above broke on message boards, idol fans across the nation tipped Hashimoto as their choice for the next superstar calling her “seriously, an angel” and admitting “I hate idols, but she’s cute…”

Hashimoto performs with the multi-girl idol group Rev. from DVL out of the Hakata region of Fukuoka. Now I’m just going to let your mind wrestle with what that name means until the end of the article.

As this following video shows, even as a part of this regional group Hashimoto positively shined, being the only member who doesn’t require a microphone to perform.

Once the above photo and these following images were released, netizens scrambled to learn more about the performer. Many commented that it’s no surprise she should come out of Fukuoka, a prefecture notorious for producing cute girls prompting the creation of its very own “Cute Ward.”

During the internet excavation a video surfacing in which Kanna Hashimoto recommended the surprisingly darkly themed novel The Incite Mill by Honobu Yonezawa, which tells the story of a group of people competing for a dream job by trying to murder each other in a futuristic dungeon.

Although this makes her much cooler in my eyes, some idol fans weren’t overly thrilled with her looks in this particular video. Some felt she was still cute but not at the same angelic level as the above pictures. She’s still only 14 though, and has a lot of growing up to do, so let’s not be too hard on the kid! In fact here she was enjoying some Pokémon toys from HottoMotto only a few years ago.

Most netizens remain firm in Kanna Hashimoto’s potential to reach for the stars in the idol circuit saying she’s “AKB48 caliber.” Others go as far as saying she’s even beyond being a mere idol and should break out on her own into stardom.

We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for this young lady, but already she’s gotten the country’s attention so it’s looking pretty bright. And judging by this last picture we’ll leave you with, she’s looking forward to it with all the determination of a third-world despot looking to crush their rebel foes once and for all!

Source: Active Hakata, Rokkaku Talent News, Naver Matome, Itai News (Japanese)
Video: YouTube – BeatriceRatio, SHOSEN CHANNEL, mfluder1111

**In case you’re still wondering: The name Rev. from DVL has two parts. “Rev.” is both an abbreviation for “revolution” and a homophone for rêve, french for “dream” and accredited to the country of Haiti for some reason. “DVL” is an acronym for Dance Vocal Lesson, the Hakata studio that they come out of.**

Origin: Local Fukuoka idol already breaking big across Japanese internet
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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A month ago, Japanese people all over the country woke up to this photo of Fukuoka-based idol Kanna Hashimoto of the group Rev. From DVL all over the internet. And just like that, her modest level of local fame on stage has been skyrocketing. Some are calling her an idol that you’d find once in a thousand years.

We’re not sure who came up with that title or how it was calculated, but certainly no idol has caught the nation’s attention without any gimmicks or PR stunts like Hashimoto has from simply a photograph.

Thanks to this new-found fame Kanna Hashimoto will be making appearances all over Japan. In fact, tomorrow those living in Tokyo or Osaka will have a chance to buy some glasses from her at the grand opening of ALOOK stores in each city.

■ Get your glasses handed to you by Kanna-chan

On 6 December, glasses brand ALOOK will be opening two new shops in Shibuya, Tokyo and Shinsaibashi, Osaka. To commemorate the event they are hiring Kanna Hashimoto to be “manager for a day.” Considering she’s only 14 she probably won’t be handling invoices, but she will be personally handing out the glasses purchased by customers.

Hopefully smelling salts and mops will be on-hand. It’s a drastic leap from having Kanna – who’s tapped to be the next idol to end all idols – on the computer screen to standing inches from your face. This may be too much for some idol fans to handle.

■ Rising star

It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly it is about Kanna that sets her apart from other idols. Of course she’s cute, but being cute is just a prerequisite for becoming one of the thousands of idols active today among which she seems stand out. There’s something else that people seem to be seeing in her.

Perhaps she has a girl-next-door vibe that guys are picking up on. Some say she gives off that nostalgic feeling of a girl in your class that was too cute to even try to speak to. Either way, people seem to be reading a lot of sincerity in her face rather than the artificial looks and acts otherwise rampant in show-business.

Personally, I like it because she looks like she about to shoot some kind of force beam or something. Actually…

Thanks Photoshop!

■ Whirlwind tour

For those in Tokyo looking to pick up some new specs from Kanna Hashimoto she’ll be appearing at the Shibuya ALOOK store from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Then she’ll make her way to Osaka where she’ll be handing purchases to customers at the Shinsaibashi ALOOK from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

In both cases, you can bet there’ll be line-ups so be sure to arrive early. Also, the first one hundred customers at each ALOOK store will receive a free gift so for those looking to meet Kanna in Tokyo’s morning appearance might land some Kyari-Pyamu-Pyamu swag as well. We may just have to go down tomorrow ourselves and see in person what is so captivating about young Kanna Hashimoto.

Source: ALOOK, Hashimoto Kanna Blog (Japanese)

Origin: “Once-in-a-thousand-year” idol Kanna Hashimoto visiting ALOOK Tokyo and Osaka on the same day
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Recently, computer glasses have become quite popular and are sold in shops everywhere in Japan. I never really bought into the concept even though my work requires painfully long hours in front of a computer screen. However, a couple of days ago we announced that up-and-coming idol Kanna Hashimoto would be appearing at two ALOOK glasses stores in Tokyo and Osaka.

After wrapping up that article I wiped the usual blood from my tired eyes and thought maybe it’s time to try out a pair. And what better way to do it than by meeting this future star while I’m at it!

We headed down to the grand opening of ALOOK in Shinsaibashi, Osaka to meet the starlet and see what all the fuss is about.

■ Welcome to Osaka!

I arrived at the shop and prepared for Kanna’s arrival. Waiting outside the store I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Osaka. A large man in a leather waistcoat walked by screaming, “Tell me! You better start talking!” into his mobile phone.

Gradually the line of people waiting to meet young Kanna grew. I’ve never been to an idol event before but I’ve always heard talk of the “idol otaku” and was braced for the worst. However, a pretty diverse group of people was gathering. Both men and women of all different ages and dressed in varying fashions were waiting. If these were indeed idol otaku then it’s a hard group to stereotype.

A small group of teenagers were standing behind me when a woman talking as if she had some kind of mental illness asked one of them if she was the idol. The girl politely said no, and the woman yelled that she should be and promptly rode away. So far, so weird.

Then, Kanna Hashimoto made her first appearance. Emerging from the doorway she greeted and thanked everyone who came out. She then returned to her post on the second floor to start working. “Mecha Kawaii!!!” shouted the high school girls behind me as Kanna walked inside.

■ Service with a smile and a handshake

In small groups customers were taken to the second floor to pay for their glasses. Earlier, they could get their prescriptions taken care of and then return at 5:30 to have them handed to them by Kanna herself. One by one, we paid for our glasses then walked over to her counter for a small chat session and handshake with the idol.

I’ve heard of these kind of handshake events before but never experienced one in person. Watching the others, I soon realized that they seemed to have prepared something or at least had an idea of what they were going to say to Kanna. I most definitely did not. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of one of the most happening idols in the industry and had thought of zero to say.

“Um, hello,” I said plainly, to which she responded with a hearty English “Hello!” We continued the rest of the conversation in Japanese, and I was surprised at how normal and relaxed she seemed. She came across quite at ease but not aloof and wasn’t forcing the conversation at all. I began to feel so relaxed that I broke out my classic joke about the Mexican firefighter.

After trying out the, “Why does a gorilla have big nostrils?” joke, I felt satisfied that I said all that needed to be said. Kanna cheerfully handed me my PC glasses in a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu bag, gave me a surprisingly firm handshake and we said our goodbyes.

■ ALOOK around

Hanging out while the other customers got to meet Kanna, it was impressive to see how many of them opened up to the idol. To be polite I stayed out of earshot but some guys and girls seemed to be unloading quite a bit on her and she was giving them her full attention.

I’ve seen videos of these types of events and there’s usually someone holding a stopwatch ready to usher out any lollygaggers, but here no one was watching the time and everyone could speak at their own pace. On the other hand, the fans too seemed to know how long they should take, and no one overstayed their welcome.

At one point a college-aged guy walked up to the Rev. From DVL member then suddenly glanced over at me. He looked at Kanna and then back at me again. Finally, he asked her “Is that guy your father?” There’s a chance that might have been a crack at my age, but if someone’s going to assume I was in the same gene pool as her, why would I put up a fuss?

Prior to coming out I envisioned a more rigid and artificial meet-and-greet between Kanna Hashimoto and her fans, but everything about this appearance was surprisingly relaxed, normal, and fun. It’s hard not to hope the best for the young idol and look forward to see what my daughter accomplishes next in show business.

Oh – and best of all – thanks to my new ALOOK PC glasses, I finished this article without massive headaches and retinal bleeding!

Photos: RocketNews24

▼ For the sake of readers’ bleeding eyes I’ll crop myself out of the rest of the pictures.

▼ The ALOOK staff are easy to spot

Origin: We buy a pair of glasses from up and coming idol Kanna Hashimoto
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• “Once-in-a-thousand-year” idol Kanna Hashimoto visiting ALOOK Tokyo and Osaka on the same day
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• How to date an idol: A guide to the highly improbable
• Kanna Hashimoto does “stupid-cool” tricks for commercial, took over 600 takes to get right 【Video】

About a half a year ago, the charming face of a local idol from Fukuoka was plastered all over the internet. Kanna Hashimoto’s genuine charm and cuteness had won over the country literally overnight. Shortly afterwards, we were able to meet the up and coming star and buy a pair of glasses. There we found Hashimoto’s charm wasn’t just a fluke of the original photo that shot her into the spotlight.

Now we’re happy to see that her rise to fame hasn’t slowed down one bit with a recent appearance in the hugely popular SoftBank commercial series featuring the Shirato family. Not only that, she has also thrown the ceremonial first pitch at Opening Day of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2014 season.

This chapter of the Shirato Family is titled “Daughter” and opens with the family patriarch, a fluffy white Hokkaido breed (Otosan) visiting the local bar. As he weighs himself on a cross promotional scale, the barkeep’s daughter played by Kanna Hashimoto enters.

She’s tells her mom that she forgot her smartphone. Otosan is surprised the woman has a daughter and she tells him that it’s true and that there’s an odd resemblance between him and Hashimoto.

There was that one night in Paris many years ago…

Otosan informs everyone that he and Kanna look nothing alike.

But they’re having none of it as she calls him “papa” and the tabloid headlines are all set: “Illegitimate Child!?”

We’ll have to wait and see how things play out for old Otosan in future commercials. Lord knows he’s already having to pay out over his urine laced altercation with Funasshi a while back.

Meanwhile, around the same time as the commercial airing Kanna Hashimoto and her newly found father appeared together at the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks’ Opening Day ceremony. With Otosan playing ump, Hashimoto took the mound for the pitch.

Impressively, the 15-year-old decides to make the pitch from the top of the mound. She confers with the catcher over whether to throw a slider or some chin music, and then says a few words to the crowd.

Followed by the wind-up…

And the pitc…

…throw!

Sure it was a little wide and short, but she made it a lot closer to the plate from the mound than many adults have done in the past. Afterwards the girl described as a “once in a millennium idol” and SoftBank’s furry mascot met with the press.

However, it looked as if throughout the event Otosan was aiming to chew up the camera time again by acting inappropriately around the rising star. First by barking suddenly during a pre-game interview.

And then by getting inappropriately close during a post-game press conference.

Sharing the spotlight with a veteran actor can be hard, but that’s the price of fame I guess. But overall, things are certainly going well for Kanna Hashimoto. We can only imagine what she’ll be up to a full year after breaking-out.

Source: YouTube – Yuka-chan neru, JIJIPRESS, maidigitv

▼ A behind the scenes look at both the SoftBank commercial and first pitch.

Origin: Kanna Hashimoto’s rise to fame continues with major commercial appearance
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• Local Fukuoka idol already breaking big across Japanese internet
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On 16 April, idol group, Rev. from DVL, released their first major single through entertainment giant Yoshimoto Kogyo, thanks largely to the break-out success of member Kanna Hashimoto.

However, what was intended to be a celebration of the Fukuoka-based unit’s new-found fame ended up generating sad and bitter complaints from idol fans. At the center of the controversy was the inclusion of tickets to a “high-five party” bundled in with their single LOVE-arigatou-.

As their name suggests these events allow Rev. from DVL fans to slap palms with the idols during one of four events in Tokyo (16, 17, 20 April) and Osaka (19 April). Purchasers of the new single would receive a ticket to the event entitling them to attend the party and receive a guaranteed personal high-five or handshake with a member of Rev. from DVL.

However, the rub is that you get a high-five or handshake with a member of the 13-girl idol group. Printed on the ticket is the name of the member (and only that member) you can get the interaction with.

With other idol groups that might not be so bad, but in Rev. from DVL’s case it’s like attending a meet and greet with the original Jackson Five but only getting access to Tito. Of course, Tito’s probably a wonderful person and performer in his own right, but you can’t help feeling a little let down.

In the same way, a vast majority of LOVE-arigatou- buyers were surely hoping to see Kanna Hashimoto’s name on their golden tickets, and those who didn’t let everyone know online.

“I bought the CD hoping to get a high-five ticket with Hashimoto… but it was random.”

“If you bought one of these lottery tickets and didn’t get Hashimoto, I think you’d be angry.”

“Even at an AKB48 live show you can get high-fives from everyone after the performance.”

“How many freakin’ CDs do I have to buy to get a ticket with Hashimoto?!”

Several of the more avid idol otaku’s determined to high-five the young woman dubbed the “beyond angelic idol” and “once in a millennium idol” in the media were left feeling gouged by the random name ticket campaign. That being said it would appear the irritation was directed more at Yoshimoto than the group itself.

So while the release of Rev. from DVL’s first major single was somewhat sullied by unsatisfied supporters, the fact that people care so much says something about the group’s current popularity.

Source: Netallica, Rev. from DVL (Japanese)
Images: Amazon
Video: YouTube – Rev.from DVL

Origin: “How many freakin’ CDs do I have to buy?” Fans displeased with idol group’s debut single
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Does the name Kanna Hashimoto ring a bell? Last November, photos of the “once-in-a-thousand-year” idol from the Fukuoka-based idol group Rev. From DVL were an online sensation, capturing the hearts of thousands of Japanese netizens overnight with her angelic looks.

A year later, the name Kanna Hashimoto popped up again on Japanese forums, though this time the spotlight is not on Kanna, but on JingYi Ju from SNH48, the Shanghai-based sister group of Japan’s biggest idol girl group, AKB48. Internet users have been raving that JingYi looks exactly like, if not even prettier than Kanna, and have even gone to the extent to hail her as a “once-in-four-thousand-year” gem of the entertainment industry. If, even for a fleeting moment, you thought that was a photo of Kanna Hashimoto, you need to take a closer look at this SNH48 cutie after the jump!

JingYi Ju, made her official debut in November 2013 as a member of Team N of SNH48. She placed fourth in the 2014 SNH48 General Elections, in which members of the group are placed according to the number of votes garnered from fans. Here’s a concise profile of the budding superstar:

Name: 鞠婧祎 Ju JingYi
Nicknames: Xiao Ju, Kiku-chan, etc.
Date of birth: 18 June 1994
Hometown: Sichuan Province, Suining City
Height: 159cm (5ft 2.6in)
Weight: 46kg (101.4lbs)
Skills: Violin, piano, dance

Before we move on to JingYi’s photos, here’s a refresher for those of you who have forgotten or haven’t got the slightest clue what Kanna Hashimoto looks like…

▼ This is Kanna Hashimoto’s claim to fame shot.

▼ This is JingYi Ju.

Some fans have gone as far as saying that JingYi looks way cuter than Kanna, who only looks good in still photos, while the skeptical rangers of the Internet feel that she looks somewhat plastic. Plastic or not, she sure looks cute!

So we’re living in an era that has seen the birth of “once-in-a-thousand-year” and “once-in-four-thousand-year” idols who look uncannily alike. What’s the probability of that? We must be rather lucky to witness such a rare finding. I for one would totally be convinced if someone told me that they were sisters. What do you think?

Source: Hamusoku via Zhaizhai News
Images: JingYi Ju on Weibo, Itai News

Origin: The familiar looks of “once-in-four-thousand-year” Chinese idol have Japanese netizens talking
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• “Once-in-a-thousand-year” idol Kanna Hashimoto visiting ALOOK Tokyo and Osaka on the same day
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• Kanna Hashimoto does “stupid-cool” tricks for commercial, took over 600 takes to get right 【Video】
• Fresh-faced teen idol Hatsume captures Japanese netizens’ hearts
• She’s cute, sexy, AND busty! She’s a “once-in-1,000-years” beauty! Japanese netizens at it again

Have you ever done something stupid then been surprised when it actually worked? Like tossing a screwed-up ball of paper over your shoulder and actually getting it into the trash can, or throwing your hat in the air and catching it perfectly on your head? Well there’s a word for that in Japanese: bakakkoii, a contraction of baka (stupid) and kakkoii (cool).

And it didn’t take long for someone to take bakakkoii to the next level. Kanna Hashimoto, member of the idol group Rev. From DVL, stars in a cup noodle commercial where she helps perform a bunch of bakakkoii tricks. Some of them are quite impressive, which they should be considering it took over 600 takes to actually get them done correctly.

Watch the video and feel oddly satisfied after the jump!

You may remember Kanna Hashimoto from her leap to fame in late 2013 as part of Fukuoka Prefecture’s idol group Rev. From DVL. She continues to basically be the only reason people are interested in the group, and she’s been branching out by doing work in other media.

Her latest commercial appearance has her star in a commercial for Nissin cup noodles, which may not sound very interesting at first, but it’s nothing a few impressive examples of bakakkoii can’t fix up.

Watch the full thing here, and remember, the bakkakoii scenes took over 600 takes to get perfect.

▼ We start off with a teacher outside yelling “you’re late!” This is the impetus for the students to do everything they can as quickly as possible, even if it only has a 1/600 chance of succeeding.

▼ The first bakakkoii trick: the most ridiculous way of three people working together to put away your shoes that you’ve ever seen.

▼ The second bakakkoii trick Gomino (a combination of gomi “trash” and dominoes) may not look super impressive right away, but when you imagine all the takes they must’ve gone through when the bottles didn’t go in, then the boy’s facial expression starts to make more sense.

▼ Just… just ignore that thing coming down the stairs.

▼ The third bakakkoii trick is the most in efficient way of sending a “text” message asking someone if they want to eat lunch together that I’ve ever seen.

▼ The next trick has her throwing something into a pencil case in pretty much the least-hope-for-success way you could possibly imagine.

▼ And now for the bakakkoii trick that probably took at least 500 of the 600 takes: flipping three forks into three ramen cups at the same time.

▼ That look of sheer joy only means one thing: “Yes! I never have to do this again!”

▼ Then we get to the actual commercial part: “Nissin cup noodles are just as satisfying as succeeding at something bakakkoii.”
…well, I’m sold!

▼ And a final (and incredibly impressive) bakakkoii trick of throwing things into a moving bag to finish up, with a nice Arnie pun to round things out.

Considering I can’t even remember that last time I did anything 600 times, I’m impressed by the dedication of Kanna and the rest of the production staff to see this through to the end. I wonder if they had some other tricks that they wanted to do, but couldn’t simply because they were proving to be actually impossible.

If you’ve suddenly found yourself becoming a fan of bakakkoii, then you may want to check out the YouTube channel recs7hi. Their videos of a bunch of school kids doing bakakkoii things is credited with started the fad. The production value may not be as high, but their hearts are just as stupid-cool as Kanna’s.

Source: YouTube (Nissin) via Mynavi
Images: YouTube (Nissin)

Origin: Kanna Hashimoto does “stupid-cool” tricks for commercial, took over 600 takes to get right 【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Remember Twintail Association Japan, the pro-cute organisation dedicated to all things adorable and pigtail-related? Last year they launched the idol group drop, a four-piece girl group who add “pigtail-wearing” to the usual idol skill-set trinity of singing, dancing, and smiling for the camera.

And one group member in particular has been attracting attention online for her doe-eyed smile and pigtail-wearing skills. Hikari Takiguchi has even been called a “once-in-2000-years idol”! (We’re going to assume that sounds a bit snappier in Japanese than it does in English).

Hikari is 20 years old and hails from Chiba Prefecture, next to Tokyo. On Monday night, she was featured on a Japanese variety show called Jinsei ga kawaru ippunkan no fuka-ii hanashi (roughly: ‘The amazing story of the one minute that changed my life!’).

Apparently, all six members of her family live – or were living at one point – in a space the size of six tatami mats (about 100 square feet or nine square metres).

▼ We haven’t seen the show, but we’d hazard a guess that “the one minute that changed Hikari’s life” in the show…was passing the audition for drop?

2000年に1人の美少女滝口ひかり http://t.co/wxKp4RAzUA

—
ぴ の⊿ゆ〜やTO (@pino_3839) May 11, 2015

Anyway, the good folks at Jinsei ga kawaru declared Hikari the kind of beautiful young woman who only comes along once every two millenia, prompting objection online from fans of Kanna Hashimoto, the original one-in-a-thousand-years idol.

▼ I mean, Kanna-chan doesn’t even wear pigtails…!

Kanna fans took to the digital airwaves to protest at this new imposter being compared to their idol:

“She [Hikari] is cute, but she’s not that cute.”

“2000 years is kind of overstating it. There are girls as cute as her at my university.”

“Sorry, but Kanna is cuter!”

Anyway, Hikari was pretty stoked about the TV appearance:

▼ “Watch me on Jinsei ga kawaru tomorrow night yo!”

あ！明日の21:00～「人生が変わる1分間の深いい話」に、スタジオとVTR、出演します！(´▽`)ノみんな見てください。 ふかい～い♪ #drop_tt http://t.co/pLru1XDmt8

—
滝口ひかり (@blue_drop920) May 10, 2015

And seemed pretty moved by it too, thanking fans for their support after the show was broadcast:

▼  “I love you all…and I have the best family in the world.”

なんかこの気持ちをどう 表現していいか分からない… とにかくたくさんの人に感謝です 皆さん本当に大好きです そして滝口家は私にとって 世界一幸せで最高な家族です cheerz.cz/post/40607 #drop_tt http://t.co/rLzMi5uEt2

—
滝口ひかり (@blue_drop920) May 11, 2015

Then, drop’s producer popped up to remind us that the idol group is a four-piece:

▼ “…All four members of drop are amazing, so please come to their live shows!”

滝口ひかり『人生が変わる1分間の深イイ話』に出演させていただきました。感謝。 dropのメンバーは四人共、魅力的ですのでライブも是非見に来てください！ drop定期公演 peatix.com/event/89277 #drop_tt http://t.co/KQ0VXUmeE6

—
古谷完 《日本ツインテール協会会長》 (@KanFuruya) May 11, 2015

Twitter/Kan Furuya

Twitter/Kan Furuya
Twitter/Kan Furuya

Twitter/Kan Furuya

Which leaves us with just one question: for a group founded by the Twintail Association, we can’t help but notice that drop don’t actually seem to wear their hair in pigtails very often…?

Source: Hachima kikou, Drop Official Site, Hikari Takiguchi Twitter
Featured image: Twitter

Origin: Meet Hikari Takiguchi, the “once-in-2000-years” twin-tailed idol 【Photos】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Nearly two years ago, a single photograph of a young wannabe idol appeared online. It ignited a fire amongst idol otaku so large that it reached the mainstream press in Japan in the same day. The pictured girl, one Kanna Hashimoto, was soon after crowned “beyond angelic” and dubbed a “once in a millennium” idol for her natural looks and youthful energy.

Since then, there have been many challengers to Kanna’s title, like the “once in 4,000 years idol” whatserface, and the “once in 2000 years” idol…um you know, the one with the hair. They’re probably all nice girls and I wish them well in their careers, but seriously they had no place stepping up to Hashimoto’s star quality.

Having already appeared in commercials for SoftBank and Cup Noodle, Kanna is now hawking Lip Baby brand coloring lip balms. Although not as big a brand as the others, these commercials have woken up Japanese netizens and reminded them who the real once in a millennium idol is.

The member of idol group Rev From DVL (a name that you see less and less next to Hashimoto’s) stars in two versions of Lip Baby. The first is Mentholatum Kanna in which she’s dressed as a nurse and wants us all to buy Lip Baby Fruits.

▼ If that face doesn’t make you want to buy mentholatum, then I don’t know what will.

However, the one that has really worked fans into a frenzy is the self-explanatory Devilish Kanna promoting Lip Baby Crayon.

▼ Okay, so they seem to be confusing devils and vampires. Whatever, it’s not like this is a gothic literature class.

And of course, what pair of commercials would be complete without a behind-the-scenes look at the production process? Actually, this video gives you the best chance to see Hashimoto’s personality which has been a big factor in her success.

Comments unanimously approved of these Kanna Hashimoto appearances.

“Too cute lol.”
“I thought she would go down this route.”
“The little devil Kanna duckface is the best!”
“Another new commercial?!”
“If an idol is cute, the commercials will come.”
“Red Devil? Is she looking to get big in Korea?”

The last comment was a reference to the Bulgen Angma or “Red Devils” which is the name of the South Korean national soccer team’s fans.

These latest commercials also spawned discussion over the elephant in Kanna Hashimoto’s living room: when she’ll formally leave Rev from DVL and go on her own. Last year, the gap between Hashimoto and the rest of Rev From DVL was highlighted during a handshake event debacle in which fans revolted at learning only a few could meet the group’s star member. Also, it’s only a matter of time before pay inequality begins to drive a wedge, if it hasn’t already.

▼ Hashimoto is rumored to be contractually obligated to get strawberries 400 times the size of her follow members

The “idol Cinderella story” is a pattern that’s been seen before. Actress and TV personality Aya Ueto famously cast aside her former idol unit, Z-1, and rose to be one of Japan’s most well-known faces after she proved to be a crowd favorite. Also, some may forget that Namie Amuro was once a member of the group Super Monkey’s before moving on to bigger and better things.

Not that there’s any rush for Hashimoto, however. Still only 16, time is on her side and at this point it’s really not a matter of “if” but “how far” she will make it in the entertainment business. If I may take on the persona of a grizzled 1960s talent scout, I’ll take the stogie out of my mouth, flick the ashes and grumble, “Yup. That kid’s got the goods.”

▼ Uh-bu-dee-bu-dee-bu-dee That’s all folks!

Source: YouTube – Rohto Channel via Alfalfalfa (Japanese)

Origin: Kanna Hashimoto reminds everyone why she’s the “once in a millennium” idol with new ads 【Videos】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• Kanna Hashimoto does “stupid-cool” tricks for commercial, took over 600 takes to get right 【Video】
• She’s cute, sexy, AND busty! She’s a “once-in-1,000-years” beauty! Japanese netizens at it again

The last couple of years have been benchmark ones for Halloween in Japan. What was once a holiday marked mostly by the infrequent sighting of a handful of mildly embarrassed-looking, costumed foreigners on the Yamanote Line train has grown into a massive industry.

In fact, Halloween has become just as much a holiday about 20 and 30-somethings dressing up as sexy nurses, sexy zombies, sexy superheroes, and other sexy-choose-a-nouns as its American counterpart. But while those costumes were no doubt getting plenty of attention on Shibuya Crossing last night, the Japanese Internet had already decided the undisputed Queen of Halloween was this far more conservatively dressed “once-in-millenium beauty”.

A few days in advance of actual Halloween night, a “Halloween Parade” event was held in the Odaiba area, where an “idol enthusiast” photographer captured a few snapshots of Kanna Hashimoto sporting a somewhat generic-looking Halloween mishmash costume.

2015.10.25 お台場ハロウィンパレード 橋本環奈ちゃん https://t.co/l8EtFnJPh4

—
イケ (@iket_gonzo) October 25, 2015

But her intense cuteness nonetheless dazzled netizens, who reminded everyone why she’s the reigning “once-in-a-millenium beauty,” a term apparently found in more than one East Asian country and used to describe a girl so eye-searingly cute or classically beautiful that one could only possibly come around once every thousand years.

20151025 Rev.from DVL 橋本環奈ちゃん ＠お台場ハロウィーンパレード https://t.co/g3YG3Yjbfv

—
あつお© (@a2ochan) October 25, 2015

Of course, Kanna is already popular enough to have her own Wikipedia page in multiple languages, and we wholeheartedly agree that she is easy on the eyes, but we do have to wonder about the actual truthfulness of the “once-in-a-millennium beauty” moniker. We’ve already seen a few others being bestowed the label just this year alone!

Source: Hachima Kikou
Images: Twitter/@iket_gonzo/@a2ochan

Origin: “Once-in-a-millenium beauty” dominates Tokyo Halloween event
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• Tokyo Halloween 2015: Our reporters’ collection of photos from their night in Shibuya【Photos】
• Dumplings that’ll make you pretty! “Gyoza for girls” is the new food trend hitting Japan!
• Kanna Hashimoto reminds everyone why she’s the “once in a millennium” idol with new ads 【Videos】

If you haven’t heard, Gintama is getting a live-action movie adaptation in 2017!

Gintama started off as a manga in 2003, capturing the hearts of fans with its unique historical-science fiction mashup setting, countless parodies and interesting characters. It gained an even larger following after its anime adaptation was rolled out in 2006, and, now, the live-action film of our favourite Edo-period sci-fi comedy series is slated to hit the big screens some time next year!

Fans have been abuzz since news of the live-action movie was announced in June this year, but equal amounts of excitement and doubt have been in the air since the official announcement of the main cast was made earlier this month.

キャスト発表第二弾❗️小栗旬さんに続き、菅田将暉さん、橋本環奈さん、長澤まさみさん、岡田将生さん、ムロツヨシさん、柳楽優弥さん、吉沢亮さん、中村勘九郎さん出演決定！コメントも gintama-film.com #映画銀魂 https://t.co/83SLBwsXdj

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ Starring as the lead protagonist, Gintoki Sakata, is one of Japan’s most popular actors, Shun Oguri.

坂田銀時役の小栗旬さんのコメントが到着！『他の演者さんたちが僕のことを銀さんだと信じてくれれば、おのずと銀時というキャラクターになっていけるのではないかと思って演じています。』（続きはサイトへ！） #映画銀魂 https://t.co/XVLvLUS36k

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ Masaki Suda takes the role of Gintoki’s bespectacled sidekick, Shinpachi Shimura.

志村新八役に菅田将暉さん！『少なからずこれまでの人生では突っ込みタイプではありますので精一杯演じさせて頂きます！撮影もとても楽しくてぜひ毎年集まってシリーズにできたら最高だと思います。』（続きはサイトへ！）#映画銀魂 https://t.co/moawxxreQK

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ The series’ lead female protagonist, Kagura, will be played by Kanna Hashimoto.

破天荒ヒロインの神楽役に橋本環奈さん！『今回は本格的なワイヤーを使ってのバトルアクションあり、独特のイントネーションでの台詞ありと見どころも沢山あると思います。みなさんどうぞ御期待下さい！』（続きはサイトへ！）#映画銀魂 https://t.co/N6EGQEUK6S

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ Kotarou Katsura will be played by Masaki Okada. (We’re curious as to how they’re going to portray Elizabeth!)

銀時の幼馴染でありかつての盟友の桂小太郎役に岡田将生さん！『銀時の盟友であり、相棒エリザベスと共に銀魂を盛り上げたいと思います。 逃げの小太郎と呼ばれてますが、岡田は逃げません！』（続きはサイトへ！） #映画銀魂 https://t.co/RQYE3HM2u4

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ Tsuyoshi Muro will be acting as Gengai Hiraga, Edo’s most prolific inventor.

からくり堂・平賀源外役にムロツヨシさん！『原作ファンの皆様、ご安心ください！源外役のムロは少ししか出ていませんので、ちょっと年齢違うと思われるかもしれませんが、新しい源外をアピールしたいと思います！』（続きはサイトへ！）#映画銀魂 https://t.co/W7fMzlYk7R

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ Masami Nagasawa stars as Shinpachi’s sister, Tae Shimura.

新八の姉・志村妙役に長澤まさみさん！『今まで、変顔に近いお芝居をしたことがなかったので、いままでとっておいて良かったなと思いました。』（続きはコチラ👉 gintama-film.com）#映画銀魂 https://t.co/ybNgOWCnEV

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

Gintama would be boring without the wonderful friend and foe relationship between Gintoki Sakata and the uniformed hotshots from the Shinsengumi, so it’s no surprise that they’ll be featured in the film too!

▼ Kabuki actor Kankuro Nakamura leads the Shinsengumi cast as Commander and “gorilla” Isao Kondo.

真選組局長の近藤勲役に中村勘九郎さん！『僕自身、元々下ヨリの発言・行動、そして思考しかありませんので近藤の役に素直に入れました。』（続きはサイトへ👉 gintama-film.com） #映画銀魂 https://t.co/H7F8iMDmh9

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ Ryou Yoshizawa will be wielding his sword as Sougo Okita.

真選組の沖田総悟役に吉沢亮さん！『最高にくだらなくて面白い原作プラス福田さんという恐ろしい現場ですが、最後まで生き抜きたいと思います。』（続きはサイトへ👉 gintama-film.com） #映画銀魂 https://t.co/kDL5bEypX3

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

▼ Toushirou Hijikata, arguably the hottest guy in the Shinsengumi, will be brought to life by Yuya Yagira.

真選組一のモテ男土方十四郎役に柳楽優弥さん！『土方十四郎という役にプレッシャーを感じておりますが、素晴らしいキャストスタッフの皆様と、この夏を駆け抜けたいと思います！』（続きはサイトへ！）#映画銀魂 https://t.co/QOLVlXn5mG

—
映画『銀魂』公式 (@gintama_film) August 03, 2016

Recent live-action film adaptations of manga and anime haven’t had tremendous success at the box office, and some fans are worried that the Gintama live-action movie will follow in its predecessors’ footsteps. Internet users have voiced some concerns, the most prominent one being whether Kanna Hashimoto, the “once in a millennium” idol, will be able to pull of the un-idol-like stuff her character Kagura is known for, such as picking her nose and puking something other than a rainbow.

▼ To disperse concerns, Hashimoto has revealed on Twitter she will be pulling no punches with her performance as the lovable but crass heroine.

実写版「銀魂」で神楽役を演じさせて頂くことになりました。 神楽は皆さんに愛されているキャラクターなので、髪もオレンジに染め、ゲロインとして、鼻ホジもあり、事務所NG関係なしに頑張ってます。笑 ご期待下さい♬ gintama-film.com 橋本環奈 #映画銀魂

—
橋本環奈 (@H_KANNA_0203) August 04, 2016

▼ In a recent tweet, Hashimoto also mentions that she has finished filming a vomiting scene, in which she was advised by the director and Shinpachi to throw up like the Merlion of Singapore.

さっき神楽のゲ○吐くシーンがあったんだけど、 監督と新八から マーライオンみたいに！と アドバイスを頂きました。 橋本環奈 #イイ感じでマーライオンっぽかったって言ってもらえましたw #映画銀魂

—
橋本環奈 (@H_KANNA_0203) August 13, 2016

Another interesting question raised by fans was, if Shun Oguri is cast as Gintoki, who is going to play Shunnosuke Oguri (a parody character of the lead actor himself)?

It is unknown whether Shunnosuke Oguri will be making a cameo appearance in the movie, but one thing we know for sure is that the cast is absolutely stellar! With so many big screen favourites onboard, this will definitely be quite the show…right?

That will remain a mystery until the movie is released, but in the meantime, check out the film’s official website or Twitter account for the latest updates and behind-the-scenes images!

Source/top image: Twitter/@gintama_film

Former members of AKB48 and Rev. from DVL saluted.

Since 1990, the members of the Independent Critics List have annually put their heads together to decide on a list of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces in the world. Led by TC Candler (and yes, it’s sort of ironic that a group of independent critics has a leader), the group considers women from around the globe, but (once again, ironically), it takes more than just a pretty face to make the list.

The organization’s mission statement says that the 100 Most Beautiful Faces List is “not about the sexiest body” (which seems like it should go without saying, seeing as how they’re judging faces, not bodies), though “aesthetic perfection” is an official judgement criterion. However, the professed purpose of the list is to “inform and broaden public opinion instead of reflecting it,” with necessary factors including “grace, elegance, originality, daring, passion, class, poise, joy, promise, hope.”

While this year’s list won’t be announced until December, the organization has already begun narrowing down the field, and has been revealing the candidates for the 2017 list. So far, a handful of Japanese women have been given the nod, including Nana Owada, who up until March of this year was a member of idol supergroup AKB48.

Another candidate with idol credentials is Kanna Hashimoto. Once a member of local Fukuoka-based idol group Rev. from DVL, Hashimoto’s profile has skyrocketed over the last few years, as she’s appeared in ads for major companies and was tapped to play a major role in the live-action adaptation of anime Gintama.

Also designated as candidates for the 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2017 are actress and model Mirei Kiritani, whose credits include appearances in the live-action Ace Attorney, Assassination Classroom, and Bunny Drop movies…

…and Hyogo Prefecture-born Niki Niwa, whose brightest moment in the spotlight was as a member of Hawaii-filmed Japanese reality TV show Terrace House: Aloha State.

Last year, Kiritani ended up in the top 100, along with compatriots actress Satomi Ishihara and former AKB48 idol Haruka Shimazaki. Whether Kiritani will repeat the feat this year, or whether any of her fellow Japanese nominees will make the final list, is something we won’t know until December 27, but if Hashimoto is chosen as one of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces in the world, she’ll have come a long way from selling eyeglasses to Internet writers.

Featured image: Instagram/tccandler

Hayao Miyazaki gives blessing after meeting with Caird to project that’s been in development for four years.

In 2019, classic Studio Ghibli anime Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was adapted into a kabuki play. Now comes word that another of director Hayao Miyazaki’s films is being transformed into a live-action stage version, and this time it’s his biggest hit of all, Spirited Away.

Helming the project is Canadian-born British stage director and playwright John Caird, who will handle both the script and direction for the project. Perhaps best known as a director for the original 1987 production of Les Misérables, Caird has worked extensively as a director for stage plays in Japan with Japanese actors, with his most recent major project being Knight’s Tale, which had its world premiere in Tokyo three years ago.

The Spirited Away stage play is being produced as a 90th anniversary celebration for Toho, as the distributor of the Spirited Away anime is also involved in live theater, and Toho and Caird first began discussing the possibility of adapting the Ghibli anime for the stage back in 2017. However, Miyazaki is famously protective of his studio’s works, and so Caird met in-person with both the legendary anime director and veteran Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki, asking for permission to go head with the play, which they granted, with Suzuki commenting:

“John is a good guy. Miyazaki and I both like him. We gave him a No-Face coin bank, and he was very happy. I hope he’ll take good care of [Spirited Away protagonist Chihiro] as he raises her on the stage.”

Speaking of Chihiro, two actresses will share the role of the 10-year-old girl who finds herself, well, spirited away. One half of the duo will be 22-year-old Kanna Hashimoto, idol singer-turned-actress whose resume includes several roles in live-action TV drama and movie adaptations of anime, such as Gintama, Kingdom, and Assassination Classroom (although surely the highlight of her career so far remains the time she sold some eyeglasses to a SoraNews24 reporter). The other actress stepping into Chihiro’s role will be 23-year-old Mone Kamishiraishi, a singer and actress who was part of the cast for Caird’s Knight’s Tale.

▼ Hashimoto (left) and Kamishiraishi (right). Both actress mention being terrified by the scene where Chihiro’s parents are transformed into pigs when they watched the anime as children.

Until recently, Spirited Away was Japan’s highest-grossing film of all time, and Caird seems deeply respectful of its cultural significance, saying he is “excited and honored” to be entrusted with the project, expressing his longtime admiration for the original with “I have spent a thousand hours with Spirited Away, and I’m looking forward to spending thousands more with it” (referencing how the “Chi” part of Chihiro’s name means “thousand” in Japanese).

The Spirited Away stage play is set to premiere at Tokyo’s Imperial Theater in February of 2022, move to Osaka in April, Fukuoka in March, Sapporo in early June, and then arrive in Nagoya for late June and July. And yes, Toho has said they’re also considering overseas performances.

Sources: Spirited Away stage play official website, Sponichi Annex via Yahoo! Japan News
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: Spirited Away stage play official website
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Hashimoto becomes the undisputed, certified Queen of Tissues.

It was eight years ago that a photo of young idol Kanna Hashimoto dancing spread through the Internet like wildfire and earned her the title of “the once in a millennium idol.” Since then, it’s been a non-stop rise in show-business appearing in TV, film, and eight out of 10 commercials at any given moment.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the 22-year-old Hashimoto has now joined the rarified ranks of Guinness World Record holders. Appearing on the TV program 130,000,000 People’s Show Channel on 12 June, Hashimoto broke the record for “Most Facial Tissues Pulled Out of the Box in One Minute.”

ギネス！！！！
自分が一番びっくりしてます。。
今度からはギネス記録保持者です。って自己紹介で言います pic.twitter.com/hswdXbxGxV

— 橋本環奈 (@H_KANNA_0203) June 13, 2021

A crucial aspect of this record is that it can only be done with one hand, but Hashimoto seemed confident she could surpass the previous record of 140 tissues in one minute. As the Guinness official watched on, Hashimoto started with her palm flat on the table and then began plucking like the wind when time started.

She showed a keen sense of conservation of movement in her technique, swinging her forearm at the optimum angle for tissue removal and displacement far from the box. This would be the key to her success, because Hashimoto knew that after enough time a large enough pile of tissues could develop around the box that would severely hamper her ability to keep plucking.

Still, with the sheer speed of her endeavor tissues had eventually begun to gather around the working area. However, without missing a beat, she used her one available hand to sweep away the mess and resume plucking. Hashimoto also used her knees to help keep a steady momentum.

▼ Full video of the record attempt

In the end, a casual count by show regular Shinichi Hatori had her at 160 tissues. However, it was clear there were some post-buzzer tissues, so it would be up to the Guinness official to review the tape for an official count.

When the judge was finished, Hashimoto was given the plaque declaring her the world record holder for tissue plucking with 157 sheets in a single minute. It was a triumph of the human spirit, but unfortunately online comments were mostly crass remarks about Kanna Hashimoto and reaching for tissues quickly. We removed those comments for the sake of decency.

“157 times a minute? That like three tissues a second!”

That’s it. That’s all that’s left.

Regardless of all the dirty minds out there, it is still an amazing accomplishment but hopefully one that people don’t try to emulate because it would be a huge waste of paper. Even Hashimoto said after her win that this was only the second time she’s ever pulled tissues like that.

Surely, joining the ranks of fellow Guinness World Record holders like the Sega Shinjuku Kabukicho Game Center and Lawson will go down as a career highlight for her. One surpassed only by the time she sold me a pair of glasses.

Source: Mantan Web, Otaku.com
Top image: ©SoraNews24
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