Miyawaki Sakura (Sakura) / 1st Generation

That to me is the area in which Sakura's really made me go lately -- her photoshoots. My gawd -- where did this gorgeous, curvy-but-slender Sakura come from!? Where is the gawky, all ears-&-elbows-&-kneecaps stick-figure kid go that was just here... and isn't Yukirin going to miss her body when she find it's on Sakura now...? She's really growing into her teens gorgeously, seifuku or swimsuit... and I have a feeling her gravure nearing 19-20, is going to be the leading cause of heart failure among HKT ojisan fans. ...

 

It happened when she cut her hair short. About the time "Kimiwa Kimagure". I agree, I would never have thought Sakura would blossom like this.

 

The funny thing is a suppose "secret" date was at a really wellknown event (and it is expected that eyes were on them all the time) and that they were actually "invite" by the party to attend the performance from what I heard and the plan is already known among fans in 755 with their conversation, like common.... business meeting is written all over the face and she just can't avoid her boss and act not knowing him at the event, better attend together I thought it was sweet but ofcourse this have to happen sigh...the whole thing is just so freakin dumb.

 

Oh no no -- during the Chome-chome shoot last year in Kitakyuushu/Shimonoseki with Ikoma Rina (where they went to the aquarium?), she had her hair short then, and was in shorts and a regular shirt and looked her old self... so if she was as ravishing as she is these days, I'd have definitely noticed it. Her recent swimsuit shoot with Haruppi nearly made my eyes leave their sockets. Maybe the reason it seemed to surprise me, is she'd been filming MG4 almost totally covered Yankii-style for months so I didn't notice she'd had a growth spurt. Sometimes during your teens when you suddenly do a lot of physical activity like sports, your body responds by growing, esp the long bones. I'd expected that of Sakura with long hours of fight scenes for a long schedule... but she ended up with Yukirin's body. Likewise with her bust -- it seems all the cutesy girls in HKT are growing into a mature phase (Mio, my goodness me, what a body on her... and we already know about Okapan and Sae). It sort of makes me wonder what else is coming from the 3-kis...

 

Sakura interview! This one's a bit old, too (well, a month old), but here you go

http://www.akblogs.net/en/article_translations/323-miyawaki-sakura-interview

 

Yeah, all the HKT girls are looking great; Harupi, Aoi, Cap, Natsu, Madoka, Mio, Meru, Anna,etc...
I think I found the exact coming out moment for Sakura.

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Thanks Neve!

Yes! That exactly how she looked during the Chome-chome show, so she'd had that haircut for ~6 months by then. But it'd be another year before her current body would emerge -- even now I look at Sakuruppi's latest gravure and I'm still amazed this adorable little girl turned into such a beauty.

Next stop -- a joint AKB/HKT gravure beach shoot... with Yukirin. Kagoshima Dachshund's unit!

 

it made me a little bit smile when she said she wants to be the Ace of acting... because it's going to be hella of a road!

Also, nothing to worry about saying Haruppi is not her friend, but comrade in arms. This bond doesn't mean it's less than being friend. Takamina and Yuko shared the same bond, of comrade in arms. (but Yuko rejected Takamina offer to be true friends)

 

Totally, completely agree. It's a path she's walked on before anyway as a kid, so like Mion, it's not a huge stretch to step onto it again. Except this time, her looks will open a lot more doors for roles vs. younger...

In entertainment Japan this seems to be the norm -- you adopt a persona to the media and in front of the camera during work, become yourself in private. Famously the massive comic duo Downtown have always maintained that they hate each other, but because of what they'd built over 30 years in the biz and the people who depend on it, they have to work it out and acknowledge that their legacy is bigger than their petty differences.

I knew Haruppi and Sakura were partial to this way, as I'd seen it in H!P rivalries, which mgmt encouraged and instigated... but in those days they didn't realize the benefits of a softer, less abrasive way until they began to lose Golden Age leaders to graduation mid-2000s... by that time AKB was already rising past them. Aki-P is a different kind of businessman and leader than Tsunku anyway so that was an advantage H!P couldn't respond to.

Yuko is a loner, really. She's very self-driven and self-righteous, and on top of that, clique-ish to those outside her generation, business to others except those she chooses to let in, period. That's a Dragon trait, self-assurance in her own designs, all else is confetti. What's funny is a Dragon is a water creature... and Yuko loves to surf. Anyhow though... it's not at all strange that Yuko rejected TM (Yuko is an Earth Dragon, TM is a Metal Sheep, and the two are terribly incompatible that way... but that aside from that, outward looking in... I think Yuko felt bitter about TM outranking her to Aki-P and TGSK, which Dragons don't like, esp female ones). I felt Aki-P knew this and used it to his advantage on both of them when he needed to, and Yuko decided to choose another path after figuring that out (the timing for her graduation suggested an emotional component to the decision).

EDIT: for the curious... wanna know what Haruppi's and Sakura's compat is?

--

It's even lower than Yuko/TM (-7 vs. -3). Digest that for a minute.

 

I agree with the downtown comparison, business friendship is hard to admit but it does exist, especially in entertainment.

And on the astrology thing hinting people compability, sorry but i don't believe in those things. Even though you got it right on Yuko being self righteous. Hum self driven, i won't go that far as she cared a lot about team K.

 

The astrology comparison isn't definitive, of course. I like to throw it in there sometimes just for fun, as it does tend to be accurate after the fact (people who aren't partial to Eastern tradition, do things all the time, that tend to fall along these specific lines that the Chinese noticed thousands of years ago, far closer than the Western traditions). It's still uranai though, and should be treated as such.

She did care about K... because she built K. There's a difference between loving people you have a duty to lead, and loving people regardless of motive. Yuko has not and will not let people into her inner circle she feels don't deserve to be in her safe haven... as her contact within 48GP since graduation can attest. IME watching her appearances and actions, she's very shrewd that way... with few exceptions. By 'self-driven', I meant that she motivates herself to her goals and doesn't need as much encouragement as other idols at her level.

 

@Amberlicious Yes, some people really have no shame, do they realize they're accusing an innocent 17-years old girl of that? She's still underraged and they decide to give her that nickname? Just how messed up are they in their heads to enjoy doing this, I don't even know. I juse hope no one mentions that to Sakura and she should avoid going online too .__. She can use her time better than giving attention to that. Let's keep supporting her

@Neve Thanks for the article translation! Sakura mention about acting again. It's really her dream since she's been talking about this since so long ago. I'm glad she's getting more opportunities now. Hopefully this year she ranks Kami 7 so it can bring even more opportunities for her! I would love to see her act in a regular drama (not related to 48) like some school drama, that would be good for her age. I'm sure she could do well, I hope it will happen!



Today is AKB Sports Festival! Some pictures with Sakura, from Paruru's 755 ^-^



Sakura and Naanya Paruru wrote:

"These cute kids are busy preparing something☺❤
They're too cute, rightー
Sakuratan and Owada-chan♪"

"Apparently they are making bento❤
Too cute☺"

http://7gogo.jp/lp/mp3LH4G-d8LWkVIvojdMdG==/5305
http://7gogo.jp/lp/mp3LH4G-d8LWkVIvojdMdG==/5306
http://7gogo.jp/lp/mp3LH4G-d8LWkVIvojdMdG==/5307



Sakura and Paruru This photo is too cute.

It's funny btw, Paruru posted this picture, then an emoticon with "o" sign (= good),
then she posted a picture with Chiyori, and an emoticon with "x" sign (=bad) haha.

You can see it all here:

http://7gogo.jp/lp/mp3LH4G-d8LWkVIvojdMdG==/5311
http://7gogo.jp/lp/mp3LH4G-d8LWkVIvojdMdG==/5312
http://7gogo.jp/lp/mp3LH4G-d8LWkVIvojdMdG==/5313
http://7gogo.jp/lp/mp3LH4G-d8LWkVIvojdMdG==/5314

I hope team A can be strong today and do well at sports festival, go team A \^o^/

 

I think it's time as well -- Sakura is ready for an age-appropriate drama role, a la how Shouten Girl was for Mayu... tbh she needs to leave her campy performance legacy in MG4 behind (fun though it is, it's not going to impress a real acting coach). If she makes Kami-7 and earns the right to have those opportunities as Paruru has, I'll definitely watch. Working with adults outside 48GP has hugely sped up Sakura's evolution as an idol and having the additional experience in serious acting roles will unlock even more, I think.

--

I like that Paruru chose to debut this photo, as it accomplishes two things Sakura needed after the recent anti circle-jerk: a) a friend in a Kami-7 who's already pretty much unassailable in popularity, even to anti... and b) Salt is hugging Sakura, as if to say 'see how strong you have to be to earn the teppen? but I'm here and I have your back'.

 

That's quite comical when putting next to sakura's picture

 

I think her feelings are a *little* different when Chori is sitting her lap, and not Sakura.

 

it's even funnier when you know that Paruru really likes Chori. She's the only one who makes her genuinely laugh

 

Chori is kind of an enigma to me... I'm always a fan of suberi charas (the contrast between TM's SKT role and her suberi chara is why I love her, same with Yamada Nana and less so Tani Marika), because they're like a constant test of how mentally tough you are, and I respect that it's a tough chara to stomach. But Chori behind the scenes is also quite sensitive, despite her full-body approach to physical comedy... and it makes me wonder what's behind that guigui clown mask she wears all the time (I know she'd been teased about her face in school and used humor to defuse it... but wonder what else may've happened to spawn the sensitivity).

As we know Paruru doesn't genuinely laugh at just anyone... so if true I'm wondering why someone who's guigui and not *that* funny (at least to me), gets that privileged, salt-encrusted seat at Paru's table.

 

Saku-chan
Your leg lol

 

lolol that wasn't even close!

 

LOL!