J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Translated by:Ex-S Woo

Recently, a Soft On Demand awards ceremony took place in the Tokyo Shinjuku Century Hyatt hotel. It was during this ceremony that Nana Natsume, who was to debut on January 8th, made her first public appearance as the host. Everyone in attendance was greatly surprised by how calm and confident she was during the entire ceremony. It was only later that I found out that she had appeared in a number of local TV shows in the Kansai area. This interview took place the day after the awards ceremony took place, right before she was to return to Osaka.

Interviewer: First off, I must say that you did really well yesterday. You did really well in front of all those people.

Nana Natsume: Takahashi-san once told me that when he was on radio for the first time he was so nervous that he spoke too much. Basically he was telling me that I can do it properly even if I was nervous. He told me to just act natural and that's what I tried to do.

Interviewer: Still, your voice never wavered during the entire ceremony. I think that's a good sign for your career.

Natsume: Really? Then you didn't notice my legs shaking half the time.

Interviewer: That's not what it looked like to me.

Natsume: I tried to not let anything get to me. I figured that the least I can do is to talk loudly.

Interviewer: Anyway, let's talk about your debut video. Since it's directed by Tatsuya Aoki, there's been a lot of talk on-line about it being a "Juice" video (*Jiru-mono) Natsume: What's a "Juice" video?

Interviewer: Another way of saying Bukkake and the like

Natsume: Oh, like with lots of swallowing? It's not that

Interviewer: That's what I thought. I guess it'd be more of the traditional lines since it's with someone as beautiful as yourself.

Natsume: It was a very well made video.

Interviewer: So how was it like to work with Aoki as the director?

Natsume: He was nice. He filmed me in Osaka before we did the actual shot in Tokyo and he told me that I was the type who was liked by most people. I tend to be pretty persuasive so even people who don't agree with me usually end up going along with things my way.

Interviewer: Were you always like that?

Natsume: I'm not sure. I hope not, but I think it's too late to fix it now.

Interviewer: I bet you have a lot of friends.

Natsume: Not really. I have a hard time opening up to most people I meet.

Interviewer: What about guys?

Natsume: Just about as much as anyone else. I might have more guy friends actually.

Interviewer: What do you usually do together?

Natsume: Baseball. I've been pretty busy recently so I haven't had the chance to play for a while.

Interviewer: So what have you been doing since you've graduated high school?

Natsume: Just a lot of part time work. Helping around the house, working at a restaurant, assistant to a dentist, and even a bit of real estate. I didn't stick with it for too long though.

Interviewer: Ah. You get sick of things easily.

Natsume: I like to try new things but I tend to quit after getting a taste. Like that dental assistant thing. I started it because I was curious as to what type of things I would be doing but I was just doing support work for the dentist so I quit.

Interviewer: I understand how to feel. Learning to the job is often the most interesting part.

Natsume: That's why I think I'm suited to this type of work. Since the things I'll be doing will be different for every shoot, there'll be enough change to keep me interested.

Interviewer: Did you want to become an actress when you were in high school?

Natsume: Not really. I'm a pretty shy girl. I was more focused on doing things that came to my mind. I might've wanted to become an actress back then, but I never seriously thought that I would become one. Now I think I can do anything I put my mind to.

Interviewer: When did you first get scouted?

Natsume: When I was 20. A guy came up to me in Osaka and offered me a job in Tokyo. The first thing I did was a magazine shoot for GOKUH. Then I was in the Photobook "727" and an Image DVD called "nana". That was the last thing I did for 6 months so I was getting a bit worried but then I got jobs to do spreads for both the "Weekly Gendai" and the "Weekly Post".

Interviewer: So you've been doing nude shots since the beginning?

Natsume: Only for one of the shoots. I was so embarrassed that I was sweating by the time I was naked.

Interviewer: What did you do during the 6 months you didn't have any work?

Natsume: Oh, just some part-time work and staying at home for the most part. I wasn't really all that worried.

Interviewer: What kind of girl were you as a child?

Natsume: A bit of a tomboy. I was always looking after my brothers and playing with them all the time.

Interviewer: Your first love?

Natsume: I don't really remember. I have to be the guy I lost my virginity to. There was this guy I really liked back then and somehow other students found about it. So he actually came up to me to ask me out but we broke up after 1 day. He wasn't the guy I thought he was. He was this tall guy on the basketball team. Man, my eyes must've been really bad back then because when I saw him up close...

Interviewer: Were you breasts big even back then?

Natsume: They started growing during my 2nd semester of my first year of Jr high. I was an E cup by 8th grade. I used to wear only sports bras but my friends talked me out of it.

Interviewer: So how was it like to lose your virginity?

Natsume: I never really thought much about virginity. I was interested so I did it.

Interviewer: With who?

Natsume: He was a year older than me and attended a different high school. We started going out before even getting to really know each other. We went on a couple of dates and then we fucked. We broke up not too long afterwards.

Interviewer: How many people have you had sex with since then?

Natsume: 3

Interviewer: What kind of sex do you prefer?

Natsume: The normal kind, with lots of loving.

Interviewer: Are you okay with doing it in a bright place?

Natsume: No way! I always tell them to turn off the lights.

Interviewer: So you've never taken a close look at a dick before you started doing AVs?

Natsume: I never really stared at it, no. Why do guys want to keep the lights on?

Interviewer: We need something to rev us up.

Natsume: Really? Can't you just settle for the feel? I mean, there's all this business with going to baths together and everything. Well, I'm okay with it now though. Still, in the old days, people wouldn't strip unless it was dark.

Interviewer: But you look great.

Natsume: I never really liked how big my breasts were. At first when guys were like "Man, they're big." I had no idea what they were talking about.

Interviewer: So you don't like guys that are after you breasts?

Natsume: Before I was like "Don't look at them!". Now it's more like "Here! Stare all you want."

Interviewer: So if someone wanted to fuck your titties you wouldn't let them? Natsume: The first time I did that was on tape.

Interviewer: Seriously!?

Natsume: Seriously. It's not meant for that. I'd prefer the lights off even for things like blowjobs.

Interviewer: How about a blindfold instead?

Natsume: You pervert! Don't you know embarrassing it is for one person to be able to look at you when you can't do the same?

Interviewer: Is there anything that holds you back during sex?

Natsume: It wasn't something I noticed until I started doing filming, but I really don't like sex unless its with someone I love. I also don't like how some guys go away right after having sex. I get so lonely afterwards. I'm okay with it now though.

Interviewer: When do you think your attitudes started changing?

Natsume: I'm not sure. I was still really embarrassed about these things when I was doing the photo spreads.

Interviewer: Did you ever want to be on top?

Natsume: No, never. I always left everything to the guy. I never got the feeling that I should be doing anything. I guess it has to do with the type of guys I went out with.

Interviewer: Maybe you just never had a good sex experience before you started disliking sex.

Natsume: Maybe. It's still embarrassing to do the tapes, but I know that it's okay as long as I enjoy myself. I try to focus on trying to make both myself and my partner feel good now.

Interviewer: Is your body sensitive? Like, do you get wet easily?

Natsume: Well...I do get wet easily, but not when I'm tense. I don't have a boyfriend right now so it's not like I'd really know how it's like now.

Interviewer: So nothing but masturbating?

Natsume: I don't masturbate. What I did on video was my first time.

Interviewer: Really? (laughs)

Natsume: The director was really surprised too. He was telling me how even little kids masturbate nowadays.

Interviewer: So how did it feel when you did it?

Natsume: Good. I was thinking about experimenting with it a bit more, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Interviewer: How about just getting a boyfriend?

Natsume: I do want one, but I'm busy with lots of stuff right now. I want to be alone at times, but I am I get lonely. I sometimes keep the TV and lights on when I go to sleep.

Interviewer: So you ever want to get married?

Natsume: No. I do want kids though.

Interviewer: What kinds of guys are you attracted to?

Natsume: No one too rich, but not too poor either. It's okay to be poor but to show it is a bit...you know how some people try to get others to treat them out and stuff because they have no money? I hate those type of people. I also want someone who's more mature than I am.

Interviewer: Like who, for example?

Natsume: Ray Sefo

Interviewer: Ah, the K-1 fighter. What part of a man do you find the most attractive?

Natsume: His beard and his chest.

Interviewer: See, that's the exact same reason why guys like to stare at your breasts.

Natsume: I sympathize.

Interviewer: Now to switch topics...you've been on some late night shows in Osaka?

Natsume: On Girls' File and Cure Sick Night.

Interviewer: It's too bad that only people living in the Kansai Area can tune in.

Natsume: Yeah...oh, I did so some Internet stuff though.

Interviewer: What do you think is the thing that stands out of the most in your debut video?

Natsume: Just how embarrassed I look during the entire thing.

Interviewer: I remember there's this scene where the director tells you to take off your panties with your mini-skirt still on, and then tells you to sit down and spread your legs...

Natsume: Yeah, I was about to cry right there.

Interviewer: You looked okay when I was on set, but I guess you really were embarrassed.

INatsume: guess it'll wear off as I do more videos. So if anything, I think it'll be the big thing that sets the debut video apart.

Interviewer: You're signed up for 6 tapes at the moment, right?

Natsume: Yeah, but I plan on doing more. I'll probably stick with SOD the entire way though.

Interviewer: Demand all the way, I see.

Natsume: I get the feeling that they'll give me a lot of flexibility with the type of work I'll be doing. I think I'm suited to it. It's just like what it says on the video's back cover. I'm a girl who likes to experience a lot of things and I like how doing this type of work seems to kindle feelings that I've forgotten. Like yesterday, I was crying by the end of the event. All that pent up nervousness just came out all out once.

Interviewer: I hope your fans can see that side of you soon.

Natsume: Yeah.

Interviewer: So is there a specific goal for your AV career?

Natsume: Just to go up as high as possible.

Interviewer: So you think that you started on your goal when you saw Ai Kurosawa take the award for outstanding actress yesterday?

Natsume: I haven't even started. I don't think I can even think in those terms until I get to a point where I can do all the types of things that I'm expected to do. I want to make videos that my fans will be thrilled to jerk off to.

Interviewer: ...although you don't masturbate yourself.

Natsume: I will from now on. I was thinking about buying a vibrator on the way back, actually...

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Interviewer: So, are you nervous?

Ryoko Mitake: Yeah, a bit.

Interviewer: Let's see here...so you debuted back in January?

Mitake: Yes, It was on January 25th. It was called "I'm in heat."

Interviewer: So that's about three months ago. Did you do a lot of interviews so far?

Mitake: I think this is my fourth one. I tend to get nervous around people though...

Interviewer: Don't worry, don't worry. It's not like I'm going to attack you or anything. Let's just take it slow.

Mitake: Hehehe, okay.

Interviewer: So I hear that they've decided to release 12 tapes of you in a row. You're doing really good.

Mitake: I finished 9 of them so far, although we didn't make the packaging yet.

Interviewer: Really? That much already? When did you start the first one?

Mitake: I think it was around October. Maybe November...I'm not sure.

Interviewer: But if you've done 9 tapes since then, that's a pretty fast pace.

Mitake: Is it? I thought it was pretty normal.

Interviewer: So what did you do in your debut?

Mitake: Well...for one thing...

Interviewer: What?

Mitake: I had a blindfold on.

Interviewer: ...huh? During sex?

Mitake: No, we just used it during a scene change.

Interviewer: That's not really much if you think about it. How was the filming?

Mitake: It was very normal.

Interviewer: Didn't you feel like "Wow, this is all so new to me!"?

Mitake: Maybe a little...

Interviewer: Did it feel good?

Mitake: Hehehehe

Interviewer: Too embarrassed to answer?

Mitake: Eh? Oh, uh, it felt good.

Interviewer: But a lot of things must've happened to you now that you finished your 9th tape, right?

Mitake: Many things...?

Interviewer: What type of sex did you enjoy the most?

Mitake: Which one I liked the most?

Interviewer: Yeah, the one you liked the one most.

Mitake: I didn't do anything that hardcore yet. I did do a threesome though...

Interviewer: Oh, really? How about sex toys?

Mitake: A dildo hurt too much at first to feel any good, but I liked the vibrator. Oh, that and I also did some running.

Interviewer: Ahahaha, what is that supposed to mean? What does running do?

Mitake: They told me that they wanted to see me really tired so...

Interviewer: Ah, I think I know where the director is coming from. Looking tired is the last thing I'd think when I see you.

Mitake: But I didn't get tired even after that, so I did 160 squats after that.

Interviewer: And you still didn't get tired?

Mitake: They wanted to film me getting completely pooped out but I didn't get that far.

Interviewer: Do you do any sports?

Mitake: Just swimming. I'm not that good at it though.

Interviewer: So that's why you have so much stamina. Oh, you also did some photo books?

Mitake: I did two so far. One was shot in Saipan and the other in Shimoda.

Interviewer: Hehehe, talk about two extremes. Did you have time to look around in Saipan?

Mitake: No, not at all. I worked until the last day.

Interviewer: That's too bad. How did the shoot go?

Mitake: It was a lot of fun, but the sun was so strong in Saipan that I could barely open my eyes. On the other hand, Shimoda switched between being hot and cold so often that I caught a cold.

Interviewer: Isn't Shimoda famous for their seafood?

Mitake: Yeah, I managed to eat lobsters while I was there. I looked forward to dinner everyday.

Interviewer: Nice---

Mitake: But to tell you the truth I like meat more than seafood.

Interviewer: Oh, really?

Mitake: I cook meat at least three times a week.

Interviewer: Seriously? I wonder where all that goes? Maybe your breasts and hips?

Mitake: Hehehe, oh come on---

Interviewer: So you're an E cup?

Mitake: Yes. I don't like my breasts much though. they look a bit squashed when I look at myself in my mirror. I wish it was a bit fuller on the top.

Interviewer: You think so? But yours looks more natural this way. When did your breasts get big?

Mitake: Oh, it just happened.

Interviewer: Was it because a lot of guys played with them?

Mitake: Hehehe, I didn't have much experience with sex before I started this job. Maybe about 5 people total.

Interviewer: Really? That's a fairly small number. When did you lose your virginity?

Mitake: I lost it when I was 18 to my boyfriend.

Interviewer: An office worker?

Mitake: Hehe, yes. He was 21.

Interviewer: How long did you go out with him?

Mitake: About two weeks. He was a bit forceful about it.

Interviewer: He kept on nagging you?

Mitake: No, even more forceful.

Interviewer: In what way?

Mitake: I was just watching TV at his house and he just suddenly pushed me down, without undressing me or any foreplay.

Interviewer: What! How could he do that if he was going out with you?

Mitake: He nagged me about having sex all the time and I guess he got fed up.

Interviewer: After two weeks? Talk about having no patience.

Mitake: It really hurt at first, but I slowly started to feel good. Of course, I broke up with him right afterwards.

Interviewer: Obviously! But wasn't that a bit of a traumatic experience for you?

Mitake: Not really. I figured that at least I wouldn't be a virgin when I do it with my next boyfriend.

Interviewer: Well then, I bet that it was with your second boyfriend that someone went down on you for the first time.

Mitake: No, I never did that until I started doing the videos. I didn't know it could feel that good before then. The other guys would just stick it in there long enough to get it wet and then went at it.

Interviewer: That's pretty uninspired. Then how about any odd sex acts?

Mitake: None. Oh, but I started seeing someone right after I began filming and he's really good at sex.

Interviewer: Was his dick big?

Mitake: It was an average size, but it was a bit longer than usual.

Interviewer: So it went all the way in.

Mitake: Yep. I'm really sensitive down there. You know that slightly bumpy area? It feels really good when someone touches that.

Interviewer: Ah, I know what you're talking about. So I guess you've experienced orgasms?

Mitake: Hmm...to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I came or not. I do get this odd feeling from time to time, but other people tell me that it's different from coming.

Interviewer: So you just get that pleasant continuing on and on?

Mitake: Yeah. It feels intense on and off. Oh, but I remember that my body feels tense after I get that weird feeling.

Interviewer: Sorta ticklish, right? I think that's an orgasm. By the way, do you masturbate?

Mitake: Hehehe, no.

Interviewer: Really?

Mitake: Really. One of the actors had to teach me when I had to do it for the videos.

Interviewer: You never wanted to try it out?

Mitake: Ah, I did try it once but I didn't know which hole I was supposed to touch.

Interviewer: Which hole?

Mitake: Yeah, I was still a virgin at the time.

Interviewer: Still, most girls concentrate on the clitoris when they start masturbating, don't they?

Mitake: I asked my friends about it and they all told me that I was supposed to stick my finger inside. They said that if I move my fingers around my thighs I'll find this hole....but it wasn't there!

Interviewer: Ahahah! You thought that it would just be wide open?

Mitake: Yep. So I didn't know what to do so I just gave up. I still don't feel like doing it.

Interviewer: I guess regular sex would feel a lot better. How do you like to have sex? Oh wait, you said that you only had regular sex, right?

Mitake: No, I started doing this with my latest boyfriend...

Interviewer: Like what?

Mitake: He's a bit of a sadist so it was a lot more hardcore.

Interviewer: Oh, in what way?

Mitake: Oh, he'd tell me to spread my legs or to get on all fours. He'd also grab onto my head when I gave up a blowjob.

Interviewer: Didn't you feel uncomfortable?

Mitake: ...actually, it made me excited!

Interviewer: Hehehe, maybe you're a bit of a masochist.

Mitake: Maybe. But I don't like it when I get hit.

Interviewer: How about it if someone pinched your nipples?

Mitake: That sounds pretty good!

Interviewer: Hey, you are a masochist!

Mitake: Ahahaha, no I'm not! I'm just kidding. Everyone's going to get the wrong idea if you say that.

Interviewer: Are you still going out with him?

Mitake: No, I broke up with him. I'm busy with work, and I don't really need a relationship.

Interviewer: What type of guys do you like?

Mitake: Someone older than me...maybe up to around 45. He'd have to be tall and slightly chubby. Oh, and wears glasses!

Interviewer: Ahaha, I don't understand why.

Mitake: Really? But older men will treat me better and I bet they're better at sex!

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Sanrio is one of the top character licensors in the world, having more or less created the business model of doing business by creating something that doesn't really exist and licensing its use to other companies. Sanrio produces nothing -- all their characters, like the Little Twin Star, Minna no Ta-bo, Bad Batz-Maru, exist as legal entities and nothing more. Their most successful character, Hello Kitty, or Kitty-chan as she's known in Japan, is now now thirty years old.

One of the many companies that license Sanrio's characters for their products was a Japanese company called Genyo Co. Ltd. Genyo made a wide variety of products, from bento boxes to children's toys to chopsticks, many with the Hello Kitty character on them. They scored big in the late 1990's with an off-the-wall hit, a series of Hello Kitty toys which featured a different Kitty figure from each of Japan's 47 prefectures, each representing something the prefecture was famous for. (The figure from Gunma Prefecture, where we live, represented a wooden kokeshi doll.)

In 1997, Genyo designed a product that would live in infamy: the Hello Kitty vibrating shoulder massager, which really is a shoulder massager (trust us -- it says so on the package). Sanrio approved this design without batting an eye, and the product enjoyed modest sales in toy shops and in family restaurants like Denny's and Coco's. It wasn't until 1999 or so that people began to catch on to the fact that the Hello Kitty massager had other potential uses, and with amazing speed, they started popping up in adult videos in Japan. The next thing anyone knew, they had changed into a cult adult item, sold in vending machines in love hotels -- after all, what self-respecting man wouldn't buy his girl a Hello Kitty vibrator when she asked him for one?

The emergence of the Hello Kitty vibrator as a cult adult item caused friction between Sanrio and Genyo, and Sanrio ordered the company to stop making the units. Genyo refused, since it had paid a lot of money to license Kitty for their products. There seemed nothing Sanrio could do, since they had approved the item for sale (see the official Sanrio sticker on the boxes). The answer came when the Japanese tax authorities raided Genyo on suspicion of tax evasion. It seems that some creative accounting was going on between the president of the company, a Mr. Nakamura, his vice president, and the owner of the factory in China where the units were made. All three were arrested, and Sanrio had the excuse needed to yank Genyo's license. They seized the molds used to make the vibrators and destroyed them.

And so, the sad, weird chapter of the Hello Kitty vibrator is at an end. In a short time, the last of the Kitty vibes will be gone, and then what will the world do for wacky comic -- and sexual -- relief?

(c) 2004 J-List. Not to be reproduced without prior permission.

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Translated by: Ex-s Woo

Ai-chan is a favorite among all the guys, not just the big-tit pearl necklace fans. She has a bright personality and cute voice and can get all kinds of guys excited. Everyone wants her as a girlfriend.

Born December 24, 1982 Shiga Prefecture
Blood type A
T167, B95, W60, H87

Interviewer: So, Ai, how many videos have you been in now?

Ai: We have shot five, but I think only two have been released so far.

Interviewer: How was your first video shoot?

Ai: I was really nervous. But it was different than I had imagined.

Interviewer: What kind of image did you hold of it?

Ai: I thought it would be more hard core.

Interviewer: Had you ever seen a video before?

Ai: My dad had some. Mostly SM and pantie shots.

Interviewer: Really?!

Ai: He had some others with really beautiful actresses. I liked those.

Interviewer: Some real maniac stuff.

Ai: Yeah. That's why I thought it would be more than it was. I never thought that they would shoot me to make me look so pretty.

Interviewer: Why did you get into this if you had such an image of the business?

Ai: Like I said before, I thought some of the girls were so pretty, and I wanted to have pictures of myself taken like that.

Interviewer: What was it that got you in the business?

Ai: I was scouted. The scout man who called out to me made me want to hear more about it. If he had been a weird guy, I would have probably ignored him.

Interviewer: So, what do you think now?

Ai: It's pretty fun. I was a very shy person before. But when I started work, I didn't do it so much. I think that is a good thing. There are limits to everything, I think.

Interviewer: It is not too good to get overly close to people you meet for the first time in this business.

Ai: I dropped out of high school, and went through a variety of part time jobs. Fast food, sushi bar, coffee shop waitress. It was all service sector jobs. I chose jobs where I had to come in contact with people, but I always thought I had to fix my problem of being too straightforward to people.

Interviewer: Did you find it hard not to be overly familiar with people?

Ai: In those kinds of work, you usually only say a few fixed phrases to people. It wasn't hard to work around it. I never could get by dealing with strange customers.

Interviewer: Strange customers?

Ai: Guys that would ask me out or grab my arm and try to take me away.

Interviewer: That doesn't seem like the things customers should be doing...

Ai: I was never good at dealing with the unexpected.

Interviewer: What about dealing with the actors in videos?

Ai: Sex in the videos is just different than in private. After all, you usually don't have sex with people watching you.

Interviewer: Do you like sex itself, or dislike it?

Ai: I certainly don't dislike it.

Interviewer: How many guys have you been with up to now?

Ai: About 15.

Interviewer: Have you done it with anyone who wasn't your boyfriend at the time?

Ai: I do it, yes. I never went out with two guys at once, but when I have someone I liked, I would have sex with another guy. Not like a sex friend, but I had someone else on the side.

Interviewer: Not just someone you have sex with?

Ai: I liked them both, but it was like, number one and number two.

Interviewer: Kinda like how sex is better if it is someone you really like?

Ai: Yeah, I feel that way. I like just fooling around more than sex itself. It is sad when a guys says "I'm beat" and falls asleep or says I can go home.

Interviewer: I've never told a girl to leave, but the other part I can unfortunately relate to... I don't intend it that way, but I have been called cold after it is over.

Ai: You are that kind of person? How low! I can't forgive a guy like that.

Interviewer: Sorry! Sorry! But you have really had a guy who told you to go home?

Ai: Yeah. I can't take that. I like to be held afterwards and asked if it felt good for me.

Interviewer: You have to have lots of foreplay and followup afterwards?

Ai: I prefer it, yes. Come to think of it, when I was seventeen I went out with my first guy who was good at sex. He made me think "this is real sex." Up until then, all the men I was with just wanted to do it so they could cum.

Interviewer: Say, when was your first time?

Ai: I was really into volleyball when I was in high school, so I didn't have time for boys. It was my third year of high school. I did it with a boy the same age as I. Come to think of it, the first time he just stuck it in me and it was over just like that. He did say sorry, though.

Interviewer: It was his first time, too?

Ai: No. He was a real playboy.

Interviewer: Even so, he was an early cummer.

Ai: Yeah. Right away (laughs).

Interviewer: Some guys are just like that. If he was a playboy, did he have you do stuff like blowjobs on your first time?

Ai: Yeah, he did. I had done it once before though.

Interviewer: I thought you were a sports girl and didn't have time for stuff like that.

Ai: On Valentine's day, I met with a boy I liked to give him chocolate. We went between the school building and the gym and he sat on the stairs and asked me to give him a blow job. So I did.

Interviewer: And lo and behold.

Ai: He told me to do it like this and that. But afterwards, he never asked for it again. I think I might have hurt him (laughs).

Interviewer: Without a doubt.

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Translated by: Ex-S Woo

Interviewer: So, you debuted last year, right?
Hitomi: Right, the latter half of July.

Interviewer: It's common to do photoshoots early on in this line of work but you've been doing this for almost a year now. How does it feel?
Hitomi: Well, I've gotten used to work but I still feel a bit nervous about doing them.

Interviewer: Even after 10 tapes?
Hitomi: Yesterday...or was it the day before that? Anyway, I just finished shooting my 12th tape, and that feeling's still there. Actually, I'm more comfortable doing live stuff like this interview more than the shoots.

Interviewer: Do you get embarassed when they ask you to act natural?
Hitomi: Yes, I do. The actors do a lot for you when you're on the recieving side, but people are asking me to be more agressive recently and I don't know how I'm supposed to do that, exactly.

Interviewer: Well, I suppose it's natural after getting the amount of experience you got so far.
Hitomi: That's true. It's really about time that I do become more agressive.

Interviewer: So if you're acting like this now, I bet it was a lot worse when you were debuting.
Hitomi: I've blocked it out of my mind (laughs). I don't remember a thing about my first tape.

Interviewer: Isn't that because you were too busying coming?
Hitomi: No, it was really because I had no idea what I was doing at the time. I think the 2nd tape was like that too.

Interviewer: ...and it's still continuing to a certain extent, it seems like. You're doing about 1 tape a month, right?
Hitomi: Right. I often get cast as a younger sister or a high school student, which is good since it's for me when I have to act out a role. I love to act. I tend to do rather badly on the straight sex tapes.

Interviewer: Well, that's probably because straight sex is all that's there in those tapes.
Hitomi: Exactly. So I don't think I'm quite ready for it.

Interviewer: You don't like sex?
Hitomi: No, I do (laughs). Being filmed is also a bit of turn on as well. I get more comfortable as the same director films me over and over again.

Interviewer: I see. So how about photoshoots like this one?
Hitomi: It's a lot of fun. I mean, I get to travel and everything.

Interviewer: Hey, your voice sounds a lot happier now. Do you look at your own pictures?
Hitomi: I do take a look them when I see them in stores, but I don't go out of my way to do it. It's more like me leafing through a magazine that I find in a office or something.

Interviewer: Oh, so it's pretty much like how people decide on what magazines to buy. You know, you've been in a lot of photoshoots and interviews lately, haven't you?
Hitomi: Yes. There's not as many interviews anymore, but I had more interviews than shoots for the first 3 months or so. -I bet the questions are all the same though. It really is. They're all about my newest tape or about my private life.

Interviewer: That and what led you to make a debut.
Hitomi: Right (laughs).

Hitomi HayasakaInterviewer: Well, we do get in trouble if we don't ask. So how did it happen anyway?
Hitomi: I was scouted. Someone came up to me while I was walking home with a friend. I'm not sure why I okayed it at the time though (laughs). There was nothing I really wanted to do and I quit school a bit earlier so I was really worried about what I should do. I never dreamed of being in a place like this at the time.

Interviewer: How was your photoshoot like?
Hitomi: It was during the summer so it was incredibly hot, but I think it came out pretty well. I even remember buying a copy of it at the deli (laughs).

Interviewer: You also did a photobook, right?
Hitomi: Yes, my 2nd one just came out, actually. There's another one coming out this summer too.

Interviewer: 3 books in one year is quite impressive. So I bet you did a lot of shooting overseas.
Hitomi: Not really. I went to Saipan for the first one, and I was supposed to go back for the 2nd book as well but we ended up going to a studio in Yokohama due to the 9/11 attacks.

Interviewer: Oh, I see. Still, you must've been in a lot of shoots by now. Over a 100, maybe?
Hitomi: Hmmm, I've been doing 3 or 4 a week so it might be around that number.

Interviewer: Did you have problems in any of them?
Hitomi: I guess the photobook shoots are the hardest. I remember the wind being so strong for the shooting of the 2nd book that my clothes would go flying off. They kept calling me Tarzan (laughs). It was incredibly cold too...I still remember what a hard time I had back then.

Interviewer: I see. How about videos then?
Hitomi: It'd be have to be the first two tapes for video shooting. The 2nd one was particularily hard for me. I never had much experience with adult toys until then that I even cried.

Interviewer: Just try not to cry here.
Hitomi: I'm fine now (laughs). But I was really scared at the time. I didn't think I could get past the third tape at this rate. But I was with the actors the entire time for the third one, and that was okay. It was a bit awkward since they would suddenly come on stage, but it was nice to be working with them for an extended period of time.

Interviewer: So you really had no experience until then?
Hitomi: Yes. I went out with someone for two years in high school but I never let him see me nude. The only position we did was missionary...

Interviewer: It didn't feel good?
Hitomi: It did feel pretty good. Of course, it didn't feel like that at all when I lost my virginity in my third year of High School. It took a while for it to start feeling good.

Interviewer: I'm surprised you decided to do AVs at all.
Hitomi: Things got a lot easier for me after the third and fourth tapes, but people around me were starting to find out what I did, so it was a tough time for me. It was around the 7th tape that I steeled my mind and decided to continue this as long as I can.

Interviewer: You mean your friends found out?
Hitomi: Well, my closest friends were cheering me on. But some of the people I knew would be whispering behind my back.

Interviewer: Did you have a tough time in school?
Hitomi: I think it was pretty normal. Of course, that might just mean that the whole system is messed up nowadays (laughs).

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Reviewed by Rowena Lim Lei Publisher: LIBIDO Available at: J-List Cost: $49.95 Quality: Excellent "H" factor: Mostly vanilla, with a few S&M themes Overview: Easily one of the best dating simulations

Description:
You are a teenage boy in high school. You join the Casual Romance Club in order to meet other people and perhaps find love. There are twelve girls you can approach, each one possessing her own unique beauty and personality. Use your time and efforts wisely and you may just get yourself more than a casual romance...

Review:
Casual Romance Club is supposedly along the lines of the bishoujo game "True Love", which is still one of my favorite bishoujo games to date. You are given a month to win somebody's heart, after which you'll ask the girl of your choice to keep seeing you even after the club adjourns. It's a happy ending if she agrees, and it simply means you failed to win her heart if she doesn't. It's somewhat like "True Love" in the sense that you fill each day with activities. You can chat with a girl, ask her out, or make an appointment for a weekend date. But that's about all the two games have in common. Casual Romance Club is a totally different experience altogether.

As I've mentioned earlier, twelve girls are available for your romancing pleasure. Each game day starts at the Starry Sky restaurant, with the club notebook laid out for you. The club notebook has the lowdown on all the girls -- their basic statistics, pictures, horoscopes, likes, dislikes, etc. The girls also record their thoughts and reactions on daily events next to their horoscopes, so reading the club notebook can prove vital to your success. I was able to win the first two girls I picked out, and so I thought that simply concentrating on one girl was enough to win her heart. I was wrong. When I tried to win Shiina / Bridget (the girls all have Western and Japanese names, it's up to you to choose which to use while playing the game), I spent every ounce of my time and efforts on her but was far from getting her to like me by the end of the game. I wound up alone. Casual Romance Club was not as simple as I thought. I proceeded to try and win Ayumu / Paige next, and I mysteriously lost to one of the other guys in the club by the third game week.

If getting a girlfriend wasn't enough challenge, there's also getting 100% of the CGs in a girl's photo album. You can very well get the good ending without ever getting all her pictures. You need to be wary of what you say when having a private chat, from picking the day's topic to responding appropriately to the girl you are talking to. Given the girls' varying personalities, the best topics, questions, and answers are never the same. You really have to keep everything you know about the girl in mind when interacting with her. Casual Romance Club could very well be considered as one of the most realistic dating simulations given this type of gameplay.

Casual Romance Club's artwork is excellent. Character designs are beautiful, and the CGs are rendered in varying styles. The game images are more solidly drawn and vibrant, while the final ending images (see screenshots below) possess the softer appearance of what looks like hand-blended pastel crayons. Since this is an original Japanese release, the hentai scenes all have mosaics for the lower genital areas. I can honestly say that the mosaics were really quite unobtrusive and did not really affect my enjoyment of the game in any way though. Casual Romance Club is bilingual as well. You can choose to have the character voices in Japanese or English, and both tracks are performed by the same Japanese voice actresses. While their English speaking skills vary, I thought the whole bilingual concept worked very well.

Casual Romance Club is easily one of the best, if not the best dating simulation out in the market today. Since it's very challenging, there's a lot of replay value in store. It's also pretty straight all throughout -- no rape, violence, or sadomasochism ever occurs at any point in the game. It even has the most eye-poppingly impressive game manual I've ever laid eyes on -- hardbound, full-color glossy pages, and bilingual to boot! If you should decide to try out an import bishoujo game, make this one it.

Miscellanies:

Casual Romance Club is being sold in Japan for a retail price of 8800 yen. It's on DVD-ROM. This is one of the very few straight-from-Japan games that's bilingual. It's on sale for $49.95 at J-List (reduced from $68).

Copyright Animetric.com, Reprinted with permission

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Translated by Ex-S Woo

A sultry woman who is erotic and elegant, Ran Asakawa has a huge number of dedicated fans. Enjoy an English interview with her!

Interviewer: So let's get started. When was your debut?
Ran: Last July.

Interviewer: What did you do before you debuted?
Ran: I quit Jr College before I started doing this.

Interviewer: So why did you decide to become an AV actress then?
Ran: Well, I wanted to study to get a decent but I can't do that while I have a regular 9-5 job, right? So I picked AVs.

Interviewer: But you did get scouted for this at first, right?

Ran: No, I found out where the office was and pretty much sold myself.

Interviewer: Seriously?
Ran: It's pretty rare for someone to come up to do it on their own. I mean, I do understand your need to make money, but I'm sure that there were other ways to make money. Yeah. So I did work at clubs at the like for a while but I just couldn't stand the people. Same thing with the brothels.

Interviewer: I see. So then I suppose doing AVs is the logical thing to do.
Ran: Actually, I was thinking about strip dancing right before I went to the office.

Interviewer: What!? Asakawa Ran did stripping before her AV debut!? What brought that on?
Ran: Well, you don't really have any customers when you strip.

Interviewer: Oh, I see. You must really be bad with the customers then. So did you actually get up on stage and everything?
Ran: Nope. I went into a club that did that and I asked about the hours and it was just way too long. I figured that I was better off just working at the club I was at so I decided to back out.

Interviewer: Still, didn't you think that you might happen on some rich guy and then you'll be set?
Ran: Ahh--I didn't think of that possibility (laughs).

Interviewer: Anyway, how many tapes have you made so far?
Ran: It should be around 100.

Interviewer: Huh? That's more than I thought. Did you do that many?
Ran: There's a lot where there's another girl or one of those mix bag tapes.

Interviewer: I see. Then how about ones where you the only star?
Ran: Uhh...around 10, I think.

Interviewer: Now it's too small! I figured that once you got to your level they would offer more tapes of you by yourself...but am I wrong?
Ran: Well, I'm signed on for regular tapes so that's pretty much how it works out.

Interviewer: Hmm. But you're really pretty now that I see you like this (up close) so it's hard to figure out why they decided to put you on those tapes only.
Ran: I'm guessing it's because youngish, loli looking women were in around the time I signed up.

Interviewer: Well, it's true that you have that aura around you that makes you seem almost frightening at first. You face is pretty big, too.
Ran: You're making me sound like some monster! (laughs)

Interviewer: Then again, even Nagase Ai started out as a really minor star until she made her big break. Maybe that's whats happening to you right now. There's a lot of your tapes being released right now.
Ran: Yeah, I'm really happy that I'm starting to gain popularity. Still, I'm only doing the regular tapes. So I do get the feeling that I'm being limited at times.

Interviewer: How odd.
Ran: Well, I'm not really good at acting.

Interviewer: I think being as pretty as you are should be good enough.
Ran: Oh, I'm not that pretty (laughs). My stomach sticks out a bit and I have a real big complex about my face.

Interviewer: No way! Why! Are you stupid or something? What about your face?
Ran: Everyone tells me that I look really freaky when I get angry. One of the girls I worked with recently got so curious about it that she asked the staff to make sure that I was okay.

Interviewer: Oh come on. You're talking about expressions, not your face.
Ran: (laughs) But I still don't like my face.

Interviewer: Hmmm, then I guess you're the enemy of all the not-so-pretty women out there then. I mean, you're bound to have someone call you ugly no matter how cute or pretty you are. I bet you never experienced that.
Ran: Well, I did hear "your gut is sticking out" quite a few times (laughs).

Interviewer: Well, you'd have to be pretty picky to notice that. I like it looks quite nice, sexy actually. Well anyway, I doubt you're going to get my complaints about your looks.
Ran: Hmm, really? Oh my.

Interviewer: What do you mean, "Oh my" ? I bet you were really popular back in school.
Ran: (surprised) What! I wasn't popular at all. I did track during school so I had my hair cut short, my body was tanned, and I was alsoa about 10kg heavier.

Interviewer: I see...well, there are a lot of pretty people out there that don't seem to be aware of that fact. The first time I saw you on screen was by one of those tapes by Dream Chat and I still remember being totally taken in when you came on. That's when I became a huge fan of yours...and why you're here right now.
Ran: Why thank you! (shakes hand) My pussy is very thankful for you support (laughs).

Interviewer: (laughs). Did you like to have sex before you started this work?
Ran: That's a secret (laughs). Well, I just like to have sex.

Interviewer: I figured as much. I mean, that's the feeling I get when I watch your stuff. I noticed that there's a lot of thrusting scenes in your films. How do you feel about them?
Ran: Well, you know how it's the guy that's fucking me that's holding the camera, right? We have to stop whenever they have to change the angle so it's pretty annoying.

Interviewer: It lowers the tension?
Ran: Yeah. I mean, it's a cock inside my pussy so of course it feels good for me. So if they stop in the middle, my pussy starts feeling really cold. It's crying "ram that big cock inside me" (laughs).

Interviewer: I see. So I guess the director get's off since he's doing whatever he feels like but I guess you don't get much release.
Ran: Well, I am usually satisfied by the end.

Interviewer: ...which would mean that you basically enjoy the sex you have on screen.
Ran: Well, it makes my pussy feel good (laughs). Uh, could I loosen my belt a bit?

Interviewer: What?
Ran: I just ate so my stomach is full.

Interviewer: Oh, feel free. Hey, can I take a look at your stomach while at it?
Ran: No way! I don't show my body naked except on camera.

Interviewer: Showing your belly isn't the same as being naked.
Ran: Hmm...okay, but just 2cm though. Here (shows her stomach a little).

Interviewer: Oooh! It's Asakawa Ran's stomach live! I'm so happy!
Ran: You're weird (laughs).

Interviewer: And I know it. By the way, I see a lot of hardcore action when I see you but what about kissing?
Ran: I love to kiss, but I don't know frenching that much.

Interviewer: Really? But you do it all the time on camera.
Ran: Well, that's true but...it's like sex. It depends on who I'm doing it with.

Interviewer: Like your boyfriend?
Ran: I don't have one right now (lahghs). I don't have much luck with men.

Interviewer: Oh really? Great. I hope you stay that way. What?
Ran: Oh come on (laughs). I want a guy!

Interviewer: Really? How about me?
Ran: Let's continue the interview.

Interviewer: Sheesh. Oh yeah, I was wondering about this for a long time, but I noticed you have no problems admitting that you do AVs in magazines and the like, but do the people around you know as well?
Ran: Pretty much everyone but my parents.

Interviewer: And you're fine with that?
Ran: Oh, I'm perfectly fine with it. I think it's normal. Actually, I more perplexed about people who do think hard about those things.

Interviewer: What? Are you serious...? Well, then what if your parents knew?
Ran: I don't mind it too much. I mean, I'm an adult now and I chose this line of work due to my own free will. Of course, I know that they'll be reall angry if they did find out, but I don't think it would really affect me either way.

Interviewer: Oh, really? Wow. But I bet the people that do know point their fingers are you behind your back.
Ran: That's true. There are people like that. Of course I'm against things like that, but I don't really care if they don't understand my position and actually, I'm just satified if the people I care about do understand. There's no reason for people I'm not friends with to try to understand me.

Interviewer: Hmm, that sounds more like a foreign way of thinking than a Japanese one. Were you always like that?
Ran: Well, it was by the time I realized it myself (laughs). I mean, there are some common ways of thinking that I agree with but I think most of it is a load of bull. I don't see why I need to follow other people advice on how I should lead my own life. So anyway, I don't really care if other people find out that I'm doing AVs.

Interviewer: Then how was your impression of the AV industry before you entered it?
Ran: Well, I didn't think I would be able to just strip on camera and have the dick of some guy I don't know inside my pussy when I saw it. But after I did it I was like "Hey, this isn't that hard after all" (laughs).

Interviewer: How's it like to have sex in front of other people?
Ran: Embarrassing (laughs). It feels good but it's still embarrassing. I think you'd notice this if you watch my tapes, but my eyes are always closed when I'm having sex. Of course, I feel even more embarrassed after it's all finished.

Interviewer: You're considered a popular AV star now, but how was it like when you started out?
Ran: Like I said before, Loricon style girls were in when I started out. I look pretty mature so there wasn't too much work for me at first. I think I only did about 10 tapes the first 6 months combined. That's how unpopular I was (laughs).

Interviewer: Were you always comfortable with having sex in front of the camera though?
Ran: Yeah. I mean, AVs are like that. I do remember suddenly crying after the first shooting I did though. I was wondering what I was doing to myself.

Interviewer: But you didn't think about quitting.
Ran: That I didn't. It wasn't really a question of the work being hard on me.

Interviewer: So you started just banging guys afterwards.
Ran: Of course. I mean, I'm going to be fucked by them anyway, I might as well enjoy it. I get fucked pretty much everyday now (laughs).

Interviewer: Let's move on to your private life. How old were you when you first hard sex and who did you do it with?
Ran: 19 at a love hotel. It was with a salary man I was going out with at the time.

Interviewer: Could you elaborate on what you did with him?
Ran: Well, we took seperate showers and then we got on the bed and started kissing. I wasn't very hardcore back then (laughs). He then used both his hands to fondle my breasts and later sucked on them. Then his tongle slowly worked its way down my body until it finally reached my crotch. Then he spread my pussy lips and peered inside.

Interviewer: But wouldn't the lights have been off by then?
Ran: Exactly. He actually got out a lighter to see inside me.

Interviewer: I see.
Ran: So in the dark... my pussy was the only thing that could be seen (laughs). He then licked my clit and pussy until it was nice and wet. Of course it was my first time so I was like "Ahhn, don't lick when I go pee-pee" (laughs). He then slowly inserted a finger inside me to see how it was inside. After a while he slowly began to thrust inside with his fingers. Then I told him that I'll get on top so then I got on him and started licking his nipples. I then touched his cock and I noticed that it was really getting hard. Of course, there's only one reason a cock would get hard, right (laughs)? So that's when I sucked a cock for the first time.

Interviewer: How was it like?
Ran: Well, the only thing that was on my mind at the time was a sex article from one of those women's magazines that said "Be careful not to have your teetch touch your boyfriend's penis when performing fellatio" (laughs). When I began to do it my boyfriend said "Careful not to get your teeth on it" so I realized how right that article was (laughs). So I basically sucked him off with my teeth covered under my lips.

Interviewer: So how did you feel afterwards?
Ran: Well, at first I had my doubts if sucking on the place where you piss could possibly feel good but he told me that he felt good, which made incredibly happy. But his cock was really big and my jaw began to hurt after awhile (laughs).

Interviewer: By the way, did you lick the thing that's hanging under it?
Ran: Well, I didn't know much about sex at the time so I knew that having your cock sucked could feel good but I didn't know that it rang true for your balls as well. That's why I didn't suck his balls. Anyway, after I did it for a while he told me that he was ready to put it inside me so we ended up fucking missionary style afterwards.

Interviewer: How did it feel inside you?
Ran: It hurt a lot. He went easy on me at first because he knew that it was my first time but he eventually got caught up on how good his dick was feeling and he started just pumping away. It really hurt when he penetrated all the way inside me but I just closed my eyes and tried to hold in the pain.

Interviewer: How long did it take for you to start enjoying sex?
Ran: Around the 10th time we did it. My pussy wasn't as tight and it actually started getting wet naturally so the dick started going in a lot easier. My G-spot is right near the womb so I always come when his dick would rub it. My clit also got sensitive enough to come even if he was just licking my clit. It's all his fault that my pure body turned into a horny one (laughs).

Interviewer: So how many people have you had sex with in your private life?
Ran: Ummm, maybe about a 100? I don't have a boyfriend right now though so much of the fucking I get now is from work.

Interviewer: What do you want to do from now on?
Ran: Well, I know I can't do AVs forever, so I've been studying on my free time so that I can find work afterwards. The work has been getting a lot of fun though, so I want to continue on for at least another year.

Interviewer: What's fun about being an AV actress?
Ran: Well, there's a lot of things I do while doing AVs and the work is slightly different every day. I hate doing the same thing every day (laughs), but the work I do would change locations every time I do it and stuff like that. I even get to experience things that I can't in a normal daily situation...like bondage (laughs). So it's in a lot of fun in that sense.

Interviewer: Then how about things that you don't like about being in the spotlight?
Ran: Well, the thing I hate the most are those people who just flatter me even if they're thinking something that's completely opposite. Oh, that and other girls on the set.

Interviewer: They annoy you?
Ran: No, it's not about me liking them or not. It's just that I only have interest in men when I have any sexual contact, so I feel uncomfortable if there's a girl on the set even if she's not doing anything.

Interviewer: Then would you do a lesbian scene with you two lick each other's pussy?
Ran: Ahhh!! No way! Pass! I don't even want to think about it.

Interviewer: Hearing that makes me want to see you do it even more.
Ran: It's not happening.

Interviewer: Finally, what would you do if you had to fuck me for work?
Ran: Well, if it was for work I would do it with you.

Interviewer: The "if it's for work" get's to me, but I'll make sure to buy more videos of yours from now on!
Ran: Now go back home (laughs).

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Translated by Ex-S Woo

Rio really attracts all types, especially strange men on the train. She was recently offered 20,000 yen to let an old man lick her leg.

Now for the interview you have been waiting for! Rio-chan, voted number one video idol by our readers, finally making her interview debut!! She is so busy that she had no time for rest, but Rio was all smiles for our photos.

Born Feb. 20, 1981, Tokyo
Blood type O
T160, B88, W57, H86

Interviewer: You were voted number one among our readers, now you are finally making your photo debut for our magazine. How have you been lately?

Rio: I wonder that myself (laughs). I have been dragged around to auditions. We shot my second photo book in Los Angeles.

Interviewer: Los Angeles? Wow.

Rio: But I don't like the food there. And when I went to Fiji, I couldn't eat the mangos. We got caught in a real typhoon. And I don't mean just a squall (laughs). Say, don't you think this uniform skirt is kinda long?

Interviewer: You wore it shorter when you were in high school?

Rio: Oh yeah. And I wore panties that it was OK to see. Some girls would cover up with bags on the stairs, but I felt if you didn't want to be seen, don't wear it that short.

Interviewer: You were a real street girl.

Rio: But with this face, you know. If I would show up at a family restraunt to study with friends and I was not in my uniform, the waitress would ask me if I needed an ashtray.

Interviewer: You have lost weight since you debuted, haven't you?

Rio: I was so busy last year, I collapsed from exhaustion. I didn't even have the strength to eat. I took some medicine for a month to gain weight that says not to use more than a week.

Interviewer: You look fine today, though. Today's studio is in the suburbs and the air is clean. Lots of bugs, though. You OK with that?

Rio: Uh huh. I can catch cockroaches. If I hold out my hand, they will crawl right on.

Interviewer: Wow, that's deep!

Rio: I got used to them working at a bakery. If you see one, there are a thousand hiding where you can't see them.

Interviewer: I don't think I can eat bread after hearing that.

Rio: There was one in the bread once, too. An angry customer brought it in.

Interviewer: I don't think our readers will be eating bread, either. You are tougher than some guys, even though you don't look like one. How many videos have you been in?

Rio: About eight. That was after I collapsed and had to take time off. I got fevers and felt bad at the worst times, on the weekend (laughs). I called the emergency number to find out if there were any hospitals open on the weekend. When they asked me what my temperature was, I truthfully said 41 degrees (105 degrees Fahrenheit). The next thing I heard was "we'll send an ambulance right away!" Did you know that you call on a cell phone, you can't hang up until the ambulance arrives?

Interviewer: They have to find the right place. I thought you would have been in more videos since you're so popular. You haven't been in any indies videos?

Rio: I wouldn't sell myself like that. It would end my career. I couldn't take any of that really hardcore stuff. I think I have matured beyond that.

Interviewer: Matured?

Rio: After doing a chijo (slutty woman) woman roll, I think I can do just about anything.

Interviewer: Say, what got you into the business?

Rio: It must have been after I was robbed. My underwear was taken, and even my clothes and shoes. I think it was a stalker. My money was taken too. I didn't even have enough money to move. Then I remembered that I had been scouted a few times.

Interviewer: Are you stalked often?

Rio: Yeah. The apartment had automatic locks, but they can like slip in the elevator with someone to get in. I have been running into perverts since I was in junior high.

Interviewer: You must be emitting pheromones that attract stalkers. So, you debuted as a VIP. How did you find it?

Rio: I thought that it would just be photographs for a magazine. I asked the director what magazine it was for and everyone was in shock. He told me it was a video shoot, and then it was my turn to be in shock. I didn't have time to prepare myself mentally. I wasn't sure I could do it with a guy I didn't like. Even the size of the camera was shocking.

Interviewer: And before you knew it, a year has passed.

Rio: I guess it has been that long. I haven't had any time off since September.

Interviewer: Your popularity is sure on the rise.

Rio: I think that is unusual. I hear that your popularity usually rises fast then it starts to sink.

Interviewer: But it seems that there are more girls fitting your pattern lately.

Rio: I really intended to quit after I paid back the money I borrowed to move. I started for the money, but then I realized that my work turned into something of substance like when I was doing the photos and videos. But I do think about quitting when I get worn out from work.

Interviewer: You must be trying too hard if you get that worn out.

Rio: That's what they tell me. I don't realize it until I have reached my limits. At a different job, I was coughing up blood and they still said to hurry back because they were understaffed.

Interviewer: What do you think about your work now?

Rio: Sometimes I do think about just doing photos. But some say I am too skinny. Then I worry and lose even more weight.

Interviewer: You pay too much attention to what others say.

Rio: I pretend I don't notice. But I really do.

Interviewer: There are people in this business who will say anything. But they don't really mean it. So, do you like the present or how things were in the past?

Rio: I think things are good now.

Interviewer: You were cute when you debuted. But you have matured into a fine woman now.

Rio: That's a nice way to put it. Some just say I look older. I was mistaken for a college student when I was in junior high. I was scouted all the time when I was still in high school (laughs).

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Reviewed by Smith Company: Idea Pocket Available at: J-List Cost: $40.00 Video quality: Excellent. Great close-in as well as wide-angled shots. "H" factor: Extremely erotic! Hot sex throughout! Sex: International amateur action at it's best! Overview: Japanese indies AV makers go to Hungary to film them with gorgeous girls.

Shot in the beautiful country of Hungary, this Idea Pocket DVD is a clone of the boys from Wild Side, who do the Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! series (of which one of the best has to be the Berlin version with all the raver girls!), but that doesn't at all limit it in any way. In scope and pure hardcore sexual erotica, this DVD rocks!

Yes, indeed, AV is AV, sex is sex, but if it's not erotic, why am I watching? All too often, the girls they audition and pay to star in the films can be very non-professional about the work. As far as I'm concerned, these ladies aren't just paid to spread their legs, they are paid (and thereby obligated) to make the viewing audience believe they are enjoying it -- whether they are or aren't (hopefully they are!). The girls of Budapest were wild and ready for action. I didn't have a hard time (or rather I did -- insert tongue firmly into cheek) believing these girls were enjoying themselves. As do the guys.

And why not? Each of the girls was a beautiful, cheerful, friendly, young twenty-something woman with sexual wiles that drive a man insane. It was also utterly fascinating to see how many of them were shaved either completely or partially. Stunning, carefully cropped pubic mounds were a complete turn on, as were their "club girl" fashion and fun attitudes. Very open to their Japanese partner-lovers. Open-minded to trying to speak Japanese (and doing it surprisingly well!) on camera. It was a sexual melting pot of Japanse, English and Hungarian languages, all coming together in the international language of sex!

Heavily into amateur over professional work, I found this to be well worth my time. Sexual liasons included oral sex, outdoor sex, balcony sex, upskirt shots, masturbation (which the girl really got into!), lesbian sex, 3P (threesome in English), light spanking (I couldn't believe how naturally this couple performed, it was actually if they had been together for years), countertop sex, fingerbanging, to name just a few. There was also excellent stocking, high heel, and lingerie action as well.

Put it all together with an upscale porn groove soundtrack and this is an impressive title. 6 gorgeous girls. 120 minutes.

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you

Reviewed by Rowena Lim Lei Publisher: Peach Princess Available at: J-List Cost: $39.95 Quality: Perfect "H" factor: Hetero themes, nothing hardcore Overview: A challenging RPG with wonderful bishoujo themes

Description:
You are Rudy, a skilled young swordsman who is thrown out of the house by your own father -- in the hopes that you'll learn to thrive independently. Since your childhood days, a beautiful and mysterious girl appears before you every time there's a full moon. You have no idea who she is or what she wants, but finding her has become something of an obssession. As fate would have it, you meet a girl that looks just like your elusive Moon Goddess shortly after you're sent off. Whether you solve the mystery of the Moon Goddess or find love in the arms of another is all in your hands...

Review:
One of my bishoujo game frustrations has always been the fact that I had not been able to play the bishoujo RPG "Knights of Xentar" when it was released by the now defunct Megatech Games. I've loved Japanese RPGs for as long as I can remember, and Knights of Xentar was the first English-translated bishoujo RPG ever. When Peach Princess first informed me that they were going to release Brave Soul, I was as excited as any RPG and bishoujo game enthusiast could be. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've waited years to play this game... and my expectations were high.

In Brave Soul, you take on the role of Rudy, a swordsman who joins a guild to become a hunter. The game's premises are actually quite simple: be the best hunter you can be, fight evil, and get yourself a girlfriend/wife. There's a grand total of six girls you can end up with: Alicia, the dead-ringer for the Moon Goddess; Ruby, a sassy Robin Hood-esque female thief who steals from the rich and gives to the poor; Carroll, a powerful magician who's deathly afraid of the undead; Marine, the playful cat girl who's descended from an elder race; and lastly, two secret characters whom you have to unlock on your own.

Unlike the usual bishoujo game where all you have to do is pick a decision, Brave Soul requires much more of an effort to play through. You form parties, visit towns, buy and sell items, solve puzzles, battle through dungeons -- all that along with picking the right answers in order to impress the girls you're with. You score love points by taking on missions that the girl(s) like and approve of, and by staying at inns in order to seek the girl(s) out during your free time. Special events unfold if you have enough love points by the time you go see a girl. You can only take along two girls in your party and so you'll really have to replay this game several times to get all the endings and bonuses.

I wasn't expecting the RPG elements to be challenging since this was primarily still a bishoujo game. Lo and behold, most dungeons consisted of at least ten levels with a gazillion monsters ready to attack your party... and at the last level there would almost always be a big boss, just like most RPGs. I was so confident that I made the grave mistake of choosing the difficult setting for the game, which almost drove me to tear my hair out in frustration many times. This game is packed to the gills -- additional dungeons, quests, and modes can be unlocked every time you beat the game. Worth a special mention is the map mode. After you finish the game once, the map mode becomes available in your camp screen. It shows you exactly where you are in a dungeon, and more importantly, where the exit is. If you beat the game several times you'll be given the option to start off with the highest level attained and all your items intact so that going through the game on your nth time would be a breeze (unless you're a masochist and you choose the nightmare mode).

In terms of visuals, Brave Soul is excellent in all aspects. I really liked the character designs and the CGs were nothing short of perfect. The 2D sprite mode when you're adventuring is reminiscent of how earlier Japanese RPGs such as Final Fantasy 1-6, Arc the Lad, and the original Legend of Zelda looked. The sex scenes were pretty graphic albeit in a few CGs, Rudy's penis would either be hidden from view or invisible. There also aren't any hardcore stuff like S&M or bondage. It's all straightforward heterosexual action. Take note that you can only make love to a girl if you stay at an inn, and getting one girl to bed automatically locks out all the other girls... so better make sure that the girl you're going to do is the girl that you want to end up with.

Brave Soul is to date the most massive, most challenging, and most rewarding bishoujo game I've ever played. Replaying is anything but tedious since there are a gazillion things to unlock and discover, and there are numerous features that make your life a whole lot easier each time you go through it. Whoever feels that bishoujo games are thin on gameplay and entertainment value should give this one a spin. This is definitely one title any bishoujo game fan should not miss.

Miscellanies:
Extra features include a CG and music gallery. Oh and remember... the Tab key is your friend.
The art was done by the creator of a fantasy anime called Scrapped Princess, making this a sort of hentai version of that anime.

(c) www.animetric.com, Reprinted with permission

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you