Maeda Atsuko (Acchan) / 1st Generation

I think there are quite a few reasons for love ban. I believe Acchan's words, but I've also heard that often love ban is used as a safety net for idols with sleazy producers who want some personal favours in return for making the girls famous. You can easily use that to say "I'm sorry, I can't." Others say that the love ban is used to focus on work and not get distracted by feelings.

In the same interview, Acchan also said she announced her graduation because she thought 20 years old was the peak age for idols. Really a shame. She would have been an amazing idol for years to come, but to graduate at the peak of your career takes a lot of guts.

 

This surprised me a little when I read about it because I always thought that Acchan never had a love experience while she was in AKB. I always thought that her first experience was with Sato Takeru, although I don't think that they dated (not sure), they had rumors, back then with those pictures after her graduation. I remember the stories said something about how she thought that they would date after her graduation but that it didn't happen which is why she was crying in the pictures (clearly she was drunk too)... still not sure what happened but I do think they had something, and it ended in a bad way. After that she dated that stage play actor, which also ended in a bad way. He was caught kissing a married woman, it was before the official break-up with Acchan. then I remember she had rumors with someone from a band, but it didn't receive much attention. and finally Katsuji Ryo who she married, but it ended in a bad way as well. Now all of this along with her experience at 16 years old which also ended in heartbreak... Acchan really doesn't have luck with love ._. Hope she finds someone good...

Now about the love ban rule, well, if Acchan was 16 years old when this happened, it means that this was in 2007. At that time AKB was still new, they weren't popular, so it makes sense that they weren't controlled as much and management let them do their own thing including dating, it's not like the medias would care at that time. Acchan's experience might have made management take this more seriously and be more strict, but they would have had a love ban either way once the group became popular, which was not long after that. Once AKB rose in popularity, everyone followed every move they did, and dating would have been a scandal just like it is for other non-48 idols. it wouldn't be any different, with or without Acchan's story... Hopefully she (and fans in general) don't blame her because clearly she didn't create this rule, and it would have been applied to the group either way (besides we all know that it's not a "real" rule, just that they can't be caught)



Speaking of Acchan's love life, I recently read this article about Acchan talking about a possibility of remarriage. The article says:

"On June 8, Maeda Atsuko appeared on the radio program 'TOKYO SPEAKEASY' and talked about the possibility of getting married again.

During the program, Maeda talked with actor Ikematsu Sosuke, whom she has been good friends with since co-starring in the drama 'Q10' in 2010. Ikematsu, who revealed that he has a desire to get married, asked Maeda, "Don't you ever think about remarriage?" to which she responded, "I don't think about it. Not right now. Not yet."

When Ikematsu mentioned how hard it must be to be a single mother, Maeda answered, "I often feel like I don't have enough time. I think that makes me restless everyday. The day goes by really fast. When I realize it, I'm only sleeping with him [her child]. And when I realize it, it's morning, and think, 'I need to go to daycare!'"

Upon hearing this, Ikematsu said, "Isn't it okay then? You're doing such a good job, so if you want to remarry, wouldn't it be okay to say, 'I want to remarry!'?"

Maeda agreed and said, "If there's someone that the little one [her son] has a lot of fun with together, then I want to get married again."

Maeda married actor Katsuji Ryo in July of 2018 and gave birth to their son in March of 2019. Earlier in April, she announced that she and Katsuji had divorced."

I understand Acchan if she is not thinking of getting married again for now... it would be nice if she just finds someone who is good to her and if they can be happy together, hopefully ;w;



About her graduation, yes I always thought that Acchan graduated early and 20 is such a young age. it does take courage to leave at the peak of your career because she could have had a comfortable and successful career as idol for many more years (and I would have loved it) but I also understand that leaving at her peak was a good option as well as it helped her in her individual career, she was still (and still is) popular and discussed a lot because of the fact that she quit being idol at her peak. So generally, it's also a good decision. I just love her as idol, so I wish she continued just a little longer, or even if she just continued her singing career... But I love her acting career as well so either way I will support her in anything! and even until now she is seen as one of the most legendary idols, she is always mentioned. Her popularity and impact in the idol industry will always be remembered!

 

Was it Maimai that talked about the love ban not existing while she was in the group and that lots of members, herself included, had boyfriends? I agree it was inevitable with their increasing popularity.

 

There's a reason that 2008-09 had a ton of graduations.

 

I doubt she was the only reason for the love ban, but it makes sense for management to be more strict about it once they got popular.

Also, reading that snippet of the article made me sad. Being a single mother is tough, and I’m sure it’s hard for Acchan who probably works all day every day. I hope she has a good support system and doesn’t miss out too much on her son’s life.

 

Great news! Acchan has a new role in the drama "Shinigami-san" that will start airing on Hulu in 17th September, in total it will be 6 episodes! it's a mystery drama with detective. I think Acchan is the female lead role, because she is right behind the male lead on the cover of the drama! That is awesome! Check the official Twitter here: https://twitter.com/shinigami_Hulu

Here is the tweet about the announcement of Acchan's role, with a video where Acchan is wearing the officer uniform! https://twitter.com/shinigami_Hulu/status/1409965141656064007

Make sure to watch! She looks so good! and it says that her role is called Minamikawa Mei. Ah, she is called Mei again, like in Densetsu no Okasan, haha XD This name suits her, it's cute. The lead male role for Shinigami-san is played by Tanaka Kei, he is popular! I'm glad that Acchan will play with him in this drama ^^

So far the Twitter page only has 2 tweets, one for Kei and one for Acchan. The header has the drama's cover, which also has both of them. So Acchan is definitely female lead! The cover:

 

Oh, once again hoping for subs! I've really enjoyed everything I've seen that had Acchan in it. Hulu isn't available in my location (plus, I assume, there's probably geo blocked content anyway), so I'm gonna have to hope for different resources ^^

 

Happy 30th birthday Acchan!!!



I hope Acchan's year will be full of happiness!
I hope to see her in many acting projects :3
I hope she finds success, and always smile



Fun fact: Tanaka Kei, the actor who acts with Acchan in her upcoming drama Shinigami-san, shares the same birthday with Acchan! That's a funny coincidence especially since they work together right now at the moment of their birthday XD Happy birthday to both of them! For information, he is born in 1984 and he's 7 years older than Acchan! The official Twitter for the drama uploaded the teaser of the drama here, they used the birthday hashtags for both of them, and they made a separate tweet to wish them a happy birthday! So sweet! The drama's preview looks good! There are also 2 other videos that were uploaded in previous days: #1 / #2.

 

Happy Birthday Atchan!!!​

 

It seems I keep forgetting some ex-AKB48 members' birthdays, especially when July might be the best month as such...

Happy 30th birthday Acchan!!!

(I can't believe it's been almost a decade since "Flying Get"...)

 

Acchan at a media event today in Tokyo to promote the 'Project for Energizing Japan from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises':


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Acchan photos for the 'Project for Energizing Japan from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises':



Acchan photos for Rooters CM:



Acchan photos for Amazfit CM:



She looks pretty! Glad to see her work with many brands.

There's a video on Shinigami-san's Twitter from 14th July!

 

CM for 'Project for Energizing Japan from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises'


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CM for Rooters, this is for dating/marriage meetings. Acchan acted as a teacher!


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CM for 37°C/pairfull, this is a love matching app. Acchan did a bit of dancing


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CM for Techouse. Acchan looks so amazing in this, wow!
She dressed and acted like the evil queen in Snow White, she looks gorgeous!!!


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I love seeing Acchan in all of these commercials and her cute smiles

 

Latest interview videos on the drama Shinigami-san's Twitter page: 22nd July, 25th July. it's nice to see that they both seem to get along! This is the last interview so they said a message.

Acchan made a tweet 3 days ago about the 61st representation of the stage play "Fakespeare", she said that it's been 4 months since the formation and everyone worked hard during this time, that it was a great power and that she looks forward to the next day which is the last representation. Good news: it was announced that the stage play will air on WOWOW! There's a chance that we might be able to watch it!



There is a video of Acchan on the IG of the magazine VERY, you can watch it here! (re-upload on Twitter here). The text on IG says: "The actress Maeda Atsuko will appear in the issue released in August! The theme this time is 「30 years old celebration purchase」. Congratulations to Acchan who turned 30 on 10th July! In this magazine, we ask about the items that she wants to buy for the celebration. There's an increase in mails that need to be checked for work, iPad is necessary, there is the Bottega Veneta Arco Canvas that can be used on weekdays, and to commemorate the 30th anniversary, she's aiming to buy the Bottega Veneta bag. Other items in consideration will be introduced. Check out the August issue of VERY 「30-year-old celebration purchase」!" - Acchan looks really good in the video and her smile at the end is adorable



Miyazawa Sae was in a show on 20th July and talked about Acchan! Watch here! They talked about idols so Sae mentioned Acchan, I love the way she said "Maeda Atsuko-chan, Acchan! Kawaii!" with so much energy, too cute! >.< She explained that Acchan was her senior in AKB but that they've always worked together during the same era, and that since the beginning, she always found Acchan very cute. She said that what she likes about Acchan is her genuine smile! I think she said that it's a smile from the heart. Sae is so nice and sweet ;w;



Acchan photos for SMASELL CM (Eco-friendly Outlet Mall):

 

Acchan at the 'Teeth are Life' awards today in Tokyo:


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Article from Tokyo Sports:
https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/entame/news/3480946/

It says she won the award for her "bright smile that hasn't changed since her debut" and her "healthy white teeth." She also sent congratulations to Yuko on her marriage announcement.

 

Acchan looks really pretty and classy at that event, with white clothes, it really suits her *-* She definitely deserves an award for her bright smile, she has been praised for her smile so often, I think it's her biggest charm and her smile never changed from the past until now, she has the cutest smile and laugh For what Acchan said about Yuko getting married: "I was surprised because I didn't know at all, I learned it at the same time as everyone. Yuko doesn't talk about these things with everyone. Recently, she came to see my stage play, we didn't meet backstage [due to the pandemic], but we talked on Line. She sent me a very cheerful message, so I thought 'Ah, she seems happy!'." Acchan said about the couple: "They are cute, right? I think they are cute people. I've only met Yuko, but they are like characters, they look really nice. I thought that they can have a cute baby. Tomochin will give birth soon, so there are a lot of happy news." She was asked to give a message for Yuko, and she said: "Congratulations! I didn't imagine that you would get married, I think that the love that grew without everyone knowing is a wonderful thing. Please call me when you will have your wedding celebration. Be happy for a long time!". This is sweet! and I'm happy to know that Yuko went to watch Acchan's stage play, AtsuYuu Congrats to Yuko for getting married!

Some photos of Acchan at this event:





Acchan's latest social media updates!

2021/07/27 Acchan wrote: "At the photo shooting for 'Maeda Atsuko's photo essay' that will be released on 13th October! The one who understands me the best, Shinobu, was here ❤ It was a fun time. The first photo is taken by Shinobu." Her second post said: "This time it's a team of the strongest women. Professional and cool people. My photo essay, there are a lot of pictures but it's mostly text. What I can say is that I thought about myself and faced myself. I started preparing it when I was 29 years old and it has my feelings until I turned 30. Around 3 months until the release, I hope that when it's completed, I can meet you all, I want to have various meetings with everyone☺︎ 'My 30s were the best!' is what I want to say in 10 years! My goal is to create such a book!!!!"



Sae posted a comment under the second post!

Sae: "Cute. T_T"
Acchan: "It's Sae! ❤"
Sae: "I still like Acchan like always, I talked about it on TV the other day (laugh)"

Acchan also posted on Twitter that day to show a matching pair of wallets that she bought in March together with Shinobu! These two really get along very well, a sweet friendship ^^

The next day, Acchan made a tweet to talk about the final representation of her stage play Fakespeare, she thanked Noda-san, and she said that she was very happy to share a precious time with the staff, the cast and everyone who came to see the play. She said that she had a lot of fun everyday. I really hope that we'll be able to watch this stage play!



2021/07/29 Acchan wrote: "I participated in the 'Teeth are Life' awards ceremony sponsored by Sangi. I'm happy that I had zero cavities in my 30 years! Thank you! It's a very important part of the body to eat, talk, and laugh. And most importantly, to laugh from the bottom of my heart. The smile is very important to live a healthy life. Let's take good care of our teeth!"





Acchan will be in the September 2021 issue of Nikkei Entertainment magazine!

 

Oricon uploaded another video of Acchan at the 'Teeth are Life' award ceremony!
This one is actually about the awards (the other one was only about Yuko, haha)
it's cute when Acchan laughed because they called her smile "Acchan smile" LOL


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Trailers of the drama Shinigami-san (also uploaded on the official Twitter #1/#2)


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Screenshots of Acchan! So cute with the beret

 

She is reportedly dating Morikawa Masanori, a famous fashion designer.
https://jisin.jp/entertainment/ente...kBkQQjPYZzrfEim0TAwn2FRZ0mXF-cvoeHMzoxJpiUmE8

 

I watched the drama Inspector Zenigata - Shinku no Sousa File with Acchan, from 2017! This drama has 4 episodes and Acchan played the role of a policewoman called Sakuraba. I like stories about criminal cases so I really enjoyed this short drama! it's really good and all 4 episodes are great, I definitely recommend it! The lead role is an inspector called Zenigata (he's played by the actor Suzuki Ryohei) who helps the police to solve cases. I would say Acchan's role is definitely the 2nd biggest role and she has important parts in every story! So I really loved this ^^ and her scenes with Zenigata were fun! it's a drama that has both serious stories and a bit of comedy. Also, I actually remember watching a show with Acchan and with this actor from when they promoted the drama. it was a show outdoor where they were eating with Eiji Wentz (who's also with Acchan now in the CM 'Project for Energizing Japan from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises'). I'm glad that now I could see the drama! Some more opinions under spoiler (and with spoilers!).

Spoiler

I really liked all 4 stories of this drama!

For the first story with the little girl, she was so cute, she kinda reminded me of Miion when she was a child actress haha. I was surprised at the very beginning because of the way the man killed the parents, with the blood and all, it was a bit violent... and especially that he tried to kill the little girl after and through the whole episode, it was scary and exciting how they ran away from him at the hospital. Also at the end Sakuraba (Acchan) saved them, hehe.

The second episode, it might be my favorite, Acchan had a big role in here. with the 5 boys who made videos where they kidnap random people and then assault them. Again it was kinda violent how that boy died... (and they laughed about it -_-) in this episode I realized that this drama has 2 male actors that were in the AKB drama Tofu Pro Wrestling LOL the chief of the police here is the one who plays the founder of the gym and competition in Tofu Pro Wrestling and the first victim of the assault here is the one who plays the coach in Tofu Pro Wrestling LOL just random thing I noticed XD Anyway, at the end when the 5 boys attacked Sakuraba, I was like "grrr" >.< Even if it's a role, I hated to see Acchan being assaulted >.< Thankfully it ended well and she was saved by Zenigata LOL

The 3rd episode, actually this one could be my favorite too. I really like this story with the man taking them in hostage, but then we find out that actually he is a victim too and was forced to do this by someone else (I kinda guessed from the start that the vice-president was suspicious and it was him XD). At first we didn't see Acchan a lot but in the end she played a big role again, she found out which man was behind it by analyzing the camera footage and then she was caught as hostage by the vice-president (and saved by Zenigata once again) >.< Sakuraba doesn't have an easy life in this drama LOL

Lastly the 4th and final episode, it was an interesting story with the hospital and mysterious surgery. Again I guessed that the doctor who did the interview was suspicious (but to be fair he is a known actor - or at least to me he looked familiar - so I expected that his role would be bigger). This episode also had romance with the story between Zenigata and the doctor, it had a nice atmosphere. Acchan's role in this episode was not very big, but she helped to investigate and also teased Zenigata for his love life LOL it was a nice episode and nice ending!

So overall I really like this drama and Acchan's role! and soon she will play a policewoman again in Shinigami-san, with a bit of a different style, I'm looking forward to it!

I took some screenshots of Acchan from all 4 episodes of the drama. She looked so pretty in this drama and especially when she had her hair down. She is so beautiful

 

I recently finally watched the movie in which Acchan plays an anime script writer. It's insane to me how she was 27 at the time, playing a 16 year old for the most part of the movie!! Only part that was unrealistic to me was how beautiful Akiko (Acchan's role) was despite never leaving the house and barely ever showering