Matsui Rena (Rena) / 1st Generation

Rena yesterday ceremonially dispatched the first Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train departure from an intermediate station on the new line at Ureshino-Onsen:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

FRIDAY magazine has today released a digital PB of Rena:
https://twitter.com/FRIDAY_twit/status/1575752304933888002



Purchasing links: https://bookclub.kodansha.co.jp/product?item=0000370784#online

 

A new short trailer for 'Boy's Abyss' with Rena singing while driving a car:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

I recently finished 2 dramas that Rena played in this year. My post will be spoiler free, except one part that I'll mark as a spoiler.

Octo ~Kanjou Sousakan Shinno Akari~
Akari is a detective, who's suffering from a type of synesthesia, in which she sees colours coming from people's eyes depending on their emotions. This synesthesia was triggered after her parents were murdered, and her older sister Shiori (portrayed by Rena) was put into an awake, but non-responsive state, when Akari was a child.

The reason why Akari chose to become a detective was so she could learn as much about emotions as she could for the reason that she cannot see any emotions coming from Shiori's eyes.

Each episode featured a different crime, but the overarching story was figuring out who murdered Akari's and Shiori's parents, and caused Shiori to fall into that unresponsive state. Some episodes make me cry really, really bad. They were so heart breaking and beautiful, but mostly heart breaking.

The revelation at the end really shocked me. There were elements to it that I did expect, but also quite a lot that I didn't.

Rena's character was a little scary, because she just stared ahead blankly all the time. There were flashbacks, to when her and Akari were younger, and it's crazy the contrast between a young, beautiful and lovely Shiori/Rena, and the current one who looks waxen and... pretty much dead.

I really, really recommend this drama. I guess there won't be another season, as with most J-dramas, but I would 100% watch a second season. 5 out of 5 stars.

EDIT: They also did a spin-off focusing on Shiori and Akari as sisters, in which Shiori is actually responsive. However, I haven't seen this because I'm not sure it's subbed.

Shounen no Abyss
This was a really dark and intense drama, with lots of moments that made me uncomfortable. I started watching it after all the subs were already released, but I wished I'd watched it as it came out, because I simply couldn't binge this show. You need time to digest what's going on, there is so much mention of suicide and hopelessness.

The main character, Ryou, is a young boy, who's father ran away years ago, his older brother is a NEET, his mum is struggling to keep things together, and the grandma needs constant support with feeding, clothes changing, etc. Ryou and his best friend Chako aim to get out of the town eventually, hoping to go to university in Tokyo, but in reality, Ryou feels he'll never be able to get away because of how much his mum depends on him. Chako tells him about a novel that is set in their own little town, about a couple who commits a double suicide at a river.

Later that day, he runs into Nagi, an idol from Tokyo, who has come to the town undercover as she's on a mental health hiatus from the group. After seeing right though Ryou and how miserable he is, she asks him to commit suicide together at the river of the novel.

Rena plays Ryou's teacher, who prevents the first suicide attempt, and then becomes obsessed with the idea of being the only one to save him. Bored as a single woman with nothing to do in a little town, she dedicates her life to him, and hopes he will see her as his saviour, "the only person who can help him."

Spoiler

[HIDE]She ends up taking advantage of him sexually as well, and dangles the money for university in front of him on the condition that he may not see any other girls, including the idol Nagi as well as his childhood friend Chako.[/HIDE]

While I don't necessarily recommend the drama due to how intense it felt to me, Rena did a really good and convincing job in her role. I think she's an amazing actress. I'd give the drama 1.5 out of 5 stars, but Rena's performance 5 out of 5.

 

Rena opened a new fanclub last year, here: https://fanicon.net/fancommunities/4542

 

Oricon News is reporting that Rena has left Grick and has returned to her former agency A-Plus:
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2273984/full/

 

This is from Bunshun (so as usual a pinch of salt needs to be taken) - it's reported that Rena is dating composer Kondo Akio and they plan to marry at Disneyland this summer:
https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/63066

(According to our Wiki he composed the NMB48 coupling song Aoi Lemon no Kisetsu.) (but see post below)

 

I actually did a bit of research about this because I wanted to see if there's any picture of him and I saw an older man in the results. it seems like the other man is another composer, he's apparently the one who composed the NMB song. Their names are not written the same in japanese, the composer of the song is '近藤昭雄' while Rena's boyfriend is '近藤晃央'. and I'm not sure about this but it seems like their names are also not read the same way, the composer is Kondo Akio while Rena's boyfriend is Kondo Akihisa. google translates both as Kondo Akio, I guess this is what created a confusion ^^;

Anyway I actually remember this NMB song and MV and it's a nice song, so if anyone wants to give it a listen, you can watch it here! even though it's unrelated to Rena's boyfriend...

A little more information about the rumor: apparently Rena has been dating him for 5 years. and he's 36 years old (she is 31). Nothing is confirmed yet but if it's true, congrats Rena!!

 

Thanks for the clarification, I was reluctant to do a copy-and-paste of an electronic translation from Bushun in case in doing so it produced any possible false information about their relationship but even so I still got the wrong person. For confirmation it is Kondo Akihisa and here is his official website:

http://www.akihisakondo.net/

 

Rena just confirmed that she's dating someone just now via her fanclub.

 

I'm happy that Rena has found love. I just hope she will never be the real-life protagonist of her famous performance in Kareha no Station.

 

No reason to apologise. She's a grown woman, she's left her idol career behind many years and deserves to be happy. I hope her relationship is supportive and loving