Nozomi Sasaki (model)

Nozomi Sasaki
Native name 佐々木 希
Born (1988-02-08) February 8, 1988
Akita, Akita
Nationality Japanese
Other names Present
Nozomin / Nonchan / Nontan
Past
Butterfly Knife / Icepick
Black Maiden / Maiden in Black
No Mercy
Occupation Actress, model and singer
Years active 2006-present
Agent Top Coat
Known for
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Website www.topcoat.co.jp/artist/sasaki-nozomi/

Nozomi Sasaki (佐々木 希 Sasaki Nozomi, born February 8, 1988), previously known simply as Nozomi during her fashion modeling career, is a Japanese glamour model and former professional fashion model from Akita.[1]

After working as a fashion model for nearly 7 years, she has become famous as a gravure idol and main ringside commentator / spokesperson for the mixed martial arts competition Dream Fighting Championships and the kickboxing competition K-1 World Max since 2009.[2][3]

Since late 2008 she has released five photobooks and two DVDs, and has also made countless appearances on television, magazines, and ads unrelated to fashion / cosmetic, including ones for Coca-Cola's green tea products, Suntory's 3 soft drink products, So-net, Willcom, Fujifilm, Kao, Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. and Seiko's Tisse brand line created for and dedicated to her. She has also endorsed an accessory brand, Cotton Cloud, since June 2010 when it was created for her and its first flag shop opened in Harajuku.[1]

In 2010, she started her music career, debuting with the single "Kamu to Funyan" (噛むとフニャン) which featured rapper Astro and was used in the tie-in commercials for Lotte Fit's Chewing Gum. Sasaki's debut album Nozomi Collection was released on April 18, 2012.

She was given the nickname "No Mercy" for her countless reported atrocities toward other show-business girls she worked with, in her teenage years, especially toward actresses, glamour models, and fashion models from foreign countries, whom she considered to be "fat".[4][5][6]

Biography

Early life

Born in Akita,[7] she finished elementary school and attended a middle school there for a short period.[6]

Modeling

Sasaki began modeling at the age of around 14. She modeled mainly in the collection circuit, and for fashion / cosmetic advertisements. In the later years of her modeling career, she was a featured model and contributor to the now defunct Pinky magazine. She first appeared on the cover of Pinky in July 2007, along with another cover girl, Emi Suzuki.[1]

One theory suggests that Suzuki was the person who brought Sasaki to the commercial modeling field after she discovered Sasaki when Sasaki was planning to retire from modeling, and it has been noted that Sasaki already appeared at the time to be significantly chubbier than she used to be.[8]

She was the model of Japanese magazine, "PINKY", "non-no", "Oggi"; currently, she is the model of "with". (refer to the external link below)

Gravure

After further intentionally gaining weight, she began appearing as a glamour model (gravure idol) on the youth-targeted weekly manga magazine Young Jump in 2005,[9] and in the Pinky fashion magazine in 2006.[10] She made her first landing on the top cover of Young Jump in May 2007.[11]

Nozomi Sasaki released her first photobook, Nozomi, in August 2008,[12] and her first DVD, Weekly Young Jump Premium DVD: nozomi, in September 2009.[13] She released her second DVD, Dolly,[14] and two photobooks, Sasaki Nozomi in Tenshi no Koi and Non, in 2009.[1][15]

In early 2010 she was specially featured by 2.4 million selling manga series Usogui on Young Jump,[16] and released her fourth photobook Prism.[17] Despite her breast size which has been known as one of the smallest in the gravure scene, she became a successful model by the end of 2010 in the field where breast size is regarded as a vital factor.[18]

At that time she also began appearing on the Non-no magazine, a biweekly girl-next-door-orientated fashion magazine that does not usually feature people like her. Though after becoming more of a gravure idol than a professional model, Sasaki was heavily featured in a spring fashion collection presented by the magazine and BS-TBS, and soon after that, she landed on the top cover of the magazine. These appearances have been described as like an "invasion", as she has significantly changed the magazine's tone. Some critics have suggested that the magazine has been destroyed by Nozomi Sasaki.[19]

Television, film and print

She has regularly appeared on over 10 television programs and over 20 television commercials since 2009. Her first huge hit on the TV scene was a TV commercial for Lotte's new chewing gum product Fit's, where she performed a "silly dance" called the Fit's dance. Fit's became a smash hit, selling over 40 million in its first 5 months in the Japanese gum market where 4 million-per-year is considered large success.[20]

In March 2009, she was chosen as the image character for a special advertising campaign by the Japan Magazine Publishers Association, a governmental publishing trade association run by the Ministry of Education. During the campaign between July 21, 2009 - August 20, 2009, her portrait appeared in 300 different magazines and as 30,000 posters for bookstores and public libraries all over Japan, 100,000 posters hung in trains in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Kansai area, and 2,009 prepaid cards.[21]

Having made a cameo appearance in the romantic comedy Handsome Suit as well as minor roles in two television serials, Sasaki scored a major breakthrough in her budding acting career with the lead role in the 2009 sentimental romance film Tenshi no Koi, where she played a teenage girl in a fragile relationship with an older man played by Shosuke Tanihara. The film became an instant hit[22] and was also distributed in some nearby countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. In 2010, she acted in the television drama Dohyo Girl where she played a model who became the coach of a high school sumo team. This was the first time in her acting career that she took the lead role in a television drama series.[23]

She also made her singing debut in July 2010 with the catch phrase "Heta de Gomenne!" ("Forgive my bad singing!") when she released a single, Kamu to Funyan feat. Astro, which debuted at number one on the Oricon singles chart.[24] At the end of 2010 she released her second single titled Jin Jin Jingle Bell, a cover version of Chisato Moritaka's 1995 hit.[25] She was expected to participate in the NHK Kohaku show, an annual New Year's Eve musical TV show, but when she was asked about it by the press during the commemoration event for Jin Jin Jingle Bell, she stated that she did not wish to appear on it. She stated that she could not sing and was shy, implying she would never perform her songs live in public.[26] As a result, she did not attend the show.[27]

K-1 and Dream

Immediately following the firing of the predecessor, Akina Minami, she was picked as the ringside commentator for K-1. Soon after this, she was also selected by Dream as the ringside commentator. Since then, she has worked for these two combat sport competitions not only as the ringside commentator but also as a spokesperson since April 2009. She immediately established a good reputation. Remy Bonjasky has referred to her as a "good one", "Oh, well I think she's good, she seems too calm, at least way better than that one I saw at the previous World GP". Gago Drago commented "You know, she's uncannily reticent compared to other ringside gals I know, but in a way it's good, you know, especially during a fight!".[28] Buakaw Por. Pramuk commented after K-1 World MAX 2009 World Championship Tournament Final, "Immediately after the bout, that girl gave me a towel with her awesome smile. It killed all of my pain!". In Dream, many fighters, including Joachim Hansen, JZ Calvan, Zelg Galešić, Choi Hong-man, Paulo Filho, James Thompson, Bibiano Fernandes, Kultar Gill, Sergei Kharitonov and Josh Barnett, have positively made highly-extolling comments about the new face, resulting in being described as gullible cherry boys by Rin Takanashi on Twitter.[29] Only a few criticisms have been levelled at her, notably, Badr Hari has stated that he thinks the predecessor and the heavyweight division's long-term commentator Norika Fujiwara were better because he finds her "somehow ominous".[28]

Public reception

Since she debuted as a glamour model, she has been known for her doll-like image attributed to her looks and manners, hence her first full-scale DVD's title "Dolly".[30]

Unlike her mentor, Emi Suzuki, who has rejected nearly all interview requests even after beginning to appear in the general celebrity scene, Sasaki has normally granted interviews since 2009 when she began appearing in the general celebrity scene. She often speaks in her native language, the Akita dialect, which people outside of the northern region hardly understand, thus, the press chasing her are often with translators. It has also been known that some reporters have been banned from interviewing her, and they are mainly those who have attempted to ask her questions about her past, specifically, her fashion modeling years.[31]

She was known for her "trademark" short black hair during her early career. (age 11)[32]

The topic of her fashion modeling years has occasionally become a matter of public interest, although she has never spoken about it.[8] In April 2010 a photographer mentioned Sasaki in an interview, saying he witnessed Sasaki's first meeting with Yukina Kinoshita, a commercial model who has been known as a notorious brawler, a claimed former member of a bosozoku gang,[33] and has become Sasaki's co-worker. The photographer apparently, in 2008, witnessed their pre-brawling scene where Kinoshita picked a fight with Sasaki, pouncing on Sasaki, but Kinoshita got away from it after Sasaki caught Kinoshita's arm, staring at her, and Kinoshita got "seriously freaked out". Kinoshita later commented on this shortly before her retirement, confirming it and describing Sasaki as something on a different level from a mere brawler, which makes her "gang" past highly questionable.[34]

In August 2010, she landed on the cover of the anan magazine, with a black dress and a body shape slightly reminiscent of her past as a fashion model. At that time she signed a new endorsement contract with FinePix of Fujifilm and attended its ceremonial press conference, with another black dress designed by her former fan Razor Ramon HG and a body shape fairly reminiscent of her past as a fashion model. Some of the fashion press made mention of these appearances. The September number of the Ray magazine headlined "«Nozomi» has returned?", and associated the black dresses with some of her past nicknames related to the black color such as "Black Surgeon / Black Maiden". Sankei Shimbun, a decent newspaper not a tabloid, also featured this appearance, referring to her as "Nozomi".[35]

In November 2010, Akita Prefecture chose her as one of the two official PR-Ambassadors, along with Natsuki Kato, with the purpose of creating a better image of the prefecture.[7] The mayor Norihisa Satake officially commented on the selection that he was hoping that she would eradicate Akita's image being snowy and dark, with her image being fine and cheerful.[36]

She has been known for her reticence and spiritless, apathetic attitude seeming lack of emotion on television, but one unusual incident was observed on January 5, 2011 when she was on the live television show Reco Hits, a midnight music show she has regularly appeared on as a host. At one point during Kana Uemura's song about family, "Toire no Kamisama", was introduced, she broke down in tears. This was considered the first time for Sasaki to cry on media.[37]

Bibliography

Magazines

Photobooks

Discography

Singles

Albums

DVDs

Filmography

Film roles

Television roles

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Yahoo Profile (Japanese)
  2. ↑ Nikkan Sports March 24, 2009 (Japanese) Nikkan Sports
  3. ↑ Nifty Profile (Japanese) Nifty
  4. ↑ The Weekly Post (Shogakukan) January 9, 2009 (Mag code 20052)
  5. ↑ FLASH (Kobunsha), February 16, 2009, p.14 "Now Rising Person ： Model ： Nozomi Sasaki"
  6. 1 2 "Catch me in the rye / Nozomi Sasaki is actually a middle-school dropout!" Excite 2010-2-11 (Weekly Sincho)
  7. 1 2 Ms. Natsuki Kato and Nozomi Sasaki become the "Akita Beauty Country Ambassadors", in Japanese, November 29, 2010, Akita Prefecture
  8. 1 2 Flash, Kobunsha, March 2010 No. 3, Sec 21, "Stick with Nozomi Sasaki, the Gravure Queen of the Year"
  9. ↑ "佐々木希 － Netマガジン ビジュアル・ヤングジャンプ ～" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  10. ↑ "プリンセスPINKYオーディション". s-woman.net (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  11. ↑ "YJヒストリー2007年". Web YOUNG JUMP (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Nozomi Sasaki releases her photobook with an unusual bonus" Oricon (Japanese)
  13. ↑ "WEEKLY YOUNG JUMP PREMIUM DVD 佐々木 希 「nozomi」" (in Japanese). Liverpool. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  14. ↑ 佐々木希 「ＤＯＬＬＹ」 (in Japanese). Liverpool. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  15. ↑ Nozomi Sasaki - Hatena Profile (Japanese)
  16. ↑ Mainichi.jp March 27, 2010 (Japanese) Mainichi Shimbun
  17. ↑ "History of Nozomi Sasaki", in Japanese, Oricon
  18. ↑ Maomi Yuki reaches number-one in the "poor-breasts popularity" ranking, after surpassing Nozomi Sasaki December 13, 2010 Shukan Jitsuwa (Japanese)
  19. ↑ Entertainment News Topic It 2010 3/15 (Japanese) Nifty
  20. ↑ Excite Gendai Net 10/01/28 (copy)(Japanese)
  21. ↑ "Nozomi Sasaki becomes the image character for the Magazine Reading Campaign, invading 300 magazines", in Japanese, March 2, 2009 Oricon
  22. ↑ "From Miho Tanaka to Nozomi Sasaki, ex-model actresses are hot now!", in Japanese, November 16, 2009, MovieWalker
  23. ↑ "Nozomi Sasaki takes her first lead role with 'Dohyo Girl!'!", in Japanese, June 29, 2010, Livedoor
  24. ↑ "Nozomi Sasaki debuted at number 1 with the flat-ish dance 'Kamu to Funyan♪'", in Japanese, July 22, 2010, Livedoor
  25. ↑ "Nozomi Sasaki 'Jin Jin Jingle Bell'", in Japanese, November 2, 2010, Nikkan Sports
  26. ↑ "Nozomi Sasaki 'Kohaku offer no'", in Japanese, November 24, 2010, Nikkan Sports or "Nozomi Sasaki gets in trouble for rapping, 'declining' Kohaku", in Japanese, November 25, 2010, Sankei Shimbun or "'Sorry no', Nozomi Sasaki rejects Kohaku", in Japanese, November 25, 2010 or "Nozomi Sasaki declines the supposed Kohaku offer, 'because I'm shy...'", in Japanese, November 24, 2010, NTV News 24
  27. ↑ NHK Kohaku official history (61) NHK (Japanese)
  28. 1 2 【K-1MAX】7・13魔裟斗＆佐々木希が山本優弥を強力サポート！ドラゴ戦は勝機あり [Remy Bonjasky praises the new ring ana for MAX while Badr Hari keeps silent] (in Japanese). NHN Japan Corp. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  29. ↑ As reported on Kakutougi Tsushin February number (ASIN B002ZDRB66) editorial "Seken ni Hoero!!" pp.31-32 by Tsukasa Furuya
  30. ↑ "Like a doll", popular model Nozomi Sasaki gets some complaiants, in Japanese, Cyzo Woman, February, 15, 2010
  31. ↑ Weekly Playboy Sec 13, "Namadol Daishūgō", March 31, 2010
  32. ↑ Weekly Post (in Japanese). Shogakukan. March 2009. p. "One Shot".
  33. ↑ http://news.www.infoseek.co.jp/topics/entertainment/n_kinoshita_yukina__20090622_10/story/20090622jcast2009243743/
  34. ↑ The secret story of Nozomi Sasaki's win-by-default against Yukina Kinoshita the "Brawling Queen of Katsushika", in Japanese, April 3, 2010, The Real Live Web News
  35. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20101201150750/http://sankei.jp.msn.com/entertainments/entertainers/100728/tnr1007280928002-n1.htm. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  36. ↑ 加藤夏希さんと佐々木希さん、「あきた美の国大使」に [Ms. Natsuki Kato and Nozomi Sasaki become the "Akita Beauty Country Ambassadors"] (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  37. ↑ MemoMsg : Reco Hits Retrieved January 7, 2011 (Japanese) Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  38. ↑ "Sasaki Nozomi graduates from fashion magazine 'non-no'". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  39. ↑ 松島花、佐々木希…、最新Oggiモデルズが美人揃いすぎる！ (in Japanese). Shogakukan Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  40. ↑ withモデル 佐々木 希 (in Japanese). Kodansha Ltd. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  41. ↑ Nozomi : 佐々木希1st写真集 (集英社): 2008 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  42. ↑ 佐々木希in「天使の恋」 (角川メディアハウス): 2009 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  43. ↑ 佐々木希non (集英社): 2009 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  44. ↑ Prism (幻冬舎): 2010 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  45. ↑ ノゾキミ : 佐々木希 (幻冬舎): 2010 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  46. ↑ 佐々木希Non・non (集英社): 2011 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  47. ↑ ささきき : 佐々木希写真集 (集英社): 2013 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  48. ↑ Kamu to Funyan feat. Astro - Nozomi Sasaki on Oricon
  49. ↑ Jin Jin Jingle Bell feat. Pentaphonic - Nozomi Sasaki on Oricon
  50. ↑ Happy Beep Happy Beep Happy Beep Po - Nozomi Sasaki on Oricon
  51. ↑ Nozomi Collection - Nozomi Sasaki on Oricon
  52. ↑ ハンサム・スーツ (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  53. ↑ 佐々木希『天使の恋』、観客が選ぶベストシーンを異例のWEB配信 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  54. ↑ "Afro Tanaka to get live-action adaptation starring Matsuda Shota & Sasaki Nozomi". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  55. ↑ "Abe Sadawo to star in live-action movie for Paikaji Nankai Sakusen". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  56. ↑ 青柳翔×田中圭×佐々木希インタビュー"人見知り" 美女と愉快なメンズのワイワイ沖縄ロケ (in Japanese). IID, Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  57. ↑ 佐々木希が風俗嬢役熱演 映画『風俗行ったら人生変わったwww』キャスト発表 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  58. ↑ 『呪怨 -終わりの始まり-』佐々木希＆トリンドル玲奈 単独インタビュー (in Japanese). Cinematoday Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  59. ↑ さいはてにて～やさしい香りと待ちながら～ (in Japanese). Cinematoday Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  60. ↑ 佐々木希、『呪怨』最終章にも登場決定！「前作以上に怖くなりそう…」 (in Japanese). IID, Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  61. ↑ 佐々木希、白無垢姿初披露 出雲大社で主演作祈願 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  62. ↑ 佐々木希×菅田将暉×市原隼人×杏×木村佳乃ら！中村倫也主演作に主役級キャスト集結 (in Japanese). Cinematoday Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-30.
  63. ↑ しぇいけんBABY！ －Shakespeare Syndrome－ (in Japanese). Fuji Television Network Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  64. ↑ まっすぐな男 (関西テレビ放送): 2010 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  65. ↑ "Kobukuro to sing for Sasaki Nozomi's new drama". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  66. ↑ 平野綾、トシ、佐々木希、少女時代らが、実写版「サザエさん」に出演！ (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  67. ↑ プロポーズ兄弟～生まれ順別 男が結婚する方法～ (in Japanese). Fuji Television Network Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  68. ↑ "Sasaki Nozomi to play an evil nun in the drama, Kaito Royale". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  69. ↑ "Sasaki Nozomi to make an appearance on special mystery drama Kasha". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  70. ↑ 恋なんて贅沢が私に落ちてくるのだろうか? (フジテレビジョン): 2012 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  71. ↑ "Fukada Kyoko to play an air traffic controller in new drama 'TOKYO AIRPORT'". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  72. ↑ "Sasaki Nozomi to appear in Takei Emi's new drama". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  73. ↑ 関ジャニ∞丸山、『世にも奇妙な物語』初主演 小栗旬らも初出演 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  74. ↑ 海の上の診療所 - フジテレビ (in Japanese). Fuji Television Network Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  75. ↑ TDSで史上初のTVドラマ収録 溝端主演ラブストーリー (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  76. ↑ 壇蜜、星新一ミステリーでダンスを披露 "ショートショート" 5作品をドラマ化 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  77. ↑ ファースト・クラス First class : desire, lust, betrayal, envy, passion beautiful cats hide their wild claws (フジテレビジョン): 2014 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  78. ↑ 佐々木希＆松島花、現代版「スチュワーデス刑事」で“CA”役に挑戦！ (in Japanese). IID, Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  79. ↑ 信長のシェフ2 A chef of Nobunaga (テレビ朝日): 2015 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  80. ↑ 必殺仕事人2014 (朝日放送): 2014 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  81. ↑ 黒服物語 (テレビ朝日): 2015 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  82. ↑ イモト、主演ドラマ第2弾はブライダル業界で奮闘城田優、佐々木希らと共演 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  83. ↑ 佐々木希、政治用語知らず赤面「ちょっと難しくて…」 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  84. ↑ 沢村一樹、木村拓哉と対決再び「プレッシャーで髪切りすぎた」 (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  85. ↑ 唐沢寿明、和製トム・クルーズを自称!? 佐々木希ら80年代ファッションで登場 (in Japanese). IID, Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-12.

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