AKB48 music video “Ue Kara Mariko” featuring Mariko Shinoda! … linked here.
It will open in a new window, then you can enlarge it to full screen! Alternateively you may just link to the JPopsuki site below!
Oh those long Jpopsuki load times … but they have such great fansubs!
If you must use YouTube, here is the video. You can have CC for the song, but the “drama” is not subtitled.
The video is worth the trouble. This JPopsuki fansub has the complete music video story. There is an incomplete, un-subbed version on YouTube … but why on Earth would you want to go there?
Mariko Shinoda graduated from AKB in 2013, but she was long one of my favorites. I was sorry to see her leave AKB, but I wish her well in her new “responsibilities” in the Japanese fashion industry. Perhaps it was time, to graduate. Shinoda-san was 27 when she graduated — which is fairly old to be a Japanese Idol. What a charming beauty she was … and well, still is (see image gallery below). Shinoda-san had a lot of style and grace. Her dancing seemed effortless. Like a cat always landing on her feet, she made it look easy. She was also a good comedian, and I wish that the group would have taken advantage of her comedic talent.
Today, we will take a look back at this great music video, and also take a look at some of Mariko-san’s activities in the fashion world!
The song was written by Mr. Akimoto-san for Mariko. It is another “boys perspective” song where the lyrics are about a guy singing to Mariko. Oddly, Mariko is also singing part of the song. So … she is singing to herself? Make sense?
The video takes place at a private school “Aizawa Woman High School”. Three students are bemoaning their bad luck, after finding out that each club’s leader must take part in a “Janken” (Rock/Paper/Scissors) tournament, in order to select who will be the student council chairman (chair-girl?) . Minami Minegishi (aka “Mii-chan”) steals the show here. She tries to get one of her friends (Fujie and Kabayushi-san) to step forward and try to win the Janken tournament. Their biology teacher Mariko Shinoda arrives, who they all admire, especially Fujie. Side note: Mii-chan and Mariko are the same age, but Mii-chan is playing a school-girl and Mariko plays the teacher. Mariko will mentor the shy, impressionable Fujie.
It is NOT going where you think it might at time 1:30.
The young women are surprised to find out that Mariko was a “nerd” in high school, yet blossomed into the teacher and professional model she is today.
To say that this music video is “leggy” would be an understatement.
Thanks go out to Musicsoloud.livejournal.com, HoneyRoastedPeanuts@Stage48.net, and Room560@youtube.com for translations and fan subs. Arigatou gozaimasu!
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It took two years and nine months for this video’s starlight to reach my world.
For more Mariko please visit my Shinoda Pinterest board below!
(1980 joke reference. “Dutta dutta dut dut — dut dut, dutta dut, MY SHINODA!!!”)
Denny Sinnoh 
Comments on: "“A Sense of Responsibility Changes a Woman”" (2)
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My pop idol dreams are over if twenty seven s considered to be old. I am in my thirties.
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