Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Featured Mori Girl: Yu Aoi

Over the next few weeks I will post pictures of Japanese celebrities who have been identified as mori girls. The first is an actress many of you will be familiar with if you've been following this blog. Yu Aoi (蒼井優) was born on 17 August 1985 and is an accomplished actress known for her roles as displaced, sensitive characters. She was also identified in a poll as the celebrity most representative of the mori girl subculture. She never looks like she has any makeup on and always seems to be wearing interesting clothing. I admit I've been a big fan of Yu's for a quite while now! Her onscreen persona is just so off-kilter yet strangely inspiring. She's the girl we think we really are deep down.


Taken from her photo books Travel Sand, Dandelion and Portugirl respectively.

 

Stills from one of her latest films, One Million Yen and the Nigamushi Woman (otherwise known as One Million Yen Girl), in which she plays a girl who leaves home and wanders around different towns doing odd jobs until she's saved one million yen.


Yu as the star of the drama Osen.


Sporting a look similar to Hagu's in Honey and Clover in an ad for Canon.


A shoot she did for mori girls' favourite magazine, Spoon.


Yu in a shoot for Nylon Korea.


She's also an awesome ballet dancer.


I just had to include this. It's a breathtaking scene from Hana and Alice (which I highly recommend) in which Yu shows off her ballet skills. The entire soundtrack was composed by director Shunji Iwai. (If you want to get the DVD on Amazon why not get it from my affiliate link?)

Yu always seems to get roles in these thought-provoking, artsy little films. Can't wait to see what she'll appear in next!


Related posts:
Yu Aoi as Hagumi Hanamoto in Honey and Clover live action movie
Yu Aoi in Spoon

14 comments:

  1. Hi! I'm just a random viewer... but I slowly start to love the mori girl style.

    Yuu Aoi is one of my favorite actresses! I knew she did ballet but never got to see her dancing. The video clip was so beautiful, it moved me. Now I have to see Hana and Alice!

    I think I'll start to read your blog, If you don't mind.
    I have always been a some sort of "forest girl" since childhood and played in the woods and fields, etc., but now when I'm older (18), somehow I'm not that close to nature anymore. Even though I live in Finland and the nature is close to me, I haven't been in a forest for a long time. That's kind of sad.

    I think discovering your blog gave me inspiration and maybe I'll go to woods and take the camera with me (the trees are so beautiful now when they are covered with snow here!).

    Thank you for your beautiful writings! ^___^

    essan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, I just saw your comment! Of course I'd be happy if you read my blog. I'm glad you've found it interesting in some way. To me, mori girl is more of a lifestyle than just fashion. So I think it's great that you've been inspired to appreciate nature and the beauty of the everyday. :)

    Also, I do hope you'll get to see Hana and Alice. You won't regret it. It's one of those films I can watch over and over, and each time is as moving as the last.

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  3. My birthday is August 17 1995 xD haha what a coincedence, shes so lovely and she looks sooo young!!

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  4. haha very interesting, thanks for share, I like your blog.

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  11. i havent read a blog in the longest time and reading it in 2024 is really cool, especially reading the comments!! yu aoi is so stunning and talented, omw to watch hana and alice rn :))

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