Mayu Asada

Mayu Asada (麻田真夕, Asada Mayu) is a Japanese actress best known for her appearances in pink films. She has appeared in award-winning pink films, and was given a "Best Actress" award for her work in this genre of theatrical softcore pornography in 2004.

Life and career

Mayu Asada was born on June 26, 1975 in Shizuoka, Japan.^[1] She was not originally a fan of the softcore pink film genre, considering them to be "dark and terrifying". After a friend introduced her to these theatrically released films, she lost her apprehension of them.^[2] She later told reporters that she hoped for women to become a part of the pink films audience. "I know men are seeing them because of their sexual interest," she said, "but even women must not dislike them."^[2]

Toshirō Enomoto's Groper Train (2001, released theatrically in Japan as Molester Train: Touch and Surprise, and on video as Summer of Listening Carefully) was chosen as the Best Film, 3rd place at the Pink Grand Prix.^[3] It represented the pink film genre to South Korea at that country's Pink Film Festival Korea in 2007.^[4] Reversing the usual format of the "Groper Train" series, Asada plays the role of a female groper and pickpocket who intrudes on the life of her male victim.^[4] In his Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema, Jasper Sharp writes that Asada gives the "lightweight, though intricately plotted, romantic-comedy scenario" a "sparky performance".^[5] For her work in the film, Asada was awarded Best New Actress, third place at the Pink Grand Prix.^[3]

After having appeared in seven pink films, Asada reported that she had pride in her work. "Many theater audiences give me various impressions. They see movies as important productions, and I feel I am doing something worthwhile."^[6] She appeared in episodes 9 and 12 of the NHK network evening drama もっと恋セヨ乙女　SEARCHING FOR HER HAPPINESS (2002–04).^[7] She later performed the voice of the character Natsumi Iriya, leader of the Sabel Tigers team in the 2006 TV Tokyo / TV Aichi anime series Air Gear.

In 2004 Asada starred in director Tarō Araki's Housekeeper with Beautiful Skin: Made Wet with Finger Torture, which won the Best Film, Silver Prize award at the Pink Grand Prix. Writer-director-actress Yumi Yoshiyuki was also given the award for Best Screenplay for the film.^[8] At the first of the Kansai region Pinky Ribbon Awards, the film won the Gold Prize, and Asada was named Best Actress at the ceremony.^[9]

Partial filmography

Films

V-cinema

Bibliography

English

• Mayu Asada at AllRovi
• Mayu Asada at the Internet Movie Database

Japanese

• "麻田真夕 あさだ・まゆ" (in Japanese). www.allcinema.net. Retrieved 2009-08-24. 
• "麻田真夕（あさだまゆ） (Profile and filmography)" (in Japanese). www.dmm.co.jp. Retrieved 2009-08-24. 
• "麻田真夕" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-08-24. 

Notes