Yuki Uchida (内田有紀, Uchida Yuki) (born in Tokyo on November 16, 1975) is a Japanese actress, and a popular 1990s Japanese idol, model and singer.
Biography
She practiced fencing in high school, and ranked 3rd in a tournament in Tokyo in 1991.[1]
She began her career as a model in commercials, notably for the confectionery company Lotte (ロッテ), then debuted in acting in 1992 in the drama Sono Toki, Heart wa Nusumareta.[2] She became a swimsuit model for the swimwear company Unitika in 1993, and got popular as an idol, partly due to her then unusual tomboyish look with short hair and husky voice. She began to get large exposure in commercials and media, and hosted her own weekly 30mn late radio show, Yozora ni YOUKISS!, from April 1994 to March 2001 on Nippon Broadcasting.
She released her first single at the end of 1994, "TENCA wo Torou!", theme of one of her dramas, which ranked number 1 at oricon music charts, the first time for a solo debuting female singer, with a record of sales in this category only topped by Erika Sawajiri's debut single 12 years later.[3] She went on a successful singing career for the next two years, her first album ranking number 1, with hits written by Tetsuya Komuro (notably "Only You" and "Baby's Growing Up"), a career which she stopped in 2000 to concentrate on acting.
She was cast in many dramas and movies, often as the lead actress, most notably in the live movies adaptations of the famous manga Hana yori dango (Boys over Flowers) (as Makino) in 1995, and Cat's Eye (as Ai) in 1997. She retired from show-business when she married actor Hidetaka Yoshioka on November 28, 2002, but returned to acting in 2006, after her divorce in December 2005.[4] After 10 years away from the big screen, she made her come back to cinema in 2007, in Takeshi Kitano's "Kantoku Banzai!", and in the leading role of "Welcome to the Quiet Room", movie set in a psychiatric hospital, in which she appears in all the scenes.[5]
Incidentally, popular actor Shun Oguri, big fan of Yuki Uchida, stated that he unintentionally started his career by joining Uchida's acting school in the 90s with the only hope of meeting her. Interestingly, he played Rui Hanazawa, Tsukushi Makino's first love, in the Japanese drama "Hana Yori Dango" ten years after she played Makino in the film.
Filmography
- Movies
| Romaji title |
Japanese title |
International title |
Year |
| Hana Yori Dango |
花より男子 |
(Boys Over Flowers) |
1995 |
| Cat's Eye |
Cat's Eye |
Cat's Eye |
1997 |
| BEAT |
BEAT |
BEAT |
1998 |
| Kantoku Banzai! |
監督・ばんざい! |
Glory to the Filmmaker! |
2007 |
| Quiet Room Ni Yôkoso |
クワイエットルームにようこそ |
Welcome to the Quiet Room |
2007 |
| ZEN |
禅 - ZEN |
Zen |
2009 |
- TV movie
| Romaji title: |
Odoru daisosasen bangaihen - Wangansho fukei monogatari shoka no kôtsûanzen special |
| Japanese title: |
踊る大捜査線 番外編湾岸署婦警物語 初夏の交通安全スペシャル |
| Translation: |
Bayside Shakedown: Wangan Police Station Female Police Officers' Story |
| Aired: |
Fuji TV - 1998 |
- Drama
| Romaji title |
Japanese title |
Channel |
Year |
| Kami no Shizuku |
神の雫 |
NTV |
2009 |
| Innocent Love |
イノセント・ラヴ |
Fuji TV |
2008 |
| Iryu 2 (Team medical dragon 2) |
医龍 2 |
Fuji TV |
2007 |
| Bambino! |
バンビーノ! |
NTV |
2007 |
| Maguro |
マグロ |
TV Asahi |
2007 |
| Dare Yorimo Mama wo Ai su |
誰よりもままを愛す |
TBS |
2006 |
| Kita no Kuni kara 2002 Yuigon |
北の国から2002 遺言 |
Fuji TV |
2002 |
| Big Wing |
ビッグウイング |
TBS |
2001 |
| Namida o Fuite |
涙をふいて |
Fuji TV |
2000 |
| Tenshi ga Kieta Machi |
天使が消えた街 |
NTV |
2000 |
| Kori no Sekai |
冰の世界 |
Fuji TV |
1999 |
| Amai Seikatsu |
甘い生活 |
NTV |
1999 |
| Akimahende |
あきまへんで！ |
TBS |
1998 |
| Tsubasa wo Kudasai! |
翼をください! |
Fuji TV |
1996 |
| Campus Note |
キャンパス・ノート |
TBS |
1996 |
| Hanjuku Tamago |
半熟卵 |
Fuji TV |
1994 |
| Juu Nana Sai |
17才 |
Fuji TV |
1994 |
| Toki o Kakeru Shojo |
時をかける少女 |
Fuji TV |
1994 |
| Jajauma Narashi |
じゃじゃ馬慣らし |
Fuji TV |
1993 |
| If Moshimo (in episode n°8 only) |
If もしも |
Fuji TV |
1993 |
| Hitotsu Yane no Shita |
ひとつ屋根の下 |
Fuji TV |
1993 |
| Sono Toki, Heart wa Nusumareta |
その時,ハ-トは盜まれた |
Fuji TV |
1992 |
Discography
Albums
| Romaji title |
Japanese title |
Release date |
Reference |
Oricon |
| Junjou Karen Otome Moyou |
純情可憐乙女模様 |
1995/02/08 |
KICS-470 |
1 |
| Mi-Chemin |
Mi-Chemin |
1995/09/21 |
KICS-510 |
3 |
| Merry Christmas For You |
Merry Christmas For You |
1995/11/22 |
KICS-530 |
19 |
| Ai no Baka |
愛のバカ |
1996/03/23 |
KICS-540 |
20 |
| nakitakunalu |
泣きたくなる |
1996/10/10 |
KICS-600 |
18 |
| Present - Uchida Yuki Best Album |
Present ~内田有紀 Best Album~ |
1997/12/03 |
KICS-630 |
33 |
Singles
| Romaji title |
Japanese title |
Release date |
Reference |
Oricon |
| TENCA wo Torou! ~Uchida no Yabou~ |
TENCAを取ろう~内田の野望 |
1994/10/21 |
KIDS-220 |
1 |
| Ashita wa Ashita no Kaze ga Fuku |
明日は明日の風が吹く |
1995/04/05 |
KIDS-240 |
3 |
| Only You |
Only You |
1995/04/21 |
KIDS-250 |
2 |
| Baby's Growing Up |
Baby's Growing Up |
1995/08/19 |
KIDS-270 |
5 |
| Shiawase ni Naritai |
幸せになりたい |
1996/01/24 |
KIDS-280 |
6 |
| Ever & Ever (Uchida Yuki & m.C.A.T) |
Ever & Ever |
1996/07/17 |
KIDS-300 |
8 |
| Aishiteru |
アイシテル |
1997/02/21 |
KIDS-330 |
23 |
| Da.i.su.ki |
Da.i.su.ki |
1997/05/21 |
KIDS-340 |
29 |
| Heartbreak Sniper |
ハートブレイク スナイパー |
1998/09/23 |
KIDS-370 |
32 |
| Rakuen |
楽園 |
1999/08/25 |
KIDS-430 |
28 |
| Rakuen -Memorial Tracks- (maxi-single) |
楽園-Memorial Tracks |
1999/10/13 |
KICS-763 |
67 |
Others
- Concert videos
| Uchida's live show |
Yuki Uchida 1995 Concert |
1996 |
| No make |
(Live & interview) |
1996 |
| Nakitakunalu |
Yuki Uchida Concert 1996 |
1997 |
| Minna DA I SU KI |
Yuki Uchida Concert Tour 1997 |
1998 |
- Other videos
| Visual Queen of The Year '93: Yuki Uchida - La Palette |
Swimsuit idol video |
1993 |
| The Cat's Secret |
Making of Cat's Eye |
1997 |
- Photobooks
| Visual queen of the year '93 |
with models Hiroko Tanaka, Maiko Tono, Mitsuko Aoki, Mitchiko Endo. |
1993 |
| YUKISS |
First solo photobook |
1994 |
| Yuki to tsuki to taiyo to |
有紀と月と太陽と - Second solo photobook |
1995 |
| Yorusora ni YOUKISS! |
夜空に YOUKISS! - photos, texts and poems taken from her radio show. |
1996 |
| Cat's Eye |
Cat's Eye movie photobook |
1997 |
- Radio
| Romaji title |
Japanese title |
Broadcaster |
Release date |
| Yozora ni YOUKISS! |
夜空に YOUKISS! |
Nippon Broadcasting |
1994–2001 |
| Article 21 Radio Charity MusicSon |
第21回 ラジオ・チャリティー・ミュージックソン (Dai 21 Kai Rajio . Charitei . MyujikkuSon) |
Nippon Broadcasting |
1995 |
| Yuki Uchida's Dusk Street Kids |
内田有紀の夕暮れストリートキッズ (Uchida Yuki no Yuugure SutoritoKizzu) |
St.GIGA (via Satellaview)[6] |
1995 |
References
External links