Aoi Morikawa

2.1. Early Life and Background

Aoi Morikawa was born on June 17, 1995, in Aichi Prefecture, specifically Tokai City. She is the second of five siblings, having an older brother, an older sister (herself), and two younger brothers. Her personal interests include sleep, collecting cameras (owning approximately 20 different models), knitting, and anime.

2.2. Modeling Career

Morikawa began her journey in the entertainment industry in 2010 when she applied for the "Miss Seventeen" exclusive model audition held by the fashion magazine *Seventeen*. From a pool of 5,575 applicants, she was selected as a grand prix winner alongside Ayaka Miyoshi, Nanami Abe, Mami Nishino, and Shiori Kitayama. Her debut was publicly announced to readers at the "Seventeen Summer School Festival" event held at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on August 18, 2010. After a successful tenure, she officially graduated from her position as an exclusive model for *Seventeen* with the release of the April 2015 issue on February 28, 2015. She also appeared in the August 2018 issue of *Seventeen*.

2.3. Acting Career

Morikawa swiftly transitioned into acting following her modeling career. Her film debut came in 2012 with a starring role in *Love ToRAIN-Love Train-*. In the same year, she also took on a lead role in *Tenkosei*. In 2013, she starred as Manami Shintani in *Schoolgirl Complex*. The 2014 film *Chocolietta*, where she co-starred with Masaki Suda, was selected for the Japan Splash section of the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival. In 2015, she landed a solo lead role in the film *Onnanoko Kirai*. The same year marked her debut as a lead actress in a continuous drama with Fuji TV's *Teddy Go!* and her first appearance in a "Getsuku" drama, *Love That Makes You Cry*, which aired in January 2016.

In 2016, she starred as the heroine Saki-hime alongside Dean Fujioka in *NINJA THE MONSTER*, a film that premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada before its release in Japan. In 2017, she took on a lead role in *Love and Lies*, portraying a unique love triangle. Her role as Mary Saotome in the 2018 drama series *Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler* gained her significant recognition, a character she continued to portray in subsequent seasons and related films, including taking on the lead role in the 2021 web drama *Kakegurui Twin*. Morikawa also made her stage debut in 2018, starring as Juliet in *Romeo and Juliet*. In 2022, she was the lead heroine in the drama *Namba MG5* and appeared in the stage play *4000 Miles*. Her filmography continued to expand with appearances in *We Make Antiques! Osaka Dreams* and a lead role in the drama *Homeru Hito Homerareru Hito* in 2023. She also appeared in *Ooku: The Palace* and held a lead role in *In an Isolated Cottage on a Snowy Mountain* in 2024. Future projects include the 2025 film *THE Oliver na Inu, (Gosh!!) Kono Yarou MOVIE*.

2.4. Other Activities

Beyond her acting and modeling, Morikawa has engaged in various other media activities. From April 2016 to March 2017, she served as the 8th assistant on the TBS talk show *A-Studio*. She became a regular cast member on the variety show *Sorette!? Jissai Dou Nano Ka* from May 2019 until its conclusion in March 2024. In April 2020, she launched her own YouTube channel, "Aoi no Otaku," alongside her friend Moga Mogami, with plans to upload game play videos. She also became a regular on NHK E-tele's *Ohta Hikaru no Tsubuyaki Eigo* starting in April 2021 and took on the role of MC for Fuji TV's *Renai Tokiwaso* in September 2022.

3.1. Family and Interests

Morikawa is the second child in a family of five. She has an older brother, an older sister (herself), and two younger brothers. Her publicly known hobbies include sleeping, collecting cameras (she reportedly owns about 20 different cameras), knitting, and enjoying anime.

3.2. Relationships

She is known to have friendships and professional associations with several prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Individuals with whom she has been publicly linked through social media or media reports include Ai Hashimoto, Kasumi Arimura, Haruka Shimazaki, Minami Hamabe, Mitsuki Takahata, Risa Nakamura, Yu Aoi, Alice Hirose, Yuina Kuroshima, and Moga Mogami.

3.3. Special Skills and Talents

Morikawa has earned the moniker "Chameleon Actress" from the media due to her ability to embody a wide range of characters. She emphasizes her approach to acting, stating that the most important thing is for her to "love the role the most" when performing. She is also known for her willingness to transform her appearance for roles, frequently changing her hairstyle. For example, she used hair extensions for long hair in *Onnanoko Kirai*, sported blonde hair in *Garasu no Ashi*, adopted a very short cut in *She*, and even shaved her head for *Chocolietta*, a change she embraced due to damaged hair.

Despite a self-professed dislike for dancing, once remarking her "joints are lame," Morikawa has gained significant attention and the nickname "Wild Speed Morikawa" through her appearances on the variety show *Sorette!? Jissai Dou Nano Ka*. On the show, she has demonstrated an astonishing ability to quickly master a wide array of highly difficult skills, often succeeding where others fails. Her talents showcased on the program include:

• Dice stacking
• Sport stacking (including a 3-3-3 stack in 3.3 seconds)
• Tablecloth pulling (successfully pulling a tablecloth from under a 5-tier glass tower, a feat considered a first for a celebrity)
• Goldfish scooping
• Kendama
• Claw crane operation
• Stone skipping (achieving 22 skips, surpassing the 2018 Japanese women's champion's record of 21)
• Rock balancing
• Rubber band gun shooting
• Hand-painted sign making
• Card throwing
• Artistic billiards
• Yo-yo tricks
• Plate spinning
• Bubble blowing
• Devil sticks
• Fork bending
• Paper marbling
• Rainbow spring manipulation
• Rainbow latte art
• Candy craft
• Archery trick shots (achieving a miraculous success)
• Cigar box juggling (though a doctor's recommendation reportedly stopped her from further attempts)
• Pen spinning
• Spray art
• Boomerang throwing
• Poi manipulation
• Table tennis trick shots
• Stencil graffiti
• Flying disc throwing
• Balance tricks

A significant achievement in her demonstration of skills came in November 2023, when she participated in the Sport Stacking Asian Championships held in South Korea as a member of the Japanese national team. There, she achieved an impressive feat, winning gold in the 3-6-3 timed relay 25+ division, silver in the 3-6-3 doubles 25+ division, and bronze in the 3-6-3 Masters 1 female division.

4.1. Films

4.2. Television Series

4.3. Stage Performances

• Romeo and Juliet (November 20 - December 16, 2018, Tokyo; December 19, 2018, Niigata; Osaka; December 26-27, 2018, Aichi) - Lead role as Juliet
• Machine Nikki (February 6-27, 2021, Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon; March 5-15, 2021, Rohmu Theater Kyoto Main Hall) - Heroine, Sachiko
• Reading Play Harold and Maude (September 30 - October 14, 2021, EX Theater Roppongi; October 16-18, 2021, Morinomiya Piloti Hall)
• 4000 Miles (December 12-28, 2022, Tokyo: Theater Crea; January 7-9, 2023, Osaka: Umeda Arts Theater Drama City; January 11-12, 2023, Aichi: Nippon Tokushu Tokugyo Shimin Kaikan Village Hall; January 15, 2023, Kagawa: Rexzam Hall) - Beck

4.4. Web and Online Content

• Kakegurui Twin (March 26 - April 16, 2021, Amazon Prime Video) - Lead role as Mary Saotome
• Talk Survivor! Last of Laugh (September 3, 2024, Netflix)
• Angry Squad Episode Zero (November 14-28, 2024, Lemino) - Mirai Shiraishi
• Hōkago Karute TVer Original Story Episode 6.5 & 7.5 (November 16 & 23, 2024, TVer) - Yoko Shinoya
• Date Made (July 17 - August 2, 2018, Adastria) - Co-lead role as Kiiro (Instagram drama)
• Pokemon Audio Drama "Tomodachi wa Eevee" (February 19, 2021, Pokemon Kids TV) - Heroine, Reina (YouTube drama)

4.5. Other Appearances

• Radio Dramas**
  • Harukuru Oni (June 27, 2015, NHK-FM Broadcast)
• Narration**
  • Bokutachi no Sign: Nanchou no Ace to Nakamatachi Saigo no Natsu (August 14, 2014, NHK Educational TV)
  • The Nonfiction (Fuji TV)
    • "Ojisan, Arigato: Show to Takuma to Nekketsu Oshou" (June 2, 2019)
    • "'Okaeri' no Koe ga Kikitakute: Kabukicho Mayonaka no Shohosen" (November 7, 2021)
    • "Ari no Mama de Ii Janai: Ishii-san Chi no Hitobito" (July 31 and August 7, 2022)
  • Nippon Impressionist "Hibiki Hikaru Mizu" (December 16, 2019, NHK BS Premium)
• Information and Variety Programs (Regulars)**
  • Tsukai TV Sukatto Japan (December 1, 2014; January 26, 2015; May 25, 2015; January 4, 2016; June 20, 2016; November 21, 2016; September 25, 2017, Fuji TV)
  • A-Studio (April 1, 2016 - March 24, 2017, TBS) - Assistant
  • Sorette!? Jissai Dou Nano Ka (May 1, 2019 - March 27, 2024, Chukyo TV, NTV) - Regular cast
  • Ohta Hikaru no Tsubuyaki Eigo (April 1, 2021 - Present, NHK E-tele) - Regular cast
  • Renai Tokiwaso (September 5, 2022 - Present, Fuji TV) - Program MC

5.1. Commercials

• Sanyo Housing Nagoya (November 2013 - Present)
• Pokesaka (March 2014 - Present)
• Nintendo Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (September 2014 - Present)
• Meiji Xylish (February 2015 - Present)
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical Pocari Sweat Ion Water (April 2015 - March 2016)
• Recruit Sumai Company SUUMO (January 2016 - Present)
• Rockin'On Japan rockin'star★ (April 24, 2016 - Present)
• Gcrest Yume Oukoku to Nemureru 100-nin no Oujisama (May 2016 - Present)
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
  • Red Hot Chicken (July 2016 - Present)
  • Obon Barrel "Summer Scenery and Chicken" (August 10 - August 15, 2016)
  • Salty Lime Chicken "Sappiri Experience" (August 16 - September 7, 2016)
  • Boneless 1000 Yen Pack "I Want to Say" (November 1 - November 24, 2016)
  • 30% OFF Biscuit Pack "30 Years Unchanged" (February 28 - March 22, 2017)
• Uniqlo "Hataraku Uniqlo" (September 2016 - Present)
• Bandai Namco Online Gundam Tribe (February 2017 - Present)
• DeNA Gyakkuten Othellonia "Hatsumode" (January 1-8, 2018)
• Okumura Corporation "Construction is Love." "Construction LOVE Okumura Kumi" (January 28, 2018 - Present)
• Aidam "Sokosoko Beauty and the Beast" Theater Project (March 2018 - Present)
• JCB QUICPay (March 2018 - Present)
• Kirin Beer Kirin Ichiban Shibori Raw Beer "Tsutsumi Shinichi Morikawa Aoi Honne on Beer" (March 26, 2021 - Present)
• i-plug OfferBox "OfferBox BOX Appears" (August 1, 2021 - Present for Kinki area; October 18 - November 7, 2021 for Fukuoka area)
• U-NEXT "U-NEXT has the most." "Tropical Fish Shop," "Water Bus," "Used Bookstore" (December 24, 2021 - Present) - Co-starred with Maika Yamamoto
• Mizkan "Aji Pon" "Happiness" "Delicious?" (April 23, 2022 - Present) - Co-starred with Tsuyoshi Muro
• menu "menu" "Interrogation" "Trainee" "Romance Drama" (March 1, 2024 - Present) - Co-starred with Akira Kawashima

5.2. Music Videos

• Sayonara Ponytail "Bokura no Kisetsu" (December 5, 2012) - Lead role as Yumeko Iga
• 7!!
  • "Kono Hiroi Sora no Shita de" (January 15, 2014)
  • "Start Line" (July 30, 2014)
• Ren Kawahara "Joyu Ochi" (August 29, 2014) - Heroine, Mitsuko Imoto
• indigo la End "Yogisha wa Hashiru" (February 4, 2015)
• Back number "SISTER" (May 27, 2015)
• SHISHAMO "Naniwa no Shoujotachi" (May 11, 2016)
• Shogo Sakamoto "Koi to Uso: Gyutto Kimi no Te wo / HELLO" (October 18, 2017)
• Aoi Teshima "Tokyo" (November 22, 2017)
• YU-A "Off" (May 30, 2018) - Played in "Utau Sakana" with Ryo Narita
• Ging Nang Boyz "GOD SAVE THE WAAARLD" (June 17, 2021) - Co-starred with Non and Mayu Hotta, among others.

5.3. Discography

• indigo la End "Shiawase ga Afuretara" (February 4, 2015) - Appeared on CD jacket
• Back number "SISTER" (May 27, 2015) - Appeared on CD jacket

5.4. Publications

• Jinsei ni Akirame ga Tsukanai (June 19, 2024, Kodansha) - Essay collection, adding new material to a magazine serialization.
• Seventeen (August 2010 - April 2015; August 2018, Shueisha) - Exclusive model.
• Shosetsu Gendai (August 2021 - Present, Kodansha) - Essay serialization titled "Jinsei ni Akirame ga Tsukanai".
  • Photo Books**
    • Neoki Joshi girls in the morning (January 27, 2018, Wani Books) - Participated as a model.
    • Ebipilaf Ebipilaf (June 17, 2023, SDP) - Her first and last photo book, released on her 28th birthday. The photoshoot included her first experience with swimsuit and high-leg outfits.