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Porn to be wild! Kokomi Naruse, Maki Hojo, and Kana Yume star at 2012 AV awards

Host Goro Yamada gets an eyeful at the Sky PerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards 2012
Host Goro Yamada (right) gets an eyeful at the Sky PerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards 2012 (The Tokyo Reporter)

TOKYO (TR) – Since her steamy debut in late 2008, adult video (AV) actress Kokomi Naruse has starred in hundreds of features, many of which find her playing a young girl desired by an older man.

But after taking the Best Actress title at this year’s Sky PerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards, this girl’s all grown up now. At the ceremony, held inside a hotel ballroom in Tokyo’s Shinagawa district on Valentine’s Day, the 22-year-old, representing channel Perfect Choice, said the achievement would not have been possible without fellow porn actress Rio, who won the same award in 2008.

“I made my debut three years ago on account of her,” said Naruse, attired in an aqua-blue dress and her face in tears while holding the wedge-shaped statue. “I remember seeing her on the stage. She was my inspiration. I am so very happy. I really want to thank my fans who supported me.”

The annual event, in its eighth year, is a mishmash of awards, whose winners were determined by online votes from fans, and short performances to showcase the top stars appearing on the approximately 10,000 programs broadcast last year on the more than 20 adult channels on the Sky PerfecTV! satellite network.

Maki Hojo, winner of the Best Mature Actress award, thanked the audience for the many messages of encouragement she had received. “As an actress, if I can make people feel good mentally, I will continue to strive to make the best films I can,” said the 33-year-old, who typically takes housewife roles.

Nominees for the Best Actress award at the Sky PerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards 2011 that took place on February 14 at a hotel ballroom in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward (The Tokyo Reporter)
Kana Yume, 19, was easily the most emotional recipient. After taking the Best New Actress prize, she said she was determined not to cry, a vow that ended in failure very quickly. A member of the 800-strong crowd then offered encouragement: “Ganbare!

“I made my debut in November and was nominated three months later,” she said. “Over that time I worked so hard, and now that I’ve received this award I want to express my thanks to my fans.”

Best Film

Shiori Kamisaki took the Best Film award for her role in a feature within the ongoing “Goddess” collection by label Million. The 21-year-old became the first actress in over two years to get her start in the elite series.

“I had no knowledge of the AV world before the shooting started. I didn’t receive the script. I was told to just do it,” said Kamisaki, who followed through with aplomb — multiple times in fact, according to the cover of the DVD.

Though these proceedings may sound like fun and games, the business itself may be at a something of a crossroads. According to information from market research firm Teikoku Databank, former industry leader CA (also known as Outvision) has seen annual sales drop from 32.4 billion yen to less than half that figure between 2008 and 2011, with rival company Soft On Demand taking the top spot in spite of experiencing flat sales of around 15 billion over that same period.

Marinka Kiriya (front) performs before Reina Konishi and Azusa Kato at the Sky PerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards 2011 that took place on February 14 at a hotel ballroom in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward (The Tokyo Reporter)
Kenchiro Suzuki, international sales manager at broadcaster Paradise TV, indicated that competition from the Internet is hurting sales. Further tapping into the international might be an option to boost revenue, he said, but Japanese laws requiring that genitalia be censored make productions more difficult to sell overseas. “We also need to adapt to the cultural sensitivities of the various countries around the world,” he said. “It’s not a simple situation.”

“Minako Komukai effect”

Another possibility is to replicate the strategy of label Alice Japan, which signed popular stripper and pin-up bombshell Minako Komukai. Her debut AV feature last year shipped 200,000 units — an astounding figure given that industry insiders consider sales of around 10,000 copies to represent hit status.

The February 21 edition of evening tabloid Yukan Fuji said that the business is being influenced by the “Minako Komukai effect,” in which labels are seeking big-name talent from other areas of entertainment to make AV appearances. The paper used a rumored offer of 100 million yen sent to conventional film actress Saki Takaoka, as first reported in tabloid Tokyo Sports (February 7) on page one, to support its claim.

Paradise TV for its part is experimenting with promoting the group Marshmallow 3D, an erotic pop combo that released its second single (“Marshmallow Fight”) in January. As a part of the ceremony’s conclusion, the trio, which collectively missed out in the Best New Actress balloting, hit the stage for a short musical performance. A skit featuring actresses Marinka Kiriya, Reina Konishi, and Azusa Kato rounded out the non-award performances.

Winners at the Sky PerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards 2011 that took place on February 14 at a hotel ballroom in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward (The Tokyo Reporter)
But the real star of the night was Naruse, who also walked away with a media award sponsored by tabloid Nikkan Gendai. Also winning media prizes were Nozomi Hazuki (Yukan Fuji), Chika Eiro (Cyzo), Tsukasa Aoi (Flash), and Satsuki Kirioka (Livedoor).

Naruse posted a photo of both trophies resting on her thighs later that night on her popular Twitter account. “I want all actresses to hold onto their dreams,” she wrote the next day. “Dreams come true, and I glad to have the proof!”

So do the fans. The actresses tossed rolled-up panties to the audience to close the festivities.

Note: This report originally appeared in the February 26 issue of the Japan Times.