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For gravure idol Mitsu Dan, the beat goes on

Mitsu Dan in 'Be My Slave'
Mitsu Dan in ‘Be My Slave’

Japan’s current pin-up queen, Mitsu Dan, continues to boost her celebrity. Known for her sharp tongue and admitted lesbian interests, the 32-year-old will be starring in a sequel to last year’s SM flick “Be My Slave,” reports evening tabloid Nikkan Gendai (Mar. 4).

“The weekly tabloids [that she appears in] are selling well,” says a member of the media. “Also, she’s in heavy rotation on variety television programs. Her schedule is tight, and her agency is adding staff members.”

The November release of “Be My Slave” was the start of her rise to stardom. In the film, she stars as a seemingly straight-laced office lady at a publishing company who befriends a new male employee in many more ways than one.

Dan made her first major appearance in the gravure biz inside weekly tabloid Spa! in March of 2010. She explained to Shukan Post in December that her reason for entering gravure modeling business was to become “a fantasy object for masturbation.”

Her earlier work was not nearly as suggestive. After studying to be an English teacher, she earned a certificate in cooking. She also trained to be an undertaker.

In February, Dan released a book of essays titled “Taste of Honey,” in which confesses to lesbian activities on three occasions and describes her initial interest in SM. (See the press conference video below.)

Make no mistake, says Gendai, Dan’s popularity is not just with men; she is also finding favor with females. This week, she graces the cover of women’s weekly tabloid Josei Seven, a position typically reserved for male actors from the Johnny’s Jimusho agency or hot Korean pop stars.

An employee in the television industry says that Rino Sashihara, a member of a all-girl group HKT48, is an admirer. “She has a lot of females in the entertainment industry who are her fans,” says the source. “She’s apparently been offered a role as an evil heroine in a special-effects flick to be released after this summer.”

Source: “Dan Mitsu onna kui dai2 suteeji totsunyu!” Nikkan Gendai (Mar. 4)