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Mayu Watanabe
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Profile
Japanese name: 渡辺 麻友
Date of birth: March 26, 1994
Nationality Japan
Occupation Japanese idol, singer, actress
Years active 2005–present
Associated Acts AKB48
Physical
Gender: Female
Height: 156cm

Mayu Watanabe (渡辺 麻友 Watanabe Mayu, born March 26, 1994 in Saitama Prefecture) is a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48, under Team B. She debuted with AKB48's Team B and has been featured on most of the group's singles title tracks. She is a member of AKB48's subgroups Watarirouka Hashiritai (now disbanded),Team Dragon, and NO NAME. She has also released four solo singles.

Biography[]

Watanabe auditioned for AKB48's 3rd generation and was placed in the newly formed Team B. Her first appearance on an AKB48 single title track was on "Bingo!". With the exception of singles whose lineups were determined by rock-paper-scissors tournaments, she has appeared on all the A-sides for the group's singles since then.

In 2009, she placed fourth overall in the group's first general election to determine the line-up for the group's 13th single. She placed fifth overall the next year for the group's 17th single.

She appeared on the cover of the December 2010 issue of UP to boy magazine together with Airi Suzuki from Cute. That was the first gravure collaboration between Hello! Project and AKB48. On May 13, 2011 she released her photo book,Mayuyu. She commented that the book "is filled with a lot of expressions that I haven’t shown until now, it’s a book I’m really pleased with!” Regarding her nude cover picture, she said, “Despite being embarrassed, I did my best on the front cover, so I want a lot of people to look at it!” In an episode of the group's variety show AKBingo!, Mayuyu and Haruka Shimazaki's nickname "Paruru" were coined by former teammate Rumi Yonezawa. For AKB48's general election in 2011, she placed fifth overall.

In 2012, Watanabe got her first lead role in the Japanese TV drama Saba Doll, where she played a 38-year-old high school teacher who is hated by her pupils whilst having a hidden life as an idol. On February 29, Watanabe released her debut solo single, "Synchro Tokimeki"; it was the theme song to the TV drama of the same name. The ending theme of the drama, sung in an enka style, was one of the B-sides of her solo single. "Synchro Tokimeki" reached number one on theOricon daily charts and second on the weekly charts. She hosted a solo live event on March 20, where she performed three songs in front of 10,000 people.

Watanabe participated as a voice actress in the anime series AKB0048. In the anime, she plays a main character Chieri Sono, and is part of the AKB48 subgroup NO NAME, which sings the opening and ending themes for the series. The series features a supporting character, Mayu Watanabe Mark 3, which is modeled after her likeness, and is voiced by Yukari Tamura. She reprised her role as Chieri Sono for the series' second season which aired in 2013.

Watanabe ranked second overall at the 2012 AKB48 general elections with 72,574 votes. On August 24, during the group's reorganization announcement at the AKB48's Tokyo Dome concert, she was moved from Team B to Team A.

On July 25, she released her second solo single, "Otona Jellybeans". which reached number three on the Oricon weekly chart. Her third solo single "Hikaru Monotachi" was released on November 21, 2012, and reached number one in the Oricon singles chart. The single was released in five versions, including one that has an illustration book. Her B-side "Sayonara no Hashi" was the theme song to the anime film "Nerawareta Gakuen" for which she voiced one of the lead characters. The film itself premièred in October at the Scotland Loves Animation festival in Edinburgh, before being released in Japan on November 10. She promoted Hikaru Monotachi with a short series of four hour-long concerts in two days. In July 2013, she released her fourth solo single. "Rappa Renshūchū". A contest was held to determine the cover artwork for one of its editions.

Meanwhile, in AKB48, she received her first center position on the group's 30th single "So Long!", which was released on February 20, 2013. On April 19, she released her second photobook "Seifuku Zukan Saigo no Seifuku", which contains 256 color pages and was based on the school uniforms of 94 Japanese schools. In the AKB48 general election for 2013, she placed third overall with 101,210 votes. 2014 saw her claim victory in the general election. Watanabe, 20, garnered 159,854 votes and will lead the group for the next year. She was followed by Rino Sashihara and Yuki Kashiwagi. In October, 2014 she modeled for Avail for the collection Avail 2014 Autumn Winter Watanabe Mayu (Avail 2014秋冬 渡辺麻友) in Japan since October 8th.


Discography[]

Solo singles[]

Year No. Title Release date Chart position Sales

(Oricon)

Oricon

Weekly
Singles
Chart
[21]

Billboard

Japan
Hot
100*
[22]

RIAJ

Digital
Track
Chart*
[23]

First

week

Total
2012 1 "Synchro Tokimeki" (シンクロときめき?) February 29, 2012 2 2 9 123,237 158,884
2 "Otona Jellybeans" (大人ジェリービーンズ?) July 25, 2012 3 3 9 87,993 109,309
3 "Hikaru Monotachi" (ヒカルものたち?) November 21, 2012 1 3 91,907 122,381
2013 4 "Rappa Renshūchū" (ラッパ練習中?) July 10, 2013 3 5 67,329 95,379

* RIAJ Digital Track Chart was established in April 2009 and cancelled in July 2012.

AKB48[]

Year No. Title Role Notes 2007 4 "Bingo!" A-side First single with Team B.
5 "Boku no Taiyō" A-side
6 "Yūhi o Miteiru ka?" A-side
2008 7 "Romance, Irane" A-side
8 "Sakura no Hanabiratachi 2008" A-side
9 "Baby! Baby! Baby!" A-side
10 "Ōgoe Diamond" A-side
2009 11 "10nen Sakura" A-side Also sang on "Sakurairo no Sora no Shita de"
12 "Namida Surprise!" A-side
13 "Iiwake Maybe" A-side Ranked 4th in 2009 General Election.
14 "River" A-side
2010 15 "Sakura no Shiori" A-side Also sang on "Majisuka Rock 'n' Roll".
16 "Ponytail to Shushu" A-side Also sang on "Majijo Teppen Blues".
17 "Heavy Rotation" A-side Ranked 5th in 2010 General Election. Also sang on "Yasai Sisters" and "Lucky Seven"
18 "Beginner" A-side
19 "Chance no Junban" B-side Did not sing on title track; lineup was determined by rock-paper-scissors tournament.[25]Sang on "Yoyakushita Christmas", and "Love Jump" (as Team B)
2011 20 "Sakura no Ki ni Narō" A-side
-- "Dareka no Tame ni - What can I do for someone?" -- charity single
21 "Everyday, Katyusha" A-side Also sang on "Korekara Wonderland" and "Yankee Soul".
22 "Flying Get" A-side Ranked 5th in 2011 General Election. Also sang on "Seishun to Kizukanai Mama", "Ice no Kuchizuke", "Yasai Uranai"
23 "Kaze wa Fuiteiru" A-side
24 "Ue kara Mariko" B-side Did not sing on title track; lineup was determined by rock-paper-scissors tournament. Sang on "Noel no Yoru", and "Yobisute Fantasy" (as Team B)
2012 25 "Give Me Five!" A-side (Baby Blossom) Played keyboard in Baby Blossom. Also sang on "Hitsujikai no Tabi".
26 "Manatsu no Sounds Good!" A-side Center Also sang on "Chōdai, Darling!"and "Kimi no Tame ni Boku wa...". 
27 "Gingham Check" A-side Ranked 2nd in 2012 General Election. Also sang on "Yume no Kawa".
28 "Uza" A-side Also sang on "Kodoku na Hoshizora".
29 "Eien Pressure" B-side Did not sing on title track; lineup was determined by rock-paper-scissors tournament. Also sang on "Totteoki Christmas" and "Eien Yori Tsuzuku You ni" as OKL48. First single as member of Team A.
2013 30 "So Long!" A-side, Center Also sang on "Ruby".
31 "Sayonara Crawl" A-side, Center This single had four centers.
32 "Koi Suru Fortune Cookie" A-side Ranked 3rd in 2013 General Election.
33 "Heart Electric" A-side In main lineup with the nickname Elizabeth. Also sang on "Kisu made Countdown" as Team A.
34 "Suzukake no Ki no Michi de "Kimi no Hohoemi o Yume ni Miru" to Itte Shimattara Bokutachi no Kankei wa Dō Kawatte Shimau no ka, Bokunari ni Nan-nichi ka Kangaeta Ue de no Yaya Kihazukashii Ketsuron no Yō na Mono" B-side Did not sing on title track; lineup was determined by rock-paper-scissors tournament. Sang on "Mosh & Dive". Sang on "Party is Over".
2014 35 "Mae Shika Mukanee" A-side
36 "Labrador Retriever" A-side, Center Also sang on "Kyou Made no Melody" and "B Garden"
37 "Kokoro no Placard" A-side, Center Ranked 1st in 2014 General Election. Also sang on "Sailor Zombie" as Milk Planet and "Oshiete Mommy".
38 "Kibouteki Refrain" A-side, Center This single was a double center of Watanabe and Sakura Miyawaki. Also sang on "Loneliness Club".
2015 39 "Green Flash" A-side Also sang "Haru no Hikari Chikadzuita Natsu" and "Hakimono to Kasa no Monogatari"

Appearances[]

Stage units[]

Team B 1st Stage "Seishun Girls" (青春ガールズ?)
  1. "Ame no Dōbutsuen" (雨の動物園?)
  2. "Fusidara na Natsu" (ふしだらな夏?)
Team B 2nd Stage "Aitakatta" (会いたかった?)
  1. "Nageki no Figure" (嘆きのフィギュア?)
  2. "Nagisa no Cherry" (渚のCHERRY?)
  3. "Senaka Kara Dakishimete" (背中から抱きしめて?)
  4. "Rio no Kakumei" (リオの革命?)
  5. "Skirt, Hirari" (スカート、ひらり?)
Team B 3rd Stage "Pajama Drive" (パジャマドライブ?)
  1. "Pajama Drive" (パジャマドライブ?)
Team B 4th Stage "Idol no Yoake" (アイドルの夜明け?)
  1. "Zannen Shōjo" (残念少女?)
Team B 5th Stage "Theater no Megami" (シアターの女神?)
  1. "Hatsukoi yo Konnichiwa" (初恋よ こんにちは?)
Team A Waiting Stage "Waiting Stage" (ウェイティング公演?)
  1. "Skirt, Hirari" (スカート、ひらり?)
  2. "Glass no I LOVE YOU" (ガラスの I LOVE YOU?)
  3. "Candy" (キャンディー?) (new units)
Team Surprise 1st Stage "Juuryoku Sympathy" (重力シンパシー?)
  1. "Suiyoubi no Alice" (水曜日のアリス?)
  2. "Kimi no C/W" (君のc/w?)
  3. "Megami wa Doko de Hohoemu?" (女神はどこで微笑む??)
Team B 3rd Stage "Pajama Drive" (パジャマドライブ?) (revival)
  1. "Temodemo no Namida" (てもでもの涙?)
Team Surprise 2nd Stage "Bara no Gishiki" (バラの儀式?)
  1. "Hatsukoi no Kagi" (初恋の鍵?)
  2. "Youchien no Sensei" (幼稚園の先生?)

Variety[]

  • AKB 1ji 59fun (2008)
  • AKB 0ji 59fun (2008)
  • AKB Nemōsu TV (AKBネ申テレビ?) (2008– )
  • AKBingo! (2008– )
  • Shūkan AKB (週刊AKB?) (2009 – 2012)
  • Naruhodo High School (2011 – 2012 )
  • "Gachigase AKB" (2012-)
  • "Kayoukyoku" (2012-)

Dramas[]

  • Majisuka Gakuen (2010) - Nezumi
  • Sakura Kara no Tegami (桜からの手紙?) (2011) - Herself
  • Majisuka Gakuen 2 (2011) - Nezumi
  • Saba Doll (2012) - Herself, Usa Shijimi
  • So Long! (2013) - Herself
  • Fortune Cookies (2013) - Herself
  • Sailor Zombie (2014) - Member of idol group, Milk Planet

Radio[]

  • AKB48 Ashitamade Mōchotto (AKB48明日までもうちょっと。?) (2008 – present, JOQR-AM)

Anime[]

  • AKB0048 (2012) - Chieri Sono
  • Nerawareta Gakuen (2012 film) - Natsuki
  • AKB0048 Next Stage (2013) - Chieri Sono

Movie[]

  • Three Day Boys (スリーデイボーイズ?)

Photobooks[]

  • Mayuyu (2011)
  • Seifuku Zukan Saigo no Seifuku (April 19, 2013)

Notes[]

  1. Jump up^ The nickname Mayuyu was used as the title for her 2011 photo book.

Gallery[]

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