First Gravure After Marriage and Childbirth: Why Dempagumi.inc’s Mirin Furukawa Took on Bold Shots
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Available now for early access on FRIDAY’s subscription service! Mirin Furukawa opens up about her feelings towards her first gravure shoot.An active idol and mother of one
“When I was offered a proper gravure shoot by FRIDAY, I thought, ‘Are they out of their minds!?'” (laughs). “I’ve been an idol for 16 years, but this shoot was something completely new to me.”
This is how Mirin Furukawa, a member of the idol group Dempagumi.inc, who announced her group’s activities will end in January, reflected on her experience. Currently, she is in the middle of the group’s final tour, Dempagumi.inc Ending Tour ‘Surely, It’s Dempagumi.inc that Will Save the Universe!’ and has a live performance scheduled in her hometown, Takamatsu, on December 7.
This is “Mirin-chan’s” first challenge with a full-fledged gravure shoot. The photographer for the shoot is Maki Taguchi, who has also worked on the jacket for their 5th single, Kira Kira Tune. After the group’s ending, a digital photo book will be released, with some shots already available for early access on FRIDAY’s subscription service.
I asked her about her thoughts as she took on the shoot.
“When I got the offer, I was honestly surprised. I wasn’t sure if there was even a demand for it… But with Dempagumi.inc ending next year, I wanted to make sure I live without regrets in my remaining time. So, I decided, ‘I have no choice but to do it!'”
In 2019, she announced her marriage to manga artist Shuichi Aso, known for The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., and in 2021, she gave birth to her first child. “Mirin-chan” has walked a unique path as both a current idol and a mother.
“Since I’m married, I wondered if the theme might be something like ‘A Housewife’s Afternoon’ (laughs). I’ve never had a shoot in a swimsuit or lingerie, so this was completely new territory for me.”
Known as a gamer idol, “Mirin-chan” has openly stated she wants to unlock various “achievements” as Dempagumi.inc approaches its ending. For example, in September, she held her first solo live performance, and now, she’s achieved the sexy gravure milestone with FRIDAY.
“This shoot was nothing like the idol shoots I’ve done before. The angles, the poses—I’m not usually asked to do things like that, and I discovered, ‘So this is what my face looks like.’ It was full of surprises, and I feel like my experience level has definitely gone up.”
What kind of preparations did she make for the shoot?
The difficulty of posing for photogravure
She confessed to the challenges she faced in preparing for her gravure shoot:
“It might sound very basic, and I’m sorry, but I decided to lose a little weight (laughs). I put a stop to eating ramen, and I stopped eating late at night.
With a child, it’s basically impossible to go to a ramen shop. But just a couple of days ago, I had some time alone and really wanted to go, but I thought, ‘If I have just this one bowl, all the progress I’ve made will be undone!’ So, I weighed it out and decided not to go, I held back.”
She also dedicated time to researching gravure poses:
“I studied photos of Enako-chan and Umi Shinonome-chan. I saw an explanation that ‘flattening the hips makes the waist look slimmer,’ and I thought, ‘Ah, I see!’ and used it as a reference.”
“(When I tried it myself,) gravure poses are definitely harder than I imagined. On set, the stylists gave me lots of advice. If they hadn’t been there, I would have ended up doing nothing.”
Having made thorough preparations, “Mirin-chan” took on her first gravure shoot, but she admits there were still insecurities. The rest of her story will continue in the next part.
Continue to Part 2 ” Mirin Furukawa,” who gained 20 kg and “didn’t want to go out in public”… After giving birth, “Misuzu Furukawa,” a member of Denpa Gumi, overcame a “barrier”...
Furukawa Mirin: Having admired idols since childhood, she became the central figure of Dempagumi.inc, fulfilling her dream. A gamer idol who has mastered everything from consumer to arcade and online games, she also hosts gaming programs. She serves as a tourism ambassador for Takamatsu City, and on December 7, she has a live performance scheduled in her hometown.
PHOTO： Taguchi Maki
