“We Clicked Right Away”—Aoi Mizobata & Mao Takano on Their Natural Friendship

A once-in-a-lifetime collaboration

—This time, four talents from the agency seju grace the cover together. For the two of you, this is your first time appearing on the cover. How did you feel when you got the offer?

Mizobata: “I just debuted this March, and I had already appeared in FRIDAY in both June and July, so when they said, ‘We’re putting you on the cover already!?’ I was so surprised. I was also looking forward to meeting my agency seniors from Osaka, Yuzuha Hongo (22) and Ina Enohara (27).”

Takano: “For me, I was more nervous than excited. I also debuted in March, and this was only my fifth gravure shoot. Being included in a four-person cover shoot made me really happy, but at the same time, I felt almost unworthy.”

Mizobata: “It was my fifth shoot too! But it was the first time I’d done a group shoot. I was also excited to meet Mao-chan.”

—After working together, did your impression of each other change?

Mizobata: “I often watch Mao-chan’s TikToks, and for some reason I assumed we were about the same height. But when we met, she was actually 10 cm shorter than me, so cute! I just wanted to dote on her~!”

Takano: “She was just like I imagined. Aoi-chan is this really bright, cheerful girl who’s so easy to talk to. She instantly blew away my nerves.”

—The shoot took place in Okinawa, right?

Mizobata: “Yes, it was the first time in Okinawa for both of us. Even the heat felt amazing. Up until now, I had only done shoots in winter and spring. Shooting in Okinawa’s summer felt so gravure idol, and I was really happy.”

—How was it meeting Hongo-san and Enohara-san?

Mizobata: “It was so lively and fun. Ina-san would tease Hongo-san, and Hongo-san would say, ‘Hey, I’m your senior here! (laughs),’ and then Ina-san would go, ‘Sorry, sorry.’ It was like watching a comedy routine (laughs).”

Takano: “Hongo-san would often pet my head saying, ‘You’re as cute as a little kitten!’ She gave off such a big-sister vibe.”

—I hear all four of you are into strength training as part of your body-shaping routines. Who’s the most hardcore among you?

Mizobata: “That would be Mao-chan, right? How many times a week do you hit the gym?”

Takano: “About five times a week. Honestly, I think I overdo it. Recently I injured my left wrist while lifting a 12 kg dumbbell with one hand. At one point I was squatting over 100 kg and started chasing numbers, almost losing sight of the original goal—body-shaping for gravure shoots (laughs). These days I’m focusing more on lighter weights with higher reps. Compared to when I debuted, I’ve lost about six kilos.”

Mizobata: “That’s amazing! I mostly do home workouts, so I haven’t lost as much weight as Mao-chan, but recently people have been complimenting me, saying my figure looks better.”

“If I’m Going to Do It, I Want to Aim for the Top”

—Were you both in sports clubs during your school years?

Mizobata: “In junior high I was in the badminton club. In high school, I joined the dance club and even competed in the national tournament.”

Takano: “I can’t say I achieved anything noteworthy, but I was dedicated to the kendo club all through junior high and high school. Aside from that, I also did ballet for about 10 years.”

—Did you want to be entertainers from a young age?

Mizobata: “By the time I was 10, I was already writing down ‘actress’ as my future dream. My dad and mom are both company employees, and I grew up with my younger sister and our dog.”

Takano: “Apparently from as early as I could talk, I was saying I wanted to be on TV. My dad actually once aspired to be an actor—he even appeared in a historical drama as a samurai who gets cut down—but after I was born, he became a company employee. My mom is a nurse, and we’re a family of four including my younger brother.”

—How did you end up joining seju?

Mizobata: “I went to university in Osaka, but I couldn’t give up on acting. While still in school, I joined a training program run by a major agency to study acting from scratch. That’s where someone from seju scouted me.”

Takano: “I enrolled in a nursing vocational school and had even received a job offer from a hospital. Around that time, a manager from seju saw my TikTok and reached out to me. I thought, ‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,’ and decided to go for it.”

—Did you have any hesitation about doing gravure work?

Mizobata: “Honestly, at first I did feel a bit uneasy. But once I started, it turned out to be really fun. Seeing people enjoy the photos made me feel glad I did it. Now I just want to aim higher and higher.”

Takano: “When I saw the finished photos, I thought, ‘Wow, these look beautiful,’ and that’s when I really started to appreciate the appeal of gravure work. Right now I just want to try my hand at everything.”

—Any message for your fans?

Takano: “For this shoot, I styled my hair in different ways—half-up, down, etc.—to give a mix of cute and elegant vibes so people could see different sides of me. Through this shoot, I also got close to Aoi-chan, almost like we’d been friends forever. I hope everyone enjoys the group shots that capture that closeness, even though we’d only just met.”

Mizobata: “For me, spending time with Mao-chan and the others really brought out a natural sense of joy, and I think that comes through in my expressions. Including Hongo-san and Enohara-san, I’d love for people to see the sparkling smiles of all four of us.”

Mizobata Aoi, 24
A talent from Osaka Prefecture. She made her gravure debut this March and quickly captured attention.

Takano Mao, 21
A talent from Tochigi Prefecture. She also debuted in gravure this March. Her hobbies are strength training and listening to music.

My recent best at-home time
Games & protein

Mizobata: I like watching gaming commentary videos on YouTube, and I often start playing games because of that influence. Right now, I’m playing Fall Guys on the Nintendo Switch, which I got into after watching Eiko Kano’s commentary.

Takano: Since I love working out, I’ve gotten hooked on trying out different protein powders. Lately, I’ve been enjoying various flavors from MyProtein and Ezobolic. I even switch between them depending on whether I’m doing weight training or cardio, and I test how effective they are.

From the August 22/29, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”