“I Never Felt Comfortable Being ‘Mariko-sama'”—Mariko Shinoda Reflects on Her AKB48 Glory Days

Ideal and reality

“Back in my AKB48 days, I had mixed feelings about being called ‘Mariko-sama.’ I actually wanted to be a classic idol, and I wished I had a cute nickname like Mayuyu. Since ‘Mariko-sama’ became so well established, for better or worse, I started tailoring my character to fit it, saying things like ‘My favorite food is yakiniku.’ At first, I constantly felt uncomfortable with that version of myself (laughs).”

Shinoda Mariko (40), one of AKB48’s legendary “Kami 7” members who placed third in the first Senbatsu General Election and remained a central figure in the group until her graduation in 2013, struggled with personal conflicts behind her glamorous career.

“Because I was older than the other members, I was often cast as a teacher in music videos. Honestly, I wanted to play a student alongside everyone else. I used to wonder, ‘Why am I the only one?’ Looking back now, I’d probably think it was actually a good role to get, but when I was younger, the gap between myself and the others was painful.”

After completing her role as “Mariko-sama” in Japan’s most famous idol group, Shinoda went on to flourish as an actress. In the currently airing drama “The Revenge of the Betrayed Wife: The Wives Who Formed an Alliance” (TV Tokyo), she delivers a striking performance as a woman consumed by vengeance against her unfaithful husband.

In the July-season drama “Ochitara Owari” (Chukyo TV / Nippon TV), she plays a villainous celebrity wife living in the penthouse of a luxury high-rise apartment.

“’The Revenge of the Betrayed Wife’ is a dark story where betrayed wives form a revenge alliance, but the atmosphere on set is actually very friendly and cheerful. My role in ‘Ochitara Owari’ is also quite heavy, so I’m half excited and half nervous until it starts airing. I had worked with Misato Ugaki (35), the lead actress, on a radio program before. At the time, she was still an active TBS announcer, so I never imagined we’d reunite in a TV drama (laughs). Since I already knew what kind of person Uga-chan is, it was very easy to settle into the set.”

Having transitioned from a member of a hugely popular idol group to an actress frequently cast in distinctive villain roles, Shinoda says the turning point came after she graduated from AKB48 at age 27 and experienced burnout.

“When I was in AKB48, my schedule was packed two years in advance. After graduating, I suddenly didn’t even have plans for the following week. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I still had the energy and wanted to work, but I kept wondering: ‘What exactly is my dream from here on?’

One day, I suddenly decided, ‘I’m going overseas,’ and spent about two weeks in New York. While watching Broadway shows, I was deeply moved, thinking, ‘The people standing on this stage must have put in an incredible amount of effort.’ That experience finally helped me get back on my feet and say to myself, ‘I’m going to try again.’”

Although Shinoda set out on a new path as an actress, she admits she actually carried a complex about acting.

The June 19 issue of “FRIDAY” (released June 4) and the paid edition “FRIDAY GOLD” feature Shinoda speaking candidly about the drama that became her breakthrough role, “The Man Who Won’t Divorce: The Deceived Husband and His Devious Wife’s Love Game” (TV Asahi), as well as the hectic days of her AKB48 career.

For more details and additional photos, see the full feature below.

From the June 19, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”