Summer 2018, I scouted a little 18 years old girl. She'll later be known as Minami Aizawa.
I talked to her about stupid stuff in this café. Bright girl, can eat a lot.
She was a university student who also posed in magazines.
I was this 14 years older dude but I made her laugh.
At first AV was unthinkable to a pure girl with almost zero experience with men, one who knew nothing of the world (still don't?)...
Turns out she was at this famous big shot university. I had no idea.
Because of reasons we couldn't see each other for a year. When we met again, she was 19.
She was so happy to meet again she cried while we ate Korean food. She was already a crying baby, lol.
This december I asked her "wanna play around with this Idea Pocket maker?" and we went there.
Halfway through she said "I'll do AV" and... We had tea with the producer the same day. February of the next year we had another meet.
Her will had not changed came February.
The maker was very welcoming so we signed a contract.
March, debut movie.
I came rushing after her first sex; she was crying. She said it was because she was nervous about the interview, but I knew it was the shock or making love to a man she didn't like for the first time of her life.
The shoot lasted 2 days, it had to end at 21h.
She was living at her parents at the time and she had a curfew.
I would always see her home at 23h.
She debuted at the 2016 AV Open, which was bigger then it is now.
She was the elite.
They were accommodating: ending the shoots before 21h, she also had a lot of sex acts restrictions.
Before the debut came out we extended the contract with more provisions. Unprecedented.
But it turns out she didn't sell. We stuck to AiPocke but even after dropping the conditions the contract cut short after a few extensions.
But she had no intention of going freelance. Nor switch to another maker.
Not even 40 people made it to her first event.
We also had the first off-meet event.
Only 8 people came.
We were both scared of being found out.
To make sure we wouldn't be found out our public stuff was small and we had little media presence.
Because of that she didn't sell.
She also had less Twitter than other actresses.
But a friend of hers told on her and her parents found out.
Came May she was able to shoot another one for AiPocke.
The maker had not given up on Minami Aizawa.
I felt so thankful towards them then.
We both thought we couldn't do it like we did before.
So we upped our media presence with all we had. It was tough but we did jobs even when they didn't pay.
I thought her sweetness was her weapon. Fans loved how she's not double-faced, she doesn't betray.
She's always polite to fans waiting to meet her before or after events.
That's because she truely enjoys it.
She will make snacks and cards as bonus items for events.
She had off-meet events frequently too.
She imposed herself at least a tweet a day, and made sure to take the advice she received from male perspectives about her icon, header, etc...
In the sex acts too she did her best and challenged herself to things she'd always avoid like squirting, bukkake, pissing. The offers for jobs outside of AV came pouring.
Also on a side note, but she has almost zero magazine gravure.
It's because we didn't have much public exposure, so when I called magazines back then they'd say "I don't know Minami Aizawa, too thin, too young" and turned me down.
I'll never forget the debt I have for the one company who accepted, neither will she.
Minami Aizawa decided not appear in magazines that turned her down even if they offer now, so that's why she doesn't have photobooks.
If we release one it'll have to be from Japan's one company who accepted her.
I always tell her about our debt.
Fans too, some of them support her since the first event/off-meet.
Of course now the off-meet are sold out immediately but some of them are from the beginning too, I think.
I don't mean to discriminate between fans. I love them all, I'm happy if they can lightly call me "chief".
It's just that people have special debts towards people who helped them when things were though. Same for me.
Today her contract won't break, she sells, she's popular, but she can't forget where we came from and neither can I.
So I love all who supported us, they're important to me and no matter how much she sells we won't become money-grabbing goblins and will make time for fans waiting at the end of an event.
She was the elite in her debut. But she had to fight frustrating and work her way up the cliff.
There's a new office now, but it can't strive just on our efforts.
Right now events sell-out immediately but before we worked hard to sell them all.
Last July, I had to be hospitalized in emergency because of an acute myeloid leukemia cancer.
She kept going to work by train or taxi when we couldn't get a manager for her.
She even took care of her expenses.
Even after becoming this popular, I am so sorry for this.
She is so positive at work, she gets loved no matter the work, so the next offer keeps on coming.
She always greets properly and never gets embarrassed, my proud talent.
I was in the hospital when the FANZA Adult Award offer came in July.
We cried together over the phone.
The maker extended our contract.
We didn't fuss over the terms of the contract, but they were favorable.
We also had a bonus because of sells.
She was genuinely glad.
Because that's what makes Minami Aizawa so great.
When came the Adult Award voting time, as I was wondering what we should do I was hospitalized again.
I was limited to what I could do from an hospital room.
I grew impatient.
Her rivals are racking up votes.
What saved me then were friends.
To win an election, you need money.
But you all worked for free.
I texted the more than a thousand people I have in my phone.
They themselves texted their friends.
That's where a miracle happened.
Minami Aizawa became popular.
Her support grew; people from every jobs, from the entertainment industry.
A large number gave us votes.
At first I thought her getting nominated was more than enough, but I think if you're gonna fight to lose, don't fight, so I aimed for complete victory.
I think everyone wanted to win too, and I know for a fact that previous Best Actress winners (name redacted lol) were for real too so we were for real.
So I was honestly going for number 1.
Everyone has their opinions about battle rules, but I think you can do anything within the rules.
There is strength in that.
In an election, if you give extra items to people at events if they vote for you, it'd be forbidden.
Distributing tissues was a wonderful idea too, menacing.
Minami Aizawa's popularity grew even within the industry, her actress buddies helped her out too, the guys from production and the shop clerks too...
What made her win was her reaction to those fans and her popularity.
And of course, luck on top of natural ability.
The day of the ceremony, as cheers came from every side, a dozen or more or her friends came with her and voted, encouraged her.
And everyone from Minya's family.
From my seat in the second floor, I noticed the loudness of the cheers coming from Minya's family when she looked at them from the stage.
I think she won thanks to how loud those cheers were.
When her name got called, I cried too.
Wait no, the tears were out before her name got called, ahah.
Just seeing the cheers from Minya's family is enough to cry.
And then seeing T-san who waited at the end crying was just mean at this point; made me cry again.
There's greatness in the power of Minya's family.
Really, really, I have the greatest gratitude for all the top notch encouragement.
Minami Aizawa's cinderella story is just beginning.
From elite to frustration, how should she dazzle the world next?
Her rivals will keep dazzling from their debuts.
I know the hungry Minami Aizawa from when she was sipping on muddy water.
I wish for her to keep dazzling us for a long time. There's great responsibility that comes with the title of Japan's best.
Here's to working with Japan's number 1, Minami Aizawa.