Japanese Idol Actress Kii Kitano x Up To Boy

Up next in our special Up To Boy (アップトゥボーイ) gravure spread is one of the most in demand Japanese U-19 (under 19) idols…Kii Kitano (北乃きい). These days you can see the 17 year old Yokosuka native (about an hour south of Tokyo) all over Japanese TV. Kii got her start as a fashion model for the teen magazine “Hana*Chu”. She then won the sought after Miss Magazine gravure idol contest in 2005, becoming the youngest grand prize winner (14) in the history of the contest.

Kii Kitano in a school girl uniform…it doesn’t get any hotter than this!

Nanami Sakuraba

Nanami Sakuraba (桜庭ななみ), left, Miss Magazine 2008 winner poses with 2007 winner Yayoi Shikatani who came on stage to congratulate her

This past Sunday the final round selection for the winner of Miss Magazine (ミスマガジン) 2008 gravure idol was held at Sunshine City (サンシャインシティ) shopping mall in Ikebukuro district of downtown Tokyo. And 15 year old Nanami Sakuraba (桜庭ななみ) from Kagoshima Prefecture at the southern tip of Japan was crowned as the winner! It seems like idols in Japan are getting younger every year yet they’re fully embraced by the society. Hey, who am I to complain!

An U-15 (under 15) idol has won Miss Magazine gravure contest this year!

Miss Magazine 2008 gravure contest finalists (from L to R): Mio Otani, Miki Nakagawa, Nanami Sakuraba, Sakura Sato and Shizuka Umemoto

Winning the coveted Miss Magazine gravure idol title is a huge deal, as it is seen as a sure-thing stepping stone for the Japanese teen to enter into some other opportunities in showbiz. Running since 1982, past Miss Magazine winners have been Hollywood actress Youki Saito (斉藤由貴) and OG Japanese idol later turned actress Yoko Minamino (南野陽子). More recent winner / entrant include super popular gravure idol Misako Yasuda (安田美沙子), Kii Kitano (北乃きい) and everyone’s favorite cutie pie otaku Shoko Nakagawa (中川翔子) aka “Shokotan”! As a matter of fact, the gravure idol contest received about 17,000 entries this year.

After being announced as the winner, the baby faced Nanami Sakuraba said, “I still can’t believe I’ve won. I will work hard with lots of smile and courage!” Nanami belongs to the same entertainment production agency “Sweet Power” (スウィートパワー) as the red hot U-19 Japanese teen idol Kii Kitano. Nanami has set her sight on catching up to the beautiful Kii because “she’s got really good acting skills”.

Up To Boy Bonus

Here are some random color pages taken from the Japanese gravure magazine we Japanese idol lovers can’t live without, Up To Boy (アップトゥボーイ). You’ll see several familiar faces, including popular gravure model and idol like Mikie Hara, Airi Nakajima, Mayumi Ono, Ai Takahashi, Kii Kitano and Reina Tanaka.

The title of this portion of the magazine is “Secretly Photoed Corner”…how funny!

You can enter a drawing and win all kinds of signed goodies from your favorite girl too!

Kii Kitano (Kie Kitano)

I’ve got the cure for your Monday morning blue! Kii Kitano (北乃きい) is one of the hottest U-19 idols from Japan. The 17 year old cutie from Kanagawa Prefecture first made her presence known by winning the 2005 Miss Magazine (ミスマガジン) gravure Grand Prix. She then appeared in the 2006 controversial NTV drama “The 14 Year Old Mother” (14才の母), Fuji TV’s 2007 wild drama “Life” (ライフ), as well as starring in the hit movie “Kofuku na Shokutaku” (幸福な食卓) last year.

The pictures are from the spread she did with Japanese gravure magazine Up To Boy at the end of last year.

Enjoy and you bet your ass I’ve got more Kii cuteness for you!