Miko Hayama is Always Smiling
with English Subtitles

There are those who say the best of Japanese AV is happening right now.  It's true on one hand:  releases are more daring with less and less (and sometimes no mosaic.  We're also seeing some very unique production companies release micro fetish titles that would never of seen the light of day a decade past.  Fans nowadays are pickier than ever which partly is to blame...but that's not a bad thing.

However, ask anyone who has worked in the industry for at least ten years and pretty much of any of them will tell you the golden age of Japanese adult video was the early 2000's.  Budgets were sky high and although mosaic was still heavy at times thanks to the self-regulating authorities such as NEVA, this era where Japan was still catching up to the west in all things internet was rooted in ample doses of isolated zaniness.

GUTS got its time to shine during a few short, but prolific years during the so-called golden age of AV.  They released titles in nearly every genre so it's hard to really pinpoint them as a certain type of maker.  You can tag them as a femdom company that also produces unfaithful wife titles along with extreme public nudity challenges and you still wouldn't tap all the genres they dinged.  You look at their deviant schoolgirl titles like this one and you'd take them for a studio that finds solace in dark and submissive works, but then something like MIKO HAYAMA IS ALWAYS SMILING comes along and you're back to step one.

How can a company be this prolific?  How can they jump from making lewd women CFNM to a hyper-happy AV star showcase?  Well, back then and even now most adult video is actually done mainly on freelance.  Directors, lighting, sound, etc. are normally people who aren't salaried employees and the studios normally are all rented.  With this freedom to churn out whatever so long as the check clears, there really isn't any genre that's off-hand.  Want to do a really wacky AV star showcase?  Just call up X-san and it'll be done!

Now who is Miko Hayama?  Why is she in a title by herself?  ZENRA readers and subscribers who are are younger--or at least newcomers to Japanese AV--may not not know much about her.  Those who have been around a bit longer should at least have passing knowledge of this incredibly attractive Japanese woman with the most flawless, pale skin in the business.  Miko Hayama's career as an AV star was about average.  Three years and several dozen titles she took part in with this one by GUTS being one of her final releases before retirement.  Miko's charm points are her super milky white skin and well-crafted large areolas.  Both have much exposure time in this somewhat short, but very well put together title.

The ALWAYS SMILING series--yes, a series whose other releases will be shown on ZENRA at a later date--can be classified as AV star document titles.  They don't really have a plot.  In fact 'really' isn't appropriate.  They have no plot!  However, they do feature some level of connecting scenes together such as the interviews throughout this title all synced to some very energetic music.  The interview portions also featured tons of on-screen captioning that we went the extra mile in making sure the English subtitles not only matched up perfectly, but was styled appropriately as well.  We want to provide the best and most authentic experience for those wanting to get their toes wet into semi-modern Japanese AV history.

It's a shame that Miko Hayama elected not to remain in Japan's adult industry not long after ALWAYS SMILING was released.  In an industry that showcases dozens of new talents each month, she was one of the 'it' girls who not only had amazing looks, but also great charisma and camera presence.  She's very easy on the eyes and knows exactly what to do to summon the extreme arousal of her fans.  It's hard not to go overboard aggrandizing her, but fans of Japanese AV from just after the millennium should hold a special place in their hearts for Miko Hayama whose body type and perky personality do not come along that often.