BREAKING: Yua Mikami Hits Back At Trolls, Ai Hongo Latest To Feature in Ryu Ga Gotoku & More!

Here's a rundown of some of the top stories that happened in July

Things got messy between Yua Mikami and some seriously salty netizens. Since retirement, Yua has somehow managed to stay in the limelight, and this time few netizens trolled her for one of her many fashion collabs. On the other end of the knife is a famous hat brand, CA4LA, facing the brunt.

To get the gist of it, let’s rewind a bit. Since Yua pulled a backseat after leaving JAV, she has been announcing hot new collaborations with top brands. Her clothing line, MISTREASS, recently collaborated with the Japanese hat brand CA4LA. This one collab could give her brand the much-needed attention, but some folks online weren't feeling the partnership and threatened a full-blown boycott.

Yua, outspoken and candid, wasn't about to take this lying down. She took to social media and hit back at the trolls, to the point of threatening legal action against the accounts bullying her, and reminded everyone (quite rightly!) that she has the creative liberty to choose her business partners as she tweeted, "Not just this time, but I do the work that companies give me honestly, and I do it based on supply and demand. If they don't get results when they use me, I think companies will stop using me, so I think I do a pretty good job"

She further wrote, "When the world no longer needs me, I'll just disappear on my own. Even when I was active, I didn't think that being an AV actress was a job that everyone would recognize. I've never recommended it to anyone. I've never asked for respect either But no matter what job you do, if you work hard, you can achieve something or be of some use to others. What someone hates, someone else can also like it. So I understand that there will be critical opinions. But I have human rights and freedom of occupation, and I saw some words that are not okay to say to others. Words have the power to kill people. I thought this time that I want to be the one who can only give happiness to those who support me."

The netizens were upset that a heritage hat brand could rake in someone with a not-so-decent past in the public eye, and let me tell you Japanese people are very conscious of the things they associate with!

But Yua wasn't alone in this fight. Our girl, Sakura Tsukishima, threw her support behind her, calling out the negativity from netizens. She argued, and I have to say, I agree, that these online attacks could potentially disrupt Yua's work and livelihood.

So, what's the takeaway from this? Is it a simple case of frustrated netizens throwing a tantrum, or is there a bigger issue at play here?

Here's the thing, celebrities, adult film stars included, have the right to choose their collaborations. We, the fans, can voice our opinions, sure, but resorting to threats and bullying is never the answer.

Now could it be that Yua may not have considered the potential backlash before jumping into this collab? Did CA4LA have some baggage we don't know about?

One thing's for sure, this whole situation has sparked a debate about freedom of expression versus online harassment. I hope a single event won't deter her from future collaborations.

Hold onto your controllers, cause the upcoming edition of the famous gaming franchise Like A Dragon recently wrapped up its annual audition of raking in female celebrities to feature in its latest saga 'Minato Ward'! JAV’s very own has just been announced as a finalist for the upcoming Minato Ward casting call for the highly anticipated new edition of the Like a Dragon video game series.

The Minato Ward Girls casting call is a talent search conducted by SEGA to find real-life women who will serve as the inspiration for in-game characters in the next Like a Dragon title.

The winners were announced on July 19, 2024, during RGG’s broadcast on Youtube, revealing the lineup of renowned Japanese personalities.

Cosplay sensation Enako, racing circuit darling Seiko Kirishima, former JAV actress turned writer Kaho Shibuya, Ai Hongo, and streamer Misoshiru have been chosen to grace as digital avatars for the upcoming title.

This is a game-changer (pun intended)! This would make Ai’s first feature to make an official appearance in the franchise. While the "Like a Dragon" series has a history of featuring digital avatars of AV stars in its infamous "harem" sections, Ai's potential inclusion marks a whole new level of crossover appeal. Besides JAV, Ai is recognized for her cosplay and gaming content. With nearly 100,000 followers on Twitch, she’s gained popularity for her engaging personality and thrilling horror game streams.

Now, let's talk about the competition. Ai isn't the only one vying for a spot in this virtual world. The audition process attracted a diverse pool of talent from various backgrounds. But here's the thing, the only other representative of the adult entertainment industry in the series so far has been Kaho Shibuya, a veteran of the game, who's now carved a successful path as a writer.

So, what does this mean for Ai? Well, since she has made the final cut, it's a major step towards mainstream recognition. Millions of gamers around the world will get to interact with her digital avatar, potentially opening doors to new audiences and opportunities.

The franchise of Like a Dragon has been famous for raking in AV stars in the past, a digital avatar of these JAV stars features in a harem in the game where the main player could indulge with them. Some of the actresses have also dubbed their voice for the game in the past. The official page of the game announced on Twitter, the selected finalists. Ai took to Twitter to share the news with her fans and was delighted by it as she wrote “I passed the Minato Ward girls audition for the latest Yakuza game! I'm really happy to be a part of the Yakuza team, something I've always dreamed of! Everyone, please look forward to it!”

But let's not forget her day job! Just last month, Ai set pulses racing with her sizzling performance in a steamy S1 flick where she played a swimmer. Let's just say, that swimsuit wasn't the only thing raising the temperature! This little one is making a name for herself both on & off the screen and proving her talent extends beyond the JAV industry.

We’ve news on SOD’s sub-label Mogi studio debutant from November last year, Aoi who has made up her mind on her AV career and is pretty close to a step away from exit. If you look at it, she’d quite an interesting career. After just a handful of flicks, playing mostly schoolgirl roles in her JAVs (I guess you gotta blame the studio for typecasting her into that role) she has decided she has had enough of AV.

Now, you guys are aware of how hectic the AV industry can get. Long hours, demanding schedules, and the constant pressure to perform...it's enough to make anyone feel a little under the weather. And that seems to be exactly what happened to Aoi. In a recent tweet, she announced her retirement, citing recurring health issues and the toll it took on her mental well-being.

"This is a sudden announcement, but I, Mirei Aoi, will be retiring. I have been unable to film for a while, and there have been many events that have made me feel like I can't keep up with my emotions, so I have been agonizing over this decision."

"I repeatedly felt sick for a while," she wrote, "and made this decision based on the doctor's judgment. In a situation where you can't shoot for a long time, there are events where your feelings and mind can't keep up with your mind."

While there was no mention of a farewell event or even so a JAV, it seems her latest project with Musuzokou Studios, where she once again dons the oh-so-innocent schoolgirl uniform, is most likely the final AV featuring her.

This quick exit places Aoi in the unfortunate company of actresses who couldn't even make it a year in the biz. It's a shame. Aoi had a certain spark, a youthful charm that could have translated into a longer, more successful career. But hey, health comes first. But this could also give you an idea that this was more likely a one-off experiment for her as like most other girls who pick up JAV in their early 20s. She wrote, "I jumped into this world out of curiosity, and although there were unpleasant things, it was so, so much fun! Thank you everyone for allowing us to see such a beautiful sight."

So, what's next for Aoi? We don't know, and frankly, she doesn't owe us any explanations. Here's hoping she finds something that keeps her happy and healthy, even if it's a million miles away from the bright lights and sets of the JAV world. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors!

G-cup hottie debuted with Oppai in February 2022, no wonder why the studio signed her up! Oppaira, our staff writer mentioned that she reminded him of pre-pandemic Maria Nagai in his review of the actress.

Lately, Akari's career was taking a nosedive. Despite debuting early on in the year as a freelancer, she had very few releases. On top of that, her career went downhill from her peak at Oppai, starring in whatever JAVs she could find for herself.

She recently grabbed the first spot at the Summer Style Award (think of it more of a knockoff of Mr. Olympia held in Japan every year) and tweeted how hard she had worked for it and had been persistent throughout while tweeting a pic of her with Korean actor and model Ken Kaneko handing her the award. Not to mention that she has a killer physique for an AV actress. One of the best in the bunch and she has put the work into it, it seems.

Akari has adopted a new name, Akari Higashi, a slight change from her former alias that could be linked to her changing her management agency. The reason that came up in her farewell tweet is that she used AV as a platform to kickstart her model career.

In her retirement tweet, she recollected how she had a traumatic childhood, “I didn't have any friends for six years in elementary school and three years in junior high school, and because of my home environment I don't have a single good memory. Before I started AV, I had no confidence in myself and was called ugly.”

This is perhaps the first time she had been so open to the cosmetic enhancements that she had done before getting into the industry, it was more of a ‘getting back at the people who bullied her during her childhood’

‘I wanted to get back at them by getting a lot of plastic surgery and growing on the inside. So I paid 10 million yen for my face and breast augmentation. When you take off your clothes, you are criticized. And I don't know what people will think. But I started doing it to improve my self-confidence, even if it meant sacrificing my mental health! I took the film and released it four months later."

She referred to how she’d watch her footage at night to fix her performance and physique. This kind of behavior might stem from an early childhood trauma that made her conscious of the traits she possessed, “I continued even when it was tough, and I filmed almost without resting after my hostess job. I watched the footage again and built up my body, and studied and improved my eroticism to improve my work, so I'm glad I did this job.”

Lastly, she thanked her parents, her fans, and her agency T-powers for pulling her through the episode and helping her retrieve her lost confidence much of which has to do with her performing bare in front of the camera opening up a lot of possibilities for her.

Asumi Mirai's latest tweet is causing quite a stir on her SNS, and let me tell you, the gossip is fresh off the boat. Mirai made a cryptic tweet when you guys were busy celebrating Independence Day that has us speculating about her future in the JAV industry.

Here's the lowdown: So, on the 4th of July, Mirai hinted that her upcoming release, code MTALL-125 from Materiall Studios, might have been her final attempt at shooting JAVs. She tweeted, "It seems like I'm back in the number two spot today," seemingly referencing sales figures. "This is the new movie, stay tuned people. Maybe this is the last time." Ugh, nothing hurts fans more than this one line!

But hold on, there's more! Mirai seems to be less than thrilled with the JAV itself. Look at how she dissed the promotional materials (DVD jacket), saying, "The face in this photo isn't very good and the poster photo is so poorly edited, so I was wondering whether to promote it or not."

This isn't the first time Mirai hinted at her struggles. It’s been evident how she's battled depression in the past, and some fans are worried this tweet might be a cry for help. As Asumi confessed, "I don't want anyone to see my AV videos so I hesitated a long time before posting them on SNS and seldom posted them." that in itself is a big red flag, look at how she’s super conscious about herself. I hope she gets counseling for it since she has always had a thing with depression in the past.

Asumi started as a YouTuber under the alias Pawafurumi. After all, this isn't her first foray into the entertainment world. Her debut JAV back in November 2021 was a smash hit, topping the FANZA charts. However, due to various circumstances, she has deleted all of her social media accounts from her time as a YouTuber. So what's changed?

Is Mirai truly ready to walk away from AV, or is this just a temporary blip? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, here's hoping she gets the support she needs, whether it's staying in JAV or moving on.

We'll keep bringing you more such updates at ZENRA, to hop on the fan wagon follow us on Twitter