Mana Sakura
{{Short description|Japanese AV idol, gravure model, and novelist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mana Sakura
| native_name = 紗倉まな
| native_name_lang = ja
| image = Mana Sakura, 2017 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Mana Sakura, in October 2017
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|3|23}}
| birth_place = Chiba, Japan
| spouse =
| alma_mater = College of Technology (Civil engineering){{Citation |title=「世界のトヨタ」が人気AV女優とコラボ 「英断」「快挙！」「第2の飯島愛か」の声
|date=3 December 2014 |url=https://www.j-cast.com/2014/12/03222398.html |language=ja |access-date=2023-07-06}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- AV idol
- gravure model
- novelist}}
| years_active = 2011–present
| alias =
| website = {{URL|http://blog.livedoor.jp/sakura_mana/|blog.livedoor.jp}}
}}
{{nihongo|Mana Sakura|紗倉まな|Sakura Mana|born March 23, 1993|lead=yes}} is a Japanese AV idol, gravure model, novelist and singer. Originally debuting as a model, she transitioned to AV in 2012, becoming an exclusive performer for Soft On Demand and starred over 150 adult films since her debut.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dmm.co.jp/digital/videoa/-/list/=/article=actress/id=1012844/|title=紗倉まな(さくらまな) - アダルトビデオ動画 - FANZA動画(旧DMM.R18)|website=FANZA|language=ja|access-date=2019-04-10}} Sakura is considered one of the most popular and recognizable contemporary AV idols as she managed to crossover into mainstream entertainment with regular appearances in television, films and even video games as well. She also became an accomplished author, publishing several novels, magazine essays and running columns.
Life and career
Born in Chiba, Mana Sakura studied civil engineering at the College of Technology.{{Cite web|title=「世界のトヨタ」が人気AV女優とコラボ 「英断」「快挙！」「第2の飯島愛か」の声|url=https://www.j-cast.com/2014/12/03222398.html|date=2014-12-03|website=J-CAST ニュース|language=ja|access-date=2020-05-21}} She debuted as a mainstream model at 18 in the gravure video 18 Years Old Mana Sakura Pretty Moe Factory, published in November 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%B7%A5%E5%A0%B4%E8%90%8C%E3%81%88%E7%BE%8E%E5%B0%91%E5%A5%B3-%E7%B4%97%E5%80%89%E3%81%BE%E3%81%AA-18%E6%AD%B3-DVD/dp/B005TEVFHO|title=工場萌え美少女 紗倉まな 18歳 [DVD]|publisher=amazon.co.jp|language=Japanese|access-date=2015-05-29}}
In February 2012, Sakura entered the AV industry with the video AV Debut Mana released by the manufacturer Soft On Demand.{{cite news|title=ショートヘアの究極美女|newspaper=Million|date=June 20, 2012|pages=19–22}}{{cite news|title=W A面袋とじ 2大ロリエロ大人気女優|newspaper=Weekly Asahi Geinō|date=June 25, 2012}} Users at Twitter recognized her as a student at the Technical College and the subsequent publicity{{cite web|url=http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2015/03/19/mana-sakura-tops-japans-2015-porn-awards/|title=Mana Sakura tops Japan's 2015 porn awards|date=19 March 2015|publisher=Tokyo Reporter|access-date=2015-05-28}} resulted in her debut video ranking first in DVD sales for that month at the major Japanese distributor, the DMM Corporation.Monthly DMM, July 2012 Issue, pp. 104–106.
In 2013 she was named Best New Actress at the Adult Broadcasting Awards{{cite news|title=Mana Sakura wins Best New Actress at 2013 porn awards|url=http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2013/03/07/mana-sakura-wins-best-new-actress-at-2013-porn-awards/|access-date=25 March 2013|newspaper=The Tokyo Reporter|date=March 16, 2013}} and at the same ceremony she also won the FLASH Award.{{cite web|title=スカパー！アダルト放送大賞2013|url=http://adult-awards.com/archives/2013/|access-date=25 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304035536/http://adult-awards.com/archives/2013/|archive-date=4 March 2013|url-status=dead}} Also in 2013 she appeared in the mainstream movie {{nihongo|Goddotan: Kisu gaman senshuken the Movie|ゴッドタン キス我慢選手権 THE MOVIE}}, a film adaptation of the popular Japanese late night TV variety show Goddotan.{{cite web|url=http://movie.walkerplus.com/mv53035/|title=ゴッドタン キス我慢選手権 THE MOVIE|publisher=MovieWalker|language=Japanese|access-date=2015-05-29|archive-date=2023-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205022512/https://movie.walkerplus.com/mv53035/|url-status=dead}} In August 2013, she formed the J-Pop idol group {{nihongo|Ototoy Friday|おとといフライデー}} (originally {{nihongo|Otome Frappuccino|乙女フラペチーノ}}) with fellow AV idol Minami Kojima.{{cite web|url=https://r-p-m.jp/interview/ototoifriday|title=おとといフライデー 「レコードの日」7インチ発売記念インタビュー！|publisher=Record People Magazine|language=Japanese|access-date=2024-01-18}}
In 2014 she was voted as second place in an election for Yakuza 0, making her a character in the video game.[http://www.famitsu.com/news/201408/24059818.html 『龍が如く』“セクシー女優人気投票”の最終結果が発表、総投票数は約350万票、1位に輝いたのは？ - ファミ通.com] She was a regular cast member in the second season of the Tokyo Broadcasting System's TV drama Ushijima the Loan Shark broadcast from January to March 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=347765|title=闇金ウシジマくん Season2(2014)|publisher=AllCinema|language=Japanese|access-date=2015-05-29}} In the Fall of 2014, Sakura was enlisted to write a column for Gazoo.com, a promotional portal for Toyota. A spokesman said that the company considered her background and interest in driving "to be suitable for their needs."{{cite web|url=http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2014/10/14/drive-your-dreams-popular-porn-star-takin-a-ride-with-toyota/|title=Drive your dreams: Popular porn star takin' a ride with Toyota|publisher=Tokyo Reporter|access-date=2015-05-28|date=October 14, 2014|first=Kenji|last=Nakano}} She also appeared in a second mainstream movie in 2014, the action science fiction film Danger Dolls released in September 2014.{{cite web|url=http://movie.walkerplus.com/mv56537/|title=少女は異世界で戦った|publisher=MovieWalker|language=Japanese|access-date=2015-05-29|archive-date=2023-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016211224/https://movie.walkerplus.com/mv56537/|url-status=dead}}
She was once again a winner at the 2015 Adult Broadcasting Awards, this time taking the Best Actress Award and a second FLASH Award.{{cite web|url=http://adult-awards.com/archives/2015%E5%B9%B4/|title=2015年の受賞者|publisher=Adult Broadcssting Awards|language=Japanese|access-date=2015-05-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312095318/http://adult-awards.com/archives/2015%E5%B9%B4/|archive-date=2015-03-12|url-status=dead}} On February 12, 2016, she published her first novel The Lowlife, a heavily autobiographical work depicting the daily lives of adult film actresses.{{cite web |title=Sakura Mana's first novel announcement |url=https://thetv.jp/news/detail/72448/ |website=thetv.jp |access-date=25 April 2020}} The book was praised for Sakura's unique prose and for its raw, honest display of its subject matter. The novel was adapted into a film directed by Takahisa Zeze in 2017.{{Cite web|title=Tokyo Film Review: 'The Lowlife'|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/festivals/the-lowlife-review-1202601847/|last=Kuipers|first=Richard|date=2017-11-01|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2020-05-21}} She also appeared in the movie Karate Kill in the same year and won the "Media Award" at the 2016 DMM.R18 Adult Awards. Sakura was also a member of the band Sexy-J between 2014 and 2017.{{cite web |url=http://sexy-j.jp/common/member/memOtome.html#Mana_Sakura |title=Sexy-J | Member | 乙女フラペチーノ |website=sexy-j.jp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130045153/http://www.sexy-j.jp/common/member/memOtome.html |archive-date=2015-01-30}}
By the late 2010s Sakura's career became a diversified blend of mainstream and adult film entertainment. Aside from her regular monthly AV releases from SOD, she published three more novels, became a regular columnist at online magazines, and even gave university lectures on media. Since October 2017, she has regularly appeared on AbemaTV's "Abema Prime" as a commentator, and in 2018 she was appointed as the show's news anchor.{{cite web |title=AbemaPrime ２週連続で台風襲来！「計画運休」賞賛に「待った！」の声も |url=https://abema.tv/channels/abema-news/slots/8uxECsNWpHpdLj |website=Abema.tv |access-date=25 April 2020}}
Filmography
=Movies=
- Goddotan: Kisu gaman senshuken the Movie (2013)
- Danger Dolls (2014)
- Karate Kill (2016)
=Television=
- Ushijima the Loan Shark (2014)
- Akiba's Trip: The Animation (2017) - voiced role{{Cite web|title=小島みなみ・紗倉まなが声優初挑戦！ キャラクター解禁！ おふたりのコメントをお届け！ {{!}} AKIBA'S TRIP -THE ANIMATION- 公式サイト|url=http://akibastrip-anime.com/news/%e5%b0%8f%e5%b3%b6%e3%81%bf%e3%81%aa%e3%81%bf%e3%83%bb%e7%b4%97%e5%80%89%e3%81%be%e3%81%aa%e3%81%8c%e5%a3%b0%e5%84%aa%e5%88%9d%e6%8c%91%e6%88%a6%ef%bc%81-%e3%82%ad%e3%83%a3%e3%83%a9%e3%82%af%e3%82%bf/|website=AKIBA’S TRIP -THE ANIMATION- 公式サイト {{!}} アキバの路地一本にいたるまで全面協力！かつてないディープ“アキバ”な作品！！AKIBA’S TRIP -THE ANIMATION- 公式サイトです。|language=ja|access-date=2020-05-21}}
=Video games=
- Yakuza 0 (2015)
Bibliography
- {{nihongo|The Lowlife|最低。}} (2016)
- {{nihongo|Ōtotsu|凹凸}} (2017)
- {{nihongo|Negawakuba, Raise mo Ningen de|願わくば、来世も人間で}} (2018)
- {{nihongo|Haru, shinan|春、死なん}} (2020)
- {{nihongo|Gokko|ごっこ}} (2023){{cite web|url= https://nordot.app/1061575945865380607?c=516798125649773665|title= 紗倉まな、3月に30歳を迎えるも「結婚願望は全然ない」こじらせた恋愛経験も明かす|access-date= August 13, 2023|work= Encount|archive-date= August 13, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230813110137/https://nordot.app/1061575945865380607?c=516798125649773665|url-status= dead}}
- {{nihongo|Utsusemi|うつせみ}} (2024){{cite web |url= https://bookclub.kodansha.co.jp/product?item=0000404509|title= うつせみ|access-date= 5 December 2024|website= Kodansha|language=ja}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://blog.livedoor.jp/sakura_mana/}}
- {{IMDb name|5768228}}
{{Portal bar|Erotica and pornography|Japan|Music}}
{{Japanese erotic cinema}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakura, Mana}}
Category:Japanese women pop singers
Category:Japanese gravure idols
Category:Japanese female adult models
Category:Japanese pornographic film actresses
Category:Japanese women writers
Category:Japanese video game actresses
Category:21st-century Japanese singers
Category:21st-century Japanese women singers