Aimi Eguchi (江口 愛実, Eguchi Aimi) is a fictional Japanese singer. As a collaboration between the Japanese girl group AKB48 and confectionery company Ezaki Glico, she was created and featured in June 2011 as a promotional model for Glico's Ice no Mi ice cream product. Eguchi is a CGI composite of various features of seven members from AKB48.[1]
| Aimi Eguchi | |
|---|---|
| Corporate promotion character | |
 Aimi Eguchi as she appears in the Ezaki Glico commercial | |
| First appearance | June 2011 |
| Created by | Ezaki Glico |
| Portrayed by | Yukari Sasaki (in concerts) |
| Voiced by | Yukari Sasaki |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Birth date | February 11, 1995 |
History
editEguchi was announced as the group's newest member in June 2011. According to an official profile she was 16 years old, born on February 11, 1995, and from Saitama, north of Tokyo. She was featured in the Japanese magazine Weekly Playboy, and appeared in a television commercial for the confectionery company, Ezaki Glico. Suspicions arose amongst AKB48 fans and on June 19, 2011, Glico finally admitted that Eguchi was a fake created by the company, disappointing many fans.[2][3] As of May 2013[update], she is no longer listed on the official website as a trainee.[4][5] Yukari Sasaki, the member who voiced (and in concerts, portrayed) Eguchi, also eventually departed from the group in early 2024.[6]
CGI contributors
edit- Atsuko Maeda (eyes)
- Tomomi Itano (nose)
- Mariko Shinoda (mouth)
- Yuko Oshima (hair/body)
- Minami Takahashi (outline)
- Mayu Watanabe (eyebrows)
References
edit- ^ "AKB 48 newest member Aimi Eguchi is a 'virtual idol'" Archived 2012-10-23 at the Wayback Machine. Channel NewsAsia. June 20, 2011.
- ^ New Japanese Pop Idol Shocks Fans With News–She’s Not Real Archived 2011-06-26 at the Wayback Machine Singularity Hub, 22 June 2011
- ^ "Japanese Scientists Build a Perfect (and Fake) Pop Star". Time. June 24, 2011.
- ^ "AKB48公式サイト｜メンバー情報 (AKB48 Official Site - Member List)". AKB48 Official Website (in Japanese). Retrieved May 9, 2013. - list is subject to change from graduations and transfers
- ^ "Aimi Eguchi "officially" graduates from AKB48". Nihongogo. June 25, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
- ^ "AKB48佐々木優佳里 卒業発表「これからも一緒に夢を追いかけて」". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). January 12, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
External links
edit- Aimi Eguchi in Weekly Playboy
 | This article about an animated character is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |