Yui Aragaki


Yui Aragaki is a Japanese actress, model, singer and occasional radio show host. She was selected as the most desired girlfriend and the most desired female celebrity face on Oricon's yearly survey several times.

Early life

Aragaki Yui was born in June 11, 1988 in Naha, Okinawa. She is the youngest among her two siblings. She auditioned for a fashion model spot for Nikora Magazine and won the Grand Prix award at the audition. She began modelling for the magazine at age 13 and became a regular model. One of her co-models, actress Enomoto Ayako, gave her the nickname 'Gakky' as a take on her surname. She moved to Tokyo at 15 and enrolled at Horikoshi High School famous for being the academic base of many famous celebrities including Seiko Matsuda. She made her acting debut in Shibuya in 2005. She also became quite popular as in the Pocky commercials. She also expanded into voice acting in 2006 as well as movies as of 2007. Other sources report that the abysmal reactions to her vocals lead to the stress. She has continued acting for the small and big screen since, however, and released more music. She also became a host for the radio program Girls Locks which lasted between 2010 and 2012. After seeing an audition notice for the junior fashion magazine Nicola, she applied for it and won the Grand Prix award for the audition. In 2001, at the age of 13, she began her Nicola modelling career and was very well received as a Nicola model, having set a record for appearing on cover for 15 times. A fellow Nicola model Ayako Enomoto gave her the popular nickname "Gakky."
At the age of 15, Aragaki moved to Tokyo and enrolled in Horikoshi High School, a private high school popular for being attended by many Japanese celebrities. In 2004, she decided to put her Nicola career on hold and expand her career path into gravure and acting, and she also appeared in variety shows and commercials, with her Pocky commercials being the most popular. A year later, she officially graduated from Nicola. Even so, she still appears in the magazine occasionally.

Career

In 2005, Aragaki took up a role in the TBS drama, Dragon Sakura, starring alongside Japanese idols like Tomohisa Yamashita and Masami Nagasawa. This marked a breakthrough in her acting career. Since then, she has been cast in many other dramas, like My Boss, My Hero and Gal Circle. She also starred in the 2007 tragic love story movie hit Koizora, for which she won her first award, the Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Newcomer. Currently, she has 5 newcomer awards.
Aragaki won the Film prize at the 45th Golden Arrow Awards in 2008. Her tremendous number of movie shoots as well as the preparation for her debut album resulted in her suffering from work-related stress in 2007. She was invited as a judge in 58th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Outside acting she also released her first album, Sora, and the single "Heavenly Days", a song from Koizora. "Memories", the theme song for Tokyo Serendipity, was included in her debut album. She also performed at Budokan.
She was also the co-hosts for popular radio program Girls Locks in 2010–2012. She also invited as a host of 54th Japan Record Awards.
In 2012–2013, She acted with Masato Sakai in comedy hit Legal High.
In 2014, she tried the role of mother for her first time in film Twilight Sasarasaya.
In 2016, she acted an ideal wife in The Full-Time Wife Escapist, raised a social topic in Japan. She also performed in "koi dance" as ending of the drama, become a viral in Japan. She was invited as a judge again in 67th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
In 2017, Aragaki Yui acted as Masako Matsushita in Kizuna : hashire kiseki no kouma also known as Ties: A Miraculous Colt. It was broadcast on NHK, and the story is about she raising the little ponies after the earthquake with her father. During the same year in July, Code Blue Season 3 that she had participated in has finally released after 7 years broadcasting the second season. In October, Aragaaki Yui played as Tamako Tomita in Mixed Doubles directed by Junichi Ishikawa.
Aragaki Yui won the best actress reward at the 60th Blue Ribbon Awards.
In 2018, Aragaki Yui acted as Shinkai Akira in Kemono ni Narenai Watashitachi. She also participated in the Code Blue the Movie that is released in July.

Filmography

Film

Television dramas

Voice acting

Documentary

Discography

Singles

Download Only Single
ReleaseTitleArtistNote
2009/12/9Chiisana Koi no UtaYui & a school students groupYui sing the song with more than 3000 high school students
2010/9/22HanamizukiYui & SCHOOL OF LOOK! listeners12 members selected from listeners of "SCHOOL OF LOCK!"

Albums

Tie-in

Awards and nominations

Commercials