I’m taking a small break from the DVD review to bring you all a new profile! This time is Shinoda Mariko!

• Name: Shinoda Mariko (篠田麻里子)

• Nickname: Maririn (まりりん)

• Birthdate: March 11th, 1986

• Birthplace: Fukuoka, Japan

• Hobbies: Fashion

• Audition song: None

• Height: 165cm

• Bust: 83cm

• Waist: 57cm

• Hips: 86cm

 

Mariko is a special case, because she didn’t join Team A through the usual audition process, which makes her special, and it’s also the reason why I call her the maid-idol

See, Mariko used to work as a waitress in the Cafe next to the theater, and she wanted to audition, but she had to work that day, so she couldn’t attend. She casually told some of the fans who went to see the girls at the theater about this fact, and they all started supporting her and sending letters to Mr. Akimoto, so that he would hold a private audition and Mariko could finally be part of the group. Obviously, Mr. Akimoto realized that this girl already had a fanbase, and she wasn’t even in the group yet!!! So she was added to Team A after their first stage was finished, which is why she doesn’t appear in the A1 DVD…

Of course, for someone who came and joined later than the rest, she sky rocketed to the fron position! Ever since Aitakatta, we have seen her popularity grow! Well, Mariko has a very distinct deep voice, and is quite the good singer. She’s an okay dancer, but what really sets her apart is the amazing amount of stage presence this girl has! When she’s on stage, you will definitely notice her!

Mariko hadn’t joined by the time Sakura no Hanabiratachi was released, so she doesn’t appear in this PV

2. Skirt Hirari:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc5mKEgl9kY Mariko is a backup dancer here, so not much of her can be seen…

 

I figure that she must’ve been really excited about being part of the group she liked so much… I like Mariko, actually, I feel that she was necessary for Team A, because otherwise they’d just be a bunch of cute characters

 

I find impressive that she managed to climb up until she became a front girl… Miichan did it too, but Mariko’s feat seems more impressive when you think about how she joined the group later than anyone else and all. It was certainly her distinct “strong girl” personality that stood out so much whithin Team A.

3. Aitakatta  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwFvpkiNOVU Even though she was one of the girls in the back, Mariko got close-ups and all! I like how she seems to be neutral ground: She’s tough, but not extremely, and she’s also happy and fun to watch, but not cute or squeaky or anything like that

And her smile is a winner! Really infectious and honest

I have to say that as far as the song’s lyrics go (about falling in love and stuff) Maririn is one of the best at acting them out, somehow… She makes me remember about the exact kind of things you feel when you’ve just fallen in love, so kudos to her for that!

 

Her part in the PV is to appear in a cafe chatting with Nonti and Kana, they actually look like they are having fun together!

Oh hi there Maririn! You can tell that this is an oldish PV because almost everyone had black hair XD

Spiffy hair! I recognized her almost instantly everytime because of her hair… She has long hair now, but I still prefer the shorter hair, this long extensions make her look all… girly

 

And back to the “Half moon” cafe! I wish another light hearted cute PV like this was made… After the disappointment that Romance Irane was, the awesome Sakura no hanabiratachi 2008 was a step in the right direction, but I still hope for more story like PVs or Pvs with footage when we can see the girls have fun with each other

  4. Seifuku ga Jama o Suru: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_1ObyG2-1 Slowly but surely, Maririn climbed up in the general Team A ranking, which got her a position in Seifuku…. as a backup girl!

 

And there she is with awesome Sayaka from Team K…. I actually haven’t noticed mariko very much in the PV or performances of this song, which doesn’t say much because the front girls picked for this song are waaay too cool. They can easily outshine everyone else.

 5. Keibetsu Shiteita Aijou:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLIenqQ2jzs In sharp contrast to her appearance in the former PV, Mariko pwned this song! This was the first time I really recognized her (and her awesomeness) and her only line in this song is so wicked cool that it gives me the shivers…

 

Short but sweet, Mariko’s line in this PV made her an instant favorite! My love has kind of worn out a bit, really, but everytime I watch this I become her ultimate fan again! And that’s it for screencaps of her in this PV??? Damn!

 6. BINGO!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzp6tTAYoF0 Swaying from ubercool to happy mode in this PV, Maririn shows her versatility as an idol.

 

Sure, everyone makes their bast bad-ass face for the mugshot… but Mariko actually makes me believe that she’s some sort of gangster girl or something XD

 

Not even Miichan’s sunny smile or Yukirin’s cute pose can compete with Mariko’s “super happy smile+jump combo!”

 

Green really suits her, it’s not an extremely loud color, but it’s great on its own right, just like her!

 

I don’t know how close she is to Sayaka, but they seem to be paired quite a bit. Of course, cool girls must go together! I wonder if Mariko would’ve fit better in Team K, considering how “tough” she is, in contrast to Team A’s cuteness and beauty and stuff. However, I think that her presence is necessary in Team A, which would otherwise become kind of dull, with the same type of characters over and over (at least in the front…)

 

 

There’s a fun side to Mariko too, as we can see in her Private Video, which was one of my personal favorites, if only for the amount of pure crack in it!!!

 7. Boku no Taiyou:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHKm9FhLo1M  Ehh… I wasn’t even sure if she was in this PV or not, but apparently she was Still, since only a handful of the girls were chosen to be featured in uniforms and playing around as if they were high school pals, it’s not really her fault that I don’t remember *paperbag memory* Wow! I couldn’t spot her at all! I even strained my eyes and managed to see a bit of blurry Sae and Rina, but no Mariko to be seen! That sucks… the close ups and stuff were kind of unfairly distributed in this PV, but that’s idol life for you, what can we do…

Maririn didn’t appear in yuuhi wo Miteiru ka D:

9. Romance Irane  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7HAsjhTfh4 So to get back for the lack of her in previous PVs she was awesome in Romance Irane, although my crappy screencaps might say otherwise

To the left, next to Saeyaka (as usual) we can see lovely Maririn with long hair! It gives her a whole different image, very classy and ladylike somehow

 

And she was paired with ever-happy-to-be-included Yukarin! They work really well as a pair, and I hadn’t noticed, even though they were together in Kikyou and all…

 

Close up time… Wow, fierce!!!

 

Ok, try not to look at Haruna (yes, I know it’s hard…) and you’ll find Mariko in the far left, doing my favorite step “the chest thrusting thingy”

 

Look at those eyes! “What Akimoto? You better not shaft me in the next single, or something veeeery bad could happen to you…” Sexy!

 

Behind Maimai and to the left is Mariko again, and I’m amazed at how committed she was to this PV, like she was determined to stand out, and she definitely accomplished that!

 Well, that’s it for now. Next time, Sakura no hanabiratachi 2008 (not many screencaps of her there, sorry) and the Youtube videos, also, as a bonus because of the lack of Mariko pics, I will post some screencaps of her best moments in Stages, so look forward to it!

Ok, thanks for reading, and I’ll be back to the A4 review soon…