Takahashi Ai

Takahashi Ai (高橋愛) is a fifth generation member and the current leader of Morning Musume.

File:Ai-chan.jpg

May 2009

Profile

• Name: Takahashi Ai (高橋愛)
• Nicknames: Ai-chan, Lovely, Takitty, Tettekete
• Birthdate: September 14, 1986
• Birthplace: Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
• Blood type: A
• Height: 153.3 cm (5'0.35")
• Hobbies: Watching plays, ballet [1]
• Specialty: Flipping her eyelids, bridge [2]
• Favorite food: Sauce katsudon, omelette rice
• Disliked food: Mont blanc, eggplant, pineapple, musubi, perilla leaves
• Favorite color: Black, white, pink
• Favorite word: "Tomodachi" (友達 - "Friend")
• Favorite season: Autumn
• Favorite flowers: Roses
• Favorite song: Tsumetai Umi / Start in My Life by Kuraki Mai
• Hello! Project Groups:
  • Morning Musume (2001–)
  • High-King (2008-)
• Subgroups:
  • Minimoni (2003–2004)
  • Morning Musume Sakura Gumi (2003–2004)
• Concert Units:
  • Hello! Project Akagumi (2005)
  • Wonderful Hearts (2006–)
• Shuffle Units:
  • 2002: Happy 7
  • 2003: 7AIR
  • 2004: H.P. All Stars
  • 2005: Elegies
• Other:
  • POCKY GIRLS (2002)
  • Metro Rabbits H.P. (2006–)

History

Takahashi Ai was selected from Love Audition 21 to join Morning Musume as a fifth generation member on August 26, 2001, along with Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto, and Niigaki Risa. Tsunku credited her exceptional singing ability as one of the reasons for choosing her. She debuted on the single "Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~," and she first appeared on the fourth studio album 4th Ikimasshoi!

Early on, Takahashi's strong Fukui accent frequently drew comments from television interviewers and other Hello! Project members. She has gradually grown out of it since she moved to Tokyo and took up professional voice training, but she still occasionally slips into it when she is nervous or surprised. It was even the subject of her verse in Morning Musume's 23rd single, "Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari".

In September 2002, the fifth generation members were placed into the Morning Musume subgroups, so Takahashi was added to the Minimoni roster, and her addition was somehow explained in the movie, Minimoni ja Movie: Okashi na Daibouken!. Takahashi actually filled the spot left open by the graduation of then-leader Yaguchi Mari, and the second generation Minimoni went on to release seven singles and one album before being put on an indefinite hiatus.

Takahashi was placed in Morning Musume Sakura Gumi in January 2003 and released two singles as a part of the group before it went inactive.

Although Takahashi had received a big push to the center since the release of "Do it! Now", it wasn't until the release of "Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~" that Takahashi began to be prominently featured on songs. She was a co-lead vocal on "THE Manpower!!!" and was the lead vocalist for "Osaka Koi no Uta", and since then, Takahashi has been a lead vocalist on the majority of Morning Musume's most recent singles. She even went on to sing with Tsunku on his solo album, TAKE 1, covering a re-arranged version of his duet with Hamasaki Ayumi, "Love ~since 1999~".

In 2006, she became a member of the kickball team Metro Rabbits H.P.. When Kago Ai was suspended from activities due to her smoking scandal, Takahashi was named as the new team captain. Takahashi played the lead role of Sapphire in Morning Musume's stage musical that year, Ribbon no Kishi: The Musical. Also during the same year, Takahashi released her first solo single "Yume Kara Samete" as an online-only audio purchase.

After the graduation of Yoshizawa Hitomi on May 6, 2007, Fujimoto Miki became Morning Musume's new leader and Takahashi would support her as sub-leader. However on June 1, 2007, UFA made a sudden announcement that Fujimoto Miki had "resigned" from Morning Musume for reasons similiar to Yaguchi Mari's sudden resignation from the group in 2005. Takahashi was named the new leader with Niigaki Risa as her sub-leader.

Discography

Singles

#	Title	Release date
1	夢から醒めて (Yume Kara Samete)	2006.??.??

Photobooks

Morning Musume - Takahashi Ai AloHello! Takahashi Ai Wataame Aigokoro 19 Takahashi Ai Photograph Collection Complete Works ai Love Hello! Takahashi Ai in Phuket 水 (Mizu) もうひとつの愛 (Mou Hitotsu no Ai) 私 (Watashi)

• [2002.12.09] モーニング娘。―高橋愛 (Morning Musume - Takahashi Ai) amazon.co.jp
• [2003.12.18] アロハロ!高橋愛 (AloHello! Takahashi Ai) amazon.co.jp
• [2004.05.26] わたあめ (Wataame) amazon.co.jp
• [2005.06.26] 愛ごころ (Aigokoro) amazon.co.jp
• [2006.01.26] 19 amazon.co.jp
• [2006.10.28] 高橋愛 写真集全集 ai (Takahashi Ai Photograph Collection Complete Works ai) amazon.co.jp
• [2007.03.14] ラブハロ!高橋愛inプーケット (Love Hello! Takahashi Ai in Phuket) amazon.co.jp
• [2007.10.26] 水 (Mizu) amazon.co.jp
• [2008.05.23] もうひとつの愛 (Mou Hitotsu no Ai) amazon.co.jp
• [2009.05.25] 私 (Watashi) amazon.co.jp

5 Morning Musume. 5ki Members

• [2002.08.13] 5 モーニング娘。5期メンバー (5 Morning Musume. 5ki Members) (With Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto, Niigaki Risa) amazon.co.jp

< Works

Movies

• [2002] とっかえっ娘。 (Tokkaekko)
• [2003] ミニモニ。じゃムービーお菓子な大冒険！ (Minimoni ja Movie Okashi na Daibouken!)
• [2003] 子犬ダンの物語 (Koinu Dan no Monogatari)

DVDs

Love Hello! Takahashi Ai DVD

• [2003.12.17] アロハロ！ 高橋愛 DVD (Alo Hello! Takahashi Ai DVD)
• [2007.04.11] ラブハロ！ 高橋愛 DVD (Love Hello! Takahashi Ai DVD)
• [2009.06.17] 高橋愛 DVD I. (I.)

= TV Dramas

• [2002] Angel Hearts
• [2004] ミニモニ。でブレーメンの音楽隊 (Minimoni de Bremen no Ongakutai)
• [2006] 天下騒乱〜徳川三代の陰謀 (Tenka Souran ~ Tokugawa Sandai no Inmou) DramaWiki entry
• [2006] 道徳女子短大エコ研 (Doutoku Joshi Tandai Ecoken) [3] [4]
• [2008] ヒットメーカー　阿久悠物語 (Hitmaker Aku Yu Monogatari) DramaWiki entry
• [2009] Q.E.D. 証明終了 (Q.E.D. Shoumei Shuuryou) DramaWiki entry

Radio

• [2003–] ヤングタウン土曜日 (Young Town Douyoubi)
• [2009.03.23–] 苺いちえ (Ichigo ichie)

Musicals

• [2006] リッボンの騎士ザ・ミュージカル (Ribbon no Kishi: The Musical)
• [2008] シンデレラ the ミュージカル (Cinderella the Musical)

Trivia

• Love Audition 21 audition songs:
  • Round 1: "Tsumetai Umi" (Kuraki Mai)
  • Round 2: "Tsumetai Umi" (Kuraki Mai)
• Graduated from Hinode High School, a private academy known for its many celebrity students.
• First child in family and has one sister.
• Trained and highly skilled in classical ballet and singing. Entered a nation-wide competition with her junior high choir.
• On 7 October 1999, she appeared on the "BS Junior Nodo Jiman" singing competition held in Sabaeshi in Fukui and won the Best Stage Award.
• Her black catsuit from Minimoni ja Movie: Okashi na Daibouken! earned her the popular nickname "Takitty" amongst non-Japanese fans.
• The nickname "Tettekete" was given to her by Ishibashi Takaaki on Utaban. It was a play on her staccato, Morse Code-like speech pattern (e.g. "tette-te-tette-ke-kete"). However, she has mostly grown out of that pattern — as well as her Fukui accent — in the years since.
• Her photobook 19 holds the #1 spot in photobook rankings in 2006.
• Has been a huge fan of the Takarazuka Revue since childhood. Wanted to be a Takarasienne but gave up on it due to her short height. She is noted by other members for trying to make them watch videos of Takarazuka productions. Her favorite performer is Mizu Natsuki.
• Has personally acknowledged she is not good at talk/interview portions.
• Like Tsuji Nozomi, she also considers Matsuura Aya as her rival.
• Scored the second-highest in the Mechaike Okajo Taiikusai Test.
• Is close friends with her fellow fifth generation members Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto, and especially Niigaki Risa.
• Currently she and Niigaki Risa have the longest tenures of any Morning Musume members.

External links

• Official Hello! Project Profile
• Japanese Wikipedia: 高橋愛
• English Wikipedia: Ai Takahashi
• Hello! Database entry
• IMDb entry