Karen Fujii

Karen Fujii
Karen Fujii, in 2018
Born (1996-07-16) 16 July 1996 (age 28)
NationalityJapanese
Other namesKaren
Occupations
Years active2009–present
AgentLDH
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) (2013)
Relatives
Musical career
GenresJ-pop
LabelsRhythm Zone
Member ofHappiness
Formerly of
Japanese name
Kanji藤井夏恋
Hiraganaふじい かれん
RomanizationFujii Karen

Karen Fujii (藤井 夏恋, Fujii Karen, born 16 July 1996, in Osaka Prefecture)[1] is a Japanese singer, dancer, model and actress. She is a member of J-Pop group Happiness, and a former member E-girls, and ShuuKaRen, and an exclusive model for the magazines JJ and Nicola. Karen is represented by LDH.

Early life

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Karen entered the entertainment industry at a very young age after she was scouted in her hometown, Osaka. While belonging to the office in which she got scouted, she participated in one of Exile's dance competitions and began attending LDH's talent academy EXPG (Exile Professional Gym), studying both dancing and singing. Her sister Shuuka also attended EXPG.[2] As a junior high school student, she moved from Osaka to Tokyo and started to live in a dormitory.[3]

Career

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On October 26 in 2008, Karen became one of the EXPG graduates who were chosen to be members of the performance group Happiness, marking the start in her career as a vocalist and performer. Her official stage name became Karen (stylized as KAREN).

In February 2009 she started her modeling career by becoming an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Nicola.

On February 9, 2011, she made her major debut with Happiness with their single "Kiss Me". On April 24 in the same year, she was announced as member of E-girls (alongside all other members of Happiness), having a concurrent position in E-girls and Happiness.

Karen graduated as an exclusive model for Nicola in May 2013.[4] In June she changed her stage name and started using her birth name.[5] On July 22, it was announced that Karen would start working as an exclusive model for JJ, also a fashion magazine, from its September issue onward.[6]

In January 2014 she made her debut as actress on the Nippon TV drama A Perfect Day for Love Letters (Koibumi Biyori).

On August 11, 2016, she was announced to debut in the unit ShuuKaRen alongside Shuuka Fujii. The duo debuted on October 5.[7][8]

In February 2017, she was the cover of the April issue of JJ, being her first magazine cover since her debut as a model.[9][10] On December 31 in the same year, Shuuka graduated from Flower and ShuuKaRen and retired from entertainment industry. With Karen being the only remaining member of the duo, ShuuKaRen disbanded.[11][12]

In November 2018, Karen was chosen as one of the ambassadors for LDH Martial Arts' "ENERGY PROJECT" which advertises different fitness supplies from LDH's original brand.[13]

On July 16, 2019, she released her first photobook titled KAREN.[14] In August of the same year, Karen collaborated as a creative director with fashion label Samantha Thavasa for a collection of designer bags, titled Samantha Vega Girl.[15] In the same year, she also starred in a special collaboration movie of Saint Laurent and i-D Japan alongside Sho Kiyohara.[16][3]

Personal life

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Karen is the younger sister of Johnny's West member Ryusei Fujii and former E-girls, Flower and ShuuKaRen member Shuuka Fujii. Karen is an aunt of twin boys by her sister Shuuka.[17]

Filmography

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To see her appearances with Happiness, see Happiness (Japanese group), to see her appearances with E-girls, see E-girls.

Runways

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Year Title Season Ref.
2011 Tokyo Girls Collection Autumn / Winter [18][19]
2012 point spring collection
Girls Award Autumn / Winter [20]
2013 Kansai Collection Spring / Summer [21][22]
2014 Kobe Collection
Tokyo Runway [23][24]
2015 Girls Award Autumn / Winter [25]
2017 Tokyo Girls Collection [26]
Girls Award [27]
2018 Tokyo Girls Collection Spring / Summer [28]
Tokyo Girls Collection Autumn / Winter [29]
Girls Award [30]
2019 Tokyo Girls Collection Shizuoka 2019 for SDGs [31]

TV Dramas

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Year Title Role Network Notes Ref.
2014 A Perfect Day for Love Letters Fumiko Kobayashi NTV Episode 5; Lead role [32][33]
2015 High & Low: The Story Of S.W.O.R.D. Lara [34]
2016 High & Low Season 2

Films

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Year Title Role Ref.
2016 Road To High & Low Lara
High & Low: The Movie [35]
2017 High & Low The Movie 2 / End Of Sky
High & Low THE Movie 3 / Final Mission

Internet TV

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Year Title Website Notes
2009 - 2010 nicola-chan goomo Occasional appearances

TV shows

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Year Title Network Notes Ref.
2012 - 2013 Odori-ba TV Tokyo MC [36][37]

Commercials

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Year Title Notes Ref.
2017 & chouette with other E-girls members

directed by Nicola Formichetti

[38][39]
2019 Samantha Thavasa 25th [40][41]
Yofuku no Aoyama with other E-girls members [42]

Music videos

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Year Title Artist
2008 24 karats -type EX- (Kodomo Version) Exile
2019 ONE -we are one- Samantha Thavasa Family

Voice acting

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Year Title Role
2017 High & Low g-sword Animation DVD Special Edition Lara

Bibliography

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Style books/Photo books

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Year Title Ref.
2016 Antithese [43]
2019 KAREN [14]

Magazines

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Year Title Notes
2009 - 2013 Nicola Exclusive model
2013–present JJ
2019 SWAG HOMMES ISSUE9

Catalogues

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Year Title
2012 Kyoto Kimono Yuzen

References

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  1. ^ "藤井 夏恋". Happiness Official Website (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 Jan 2017.
  2. ^ "卒業生の紹介". Exile Professional Gym (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2015-11-15. Retrieved 3 Jan 2017.
  3. ^ a b Hayashi, i-D. Japan,Tomokazu Yamada,Kazumi Asamura (2019-12-18). "SAINT LAURENT × i-D Japan: 今だからこそ発信できること。藤井夏恋の言葉". i-D (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-04-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Happiness 公式ブログ/nicolaありがとう KAREN - GREE". gree.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  5. ^ Fujii, Karen (4 Jun 2013). "絆。藤井夏恋". Happiness official blog (in Japanese). Ameba Blog. Retrieved 3 Jan 2017.
  6. ^ "E-girlsの4人が「CanCam」「JJ」「Ray」の専属モデルに抜擢". Model Press (in Japanese). Net Native. 22 Jul 2013. Retrieved 3 Jan 2017.
  7. ^ "E-girlsメンバー藤井萩花・夏恋による姉妹ユニット『ShuuKaRen』始動!10月5日にファーストシングル「UNIVERSE」リリース決定!". Happiness Official Website (in Japanese). 11 Aug 2016. Retrieved 3 Jan 2017.
  8. ^ "E-girlsアリーナツアー完結、藤井姉妹新プロジェクト&新ツアー発表も". Music Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha. 11 Aug 2016. Retrieved 3 Jan 2017.
  9. ^ "E-girls藤井夏恋「JJ」で初単独表紙 美肌あらわな大胆肩出し - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  10. ^ "E-girls藤井夏恋、肩を露わにした大胆カット挑戦 念願の『JJ』初カバー飾る". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  11. ^ "Flower藤井萩花、芸能界引退を発表 ShuuKaRenも活動終了". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  12. ^ "Flower藤井萩花が芸能界引退…コメント全文 妹・夏恋もメッセージ". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  13. ^ "GENERATIONS数原、E-girls須田アンナに"格闘家転向"を提案". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  14. ^ a b "E-girls藤井夏恋、初写真集で男性用下着姿に挑戦 履き心地に満足「意外とアリだな」". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  15. ^ "Samantha Vega(サマンサベガ)meets Karen". サマンサタバサグループ 公式オンラインショップ. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  16. ^ SAINT LAURENT × i-D Japan, retrieved 2019-12-23
  17. ^ "多国籍バンド「ALI」LEOが双子パパに 妻で元「E―girls」の藤井萩花さん出産 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  18. ^ "Happiness 公式ブログ/初のランウェイ!!!!KAREN - GREE". gree.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  19. ^ "Happiness 公式ブログ/TGC(^-^)vMIYUU - GREE". gree.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  20. ^ "MODEL | ガールズアワード | GirlsAward 2012 AUTUMN/WINTER Official WEB". 2012aw.girls-award.com. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  21. ^ "関西コレクション 2012A/W | KANSAI COLLECTION 2012A/W". www.kansai-collection.net. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  22. ^ "E-girls(イー・ガールズ) OFFICIAL WEBSITE". E-girls(イー・ガールズ) OFFICIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  23. ^ "E-girlsメンバーのフレッシュ美脚に視線集中 キュートなディズニーコーデで春先取り - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  24. ^ "E-girls、舞台裏で本音を吐露 - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  25. ^ "GirlsAward 2015 AUTMN/WINTER". GirlsAward 2015 AUTUMN/WINTER|ガールズアワード. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  26. ^ "E-girls(イー・ガールズ) OFFICIAL WEBSITE". E-girls(イー・ガールズ) OFFICIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  27. ^ "E-girls(イー・ガールズ) OFFICIAL WEBSITE". E-girls(イー・ガールズ) OFFICIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  28. ^ ""KKコンビ" E-girls藤井夏恋&楓、佐藤晴美がモードスタイルで貫禄【TGC 2018S/S速報レポート】". girlswalker|ガールズウォーカー (in Japanese). 2018-03-31. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  29. ^ "E-girls・藤井夏恋、楓、佐藤晴美がカジュアルなコーディネートでランウエイに登場!<東京ガールズコレクション2018 A/W>". WWSチャンネル (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  30. ^ "E-girls藤井夏恋、カラフルヘアに観客驚き<GirlsAward 2018 A/W> - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  31. ^ "【楓、藤井夏恋、佐藤晴美、坂東希】1/12(土)開催『TGCしずおか2019』に出演決定!! | LDH - LOVE + DREAM + HAPPINESS TO THE WORLD -". www.ldh.co.jp. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  32. ^ "恋文日和". 日本テレビ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  33. ^ "E-girls、日テレ『恋文日和』でドラマ初主演決定". BARKS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  34. ^ "HiGH&LOW". HiGH&LOW (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  35. ^ "HiGH&LOW". HiGH&LOW (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  36. ^ Corporation, 株式会社テレビ東京-TV TOKYO. "踊RI場". テレビ東京 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  37. ^ Inc, Natasha. "オリラジがメインMC、視聴者参加型ダンスバラエティ始動". お笑いナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  38. ^ "新体制・E-girls、CMでも「新生感出せた」". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  39. ^ Inc, Natasha. "【イベントレポート】E-girlsが妄想デート企画で熱弁「腕を組んで星を観たい」(写真24枚)". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  40. ^ Inc, Natasha. "白濱亜嵐、白石麻衣らSamantha Thavasaの設立25周年を祝福". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  41. ^ Inc, Natasha. "【イベントレポート】サマンサ25thイベント、白石麻衣がMV撮影振り返り白濱亜嵐が夢語る(写真37枚)". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  42. ^ "女性向け新イメージキャラクターに「E-girls」を起用". www.atpress.ne.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  43. ^ "ANTITHESE" (in Japanese). Kobunsha. 25 Jan 2016.
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