Mari Yaguchi to Straw Hat (矢口真里とストローハット)

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/mari-yaguchi/ Fanclub: http://www.up-fc.jp/m-line/member/yaguchi_mari/ Non-anime roles: Doris in "Isle of Lesbos" (movie; Japanese dub) Tomoko in "Pinch Runner" (movie) (Japanese) Yaguchi-san in "Mini-Moni the Movie: Okashi na Daibouken" (movie) (Japanese) Yurika in "Gal Circle" (drama) (Japanese) Mari Yaguchi became a member of Morning Musume during the second generation auditions, but resigned suddenly in April 2005. She basically cited her desire to move on "as an adult" with her career. The underlying reason that she had to quit was because it was discovered by the tabloid magazine FRIDAY that she was in a relationship with actor Shun Oguri though she was 22 at the time. Yaguchi and Oguri have reportedly broken up since April of 2006. Yaguchi's TV show Yaguchi Hitori continues as before, and she now focuses on Japanese variety shows as guests and hosts rather than ventures on a singing career. Early on in the group Yaguchi was often perceived as being "the short one" as she did not stand out a lot, but by the time 4th generation joined she had become one of the most active members of the group. Her most famous phrase is "Sexy Beam!" one of her solo lines from Morning Musume's "Koi no Dance Site" single, and she was asked jokingly in Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari, "When will your real sexy beam come out?". The "Sexy beam!" line has made its way around fans and fellow musicians alike. When she graduated from Morning Musume she was the last person to join before the year 2000 (Kaori Iida had left nearly 2 months before), and she currently has the fifth longest tenure of any member, with only Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa, Hitomi Yoshizawa and Kaori Iida being in the group longer. Her first post-Morning Musume recording, "Nigiyaka na Fuyu", done as a collaboration with Berryz Kobo, appears as the coupling track on Berryz Kobo's November 2005 single "Gag 100 Kaibun Aishite