(Translator's note: This post is a continuation of a previous entry.)

Men's Cyzo: And were there any other boyfriends until you did AV?
Ai Uehara: Nope. I was just with him until I entered the industry.

MC: Why did you become an AV star in spite of having a boyfriend?
AU: A friend of mine introduced me to the industry. At the time I had zero self confidence and could never imagine doing anything in front of an audience. However, I felt doing AV would be a good kick-start in making me feel beautiful so that's why I signed on.

MC: Your boyfriend never told you were were cute?
AU: Oh, he did, but I wanted more. I recall seeing so many girls cuter than me and wanting to be like them.

MC: Did you not see eye to eye with your boyfriend on your decision to appear in AV?
AU: We were already thinking about splitting up when I entered the industry. This was after a really long relationship so I felt the time was right to try something really different. He said he didn't mind me doing AV though a few months later he ended up giving me the cold shoulder and quickly started dating again.

MC: You kind of started dating again too in a way.
AU: Well, he was seeing some gravure idol. I wasn't too upset given the circumstances though I think some of it was sour grapes due to me doing AV. He may have said he was fine with it at first, but he may have said it just to make me feel good. I took a liking to being an AV star so I didn't feel hurt.

MC: You've been working pretty much non-stop since your debut.
AU: At first I didn't do so much. I was still in school and had work being done on my teeth, but the offers kept on coming in…

Ai Uehara has done a little bit of everything.  Here she is with Kaoru Oshima.

MC: Did you have an aspiration to become famous?
AU: Not at all at first. I was worried about being caught which could lead to problems at school such as not being able to graduate. However, being a new face at my agency I felt pressure to give it my best and that's why I ended up sticking around and kept taking those offers. It definitely was a bit vexing at times though. My desire to become famous probably started right around then.

MC: I can imagine. Trying to do it all on your own must be difficult.
AU: Yea, so that's why I pretty much took any job that went my way. There was very little I said no to. I think doing this helped gain me more fans since I kept on doing new things.

MC: You're known as an actress who rarely says no to a role, but are you as daring in your private life?
AU: Not at all. My sex in private is super normal. I really love having sex so what you see during my shoots is authentic to some extent, but I'm not that daring in private. My time on an AV set is spent living out the types of masochistic fantasies I'd never do with an actual boyfriend.

To be concluded…

Men's Cyzo recommends this title to readers of this article.

Interview by Atsuhiro Inoguchi
Photography by Chie Tatsumi
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