Toho Cinderella Audition
The Toho Cinderella Audition (東宝シンデレラオーディション is a Tōhō Shinderera Ōdishon)Japanese actress audition campaign co-sponsored by Toho and Toho Entertainment which has been held intermittently since 1984. Launched as a celebration of Toho's 50th anniversary, eight total Cinderella Auditions have been held, with the most recent taking place in 2022. Contestants are gradually narrowed down through a series of competitions, with the first prize ("Grand Prix") winner typically receiving a cash prize and the chance to become a film actress signed to Toho Entertainment. The Cinderella Audition is notably credited with discovering the later famous actresses Yasuko Sawaguchi and Masami Nagasawa. Nearly every Grand Prix winner from the first five Cinderella Auditions also went on to star in the Godzilla franchise.
Standings
The competition's highest award is the Grand Prix (グランプリ. Prize winnings have varied from year to year, though it generally entails a cash prize and/or a contract with Toho Entertainment. Guran Puri)
Second to the Grand Prix is the Grand Jury Prize (審査員特別賞. Typically between two and four Finalists Shinsain Tokubetsushō) (ファイナリスト are also recognized. Fainarisuto)
The 7th and 8th Cinderella Auditions introduced unique prizes: the New Generation Prize (ニュージェネレーション賞 for young contestants, the Repipi Armario Prize Nyū Jenerēshon Shō) (レピピアルマリオ賞 and the Artist Prize Repipi Arumario Shō) (アーティスト賞. The winner of the Repipi Armario Prize was given the opportunity to work as a model for the fashion brand Repipi Armario, while the Artist Prize winner would sign to Toho Entertainment as a singer and perform the theme for Toho's next anime project. Ātisuto Shō)
Event | Year | Winners | Finalists | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Prix | Grand Jury Prize | Bonus prize(s) | |||
1st | 1984 | Yasuko Sawaguchi | Minako Fujishiro | N/A | Yuki Saito Keiko Okuda Eri Morishita |
2nd | 1987 | Megumi Odaka | Maki Mizuno | Unknown | |
3rd | 1991 | Keiko Imamura | Sayaka Osawa | ||
4th | 1996 | Maho Nonami | Misato Tanaka Asami Yamamoto | ||
5th | 2000 | Masami Nagasawa | Chihiro Otsuka | ||
6th | 2006 | Manami Kurose | Yuko Masumoto Ayaka Ikezawa |
Aki Asakura Haruka Tomatsu | |
7th | 2011 | Moka Mikashiraishi | Mone Mikashiraishi Narumi Akizuki Junna Matsushima Hirona Yamazaki |
New Generation Prize: Ryo Ogawa Minami Hamabe |
Mizuho Kaneo Fuko Kamata Madoka Yoshida |
8th | 2016 | Riko Fukumoto | Yuria Kakizawa Hina Suzuki Amane Kamiya Neo Inoue |
Repipi Armario Prize: Yu Motoyama Artist Prize: Aika Sai |
Miku Inagawa Yuna Suzuki Nanoka Takahashi Noa Nakada |
9th | 2022 | Noa Shiroyama | Airi Nishikawa | Musical Prize: Honoha Yamato |
Kokona Anbo Yukino Imahama Miho Okamoto Nene Hara Riana Hirano Moana Fujimoto Rimu Miyake |
Relation to tokusatsu media
Numerous contestants of the Toho Cinderella Prize have gone on to become involved with the Godzilla series or other tokusatsu media in some capacity.
- Yasuko Sawaguchi, Grand Prix winner of the 1st Audition, starred in The Return of Godzilla, Princess from the Moon, Godzilla vs. Biollante and Orochi, the Eight-Headed Dragon.
- Minako Fujishiro, Grand Jury Prize winner of the 1st Audition, made an appearance in episode 9 of Gridman.
- Yuki Saito, a finalist of the 1st Audition, had an uncredited voice role as herself in Godzilla vs. Biollante.
- Megumi Odaka, Grand Prix winner of the 2nd Audition, made her film debut in Princess from the Moon and later famously portrayed Miki Saegusa in the Godzilla series from Godzilla vs. Biollante to vs. Destoroyah.
- Maki Mizuno, Grand Jury Prize winner of the 2nd Audition, appeared in Godzilla Final Wars as the character Anna Otonashi.
- Keiko Imamura, Grand Prix winner of the 3rd Audition, portrayed one of the Cosmos in Godzilla vs. Mothra and vs. SpaceGodzilla, as well as a psychic girl in vs. Mechagodzilla II.
- Sayaka Osawa, Grand Jury Prize winner of the 3rd Audition, portrayed the other Cosmos in vs. Mothra and vs. SpaceGodzilla, a psychic girl in vs. Mechagodzilla II, and Meru Ozawa in vs. Destoroyah.
- Maho Nonami, Grand Prix winner of the 4th Audition, made her film debut as the Nilai-Kanai princess Yuna in Rebirth of Mothra 2.
- Misato Tanaka, Grand Jury Prize winner of the 4th Audition, portrayed Kiriko Tsujimori in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus as well as a nurse in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.
- Masami Nagasawa, Grand Prix winner of the 5th Audition, played one of the Shobijin in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS and Final Wars, starred in Shin Ultraman, and had a minor role in Shin Kamen Rider.
- Chihiro Otsuka, Grand Jury Prize winner of the 5th Audition, played the other Shobijin in Tokyo SOS and Final Wars.
- Hirona Yamazaki, Grand Jury Prize winner of the 7th Audition, played the Handler in Monster Hunter, appeared in the short film created for Godzilla Interception Operation Awaji, and co-hosted Godzilla Fest 2020 Online.
- Aika Sai ("XAI"), winner of the Artist Prize at the 8th Audition, performed the theme songs to the GODZILLA anime trilogy: "WHITE OUT," "THE SKY FALLS" and "live and die."
- Minami Hamabe, winner of a New Generation Prize at the 7th Audition, starred as Ruriko Midorikawa in Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider and as Noriko Oishi in Godzilla Minus One.
- Miho Okamoto, a finalist of the 9th Audition, appeared in the Godzilla Fest 2023 short film Godzilla vs. Megalon as a worshiper of Megalon.
External links
- Toho Cinderella Audition on the Japanese Wikipedia
- Website for the 7th Toho Cinderella Audition (archived)
- Website for the 8th Toho Cinderella Audition (archived)
- Website for the 9th Toho Cinderella Audition
- Twitter account for the 8th Toho Cinderella Audition
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