Asami Konno

Asami Konno (紺野 あさ美 Konno Asami?), born May 7, 1987,[1] is a former Japanese pop singer and now a TV host for TV Tokyo, best known as former fifth generation member of the all-girl Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined the group in the August 2001, along with fellow fifth generation members Ai Takahashi, Makoto Ogawa, and Risa Niigaki.

Biography
Konno joined the J-pop group Morning Musume in 2001.[2] Although her performance in the Love Audition 21 (Loveオーディション 21 Love ōdishon nijuichi?) has been called mediocre even by the judge of the audition and producer of Morning Musume, Tsunku, he said that she passed the audition because of her potential and the amount of effort she put into it.[3]

She debuted on the group's thirteenth single, "Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)", released on October 31, 2001.[4] In the same month, during a filming of music variety show Utaban, she injured her leg and was not able to participate in the remaining performances of the group's national tour at that time.

Her first album appearance was 4th Ikimasshoi!, released on March 27, 2002.[5]

In May of the same year, Konno was unexpectedly given the lead role for the second half of Morning Musume's annual play, Morning Town. In the summer of that year, she also debuted in a shuffle unit, as part of Odoru 11. Coincidentally, she was separated from all the other fifth generation members, who were in Happy 7.

Later in September, all the fifth generation members were placed into a subgroup. Along with Risa Niigaki, Konno was put into Tanpopo as the third generation.[1] They only released one single before becoming inactive.[6]

Konno, along with many other members of Morning Musume at that time, starred in a drama entitled Angel Hearts which was released in 2002.

In 2003, when Morning Musume was split into two groups (Sakuragumi and Otomegumi) after the sixth generation members had joined, she was placed into Sakuragumis.[7] Gatas Brilhantes H.P., Hello! Project's futsal team, was also formed that year. Konno became one of its founding members, and remained with the unit until her graduation.

In July of the same year, she was added into Country Musume with fellow Morning Musume member Miki Fujimoto. Under this new formation, named "Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto", three singles were released.[8] She also made a guest appearance in a drama, Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (which Ai Kago starred in as a regular) that year, as a hit-and-run victim's sister.[9]

She is considered to be one of the most intelligent members after achieving the highest mark during a special episode of Mecha-Mecha Iketeru! in early 2003, where the "Bakajo Test" was given to see who was the "idiot girl" of Morning Musume. She is also athletic, according to another special episode of Mecha-Mecha Iketeru! later that year (after the sixth generation joined) focusing on sports, placing as the fifth most athletic Morning Musume member.

In late 2004, Tsunku's choice of giving Konno the main vocals for "Namida ga Tomaranai Hōkago" yet again surprised many people, as it was known that she had rather weak vocals when compared to the other members.

In March 2006, she proved her athletic abilities by placing first in the 1500 meter race at Hello! Project's 2006 sports festival in the time of six minutes and thirteen seconds, getting her the MVP award plus defeating the previous winner, Maimi Yajima, whom Konno had lost to in Hello! Project's 2003 sports festival.[10] On July 23, 2006, Konno graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project to continue her studies at a university.[1] [2] [11] The last single and album she participated in were "Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12">[12] and Rainbow 7 respectively.

The news of Konno's acceptance to Keio University, one of the top private universities in Japan, known for producing two prime ministers, was announced on December 11, 2006 by several news sources.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13">[13] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14">[14] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15">[15] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16">[16] On December 28, 2006, she confirmed these claims personally, in a message posted on the main Hello! Project website.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17">[17]

Although she was officially no longer part of Hello! Project at the time, on January 28, 2007, she appeared on stage at Hello! Project's 10th anniversary concert (the first graduated member to do so), giving her last messages to Asami and Miuna of Country Musume, who were graduating that night.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[18] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[19] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20">[20]

On June 18, 2007, Up-Front Agency confirmed that Konno was returning to Hello! Project to rejoin members of Gatas Brilhantes H.P. in the group Ongaku Gatas. Their first single, titled "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell" was released on August 22, 2007. It was stated that Konno would remain an active member within the agency and Ongaku Gatas while continuing her university studies.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21">[21]

In early 2009, Konno graduated from Hello! Project with the rest of the elder club, though continued as a member of Ongaku Gatas, and continuing to tour with them. She was placed into M-Line, the official fan-club for graduated Morning Musume members. It was announced via the Hello! Project official site on October 1, 2010 that she would debut as a reporter for TV Tokyo in April 2011.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22">[22]

Dramas

 * 2002 – Angel Hearts
 * 2002 – Ore ga Aitsu de Aitsu ga Ore de (おれがあいつであいつがおれで<span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="color: #00e; font: bold 80% sans-serif; text-decoration: none; padding: 0 .1em;">?)
 * 2003 – Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (こちら本池上署2<span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="color: #00e; font: bold 80% sans-serif; text-decoration: none; padding: 0 .1em;">?) (Guest)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-kochira_9-1">[9]
 * 2004 – New Cyborg Shibata (新サイボーグしばたっ!! Shin Saibōgu Shibata!!<span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="color: #00e; font: bold 80% sans-serif; text-decoration: none; padding: 0 .1em;">?)
 * 2005 – Fight! Cyborg Shibata 3 (闘え!!サイボーグしばた 3 Tatakae!! Cyborg Shibata 3<span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="color: #00e; font: bold 80% sans-serif; text-decoration: none; padding: 0 .1em;">?)

Movies

 * 2002 – Tokkaekko (とっかえっ娘. <span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="color: #00e; font: bold 80% sans-serif; text-decoration: none; padding: 0 .1em;">?)
 * 2003 – Koinu Dan no Monogatari (子犬ダンの物語<span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="color: #00e; font: bold 80% sans-serif; text-decoration: none; padding: 0 .1em;">?)

Photobooks
Source: <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27">[27]