LOS ANGELES—Tokyo-based production house Studio Happy Chicken Pink has secured distribution in the U.S. and Canada through MVD Entertainment, with its two inaugural titles arriving in stores May 18.
Established in April of 2009, Studio Happy Chicken Pink’s concept was to launch unique videos of fresh-faced "gravure idols" (a common Japanese term to describe enticing young magazine/video models that tease the viewer in swimsuits, lingerie or various states of undress), and present them in a more imaginative, visually stimulating way than was represented in Japan’s increasing studio competition, creating international stars in the process.
Founder Charlie Maib, an American Service member living in Japan, envisioned the national gravure idol obsession—a pop culture phenomenon relatively unknown beyond Japan—exploding into the rest of the world. Maib assembled a multicultural team of like-minded individuals with similar creative vision, and began production on Studio Happy Chicken Pink’s first video, Sundae Girl, starring 18-year-old ingénue Natsuki Kojima.
“Response to Sundae Girl was immediate and undeniable: The 30-minute DVD, which includes a ‘Making Of’ featurette plus 16-page full color photo book presented in digibook style packaging, was a hit,” said Maib. Gold GT Magazine in Japan proclaimed Sundae Girl would “change the look of [Japan’s] pink cinema forever,” and declared new sensation Natsuki the “rising star rookie of 2010.”
Bolstered by this success, Studio Happy Chicken Pink immediately followed up with Ayaka Is Your Angel, starring sultry newcomer Ayaka Uchiyama. The ultra-erotic visual style of this production grabbed the attention of gravure idol fans worldwide, launching Ayaka as a giant star, and Maib’s dream of international demand for his videos was on its way to becoming a reality.
Studio Happy Chicken Pink is the first Japanese studio of its kind to secure a distribution deal outside of Japan. In addition to the May 18 debut of Sundae Girl and Ayaka Is Your Angel, Ayaka’s second DVD, Thai Relax, is scheduled to arrive June 29.
“Making Sundae Girl was rewarding both creatively and critically. When we looked at the final cut, we knew we had something special,” said Maib.
“When we started out, a lot of people said that Americans couldn’t possibly be able to capture the soul of Asian beauty on film, that there was too much of a cultural divide," he continued. "However, the reaction of fans both in Japan and worldwide has proven them wrong. Not only were our girls able to capture people’s hearts in Japan, but soon they will be capturing hearts all over the world!”
For more information, visit www.hckpink.com.
