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NEWS: Media Personality Ai Ījima Passes Away at 36




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v1cious



Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 6227
Location: Houston, TX
PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:08 pm Reply with quote
i know i've heard of this lady somewhere before, but i can't put my finger on it. probably an AV site somewhere. 36 though, wow. i wonder how she died.
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pakli1988



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 75
PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:39 pm Reply with quote
This is so sad. She was too young. Many well-known Japanese people died every year. May Ai Iijima rest in peace.
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ParaParaJMo



Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Posts: 333
Location: Gilbert, AZ, USA
PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 10:43 pm Reply with quote
They also made a movie and TV series about her based on her book called Platonic Sex. I have seen the TV series with Hoshino Mari, who plays the daughter in Kinpachi-sensei. It's a pretty intense and dark tv series and I enjoyed it.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14886
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:42 am Reply with quote
Ai Ijima is Japan's Traci Lords. Very Happy
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504NOSON2
Subscriber



Joined: 28 Jul 2008
Posts: 647
Location: Body:Santa Barbara, CA ~ Heart:New Orleans, LA
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:28 am Reply with quote
v1cious wrote:
i know i've heard of this lady somewhere before, but i can't put my finger on it. probably an AV site somewhere. 36 though, wow. i wonder how she died.


Japanese sites say she commited suicide. Also, she was on a show called "Gilgamesh night", a late-night sex show during the 90's.
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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Posts: 1484
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:21 am Reply with quote
I thought it would be suicide. It usually is with the idols and AV stars Sad I some of that manga which is the first time I'd heard of her but I also heard her name associated with some variety shows. She was so young though. Well maybe not in the japanese industry.
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kokuryu



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 915
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:55 am Reply with quote
Suicide? Thats the first I heard of that...

The initial stuff I heard about was acute kidney failure...
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sunflowerseed



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 106
Location: South Texas
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:03 pm Reply with quote
She had a remarkable set of accomplishments. What a shame to lose someone with that ability to make things happen and lose them so early.
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irishninja



Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 344
Location: Seattle-ish
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:01 pm Reply with quote
Yikes. Such a short and troubled life. May she rest in peace.
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fighterholic



Joined: 28 Sep 2005
Posts: 9193
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:39 pm Reply with quote
She was having health problems which was the initial reason as to why she left the Japanese geinoukai. That is a shocker, for sure.
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mrsatan



Joined: 06 Jul 2005
Posts: 913
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:59 pm Reply with quote
enurtsol wrote:
Ai Ijima is Japan's Traci Lords. Very Happy


Yeah, that's a good comparison. An adult actress that had limited mainstream success.

Both were also seen as somewhat hypocritical too; simultaneously lambasting the adult industry whilst enjoying the fame that it gave them.
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luisedgarf



Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 669
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 6:34 pm Reply with quote
mrsatan wrote:

Both were also seen as somewhat hypocritical too; simultaneously lambasting the adult industry whilst enjoying the fame that it gave them.


Well, she was Japanese, after all... Smile
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Renaisance Otaku



Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 469
Location: Modesto, CA
PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:59 pm Reply with quote
I'd learned of this on wikipedia, and was rather intrigued by her article. I know the name sounded familiar, and I'm all but certain I'd enjoyed her early work way back when, no shame in it. Sadly, reading through articles and forums, some people seem to have some animostity or a "why is this news" attitude due to her career as a porn star as well as petty semantics as to her popularity (I'd say if there are nearly 30,000 people posting condolences to your final blog entry, you were at least somewhat well loved), which is a real shame and fairly disgusting. Her work as an activist for AIDS awareness alone cements her passing as significant, to say nothing of her open attitude about her past even when she was able to rise above it (younger generations were unaware of her AV work until her book if I understand correctly). True, I may be learning of these things with her passing, but I still respect her for it.

The other sad part is how long her body went unnoticed. She apparently passed sometime between the 17th and the 24th. We may not learn the cause due to decomposition already having set in by the time she was found (I feel for the friend that discovered her in that state). No one deserves to be entombed in their own apartment for any period of time after dying alone (supposedly this isn't so uncommon in Japan given their penchant to leave well enough alone [I've heard one story of a guy going unnoticed for over two weeks despite piling up newpapers]). Really an unfortunate end for such a lady. Particularly one so young.To add to the creepy factor, she had a fortune teller say she'd disappear in three years back when she retired, and that she shouldn't do so. This upset her greatly. Whatever credence you give that, it's an interesting fact, especially since it wound up sadly true.

It's been a really sad month for artists and entertainers. No matter what you feel about her past or hypocritical nature, it's still sad news. Sure, she'll be remembered for her AV work, and there's nothing wrong with that. She was a lovely model. heck, I only knew her as one until earlier today. Still, as long as it's not the only thing, it should be fine. Hopefully someone can use her passing to further the causes she believed in. Rest in Peace.
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