We have some sad news to report.
Normally the release of a new photo book by an idol would be a cause for celebration, but Mai Ishioka’s (石岡真衣) upcoming “After the Rain” is apparently to be her last.
One of our long-time favorite gradols, Ishioka has announced that that she is “graduating” — i.e., retiring from the industry.
This can be more one of several things: her career is stalling and so her agency is dropping her at the end of her contract; she is fed up with the industry and her career, and wants to do something else (or get married, which is hard to do while remaining a gradol); or she is switching agencies and needs to change her professional name for contractual reasons.