Kaela Kimura emerged as the alternative "it girl" of 2005, but it remains to be seen if she will establish herself as a multi-faceted entertainer, or just a passing fad. Born in Tokyo on October 24, 1984, she first appeared on pop culture radar in 2002 as a model in the Japanese teen fashion magazine Seventeen. Next she showed up on saku saku, a TV show somewhat along the lines of PeeWee's Playhouse. Kaela co-hosts the show with an impolite polka...

Kaela Kimura emerged as the alternative "it girl" of 2005, but it remains to be seen if she will establish herself as a multi-faceted entertainer, or just a passing fad. Born in Tokyo on October 24, 1984, she first appeared on pop culture radar in 2002 as a model in the Japanese teen fashion magazine Seventeen. Next she showed up on saku saku, a TV show somewhat along the lines of PeeWee's Playhouse. Kaela co-hosts the show with an impolite polka dot creature with a square head named Zigorow. She is a very likable, cute character who makes jokes and generally clowns around. She is widely adored, and the show has become quite popular. Building on this, in June of 2004 Kaela switched media, releasing her first single "Level 42", which has no apparent references to the 80's English jazz fusion band by the same name. It sold only moderately well. Her second single "happiness!!!" made more impact, and rose to #14 in the charts. Her debut album Kaela, was released Dec. 8, 2004, and featured her in a silly/cute outfit on the cover. Impressively, the record went to #8 in the Oricon charts. Her third single "Riruri Riruha" (Real Life Real Heart) was a solid hit, reaching #3 in the charts and being used in TV ad for Vodaphone. Given that she got her start in the entertainment business as a model, and has appeared in a number of TV commercials, she is generally considered an idol, even though her voice is more earthy, and her sound more rock than most idols. She appeared at the huge rock festival Summer Sonic, and the venue at which she appeared had to turn away hundreds of fans hoping to see her live. Her actual performance received mix reviews, and some festival goers felt she was out of place, considering her more an idol than a rock artist. Before her fourth single "Beat" was released Kimura appeared in countless magazines sporting a new semi-punk haircut with the sides of her head cut very short and dyed in various ways. This is not exactly a typical idol move, and has helped change her image to what has been referred to as a "putsun musume" (strange daughter), somewhere in the realm of Tommy february6, Yuki from Judy and Mary, or Ringo Shena. "Beat" was written and produced by the acclaimed songwriter Tamio Okuda, who has also written for Puffy, and debuted in Oricon at #7. However the media focus seems to be more on her street fashion cuteness than on her music. She already appears in a saku saku DVD, and her live music video 1st Tour 2005 4 You, and will make her movie debut in Custom Made 10:30, released in October 2005. In addition she will be the "image character" for the fashionable department store Parco, who have a long history of clever advertising. Cute, clever, and clearly clicking.