The Levels of JAV Stardom (feat: Ichika Matsumoto) Part 2
Ichika as an Up-and-Comer
WAAA-110: If You Can Resist The Triple Threat Of The Super Skills Of Ichika Matsumoto, Yui Nagase, And Aoi Kururugi, You'll Win A Round Of Raw Creampie Sex! Special Edition
Release Date: August 25, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour 58 mins
Studio: kawaii*
Director: TAKE-D
By the time a JAV actress makes it up to the up and comer territory, this is where the real competition starts because all of these up-and-comers are vying for the next upgrade, the more stable starlets that have a lot more staying power and stronger pull and influence in the industry (which obviously comes with all sorts of financial incentives). At this point of a JAV actresses career, she will probably be featured in a lot of different multi-actress JAV movies. There are two interpretations on why this happens: one could be that putting all these up and comers in one movie helps pull their names up to compete with the starlets, but also the opposite where they are put in like a gladiator sex ring where they compete for all the spoils. In this JAV, Ichika, Yui and Aoi actually have proven that they have great sexual chemistry with each other, so they highlight their sexual skills in this test of sexual endurance for the lucky ‘amateurs’. Well, we all know who ends up winning the spoils eventually.
STARS-625: I Became The Eccentric Lesbian Pet Of My Sassy J* Sister.
Starring: Mana Sakura Ichika Matsumoto
Release Date: June 23, 2022
Runtime: 2 hour 15 mins
Studio: SOD Create
Director: Suisei Akai
And sometimes, when the JAV actress is on the rise, they sometimes find themselves in these collaboration JAV movies in the top tier exclusive studios. The more premium the studio, the rarer these collaborations are, but they do happen when a certain actress is just on top of the game. In Ichika’s case, she’s been dominating the online sales category in the rankings. It probably helped that she has so many movies in such a short career. At that point, all eyes are on her, including the SOD STAR brand from SOD, their exclusive group. This movie was quite a good move on them to pair Mana, a legendary actress whose career has been kinda stalling, with Ichika, the white hot freelancer of the current era, who is also known for having great lesbian performances.
Ichika as a Starlet
DASS-237: A New Chapter Begins. Dengeki Exclusive DASUKU! & HONCHU DOUBLE EXCLUSIVE MATSUMOTO Ichika Abstinence Big Release. Droopy SEX 3 Special
Release Date: November 14, 2023
Runtime: 2 hour 30 mins
Studio: Das
Director: ZAMPA
I would say that the Starlet level is where the JAV actress has now reached enough fame and relevance that she’s reliably have a lucrative career (at least for the time that she chooses to stay in the industry). Interestingly, especially in recent JAV times, there is a trend of formerly prolific freelancers eventually settling down into exclusive contracts. This is not necessarily a requirement to be in the Starlet category of fame, some freelancers rise to Starlet and even Super Star status while remaining in freelance. For Ichika to pick and settle in on exclusivity is probably a work-life balance choice that communicates that she’s already living the good life at that point, and can now slow down her extremely busy sexual schedule with a more predictable release schedule with better productions.
DASS-599: When A Guy Girl Is Blamed For His Penis, She Reveals Her Aheh Face, So I'm Going To Make Her Even More Lascivious And Heven!
Starring: Ichika Matsumoto, Sumire Kuramoto, Mumu Kondo
Release Date: May 13, 2025
Runtime: 2 hour 15 mins
Studio: SOD Create
Director: Suisei Akai
For most starlets, they have established a certain brand for themselves that people associate them with. It’s supposed to be their strong point, and a lot of their audience follows them because they could be reliably turned to if they wanted a certain flavor of sexuality for their JAV diet. Every actress is different in this sense, some lean into their acting props and go into dramas, some are naturally charismatic and lean into less scripted JAV. Some can do both. For Ichika, she has leaned towards her capacity to be a super charismatic figure who can fuck anyone and everyone well. Which is why she leaned into collabs with similar actresses (like her frequent collaborations with Sumire Kuramoto), and at times the weird collab with a trans JAV actress, like in this movie.
Notify Me of New Blog Posts
Get notified when we publish new blog posts:
Ichika as a Super Star
MIRD-253: MOODYZ Fan Thanksgiving Bakobako Bus Tour 2025 - 2 Days And 1 Night Of A Big Orgy With 17 Amateurs And 17 AV Actresses - New Generation AV All-star Awakening!
Release Date: August 25, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour 58 mins
Studio: kawaii*
Director: TAKE-D
And finally, the top of the tier: JAV Superstardom. To be a superstar, a JAV actress needs to capture the cultural zeitgeist of the moment she’s in. She needs to be iconic, not only in JAV but also sometimes even outside of JAV. And some of them even maintain their relevancy after their JAV careers. There is an aspect of dominance that separates the starlets from the superstar too, where the starlets simply do not compare with the superstar on one aspect, which justifies the level of fame that the superstars have earned. For Ichika, I am confident to say that she’s currently enjoying superstar status simply because she has headlined the Bako bus as the main attraction (usually put at the very back). She is just a consummate performer and her charm dwarfs the rest of the cast, in my opinion. Truly deserving of the current fame she’s at, I hope she has more years with us! She’s still relatively fresh in the biz, and there’s plenty more she has to offer!
As usual, that’s all from me for now! Thank you for reading, see you in my next article! -Vez
BTW We have a movie with Ichika Matsumoto released at the time when she was still an unknown JAV actress, at around the time of her debut. If you ever wanted to watch a fully human subbed Ichika Matsumoto movie, you can check it out here at ZENRA. Watching any of ZENRA’s movies supports the site and the blog. :)
What do you think of the article so far? Hit me up in the comments!
Ichika as an Up-and-Comer
WAAA-110: If You Can Resist The Triple Threat Of The Super Skills Of Ichika Matsumoto, Yui Nagase, And Aoi Kururugi, You'll Win A Round Of Raw Creampie Sex! Special Edition
Release Date: August 25, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour 58 mins
Studio: kawaii*
Director: TAKE-D
By the time a JAV actress makes it up to the up and comer territory, this is where the real competition starts because all of these up-and-comers are vying for the next upgrade, the more stable starlets that have a lot more staying power and stronger pull and influence in the industry (which obviously comes with all sorts of financial incentives). At this point of a JAV actresses career, she will probably be featured in a lot of different multi-actress JAV movies. There are two interpretations on why this happens: one could be that putting all these up and comers in one movie helps pull their names up to compete with the starlets, but also the opposite where they are put in like a gladiator sex ring where they compete for all the spoils. In this JAV, Ichika, Yui and Aoi actually have proven that they have great sexual chemistry with each other, so they highlight their sexual skills in this test of sexual endurance for the lucky ‘amateurs’. Well, we all know who ends up winning the spoils eventually.
Want to read more?
Create a free account to access more blog posts each month!
More Info: The Future of the ZENRA JAV Blog
Unlock unlimited blog access!
Subscribe or purchase videos to get unlimited access to all blog posts and support legal JAV.
For those unable to pay, approved thoughtful blog comments will reset your monthly limit.
Video Purchase Coupon Code:
More Info: The Future of the ZENRA JAV Blog
Comments
Continue Reading Join the Discussion Welcome to ZENRA!
Register for free to get more blog posts each month, or login to continue reading.
Login or register to join the conversation and share your thoughts.
The second group of newhalfs (plus one woman) arrive for an extra special Japanese style group date that leads to sexy antics like group sex (of course).
For behind the scenes JAV with real creampies that also star one of the best MILF actresses of all time, this is one movie that really has it all.
The “flagship” client with curves upon curves may seem to steal the show, but stick around for the super cute and the super leggy follow-ups!
Couples attempt the impossible by playing a game requiring five ejaculations within 60 minutes and hip thrusts by the boyfriend result in time reductions!
Not your everyday JAV game show for this time endurance and fortitude are both needed as boyfriends need to cum five times in an hour in order to win.
Do you like fishing? Do you like big butts? Do you like Japanese women? Well, surprising nobody, there is a JAV for that.
Leave it to the ultra dominant yet playful Mari Hosokawa to break in Japanese amateurs on the fence about whether being a lesbian may be the better life choice.
Rarely does a JAV take a super simple concept and executes it as perfectly as this one does.
Japanese women only nanpa where dominant Mari Hosokawa uses her sultry magic to bet curious amateurs to switch to the ladies-only side.
Voluptuous stark naked private parts guessing game featuring an extreme focus on big and beautiful butts in the second half of this ROCKET release.
Out in the boondocks Japanese students use their free time wisely by having sex with each other in the final release of this orgy series by HOT ENTERTAINMENT.
Real nanpa complete with approaches and rejections but sex at the end via HOT ENTERTAINMENT.
You asked, we deliver. ALL Aoyama movies are on their way to ZENRA starting with the first. And now they are remastered!
Japanese couples compete for big by taking part in a wild raw sex real creampie (yes, for real!) game show hosted by the one and only Myuu.
Will amateur Japanese women go from a lingerie check in a van to wild hotel sex? Features one woman in particular with impossible curves.
Japanese amateurs and AV stars play rock-paper-scissors where the loser removes an article of clothing in this great CMNF and ENF release by FETISH-JAPAN.
Clothed Japanese women give naked men the handjobs of their lives where after they squirt, the stroking continues until they squirt not once, but twice more!
Just how far will a group of always naked women go to win a quaint vacation to Hawaii? And how will they take care of all those accidental creampies?
In Part 2 of Levels of Fame, Vez discusses Ichika’s rise from Up and Comer to Starlet, and to now, a JAV Superstar!
May 1st, 2026
Top Lists
Best Schoolgirl JAVs You Should Check Out 1: Blazers, Plaid Skirts, Knee-High Socks and more
Time to head back to school and check out the best Schoolgirl videos in JAV. We’ve got wet uniforms, Gals in knee-high socks, dutiful sports team managers, and more students ready to learn inside.
April 30th, 2026
Big titties and plump booties are on the menu in this latest edition of Pan Takes with one film being an early favorite of the year.
April 30th, 2026
What's better: women that talk during the sex in JAV, or women that stay quiet?
April 29th, 2026
A report of which actresses and videos were popular in March 2026
April 29th, 2026
In this final part, I'll talk about the negative points of armpits in JAV, then decide whether they are a fetish worth looking into!
April 28th, 2026
From a Brazilian bimbo bombshell to a mini cosplay cutie. One of these is a banger and the answer may surprise. Join me as I take a look at a handful of new JAV releases from the month of April.
April 27th, 2026
From Ai Mukai dropping comeback hints to Otoha Ikegami's sudden farewell message. We've the exclusive scoop. Take a deep dive!
April 27th, 2026
Oppaira reviews debuts from April 2026. Come find out if any are keepers!
April 26th, 2026
By Vez @ February 10th, 2026
By Fried Chikan @ May 7th, 2025
By Oppaira @ October 25th, 2020
