Abe Natsumi 安倍なつみ (placeholder)

Natsumi Abe (安倍なつみ Abe Natsumi?) (born August 10, 1981) is a Japanese singer and actress, and a former member of Morning Musume.

Natsumi Abe was born in Muroran, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Her nickname is Nacci or Nacchi. Her younger sister, Asami Abe, is also a J-pop singer.

Abe was one of the first members of the group chosen in 1997. She was also the lead girl for many of the singles especially before Maki Goto joined, most notable in “Furusato” where all the other girls sang harmonies/back-up only. Abe has had a few solo songs including the theme for a commercial she was in, and “Otoko Tomodachi” from Morning Musume’s 4th album Ikimasshoi!. She also has lead roles in Morning Musume productions like their play, Love Century and their movie, Pinch Runner. Natsumi also has done quite a bit of acting in television dramas such as Nurseman.

Abe has never been a part of a Morning Musume subgroup but has led each shuffle group she has been in. She was also the lead of Morning Musume Sakura Gumi until her graduation at the end of the Hello! Project Winter tour on January 25, 2004.

She released her first single, “22 sai no Watashi”, on August 13, 2003, just a few days after her 22nd birthday. Her first full length CD was released shortly afterwards, containing many solo versions of Morning Musume songs.

At one time, Abe was the most popular member of Morning Musume, and many songs featured her as a lead singer. However, it wasn’t until the summer of 2003 that Abe officially went solo. She graduated not too long after that, in the early winter of 2004, to continue on with her solo career. She continued to release more singles while actively participating in other Hello! Project activities such as concerts, the special soloist group Nochiura Natsumi with Aya Matsuura and Maki Goto, and the Hello! Project super shuffle unit song “All for One & One for All”, sung together with all other soloists and groups within Hello! Project at the time.

In late 2004, there was a plagiarism scandal with some of her essays and poems in her photobooks which were copied off works by other artists, and she took personal leave for three months. During that time she ceased participation from all H!P-related activities, including Kaori Iida’s graduation concert in January 2005. As a result, an album scheduled for release in early 2005 was cancelled. A single named “Nariyamanai Tambourine” that was supposed to be released on January 26, 2005 was also cancelled (instead, “Yume Naraba” took its place in April 2005). She returned in February 2005, and has been participating in H!P activities once again, most notably the Nochiura Natsumi’s tour.

In August 2005, her fifth single “Koi no Hana” was released, and she also became a member of the H!P special unit “DEF. DIVA” together with Maki Goto, Rika Ishikawa and Aya Matsuura. The single “Takaramono” was also released in November credited as “Sen”, who is the main character of the drama “Takaramono”, played by Abe. In the spring of 2006, Abe had a new single “Sweet-o-holic”, together with a new album “2nd_{Shimiwataru Omoi”.}

In 2006, Natsumi and Asami Abe will be playing the title roles in a Japanese TV drama about the 60’s Japanese pop duo The Peanuts. (Ironically, Natsumi’s former Morning Musume bandmates Ai Kago and Nozomi Tsuji have recorded cover versions of several Peanuts songs in their post-Musume group W (Double You).)

In late june 2006, some time after the release of “ecru”, online hatecampaigns were started against Natsumi because she was accused of killing a national treasure tortoise in the dvd making of. The making of doesn’t show her even touching the tortoise. It was moved, but it was done by the production staff, not Natsumi herself. Most people consider this just another attempt by media to make another scandal. Natsumi herself has refused to make comments and it has not affected any of her H!P-related activities.
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Profile
Name: 安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 (Abe Natsumi)
Nickname: Nacci, Nacchi
Birthday: August 10, 1981
Sign: Leo
Birth Place: Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
Blood type: A
Height: 152cm
Hobbies: Smiling, Talking, Poetry, Singing, Cooking, Sleeping
JPOP Debut: 28 January 1998
Hello! Project Groups:
Morning Musume (1997–2004)
Nochiura Natsumi (2004)
DEF.DIVA (2005)
Subgroups:
Morning Musume Sakura Gumi (2003–2004)
Shuffle Units:
2000: Kiiro 5
2001: 10nin Matsuri
2002: Odoru 11
2003: SALT5
2004: H.P. All Stars
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Discography
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Singles
“Haha to Musume no Dyuetto Songu” (母と娘のデュエットソング The Mother and Daughter Duet Song?) — April 30, 2003 (#18; 15,689 copies sold)
A duet with Okeisan (おけいさん?).
“22sai no Watashi” (22歳の私 The 22 Year Old Me?) — August 12, 2003 (#2; 81,460 copies sold)
“Pihyara Kouta” (ピ～ヒャラ小唄 Whistle Ballad?) — November 19, 2003 (#22; 16,410 copies sold)
Natsumi Abe is credited as “Purin-chan” (プリンちゃん miss pudding?), the song was a double A-side together with MiniHams (ミニハムズ mini hamuzu?)’s “Mirakururun Guranpurin!” (ミラクルルン グランプリン!?).
“Datte Ikite Kanakucha” (だって 生きてかなくちゃ Because I Got to Keep on Living?) — June 1, 2004 (#7; 55,113 copies sold)
“Koi no Terefon GOAL” (恋のテレフォン GOAL Telephone GOAL of Love?) — August 10, 2004 (#5; 47,351 copies sold)
“Yume Naraba” (夢ならば If This Is a Dream?) — April 19, 2005 (#5; 36,248 copies sold)
“Koi no Hana” (恋の花 Flower of Love?) — August 30, 2005 (#9; 30,450 copies sold)
“Takaramono” (たからもの Treasure?) — November 30, 2005 (#23; 11,851 copies sold)
Natsumi Abe is credited as “Sen” (千?) on this release.
“SUĪTOHORIKKU” (スイートホリック Sweetaholic?) — April 12, 2006 (#8; 17.087 copies sold)
“Za Sutoresu” (ザ・ストレス The Stress?) — June 28, 2006 (#14; 14.015 copies sold)
“Amasugita Kajitsu” (甘すぎた果実?) — October 4, 2006
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Albums
Hitoribocchi (一人ぼっち?)
2ndshimi wataru omoi~ (２ｎｄ～染みわたる想い～?)
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Photobooks
ナッチ (Nacchi) (December 1999)
なつみ (Natsumi) (November 1, 2001)
Album 1998ー2003 (April 2003)
出逢い　(Deai) (February 24, 2004)
(ふう) (Fu) (May 26, 2005)
アロハロ！ (Alo Hallo!) (November 2, 2005)
ecru (June 12, 2006)
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Calendar
安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 2004カレンダー (October 2003)
安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 2005カレンダー (September 2004)
安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 2006カレンダー (October 12, 2005)