Okarie announces her graduation from Popteen

Haii Gals!

So as the title says: Matsuoka Rie most known for Okarie has announced her graduation from Popteen magazine. Words cannot describe how big impact this had on me and when I got the news I literally wanted to cry.

For me Okarie is not only a style icon, but also a role model and very ´´down to earth´´-person despite her gaining so much fame those last years. I know she is one of the most hardworking gyarus out there and everything she has achieved by hard work she deserves to the fullest. The only reason I kept reading Popteen was because of Okarie. No that she no longer going to model for the magazine I have no reason whatsoever to read it anymore, but I´ll support her to the very end.

I understand that she has way to much work with Ank Rouge and if it was me I would also make the same choice. I would be more depressed if she would chose away Ank.

This is what Okarie said in her interview of graduation:

Today I have important news for everyone.

My life has certainly been one full of unforgettable moments.
Today is a turning point in that life.

It’s sudden but…

Today, April 1st, with the release of the May issue of Popteen, I will be graduating from Popteen.

And coincidentally, along with that, I’ve been given the cover page!! (/_;)

The opening 8 page article contains the graduation announcement.

Thank you everyone who has already given me comments.

The official announcement release is the 1st, so I haven’t written about it until today.

Please allow me to accurately report my own words.

About graduating from Popteen…around what month did I start becoming aware of it…

I had just turned 19 when I first appeared in Popteen.

It’s a “teen” magazine, and that was my last year as a teen, so I was a bit of a late bloomer.

Until then, I had been living an ordinary life in my hometown.
But I wanted to DO something, so I applied to become a Popteen reader model.

Around my first appearance, I wondered if people would really look at my photographs.
“I really want to become better at modeling!” I said.
At that time, it was only a dream for me.

When I was 20, I started my own brand “Ank Rouge”, which was like a dream - I was so happy.
Popteen also assisted by devoting a page to it.
Every day became so busy.
When the new store opened, I tried with all my might to keep the balance between my business and modeling.

And so,
age 21, 22, 23 years…

I became aware that I was the oldest one.
My juniors increased.

I too slowly started to wonder…

I spoke firsthand with the editor-in-chief about my graduation.

After the decision was made that day,
I felt so lonely and so apologetic.
That’s what I remember from that day.

I couldn’t stop the tears.

I couldn’t say the word “graduation”.

While I was crying, I kept saying “um…by the way..um…” over and over again.

Despite that, the editor-in-chief was able to notice…
“Yes, what’s wrong?” she said.
She kindly watched over me as she listened.

Even with that tenderness, I couldn’t stop crying.

Time passed, and finally, I was able to say what I wanted to.

Graduating from my beloved Popteen makes me very, very sad, but…

Ank’s debut,
being given the cover shot,
being able to plan over 100 features,
being allowed to design the Popteen cafe uniform,
producing the Ank Rouge appendix every issue,

There’s nothing I haven’t done with Popteen,
I have no regrets,
this is how I feel.

And so, wanting to step things up, I graduate while looking forward.

To be honest,
at first, I was just a blogger, and then I founded Ank as the director…
I can only wear Ank clothing, so I became unable to be in the fashion pages.

So when I called myself a “Pop model”, I was kind of filled with uneasiness, thinking, can I really say that?

But, now that I’ve been given a graduation feature and cover page, I can say truthfully that graduating is the first time I’ve really hurt Popteen.

That is my testimony about graduating.

And so, having been given a warm send out, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.

With my graduation, I really really did not expect to be given the cover page.

Thank you to everyone who helped me with the magazine features up until now.

I apologize for the sudden graduation.

Without the help of Popteen, I’m someone with no redeeming features, so it is certainly with everyone’s help that I was able to get this far.

I really, really love Popteen.
I will absolutely miss the monthly photoshoots, but I won’t look back - I will continue to walk looking forward!

I am no longer a Popteen model, but Okarie is still Okarie!

I will keep doing my best with my blog and Ank Rouge.

I still have a long ways to go, so your help will make me very happy.

Graduation is not the end, it’s simply the beginning of something new.
I too don’t know what’s next, but I’ll keep looking forward!

To the beloved Popteen editorial department and staff, beloved Popteen models, all the readers, everyone who has helped me - thank you so very much!!

This is the cover of Popteen may 2013 which is gonna be Okarie´s last cover and issue. She looks so gorgeous and I´ll buy Popteen for the last time just for the cover haha! I got the one issue from october 2010 when she was also on the cover when Ank Rouge started.

Let´s have a look back to some of Okarie´s pages in Popteen shall we?

When Ank Rouge was released Okarie got on the cover and I knew from the very moment I saw the picture of her she was gonna be my favorite gyaru. 

Some make-up and hair tutorials. She proved that gyaru is not only about long hair, but that you can look just at gyaru with short hair. While the other Pop-models moved on and went for more natural-looking makeup, Okarie stayed true to her more dramatic looking makeup all the time and for me she was the only gyaru left in popteen. The other ´´gals´´just look like normal girls wearing lenses and lashes to me now.

...and finally this is how the covers looks like.

 I wish her all the luck with Ank and her blog. Unlike other gyarus who graduated from magazines (and started modeling for an another magazine) Okaries doesn´t plan on starting modeling for other magazines so she will just keep her crooz blog and work with Ank Rouge.

Final shooting for the Cover

Okarie leaving her fans a message.

Haha the only one who can make ´´sugoooi´´sound so cute :´D

Love Matsuoka Rie forever <3

- Howalon