1. Mayu Watanabe left the group on the last day of 2017 and on the first day of 2018 and pursued as an acting career until her retirement from the entertainment industry in June 2020.
11 Facts About Mayu Watanabe
1. 2.
Mayu Watanabe appeared on the cover of the December 2010 issue of UP to boy magazine together with Airi Suzuki from Cute.
3.
In 2012, Watanabe got her first lead role in the Japanese TV drama Saba Doru, where she played a 38-year-old high school teacher hated by her pupils, whilst having a hidden life as the highly popular idol Mayu Watanabe, based on her real-life self.
4.
Mayu Watanabe reprised her role as Chieri Sono for the series' second season which aired in 2013.
5.
Mayu Watanabe ranked second overall in the 2012 AKB48 general elections with 72,574 votes.
6.
The theme song for this drama, "Deai no Tsuzuki", was sung by Mayu Watanabe, and was released as her fifth solo single on June 10,2015.
7.
On October 26,2016, Mayu Watanabe released her third photobook Shiranai uchi ni.
8.
On June 17,2017, Mayu Watanabe announced at the 9th General Election that she would graduate from the group.
9.
Mayu Watanabe's last activity as an AKB48 member was a performance at the "68th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen" on December 31,2017.
10.
Towards the end of 2018, Mayu Watanabe was named the ambassador for JAL Honolulu Marathon.
11.
Mayu Watanabe unofficially endorsed the character Pompompurin for the 30th Sanrio Character Awards in 2015.