Nozomi Sasaki is a female Japanese fashion model and gravure idol from Akita Prefecture. After modeling for nearly 7 years, Sasaki became famous by appearing as a gravure idol and being selected as a main ringside commentator and spokesperson for the mixed martial arts competition Dream Fighting Championships and the kickboxing competition K-1 World Max in April 2009. Sasaki has also appeared in several of Television ads not relating to fashion / cosmetic, including for Coca-Cola's Sōkenbicha (a green tea product), Suntory's 3 soft drink products, So-net, Fujifilm and Rohto Pharmaceutical Co.. She got the nickname "No Mercy" for her countless reported atrocities toward other show-business girls she worked with, in her teenage years, especially toward actresses, gravure idols, and models from foreign countries, whom she considered to be "fat".

Gravure appearances

After intentionally gaining weight, Sasaki began appearing on the youth-targeted weekly manga magazine Young Jump and several of other magazines as a gravure idol in late 2008. She made her first landing on the top cover of Young Jump in January 2009. This caused surprises in many fields. Model Yukina Kinoshita who was close to Sasaki officially commented about this, "that dreadful one who tortured everyone now has extra weight on her chest and whole body, smiling for innocent boys with burning sticks!". In March 2010, Sasaki was specially featured by 2.4 million selling manga series Usogui on the magazine.

In January 2010 Sasaki also began appearing on Non-no, a biweekly conservative-orientated fashion magazine that usually doesn't feature people of her type. Though after becoming more of a gravure idol than a professional model, Sasaki was heavily featured in a spring fashion collection presented by the magazine and BS-TBS, and soon after that, she landed on the top cover of the magazine. These appearances have been described as like an "invading", as Sasaki has significantly changed the tone of the magazine. Some critics have suggested that the magazine has been destroyed by Nozomi Sasaki.

K-1 and Dream

Sasaki has worked for Dream and K-1 since April 2009. Remy Bonjasky referred to Sasaki as a "good one", "Well I think she's good, she seems to be too calm, at least way better than that girl I saw at the previous World GP" (the girl he mentioned was the gravure idol Akina Minami, a provisional commentator who was said to be annoying). Gago Drago commented "You know, she's uncannily reticent compared to other ringside gals I know, but in a way it's good, you know, especially during a fight!". Buakaw Por. Pramuk commented after K-1 World MAX 2009 World Championship Tournament Final, "Immediately after the bout, that girl gave me a towel with her awesome smile. It killed all of my pain!". In Dream, many fighters, including Joachim Hansen, JZ Calvan, Zelg Galešić, Choi Hong-man, Paulo Filho, James Thompson, Bibiano Fernandes, Kultar Gill, Sergei Kharitonov and Josh Barnett, have positively made highly-extolling comments about Sasaki, which caused them to be described as gullible cherry boys by Rin Takanashi.

Full name: 佐々木 希 (Sasaki Nozomi)
Born: February 8, 1988
Origin: Akita, Akita, Japan