A GIF Showing A Smiling Japanese Actress: A Lustful Gaze That Goes Viral

02/12/2024

The recipe for a viral image is a blend of creativity, timing, and emotional connection.

It should at least evoke strong feelings, original if not unique, aesthetically pleasing, has human elements which show expression, simple, and platform-specific.

And apparently a GIF of a Japanese adult film actress looking at the camera and smiling lustfully have gone viral on X, simply because it checks all the boxes.

It all started when a user on the platform formerly known as Twitter, posted a GIF of the actress, and soon, people are bookmarking it like nothing else.

People have called the poster to share the "source" of the video, with lots more people in the comments suggesting they cannot contain themselves.

Saika Kawakita

And they have a point.

The woman in question, which is depicted in the viral GIF image, is a 25-year-old Japanese adult film actress, or JAV idol, Saika Kawakita (河北彩花).

Born in Japan, and standing at a height of 162 centimeters, Saika debuted in the Japanese adult entertainment industry in April 2018, weeks before turning 19.

She uses the S1 No. 1 Style label, the same label as fellow actress Sora Aoi.

Her first film, Shinjin, produced by S1. quickly propelled her name, as the work ranked first and fourth in FANZA's 2018 film rankings.

Shinjin won the Best Work award in the streaming and rental category at the 2019.

But only after five months and six films, she disappeared from the entertainment industry. Her concerns were because her friends found out about her career choice.

Due to the high demand of Saika, S1 had to resort to releasing some of unreleased scenes with Saika in it, by making a compilation.

Saika Kawakita

After briefly going hiatus, she made an highly anticipated return in 2021, reigniting interest and demand for her work.

At this time, Saika is one of the most sought-after performers in the industry, admired for her natural beauty, elegance, and engaging screen presence.

Her fame has earned her several achievements, which include several AV awards, cementing her status as a top-tier performer.

Saika has garnered international stardom and fans from all over the world.

As of December 2024, Saika has appeared in over 54 films, including the one the viral GIF comes from.

The film in question was released in January 2022.

Around one hour and a half through the film, Saika looks to the camera, meant to be a POV perspective, giving it a lustful smile before standing up and walking away.

The GIF was originally shared in 2023 but didn't gain much attention at the time. It only went viral on X after a user reshared it without any caption.

Saika Kawakita

As the GIF was reposted and reshared by many others, an increasing number of X users began using it as a meme format to express gratitude in various situations—showing exactly how thankful they felt.

Its widespread presence on X even sparked meta memes about the inescapable allure of her gaze, flooding users' timelines.

According to those close to her, Saika Kawakita is known for her soft, innocent appeal, which is apparently a contrast to her bold performances, which blends allure with subtlety.

Saika however, maintains a relatively low-profile public persona, just like many Japanese citizens.

However, she uses social media to occasionally engage with her fans.

It's worth noting that Saika has changed her agency from S1 to Mines Pro, and starts using a new name: Ayaka Kawakita (河北彩伽). However, she said that she is still addressing herself as Saika Kawakita due to how popular that name already is.