I was talking with my friend Car about which drama it was where I saw pretty Erika Toda for the first time. Was it Nobuta wa Produce? Hana Yori Dango 2? Or was it during one of her many appearances on shows like Shin Domoto Kyodai or Arashi No Shukudaikun? Ah, well- in the end, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Suffice to say that Erika is another in a long line of “Actresses that I didn’t fall in love with until the third or fourth drama I’d seen them in"!
So, having seen her in a handful of indeterminable dramas or shows, she finally came to my attention (re: I remembered who she was) when I began watching the TBS drama Ryusei No Kizuna, that dark (and yet quirky) drama starring Erika along with Ninomiya Kazunari and Nishikido Ryo.
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| with Kazunari Nino and Nishikido Ryo in Ryusei No Kizuna |
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| Undercover in Ryusei No Kizuna |
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| in BOSS |
It was during this time that FUJI TV Drama BOSS began airing, and though Erika’s role in this detective drama was that of a frumpy, introverted girl, somehow, the dowdy clothes, mussed-up hair and horn-rimmed glasses sliding down her nose made her look all the more attractive! Something about her being painted as a “real” girl made me appreciate her even sans the beautiful outfits and sparkling jewelry!
Plus, they had all the cast members of BOSS duked out in evening wear during the show’s opening credits (and also in promo pictures with a different set of outfits), and if you’ve seen it, you know what I mean, and if you haven’t, you must trust me when I say that Erika looked just fantastic….(is this a description I use in EVERY one of these posts?! Hai. Guilty.)
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| Gorgeous Erika in BOSS |
While I was juggling both of these dramas filled with Erika Toda goodness, I also started watching an older drama, the 2007 TBS show Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi (that mobile-phone based drama starring the cream of hot young actresses), and once again, Erika made a real impression with me. Though she was primarily “doing” sort of the same character from Ryusei No Kizuna, (that is, pretending to be a girl she isn’t to swindle unsuspecting guys out of their money) I had to sit back and say to myself, “I may be wrong, but I think this gal is becoming one of my favorite actresses!”
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| Liar Game |
Though Erika Toda as yet hadn’t reached that “Crush” status that gets me all delirious (and compels me to pound out gushing drivel like this), I loved her enough that I was now consciously looking for dramas with her in it. Reading up on her Dramawiki stats, I was surprised to read that the “Liar Game” drama was her first (and, to date only) starring role in a drama. WOW! Now THIS sounded intriguing! I went out and grabbed the files as soon I could find them (amazing that a drama from 2007 still had faithful fans seeding it!) and immediately began watching in earnest!
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| Huh? Erika in LIAR GAME |
At first reminding me of those SAW franchise movies (obviously because of the Liar Game leader’s porcelain mask) it quickly turned into a thing of its own, and I have to say, there really is a BIG difference watching an actress (or actor) in a leading role as opposed to being part of an ensemble cast, because Erika is REALLY riding on all cylinders here, and really makes the show her own! Oh sure, there’s Matsuda Shota in it as well (one of his coolest roles ever, BTW) and the supporting cast is great, too, but really, I never felt how much CHARISMA this chick had!!!
Thus it was that after only a few episodes in, I had to say, in a slightly altered Ellen DeGeneres way, “Yep, I’ve Got A Crush of Erika.” And as I’m currently immersed in BOSS, Ryusei No Kizuna AND Liar Game, I’m truly in Toda Erika heaven! IT is truly a great time to be an Erika fan- Heck, she even made an appearance on SMAP X SMAP, much to my delight, and BOY was she cute!
Funny thing about her, I’ve always referred to Erika Toda as “Bunny” because with her plump cheeks and toothy smile, she always reminded me of that shy little girl rabbit who grew up to become the Easter Bunny in the story The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes! Ahahahaha!
