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| The Sultry Sayaka Yamaguchi |
Holy Cow, in an earlier post about the new Aiba Masaki drama Yokoso, Wagaya E, I mentioned how much I liked Sayaka Yamaguchi ‘s character of Setsuko Nishizawa, and I just had to say that, now at episode 4, Shizuka has not only become my favorite character on the show, but one of my favorite J-drama characters EVER!
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| as Setsuko Nishizawa in Yokoso Wagaya E |
I’m telling you, I’ve seen so many bullying-type dramas and they all follow the same pattern of one person persecuting the other while the victim silently takes it, this is the FIRST character I’ve seen who totally stands up to them, explosively and aggressively, firing off sharp condemnations to the offenders and taking no CRAP!
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| The Company's Serious Reciepts Detective |
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| Assisting Kurata with the Embezzlement Cases |
Look at her here. Company Mase (Takenaka Naoto) is gloating at getting them into a precarious position, and she’s sitting there taking it, but BOY, you can see in her eyes, she’s ready to unload on him!
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| Altercating with Troublemaker Mase (Takenaka Naoto) |
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| A Smouldering Fury behind those Eyes! |
In fact, there HAVE been times when she’s had enough- after Mase jokes that her husband left her because of her uptight manner, Setsuko grabs a container of pens and LETS HIM HAVE IT. I’m telling you, my mouth dropped open with how freaking COOL that was! What. A. Woman!
And at the same time, she’s one of the most caring and sensitive people on the show too. The amount of respect she has for her boss is so clear, once, when she sees him have to bow down to people they know are clearly in the wrong, she wipes away frustrated tears. So touching, and though I’m afraid they’re going to make their relationship a romantic one (well, looks like it may turn into a “She-likes-him-but-he’s-happily-married” kind of thing) I really like the two of them together. He’s weak and spineless, but admires her courage (“Wow, she’s just like a Real Detective!”) , and she admires him because he is the first supervisor who will stand with her for what’s right. Together, they both are able to tackle the issues.
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| A Heart to Heart Talk |
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| Two Confidants at Work and Beyond |
At the end of each episode, i just can't stop thinking about her. Maybe it's her toughness mixed with vulnerability (a stand-offish chick that you still want to cuddle) or that job juggling of playing both serious office woman, and, at night, a luscious cabaret club hostess..the best of both worlds! Whatever it is, it hit me profoundly!!!
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| During the day as Able Assistant Director |
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| ..and During the Evenings as Alluring Silvia |
In a way, it was inevitable that I’d fall in love with Sayaka sooner or later- the last time I saw her was as the insanely adorable thirty-something man-hunting woman Sakiko Komatsu in Ando Lloyd, and she was so bubbly and cutesy that I almost fell for her even then! In fact, I bet if she had more screen time than just her minor supporting appearances, I WOULD have!
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| As adorable Sakiko Komatsu in Ando Lloyd 2013 |
Even before, her character of Ryoko Takamine in Zettai Reido always appealed to me- and if you recall, one of the main reasons why I first fell in love with my last “Crush Of The Day” Yoshida Yo was because of how much she reminded me of Sayaka! I remember watching Zettai Reido and thinking how much Sayaka had grown up since I’d FIRST seen her.
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| As Ryoko Takamine in Zettai Reido 2010 |
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| with Aya Ueto in Zettai Reido |
You know, thinking about it, I’ve followed Sayaka Yamaguchi’s career practically from the beginning- way back in 1996 or so, when she was playing the pregnant teenage daughter of Leo Morimoto in Oishii Kankei…
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| A Young Sayaka with Miho Nakayama in Oishii Kankei 1996 |
and the brainy girl in the gang of delinquent junior Patrolwomen in Tamao Sato's wacky drama Hashire Komuin…
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| Bespectacled Sayaka wi Nanako Fujisaki in Hashire Komuin 1998 |
…to more mature roles including her hilarious spin as Ryoko Hirosue’s yankee-gal best friend Kaori in Tabe Mikako’s comedy Yasuko To Kenji:
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| as Ganguro Kaori in Yasuko To Kenji 2008 (with Ryoko Hirosue) |
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| With Mikako Tabe in Yasuko To Kenji |
an appearance in Masaharu Fukuyama's Galileo2 as a pre-school teacher,
and missing-in-action mother Akane Isaka in Ryoko Yonekura’s Hunter:
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| in Galileo2 |
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| As Akane in Hunter 2011 |
I even followed her early, brief idol-turned singer career- Truthfully, I didn’t much care for Sayaka’s musical output, but my friend really adored her and put some of her songs like Little Wing and April Fool on compilations he made for me. I DID get her Music Video Collection “Visual Precious”, however, because she was so darn CUTE in them!
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| Idol Sayaka in Visual Precious PV Collection 1999 |
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| Idol Sayaka Yamaguchi in Hawaii |
Plus, they shot all the videos here in Hawaii, and I was thrilled to see Sayaka scampering around my very own neighborhood! There was once scene where she was lying around on a street very close to my house:
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| Sayaka Cruisin' on Wilhemina Rise in 1999 |
...and as you can see by the picture I just took, the place hasn’t changed that much in the last 16 years! Yeah, I just ran down there and snapped this picture, it's so close to where I live!
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| ...and the exact spot 16 years later! |
So Yeah, I’ve known her since her cutesy idol days, and sure, she was adorable then, but really, nothing can compare to how beautiful she is as a grown woman. And its’ her role as this stoic, cool and intimidating lady in Yokoso Wagaya E that’s made her mark with me, I am crushing on her hard!
When it comes to her character, the Rolling Stones had it right when they sang “She’s So Cold”, but I’m telling you- the role of Setsuko Nishizawa is the role of hers that I will always remember her for, I am SO in love with this character, and subsequently, in love with Sayaka Yamaguchi herself!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
