I loved the BBC America Drama Series ORPHAN BLACK starring Tatiana Maslany as the four similar and yet wildly different clones of the same woman, and when I found out they were going to make a Japan version (like they did with BONES and COLD CASE) starring KARA’s JiYoung in the multi-personal role, I couldn’t wait, and just this week I was able to check out the first episode!
Blazing through the first episode, I am amazed how exact they were able to replicate the BBC show. So isimilar is the japanese version that I didn’t even have to wait for english subtitles as the drama is almost frame-by-frame identical!
As Orphan Black begins, we are introduced to derelict girl named Sarah Aoyama who has just arrived back in town, only to see a professional-looking woman that looks JUST like her commit suicide by jumping off the platform into a running train.
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| Sarah Aoyama meets her double Maoko Shiina |
Quickly getting over the shock, the streetwise girl snatches up the woman's purse and belongings, intending to steal her checks and raid her bank account. With the help of her brother Felix, (a fabulously gay raver and an admitted scene-stealer!), they manage to trick the cops into thinking that the jumper was the derelict Sarah Manning, and thus Sarah assumes the role of Beth.
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| Meeting up with brother Kaoru (Shun Nishime) |
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| "This Shiina looks JUST like me!" |
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| Maoko Shiina's ID. |
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| "Holy Crap- What are you gonna do?" |
But once stepping into the role of this woman, she finds that this Maoko Shiin was a police investigator whose last case may have the key to events directly impacting Sarah...
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| Becoming Police Investigator Maoko Shiina |
Under the guise of the Police Investigator, Sarah-Maoko finds the reason that she and Maoko look so similar may have a more sinister reason than pure coincidence, and as she delves deeper, she makes contact with other women connected with the case.
The next duplicate "Maoko" meets is a desperate purple-hair girl who reaches out to her. Apparently, she and the real Maoko were working together to gather evidence to expose some criminal activity. Unfortunately, Katja is taken out of the game before she can explain anything more to the confused Sarah, shot in the head right before Sarah’s eyes!!
That’s it for episode one and I can’t wait to see how they develop the rest of the clones, especially lesbian dreadlocked scientist Cosima and super uptight and bitchy housewife Alison Hendrix. Should be a real thrill watching Jiyoung tackling these roles!!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
