At an easy 5 episodes long, I decided to tackle her drama first. Genkai Shuraku Kabushiki Kaisha told the tale of a dying village out in the sticks who cautiously team up with a man who promises he can bring prosperity to their ailing farming town.
As a young woman unable to get work in Tokyo who returns to her hometown to take over her absent father’s organic cabbage field, I was shocked how big a role Mayu had in this one! I really thought she was gonna be just one of the villagers but she was practically the main character!
A great, heartwarming little drama!
After the fine feel-good vibes, it was time to take on Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku), and as a huge fan of director Hirokazu Koreeda’s other films like Air Doll, Nobody Knows, and Still Walking, I knew this was going to be a moody, slowly paced and heartfelt affair!
Welp, sure enough , it hooked me right from the start with the tale of a sort of Father (Lily Frankly) and Mother Sakura Ando) pair taking in an array of lost or suffering kids (Matsuoka, Jyo Kairi and Miyu Sasaki) and one feisty old grandma (the always outstanding Kiki Kirin in her last role).
As usual with Koreeda's films, a lot of time is spent without anything being said and the viewer is left to soak up the atmosphere and rely on facial nuances between the characters more than actual dialog.
Mayu was great as the one child who is making her own income at a local peep show revue. I was at first surprised to see her in such racy role (all the ones I’ve seen before have been so squeaky clean and wholesome!) but if that wasn’t all, I discovered for the first time how AMPLY ENDOWED Mayu was! WHAAA!
Holy TOLEDO, ya NEVER would have thought that from her diminutive stature in Suizokukan Girl or Okane no Kireme ga Koi no Hajimari, but BOY, Shoplifters not only made you aware of her curves, they literally shoved it in your face!
LOL just another fun family outing with a well-developed older sister!!
Cheesecake aside, it added up to a wonderful little movie which left you sadder for the characters in the end and had you hoping they’d somehow get together again and have a “happy ending” together. But that's about par for the course for these Koreeda type of movies, a bittersweet, fun and touching drama that makes you think about it long after you're done watching it!
PS, if that wasn’t enough, they also had Aju Makita playing Mayu’s little sister!
Had to laugh seeing her in her all-too-brief scene…she's certainly playing a lot of little sister roles!
OK, after this Crash Course, I'm ready to see what Mayu Matsuoka has in store next!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
