WOW, Nemesis Gettin' GOOD!

 All the hints and whispers of the past 7 episodes came to an explosive head  in this week's’ episode of NEMESIS, where we finally get the complete story of Anna Mikami’s shouded past and how Kurita and Kazama came into the picture of protecting the unusually gifted girl from the now-clearly revealed evil forces that be! Though the early eps hinted at a darker storyline, the show still became a much more morbid affair as the history of the case is presented in full...

As jaded a viewer that I am,I was STILL stunned by a few reveals that I simply did not see coming! Sure, there were some things that I easily predicted as the show went on, but the fact that I didn’t know where half the arcs were going shows why this drama had consistently ranked among my top 3 dramas each week!

Another thing that I really loved about this show was the way they “corralled” all of the NEMESIS team’s friends and acquaintances from past episodes to help in the case when Anna goes missing! You really gotta love this cast!!!

Now, there’s still 2 episodes to go and more likely than not they’ll drop the ball somewhere along the way, but for now I will appreciate how the show keeps rejuvenating my excitement for the story!

Funny, I was JUST complaining about how ALL these detective shows have got to have some dark corrupt origin story in the background while they air the weekly mystery cases, and had mentioned Nemesis specifically as one of the offenders- WELL! Had to eat my words as the drama suddenly took those narrative threads and wove an altogether GRIPPING story!!

Cecile no Mokuromi

Yoko Maki as Nao Miyaji

Yoko Maki stars as Nao Miyaji, a down to earth yankee type woman who knows how to enjoy the simple things in life: though poor, she has a happy marriage and a son she adores as well as a job working at a croqette shop with friendly workers who care for her.

Her life is turned on its head when she is scouted by a modeling magazine called VANITY by the editor, Junko Kurosawa (Yuka Itaya).

Yuka Itaya as Editor Kurosawa

Ayumi Ito as Eri Koita

She sends her underling, Eri Okita (Ayumi Ito), who is a struggling writer for the magazine, to bring Nao in and teach her the ropes of the business.

But turning this brash and loudmouthed tomboy into the lithe, alluring and captivating model that her peers all are will take some work, and when set up with the likes of Eriko Sato and Ema Fujisawa, Nao’s efforts make her stick out like a sore thumb, LOLOL!

Sakashita (Eriko Sato)...

Looking all kinds of Glamorous...

Ema Fujisawa...

Dainty and Demure....

While out hapless heroine Nao...

....looking less than stellar! LOLOL

Hmm, someone doesn't belong here!

Okita is constantly at odds with the rough Nao and it is all she can do to keep her patience as she tries to wrangle this woman into something the magazine can use! For her part, Nao does try, but she is at such a loss for the ways and means of the business that she’s already called it quits once…how long can she possible keep this up?

Time and time again her expectations are let down, and though her family gives her their full support (very sweet to see how proud they are when she appears in a magazine for the first time), and she wonders if she should give it up.

 

It’s only when she meets the dazzling Yukako Hamaguchi (Michiko Kichise) that she finds in her heart a real desire to pursue the field of modeling. Like Nao, she has a son (and in fact they both go to the same school), and it’s looking at this woman that she sees the strength that can be had by attaining such status!

Kyoko Hasegawa as Maiko Yasunaga

Michiko Kichise as Yukako Hamaguchi

 

SO far it’s fun show and my heavens it’s worth it alone just for the amount of actresses in her that I LOVE and have gushed ad nauseum on this blog: Yoko Maki, Ayumi Ito, Yuka Itaya, Michiko Kichise, and the delectable Eriko Sato! I even got introduced to some new faces like Ema Fujisawa and Yuriko Ono (as Kurosawa's Able assistant Masami Koike)...

Everyone looks so gorgeous here, and it’s funny- Yoko Maki makes herself look SO believable as a gangly, tomboyish waif that I had to go back and look at my older posts of her just to assure myself that this is the SAME lady!

Simply amazing how she can fluctuate so smoothly from one end to the other! 

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Yubiwa Wo Hametai: Onegai Shimasu!

Yubiwa Wo Hametai

Awhile ago, Car had told me about this upcoming Yamada Takayuki movie coming out that I was sure to want to see, since it starred not one but THREE actresses i really liked, Yoko Maki, Chizuru Ikewaki, and Manami Konishi in a humorous love-triangle story with Yamada as the hapless guy-in-the-middle.

Yoko Maki, Yamada, Manami Konishi and Ikewaki Chizuru

Well, months passed, and funnily enough, only a week or so ago, I asked Car, "Hey, whatever happened to that movie the those three girls I liked? Did It even come OUT yet?" Car admitted she hadn't heard anything about it , but said she'd go online and check up on in when she had the time. 

Then, just the other day, I'm laughing and telling Car about some movie they'd posted onto the marvelous OUR HOUR site with a picture of Yamada Takayuki wearing a yarmulke or something on his head. Pausing, Car asked, "Wait, what's the name of that Movie?" 

Clicking Back, I re-uploaded the page and said, "Um, it says it's called Yubiwa Wo Hametai""

"Yubiwa?" asked Car excitedly, "Yubiwa means...RING!" Then she exclaimed, "That's IT! THAT'S THE MOVIE WITH THOSE THREE ACTRESSES! Remember, Yamada plays a guy with amnesia who can't remember which girl he gave the engagement Ring to before his accident?"

"Oh," I said, laughing, "So that's bandages on his head, NOT a Yarmulke! AHAHAHA"

Well, a celebration was to be had, but I'll still have to sit tight as there are so far no subtitles to be found for this film. To all of you wonderful subbers out there I gesture towards Yubiwa Wo Hametai and ask (in my best Harvey Keitel) "Please. Pretty Please. With Sugar On Top!" Consider THIS movie for your next project! All us non-Nihongo speakers will love you for it!

PS, Looking at that Press release picture  above, several things occur to me: 

1. Yamada's doing his best Robert Downey Jr. in that Picture.

2.  I never knew Konishi was so freakin' TALL! (or all the rest of 'em SHORT?)

3. I hope that pic isn't spoiling the ending of who he marries. I really hope not.