A Face from the Past: Tamao Sato!

 Have to say that probably one of the LAST people from my “Golden Age” of J-Drama watching I’d expect to be cameoing in a recent episdoe of the new “Shojiki Fudosan” sequel is actress Tamao Sato, but there she was, looking just as pretty as ever!

Back in 1998 she headlined one of my favorite comedies of the time, “Hashire Komuin”, a cop drama I’d initially watched for my recent discovery of model Nanako Fujisaki but which went on to be a drama I really liked  with its wacky Keystone Kops shenanigans!

The drama introduced me to Tamao Sato,(lead an ensemble cast which also included Sayaka Yamaguchi, Hiromi Iwasaki and Nanako Fujisaki) who was really making a name for herself as one of the many buxom bikini babes, but somehow I fell in love with her sweet sincerity as the character of the goody but kindhearted Nagisa Ichinose!

After that I have to say I really didn’t see Tamao in many things, and as the years crossed over into the 2000’s it seemed she’s retired from the acting game! So imagine my surprise when watching Shojiki Fudosan and sandwiched right between the scenes of the main storyline was this cute segment with Tsukishima (Haruka Fukuhara) trying to find the perfect residence for a couple and their fancy pup!

I was hoping to see more of her in the episode, sadly all it was was a cameo of sorts and she was soon whisked away! Ahhhh, still, so great to see her and looking so good as well!
PS: The Hashire Komuin drama not only introduced me to Tamao Sato, but ALSO introduced me to the very FIRST song I ever knew from classic group L’ARC EN CIEL, with their terrific theme song “Snow Drop”, a tune I still love to this day!!!

Favorite J-Pop Singles: L'Arc-en-Ciel / Snow Drop

So How did my love of Avex Dance Group MAX end up with me buying the brand new single from L’arc en Ciel? Well, I tell you, it was a long and twisted path, a path that led me to loving many other things along the way! Just another story of how everything’s intertwined, at least as far as j-pop goes! 

MAX

  At the height of my love for the former Super Monkeys Mina, Reina, Nana and Rina I began watching the Downtown Variety Show Downtown DX. After many, many months watching that show, I began to fall in love with gravure model Nanako Fujisaki, and began buying up all her videos and watching all HER variety show appearances!

Fujisaki Nanako

Finally, the Tamao Sato drama Hashire Komuin came out, where I was delighted to find Nanako Fujsaki listed as one of the cast! A hilarious show about a bunch of zany rookie policewomen, this show was “Taiho Shichauzo”  times FIVE, and I loved it so much! So much that I soon fell in love with the show’s ending theme song too, which was, you guessed it, L'arc en Ciels' Snow Drop!

Hashire Komuin

“Hashire Komuin” tells the tale of a young girl named Ichinose (Tamao Sato) joining the Police Force where she is mistakenly as the daughter of a famous police chief. While in their good graces, she is warned by ace detectives Kaneko Ken and Senri Yamazaki(!) against the “bad eggs” of the police force, the “Shirayuri Squad”, comprised of four ne’er do well girls and one equally apathetic guy who are more or less Juvenile Delinquents on the payroll…(think SHOMUNI but in Police gear!). Little does she know that this group is exactly the squad she’s been assigned to, and once the real Chief’s daughter shows up (Megumi Okina), she is promptly kicked to the sub level team! 

Ichinose (Tamao Sato) meets the Gang:

The Notorious Shirayuki Squad!

Nanako Fujisaki and Sayaka Yamaguchi

the uncredited Heroes of each episode!

She is soon introduced to the members of Shirayuri: Nanako’s part of the group as well as feisty Hiromi Iwasaki (hot off her turn in the asadora Futarikko) and most notably cutie Sayaka Yamaguchi as this was the first drama I’d ever seen her in! (So strange to see her so girly since I’m used to seeing her play more stoic characters nowadays!) At first completely opposed to the team’s seeming lack of concern regarding all criminal activities, she soon learns that they are savvier than they seem, and in true “Shomuni” style, are actually the ones that end up solving the cases and saving the day, despite never getting recognition from the brass above! Ah, what a fun show…

Considering how well known they are now (especially Hyde), it’s hard to imagine a time when L’arc en Ciel’s name was ever met with question marks, but that’s how it was then! At the time, they sounded pretty much like a bunch of guys “doing their Luna Sea impressions”, but no matter, I LOVED this song and began looking for other stuff of theirs too! Though I did love their other releases (especially the ones released much later, in the 2000’s), the best song they ever made in MY opinion was the one that had my mind filled with the dancing images of Nanako Fujisaki, the driving little rocker, SNOW DROP!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com