Notes on "A Smiling Matryoshka"

Sho Sakurai, Tetsuji Tamayama and Asami Mizukawa

 

 As you all know well, I haven’t been a really big fan of the corrupt politician/red herring murder suspect thing for awhile now, and after reading the synopsis of the new “Warau Matryoshka”, had a feeling this was going to be another one of those, but just HAD to check it out, if only for the sake of dear Asami Mizukawa as the center FL. 

Asami stars as a newspaper journalist named Kanae Michiue who, during a routine interview concerning a young politician’s best selling biography, uncovers some facts that just don’t seem to add up to her….

Below: with co-worker Aoyama (Ryosuke Sota)

Interviewing the politician's former teachers and finding some discrepancies in their stories....

The politician in question is the up-and-coming candidate that many believe will become the next prime minister. His name is Ichiro Seike (Sho Sakurai) and, indeed, his interests do seem to reflect the concerns of the people. This may all be a ruse, however, as it seems most of what Seike says and does is coordinated by his secretary Toshiya Suzuki (Tetsuji Tamayama), a man who nonetheless seems content to stand in the shadows.

Michiue feels that there are things that this political team are avoiding and keeping to the chest, and when her own father, a journalist himself, gets mysteriously killed in a car accident when about to interview them, makes it her mission to use all her contacts and moxie to get inside their inner circle and dig up exactly what the TRUTH is.

Below: Seike addresses the crowds to rousing success...but is it his words or Suzuki's?

Michiue tries to get clues from Suzuki himself but is completely cut off. Looks like she'll have to work to get some real answers from these cagey opponents!

So far, I must say it’s been a pretty interesting first episode, not because of all the usual cloak and dagger politician stuff these J-dramas always have, but the aspect of a wide-eyed and naive front man being told what to do by the savvier and corrupted character in the background. 

It reminds me not just a little of the situation in the (awesome) 1993 movie DAVE, with Kevin Kline’s kind character of Dave being ordered what to do and say by Frank Langella’s ruthless senior advisor Bob Alexander character.

If THAT were truly the plot that Warau Matryoshka is following, I'll be the first to say how intriguing it sounds!! But I’m no stranger to these kind of shows, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there’s no WAY this is actually the real story here, because if it was, what would they do for the next 9 episodes? They hint that Sakurai’s character is the one to reach out to Mizukawa’s character and to join forces, but a set-up like this in only episode ONE seems HELLA SUSS!!

This ain't MY first rodeo and I know that almost anything presented in episode 1 of a show like this is SURE to be misleading and/or have a twist! Don't trust him, Asami!  There are gonna to be WAY more subversions and red herrings before this drama is over and you gotta suspect EVERYONE! LOL!

One thing that really tickled me watching this show was seeing the reunion of Azami Mizukawa and Tomomi Maruyama  after all this time! They first appeared together in the wild 'n' wacky  2008 drama “Yume Wo Kanaeru Zo” and I got SUCH a kick seeing them paired together once again!

In Yume wo Kanaeru Zo, Maruyama played an ad exec who power harasses Mizukawa's character of Asuka Hoshino to no end, and you might remember me posting  about a very funny scene where Mizukawa’s character dusts Maruyama with a can of wrinkle powder!

He tries to read her the riot act, but is stunned to find that this girl can give back as well as she receives! Attitude meets attitude!

From there they become an entertaining "bickering" couple who spend each episode trading jabs and loudly arguing, even as they start (grudgingly) respecting each other...

Having seen the two in this dynamic, It's so interesting to watch them in Warau Matryoshka and see a complete reversal of roles, with Mizukawa playing the assertive and dominating lead this time, and the Maruyama character as her cooperative partner in crime as they delve into the unknown!

I admit I may be making Maruyama's part seem bigger than it is in these screencaps. Really, he's more of a secondary 'background" character until of course the times that Mizukawa's character needs him for info or support in her endeavors... Still, a fun nostalgic paring that I love seeing!

In Yume Wo Kanareu Zo, there was a slight romantic arc to their characters, with the two becoming sort of romantic interests...

...and though that ultimately didn’t go anywhere, I get a kick watching Warau Matryoshka and thinking that if the two DID get married back in 2008, this is TOTALLY what they would look like as a happily married couple some 15+ years later:

It's times like this seeing Asami as a grown up woman now that reminds me of just how much time has passed since I first saw her! That flighty and carefree young gal we saw back then...

... has become this composed, mature, and and serious lady!

(and if seeing Asami all grown up didn't throw you, the COMPUTER upgrade surely must have, seeing that huge, heavy and clunky thing morph to a sleek thin laptop! Times really DO change!)

Will keep up with this show, one can only hope they keep all the political stuff to a minimum and focus on the human elements....