As a longtime fan of Ai Iijima (in both her AV and genoukai careers) I was quite interested in checking out the 2001 movie PLATONIC LOVE, based on Iijima's best-selling semi-autobiography detailing the ups and downs of her tumultuous adolescent life, her stint as an AV queen and her subsequent rise to popular japan personality!
I didn't really know what to expect when I dug into the movie, but I have to say I was immediately taken by the cute actress playing Aoi Kadokura, the girl who eventually becomes Ai Mizuki. Kagami Saki was her name, and she really sold me on this tragic tale of love, betrayal and self-worth in much the same way that Actress Mayumi Iwasa did In Deep Love- with dark soulful eyes that really brought across what words could not! In each scene , her wordless acting just broke my heart! This gal was great, and I was surprised to find that Platonic Love was actually Kagami Saki's acting debut!
Though she was playing the part of Iijima Ai, Kagami Saki reminded more of a mix between the younger Akiko Yada (during her Say You Love Me years) and AV starlet Koharu Tohno (famous as the dominating victim/aggressor in the first of the ENJO KOSAI BOKUMETSU UNDO series) , a look that TOTALLY worked for me!
And though the movie was about a girl who became an AV actress, the show didn't delve too much on that topic and focused primary on Ai's romance with Club DJ Iwasaki (played by a blonde Odagiri Joe), but in between the AV movies and DJ romances was a stint as a hostess in a caba-club, and you can bet that it was THIS that really "did" it for me, as Kagami Saki was dressed in the sexiest outfits and giving out her girliest pouts and gestures!
She would soon move on from hostessing to her adult Film star role, but you know, to me, it really seemd like this was the time when seemed happiest in her life. Though a dark profession to be sure, there is something about the way her face brightens as she's getting the hang of her work, and she looks so radiant as she asserts her new independence and confidence! With the encouragement from her peers, she even manages to rise up to the number two spot in the club! Days off are spent laughing and shopping, as well as lounging around the apartment on sunny afternoons in only her underwear! :)
After watching Platonic Love, I went online to learn more about this pretty actress, and was excited to see she appeared in Tenshi No Koi, a movie I'd been wanting to see because of my love of actress Nozomi Sasaki, but so far I have yet to come across it online! Hmm, now that I think about it, I'd better get back trying to find that one! AHAHAHAHA!