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| As Shoko Kazuki in LADY |
It was high time I got around to whipping up a this little tribute to one of my very favorite actresses of all time, (in fact, sometimes I feel like she may even be my number one!) the ultra-cool queen of mope, Kitagawa Keiko!
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| As Shoko Kazuki in LADY |
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| As Momoko in "Mop Girl" |
First saw her as Momoko Hasegawa in the entertaining "Mop Girl" show, one of the few dramas (along with Hotaru No Hikari) that brought me back into the j-drama watching fold after an almost 8 year absence, subsequently Keiko was one of the first "new" actresses I fell in love with, and it seemed like everything she did after that was just plain terrific!
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| Buzzer Beat |
Since then I've always had sort of a "possessive" attitude about her, feeling like I was among the first to discover her, (though my friend Car tells me I'm wrong and insists Keiko was popular way before Mop Girl) and so I've always eagerly awaited and consumed each of her projects lovingly, like actress Aoi Yu, just her being in a drama or movie is half the battle.
I love her so much that I was surprised to discover one day musing over her Dramawiki stats how few things Keiko has actually done because it seems like I've seen her in a LOT of things... but then I look at the actual shows listed and realize the reason she has so much impact on me is that though she hasn't done a lot, the things she HAS done are ones I absolutely LOVE!
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| "Last Friends" |
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| Tsuki No Koibito |
I mean, it's true that there have been a few things she's done that I felt were sub-par (Tsuki No Koibito for example) but for every one of those so-so shows is a drama or movie that I watch over and OVER again, heck, I can't even count how many times I've watched Mop Girl, Buzzer Beat and (one of her very best) the movie HITSUDAN HOSTESS, because with each viewing, I enjoy it even more!
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| The Handsome Suit |
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| Hitsudan Hostess |
Another aspect I love about her is her very blunt and "stoney" (a la Jeff Spicoli) persona whenever she appears in variety shows or interviews. This is one cool-as-a-cucumber chick, her appearances on Himitsu No Arashi alone are enough to prove she's the real deal, a serious, thoughtful and introspective young girl!
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| on Himitsu No Arashi |
I am currently watching two of her dramas at the same time, the incredible AKUMU-CHAN and her older crime drama LADY~ SAIGO NO HANZAI PROFILE (one of the dramas I didn't think much of in its initial run) and am going into full Keiko overload!
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| as Ayami Mutoi in Akumu Chan |
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| as Kazuki Shoko in LADY |
Though they're two totally different characters, both Ayami Mutoi (Akumu Chan) and Shoko Kazuki (LADY) have the same Kitagwa Keiko sensibilities: Cool, Deadpan, Bossy, Funny, Giggly and OH SO PRETTY!!!
TL;DR: I LOVE KEIKO KITAGAWA
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
