Crush Of The Day: Hada Michiko

I’ve been going through my folders of J-dramas and bringing out those that for one reason or another I never got around to finishing, and was surprised to realize I’d never finished watching the 2007 drama “Oishii Gohan”! Checking out the first episode, Asami Mizukawa was so cute in her role as the morose Kaede that I decided to watch the series from the beginning again and enjoy it anew! I have to say, I’m appreciating it a LOT more than I did 9 years ago, as I can now fully appreciate all the actors and actresses in it, seeing Norika Fujiwara, Kimiko Yo and Tetsuya Watari was like seeing old friends, and of course, the Asami Luvver in me just loved watching Asami stealing just about every scene she was in!

Madoka, Tae , Gruff Father Ryuhei and eccentric Kaede

Oishii Gohan tells the tale of a young man named Shinpei who moves back to his family’s Rice Business with his wife Tae and child Shota when he hears his gruff father has taken ill. He’s never gotten along with his father, but comes back when the factory helper plead with him to help. Of course once he gets there, his father gets discharged and the family has to deal with living with him there, and the house gets even more crowded when his two sisters come back as well. Things are hectic for the family, and things get even more sticky when an illegitimate daughter of his father comes to stay as well!

Shinpei and wife Tae, with Sister Madoka

Madoka (Michiko Hada) and Tae (Norika Fujiwara)

 That’s the premise of the drama, but more than that, Oishii Gohan focused on FAMILY, how every person is looking out for one another, and none were closer than the bond between Kaede (Asami) and her sensible (if slightly daffy) older sister Madoka, played by lovely actress Michiko Hada. The scenes with these two became my favorite parts, the opposite personalities complemented the other so well: Kaede’s bitter, mopey and mumbling tortured artist character against Madoka’s bright, optimistic and nurturing flower-arrangement madame. 

Kaede and Madoka

Sisterly Love

 Suddenly, I realized that while I loved Kaede, I was actually waiting for Madoka to appear in each episode-I love a classy lady, and BOY she was that, and more! So pretty and elegant, and ooh, I loved that touch of green eyeshadow she wore, just drove me crazy!

Since Madoka was the sensible one, she was always dressed in the most fetching of ladylike dresses and outfits, and I’d wait each episode to see just what dress she’d be wearing then! I was never disappointed, each and every dress she was was soooo freaking pretty and womanly, I was in screencap heaven, as you can see below:

Besides being the sensible one in the family, Madoka was the FUN sister, always singing and humming, skipping through the room, and (along with Tae) getting up and singing classic 70's singles for the family!  While being the most mature one, she still found time to sneak over to little sister Kaede's apartment and bother her, or breaking out in fake tears when Mom doesn't give her her way! LOL

In The Tub. No Wonder I Fell For Her.

"Kaede, are you in there?"

Dramatic tears, LOL

Questioning a piece of Charred Salmon, Tae's cooking is weak at best...

"Kaede, I Know You're Home..."

"Mum's the word!"

"You found the Single!!!"

"I just LOVE Seiko Matsuda!!"

  Michiko Hada always had such a feminine, ladylike persona and Madoka seemed tailor-made for her! Even just watching her interacting with everyone made me smile, but it was episode four that really got me hooked on her, In this episode, Tae’s son Shota has the measles, and the only one in the family who’s had it before is Madoka. She comes to stay and take care of him, and it’s here that you see how kind and gentle she is, how much love she has to give. 

Man, I fell for her hard and had to go scurrying off to the internet to look for and download pictures of her, a sure sign that I was in LOVE! Oooh, Michiko is surely the perfect mix of Beautiful Lady and Giggly Girl! With a fetching twinkling eye smile, cherubic cheeks and just the right amount of curves, this was the perfect Lady! 

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com