A New Job For Investigator Mariko

Yasuko Sawaguchi in new role

 As the NHK Taiga Drama “Hideyoshi” was among the very first Japanese dramas I watched in my early days, I’ve always had a soft spot for actress Yasuko Sawaguchi, who played Hideyoshi’s loyal and long-suffering wife O-ne throughout the series.

She’ll always be O-ne whenever I see her, but I suppose for many she’s more associated with her character of  Mariko Sakaki in the LONG running series Kasouken no Onna ( or “Investigator Mariko” to those of us here in Hawaii) which may be a series notably even longer running than Aibo for its resilience with the drama-watching public!

Season 24 (!) of Investigator Mariko wrapped this past year, but for those looking to see Sawaguchi in a similar and yet entirely new high-profiler role, she’s returning in a most unusual place- as the lead in the newest installment of ZETTAI REIDO! 

WHAAAT! That same quirky crime series from 2010 starring Aya Ueto as a detective with a supernatural ability to see into the past? And then rebooted as a sci-fi type show with Ikki Sawamura, Tsubasa Honda and Yu Yokoyama as detectives predicting and halting future crimes? Yes, THAT ONE!

MAN, this drama has had SO MANY reboots and reimagining that it scarcely resembles the original Aya Ueto series it started out as, and in THIS brand new series, (officially titled Zettai Reido: Jouhou Hanzai Kinkyu Sousa), Yasuko Sawaguchi plays Nami Ninomiya, head of DICT, a law enforcement department battling cyber crimes across Japan! 

Looks like the only member from the previous series is Yu Yokoyama, back as Toru Yamauchi, other than that, it's an all new cast, including Yuina Kuroshima, Hayate Ichinose, Itaya Yuka, and Yasuda Ken among others, forming an all new criminal unit "team".

Mmmm, I feel Yasuko Sawaguchi an INSPIRED choice- really one out of left field if I may say so myself, one that promises new ideas and directions the show can take.

SO FUNNY, when I first saw the promotional banner for this newest installment of the Zettai Reido franchise on FujiTV Twitter, I immediately thought it was promotion for her next Investigator Mariko series, truly her look and demeanor as both Sakaki and Ninomiya are SO darn similar:

Admit it: doesn't this look like an ad for a new Investigator Mariko series? LOLOL

Color me SHOCKED when I found out what it actually was!!! VERY interested to see where this series is heading under her command...hope someone picks this one UP!