TV has some new drama queens
Masami Nagawasa, 19, Maki Horikita, 18, Erika Sawajiri, 20, Juri Ueno, 20, and Haruka Ayase, 21, are some of the young actresses that are taking over the TV screen at the moment. The common denominator for these relatively new faces is freshness, according to TV columnist Sumire Koizumi.
gTheir background is not modeling like Norika Fujiwara, Makiko Esumi and Ryoko Yonekura,h Koizumi said. gAnd they do not have an idol-like image such as Satomi Ishihara or Aya Ueto. If I were to describe them, I would say they have a unique feel of cuteness and freshness combined together that puts them into a new category.h
Nagasawa, who is playing the lead role in the TBS drama gSailor Fuku to Kikanju,h is currently one step ahead of the game among her peers in both popularity and skill. She leaves the impression of being pure and innocent with a cute smile that captures many middle-aged menfs fancies. Even veterans Akashira Sanma and Monta Mino have said they fell victim to her captive smile. Economist Takuro Morinaga is no exception to the rule. gI was on the same program as her once. I didnft find anything special about her during the filming, but when I saw her on TV, I was awed. She had an absolute presence on the TV screen. I have been her fan ever since,h he said.
While Nagasawa's body measurements are no secret, rumor has it she really measures 88cm on top, indicating a potential F-cup. gShe doesnft want to show off her big breasts and be viewed as a glamorous girl because of them, so she often wraps a cloth around her chest to hide her breasts,h said one industry observer. Is this due to her being really innocent and pure? gNot really. She loves dirty jokes,h said a crew member from one of her TV shows. gIn between scenes, she is always chatting with her co-stars and staff and laughing at the dirty talk.h
Ueno, who stars in the Fuji TV drama gNodame Cantabile,h is another relatively new face. She was once spotted on a date at a Korean restaurant in Daikanyama with the popular comedian Shingo Fujimori of Oriental Radio, but now word has gotten around that she is having a gspecial relationshiph with actor Hiroshi Tamaki, her co-star in the Fuji TV drama.
gThey are always together on or off camera,h one crew member said. gThere is also a rumor that she had asked the producer of the drama to create an episode in which she would have a kissing scene with Tamaki.h
She has a good reputation as an actress. gShe is not particularly beautiful nor does she stand out from the rest in any way,h said Masahiro Kitagawa, a drama critic. gBut when the camera is rolling, she shines.h She is known to confront staff at times and is also known to talk very casually even to directors, but it is often positively perceived as genthusiasm and desire to create a good program,h according to her agent.
If Ueno is known to be tough, Horikita is said to be mellow. She was put under the spotlight in the movie gAlways Sanchome No Yuhi.h She is currently playing the heroine in the TBS drama gTeppan Shojo Akane!h gThis is different from her previous work,h said Kitagawa. gShe plays an active role and I would like to give her credit for the challenge, but her beautiful face isnft shown as much. So the program's rating is quite low.h Currently she is hooked on being healthy. Everyday she drinks a cup of green juice and milk mix. It doesnft sound too appealing in any regard, but git has become her daily routine for the past two months,h her agency said.
Horikita was once rumored to have been dating Kazuya Kamenashi of popular idol group KAT-TUN, but apparently he is only a friend with whom she chats on her cell phone. gI fall in love with the idea of being in love. I will be happy if I get married at 30,h she was once quoted as saying.
Yu Aoi, who rarely appears in TV dramas, is now in the top-rated drama gDr Koto Shinryojo 2006.h gShe also appeared in seven movies last year and is a very talented actress,h Koizumi said. gShe watches DVDs in her spare time and studies acting. She is very theoretical.h Asked once about her views on marriage, Aoi said: gA happy marriage results from the couple overcoming obstacles together.h
Meanwhile, Ayase is currently featured in the NTV drama gTatta Hitotsu No Koi.h She originally debuted as a pin-up idol, but gained 7 kilos within a year after her debut. She loves sweets a little too much, say her colleagues. Due to her weight gain, she was put on a TV program in which she had to try a new diet. gHer agency claimed that if she gave up the diet, she would retire from showbiz,h said an entertainment reporter. gAnd she failed. Akiko Wada, who was on the show, scolded her for the failure.h On one of her DVDs, it shows her eating chips all the time.
Though Sawajiri is not featured in any TV drama this season, she is not one to be missed. She arrived on the scene when she played a Korean high school student residing in Japan in the film gPacchigi!h She is known to be open and selfish. gI am who I am. I donft care what others think of me,h she once told the press. She was even quoted as telling film director Kazuyuki Izutsu that gJapanese films are so boring.h
gShe is far from the image of idols in the 1980s,h said Kitagawa. gBut really she is just openly being herself. She is like a rookie OL at your office who comes in late and brings nothing but trouble. But she is so cute that you let her keep doing her thing.h It is wrong to think that she is a snob, he added. gRather, she has a potential to be a big star in the futureh
Lastly, there is Aoi Miyazaki, 21, who was chosen to star in the NHK drama gJunjo Kirarih and will play the lead in NHK's prestigious Taiga drama gAtsuhimeh in 2008. She has been in showbiz since the age of 5.
She never appeared in an idol magazine but rather built up her career step by step gradually. It took a very long time to get public recognition but it is finally paying off. She was recently chosen as an image character for a commercial of insurance company American Family. Along with the commercial and the upcoming NHK drama, her marketability is certain to increase. It is possible that she may be the next TV commercial queen. (Translated by Toshiya Fujii)
December 7, 2006