Fuji TV's recent Last Cinderella/「ラスト♡シンデレラ」 J-Dorama series, which ran earlier this year (April 11 - June 20) is another great drama featuring one of my all-time favorite actresses Shinohara Ryoko/篠原涼子. It's been a good three years since Shinohara last did a drama series (2010's NTV series Ogon No Buta/「黄金の豚-会計検査庁 特別調査」) and "Last Cinderella" served as a welcome comeback vehicle for her. While Shinohara's character, Toyama Sakura/遠山桜 is similar to a lot of the rebellious, tough girl roles she has done in the past, Sakura also had a attractive vulnerability about her as well and the character is very likeable in her quirkiness.
The story is a bit cliche - Shinohara's Sakura is a 39 year-old hair stylist who manages a trendy beauty salon called "Happy Go Lucky" in a fashionable section of Tokyo. She has a loyal and faithful clientelle due to her personable nature and good natured outlook (her mostly older clients love talking to her regarding their problems). While Sakura is pretty, she often times downplays her attractiveness by not wearing makeup and dressing like a "tomboy". In fact she is often labeled as an 親父ギャル/"Oyaji Gal", a new generation of older women who rebel against Japanese societal expectations to get married, be femine, act subserviant and confirm to a more traditional female role.
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| Bizarre Love Triangle - the stars of 「ラスト♡シンデレラ」 - L-R - Miura Haruma, Shinohara Ryoko and Fujiki Naohito - Image courtesy of http://hk-blog.com/205.html) |
Sakura has not really dated much in the past (and is currently not in any relationship) and seems content in just devoting herself to her work. She has a bit of a love-hate relationship with her boss, Tachibana Rintaro/立花凛太郎 (Fujiki Naohito/藤木直人) a rising star in the fashion world of styling and they frequently lock horns, get into heated arguments and exchange in witty and playful name calling (Rintaro loves teasing Sakura on her name and how it is similar to the famous movie character of Toyama Kinsan - in fact his nickname for her is "Kin chan").
However their sexual tension has rubbed one of Rintaro's admirers the wrong way. Spoiled rich-girl Okami Chiyoko/大神千代子 (model turned actress Nanao/菜々緒) has had a crush on Rintaro since she was a young girl (Sakura cut her hair when she was still in Intermediate School). Carrying both physical and emotional scars from her tramatic childhood, she becomes insanely jealous of Rintaro's attention towards Sakura, and decides to pull a mean prank on Sakura.
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| Image courtesy of http://hotnews-money.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2013-03-26. |
Enlisting the help of her handsome step-brother Saeki Hiroto/佐伯広斗 (Miura Haruma/三浦春馬) an accomplished BMX Biker with dreams of becoming a National Champion, she has Hiroto try and seduce Sakura and then dump her when he tires of her (similar to the film "Cruel Intentions"). Hiroto agress to go ahead with the plan for fun but soon inexplicably finds himself really falling in love with Sakura (nearly 15 years her senior). While the story (penned by Nakatani Mayumi) follows the atypical meledramatic J-Dorama beats - heartbreaks, misunderstandings, cruel revolations, proclamations of love and three-way romantic triangles) there is a nice charm about the series and Shinohara is so damn cute in in role.
It's hard to believe that Shinohara is herself nearing age 40 (her birthday is this 8/13) as she looks absolutely ageless. While Shinohara started off as a singer - first with dance unit 東京パフォーマンスドール/Tokyo Performance Dolls and then as as solo performer with the T. Komuro Family, releasing hits lit like "Itoshisa to Setsunasa To Kokorozuyosa To" 「恋しさとせつなさと心強さと」 she is now primarily known for her acting performances, appearing in such drama series over the years as Pure/「ピュア」(1996), "Mother & Lover"/「マザー＆ラヴァー」, "Anego"/「アネゴ」(2006) and her breakout series "UNFAIR" 「アンフェア」 (2006).
The supporting cast of "Last Cinderella" also boosts a number of J-Dorama veterans including the absolutely gorgeous, Ijima Naoko/飯島直子 (who starred in such series as 「OUT」(1999) and "Wedding Planner" 「ウエディングプランナー」(2002)) who portrays Sakura's 'gal pal', Hasegawa Shima/長谷川 志麻, a gym trainer and fellow single '30-something' (who willingly engages in "one-night stands" inorder to fill the lonely void in her life) and Otsuka Nene/大塚 寧々(who starred in such series as 「HERO 」(2001), "Tokyo Tower"/ 「東京タワー」(2006) and "Around 40"/「アラウンド40」(2008)) as another gal pal, Takenouchi Miki/武内美樹, a married housewife who is having marital problems with her husband.
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| Best Friends - Shima (Ijima Naoko), Sakura (Shinohara Ryoko) and Miki (Otsuka Nene) - Image courtesty of Mainichi.co.jp -http://mainichi.jp/graph/2013/04/10/20130410dyo00m200066000c/003.html and Fuji TV. |
The two songs that comprise the "Last Cinderella" soundtrack are ケラケラ/KERAKERA's uplifting and catchy 「スターラブレイション」"Star Loveration" and Rihwa's sentimental and tearful 「Last Love」.
The three member rock-pop band ケラケラ somewhat recalls いきものがかり/Ikimono-Gakari a bit in style and composition. The band comprised of lead singer MEME, bassist FULIP/Philip and drummer Mori-San were formed in 2010 and "Star Loveration" is their first major hit (it made it up to No. 30 on the Oricon charts).
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| ケラケラ - 「Star Loveration」 single cover - Image courtesty of Kanpeki Music - http://kanpekimusic.wordpress.com |
25 year old pop singer-songwriter Rihwa (リファ) was born in Hokkaido, Sapporo and is of Korean-Japanese decent (similar to Ito Yuna/伊藤由奈). During high school she transferred to Belleville, Canada where she graduated from a local high school there. After graduating from high school there she later moved back to Japan to follow her dream of becoming a singer. Her experiences abroad have had a profound impact on her songwriting and this is very much apparent in her current hit "Last Love" which is sung entirely in English. While the "Engrish" lyrics of "Last Love" are a tad bit distracting, Rihwa's incredible vocals and melancholy sound is very appealing.
I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more song from her.
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| Rihwa 「Last Love」 single cover - Image courtesy of Kanpeki Music - http://kanpekimusic.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/rihwa-last-love-lyrics-%E5%AF%BE%E8%A8%B3-pv/ |
The instrumental soundtrack is also quite nice with musician and DJ Hanzawa Takeshi/半沢武志 (AKA FreeTEMPO) providing some great OST music for the series such as the following OP title theme - Last Cinderella/ 「ラスト・シンデレラ」
"Last Cinderella" is certainly not a perfect series as it does get a bit goofy at times and can be a little heavy-handed in its plot but I think the drama succeeds in telling a really great love story and Shinohara's performance is great as always.
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| Happy 40th Birthday - Shinohara Ryoko! Image courtesy of http://www.viki.com/artists/20614c-shinohara-ryoko |
Hi JTM.
ReplyDeleteCoindidentally, I started watching "Last Cinderella" two days ago and I will probably finish it today.
Shinohara is my favorite actress and one of my favorite singers as well (her voice is just beautiful). My favorite drama with her is probably "Haken no Hinkaku" (2007), but "Ogon no Buta" (2010), "Unfair" (2006), Anego (2005), and even "Last Cinderella" (2013), although I didn't finish yet, are not far behind. The only Shinohara drama that I didn't like was "Hanayome wa Yakudoshi" (2006), but it was not her fault. The plot and some of the supporting cast didn't convince me very much.
And the female cast of "Last Cinderella" is something out of this world. Shinohara and her fellow friends are absolutely gorgeous in their late 30s/early-to-mid 40s. They even outshine the young beauties of the drama, like the actresses playing Choko-chan and Momo. Even my father was perplex when I told him that Shinohara is 39 in "Last Cinderella". Like you said, she's ageless.
As for the male main cast, I like Naohito Fujiki very much. His role in "Galcir" (2006) was very funny, even though the drama was silly. And how can I forget about his role in "Hotaru no Hikari" (2007), a great drama with the beautiful Haruka Ayase? I liked it very much, but the second season (2010) could have been handled better.
Talking about Haruma Miura, "Last Cinderella" is the first drama I watch with him. I'm quite liking his acting and his character composition is certainly helping. But I will keep an eye on him in other dramas.
In the end, I'd like if Shinohara ended with Miura, but it will be a surprise for me if this happens. She will probably end with Fujiki. Let's see.
Hi Marcos V,
DeleteThanks for your recent feedback. I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I liked "Last Cinderella" as I wasn't expecting the series to be as good as it was. Shinohara is so likeable in the series and is absolutely radiant especially in the title OP segment. I wish did more J-Doramas as she really is a great and versatile actress. My ultimate wish is to see the three 'Ryokos' in a drama togeter - Yonekura Ryoko, Shinohara Ryoko and Hirosue Ryoko. I know it's probably wishful thinking but that would be one the most awesome casting ever.
Hi, JTM.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your article on "Last Cinderella". Although once again, Ryoko is playing a tough cookie of sorts, it is a bit of a surprise to see that poster for the show after remembering her as the hard-as-nails cop on "Unfair". But hey, that's what an actor is supposed to do, eh?