Becky and Shuhei Nomura, who are aiming for a revival, “also play villains to reverse their image.

Even with the same image reverse hand-selling, their reputations are diametrically opposed. Becky (38) and Shuhei Nomura (29).

Both were at one time extremely popular actors and TV personalities, but their momentum quickly stalled due to their private words and actions. After a period of time in which they were not exposed to the public, they managed to find a way to re-emerge, but now they are increasingly taking advantage of their image to play villainous roles. However, when it comes to their success or failure, there seems to be a stark contrast. ……

Shuhei Nomura is playing the role of a morally harassed husband who gets revenge from his wife in the drama “5 Ways to Socially Terminate Your Husband” (TV Tokyo) this season. He has lost his job, his past bullying has been exposed, and he continues to act arrogantly while being hunted down by ……. He has received near rave reviews for his role, saying that he is “too good” and “too good at acting as a scumbag.

Becky, on the other hand, is also starring as a villain in the drama “Daihyoin Sukyo” (NTV), starring Sho Sakurai of “Arashi” fame. In the fifth episode, the faces of all the actors playing the “demons” were finally revealed. One of the “black demons” was Becky, and the reaction to the casting was very mixed. The overwhelming majority of the viewers were not happy with the casting, saying, “The moment Becky came out, I lost interest in watching the show. ……” and “I guess I’m more on the side of the guilty party than the demon side.

Reasons for the very different stalls

Why is Shuhei Nomura OK but not Becky, despite their similar changes in direction?　We asked entertainment journalists why.

The reasons for their stalls are very different. Shuhei Nomura was just cocky and did not do anything wrong. But that incident with Becky was completely out of character. …… Even if people say it was an act, it is impossible to separate it from what it was. In fact, I saw several comments like ‘I didn’t like the way she smiled when she took off her demon mask.

This drama has kept the ratings in the 7% range from the first episode throughout, with little fluctuation. If there is a sudden drop after the next broadcast date on Saturday, February 18, it will be due to something new. That something is ……” (entertainment reporter).

An entertainment editor of a women’s magazine analyzed the situation as follows.

Nomura-san has recently been actively playing villainous roles, such as playing the boss of a semi-greedy group in the drama “YAKKIN Ushijima-kun Gaiden: YAKKIN SAIHARA-san” (Mainichi Broadcasting System) and the power-hungry president in “Stand UP Start” (Fuji TV). So far, this turnaround has been a complete success.

Mr. Nomura may appear cocky in his reported behavior, but when we interview him in person, he is a very nice person who is friendly and speaks his mind without hiding his true feelings. Last season, he played a villain in the drama “First Penguin! (Nippon TV), a well-received drama series last season, a sense of reassurance that the villain is a “good person at heart” is necessary. Otherwise, the show would not be enjoyable as entertainment. I think this is the decisive difference between Ms. Nomura and Ms. Becky.

In the end, you have to be a good person to play both the good guy and the bad guy roles. …… But for a while longer, I would like to watch Becky’s performance as a villain.