<figure id="attachment_297293" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1725px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297293"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5c0cfb77"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/214a4a6da9475e1e096fbd588e8c9425.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297293" class="wp-caption-text">Yui Asaka in 1988 at the height of her popularity as an idol (7/22/88)</figcaption></figure>
 She was like an older brother to me and always warmly watched over me. He told me that he would come to my live concerts&#8230;. I express my deepest condolences.&#8221;
On February 14, the company announced the passing of Toei President Osamu Tezuka. Yoko Minamino (55), who starred in &#8220;Skeban Keisatsu II: Shoujo Tekkamen Densetsu&#8221; (Fuji TV series), for which Mr. Tezuka served as producer, released a comment through her agency, expressing her grief for the deceased.
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 Tezuka-san joined Toei after graduating from college in 1983. His first drama series as an assistant producer was &#8220;Skeban Keisatsu,&#8221; which began in 1985, and he was promoted to producer for the second series, &#8220;Skeban Keisatsu II,&#8221; and he worked on the series until the third series, &#8220;Skeban Keisatsu III: Shoujo Ninpocho Denki. With his mild-mannered personality, he was like a benefactor to Yuki Saito (56), who became popular through the series, as well as Yoko Minamino and Yui Asaka (53), who became popular overnight. Minamino, in particular, was treated very well by them,&#8221; said an entertainment agency executive.
Last October, Saito, Minamino, and Asaka appeared together on BS Fuji&#8217;s music variety show &#8220;SHIMOFURI MYOJO&#8217;s Golden☆&#8217;80s,&#8221; where the three revealed their feelings toward &#8220;Skeban Keisatsu. Saito said, &#8220;Why me?
Why me? Saito said, &#8220;Why me? At first, I was very rebellious and said a lot of things, and it was hard for me during the recording.
Saito revealed that he disliked the filming. Minamino, too.
 I was really bad at action, so the action was harder than the Iron Mask. I thought, &#8220;No, I don&#8217;t want to do that. I remember thinking, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to do that, I don&#8217;t want to do that. But I didn&#8217;t have that much imagination, so I couldn&#8217;t picture in my mind what kind of work it would be. At first I thought I had come to a great place. It was hard when I was doing it. Both physically and mentally.
She recalled the harsh past. Asaka, on the other hand, said
 The two of them were really, really idol-like women, so for part 3, they wanted to make someone completely different,&#8221; she said.
During the audition, she was asked, &#8220;Can you climb a tree? During the audition, she was asked, &#8220;Can you climb a tree?
 I was a tomboy, so of course I said yes.
I was a tomboy, so I said yes, of course.
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After that, the three of them quickly rose up the star ladder. Asaka commented on the news of Tezuka&#8217;s death on her Instagram page.
 I was an unknown person, but you took me on as the third-generation Skeban detective, and you watched over me with a kind smile when I was anxious. You gave me a lot of courage and encouraged me to do my best with your warm words of encouragement, saying, &#8216;Yui, you&#8217;ll be fine.
The girls&#8217; rise to stardom was due in no small part to Mr. Tezuka&#8217;s production skills and the appeal of &#8220;Skeban Keisatsu&#8221; (Detective Skeban).
<figure id="attachment_297284" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1679px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297284"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b5886684"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/917efd937f2be4ed5d1055e041835206.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297284" class="wp-caption-text">In 1995, just after the announcement of their marriage, I interviewed them directly in front of a radio station (Nov. 18, 1995 issue).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297280" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297280"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9ff17d89"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/860530020a01_r.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297280" class="wp-caption-text">Yoko Minamino at the filming of &#8220;Skeban Kantei II&#8221; under a very tight schedule.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297281" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1691px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297281"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5bb6ec9c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/31ca769d2eadf3d74bf1af9ae95e2ee1.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297281" class="wp-caption-text">Before her debut, a fan took this photo of her in front of a radio station in Tokyo. She is wearing the uniform of Horikoshi High School, which she attended at the time (photo provided by Yoko Minamino).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297291" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1716px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297291"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="504d5ecc"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/31ca769d2eadf3d74bf1af9ae95e2ee1-1.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297291" class="wp-caption-text">During the filming of &#8220;Skeban Koji II&#8221;. During a break, she was happy to eat some ice cream, but there was a smear of blood on her mouth. &#8230;&#8230; (photo provided by the actress)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297283" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1683px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297283"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e9306f9e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/32e12e7e4c31611f6d36507cbade1915.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297283" class="wp-caption-text">Minamino celebrates her 25th birthday between takes of the drama series &#8220;Kimi no tame ni kudasuru koto&#8221; (Fuji Television Network), in which she stars (July 10, 1992 issue).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297285" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1654px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297285"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8a09d690"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/214a4a6da9475e1e096fbd588e8c9425.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297285" class="wp-caption-text">After graduating from junior high school, she moved to Tokyo at the age of 15.&#8217; She made her debut as a singer in 1985 with &#8220;Natsu Shoujo.&#8217; This photo was taken in 1988, when she was chosen as a image model for Kanebo.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297286" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1616px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297286"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fae9b269"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/307de75ed412905a6dad20f3af653cc1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297286" class="wp-caption-text">With Olympic gold medalist Yasuhiro Yamashita and bronze medalist Kaoru Yamaguchi at the press conference for the movie &#8220;YAWARA&#8221; in which she starred (February 17, 1989 issue)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297288" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1000px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297288"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="3dc76897"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/IMG_1155.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297288" class="wp-caption-text">Yuki Saito when she won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress for her good performance in the movie &#8220;The Third Murder&#8221; (March 2, 2018 issue).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_297289" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-297289"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="60db6b97"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/f2b1ae426c3dfd08db7173682ed69015.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297289" class="wp-caption-text">Meeting with male staff at a cafe. Yoko Minamino, 38, exudes a bewitching sex appeal (June 2, 2006 issue).</figcaption></figure>

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