Minami Hamabe, the heroine of NHK’s “Ranman,” shows a “royal” ending to a morning drama in the final episode.
In the movie “Sensai Kimiwaku,” released in 2006, she played the role of Ayuha Samaru, a foolishly honest and straightforward heroine, and gave an outlandish performance. In the drama “Gaket Kegurui” (TBS), in which she starred in the same year, she played the role of Yumeko, the unique protagonist who appears to be a “neat and tidy” pretty girl but turns into a “Gaket Kegurui” character when she takes risks, and she became one of the most popular young actresses. She has become one of the most popular young actresses in Japan.
Hamabe herself revealed a secret story: “By playing a character with a strong personality, I felt very free and happy to be honest and live as I liked. I spent time in the role without falling into it, and I gradually became ‘grounded’ in the role.
By playing a role, the character you play gives you the power to live. Hamabe has been reborn as a butterfly with a smile on her face. Her beauty continues to shine brighter and brighter with each performance.
Ikue Nagata, who wrote the script for this film, commented on the appeal of actress Minami Hamabe.
In a word, Jueko (played by Hamabe) is a hero. She leads the lone Mantaro, who is going through hardships, like the sun. She has such a sense of scale.
Her ability to break through ceilings is the result of the blood of her samurai father and geisha mother, who reached the pinnacle of her profession at Yanagibashi.
“The slightest hint of tragedy, or the addition of a gratuitous ‘for your sake’ context would have given the impression of ‘self-sacrifice’ and ruined the story,” he said.
The story was ruined,” he said.
Kamiki, who plays the role of Mantaro, says that the appeal of Jueko is her “eyes,” which have a lot of heart.
She sometimes has sharp eyes that seem to be standing up to something or boldly going forward,” he said.
He praises the strength of the image of Jueko that I have of her.
She expresses the strength of my image of Keiko Kotobuki,” he says.
There is one unforgettable scene involving Jueko, played by Hamabe.
In order to support Mantaro’s research, Jueko tries to open a “waiting teahouse” in Shibuya, Tokyo. The scene where she invites the residents of the town, which at the time was known as a “dumping ground for outcasts,” to a dinner party and tells them that “Shibuya will become the liveliest town in Tokyo” is one of the most impressive scenes of the show. This episode recorded the program’s highest viewer rating.
Meanwhile, Jueko, who had changed into a nightgown, asked, “Aren’t you going to sleep? but Mantaro, who was overflowing with enthusiasm for research, turned his back on her. Disappointed, Jueko let out a loud snort and slammed the door of the futon, and then she fainted in agony, stifling her voice in a charming scene.
At the time of the “Toho Cinderella Audition,” Minami Hamabe looked like the “moon” to the Kamishiraishi sisters if they were the “sun. Twelve years have passed since then. Hamabe, too, has been reborn as an actress who leads a solitary protagonist on a path of hardship in a stylish manner, just like the sun.
At 23 years old, Minami Hamabe’s great adventure is about to begin.
Text: Ukon Shima (Broadcaster and video producer)
He is involved in program production in a wide range of genres including variety, news, and sports programs. He has also planned and published many books on female TV announcers, idols, and the TV industry. While working on documentary programs, he became interested in history and recently published "Ieyasu was dead in Sekigahara" (Takeshobo Shinsho). She is also publishing the e-book series "Ibun Chakurezuregusa.
PHOTO: Toshikatsu Tanaka