Noriko Eguchi establishes the face of the “new heroine of romantic comedies” in her new drama
The Thursday drama “SUPER RICH” (Fuji Television Network) starring actress Noriko Eguchi is now in its second half. With each episode, the love battle between Yu (Eji Akatsukuri) and Sora (Keita Machida) over Mamoru (Eguchi) heats up. In the sixth episode, Mamoru finally confesses his love to Yu, but there has been a “love flag” debate on social media as to whether or not the confession is necessary.
The film is called a super-fast roller coaster drama in which Glacial Megumi (Eguchi), a woman of forty who is the president of an e-book venture company, struggles to become “super rich”. Initially, offers were made to Fumino Kimura, Juri Ueno, and Sakura Ando, but they were turned down, and it is said that Eguchi was chosen just before the crank start.
The fact that Eguchi, who has been active as a supporting player in movies and dramas with her unique presence, was playing the lead role for the first time in a GP belt was met with surprise and concern.
She attracted attention last summer when she played the role of Akiko Shirai, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in “Hanzawa Naoki” (TBS), and went on to appear in a series of high-profile dramas, including the fall drama “#Rimo Love – Ordinary Love is Evil” (NTV), the winter drama “Sono Onna, Zilva” (Fuji TV), and “Ore no Ie no Hanashi” (TBS). She won her first starring role in a series of late night dramas in the spring, “Sorokatsu joshi no susume” (TV Tokyo), and won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress in the movie “Kyokusai jyutsu: Horrible room arrangement.
Even though she is one of the actresses who are getting into the groove right now, she is the type of actor who shines only when she is around. Moreover, she was scheduled to play an important role in the masterpiece comedy stage show “Home I’m Darling, My Home”, which will have its Japanese premiere on October 20.
The fact that she is starring in both a drama and a stage play is beyond a tightrope walk, it can only be described as a miracle.
At the age of 19, Eguchi was accepted as a research student for the Tokyo Dry Battery and moved to Tokyo with 20,000 yen in her hand. He worked as a live-in employee at a newspaper stand and borrowed money to enter a theater company. Based on this experience, she said, “When you start something, it is important to jump into it without hesitation, and there is no need to prepare for this and that.
In addition, as she continued to work as an actress, she said, “I no longer run away even when I hit a wall or a hard time,” and “If you keep thinking in your head, you tend to fall into negative thinking. If you keep thinking in your head, you tend to fall into negative thinking. If you keep thinking about it in your head, you tend to fall into negative thinking. He has a strong mentality as an actor.
His mentor, actor Akira Emoto, is also a veteran of the 1998 film “Kanzo Sensei,” in which he played the lead role in place of Rentaro Mikuni, who dropped out after a week of filming, and won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Actor. Eguchi’s courage may have been inherited from his mentor Emoto.
At the beginning of the broadcast, the title of the drama became the number one trending word on Twitter due to the anticipation for Eguchi. The average household rating of 7.8% for the first episode was a good start for a Thursday drama. Moreover, the number of views for the first episode was 2.15 million in one week, making it the most viewed episode of all time in the Thursday Theater category. However, as the show progressed, viewers began to criticize the show for raising the “romance flag”.
No matter how good-looking the characters are, I don’t want to see romance in Eguchi’s drama. That alone makes it look cheap. I don’t care how good-looking the characters are, I don’t want a romance in Eguchi’s drama.
It’s not just Eguchi’s character that makes it seem that way. It is also true that there are viewers who feel that the pure and straightforward character of Yu, played by Akatsukuri, is not enough.
However, the love story has accelerated as if to mock the voices of the viewers. The love story between Mamoru (played by Eguchi) and Yu (Akatsu) is spiraling out of control, and no one can stop it.
In the last part of episode 6, Mamoru makes curry and rice for Yu, who has made Ichiro Okawa (Ryosei Tayama) laugh after giving him such a bad time. Mamoru makes curry and rice for Yuu, who makes Ichiro Okawa (Ryosei Tayama) cringe. He says, “I like you the most out of all the people. I love you so much,’ he confesses with tears in his eyes. In addition, the “heartbreaking” development that started with a kiss had social media users saying, “Curry flavored first kiss? I laughed more than I ever have in a kissing scene.
However, Eguchi’s one-of-a-kind acting shines through in the “heartbreaking” scene that starts with the kiss.
She says, “Don’t you see me as a man?
And when Yu kisses her, she looks so shocked.
And when Yu kisses her, she looks euphoric and mutters, “Wow…”
And when Yu kisses her, she gives the best performance in this movie. Viewers also commented, “I was more taken by the ‘w’ than the kiss! I’ve been so focused on work that I’ve forgotten about love. I’m not sure what to make of it. And then there was the proposal.
I can’t believe it!
Eguchi, who plays the role of the blabbermouth Mamoru, seems to be a new heroine in the world of romantic comedies who uses her “bad at love” to get laughs.
The unexpected “heart-breaking” turn of events for a woman in her 40s who is “bad at love. Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t need a “love flag” anymore.
Literature: Ukon Shima (Broadcaster, Video Producer)
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 announcers, idols, and the TV industry. He is also the author of a number of books on the TV industry, including "Ieyasu wa sekigahara de shindaite" (Ieyasu is dead in Sekigahara).
PHOTO: Ryu Yoshino