Karata Erika’s Rise: From Scandal to International Stardom, Embracing Villainous Roles!
Masahiro Higashide and Erika Karada’s affair, which came to light in 2008, caused a major decline in both men’s popularity, and they were rarely seen on TV. However, Higashide’s post-divorce life as a mountain retreat attracted attention and served as a stepping stone for his comeback. He is now self-sufficient in the remote mountains near the Kanto region, hunting and other activities. His YouTube videos have received more than 1 million views each.
Recently, he has also begun to show a new side of himself as an “open and honest” character, which has made him very popular. In particular, on ABEMA’s variety show “Chance no Jikan,” when asked by Chidori Nobu, “Are you having a girl? He responded in a certain inappropriate manner, “Well, yes, I am,” which drew laughter. Many people on the Internet also commented favorably, saying, “Higashide looks great right now,” and “I envy the way he lives his life without trying to fix himself up.
Karada, on the other hand, was ranked second in a survey published in May of last year by “Josei Jishin” (published by Kobunsha) on “Female Celebrities Who Have Had Adulterous Relationships and Do Not Want to Support Them,” and it seemed that she had a long way to go before her comeback. However, she has gradually been expanding her activities, and in the omnibus film “Mujo no sekai” released last year, she played the leading role in the story “Kiss at Midnight. In the film, she played the role of an evil woman who causes an irreparable incident and escapes when her accomplice urges her to turn herself in.
At the stage greeting, Karada made a statement about her role as a villainess, saying, “I hope that I am attractive in this role,” which could be taken as a kind of open-ended statement. I don’t know what she meant by this, but if she can tease the past with impunity, she will be in demand at variety shows like Higashide, and that is quite strong.
She will also appear as the heroine in a movie starring Katamari Mizukawa of the comedy duo KUKI KAIDAN. She will also appear in a Netflix drama titled “Queen of Villainy,” which will begin distribution in 2012 and is, in a sense, a perfect title for Karada.
Furthermore, Karada has revealed that she will be living in two locations, one in Japan and the other in Korea, starting in ’24. She has a yearning for Korean movies and dramas, and has been studying Korean for some time, and is now able to carry out daily conversations. It appears that he will be getting serious about performing in Korea.
Although she has not yet shown signs of another breakthrough like Higashide, Karada is beginning to make her way as an actress again. As an international actress who can also handle villainous roles, Karada may soon return to the center of the entertainment world along with Higashide.
Photo: Yuri Adachi