Idol Films of the ’80s” full of masterpieces…Seiko Matsuda took on the challenge of sealing the “Seiko cut”…

Click here to read the first part of the article in which the three entertainment experts had a heated discussion about the “best idol movies of the ’80s.

Which is the most interesting idol movie of the ’80s?

What were the most interesting films of the ’80s, the golden age of female idols and idol movies!

This time, FRIDAY invited idol critic Akio Nakamori, film critic Ken Terawaki, and female idol researcher Masahiro Kitagawa for a roundtable discussion. The three men, all well versed in the world of entertainment, engaged in a heated discussion about the “best idol movies of the ’80s.

Kitagawa: What about the films of Akina Nakamori (60) and Seiko Matsuda, two of the most popular idols of the 1980s?

Nakamori: Akina Nakamori’s only movie was “Ai Tabidachi (Departure)” with Match (Masahiko Kondo, 61) in 1985.

Terawaki “The Grave of the Wild Chrysanthemum,” released in 1981, was not only Seiko’s first starring role, but also the directorial debut of master director Shinichiro Sawai, who later went on to make “The Tragedy of W” and “Early Spring Story. Director Sawai has released many films with female idols in the leading roles, and it is fate that his debut film stars the “eternal idol” Seiko.

Kitagawa: This is a film in which Seiko, who was in the spotlight as a top idol, played a simple woman living in the Meiji era.

Nakamori: I was impressed by the way she appeared in the film with her trademark Seiko cut and peach-cracked hair with her forehead fully exposed. She did her best in scenes such as dusting rags and running around a mulberry field, acting so physically that her legs were blistered. It can be said that Seiko evolved from this film into an idol who could both sing and act like Momoe Yamaguchi.

Kitagawa: In 1988, director Sawai also made “Love Story for You” starring Goto Kumiko (51). It was the first film starring Gokumi, who was very popular as a “national beauty,” and was a hit as it depicted her pure love with Toru Nakamura (60).

Terawaki Yuki Saito (59) and Yoko Minamino (58) both came to the world through gravure in “Weekly Shonen Magazine” and got their big break in the “Skeban Kojo” series.

Nakamori: Saito was good in “Women in Love” in 1986. She won the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for this film, and it was also one of the top 10 films of that year at the box office. Saito’s performance as a girl who falls in love with a classmate on the baseball team attracted young people.

Kitagawa: As Saito’s classmates, you had appearances by Takai Amiko (59) and Sagara Haruko (57).

Nakamori: “Yukisuru Onna-tachi” (Women in Love) is probably the best choice for Saito, although his film debut in ’85, “Yuki no Sansho -Passion-” is hard to throw away. Nanno has a strong image of “Hai Kara San Passing” in ’87, but I think I have to choose “Skeban Keisatsu” (’87).

Nanno’s performance, in which he makes full use of the Tosa dialect, was highly acclaimed, and his signature line, “Omamanra, kudosanze yo! became a popular phrase. The action scene where you fight the enemy with a superalloy yo-yo was also a topic of conversation.

Kitagawa: Kyoko Koizumi (59), a contemporary of Saito and Nanno, made her film debut in 1983 with “Mosquito on the 10th Floor. The film depicted the process of a debt-ridden police officer, played by Yuya Uchida (79), who attempted to rob a post office, and Kyon Kyung played the role of his daughter who was debauched while begging Uchida for money.

Nakamori: “Don’t Mess with My Woman” (1986) is a standout performance by Kyong Kyung. She was superbly suited to the role of a delinquent girl who is alone in the world. The theme song, “Embraced by a Withering Tree,” sold nearly 300,000 copies and became her signature song.

Terawaki Momoko Kikuchi (57) had a strong performance of “Pantsu no Ana” in 1984!

Nakamori There are other films in which she starred, such as “Terra Warrior Ψ Boy” in 1985 and “Find the Idol” in 1987, but the impact of “Pantsu no Ana” is too strong. It is a film with such undertones that it would be unthinkable today, with scenes of the performers masturbating repeatedly and throwing stool at each other in the course of a fight, but “Pantsu no Ana” definitely ignited Kikuchi’s popularity when she was only 15 years old.

Kitagawa: Personally, I cannot forget “Be Bop High School” with Miho Nakayama (aged 54) as the heroine. Nakayama was also marketed as a sexy actress in dramas such as “Every time I see you” (TBS), but with her role as Kyoko Izumi in “Be Bop”, she really started to shine as an idol.

Terawaki She also starred in “Nami no Kazu Dake Dakishimete” and “Love Letter,” but these were made in the ’90s.

The most interesting idol film is ……

Nakamori: I still have more to say, but it’s time to decide on the number one. I’d like to nominate “Sailor Suit and Machine Gun” as No. 1, not only because it was a big hit, but also because it was a pioneer of idol movies in the ’80s.

Kitagawa: I think that’s a good choice. Then, how about Harada’s “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” in second place, which is a twin of Yakushimaru?

The list below is the “Top 10 Strongest ’80s Idol Movies,” as determined by the editorial department based on the talks among the three.

Now that idol movies that became social phenomena are no longer being produced, there may be something to be learned by looking back at the masterpieces of the ’80s once again.

From the January 30/February 6, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY

Yuki Saito (59), “Women in Love
Saito in 1987, when she starred in “Tot Channel. She was selected after the success of “Women in Love” the previous year.