Overshadowed by Her Sister’s Popularity, Yuriko Ishida Now Gaining Popularity at Her 40

Mothers are strong, but older sisters are stronger.

Actress sisters such as Alice Hirose (27) and Suzu (23) and Moka Kamishiraishi(24) and Moeka (22) have been attracting attention for their friendly competition. In both cases, the younger sister got her big break first, and the older sister, who had been working behind her sister’s back, continued to hone her skills, and later got her big break as well.

In fact, in the Heisei era (1989-1989), there were two popular actress sisters who also had big breakthroughs, but this time, the older sister was the first to get her big break. The younger sister who got her big break earlier is actress Hikari Ishida (49). This season, the drama “Bad Girl” (NTV) starring Mio Imada (25) attracted much attention. ～(NTV), starring Mio Imada (25), has been attracting a lot of attention. In fact, this is a 2022 version of “Bad Girl” (Yomiuri TV), which was broadcast in 1992. It was Ishida Hikari who played the lead role and won great acclaim.

Ishida Hikari’s older sister is Yuriko Ishida, 52, also a very popular actress. In “Escape is Shameful but Useful” (TBS, 2004), she gave a great performance as Yuri-chan, the cute aunt of the main character played by Yui Aragaki, and became a late-blooming actress in her 40s, a miraculous 40s. Now, not only is she a sought-after actress, but she is also strongly supported for her way of life, with her essays selling over 200,000 copies.

Dramas in which she has starred have received viewer ratings of over 36%!

Yuriko Ishida, however, was not as successful in her twenties as she would have liked to be in the shadow of her younger sister, Hikari. According to entertainment journalists and writers who knew her well at that time, her sister Hikari’s momentum was tremendous.

She played the leading role in a serial drama for the first time in the current season of “Bad Girl,” which is being reprised by Mio Imada this season. In a trading company at a time when the status of women was not yet high, she was a fierce worker who loved her job without reading the atmosphere, saying, ‘I’ll work hard until I die of exhaustion! and she played Tanaka Maririn, an office worker who was furiously pursuing her work and love without reading the atmosphere, which was just so cute and attractive.

The drama was a big hit, and Hikari was subsequently chosen to be the heroine in NHK’s morning drama “Hiragi” (late 1992). After that, she starred in a series of Fuji Television dramas at the height of their popularity, including “Asunaro Hakusho” (1993, Fuji Television), which was a breakthrough work for Kimura, and became the number one young actress in the industry.

A writer who is the same age as Hikari Ishida describes the “sisterhood gap” at that time as follows.

Yuriko at that time was not a star or a heroine, but she was working steadily in supporting roles. To be honest, many people said that the older sister had more appeal than the younger sister, but the younger sister, Hikari, had a lively impression and gained the support of all men and women, young and old.

When she was younger, Yuriko was quite feminine. Her personality also gives the impression of being firm in her own right now, but at the time that was seen as a bit harsh. Because of this incompatibility with the times, it was difficult for her to break away from her title as Hikari Ishida’s sister.

So when did the tide turn?　Yuriko Ishida has a strong image as Yuri-chan in “Runaway Shame,” but in fact, signs of her big break were already visible even before that.

Yuriko cut her hair from long to short when she was around 30 years old. It suited her unexpectedly well, and her image changed dramatically. Her previous rather quiet and calm atmosphere gave way to a softer, yet still charming.

From that point on, she began to leave her mark by playing key roles in high-profile productions. I have the impression that she steadily built up her reputation and finally made her breakthrough with “Runaway Shame.”

Meanwhile, her younger sister Hikari got married before turning 30. At the same time, she moved to Kobe, and her acting activities declined dramatically during this period. Hikari’s elder sister, however, was neither “Hikari Ishida’s sister” nor “the Ishida sisters,” but rather the actress Yuriko Ishida, who had become completely independent.

But in “Bad Girl,” the younger sister, Hikari, is back in the spotlight. Hikari originally got her big break not only because of her cuteness but also because of her outstanding acting ability. It may be possible that her younger sister will make a comeback.

Sisters are probably the best rivals no matter how old they get.