Why Norika Fujiwara, Once a Regular on the “Actresses I Hate” List, Has Undergone a Drastic Change in Her Reputation

Many people must have sighed at her perfect proportions, as usual. The other day, Kika Fujiwara (51) updated her Instagram.

Her insta-story, which showed off her slender, beautiful legs in a stylish black one-piece dress, was picked up by many web news outlets and became a topic of conversation. It has been more than 20 years since she became a social phenomenon with the phrase “Nori-Nori-Nori-Rika” (meaning “Nori-Nori-Rika” in Japanese). Even now, the attention paid to Norika Fujiwara seems to show no sign of abating.

However, there has been a change in her reputation. Norika used to be so noteworthy in a bad way that she was always ranked high in “Shukan Bunshun”‘s “Actresses I Dislike” ranking. Recently, however, she has even been described as the “number one wife in Nashien.” When she is mentioned on the Internet news, favorable comments are also noticeable.

In the industry, Norika has a very good reputation as “famous for her straightforward personality” and “a very kind woman who is very considerate of those around her.” Why was she so disliked by viewers in the first place? We were curious about this question, so we interviewed reporters who are familiar with the entertainment industry.

She is a good person despite her eccentricities.

What came to light were three reasons.

One reason, I think, is that she has become less active as an actress. The most common reason given for disliking her was, ‘I don’t like the feeling that I’m being yelled at when I’m not a good actor. It is true that she was a visual first, and her acting skills were never great. But she is a serious person, so she devoted herself to her work with a professionalism that says, “I am an actress,” and showed no pretense of modesty. That must have caused some animosity, saying that she was ‘misunderstood.’

However, these days she hardly does any acting and is more often on talk shows. For a long time, when she appeared on variety shows, she would do her best to get laughs and slip up, even though she was such a successful actress. Recently, her true personality has come into focus, and I think she has become more likable, as if to say, ‘She’s a good person despite her eccentricities.

The second is her husband’s success.

The second is the success of her husband. “Norika Fujiwara was once married to comedian Tomonori Jinnai (48), but they divorced because of his infidelity. At that time, she did not give any explanation and only announced the divorce. Jinnai, on the other hand, held a press conference saying, ‘It was because of my affair,’ and became a needle in a haystack. As a result, Jinnai, who alone took all the criticism, gave a more fair impression, and Kika’s image was more damaged.

She later remarried Kabuki actor Ainosuke Kataoka (50). This was also called a short-lived marriage and was looked at with a critical eye, saying, “It won’t last anyway,” but six and a half years have passed since the marriage. They are still getting along as well as ever, and above all, Ainosuke’s progress since marrying Kika has been remarkable.

Originally, Kika was disliked because of her outspokenness, trying to make herself the center of attention. However, after seeing Aynosuke’s success, people began to realize that she was actually supporting her husband well. This is probably one of the reasons why Norika’s favorable impression of her has increased.

The third reason is her unchanging beauty.

The third reason is that she is still as beautiful as ever. “The biggest reason why people don’t like her is simple, but I still think it is jealousy. It was said, ‘If anyone can play Fujiko Mine, it’s Norika Fujiwara,’ and that’s how much her style is something you can’t get through hard work. I guess everyone couldn’t help but be jealous.

Kika is now 51 years old. She still maintains the same figure as she did in the past. And as she herself has said, she is actually prone to weight gain. But she still manages to maintain that figure because of her considerable efforts. I think that when they see this hardworking side of Norika, which they cannot imitate, they have come to respect her as amazing.

Norinori Norika was never a flirtatious person. In fact, she was more serious and hardworking than anyone else.