After a busy day, after returning home to eat and take a shower, the most important thing I want to do is to slump on the couch and slide my phone, or chase a comedy I like. If you are also a fan of Japanese dramas, you will always pay special attention to the direction of each episode every year, and you are certainly no stranger to Yuriko Yoshitaka!
The editor first saw her in 2014 when she was young "Hanako and Annie", with a beautiful face and a sweet smile, she was quickly recognized by a wide audience, and then she was often seen in different Japanese dramas. In recent years, Yoshigao Yuriko's drama path has been diverse, and each one can be called a classic in the classic, from love, reasoning, suspense, workplace... All have excellent and impressive performances; specially selected 5 Japanese dramas played by Yuriko Yoshitaka from 2017 to 2021, reflecting on the meaning of life behind the plot through story setting, twists and superb acting skills.
1. Tokyo Daydreamer (2017)
Flip through the 5 works of Japanese drama queen Yuriko Kikko to reflect on inner good and evil through love, workplace, suspense and other plots
Image source: Stills from Tokyo Daydreamer
Adapted from the manga writer Akiko Higashimura's work of the same name, three good sisters living in Tokyo with different careers and different characteristics restart a journey to know themselves through the relationships around them. The heroine, Takashi Kamada, played by Yukitaka Yuriko, is a 30-year-old who is working and in love but still half-hanging, and every day she and her friends gather in a sake house to fantasize about the future Prince Charming, and dare not face up to her loneliness and defects.
In the bustling city of Tokyo, the love and hatred of urban men and women are entangled all the time, and the role of Lunzi symbolizes the dilemma and contradictions of women over 30 years old, afraid that they are not abnormal if they do not keep up with social standards. Although the plot is full of absurd imagination like the title, it also shows how we, who are framed by traditional morals and values, can get out of our troubles and live out ourselves!
2. "I'm Leaving Work on Time" (2019)
Image source: Stills from "I'm Leaving Work on Time"
"I Want to Leave Work on Time" is a Japanese novel adapted by writer Keiko Chuno, depicting the heroine Higashiyama Yui adhering to the principle of working without overtime, and enjoying life, not caring about the whispers and behavior of others.
Overtime is already the norm in Taiwan, and one of the most puzzling is: "Strict requirements for working hours, but very casual about off-hours." Of course, the Japanese workplace, which is led by the responsibility system, also has the same problem, if you can get things done in time and don't have so many "temporary situations" from time to time, who wants to work overtime? In addition to the reflection on the plot, Dongshan Yuyi's smooth work is worth learning, such as keeping the desktop clean, taking notes on the discussion at any time, setting a completion time for each project, achieving the goal step by step, and reducing the probability of overtime.
3. It Doesn't Matter If You Don't Know (2020)
Image source: KKTV
This "Don't Know And It Doesn't Matter" is presumably less known, in large part because some news points out that this play has the view of "rationalizing" or even "beautifying" extramarital affairs. However, if we look at the issues of work and the emotional aspects of men and women alone, there are actually many places worth exploring.
The heroine Zhenbi Kate is a workaholic who works in a gossip magazine, always brave to the front line, she regards work as more important than life, it can be said that work is the most important thing in life! Although it is not necessary to invest 100% in order to work like her, it is true that as far as today's workplace society is concerned, it is the balance that many people are trying to pursue; in addition, Kate, who happens to stay in the same company as her ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend, will more or less have some uncontrollable feelings, and apply for the entanglement and self-pull behind forbidden love.
4. Venus of Danger (2020)
Image credit: Stills from Dangerous Venus
Popular mystery writer Keigo Higashino's dangerous Venus was also adapted into a TV series in 2020, with Yuriko Yoshitaka playing the mysterious and sexy heroine Yashinei Kaede. The plot involves the secrets of an entire family, as well as the unbearable and bitterness hidden behind each member, by finding out the true murderer of the male protagonist's mother, portraying the dark side of egoistic and selfish human nature.
The so-called fame and profit are the goals that many people pursue all their lives, if they are too persistent, it is easy to induce greedy thinking and enter a state of fire and magic. The editor believes that in the search for the meaning of life, it is necessary to give it a good time, but it is also necessary to set the principle of "just right", and excessive demand or persistence may lead to irreparable mistakes.
5. The Favourite (2021)
Image source: TBS
What kind of ulterior motives are hidden in a murder case involving a disappearance 15 years ago, a seemingly hidden female president? Yutaka Yoshitaka, who played the female president of the protagonist in "The Favorite", once had a memory that she did not want to recall, but she became a murder related person due to an accident, so that she had to face up to the truth that she had never dared to spy in the past.
In the process of life, there are several things that we are unwilling to recall or face, on the one hand, we are worried about being seen by others as immature, and on the other hand, we are afraid that we will not be able to cope with it. In fact, good or bad is a part of life, when looking at the scars, negative emotions are normal, and only by bravely accepting, the soul can truly gain freedom!
Seeing this, do you really want to hurry up and chase the drama? Yuriko Yoshiko's performance every time she launches a new drama is quite eye-catching, and I look forward to seeing her try more works with different themes in the future, and continue to perform for those of us who love Japanese dramas!