New Drama for Akina!!!

No, not the scandalous sort of drama that one might expect, but really exciting news that she will be starring in a new Japanese drama after a 7 year absence.

The last time Akina starred in a drama was "ボーダー 犯罪心理捜査ファイル" (Border) where she played a police investigator who was able to solve mystery crimes through psychic powers. Apparently, since she was abducted when she was a little girl by a serial killer and after she was able to escape, she acquired these strange powers that allowed her to get under the skin of the mystery. I didn't finish watching the drama and I don't know if the ending was told because Akina had to pull out of the drama midway because of osteoporosis.

It was really bad publicity for her because it added on to her recording contract woes at that time, where she was reportedly "sacked" from her company (but she actually resigned), and the scandal where she owed fans money for pulling out of a concert in July. It was a really low point in Akina's career and life and I think many people wrote her off as "unemployable" (especially for filming) after that.

Hence the utter surprise and astonishment that she will be starring in a new drama, which is every Akina fans' dream, to see her again on TV. She will be starring with talented actress 黒木瞳, whom I first saw in the movie "Dark Waters" and then the huge drama hit "白い巨塔" (and she was the best thing in the drama - such a refreshing character and strong performance).

Akina will be starring as a prima ballerina and 黒木瞳 as a mother who has to return to her ballet days to help support her family because of the tough financial times. This is the excerpt of the news article:

中森明菜＆黒木瞳　熟女バレリーナ 日テレ４月スタート
「バレエやりたい！」

女優の黒木瞳（４５）が、４月スタートの日テレ系連続ドラマ「バレエやりたい！（仮題）」（水曜・後１０時）に主演することが１日、分かった。黒木演じる４０歳を過ぎた子持ちの主婦が、幼いころに習っていたバレエに再び挑戦し、生きがいを見い出すという異色の熟年青春ストーリー。連続ドラマは約７年ぶりとなる歌手の中森明菜（４０）が元世界的プリマバレリーナ役で共演する。

「バレエやりたい！」は、夫と子供に囲まれ、平凡に暮らしてきた主婦がバレエに出会い、新たな生きがいを見いだしていくというストーリー。同局の西憲彦プロデューサーは「元気で明るい主婦たちの青春物語を描きたい」と企画意図を説明する。

黒木が演じるのは、子供のころに経済的な事情で断念したバレエに再び出会い、バレエ教室の主婦仲間たちと新たな生きがいを見いだしていく主婦。西氏は「常に生き生きと輝き、新しいことに挑戦している黒木さんは元気を与えてくれる存在。黒木さんだから成立したドラマですが、新たな一面も出せれば」と語る。宝塚歌劇団時代以来のバレエに挑戦する黒木は「自分の生き方を探せる主婦が、作品として新しいと思う。頑張ります！」と意気込んでいる。

一方、１９９９年１月の日テレ系ドラマ「ボーダー」以来７年ぶりの連ドラ出演となる明菜が演じるのは、黒木演じる主婦の幼なじみの元世界的プリマ。「７年ぶりのドラマ出演にとてもワクワクしています。私が楽しむことで、その結果みなさんにも楽しんでもらえたら幸いです」と抱負を語っている。西氏は「明菜さんは黒木さんに対抗して存在感を出せる別のオーラを持った人。明菜さんの明るい一面も引き出したい」と話す。

現在、バレエは主婦の間でもひそかなブームになっており「このドラマでバレエ人口を増やしたい。主婦の方たちが何かを始めるきっかけになれば」と西氏。黒木、明菜の異色の初共演も話題を集めそうだが、西氏も「２人の共演も見どころの１つ。それぞれが刺激し合う存在として描いていきます」と手応えをつかんでいるようだ。

Akina has expressed her joy to be starring in a drama and hopes that everyone will enjoy it. They look forward to increasing the "housewife" ballet membership through this drama and the collboration and difference between Hitomi and Akina is bound to be a talking point.

I wrote on VAMP that it seems to mirror her first drama "素顔のままで" (which is a Japanese version of the Better Midler-Barbara Hershey weepie "Beaches") and also the 1977 movie about ballerinas "The Turning Point", starring Anne Bancroft and Shirley Maclaine. "The Turning Point" is the story about how two young competitive ballerinas took on separate lives but came back together after several years to recollect. There is a famous catfight scene in the movie because both of them were envious/jealous of each other but it garnered them both Best Actress Oscar nominations in 1977. "The Turning Point" is also infamously known as the first movie in Oscar history to be nominated for 11 Oscars but walk home empty handed. It was eventually matched by "The Color Purple"

So, this is the project "G" that Akina has been secretly planning for 2 years! This is really exciting news for Akina and her fans and I am now praying that she will sing the theme song to this serial because it will be the greatest boost to her career. What a way to start off her 25th Anniversary!