Last year I kept my fingers crossed in front of the TV for Kurokawa Mei in the role of the girl Yuria as she faced adverse circumstances in the noontime program "Ai no meikyu (labyrinth of love)". This time Kurokawa stars in a play that portrays the eventful life of Morioka Eiji from the perspective of the boxer and Olympic bronze medalist's nephew. Here, while pep-talking with an Osaka accent, she combines Yuria's tenderness and braveness with cheekiness to personify Morioka's assertive daughter. She surely won't let her father down even after fame and glory have gone, and since Caramelbox's Ohuchi Atsuwo, known for his straightforwardness, plays father Eiji, the piece is very likely to ring out on an exhilaratingly positive note. I really hope that this "tender cat" will resurface as a noontime TV play as well!

By Yokouchi Kaicho January 10, 2008