perfect for her landmark role in '96 as a deaf nurse named Aya - who sheesh, talk about bad luck, also becomes blind later on - in hit TV sob-series Heaven's Coins. The formula is simple: the more tear-jerking, the higher the ratings. It's no surprise then, that Noriko's other famous TV role is the long-suffering Snow in Under the Same Roof series. Of course, the real drama begins only when Snow contracts terminal cancer towards the end.
Jap-drama's favorite tragic heroine didn't launch her showbiz career acting, though. Yup, she sang - what else?
Releasing her first single in '86 when she was a mere misty-eyed 15-year-old, Noriko's singing career reached its best in October last year with a successful concert tour Noriko Sakai: Asian Tour Special. Scores of fans - mostly male - from Hong Kong and Taiwan were reportedly rushing to her every concert. As a note of gratitude, Noriko bravely attempted a couple of Mandarin tunes during the concerts to thank her avid fans. The doe-eyed star was last spotted a couple of months ago in Big, a musical to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Fuji TV.
Noriko Sakai: Jap-drama's favorite tragic heroine (2001-02-08)Introductions to Japanese Pop Idols: Forewords (2000-12-08)2 (11285)
