by “Madonna characters” often appear in the world of manga and anime. Good-looking, talented, and the daughter of a millionaire, it’s something every Showa boy would have dreamed of. And with the live-action adaptation of the work, various actresses have challenged such Madonna characters in the past.
This time, we will introduce five actresses who played the beautiful Madonna characters in the live-action manga and anime adaptations and make fans groan. Misaki Ito, who played Kyoko Otonashi in “Maison Ikkoku” First, I would like to introduce Kyoko Otonashi,　the Madonna of Maison Ikkoku, and Misaki Ito, who played her.
“Maison Ikkoku” is a manga by Rumiko Takahashi . Set in an old apartment building called “Ikkokukan,” this is a love story between Yusaku Godai, a resident, and Kyoko Otonashi, the manager of a young widow. Kyoko is young, beautiful, and has an outstanding style. Like Godai, the main character, there must have been many readers who fell in love at the time. This work was made into a live-action unique drama 2007 starring Misaki Ito. Ms. Ito is an image girl of Asahi Beer and works as an exclusive model for “CanCam.”
In addition, her severe and slightly natural personality was well expressed. Before this drama, Mr. Ito played Madonna Hermes in “Train Man,” and both characters seem to have something in common.
“Touch” Masami Nagasawa who played Minami Asakura
Next, I would like to introduce Madonna Minami Asakura from “Touch” and Masami Nagasawa, who played her. “Touch” by Mitsuru Adachi is a monumental sports manga about high school baseball, depicting the romance between twins Tatsuya and Kazuya Uesugi and their childhood friend Minami Asakura. As you know, Minami is a talented, bright, and cheerful girl. She would be Madonna representing the comics world.
This work was made into a live-action film starring Masami Nagasawa in 2005. At that time, she was the youngest actress to win the Japan Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Crying Out Love in the Center of the World and was attracting attention as a young actress. In the movie, Minami has a leading position more than in the original, and the story is developed from her point of view.
You can fully enjoy her healthy and carefree smile at work, which is Nagasawa’s charm. By the way, Mr. Nagasawa became a hot topic in “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World” by volunteering to become a skinhead as part of her role preparation and showing a performance that hits her body. You can see her ability to play a wide range of roles.
