Fighting Girl

Fukada plays Sayoko, a tough, 19-year-old with ambition, energy and nowhere to direct it. Her father clearly favors her blind 16-year-old sister. Junior college is unstimulating. She is fired from her part time job in a dress shop because she is too diligent at catching shoplifters and slaps them around a bit when she does. Even her boyfriend opts out for a more docile girl, but Sayoko doesn't think she is tough enough.

Coming home on the train, she nonchalantly puts on her makeup and changes her shirt, oblivious to the other passengers' silent glares, until Ami (South Korean actress Yoon Son Ha) confronts her. They stare each other down and Sayoko gets off. The passengers commend the Korean student but she scoffs at them too, asking, "Instead of praising me, why don't you say something yourself?"

A few days later Ami is also the one who comes to the aid of Sayoko's sister, who has sprained her ankle when pushed on the platform. Ami can't understand whether the Japanese are kind or cold. They all look worried about you but no one steps forward to help, she tells the girl.

In gratitude, Sayoko's poor father invites Ami for expensive sushi. She shows up with five friends to make things more cheery and in doing so, shows a lack of cross-cultural understanding herself.

Life gets more complicated when Sayoko goes to the beach to sulk and comes across a frustrated rich kid who she fends off with her considerable kickboxing skills. She loses her new belly-button jewel in the process, a guarantee they will meet again. This one is better than it may sound and could be one of the season's big hits. Three stars. (Wm. Penn/Daily Yomiuri/July 11, 2001).

STARRING: Fukada Kyoko, Yoon Son Ha, Sakaguchi Kenji, Amami Yuki, Hirayama Aya, Yasui Kenichiro, Izumiya Shigeru, Hagiwara Kenichi, Katsumura Masanobu, and more.
THEME SONG: "Seed" by Time Fellowship
NETWORK: Fuji TV
DURATION: July through September 2001
REVIEWS:

This drama is a bit slow-paced where you get to know a little of each character. The term "fighting girl" is not to give a perspective ala street fighter but a girl who stands up for herself and does what she wants even though people around her don't like it (such as using makeup in the train or breaking into a swimming pool area to go swimming) and also standing up for herself even with guys...including beating them up. That's Sayoko (Fukada) but her rival and her sister's friend Ami (Yoon Son Ha) is tough too but more docile but what is the story behind her and her hidden past? Slow paced drama that is pretty fun to watch if you give it a chance.-KNDY