Mama wa Idol (1987) [Drama Review]

Mama wa Idol; or, Woman of the House
     It’s tough being a mother!
Well, I guess we could say that Miho Nakayama went meta way before John Malkovich or Nicolas Cage! From the times when she was primarily an idol rather than an established actress, comes a heartwarming drama in which Miho plays a fictionalised version of herself, a popular TBS star and singer who tries to divide her time between career in showbiz and… being a mom! Let’s take a closer look at Mama wa Idol.

Release Info

Developed by: Yoshimoto Masahiro Starring: Miho Nakayama, Kunihiko Mitamura, Kumiko Goto

Language: Japanese Original Title: ママはアイドル! No. of eps.: 10 + SP

Synopsis
Mr Shuichi Mizusawa (Kunihiko Mitamura) is a school teacher and a widower who single-handedly looks after his three children. One day, when the children come back home, they discover Miho Nakayama cooking in the kitchen. Miho greets them and explains that from this moment on she is going to act as their mother. This situation infuriates the daughter, Akira Mizusawa (Kumiko Goto), who refuses to accept Miho as a new family member. What is more, Shuichi and Miho actually married in secret and try to hide this fact from the public spotlight so as not to burden the children with paparazzi and unnecessary scandal. Will the secret remain under wraps? Is Akira going to warm up to Miho?

Being Miporin
Watching the first episode was definitely a weird experience. It made me wonder how much crack the screenwriters smoked to come up with an idea of a 17-year-old(!) idol marrying her former homeroom teacher and becoming a mom to kids who are barely younger than her. This may be too much to sink in for certain viewers, but the drama is by no means NSFW. On the contrary, it's a feel-good Miho Nakayama vehicle similar in spirit to an old Disney family comedy called Man of the House (1995).

Once you get over the initial shock triggered by the premise, the show becomes very enjoyable. There are lots of funny as well as touching moments when Miho desperately tries to be a mother while hiding her idol identity in front of the Mizusawa’s pesky neighbour, Ms Tokita (hilariously played by Jun Fubuki). In addition, the drama also provides an insight into the everyday challenges of an idol such as rehearsals, photo sessions, location shooting, and concerts. A lot of real TBS crewmembers and even other idols (Risa Tachibana, Aiko Morishita, Naoko Amihama) have either guest or cameo appearances as well.

Nevertheless, the real heart of the show is the complicated relationship between Miho and Akira. The daughter has her own romantic life which serves as a nice subplot throughout the series. In my opinion, the best episode of the drama is the ninth one, where Akira actually tries to become an idol herself and Miho is cheering for her.

Needless to say, the finale of episode 10 is extremely touching and idealistic. It really makes you wonder if an idol is capable of having a family and being active as a star. The obvious answer is that it’s not possible. Consequently, the SP episode very much underlines this message in its own finale.

Apart from the brilliant performances of Miho Nakayama and Kumiko Goto, I have also enjoyed seeing Kunihiko Mitamura as the dad and Masatoshi Nagase as one of the sons. Apart from Jun Fubuki, also Shigeru Muroi has a hilarious supporting part as Miho’s co-worker. Last but not least, I have to stress that I totally dig the main theme Hade!, which is sung by Miho in the opening credits.

 Recommendations
All things considered, Mama wa Idol is a neat, good ol’ JDrama which strikes the right chord. It comes as no surprise that it had influenced Hoshikuzu Paradise (1991) anime and Papadol! movie from 2006. Definitely worth checking out, if not for Miho herself, then at least 80s vibes of bubble era Japan.
Overall score: 8/10

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