earth_colors | Entries tagged with ~drama locations/notes

Final Ep. 10: "Do I Have to Update?"

Numbered Cigarette Brands. On the last episode, Ogawa has already familiarized himself with how to buy cigarettes from a store, compared to the first episode. If you're wondering why he has to say a number, instead of the cigarette brand, this article explains: "Each tobacco brand in Japan is assigned a number, and it's customary for customers to say the number at the counter when purchasing a 20-cigarette pack at a convenience store." Also, there are plenty of cigarette brands in Japan and different types for each, so having a designated number for each leads to a convenient and faster transaction for the store clerk

"Like a makanai meal". When Akitsu was singing a karaoke song, his boss said, "A broken-hearted song by a broken-hearted man is like eating a makanai meal". A makanai meal is food served by an employer to his staff. I guess what he meant is, you can't choose what kind of meal you'll get since it's free and to just accept it. Someone at karaoke who is broken-hearted will naturally sing a song about heartbreak, and you're expected to listen as a way to sympathize, and no choice but to accept it.

Mutsugoro Animal Kingdom. Mutsugoro (above) was also mentioned in Ep1. Master of Scandal Cafe is a fan of Mutsugoro, real name, Hata Masanori who died just last year. He founded a private zoo in Hokkaido in the 70s, called it "Mutsugoro Animal Kingdon" but it was not open to the public. He also founded the Mutsu Farm in a nearby area where he lived, and wrote about his life, caring for animals in the farm and zoo. He did open an animal theme park called "Tokyo Mutsugoro Animal Kingdom" in Tokyo in 2004 but it eventually closed due to low customer turn-out.

Sushiro's Sushi Gunkan. Ichiro said he wants to go back to Reiwa and watch TBS variety show "Love It" while eating Salad Gunkan (a type of sushi roll made of sushi rice wrapped in seaweed and topped with salad usually mixed with mayo) from Sushiro, one of the well-known conveyor belt sushi shops.

The Sending Off Scenes. It reminded me of Amachan and Ida10. When Ogawa said there were a few people who showed up for his send-off, it reminded me of Aki's Grandpa's send off scene in Ep. 43.
When Kiyoshi told Ogawa to keep the smartphone, it is similar to Ida10 Ep.13 when Mishima let Kanakuri keep the camera.

Deviation Value Score 30. It is what "dumb" Junko got as a score at first, making her the "bottom-ranking sukeban". According to this reddit post, getting a score of 30 is below the lowest score, and that a score like this is not even calculated. However, in the end, Junko made a complete, miraculous turnaround. Her latest score in this episode is now 61.2 (as shown in the pic above), which is considered "Excellent", which means she can likely pass the "great national / public schools and the top remaining privates like MARCH (Meiji, Aoyama, Rikkyo, Chuo, Hosei), best privates in Kansai (Ristumeikan, Doshisha) and a few privates that straddle the line between MARCH level and Elite level (Sophia, a couple others)." It seems Junko and her friend Tomomi were aiming for Aoyama (AoGaku) and Sophia University. I didn't see any indication from this episode but it was assumed Junko got into the university of her choice which was AoGaku.

Male nipples not allowed on streaming channels? Not sure if this only applies to YouTube Japan and other Japanese streaming sites. There were instances in Japan that videos uploaded showing men's nipples get taken down. There is a theory that says, YouTube uses AI to search for bare breasts in all videos uploaded, and it could not distinguish whether these are male or female breasts. But there are still some videos of naked torsos of body-builders, for example, that are allowed, and not taken down, so AI theory doesn't seem probable. Of course, many streaming platforms do warn not to "post content if it shows the depiction of clothed or unclothed genitals, breasts, or buttocks that are meant for sexual gratification."

Song Inspiration. The final musical number "Tolerance" seems to be a kind of ondo style song or a traditional Japanese dance song which is a happy song played mostly in festivals, Obon celebrations, and parties.
"In this kind of world..." The lyrics sung by Kurita is a reference to the 1998 song "POISON ～言いたい事も言えないこんな世の中は～ (In this Kind of World Where You Can't Say What You Want~)", which is the theme song of GTO, which in turn got revived for GTO Revival 2024. And also, take note that the actor who played the old Reiwa Master (above right), Numata Baku, also appeared in the 1998 GTO (maybe that is why he was shown in this shot).
BTW, the guitar he's using looks like rocker Hotei Tomoyasu's signature black and white guitar. It's not clear whether it's actor Yamamoto Koji's personal property or borrowed from Hotei but it is said they are friends in real life.

Foreshadowing and Pay-Off. I guess the foreshadowing was literally doing away with the pay-off as mentioned in Ep7 (above), when Ogawa said that the final episode not being decided is the best way to go. So the final episode's ending which is an open ending might be what Ogawa was talking about, meaning we still don't know what will happen to him and Junko in 1995 (whether they died or one of them got saved, etc). Indeed, I think it's best we not know. The 1995 earthquake shouldn't be tackled anymore since it can open up ethical issues, like why only save yourself or your own loved one, and not save others if you know an earthquake is coming? It could be a delicate and sensitive matter for those who had lost loved ones in the disaster. So, for me, it's best to end it this way, and not tackle it any further.

The Ending Disclaimer. If you didn't notice from the ending disclaimer for this final episode... instead of the usual, "we intentionally used the expressions from 1986", this time it said "2024". Jokingly, it means that someday, even this drama will become a thing of the past (mukashi-banashi), and since society and values always change, some scenes and dialogues shown won't probably age well, or become offensive to people in the future. (Actually, there were already complaints voiced out regarding Ep5 scene where Ogawa tried to smoke in front of Yuzuru who had trouble breathing, TBS issued an apology afterwards).

Hope you had fun, and thanks for reading and watching~!

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Ep. 9: "Is it Necessary to Categorize?"

Akitsu-kun's Attributes. Akitsu gave his attributes to the dating app "Un-MAY" in order to find the perfect match for him. If you're interested to know what he put in:
Age = 29
Gender Identity = Male
Educational Background = College
Annual Income = 4.5 million
Personality = My Pace
Hobbies = Sauna
Resto-Type You'd Like to Go to = Curry
Favorite Part of Yakiniku = Tongue
Type of Ramen = Tonkotsu
Favorite Tea = Jasmine Tea
First part of the body you wash = Chest
What time you eat dinner = 8PM
What train car no. you usually ride = No. 8

Sushizanmai. It is the signature pose of the Kimura Kiyoshi, president of sushi chain Kiyomura, and one of their stores, is called Sushizanmai. You can watch him HERE.

Ultraman's Color Timer. Yasumori-sensei thought Sakae's blinking phone is a color timer. This is a "light-emitting device or organ located on the chest of most Ultras, that indicates their remaining power level." It starts to blink red if they're low on power. Read more HERE.

Ogawa's Chome Puns.
"1 Chome". Sakae said she "should have at least done 1 chome" when she was in the Showa era. Ichiro laughed and quipped, "It sounds like 'Wow! Higashimurayama". It's a song created in 1968 to commemorate the establishment of Higashimurayama City, Tokyo. There are many versions, but the most famous one is by Shimura Ken who made it into a catchy traditional dance song with added lyrics "Wow! Higashimurayama. Icchome, Icchome (1 chome)!" Hear it HERE.
"Sunset at 3 Chome". Ogawa sent a message to Sugiyama who was trying to concieve. He made a pun/joke about doing "3 chome chome" during a three day weekend, and to do it at night, and jokingly called it "Sanchome no Yuhi" or "3 Chome Sunset", which is a 2005 movie, with the English title, "Always: Sunset on Third Street".

"Ne Mastah, Hayaku!" "Hey, Master, hurry up!". Ogawa said it twice in the episode, urging Master of Scandal Cafe to be quick. It is part of the lyrics of "Shitsuren (Heartbreak) Restaurant" sung at the end of the song. It was also mentioned in Amachan ep109, that's why I'm familiar with it haha. You can listen HERE.

One More Time, One More Chance. Akitsu's preferred heartbreak song, sung beautifully by Ogawa thru karaoke. It was by Yamazaki Masayoshi. But viewers were wondering how Ogawa would know it since it was released in 1997. Listen to it HERE.

Matchmaking Meetings Sponsored by the Local Government. It was supposed to be how Inoue and Sakae met. Translated from HERE via google: "Nowadays, with the declining birthrate, it is not uncommon for local governments to rush to take measures to counter the declining birthrate. As part of their efforts to combat the declining birthrate, many local governments are providing matchmaking support services. Many people feel a sense of security because the matchmaking event is sponsored by a local government. The event content is extensive, and you can receive detailed support from staff. The rules for matchmaking and matchmaking parties are clearly defined, so there is less chance of getting lost or confused." It is also to attract young people to their local areas and settle there.

"The time machine is over". Inoue sang it as a joke, to the tune of the fun 1979 song "Time Machine ni Onegai" (Please Give me a Time Machine) by Sadistic Mika Band. You can hear a version sung by Nounen Rena (Non) HERE.

Hometown Tax Donation. Yashima has been shown looking at a real hometown tax donation website "Furunavi" in Ep 1 and 9. This website explains how "Furusato Nozei" works: "All residents in Japan are required to pay a Residence Tax to the city or town they are living in as of January 1st. However, since most of Japan’s population is concentrated in urban areas, there is a huge tax revenue disparity between urban and rural municipalities. The Hometown Tax Program is a way to balance out that disparity in tax revenue. This is called a “tax” program, but think of it more like a donation.

Through the Hometown Tax Program, you can choose the amount of money you want to donate. From the amount you donated, you’ll receive a tax deduction from your Residence Taxes the following year, minus 2000. Plus, you’ll also receive a thank-you gift from the municipality you donated to! Gifts can include local specialties, handicrafts, and more!"
Yashima's hometown is Nara but the return gift of snow crabs was from Hokkaido. In Furusato Nozei, you are allowed to make donations to any town or city, aside from your hometown.

Boobs on terrestrial TV. It was not only during the Showa era but also went on up to Heisei era. Naked breasts have been gradually purged from Japanese prime time since 2000, and the last time breasts were reportedly seen on terrestrial television in Tokyo was on January 7, 2012 on a TV Asahi drama's "Tokumei Kakarichou Tadano Hitoshi Final.'' However there was also a bit of a later incident of a nipple slip by Yuma Asami on a TV Osaka show in 2012, that got a lot of angry feedback from viewers. After that, breasts became regulated not only in variety shows and dramas, but also in medical programs such as breast cancer screening, using mosaic or pixelization. However, it seems bare breasts of women from indigenous tribes are still allowed to be shown.
In my experience, though I haven't scoured much of the earlier TV shows, the bare boobs I've seen shown on Japanese TV were the ones from "Shinya Shokudo" Season 1, which was the "Potato Salad" Ep4 (2009), and one episode of an Arashi late night show (I forgot, maybe 2007 G no Arashi?) where Matsumoto Jun was doing a field report about breast cancer screening.

Passed away at age 28. Junko was 26 in January of 1995 when she passed away since she was born in November 1968. But the age on her tombstone says "28". This is based on East Asian age reckoning wherein ages calculated this way are always 1 or 2 years greater than those calculated solely by birthdays. Read more HERE.

Song Inspiration:
Obviously the song "One Chan(ce)/Wanchan" is based on "One" from "A Chorus Line". Give it a watch HERE.
First of all, wasn't it simply a stroke of genius? I was wondering why KudoKan made Furuta Arata's character a heart attack survivor, or if it's a foreshadowing device for a future episode. Turns out it was all for this musical scene omg! Yuzuru needing his oxygen tank was used as a prop to make it look like he's dancing with a hat and a cane ala "Chorus Line" haha! And also, collapsing, being helped up, and having his robe placed on his shoulders, was a gag tribute to James Brown's signature cape routine (which was also joked about in Amachan Ep49 - above right pic-, it makes me want to watch Amachan all over again lol).
Was it "One Chan(ce)" or "Wanchan"? At first, I thought Yuzuru was singing "Wanchan". But looking closely, the way it was spelled was indeed "One Chan(ce)", plus Yuzuru raising his arm, and showing off his forefinger, indicating "one" while dancing. Therefore, it was a play on Nagisa's pet name "Wanchan" (and with the dog barking "Wan! Wan!"). Besides, Yuzuru (and Ogawa) never called her "Wanchan". She is only called that by her co-workers (as explained in my notes from Ep 2).

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Ep. 8: "Is It All Over If You Messed Up Once?"

The Three Year Itch. The main theme for this episode obviously is infidelity. In the west, there is something called "7 Year Itch" which is a "popular belief that happiness in a marriage or long-term relationship declines after around seven years" that could lead to discontent or boredom, and in turn, leads to seeking companionship outside marriage. In Japan, it's 3 years or what they call "3-Nen-me no uwaki" (cheating on the third year of marriage). This is the title of the 1982 song by musical duo "Hiroshi and Kibo". This is also the song inspiration of this episode's musical number (more explanation below). Kurita also revealed in this episode that he cheated on his 3rd year of marriage.
Most notable examples of "3-Nen-me no uwaki" among famous Japanese celebrity couples, were those of couples, Nakama Yukie and Tanaka Tetsushi (he was caught cheating on 3rd year of marriage but are still together), and Adachi Yumi and Idoda Jun (who divorced each other after 3 years of marriage).

Kotatsu articles or critiques. KudoKan really took a swipe (lol) against these so-called journalists who does "flimsy articles" from the "comforts of their kotatsu", without having to get scoops or go out and do their own original research or interviews. They mostly get available info from the internet, and rehash them into "articles". They also take quotes from comments of netizens from social media, and call it "news". This article quotes Sawai Atsushi, a Keio University professor, who said kotatsu critiques are "based on assumptions on information gathered from TV news and the web, often distorting the truth and adding catchy subtitles in aim to earn click-through counts."

Adultery Scandal of Japanese Celebrities. Viewers were wondering who is the model that the character of sports announcer Kuramochi Takeru is based on. There is no clear answer since there were plenty of cheating scandals for the past few years. But the closest one is probably comedian and TV presenter Watabe Ken who is married to Sazaki Nozomi. Watabe admitted to committing multiple affairs. But the couple are still together, and even had a child 3 years after the cheating was exposed. He was suspended and stopped appearing on TV because of the scandal. But he is reportedly gradually starting to show up first in minor, non-terrestrial TV shows starting 2022, and currently seems to be working his way back into national terrestrial TV.

Tsumamigui. Announcer Kuramochi's wife Yoko asked the public to forgive her husband for doing "tsumamigui". It basically means "snacking on the sly" or "nibbling on the side" or "eating with one's fingers", and It could also be used as a slang for "philandering" and "embezzlement".

Kyon Kyon. None other than Koizumi Kyoko, no need to explain. But viewers noticed that Kyon Kyon appeared on this episode about cheating scandals while she herself was involved in one recently.
Kyon Kyon "appeared" in this episode as her 1986 self. If you want to see what "small-faced" Kyon Kyon looked like in 1986, watch THIS.

Sailors. Take note that little Sakae-chan is wearing authentic Sailors in this episode, with the logo of "Sailor-kun" on her shirt. This was a famous apparel brand mentioned in Ep 1, which were mostly trainors or sweatshirts that were popularized by idols in the 80s most especially Onyanko Club. It started selling in 1985, and there was only one store that sold it exclusively in Shibuya. It was so popular that the store can only handle 2,000 customers per day or 40 customers per 15 minutes. That is why Junko was delightfully surprised at first when she thought her father was able to buy her one.

Delinquent Youths of Japan. There were many slang words for delinquent youths (abazure, yankee, color gang) that were mentioned all throughout this drama. More terms:
Sukeban. Refers to either the leader of a girl gang or the entire gang itself. More HERE.
Tsuppari. Term used to refer to boys and girls who engage in delinquent behavior or delinquency.
Gure. From "gureta wakamono" which means wayward or delinquent youth or a young person who strayed from the right path.
They are basically a subculture that have their own look, way of speaking, and rules. They look like the above pictures, and they are the ones that Junko was talking about, that have gone "extinct", or are no longer existing today. There are still troubled youths and gangs up to today but they certainly don't look like that anymore.

"This is just like KinTsuma!". Aside from the patio, what made Kurita's patio party look like KinTsuma? The families in KinTsuma (Season 3 in particular) were from above middle class status, and lived an ideal, stylish, above average lifestyle. That is why, we get to hear the husbands' occupation (architect, clinic director) to indicate their above middle class status. And the wives' nicknames "Pocky" and "Taiko" were a nod to the nicknames of some of the main women characters in the KinTsuma S3 as well: one was nicknamed "Take" (bamboo) because of her slender appearance; another was "Okoma" because she was always doing something in a hurry like a "koma-nezumi" (a small mouse); and also, there was "Noro" (slow) because of her laid back personality and slow movements.
By the way, as mentioned in the notes of Ep5, "Pocky" is played by Yashima's real-life wife, Miyashita Kyoko. But instead of Pocky, she now looks more like Kinoko no Yama or Chocorooms.

Song Inspiration:
As stated, the musical part, "3 Year April Fools" song sung by Ichiro and and Yuri (above) was based on this song "3-Nen-me no Uwaki" by Hiroshi and Kibo, listen HERE. Based on the lyrics, a man and woman are arguing over the man's infidelity while they're saying to each other: "Don't say stupid things ("Baka itten janaiyo" or don't be ridiculous)!". That is the joke behind the exchange in the scene below when Ichiro was quoting the song:

In the song, it seems the woman is leaving him. The man is arguing with the woman, basically saying she is overreacting, that it was only a 3 Year Itch, and citing the usual "I'm a man, it's only natural I cheat" excuses, plus it's a man's pride that women are attracted to him, and that she should be proud that she married a popular man like him. But the woman is adamant, and says "I don't like that attitude", and she won't ever forgive him "even if he puts up his arms in apology". The song ends, with the man "begging" her repeatedly (in his manliest way possible, without actually saying sorry) : "It's just a 3 Year Itch, give me some slack".

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Ep. 7: "Can't You Do Away With the Payoff?"

Example of "foreshadowing": little Kanakuri (left) in Ep2;
and "the payoff": older Kanakuri in the final scene of the final episode (right)

Foreshadowing and the Payoff. Also known as Setup/Reveal, Plant/Reveal. In Japanese, it's "fukusen-kaishu" [伏線-回収]. KudoKan is fond of these literary plot devices, and fans expect it as well, that is why they are on the lookout for it, while watching this drama. I have read some foreshadowing theories from viewers regarding this drama, and find them interesting. I have my own theories as well. What are yours?
Anyway, one example of this by Kudo is from "Ida10". When Kanakuri Shiso as a boy went through a tunnel in Ep 2, crying, it was the foreshadowing. Then in the final episode, an old but happy Shiso is seen going through the tunnel/passageway entering Stockholm Stadium to reach the "finish line" matches EmoKen's description perfectly: "The final piece falls PERFECTLY into place in the last scene, and then, THE END!"

"You are Bando Eiji". No song inspiration for this episode's musical number. But for those who don't understand Sakae's analogy: Sakae is a fan of "KinTsuma", and she imagines herself as the character of Ogawa Tomoko (see notes of Ep 6), who found positive traits that Bando Eiji has, that was enough to marry him. Bando doesn't have the looks BUT has the cool history of being the former member of Chunichi Dragons. So she applies that with Yasumori-sensei whose good looks are a plus but his conservative views are a minus, and so she decides to find what else is good about him.

Mutchy-Senpai's Eyebrows. There doesn't seem to be any legit explanation about the eyebrows. So I searched for viewers' opinions. Some have noticed that it resembles Kenshiro's eyebrows from "Fist of the North Star". One blogger said his theory is that Mutchy has no idea what the future is like, and probably expects it to look like a dystopian, post-apocalyptic "Mad Max" type of world he sees in manga and movies. So he draws Kenshiro-like eyebrows on himself to look intimidating and so that future people won't mess with him lol.

Eating ice cream on the steps

Visiting a "Wall of Wishes"

Getting violent at a restaurant lol

Roman Holiday. I'm sure you are familiar with the movie, so there's no need for me to explain. But for those who haven't seen it, here are the similarities between the episode and the movie:
Junko gets a haircut, just like the Princess (Audrey). Both have a scene of eating ice cream on steps/stairs. In the movie, they visited the Wall of Wishes while in the drama they visited a shrine where Junko made her wish using a votive plaque. Junko getting violent with a waiter is the equivalent of the Princess smashing a guitar over someone's head in the movie's brawl scene.
Then, Junko's digital photos got erased as if her little holiday never happened. This is in reference to the journalist (Peck) handing over the Princess' "incriminating" photos over to her, as a promise not to publish them, and that this little Roman holiday "never happened", but to live on as a happy little secret, to be kept in her heart.
And as for the ending, Audrey said that "Rome" is the place she enjoyed the most. While Junko said, "Jail". This works better in Japanese though. In the Japanese dubbing of the movie, Audrey said "Roma", while Junko said, "Rouya (jail)." So Junko's is "A Rouya Holiday" haha.

Some other jokes that are (more likely only) funny to Japanese viewers:
"Will you meet and merge in 5 seconds?". Ogawa said this via remote when his daughter dashed off to her date. Viewers laughed at this since the p0rn-loving Ogawa's question (having sex after 5 seconds of meeting each other) sounded like a title of an AV movie (or maybe it is?). That's why Nagisa slammed her laptop fast.
"Even if I looked at her with my crystal clear eyes...". "Sunda me [澄んだ目] or "clear eyes" are pure like a baby's. These are "in which the whites of the eyes are clear and healthy and no cloudiness or veins, therefore the shape of black eyes stands out clearly and the white contrasting with the blackness of the eyes is emphasized." Viewers laugh, trying to imagine Furuta Arata with such eyes...
"You only dropped your smartphone, right?". The way Furuta's character said it twice, felt like he's trying to drive the point across, in case you didn't catch it lol. It's in reference to the novel turned 2018 movie "Sumaho o Otoshita Dake Nanoni (To think I only dropped my smartphone)" which had the English title, "Stolen Identity".

"It's clear I made you feel uptight just now." When Sakae asked Yasumori-sensei if he's married, he immediately crossed his arms. Sakae, being a sociologist sees it as a defensive reaction, and assumed that marriage is a touchy subject for Yasumori (just like the way that attending school is a touchy subject for Sako-kun).

Toyoko. It means "next to TOHO cinemas", or more precisely, at Kabukicho Square, known as a place where homeless people and runaway kids gather and hang out. You can read more HERE.

The 1000 yen. Naoki used his remaining cash worth 1000 yen at the shrine. One viewer remembers "Amachan", particularly the song, "Shiosai no Memory"'s lyrics: "Tell Johnny, he owes me 1,000 yen". And also: "A 17-year old is as fierce as the ocean waves", "Are you leaving me, without saying goodbye? Without making promises to meet again".

"Akai Clover" or "Red Clover". The name of the drama from another channel that EBS staff were monitoring. It is obviously a reference to Yamaguchi Momoe's 1976 TBS drama "Akai Unmei (Red Fate)" which has a complex plot that involves a girl whose identity got switched with another person at an orphanage.

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Ep. 6: "Is It Not Alright to Reminisce On Old Times?"

1980s TBS drama "KinTsuma" and their patio party

KinTsuma drama. The full title is "Kin'yobi no Tsumatachi he [金曜日の妻たちへ]" or "To the Friday Wives". There were three seasons starting 1983 though each season is a different story with different characters but some of the same actors are featured. It focuses on people and friends, their relationships, family troubles, secret affairs, etc. One feature of it is that they live in a terraced housing or row of townhouses, making viewers interested in such dwellings which were an unusual concept at that time. Bando Eiji appeared first in Season 2, and his character then had an affair. But in Season 3 (which Sakae was watching), he was playing a different character, that of a loving second husband to Ogawa Tomoko's character. They both have children from their previous marriages, and so his speech in that scene on TV, he is saying that he is happy to see that their children (step siblings) are getting along well with each other.
Also one distinct feature is the patio parties. The characters of Eiji and Tomoko's home has a backyard patio with tables and chairs where they can eat, drink, chat, and look at the stars, and it also where their friends gather for patio parties. Patios were unusual for Japanese families at the time because housing lots were small and there were no space for such, but it did start a patio trend among the Japanese.

"Zawawa da wa." Sakae was watching Season 3 of KinTsuma. She assumes Okuda Eiji will have an affair with Moriyama Ryoko's character. Sakae made a pun of "Zannenda wa (how unfortunate)" and "Zawawa" from Moriyama's 1969 song "Satokibi Batake" which had lyrics "zawawa zawawa" which means sound of breeze (through the cane fields). I'm not sure what Sakae means by it (she said it three times), but it looks like she enjoyed her own clever pun lol.

Kinpachi Sensei (Takeda Tetsuya) and Yamada Reiko (Miura Junko)

Miura Junko. Her name was mentioned several times, she was a teen actress/idol and singer turned politician. You can read her wiki HERE. Junko couldn't believe it since she regards Miura Junko as "Our beloved grand mistress of the Abazures, Yamada Reiko, who said, "No hitting of the face, just the body". There's a lot to unpack in this line lol. She actually said "our beloved ancestor" but I found it weird so I changed it to "grand mistress". "Abazure" means "a tough bitch" or "brazen harlot". "Yamada Reiko" is Miura's character in the drama Kinpachi-Sensei series. Reiko was like a leader of a group of school thugs (I think?). They were ganging up on a male classmate, when she uttered that famous line, "No hitting of the face, just the body." If you want to see that scene, you can watch it ~~HERE~~. And if you want to hear her song SEXY NIGHT, hear it HERE.

The younger Yuki (left) VS 2024 Yuki (right)

Matsumura Yuki. He started as a child/teen actor, most famous for his drama "School Wars" in 1984. In that drama, his character Oki Daisuke (via google translate) "was a delinquent student with a solitary aura that earned him the nickname 'Kawahama's No. 1 Badass', and was feared by everyone because he would immediately resort to violence if he had a complaint, but in reality, he was a weak person who cared for his mother. He was kind to everyone, and set himself apart from the delinquents of his predecessors."
When Junko saw him in 2024, she asked "Where is Aesop?". She is referring to Daisuke's childhood friend Hiroshi, nicknamed Aesop, played by Miyata Yasuo. Aesop got his nickname from the grasshopper in Aesop's Fables because of his skinny body. His is a tragic character who died due to cancer.

Kaga Mariko as Domyouji Kaede in "Hana Yori Dango" (left);
Kaga is KudoKan's inspiration for the character of Shizuka Hiromi
(Yakushimaru Hiroko) in "Amachan" (right)

Kaga Mariko. Her name was mentioned twice in this episode. If you've watched "Hana Yori Dango", you'd remember her as Domyouji's mother. Why was she mentioned?
First, Matsumura Yuki said Mariko took care of him when he was starting out as a teen actor. This is a well-known anecdote in the industry, including KudoKan, who saw inspiration in this (to be explained later). Mariko played his mother in a drama, and Matsumura has told (article here) how she acted as his mentor and helped him in scenes, and how he is grateful to her. Like on the first day of filming, in the scene where he helps Kaga up after she collapsed in the street, she scolded him, saying, "It hurts, don't shake me so hard,'' and "Your hand is hiding my face.'' Matsumura said, "I was young and fearless. The next day, I went to Kaga-san's dressing room to directly discuss it with her", and she provided him with useful acting tips. "Acting is about acting like it's not happening," she told him. "Since then, I've learned a lot of things,'' he said.

The last recording is the reunion scene between mother and son. It was a long take, about 10 minutes. Matsumura said, "I was overcome with emotion and couldn't stop crying. Kaga-san complimented me and said, 'That was great,' but the director said, 'You looked down too much and we couldn't get a close-up shot.' Even so, Kaga-san said, 'Just use the stills from Take 1 and use only the good parts of the kid from Take 2'." Matsumura was grateful to her for this. BTW, does it sound familiar? It is for those who watched "Amachan", because this anecdote was the inspiration behind the crank-up filming scene of "Shiosai no Memory" movie in Ep 130. The character Suzuka Hiromi (Yakushimaru Hiroko) is just like Kaga Mariko, who took good care of Aki (Nonen Rena).
Second mention of Kaga Mariko in this episode was by Emo Kentaro. EmoKen was reminiscing about the launch party of his last drama on EBS, and that his restaurant bill was paid for by Kaga Mariko. This is again a reference to Suzuka Hiromi in "Amachan" when she paid the bill of Aki and her idol groupmates at the expensive sushi-ya in Episode 78.

"SSLP Shinbashi SL Park". It is obviously a reference to KudoKan's 2000 drama "Ikebukuro West Gate Park". "Color Gang" are gangs who are influenced by American gang culture and dressed up in hip-hop fashion (read more HERE).
Did KudoKan make himself the model for "EmoKen"? EmoKen's character is too old so viewers think Emoken was inspired by a variety of famous Japanese scriptwriters.