THE ANIMATED STORY OF PINK LADY
a review by Trooper Tru McCray
Ladies and Gentlemen… Pink Lady fans of all ages… welcome back to the Trooper’s Review!
Konnichi-wa! Once again, I am honored to give this review of yet another highlight in the careers of Mitsuyo Nemoto & Keiko Masuda – best known to their legions of fans as the most electrifying duo in all of Japanese entertainment: Pink Lady. To be exact, MIE & KEI were guests of honor on a TV show that showed clips of their animated biographical series: Pink Lady monogatari - eiko no tenshitachi. Of course, the guests of honor would have to sit there and watch the animated versions of themselves on TV.
Now as the cartoon plays on the monitor, they first show KEI’s first minutes into the world. Of course, KEI looks on… looking a little embarrassed. As always, I wish I knew how to speak and understand Japanese so I knew what they were saying! Nevertheless, it was a joyous moment in the Masuda house on the 2nd of September 1957 when Keiko was born. Next we go to the Nemoto house – just minutes after little Mitsuyo was born (the 9th of March 1958). We see her in the crib just relaxing… what a happy little baby! Then just months later, she tries walking around in her room. Of course she can’t fully stand on her own two feet just yet, so she relies on the dressers for support. Then suddenly, without even looking down, she stumbles on a ball and falls face first on a [rather shiny] dresser handle! OUCH! This then prompted Mama Nemoto to rush to little MIE’s aid. And back in the studio, MIE looks on, remembering her little boo-boo. Was she embarrassed about it? She appeared not to show it, so we’ll never know. Then again, my knowledge of the Japanese language is so limited, so for sure I will never know!
Then it’s back to the Masuda home; little Keiko is searching for the perfect toy to play with… but she appears to be bored with them all. Then her father comes in with a toy telephone. She appears to be rather amused by it. Then her father tells her how to use it as if it were a real telephone. Then little Keiko starts speaking into it: Moshi moshi! Ogenki desu ka? Moshi moshi! How cute!
After seeing those scenes, we cut back to the studio… where we meet some members of their families: KEI’s older brother, and MIE’s younger brother! Again, because of my [very limited] knowledge of the Japanese language, I cannot fully tell what they were talking about. I can only guess that they were discussing their early lives before MIE & KEI formed Pink Lady.
Now we are blessed with a musical interlude, as the legendary Japanese Dynamic Duo perform “Sergeant Pepper (Pepper Keibu)”.
Now it’s on to the kindergarten years. In the beginning of this section, we witness KEI fighting with another kid over something that looks like a microphone (or is it?). She apparently won the fight, as she is found [seconds later] singing from on top of the roof! When she is done showing off, she jumps from the roof and lands on her feet! [Gee, could this be a sign of things to come in the future?] Later on, we witness MIE (and a bunch of other kids) in a small stream of water trying to catch fish. Unfortunately, MIE tries too hard and falls face first in the water. She did, however catch a few fish… and spit them out immediately afterward. She must have been embarrassed… Meh.
Then we take another little break from the cartoon see our favorite Ladies sing solo tunes (KEI first, then MIE).
Then we return to the cartoon where we skip to the junior high school years. It’s a casual day; MIE is chatting with a random classmate – and then suddenly, she notices KEI chatting with a small group. After a few seconds, their eyes meet – thus marking the beginning of a long-lasting friendship/partnership… born in the stars! Shortly after that scene, we return to the Masuda house – where KEI is hit with some tragic news: her father passed away. Shortly after that, we see MIE & KEI having a little discussion under a tree… possibly about performing together? Well it would appear that way as, back in the classroom, MIE & KEI were chosen to partner up together for a talent show. This first time, however, was not for singing; it was for acting.
Then it’s back to the studio, where we see our favorite Ladies in different costumes. After a bit of discussion, MIE & KEI are reunited with their former classmates! After that little reunion, it’s on to more great performances: “SOS” and “Sindbad at the Beach (Nagisa No Sindbad)”.
After that brief performance break, it’s back to the cartoon – where we witness MIE & KEI heading for the big city – to meet their mentor. In this scene, they rush through the building to the “classroom” where their mentor is waiting for them with a smile. After that initial greeting/introduction, the training begins. The mentor taught them how to sing and dance – through any and all conditions/obstacles.
Then we go back to the studio – where MIE & KEI are reunited with their music teacher… and they all sing a song that they learned during their training days.
Then after that brief reunion, it’s back to the cartoon – and back to training. And next thing you know, they are on Birth Of A Star (Star Tanjo)! But before we could see what happens next, we’re back in the studio – where the Ladies are in different costumes. Very shortly, we are treated to a special rendition of “My Way” sung by KEI’s brother. This performance left KEI feeling very emotional.
Very shortly afterward, we are treated to another Pink Lady performance – with these songs: “Wanted”, “UFO”, and “Southpaw”.
And now it’s back to the cartoon… and Birth Of A Star (Star Tanjo)! 4 performances pass, and finally… MIE & KEI take the stage with “Heya Wo Dete Kudasai”! They received a standing ovation after that song was done… and were overcome with emotion. Now we return to the studio, and Mentor-san joins MIE & KEI! Talk about a nostalgic feeling! Back to the cartoon… Back at the Nemoto house, a proud papa gives MIE some nice clothes as a parting gift. Meanwhile at the Masuda house, KEI and her family share a private moment at her father’s grave. And finally, it is time for Ladies to leave the nest. They wave goodbye to their friends, family, and neighbors. From Shizuoka to Tokyo, Mitsuyo Nemoto & Keiko Masuda go on to becoming the legendary duo known as… Pink Lady.
Then it’s back to the studio to close out the show with more great performances: “Monster”, “Chameleon Army”, and “Zipangu”.
In a nutshell, seeing their animated life story made me feel emotional – almost as if it were happening to me. I have felt an emotional connection to Pink Lady since I first saw them on TV back in 1980. That connection will never be broken.
Well my fellow Pink Lady fans, that will do it for this edition of the Trooper’s Review. I hope you enjoyed reading this as I have enjoyed seeing their animated life story and their wonderful performances in-between. Once again, I thank my fellow Chicagoan Joshua Parris for bringing Pink Lady back to my attention back in 2009, I thank Jeffrey Branch for creating the “Pink Lady America” website, and I thank Mitsuyo Nemoto & Keiko Masuda for bringing Pink Lady to this world. And most of all, I thank all of you for loving Pink Lady as much as I do. See ya next time, Think Pink, and God Bless.