Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 51

From Rapeman to Mother Superior

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attire. Occasionally, the husband also goes bargain hunting in the
market. The harmonious coexistence of modern and traditional, both
in adornment and in family roles, is a major attraction of this show.
The couple lives happily, showing that there is nothing unusual
about their role arrangement.
Even in Rapeman, women are cast in unconventional roles,
such as an evil doctor, a master criminal, and a corrupted cop. These
are also powerful roles, powerful enough to inflict great harm on
people, thus inviting the wrath of the avenger.
Strength of the Female Bond

The Famous Deductive Detective Ama San (Ama San Tantei
Mei-Suiri) would be a humdrum who-done-it series if it were not that
the main character is an Ama San (Buddhist nun) played by the
veteran actress Hama Yuko, who also stars in a much stronger crime
series Woman Medical Examiner Muro Akiko (Onna Kansatsu-i Muro
Akiko). Both in physical appearance and in TV persona, Hama Yuko
bears close resemblance to Angela Lansbury of Murder She Wrote. In
the Ama San story, Hama Yuko plays the Mother Superior in a
Buddhist temple, who is fond of reading novels written by one of
Japan's best known mystery authors, Edogawa Ranbo. The abbess is
middle aged, beautiful and brilliant. Through her meticulous
deductive reasoning and diligent investigative work, she is able to
help the local police in catching the real culprits and exonerating
those mistakenly believed to be guilty.
In a way. Mother Superior epitomizes the new Japanese
women portrayed in many of the recent dramas. She has the intellect
of Akechi Kogoro (Sherlock Holmes' counterpart in Edogwa's novels)
and the virtues of an abbess. Mother Superior and her three
followers, two ordained nuns and one novitiate, share an immutable
bond. Their complete trust in and loyalty to each other are never
shaken regardless of the circumstances. The abbess also is immune to
romantic impulses, a trait valued in the new Japanese women on
television. While her followers are at times distracted by fleeting
flirtations and worldly temptations, the abbess never strays. In spite
of the fact that she is avidly courted by her detective partner from
the police department and by her young, handsome personal
physician, Ama San never succumbs to their overtures.