Part 11

VIDEOS

022 +01:20 Yagura Ichiko - Primary - VIDDLER / GAMEVEE (Archives: 39, 40, 41)


ARCHIVES

039


ID #444

This card certifies that the pictured individual is a genuine student of this school.

Rank: Second Grade, Class 4
Name: Yagura Ichiko
Born: May 10, 1972 (Showa 47)

Issued by the Office of the Principal, Kameishino Prefectural Junior High School.

(NOTE: A "second grade" middle-schooler would be an 8th-grader in the United States. Also, the name of the middle school uses the kanji for "turtle" "rock" and "field".)

040


An intricately-folded letter of a kind that was popular with junior high school girls. Similar to origami, this letter is folded into the shape of a sailor suit school uniform. Girls were known to create various shapes and use these letters to communicate with their friends.



Dear Noriko,
Are you feeling okay? You didn't look well earlier, and didn't have much at dinner. Nakajima looked like he was worried about you too. You must be seasick. This ferry is always rocking and swaying.
It's just a rumor, but people said that when the boat stopped today they found a girl's body. That means there's a corpse on the boat right now... It's scary.
Oh, sorry for talking about this kind of stuff when you're not feeling well! Please get better soon!
Anyway, now that the tournament is over we can start to focus on our entrance exams. Let's do our best! I'm sure our matching bracelets will bring us good luck on the tests.

From "OnZaMayuge" - Ichiko

(NOTE: Ichiko signs her letter "onzamayuge - Ichiko", which literally means "on-the-eyebrows Ichiko". It's an old-fashioned bit of slang used to denote girls' bangs (as in forelocks). "Maegame" also means "bangs".)

041


Azuma Riko: Where is she now?
Azuma Riko is the sister of legendary pop idol Azuma Eri, who was tragically killed on her way to the Annual Music Awards ceremony. With an eye to continuing her late sister's work, Riko debuted with the pop sensation "The Passion of Mendoza".
Her hits broke one record after another, leading her to prepare for an American debut and international fame. However, without warning, she surprised her fans by announcing her marriage and immediate retirement. More shocking was the fact that her husband was the very same driver who had run over her sister, Eri. It seems the two became close during his repeated visits to the Azuma household to offer his apologies for the accident.
Riko now spends her days as a mother, raising her child and hitting the dance floor. She is best remembered for her hit, "Aztec Queen", which topped the charts for 13 consecutive weeks.

Listen.