Double Faced Girls

Of course double-faced characters, and especially double-faced girls, are not a peculiarity of J-dramas. But I noticed that in K-dramas and TW-dramas, the viewer knows from the beginning that a woman is evil and is just pretending to be innocent. On the other hand, in J-dramas they're presented as the purest and most lovable girls in the world, and we are led to think that they're really good persons, before their true colors are eventually revealed.

Do you need some examples? Here they are!

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Sanjo Sakurako (Hana Yori Dango)

In Eitoku school, she's the only girl who smiles at Makino Tsukushi, talks to her, has lunch with her. In short, she's Makino's only friend. Before she drugged her at the disco, took some equivocal photos of her with a guy and then kidnapped her. Everything to get revenge on Domyoji who called her “ugly” in kindergarten. Oh, well.

Nakashima Umi (Hana Yori Dango 2)

A smiling girl, totally devoted to help others: that's the idea we make of her when we see her for the first time at the hospital. Everybody loves and admires her because she always talk to the patients and tries to make them laugh and forget their pain. Except that shortly afterwards, she objects to bring back Domyoji's memory. Then we understand that she has a twisted concept of “Good” and “Evil”. But Rui had already realized that she was not to be trusted!

Aoi (Nobuta wo Produce)

She was always by Nobuta's side and supported her with a smile on. I was so glad that Nobuta had finally found a friend that I didn't suspect her at all. Then it turns out that she's exactly the most wicked of the situation, and I was shocked. Hiding behind the good girl mask she enjoys herself ruining other people's life. I found myself saying “Bando? Who said Bando was a bad girl?! She's an angel compared to Aoi!”

Nanami Natsuki (Buzzer Beat)

She really matched Naoki, the guy with the biggest and kindest heart that I've ever seen. In fact, she's as well the most gentle and good mannered girl you could imagine, always willing to help her colleagues, loved by Naoki's family and idolized by everyone. A couple too perfect to be true. And, indeed, as soon as Naoki turns around Natsuki mocks him, takes off her innocent smile, lights a cigarette and cheats on him with Yoyogi Ren, the worst mug of the basketball team. We can say Naoki had seen it right... luckily he doesn't get to the point of marrying her!

Ito Mika (Zettai Kareshi)

Once again we have the protagonist's best friend. Riiko confides everything to her and ask her for advices, on the other hand Mika encourages her to go out with Ishizeki Hayato on whom Riiko has a crush and... with whom Mika herself has a relationship. But nothing serious, really, he was only one of the several men she was seeing at the time. Then she (almost) compromises Riiko's participation at the patisserie contest and ruins the reputation of her cream puffs. It was necessary to go that far to find out what kind of person she was?!

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From these examples, even if they're insufficient to create a complete picture of double-faced characters in Jdramas, we can understand one thing: the smile. If you don't want surprises while watching a Jdrama... beware of "good girls" who are always smiling!