Line #37 Series/Fujiko


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3	'''''Fujiko''''' is a 2015 [[PsychologicalThriller psychological thriller]]-drama [[MiniSeries miniseries]] distributed by Creator/{{Hulu}} and J:COM. Based on the novel ''Satsujinki Fujiko no Shōdō'' by Yukiko Mari, the show stars Machiko Ono as renowned {{serial killer}} and [[DeathRow death-row]] inmate Fujiko Uehara; Mitsuki Tanimura as Michiko Takamine, a young prize-winning journalist with [[DarkAndTroubledPast a past of her own]]; and Kyōko Maya as Shigeko Shimoda, Fujiko's hospitable aunt and a member of a [[MysteryCult mysterious religious cult]].
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5	Three days after the suicide of a daughter of "Fujiko the Killer," Michiko receives the daughter's manuscript for a biography of Fujiko in the mail, and is subsequently tasked with writing a biography on the killer herself. Judging the manuscript to be biased by its author's perspective, Michiko interviews the mass murderer herself to corroborate the facts. As Fujiko's origin story begins to unravel, so do family secrets and the workings of [[GreaterScopeVillain yet another killer]].
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7	A J:COM/Hulu original series, ''Fujiko'' was adapted to television by Izumi Takahashi, comprising six hour-long episodes co-directed by Shōsuke Murakami (''Train Man'', ''One Week Friends'') and Kazuyuki Iwata (''Yo ni mo Kimyō na Monogatari'', ''Fukuie Keibuho no Aisatsu''). Composer Yutaku Yamada (''Manga/TokyoGhoul'') wrote the musical score, while the closing-credits song, "Cinderella," is performed by Kazuyoshi Saitō.
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10	!! Tropes associated with Fujiko:
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12	* AbusiveParents: Fujiko and Hideki Uehara, who deprecated and beat the daylights out of their elder daughter Sakiko (as well as each other).
13	** Also [[spoiler:Fujiko and her first husband Yūya Tsujimura]], whose neglect [[spoiler:kills her first child, Minami]] (despite [[spoiler:Fujiko's]] genuine efforts to care for her).
14	* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:Michiko's UncertainDoom. Multiple circumstances suggest [[{{Cliffhanger}} either]] that Michiko was killed by Shigeko, or that Michiko is living as Miyako Uehara but has "[[ThatManIsDead killed off]]" her identity as Michiko Takamine.]]
15	* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:Michiko Takamine, having abandoned her identity as Fujiko Uehara's daughter Miyako long ago.]] Subverted later on, when [[spoiler:Michiko reassumes her former legal name to continue visiting Fujiko in prison]]. Possibly subverted further by [[spoiler:the AmbiguousEnding]].
16	* BerserkButton: Fujiko's is her [[spoiler:[[MagicPlasticSurgery plastic surgery]]]]. [[spoiler:Shigeko]] has one for [[spoiler:[[NeverMessWithGranny any suggestion]], however [[IWasJustJoking well-humored]] it may be, that she start a religious sect of her own]]. Coincidentally, both of them involve [[spoiler:[[UndisclosedFunds how either spends her money]] to gain favor among her peers]].
17	* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Fujiko has been living by a moral code based not on good and evil, but on what/who she believes will make her happy or miserable.
18	** The Water of Heaven cult. See ReligiousHorror.
19	* {{Cliffhanger}}: Leading up to the AmbiguousEnding.
20	* DefusingTheTykebomb: This happens gradually to Fujiko as Michiko unearths her DarkAndTroubledPast.
21	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: See sub-entry for EvenEvilHasStandards.
22	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Fujiko, a [[AbusiveParents regular abuser]] of Sakiko, intervenes when Hideki abuses and concusses her.
23	** [[spoiler:Shigeko]] exemplifies this as well. Though [[spoiler:the final episode]] [[TheReveal reveals]] [[spoiler:her]] to be TheManBehindTheMan and have [[spoiler:a [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist not-so-benevolent agenda]]]], [[spoiler:her]] many upstanding acts towards [[spoiler:her family]] retains a large amount of the audience's sympathy. [[spoiler:She [[ParentalSubstitute took both Fujiko and Sakiko in]] and raised them [[LikeASonToMe as if they were her own]], for example. She also defends Sakiko's daughter's worth [[TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside aside from her looks]]; and still believes in and checks in on Fujiko at prison, despite the latter's [[YoureNotMyFather persevering rejection]], her [[MoralEventHorizon many grave crimes]] (especially [[PaterFamilicide against family]]), and decades of [[MotiveDecay unprofitability]].]]
24	* EvilMatriarch: There are [[spoiler:three]] of them. [[spoiler:Four]] if you count [[spoiler:Fujiko]]'s mother, who gets the [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bridge dropped on her]] rather quickly, and whose salacious crimes [[LeftHanging never come to light]].
25	* EvilParentsWantGoodKids: Although Fujiko [[AbusiveParents insists]] (and firmly believes) that "[[InTheBlood the children of scum are scum]]," the reason Fujiko tried to kill Sakiko years ago was to spare her the very FaceHeelTurn she experienced years ago. She also imparts [[BlueAndOrangeMorality "good" advice]] to both [[spoiler:Minami and Sakiko]] that they'll never be happy [[BeautyIsBest unless they become beautiful]]. Furthermore, she hopes to protect [[spoiler:adult Miyako/Michiko]] from the [[DysfunctionalFamily family drama]], telling [[spoiler:Sakiko not to involve her in the body of the manuscript]].
26	** [[spoiler:Fujiko]] is another object of this. [[spoiler:In a flashback, her [[AlmostDeadGuy dying mother]], also implied to have been a murderer, has just enough strength to [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture reassure Fujiko]] that--despite Hatsuyo Kosaka's [[LoserSonOfLoserDad insistence otherwise]]--Fujiko can turn out [[SuperiorSuccessor better than her]].]]
27	* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler:Hatsuyo...though there is an [[TheManBehindTheMan even greater villain]] than her.]]
28	* MagicPlasticSurgery: [[spoiler:Fujiko, who was taught by a co-worker that the key to happiness was [[BeautyIsBest to be more beautiful]] than anyone else, so she saved up for operations to get "a new face [[StartingANewLife for a new start]]."]]
29	** Ironically, [[spoiler:Sakiko]] also got her face operated upon, but [[spoiler:to [[IJustWantToBeYou look just like her mother]]]]. As her husband reveals, [[spoiler:Sakiko was [[StepfordSmiler trying to be happy]] as best as she could, but she had [[EmptyShell no sense of her own distinct identity]]. Urged by [[MysteryCult Water of Heaven]] in order to bring in potential recruits, Sakiko [[{{Masquerade}} changed her appearance]] to look like "Fujiko the Killer"]].
30	* TheMaidenNameDebate: [[spoiler:When Michiko is debating whether to go by “Michiko Takamine” or “Miyako Uehara,” Haru interjects: "What about ‘Miyako ''Wakamura''’?...[[UnwantedAssistance Or ‘]]''[[UnwantedAssistance Michiko]]'' [[UnwantedAssistance Wakamura,’ of course.]]"]]
31	* MysteryCult: Water of Heaven, a cult to which Shigeko, [[spoiler:Hatsuyo]], and later Sakiko have belonged. Their doctrine is largely unknown, but the Hindu-Buddhist concept of karma seems to be among its principles.
32	* NeverSuicide: [[spoiler:Sakiko]] and [[spoiler:Hatsuyo]].
33	* ReligiousHorror: By technicality...though it deals not with the canon of the faith but with [[spoiler:Fujiko's victims and parents' murders, along with Sakiko's [[EmptyShell mental health issues]], [[UndisclosedFunds funding the cult]] and [[MilkingTheMonster buying]] [[ParentalSubstitute their guardian's]] [[VillainWithGoodPublicity peers' reverence]]. Also, killing fellow believers is apparently [[BlueAndOrangeMorality not frowned]] ([[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney enough]]) [[BlueAndOrangeMorality upon]] in the sect, either]].
34	* RepressedMemories: Fujiko's, from previous "resets."
35	* TheSociopath: Fujiko; as well as [[spoiler:Hatsuyo]], probably [[spoiler:Fujiko's mother]], and arguably [[spoiler:Shigeko]].
36	* ThatManIsDead: See BecomingTheMask.
37	* TilMurderDoUsPart: Fujiko has killed Hideki [[spoiler:''and'' her first husband Yūya]]. [[spoiler:Both Michiko and Sakiko greatly fear doing the same to their own husbands in the future]].
38	* TraumaButton: [[spoiler:Hatsuyo Kosaka, who killed Fujiko's parents and later [[SinsOfOurFathers received her dues]]...[[AngstWhatAngst or did she?]]]]
39	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: This is how Fujiko has repeatedly tried to "reset" her life: by offing the deadweights in it and marching on.

Context Series / Fujiko