Masako Natsume: The short life of a rare beauty who plays Tang Tang in Journey to the West

Tang Tang in this version is no longer a man but a woman, wearing a white outfit from head to toe.

The series was also broadcast in some countries around the world in the 1980s

Masako Natsume, born Masako Odate, is the only daughter of a couple Sue and Kazu Odate. In 1976, while in college, she auditioned for the lead role in the TV series Ai ga miemasu ka. After passing 4000 applicants, she dropped out of school to pursue an acting career. Masako's mother initially objected to her profession and asked her daughter not to use the last name Odate. In 1977, she changed her name to Masako Natsume.

In 1977, Masako was chosen as an advertising model for Kanebo Cosmetics and impressed in a sunscreen advertisement.

Journey to the West is a classic work of Chinese writer Ngo Thua An. In 1986, the work was adapted into a film, jointly produced by China Central Television (CCTV) and the China Railway Administration, about a monk of the Tang Dynasty Taizong who and other students experienced 81 tribulations to get the Buddhist scriptures back to spread in the homeland.

In addition to the films "Journey to the West" produced by China, in some countries around the world such as Korea, Japan, and the United States, this work has also been adapted but in a very special and different direction. 8 years before the 1986 classic version was released, Japan made Journey to the West in 1978 and resonated throughout Asia.

In 1978, she played Tang Tang in Saiyūki (Journey to the West). This version of Journey to the West consists of 52 episodes spanning 2 seasons to 1980. The film still tells about the journey of asking for sutras of Tang Tang's teachers and students, but there are many interesting changes in the shape of the characters.

Tang Tang in this version is no longer a man but a woman, wearing a white outfit from head to toe. The series was also broadcast in some countries around the world in the 1980s, when it was voiced by BBC and titled Monkey. Masako was cast as Tang Sang because it matched contemporary descriptions of the character's appearance better than the male actors who auditioned for the role.

Masako Natsume's female image that year made many Chinese audiences angry because they thought the film was distorted and untrue. But it is because of the noise that followed that Masako Natsume's name is associated with the role of Tripitaka (Tang Tang). It is known that Masako Natsume's film was very popular in the UK in the 1980s. This proves the attraction of cherry blossom beauties.

During her career, Masako specializes in playing docile but timid female leads. She is often criticized by the public and the media for her poor acting. However, the actress had a makeover in 1982 when taking on two daring roles.

As an ambitious, unscrupulous woman in the TV series Shousha and as the daughter of a Yakuza leader in the Onimasa movie. Masako's line "If you look down on me, it would be a pity" in Onimasa became a very popular catchphrase in Japan at that time. She won the Best Actress award at the 8th Hochi Film Festival for her roles in The Catch and Time and Tide.

In 1984, Masako married author Tadaki Nishiyama, but after only one year, in the midst of her beauty at the peak and her career flourishing, Masako Natsume discovered she had acute leukemia. After a period of treatment, she did not survive and passed away at the age of 27. Masako Natsume's death made the whole Japanese entertainment industry regret. Unexpectedly, the talented female artist passed away so soon. To this day, the audience still remembers her beautiful Tang Tang role.

Sun Wukong in Journey to the West turns out to be real, but is he scheming to harm Tang Monk? An Nhi16:41:38 22/02/2024Journey to the West is one of the four great Chinese masterpieces, composed by Ngo Thua An. If the image of Tang Tang was literaryized from the real historical figure, the magician Xuanzang, then the prototype of the character Sun Wukong is still mysterious and controversial.