Akiko Wakabayashi
Also Known As: 若林 映子, Акико Вакабаяси
Biography: Akiko Wakabayashi (born December 13, 1939 in Ōta, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress, best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl, Aki in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. Prior to this, she made many movies in her native Japan, especially Toho Studio's monster movies such as Dagora, the Space Monster and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (both of which were also released under various other titles). When production of You Only Live Twice began, Wakabayashi was originally slated to play the role of Kissy Suzuki whilst her co-star Mie Hama played Suki, one of Tiger Tanaka's top agents. When learning English proved to be a major hurdle to Hama, the women switched roles, with Hama now playing the smaller part of Kissy and Wakabayashi playing the larger part of Suki. Wakabayashi, as Aki in the movie You Only Live Twice. At her suggestion, the character of Suki was renamed to Aki. This is probably partly because[citation needed] in 1966, Woody Allen took the Japanese action film International Secret Police: Key of Keys (in which both Mie Hama and Wakabayashi starred), re-edited, re-dubbed, re-plotted, and renamed it What's Up, Tiger Lily?. In the film, Wakabayashi's character was "Suki Yaki" whereas her You Only Live Twice co-star Hama played "Teri Yaki". Wakabayashi made only one more film (and a guest TV appearance) before disappearing from both the big and small screen. In an interview in G-FAN magazine (No. 76), Wakabayashi said she retired from acting due to injuries sustained while making a movie. Description above from the Wikipedia article Akiko Wakabayashi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Ota, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
Birthday: December 13, 1939
Adult: No
Gender: Female
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Known For:
You Only Live Twice
Overview: A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.
Genres: Action Thriller Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-06-13
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King Kong vs. Godzilla
Overview: The advertising director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, frustrated with the low ratings of their sponsored TV program, seeks a more sensationalist approach. He orders his staff to Faro Island to capture King Kong for exploitation. As Godzilla re-emerges, a media frenzy generates with Pacific looking to capitalize off of the ultimate battle.
Genres: Science Fiction Comedy Adventure Fantasy Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-08-11
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What's Up, Tiger Lily?
Overview: In comic Woody Allen's film debut, he took the Japanese action film "International Secret Police: Key of Keys" and re-dubbed it, changing the plot to make it revolve around a secret egg salad recipe.
Genres: Action Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-11-02
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When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Overview: Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1960-01-15
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Kanpai! Sararīman shokun
Overview: 1962 Japanese movie
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-01-14
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The Crimson Sky
Overview: 1962 Japanese movie
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-03-21
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Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Overview: After a meteorite unleashes a three-headed beast upon Tokyo, Mothra tries to unite with Godzilla and Rodan to battle the extraterrestrial threat.
Genres: Science Fiction Action Fantasy Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1964-12-20
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Adventure in Kigan Castle
Overview: Osami, a soldier-of-fortune from Japan, joins with priest Ensai in a quest for the ashes of the great Buddha. Their journey takes them to a kingdom in the Middle East, where they find intrigue and romance in the court of an evil king.
Genres: Action Adventure Family
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1966-04-28
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Our Failures
Overview: Tells the story of Shintaro, a lawyer who quits his job to work at a camera factory, and his love adventures.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-09-01
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The Weed of Crime
Overview: Toho-produced crime drama involving the drug trade.
Genres: Crime Drama Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-12-08
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The Thin Line
Overview: Tashiro coincidentally meets his best friend Sugimoto in a bar very close to the apartment in which Sugimoto’s wayward wife is found dead. Although Tashiro is not a suspect in the police investigation, he is racked with guilt and confesses to his wife, Masako. In an effort to further relieve his tortured sense of guilt, he then confesses to Sugimoto. Neither his wife nor his friend can believe that he could have been involved.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1966-02-12
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Ai no uzu shio
Overview: 1962 Japanese movie
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-05-22
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Pig and Goldfish
Overview: 1962 Japanese movie
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-06-20
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Akiko
Overview: The quaint life of Ottavia, a widow living in Rome, is turned upside down when a young and pretty Japanese girl knocks at her door, claiming to be the daughter of her late husband, an Italian military officer who went to Japan on a secret mission during WWII and reportedly killed in action there.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1961-03-23
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Samurai Pirate
Overview: An adventurous and daring sailor sets sail to the castle of an ailing king to stop an evil premier, hungry for power and wealth, from succeeding the throne and marrying the king's beautiful daughter. Along the way, with the help of some courageous rebels and a lustful wizard, he must overcome the powers of a bewitching witch, a band of ruthless pirates, and the castle's Imperial guards. He must also free those kidnapped into slavery and restore the king's reputation.
Genres: Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1963-10-26
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Arupusu no wakadaishô
Overview: Seventh movie of the Wakadaishō series directed by Kengo Furusawa
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1966-05-28
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Key of Keys
Overview: Intelligence director Suritai asks agent Kitami to steal money from anti-government guerrillas.
Genres: Comedy Action Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1965-10-22
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Wakai kisetsu
Overview: 1962 Japanese movie
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-10-20
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Sararīman Gonza to Sukejū ren'ai kōsa-ten
Overview: 1962 Japanese movie
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-11-17
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Gekkyū dorobō
Overview: 1962 Japanese movie
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1962-12-08
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Best Ever Bond
Overview: Roger Moore presents the ten best sequences ever to have appeared in the James Bond series, and cast members recall their favourite moments.
Genres: Documentary Action
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-11-22
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Dogora
Overview: A floating amorphous life-form descends from the atmosphere to consume carbon in the form of diamonds.
Genres: Science Fiction Crime Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1964-08-11
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A Keg of Powder
Overview: In the third installment in the "Kokusai himitsu keisatsu" series, agent Jiro Kitami investigates the mysterious disappearance of a prominent scientist. Edited into Woody Allen's "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" along with the 4th film in the series, "Key of Keys".
Genres: Action Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1964-12-09
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Interpol Code 8
Overview: Agent Jiro Kitami attempts to stop a smuggling ring from shipping arms to Vietcong guerrillas.
Genres: Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1963-08-31
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こんにちは赤ちゃん
Overview:
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1964-03-20
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The Beast Shall Die
Overview: A promising post-graduate literature student is transformed into a psychotic killer following the suicide of his father and a sleazy affair by his mother with a younger man.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1959-06-09
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Acchan no bebi gyangu
Overview: Based on the comic by Fuyuhiko Okabe.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1961-09-17
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Song for a Bride
Overview: An Ishiro Honda film.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1958-02-11
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The Orientals
Overview: Episodic, globe-trotting quasi-mondo focused on women of the East.
Genres: Action Adventure Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1960-04-08
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Girl from Hong Kong
Overview: Unusual race relations melodrama from West Germany follows a German sailor who meets and weds a Chinese woman while on leave in Hong Kong, only to meet with disapproval from his family and friends when the couple returns to Europe.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1961-08-29
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King Kong vs. Godzilla
Overview: When an underhanded pharmaceutical company goes to a remote tropical island to steal King Kong for advertising purposes, they get more than they bargained for when the gigantic ape attacks an unsuspecting village and an enormous octopus.
Genres: Action Science Fiction Comedy Adventure Fantasy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1963-06-26
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Diamonds of the Andes
Overview: Romantic action film set against the beautiful backdrop of Rio de Janeiro. Jiro Ibuki has decided to leave the world of the yakuza and live with his fiancée Reiko.
Genres: Action Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1968-04-28
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