Hell

I’ve finished watching “Straight to Hell” on Netflix.

This drama is based on a true story of the most famous/notorious fortune teller in Japan, Kazuko Hosoki. She was the face of showbiz about 20 years ago, like one of those TV evangelists in the US, and even if you despise her it was hard to avoid seeing her on television, berating celebrities mercilessly in her glittering dresses that only Liberace could compete.

One of the most absurd things was that some comedians were forced advised to change their names to succeed. A comedy duo Osaru (which means monkey in Japanese) and Coala (which means Coala in Japanese) both ended up changing their names to Monkikki and Happi Happy respectively. Never seen them since.

But what stuck to my brain so strongly was when Stevie Wonder and Bon Jovi guested for her show. I remember being taken aback by her holding Stevie’s hand without asking, like she’d know him for years, and felt disgusted how arrogant she was. Although the Netflix series is pretty much exaggerated, it confirmed my gut instinct that she was really good at sucking up to influential people.

I think Bon Jovi were on the show to promote their new album. In retrospect, it’s unbelievable a band as big as Bon Jovi to be on such a programme hosted by a shady fortune teller - I felt sorry for them. She told them she loves rock music, saying it’s a sound that comes straight from the core of your heart. I wonder how many audiance believed this revelation. I didn’t. I thought it’s a downright lie. She wouldn’t have noticed if it were Wrong Jovi in the studio.

Eventually, it was her connection with Yakuza that ended her career in television, but she had enough ardent followers to keep her rich until the last breath. It was all too crazy but nobody was aware what the fuck was going on. 20 years has passed. Nothing much has changed.