Born on 10.10.84, Japanese teen idol Chiaki Kuriyama has one impressive resume of appearances in Japanese media, especially films and modeling. To the lovers of international cinema, she is widely known for her stirring performance in Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale as Takako Chigusa. Her first movie debut was in Toire no Hanako-San (School Mystery) in 1995, along with two of her co-stars from Battle Royale. Ai and
Aki Maeda.
In 2001,
American film Director
Quentin Tarantino spotted Chiaki while watching Battle Royale, of which he is a big fan of. So much, he had her casted in his 2003 movie Kill Bill: Vol. 1 as GoGo Yubari, the Japanese schoolgirl with a thirst for beheadings. Dressed in a blazer and a pleated plaid
skirt, she killed her way to superstardom around the world. Even though she wasn't listed as a main character in the credits, and did not come back as GoGo in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Quentin gave her one of the most elaborate credit sequences at the end of Vol. 2. He also recognizes her as his "Japanese Uma Thurman," and considering how
long Quentin and Uma have known each other, and how much he praises her, this is one of the most highest compliments Chiaki can recieve.
During the VMAs
2004, Uma and Chiaki won the award for "Best Fight" for Kill Bill: Vol. 1, and her most recent project "Take the A
Train Someday," Chiaki Kuriyama continues to make her way to the top on the list of Japan's most
popular teen idols, along with Ai and
Aki Maeda, Masanobu Ando, and Kou Shibasaki.
