| Ruriko Matsunai | |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 松内 瑠璃子 |
| Rōmaji | Matsunai Ruriko |
| Live-action Name | Liu Li Er (琉璃兒) |
| Personal Information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | Early 20's |
| Status | |
| Status | Alive |
| Occupation | Musician Newbie Actor |
| Company | LME |
| Debut | |
| Manga | ACT.008 |
| Anime | Episode 5 |
| Live-action | Episode 4 (Live-action) |
| Portrayal | |
| Seiyū | Kawasumi Ayako |
| English Voice Actor | Kira Buckland |
| Live Action Actor | Li Yi Jin |
Ruriko Matsunai is the latest idol-singer that is being produced by LME [2]. Ruriko was the third person to give Kyoko Mogami a Love Me job once she got in the Love Me Section.[3]
Personality
Ruriko is initially introduced as a selfish, bratty, arrogant idol, even proclaiming herself as Japan's last idol star. Ruriko is very childish, as she was mentioned to throw tantrums and quit her work when things didn't go her way. She doesn't have devotion to her work like she used to. She doesn't show respect to directors and the crew members as time passed by. She also gets easily jealous of the attention Kyoko gets from the crew, especially from Ren.
Ruriko stated she hates people who solicit from other people shamelessly in order to become popular. Intending to make Kyoko suffer and then give her low points, her malicious plans backfire and she ends up changing for the better. Her hatred for Kyoko dissolves and she grows to respect Kyoko.
Appearance
Ruriko has brown hair with grey eyes. She has very fair white skin which is precious to her, going as far as misleading people that she is allergic to U.V. rays, and refuses to go outdoors to prevent her skin from tanning. She has a slim build body.
Background
Ruriko seemed to experience the rough way before she became a famous idol at LME. Before her debut, she was working hard even through having a fever which proves her "fighting spirit" that she lost over time. She was mentioned to have fans equal to that of Ren. The popularity goes to her head.
Ruriko was mentioned to have a bad habit of quitting if things don't go her way until they coax her. Most of the staff who worked with her grew tired of her.
Plot
Princess Coup d'Etat arc
Kyoko's first big assignment as a member of the Love Me Section is a job for Ruriko Matsunai! In truth, Ruriko has never wanted her help and only want to make her fail since she doesn't like the new section. As the vehicle failed Ruriko asks Kyoko to carry her to the top of a hill which results into her having a broken leg. Ruriko promises to send someone but intentionally left her. Ren carries Kyoko back to the filming site which enraged Ruriko. It was later revealed that Ruriko arrived late, as she didn't received the order umbrella from the customs to protect her from sunlight.
Kyoko then discovers that Ruriko has been wanting to put her down all along so she accepts her challenge to battle with her with acting.At first Ruriko pushed down Kyoko out of jealousy of receiving attention from Ren but soon find out that everyone including Ren demands her to apologize to Kyoko. Later on, the director doesn't like the way Ruriko is acting while clad in her kimono, as she doesn't take the movie seriously at all. Ruriko keeps being childish and screaming around as the rest of the staff looks like it's getting really tired of it. Kyoko notices this and coolly announces that she can do that work herself.
Ruriko frustrated with Ren helping Kyoko on her ankle.
It was later revealed that Ruriko's manager, the Director and Ren are all following Tadashi's request to fix Ruriko's bad attitude. After hearing comments from the staff, Ruriko goes into panic mode and Ren ends up talking to her. When Kyoko comes in her costume and make-up she and Ruriko fight verbally and Ren notices the director smiling at Ruriko's heated reactions. Even though Ruriko quits her role, she competed with Kyoko for the role.
At first Ruriko had confidence to beat Kyoko despite both being debut actresses. Ruriko had experience in front of the camera while Kyoko had none, which made Ruriko to hope that Kyoko would cause trouble for the crew. But Kyoko exceeded everyone's expectations. Ruriko finally understood what the director demanded from her by Kyoko's acting. Ruriko herself acknowledged Kyoko's talent in the first scene and realized that the gap in their performance was getting wider. Ruriko regained her confidence by the next scene, using Kyoko's wounded ankle as an advantage.
Ruriko practices for the tea ceremony. Kyoko confronts her on her supposed allergy to sunlight. Upon learning that there is no allergy and that Ruriko was just being a prima donna, she fights with her and hurts her ankle even more. While doing the tea ceremony scene, Ruriko was too distracted that Ren said he may choose Kyoko over her as his co-star. The director cuts the scene and tells Kyoko to step in. Ruriko tries to make up excuses as to why she didn't do the scene well. Ruriko is annoyed with the director.
Kyoko's ankle hurts a lot, but she surprises everybody by acting just like if she had not a problem. Ren is impressed with Kyoko and acts seriously with Kyoko, drawing out her reactions to his lines perfectly, without any effort on her part. Ruriko notice a bizarre change in Ren's aura towards Kyoko which is different when she was acting with him.
The director explains to Ruriko that she can't make Ren give his best, unlike Kyoko. He tells her that Kyoko is acting like a professional. Ruriko insists to the director that she can have enough dedication to her job to get Ren to act seriously with her as well to which the director denies.
Ruriko thinks that everyone is ganging up and choosing Kyoko over her. Meanwhile, Kyoko's injured ankle has been exasperated by her seiza position. Ren continue with his lines, but when he turns to look at her in a powerful way, she stops in shock. The director notices as well and runs forwards, yelling at her to stop. He tells Kyoko that's its okay to stop. Kyoko looks like she is in very bad shape and is so totally concentrated she doesn't really hear what is happening. She says that it's ok, because it isn't finished yet.
Ruriko, after seeing Kyoko's actions, starts having flashbacks about her early debut days when she was having a fever but she didn't want to stop singing and begged for a little more time because she loved her songs so much. But popularity and fame had changed her. Ruriko wonders when she had forgotten about that one moment along her way.
However, during filming, Kyoko still refuses to move until the so-called guest moves first. Understanding the meaning Ren steps down and Kyoko instantly faints from the strain. This causes Ruriko to reflect on her own attitude towards her work. The whole crew realized how extremists are still across the world while Kyoko is taken by stretcher for medical care. Ruriko felt defeated by Kyoko but says she doesn't want to lose with any regrets. Ruriko, now given new determination by her own epiphany and inspired by Kyoko's example, humbly asks the director for one more chance at acting, surprising every one. Kyoko receives full points from Ruriko as thanks for showing strong work ethic. Ruriko was expecting Kyoko to ill treat her for snatching the role but surprisingly Kyoko accept her defeat for fainting in her role. Kyoko and Ruriko now saw each other in a better light.
Ren reveals to the crew that the director wasn't intending to replace Ruriko with Kyoko and that Kyoko was just a decoy competitor in provoking Ruriko, a truth which neither Kyoko or Ruriko will ever know. Later Ruriko's manager explained to the director that Ruriko has trouble sleeping due to nightmares of Kyoko taking over her role, even though Kyoko is already set to leave the spot, as her assignment was over.
Relationship
Ren Tsuruga
Ruriko seems to be intrested in Ren, for she accepted the role in the movie after hearing that ren insisted on her being is co-star. She also went to the shooting spot by insistence of her manager about Ren being waiting for her. She also easily get jealouse of Kyoko getting Ren attention while She is just exchanging greetings with him. She first felt Ren to be rude for ignoring her and later she felt that Ren pushed her ocean aside for lacking in professionalism
Lory Takarada
He is the boss of Ruriko under which she is produced for her singing. Lory cares enough for her to set up a plan to fix up her bad attitude towards work, but was surprised by the desired result coming about so quickly and mostly due to Kyoko.
Seiji Shingai
He is the director of the movie in which Ruriko debuts as an actress. Intially he was so demanding that Ruriko quits but indirectly he was asked to fix Ruriko's bad attitude and used Kyoko. When Ruriko politely asks for another chance, he smiles of his success but warns her of his demanding attitude which she agrees But he is remorse to of using Kyoko of her injured stae.
Kyoko Mogami
Ruriko disliked the love me department and intend to make Kyoko to suffer. While Kyoko views Ruriko as her storybook princess and vows to protect her, even going as far as carrying her to the spot. Kyoko almost felt of retrieving her lost feelings.But Kyoko soon realize her being deceived.
Kyoko soon vow to steal Ruriko's spot by debuting in the movie. Ruriko felt threatened by Kyoko's talent and attention she gathered and the sudden transformation in the role Choko.But soon Ruriko realized her flaw from Kyoko's devotion and Finally, they both viewed each other in better light.
Quotes
(feeling indignant that Ren is talking more to Kyoko than her) ❝I have about the same number of fans as Ren! I'm a star LME is proud of!❞[4]