How did one girl whip Japan into a frenzy?

See the unknown story of Dump Matsumoto, the most frightening “heel” during the glory days of women’s pro wrestling in the 1980s

From the 1970s to the ‘80s, women’s pro wrestling took Japan by storm. Tag teams like “Beauty Pair” (Jackie Sato and Maki Ueda) and “Crush Gals” (Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka) became national icons by not only competing but also singing and dancing in the ring. Dump Matsumoto was the sworn rival of the Crush Gals and made all of Japan her enemy, going wild in and out of the ring. As a young girl, Kaoru Matsumoto looked up to Jackie Sato but was told that she was too kind to be a villain. So how did she transform into the most notorious heel in Japanese history?

Based on real pro wrestlers and events, “The Queen of Villains” tells the previously unknown story of Dump Matsumoto. This semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story soaked in blood and tears follows a devoted daughter who competes with her peers and searches for her path in the world of women’s professional wrestling, enduring various sacrifices and inner struggles along the way. It is also an exhilarating empowerment drama set in the 1980s, a time when women strived to gain freedom through strength and tackled the male-dominated society in which the Equal Employment Opportunity Act saw lax enforcement.

Dump Matsumoto is played by the popular and multi-talented comedian Yuriyan Retriever. She personally asked to audition and spent two years training to achieve a wrestler’s physique, boldly expressing Matsumoto’s struggles and her awakening as a heel. Erika Karata (“Asako I & II”) plays Chigusa Nagayo, who begins as a failed wrestling trainee but eventually climbs the ladder to stardom. Just like the real mega-star Chigusa Nagayo, Karata emits a dazzling aura that contrasts with Matsumoto’s darkness.

Skilled actress Ayame Goriki plays Lioness Asuka, who was the most athletic and technical wrestler among her peers. Starting with the two actors playing the Crush Gals, all the actors who play the wrestlers were selected through auditions. This stellar cast of performers shows the colorful personalities of the tiny universe that was All Nippon Women’s Pro Wrestling.

They are joined by Jun Murakami as Takashi Matsunaga, Daisuke Kuroda as Kunimatsu Matsunaga, and Takumi Saitoh as Toshikuni Matsunaga, the brothers who founded All Nippon Women’s Pro Wrestling. Plus, Takuma Otoo plays Shiro Abe, the promoter and referee for the wrestling promotion. Nobuko Sendo plays Matsumoto’s mother, Riko. In addition, a record 24,145 extras were assembled to recreate the enthusiasm of the wrestling venues and crowds of the 1980s.

This series was developed, written and produced by Osamu Suzuki, a creator with diverse talents who has helmed and written many popular TV shows and also penned essays and novels. After hearing Matsumoto talk about the age of women’s pro wrestling as a guest on a show he was producing, Suzuki was convinced her story could be made into a series that resonates with the world and wrote the screenplay himself. Kazuya Shiraishi, who has gained popularity with a series of hits including “The Devil’s Path,” “The Blood of Wolves” and “Lesson in Murder,” serves as supervising director.

Atsuhiro Nabeshima, who was director of photography on Shiraishi’s “One Night” as well as “Fragments of the Last Will” and “Masked Hearts,” serves as cinematographer. Production Designer Tsutomu Imamura, who has worked with Shiraishi since his first directorial feature, brings to life the atmosphere of the 1980s by skillfully creating the wrestling venue sets and other props. Chigusa Nagayo, founder of the women’s pro wrestling promotion Marvelous, led the actors’ physical training from the preparation period and also serves as a supervisor in choreographing the wrestling scenes.

Trace the lives of these women who started from nothing, behold the frenzy they sparked, watch as they grapple with society in 1980s Japan and charge ahead at full speed, and discover what their lives have to teach us in this modern era.

Story

Kaoru Matsumoto lives happily with her younger sister Hiromi under the care of their mother, who supports the family with side jobs. However, when the sound of a dump truck signals the return of her scoundrel father, the home is thrown into chaos. One rainy day, when Kaoru is so filled with hate for her father that she wants to kill him, she is invited to a training site for All Nippon Women’s Pro Wrestling. Kaoru is instantly entranced by the glamour of wrestler Jackie Sato, and after graduating from high school, she enters a women’s pro wrestling beginners audition and barely gets in.

An old man cooking yakisoba noodles outside the venue who speaks to Kaoru turns out to be President Matsunaga, who runs the promotion. Under the leadership of the Matsunaga brothers, Kaoru begins her days of harsh training with her peers Tomoko, Chigusa and Yukari while enduring brutal instruction from the older wrestlers. In stark contrast to the athletically gifted Tomoko and Yukari, Kaoru and Chigusa keep failing the test to advance to the pro level, leading to Kaoru being pushed into doing door-to-door promotions as a salesperson. These two failed aspiring wrestlers sit in the training ring, talk about their love of Jackie Sato, and vow to get stronger.

When Chigusa finally achieves her pro debut, she shines in the ring and forms Crush Gals with Tomoko (now known as Lioness Asuka) and climbs the ladder to stardom. As Kaoru watches her friend’s ascent with a mix of envy and desire, the company orders her to turn heel. Along with Yukari (now known as Crane Yuu), Kaoru turns heel and aims to survive as a wrestler under the name “Dump Matsumoto.”

Adopting a style of wild makeup, a leather jacket and a bamboo kendo sword, she goes wild in and out of the ring. As TV ratings skyrocket, Kaoru makes enemies of all fans of the Crush Gals across Japan, whipping up a storm of intense hatred and slander against her and her family. However, Kaoru’s deep-seated rivalry with her old friend Chigusa drives her to keep fighting. This leads to a death match between the nation’s idol, Chigusa Nagayo, and its enemy, Dump Matsumoto, with the loser’s head of hair on the line.

*This is a fictional story based on real people and real events.

Comments from Dump Matsumoto and Chigusa Nagayo

Dump Matsumoto

I was drawn in from the moment the mirror breaks in the beginning.

Yuriyan’s powerful performance is incredible.

Some parts will make you cry, and I hope people will watch “The Queen of Villains” and feel like their dreams can come true if they never quit or lose.

Chigusa Nagayo (Pro wrestling supervisor for the Netflix Series “The Queen of Villains”)

Our story from the 1980s is now complete with this work.

I want to express my thanks to the women we were back then as well.

If you like the trailer, share your thoughts below!