Sagami Rei!
A Dark Past
Rei has very mysterious origins. He was found as a homeless beggar on the streets of Tokyo by Sana, age 5. Rei was allowed into the Kurata household in exchange for hard work as Sana's acting manager. Rei has always been grateful for being given a second chance (by complete strangers, no less!) and a second family but how he was cast to the streets is somewhat vague. During the arc of the first season focusing on Akito's family life, a side-plot develops when Sana is booked for a debut in a family-oriented drama. A woman named Kurumi Asako is also cast in it. Rei avoided her most of the time for unknown reasons and the situation begins to be suspicious. Asako finally had a confrontation with Rei where we find out about their romantic past and how his life went downhill after they were separated (probably due to her career). How exactly this transpired is unknown and what his personal life was like before this incident is unknown (other than the fact that he had just finished college).
Mr. Sunglasses
Sagami Rei is never seen (except for one episode) without his sunglasses on. The reason? Sana allegedly thinks they "look cool." Rei doesn't seem to mind much, even if he wears them both indoors and out. Sana has her own reasons for making him wear the sunglasses though. As has been mentioned in Sana's biography, Sana innocently believes Rei is her boyfriend. Therefore, she doesn't want any other woman thinking Rei is attractive, so she forces him to hide behind his trademark shades. Again, Rei doesn't seem to mind. He does, platonically, love Sana and would do anything for her. He may also agree to this because he only loves one woman, even though he thought he would never see her again, thus eliminating the need to flirt with other females. Whatever their reasons Rei always wear those shades... even to bed!
Rei, Sana's Pimp!
Ok, so perhaps he's not a pimp. Rei is, however, Sana's personal acting manager (and he gets 10% of her earnings). Rei is a diligent and intelligent manager. He keeps Sana as a popular actress by constantly involving her in all things television. From her own television show in "Zenjirou's Kodomo no Omocha" to countless commercials and TV dramas, Rei may have a tendency to overbook Sana with gigs. Sana does partially owe her popularity to Rei keeping her talent in the public eye.
With that said, Rei is not just a manager. He cares about Sana and makes sure she can handle her duties. He drives her to school and to her studios, always keeping a watchful eye out for her. Emotionally, Rei is always there for her, and is often the shoulder she can cry on. Rei is also a lot of fun to be around and is always ready to goof off with Sana. Although they may be a decade apart in age, they still hang out together and can have fun in their own style. Rei is definitely the best "boyfriend, manager, and pimp" a child superstar could ever want, and then some ^_^
Back to Kodomo no Omocha Main
