Ten years have passed since the miracle… “That Great Actress” whom Kanna Hashimoto should refer to in order to become a national actress.

Among young actresses, there is one who shines brightly. This is Kanna Hashimoto (24), who made her big breakthrough in 2001 with “Miracle no Ippeki. Her momentum shows no sign of slowing down, and at the end of last year, at the age of just 23, she hosted the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Singing Contest). She has also appeared in five movies this year alone, and is flying off the shelves.

Once she gets into a role, she can play a wide range of roles, from pop characters in comedies to serious ones in horror films. In April, “The King’s Dedication” (TBS), her first terrestrial drama series in which she plays the lead role, began. The ratings have remained in the 6~7% range, proving that she is capable of performing in serial dramas on key stations. Last year, she also hosted the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Singing Contest) and is popular among men and women of all ages. She is finally getting close to becoming a national actress.

Although still in her early 20s, Hashimoto already boasts outstanding name recognition. In order to advance to the next stage of her career, she has an older colleague who she can look up to as a role model. A source in the entertainment industry tells us, “Hashimoto has achieved the status of a national actress.

A person involved in the entertainment industry says, “In order for Hashimoto to achieve the status of a nationally known actress, she should learn from Aya Ueto (37). Speaking of Ms. Ueto, she got her big break when she appeared in the sixth season of “Kinpachi Sensei” at the age of 16. She went on to star in several movies and solidified her position with national hit dramas such as “Hanzawa Naoki” (TBS) and “Nippogao” (Fuji TV). Although they are somewhat different in age, there are many similarities in the careers they have walked.

What Ms. Hashimoto lacks is a career in serial dramas. While Ms. Ueto has more than 15 dramas in which she has starred, Ms. Hashimoto does not have that many productions yet. Perhaps because of this, she has yet to appear in a national blockbuster drama. In addition, Ms. Hashimoto has appeared in many anime and manga-based productions and has had relatively few opportunities to play original roles. I hope she will use Ms. Ueto as a good model to further her own career.”

In order to make a full-fledged entry into serial dramas, Hashimoto hopes to achieve solid results with this lead role. I hope that she will model herself after her great predecessors and reach even greater heights.