Erika Toda, who will give birth to her first child this spring, is expected to return to acting, but two “causes for concern” are being whispered in the industry. | FRIDAY DIGITAL

Erika Toda, who will give birth to her first child this spring, is expected to return to acting, but two “causes for concern” are being whispered in the industry.

Is everyone around her worried about her past resignation from the board and her "bitter words" about compliance that caused a stir?

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These proportions are still in good shape after the birth of her first child (October ’21).

Six months after announcing the birth of her first child, Erika Toda (35) is beginning to attract attention for the “timing of her return to acting. It has been about two years since she took a break from serious acting work. While she is expected to make a comeback to the stage, her strong “bitter words” to the industry during her absence are also said to be a secret topic of conversation in the TV and movie industries.

Toda married actor Tori Matsuzaka (35) in December 2008. On May 4 this year, she announced the birth of her first child, and on June 21, she took the stage in public for the first time since giving birth at an Amazon PR event. She also appeared in Amazon’s promotional web movie, which was distributed on the same day. However, she has been away from acting since her last appearance in “Hakozume” (NTV), a drama series in which she and Mei Nagano starred together in the July ’21 season. The movie “Motherhood,” in which she starred, was released in November 2010, but it is said that the film was shot before “Hakozume” (sports newspaper desk).

Looking at the actresses at her agency, Fram, there is a growing sense that Toda may not be able to keep her mouth shut any longer. Senior actress Ryoko Hirosue (43) is under indefinite house arrest due to the double adultery scandal that broke out in June, and the following month she divorced artist Candle Jun. However, Kasumi Arimura (30) and Minami Tanaka (36), who moved to the company in 2008, are also with the same agency, and Tanaka, in particular, has entered a serious mode of focusing solely on her acting career starting this fall.

With Hirosue out of the line of fire, Arimura continuing her full rotation, and Tanaka rising to the top, Toda, as the office’s signature actress, must have her own thoughts on the matter. In August this year, Toda showed off her stunning beauty in the beauty magazine “VOCE,” and on September 14 she appeared at an event for the luxury brand Cartier in a sexy black dress with a deep slit down the left leg, boldly showing off her breasts and beautiful back. The impression is that she is finally making a move, proving that she has completely returned her body to its preeminent style since the birth of her child. I believe that the day is near when she will once again be at the forefront as an actress.

However, amidst this mood, there are also voices of concern. In October 2009, immediately after “Hakozume” ended, “Josei Jishin” reported that Toda had asked to drop out of a movie that was scheduled to start shooting the following month and a drama series in which she would be starring in the April 2010 season.

Some sports newspapers also reported on this case and suggested that a “mental disorder” may have been the cause. However, Toda made a firm comment on her Instagram immediately after that, saying, “There are no facts about me other than what is reported from me. However, since she did not specifically deny the reports, the truth behind the reports of her consecutive resignations from the board is still in the dark. Since then, she has not appeared in any terrestrial TV dramas or movies for a long period of time after taking maternity leave, and people in the industry are concerned about whether she is safe anymore,” said a wide-show director.

Toda also expressed a rather “aggressive” opinion on the talk show “Bokura no Jidai” (Fuji TV) broadcast last November. Toda was very critical of recent productions, saying, “It is most regrettable that so much compliance has been created in the world of dramas and movies due to the public’s opinions and so on.

Toda cited as an example of recent “excessive compliance” the fact that yakuza wear seatbelts even though the film is about yakuza, and said , “There is a limit to how far you can go if you keep up with compliance. She also pointed out that freedom of expression is “too limited now,” and made such shocking statements as ” I ask myself if I can continue to be an actor,” and “Recently, I’ve been thinking that there is a life other than being an actor. He is so serious about his feelings about compliant acting that he even reveals that he is considering a life other than acting. In addition to these bitter comments, there are people in the drama and movie industry who are concerned about whether they can offer Toda a chance to appear in a series of dramas or movies, given the reports of her “consecutive resignations.

Now that Toda has found happiness in her family life as a mother, will she be able to make a successful comeback as an actress? It will be interesting to see when she will be able to once again show her acting ability that attracts the public.

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Spotted at a supermarket in Tokyo with family members shopping together in a friendly atmosphere (August ’23).
Their first post-marriage shot together on their White Day “Shin Eva” date. The surrounding audience hardly noticed their severe disguise (March ’21).
On location for the drama “Ore no Ie no Hanashi” (TBS). The masked man on the left is Tomoya Nagase (February ’21).
Two days before the marriage announcement, Toda had just finished filming on location for the drama. His marriage to Matsuzaka was a surprise surprise that no one expected (December ’20).
They burst into laughter at a dinner with related parties. A short time later, she was cast as the lead in NHK’s morning drama “Scarlett,” and she took a further step forward as an actress.
On location with Muro Tsuyoshi for “Great Love: With You Who Forgot Me” (TBS). They looked like a real couple having fun on location (October ’18).
  • PHOTO Kazuhiko Nakamura (1st), Hiroyuki Sato (3rd), Sota Shima (4th, 7th), Yumi Tsubakihara (5th), Yuri Adachi (6th)

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