Why “Academy Award-winning actress” Mayu Matsuoka wanted to appear in “Yuria-sensei no Akai Ito” even if it was a “minor role” in the much-talked-about film “Yuria-sensei no Akai Ito”.

Matsuoka, who attracted attention for her strong performance in the movie “Kirishima, Bukkatsu Yamerotte yo” (2012), played the “lonely queen” in the “Chihayafuru” series of movies, and the “Wakujimoku Furete Ro” (2005), in which she played a “complicated girl of the highest class”. (2005), for which she won the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role three times, and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Millionaire” (2005), for which she won the Best Actress Award. In Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters’ Family” (2006), she played a complex and multifaceted character with perfect balance, winning the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

This year, she also starred in the July season drama “The Best Teacher: 1 Year Later, I Was ◼ed by a Student” (NTV) and the film “Ai ni Inazuma”. It is no exaggeration to say that she is now one of the most popular actresses in Japan. Why did she appear in this film in which she did not star? The question remains.

She is a big manga fan to begin with. I read the manga before I started this film and said, ‘I never thought I would be offered the role of Michiru.

Playing a character he has never played before is an attractive role for Matsuoka, who says, “I can play a wide range of roles. She had no choice but to take on the role.

Matsuoka says that what triggered her to become an actress was “Radio Time” directed by Koki Mitani and “Wonderful Life” directed by Kore-eda, both of which she rented and watched at TSUTAYA by chance.

At the time, I was taking acting lessons, but I thought, ‘I am not good at acting. I was taking acting lessons at the time, but I thought, ‘I’m not good at acting,’ and I was putting a lid on my love of acting,” said Matsuoka. He also confesses in his book that he “came to face up to his own ineptitude” after seeing those two films.

Since then, Matsuoka has worked hard with the goal of appearing in films by these two actors.’ In 2004, he played the role of Haru, the jealous wife of Nobushige Sanada (Masato Sakai), in the historical drama “Sanadamaru” (NHK), for which Mitani wrote the script, and he also appeared in a “Mitani comedy” play.

She also appeared in the “Mitani Kigeki” stage play. In the film “Shoplifters” directed by Kore-eda, she gave an outstanding performance. She has joined the ranks of acting actresses. However, her dream has not yet come true.

I want to be the kind of actor that, when the two of you open up the map to make a film, people will say, ‘Oh, there’s Maayu Matsuoka. I want to be an actor who is interesting, not just good or bad. I plan to become very interesting in my 50s, so I hope you both live a long life.

Says Maayu Matsuoka. In the drama “Yuria-sensei no akai ito (Dr. Yuria’s red string),” Matsuoka has taken on a role she has never played before, and her pursuit of her next prey is the very essence of a hunter. What are those vacant eyes staring at now? ……

I am sure I am not the only one who wants to know the answer.