The Presence That Eats Up Lead Roles and the Amazing Acting of Supporting Actresses in the 2nd to 3rd Lead Positions

Wakako Tayuki (Writer): When it comes to actresses who are active in the 2nd to 3rd positions, we cannot overlook the name of Mikako Ichikawa (46). Her presence as a supporting actress is outstanding. She has portrayed the protagonist’s best friend in dramas such as “Towako Omameda and Her Three Ex-husbands” (Fuji TV) starring Takako Matsu (47) and the morning drama “Come Come Everybody.” She consistently plays roles that are straightforward, unpretentious, and honest, which boosts her likability. Just by being Mikako’s best friend, you can’t help but think, “She must be a person with a strong core and lovely.” If she’s your best friend, it raises the protagonist’s stock, doesn’t it?

Kumao Oyama (Writer): Ichikawa established her image as both a best friend and buddy role in “Unnatural” (TBS), starring 37-year-old Satomi Ishihara. Equally reliable in best friend roles is Kotone Furukawa (27). In “Kono Koi Atatamemasu ka” (TBS), she played Sue-chan, the Chinese roommate of 22-year-old Nana Mori. In the movie “Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight,” she skillfully portrayed Izumi, supporting the protagonist with memory impairment played by 23-year-old Riko Fukumoto. If she’s your best friend, you’ll feel reassured.

Masahiro Kitagawa (Drama Watcher): Equally important as the role of best friend is the role of sisters. Recently, Haruka Kinami (38) has been making remarkable strides. She gained attention starring in “Sexy Tanaka-san” (NTV), but she’s well-known for her strong supporting roles. In the April season, she appeared in two consecutive dramas, “Oi Handsome! 2” (Fuji TV) and “9 Border” (TBS). She plays the eldest sister in both, and her natural acting with a sense of reality is truly captivating.

Oyama: Actors who play significant roles in the 2nd to 3rd positions may indeed bridge the gap between fiction and reality in their roles. The lead role is often seen as an ethereal figure everyone finds cute and wonderful. Alongside them, there are those who connect the glamorous world with reality, bringing authenticity to dramas.

Kitagawa: That’s certainly true. Karin Ono (25) has a youthful and cute appearance, but she gives off a feeling of being truly present. In “War of Traps” (Fuji TV), she played a capable secretary supporting the politician played by Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (49). There was a scene where she bitterly commented, “Seriously, there’s no way to save someone like that, an oblivious jerk,” when her former boss, who had harassed her, fell from grace. This scene resonated deeply online with many saying, “I totally understand that feeling.”

Tayuki: Ono is so good at acting that she fits into any role perfectly. Recently, she starred in “Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo” (TV Tokyo), and her portrayal of a woman with mild intellectual disabilities was so realistic, it felt like watching a documentary.

Oyama: Both Kinami and Ono, until recently known more for supporting roles, have been chosen for lead roles. In recent years, the concept of diversity has been gaining ground, leading to an increase in stories where protagonists have various backgrounds such as mild intellectual disabilities or social communication difficulties. It’s the seasoned supporting actors who excel at difficult roles who are being chosen for these lead roles.

Kitagawa: “Sexy Tanaka-san” and “What’s for Dinner, Mom?” (Fuji TV) also featured protagonists with social communication difficulties. In today’s world, I think there are more people with such difficulties. It lacks credibility when a clearly successful actor plays roles like our representative. Hence, the opportunity arises for the 2nd to 3rd lead actresses.

The ‘Presence’ That Eats Up the Lead Role.

Oyama: When we talk about “our representative,” Misato Morita (27), who plays the protagonist’s best friend, Hanae, in “Tora ni Tsubasa,” fits that role perfectly. It’s a story about Japan’s first female lawyer as the protagonist, a role not everyone can embody. Hanae represents ordinary women who dedicate themselves to supporting their families at home. She’s gentle and speaks with a unique charm, creating memorable quotes like “Live cunningly.” She’s a popular character. Morita isn’t just realistic; she’s an immersive actress. In “The Naked Director” (Netflix), she played the legendary AV actress Kuroki Kaori, and in “Mothers in Love” (TBS), she portrayed Naka Riisa’s husband’s mistress, taking on roles full of quirks. Her physical acting in “The Naked Director” speaks for itself, and in “Mothers in Love,” despite being the mistress, she boldly visits the main wife saying, “I came to see your face.” It’s so intense that she completely overshadowed the leads like Yoshino Kimura (48) and Yo Yoshida.

Tayuki: On the other hand, Morita can also play roles without quirks. In “If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student” (TBS), she portrayed a cute and ordinary girl who falls in love with the protagonist played by Masahiro Matsuoka (59). She truly fits into any role and can shine in various positions.

Oyama: Another actress, Kumi Takiuchi (34), who also shined in “Mothers in Love,” is also an immersive type. Takiuchi has a charm and a cute smile, but she’s also capable of playing unlikeable roles convincingly. In this drama, she played the ex-wife of the protagonist portrayed by Yoshino Kimura, clinging to her ex-husband in front of the protagonist and making sarcastic remarks like, “Don’t you have children?” On the other hand, in “Occupation of the New Airport” (NTV), she gave a strong performance as a righteous police inspector.

Tayuki: Takiuchi is indeed more memorable in unlikeable roles. When she plays mean characters and smiles with those crescent-shaped eyes—it’s creepy yet I love it (laughs). In contrast, Minami Tanaka (37) excels in specific roles. In “Saiai” (TBS), her role as a plain and troubled freelance writer received heavy criticism for being “awkward,” but in “Even If You Don’t Do It” (Fuji TV), her role as the deputy editor of a fashion magazine perfectly matched her own charisma and was incredibly fitting.

Oyama: Her role as the secretary who harbors feelings for Masa, the protagonist music producer in “M: A Person to Love” (TV Asahi), also stirred discussion. She brilliantly portrayed an eccentric character with stalker-level obsession and bizarre behavior.

Kitagawa: While her roles may be limited, when she finds a role that fits, she really unleashes tremendous power.

Tayuki: I think he is a stoic and hardworking person, but he sometimes puts too much effort into his roles. Another drawback is that she is too beautiful. In that sense, Kaho (32), who first made her breakthrough as a beautiful girl but has recently been playing the second or third most important role as a plain woman, is amazing. In “Silent” (Fuji TV), she plays a deaf woman who falls for the same man as the main character, Tsumugi, played by Haruna Kawaguchi (29). In the scene where she expresses her feelings to Tsumugi in sign language, I was overwhelmed by her vigorous sign language and facial expressions. On the other hand, in “Brush Up Life” (Nippon TV), she played the role of the main character’s childhood friend, a 33-year-old woman who seems to be everywhere but lovable.

Usage is wasteful.

Oyama: Kaho has truly had a lot of charisma and has taken on many leading roles, but it’s impressive how she can suppress that sparkle and fully embody being ordinary like this. Personally, I think Miu Tomita (24) could be more active. What do you think?

Tayuki: She’s really talented. It’s a shame that despite her talent, she’s only given supporting roles. Her role as Sayo in ‘Boogie Woogie’ had this extreme, almost comical style of acting that stood out.

Oyama: She played the role of a troublemaker who stirs things up, didn’t she? Indeed, opinions were divided. Watching her, I’m reminded of ‘Fuzoroi no Ringo-tachi’ (TBS). In that show, Shoko Nakajima (58) played a woman with appearance complexes and became a well-known actress throughout Japan. Tomita also hopes to encounter such a work someday. Tanabe Momoko (24), on the other hand, hasn’t had much luck with roles in works. She appeared as the heroine in the April drama ‘Omukae Shibuya-kun’ (Fuji), but it’s too wasteful to cast her in a supporting role in a love story focused on highlighting the protagonist.

Tayuki: Tanabe’s role in ‘Rikokatsu’ (TBS), starring Keiko Kitagawa (37), left a strong impression. She played a woman who falls for the protagonist’s husband and barges into their home with simmered dishes. She appears nice at first glance but comes off as shameless and creepy. Her role as the ‘simmered dishes woman’ had a strong impact, didn’t it?

Oyama: At that time, she was still 21 years old, but she stirred up the public like Morita from Mothers in Love.

Tayuki: In ‘It’s Love: Yankee-kun and White Cane Girl’ (NTV), starring Hana Sugisaki (26), she played the role of a classmate at the heroine’s blind school. Despite having poor eyesight and difficulty seeing, she portrayed a courageous and proactive girl in love. That role was also impressive.
By the way, I almost forgot about a huge figure. It’s Toko Miura (27). Despite being so talented, she rarely plays leading roles. In ‘Elpis: Hope or Disaster’ (Fuji TV), she played Cherry, a hairstylist who guided the protagonist in investigating the case. In ‘Brush-Up Life,’ she played a municipal employee who, even if given a chance to redo her life, would choose the same path. She has portrayed key roles in various works. In the 2023 NHK broadcast of ‘Ooku,’ her character Ieju faces challenges with language and urination, but she is actually a very intelligent woman. She masterfully expressed the unimaginable suffering her character endures. Her breathtaking performance was praised by fans of the original work.

Oyama: She played a silent driver role in the film ‘Drive My Car,’ known for its non-verbal expression. Her ability to convey emotions without words is remarkable.

Kitagawa: Miura started as a child actor, right? I remember seeing her in the ‘Nacchan’ commercials. Besides acting, she’s had remarkable success as a singer, handling insert songs for ‘Roppongi Class’ (TV Asahi) and serving as the theme song performer for ‘Nanika Okashii’ (TV Tokyo). Having her in a project reliably raises its quality, so she’ll likely continue to be in high demand for dramas in the future.

From the July 5-12, 2024 issue of FRIDAY