Ruirui Tsukishima Aspires to Co-Star with Idol Ryohei Suzuki

Among drama watchers, she has become a topic of conversation with the question, “Who is this girl?”

Rui Tsukishima (16) was chosen as the 20th support manager for the “National High School Soccer Championship,” a position that has previously been held by young actresses such as Yui Aragaki (36), Haruna Kawaguchi (29), and Mei Nagano (25). Rui is an up-and-coming star who made her debut in November 2022 with “Kamen Rider Geats” (TV Asahi).

“I received a letter from my manager one day, and there were three pages of stationery. The first page had encouraging words saying, ‘You’ve worked hard so far,’ and on the second page, I saw the words ’20th generation.’ I immediately thought, ‘Could it be?!’ and when I saw the official title of the event written on the third page, I was so happy that tears filled my eyes. I had played soccer when I was in elementary school, and I had always admired becoming the support manager.”

In April 2024, Rui starred alongside Kurokawa Soya (15) in the live-action drama of the popular manga “Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san” (Shogakukan) on TBS. Her portrayal of a middle school girl who continuously teases the boy she likes earned Rui a lot of attention as an actress. Her mature and dignified aura, despite being a middle schooler, created a buzz among drama watchers and fans of the original manga, with many asking, “Who is this girl?”

Rui recalls her audition for her breakout role:

“There were three rounds of selection, but what stood out was the final round. Director Rikiya Imaizumi (43) told me to keep two to three hours free, and I nervously headed to the venue. We started with an icebreaker game. Everyone had to say the same word, but there were five levels, and the person who drew level 1 said the weakest word, while the person who drew level 5 said the strongest. The people watching had to guess which level each person was on. It was a fresh experience to play a game during an audition, and it helped me relax and perform well during the acting test. It was a valuable experience.”

The filming took place in nature-filled Shodoshima.

“It was my first time being away from home for a whole month. The character of Takagi-san was very different from my usual self, so it took me some time to get the hang of her speech patterns and tempo. However, Takagi-san and I share a common trait of laughing a lot, so I focused on that as the core and immersed myself in the role, enjoying the experience. On days off, I went to Olive Park with my co-stars, and it felt like a school trip, which was fun.”

“I want to be able to act in a way that comes from within.”

In addition to her acting career, Tsukishima is also active as an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Seventeen (Shueisha).

“Starting my work as a model made me more interested in clothes. The stylist always lets me wear clothes that suit me, so I ask, ‘What brand is this?’ and buy and wear them myself. Winter clothes are fun because you can layer them, change up what you pair them with, and wear the same items in different ways.”

On the other hand, she is also enjoying her life as a current high school student.

“I work hard on things like the cultural festival and sports festival, and go to all-you-can-eat places with my friends after school. I’m not the type to have many friends, but I want to cherish the people who have been close to me for a long time. Everyone supports me, and whenever something happens, they say things like ‘Congratulations’ or ‘I watched the drama.'”

For her goal in 2025, Tsukishima listed improving her acting skills.

“In 2024, I rediscovered my love for acting. In 2025, I want to further improve my acting skills. I want to cherish my irreplaceable daily life with my family and friends and be able to act from within. Also, if possible, I would love to co-star with my admired figure, Ryohei Suzuki (41). His passionate acting is very attractive. If we could act together in the same space—ideally, if he could give me acting advice, that would be amazing.”

With sparkling eyes, Tsukishima walks through the gateway to success.

◆Tsukishima Rui
Born in 2008, Kanagawa Prefecture. Exclusive model for the magazine Seventeen (Shueisha). In 2024, she appeared as Rina Fukagawa in Machinami Terasu Yatsura (NTV), and starred as Takagi-san in Karakai Jōzu no Takagi-san. She was appointed as the 20th cheerleader manager for the 103rd National High School Soccer Championship.

From the “FRIDAY” January 24–31, 2025 issue.