Takako Matsu’s Romance Film a Surprise Hit! Her Cute Persona Wins Fans

Laughing hard with Kazuya Ninomiya

Actress Takako Matsu (47) has been making frequent appearances on variety shows since the beginning of the year.

In January, she appeared on three programs, including the New Year’s special of Banana Man’s Sekkaku Gourmet!! (TBS). In February, she has already been on two shows. On the February 7 episode of Nino-san (NTV), she shared behind-the-scenes stories from the drama Long Vacation (Fuji TV). This drama, which aired in 1996, marked Matsu’s first appearance in a TV series and achieved a peak viewership rating of 36.7%. It is widely known as the drama that catapulted Takuya Kimura (52) to stardom.

“At the time, 18-year-old Matsu played the role of a junior colleague who had feelings for Kimura’s character. When asked about filming episodes, she revealed for the first time that Kimura once gave her a ride home from the set, a story that surprised both MC Kazunari Ninomiya (41) and the other guests. Later in the show, she played the ‘Acchi Muite Hoi’ game against Ninomiya.

Her determination to win and her bursts of laughter at Ninomiya’s expressions showcased a playful side of Matsu rarely seen by the public. Many viewers were surprised by this unexpected charm, with social media buzzing with comments like, ‘Was she always this cute?’ and ‘She’s so funny on variety shows,’” said a TV magazine writer.

All of these appearances are part of the promotional campaign for her latest film, First Kiss 1ST KISS, which has turned into a major hit. The movie is now set for release in South Korea as well.

According to the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, domestic films saw a remarkable surge in 2023. While foreign films struggled, Japanese films recorded a total box office revenue of 155.8 billion yen, reaching 105% of the previous year’s total. This figure surpassed the record set in 2016, making it the highest-grossing year for Japanese films in history.