Akari Takaishi Dazzles in Tight Dress at Stage Greeting Exuding Charm as Upcoming Morning Drama Lead

“I can’t stop crying.”

On April 12, a stage greeting was held at Shinjuku Balt 9 (Shinjuku Ward) to celebrate the release of the film Ghost Killer, where Akari Takaishi (22), who stars in the film, made her solo lead debut.

Dressed in a tight long dress adorned with large floral patterns, Takaishi greeted the audience with a relaxed smile, saying,

“I’m so moved and overwhelmed that so many people came to see the movie.”

Takaishi, known for her powerful performance in the January TBS drama Gomi Sensei, where she played a key student involved in the political and educational corruption, had recently made headlines for her standout acting.

In February, Debut, an audition and entertainment information site, released its 2025 Next Break Ranking, naming Takaishi as the top female actor. What stands out most is her remarkable acting ability. Her roles in Baby Walkyure (TV Tokyo) as an assassin and in the stage production of Demon Slayer as Nezuko Kamado have gained her strong support from younger audiences, with praise such as, “She fully becomes the character” and “Her acting is so natural that it’s almost eerie” flooding in from fans.

This fall, Takaishi will star in the NHK morning drama Bakebake as the lead role, Tokie Matsuno, inspired by the wife of Lafcadio Hearn, a well-known Japanese writer. Expectations for her performance are already high.

In Ghost Killer, Takaishi plays the role of Fumika Matsuoka, a college student possessed by a ghostly assassin, and she takes on intense action scenes. During the stage greeting, Takaishi smiled throughout, but when asked by the host about her action scenes, she recalled a particularly challenging scene shot at a bar that took an entire day to film.

“It was… it was such an intense day. I was overwhelmed and completely frozen, unable to move. I took a break and stepped outside, and then the tears just wouldn’t stop. I think I was at my limit. But it was this amazing cast and crew that helped me take that next step,” she shared emotionally.

Takaishi added with emphasis,

“I really want everyone to watch that scene.”

This year, all eyes will be on Akari Takaishi.