Final Episode of Caster Nears, Mei Nagano’s Response in Question

Masahiro Higashide held an apology press conference five days after the final episode

The drama Caster (TBS) aired its 9th episode on June 8, leaving only the final episode scheduled for June 15 — but within the industry, there’s something generating more buzz than how the story ends: the actions of heroine Mei Nagano (25), who was reported by Shukan Bunshun on April 23 during the drama’s broadcast for an alleged affair with actor Kei Tanaka (40).

“The key is whether Nagano will make some kind of apology move after the final episode,” said a network insider. “Of course, she couldn’t make any major moves while the show was still airing.”

Following the report, Nagano made a comment on her radio show, where she serves as DJ:

“I sincerely regret my thoughtless actions that led to misunderstanding.”

However, neither she nor her agency admitted to the affair.

As follow-up reports surfaced with photos and LINE message exchanges between the two, several commercial sponsors began pulling their ads, and public calls for a formal apology press conference grew online.

“Even if she wanted to hold a press conference, it would have been impossible while the drama was on air because it would’ve disrupted the show. It’s like how in pro baseball, major announcements like player trades or marriages are held back during the Japan Series. In the entertainment world too, it’s common courtesy to avoid big personal announcements while a drama is airing. So it’s no surprise that Nagano’s options were limited,” said the same insider.

This situation reminds many of actor Masahiro Higashide’s case in 2020, when he was caught in an affair with actress Erika Karata (27).

“At the time, Higashide was co-starring in Keiji to Kenji (TV Asahi) with Kenta Kiritani. The affair scandal broke during the show’s broadcast. Higashide went into hiding, moving from place to place, and remained silent throughout the airing,” recalled a sports paper reporter.

Higashide finally appeared before the media five days after the drama’s final episode — at a film stage greeting event, which turned into an impromptu press conference where he responded to reporters’ questions and issued a public apology.

The importance of offering an apology to Kei Tanaka’s wife

The press conference was memorable for the moment when, asked who do you love more — your wife, Anne, or your affair partner, Erika Karata, Higashide hesitated in silence for about 10 seconds. But at the very start of that same conference, he explained, “Due to various work-related circumstances, it took time to arrange this opportunity,” subtly indicating that the airing of his drama had prevented him from holding a press conference sooner. As you can see from Higashide’s case, it’s quite common in the entertainment world for some form of public action to be taken after a drama concludes,” said the sports newspaper reporter.

Because of this precedent, the entire industry — including advertisers — is paying close attention to how Mei Nagano will move after Caster airs its final episode. Will she hold a press conference?

A source at a talent agency commented:

“Nagano’s side continues to deny the affair, so it’s unlikely she’ll hold a press conference. If reporters press her there, it would put Nagano in a very difficult position. If she does take any action, it would probably be in the form of a handwritten apology statement or some written message. And, operating under the premise that no affair happened, the most important thing will be to formally apologize to Tanaka’s wife, whom she hasn’t publicly acknowledged until now — in addition to the program staff and everyone affected by the situation.”

An apology is one way to bring a scandal to a close. But if handled poorly, it can act as fuel for the fire — a double-edged sword. That’s exactly why not just the entertainment world, but the entire industry is watching closely to see how she handles it.

Regardless of whether the affair or love triangle rumors were true, the fact remains that the uproar caused public controversy. And that has undeniably inconvenienced people. In that sense, offering some form of apology may well be in Nagano’s best interest for her future. But — what will she choose to do?