Mana Ashida to Play Japanese Woo? TV Producers Hope She Stays Young

“Next” is set to become her signature work

“At the Venice International Film Festival this past September—her first time at an overseas film festival—her appearance on the red carpet in a blue one-shoulder dress drew attention, with people commenting that she looked beautiful and transformed,” says a film writer.

Next year, Mana Ashida (21) will enter her fourth year of university. Her growth from a nationally beloved child actress to a recognized adult actress should be celebrated, but some fans have reportedly voiced almost a prayer-like hope: “Please don’t grow up”

Ashida voices the heroine in Mamoru Hosoda’s animated film The Endless Scarlet, which premiered at Venice and is currently showing in theaters.

“She recorded her lines at 19, portraying a princess consumed by fierce passion and driven by a vow of vengeance for her murdered father. Her performance is full of expression, but the film itself—ostensibly inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Dante’s Divine Comedy—has received poor reviews and, unusually for a Hosoda work, is not expected to perform well at the box office,” the writer notes.

At first glance, this might seem like a setback for Ashida’s career—but that’s not the case. She has a highly anticipated project coming up.

“She has been cast as the lead in a remake of the globally hit Korean drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo for Netflix. The show will air in Fuji TV’s Monday 10 PM slot—a timeslot that has previously featured buzzworthy Kan-tele productions like Elpis: Hope, or Misfortune and Unmet: Diary of a Neurosurgeon,” a Fuji TV insider reveals.

The drama follows a brilliant, autistic-spectrum rookie lawyer. The original lead, Park Eun-bin (33), received critical acclaim for her performance. For Ashida, also a former child actress and currently studying law at Keio University, this is a perfect role.

“During her time at Keio Junior and Senior High School, Ashida didn’t appear in serial dramas and only filmed movies during long school breaks, prioritizing her studies. Now at university, she finally has the time to fully focus on acting. This next drama could very well become her defining work,” the insider adds.

The combination of a strong role and a supportive environment for full commitment is in place. However, there is one minor miscalculation: the timing of the broadcast.

“Please don’t fall in love!?”

The decision to remake Extraordinary Attorney Woo came just after Mana Ashida began university. The project was approved with her as the lead, and preparations were underway—but unexpected complications arose.

“For overseas drama remakes, the original production team imposes strict quality checks on scripts and other elements. Adjusting to these requirements has taken longer than expected, and the broadcast is now likely to be scheduled for the October 2025 season,” a Kan-tele insider explains.

The extended timeline has left the production team concerned about one particular thing.

“The heroine in this drama is inexperienced in romance—a character who’s basically a child grown into adulthood. That fit Ashida perfectly in the past, but at her current age, she could experience significant growth from even a single romantic relationship. The staff are reportedly praying, ‘Please don’t grow up,’” the insider says.

Although some already say Ashida has grown up, as a prodigiously talented, nationally beloved actress, perhaps it’s still possible to turn back the clock for this role.