Snow Man’s Ren Meguro Defended by Director Yuichi Fukuda Amid Negative Coverage

Ren Meguro (28) of Snow Man stars in the live-action film adaptation of the hugely popular manga SAKAMOTO DAYS(Shueisha), set for release on April 29, 2026. Ahead of its release, on December 10, 2025, action scenes featuring the protagonist Taro Sakamoto in his plump form were unveiled, instantly becoming a major topic of conversation.

As an actor, Meguro has become someone constantly in demand for dramas and films, and it seems he has earned deep trust from production staff as well.

Director Fukuda: Ren Meguro never betrays a project

In this film, Meguro plays Sakamoto, who was once the strongest assassin, but after falling in love with a woman named Aoi, he retires and now runs a small neighborhood shop called “Sakamoto Store.” On December 10, clips of action scenes featuring both a slim Sakamoto and a plump Sakamoto were posted on the film’s official social media accounts, prompting surprised reactions to Meguro’s unusually different appearance.

That same day, Yuichi Fukuda (57), who serves as both screenwriter and director of the film, shared behind-the-scenes details about dubbing on X (formerly Twitter). According to Fukuda, the recording quality of the familiar catchphrase, “From now on, I’m going all out,” was not perfect at first. After watching the footage, Meguro reportedly asked, “Huh? Isn’t the recording quality of my line not very good?”

When Fukuda replied, “Yes, that’s true, but we can’t really fit Meguro-kun’s dubbing schedule in before delivery, so we’re going with this,” Meguro immediately declared that he would rush to the studio the very next day.

Meguro was said to be brimming with enthusiasm, saying, “I want everyone to see something perfect!” Fukuda praised his professionalism, posting comments such as, “This is why we staff absolutely have to work desperately so we don’t betray Meguro-kun’s feelings,” and “Meguro-kun, thank you so much for that final line.”

When a user believed to be a Meguro fan sent a message along the lines of “I’ll only believe what the people on set say,” Fukuda responded in a quote post, saying things like, “The outside noise is just outside noise,” and “Ren Meguro never betrays a project, and we will never betray Ren Meguro either. This relationship of trust is stronger than anything.”

That said, Meguro has recently been surrounded by a string of negative reports.

“I don’t want to use that Shogun-sama anymore”

Meguro has been confirmed to appear in SHOGUN Season 2 (streaming on Disney+), and it has been revealed that from the latter half of January he will temporarily leave his group to take part in overseas filming. At the same time, however, he is extremely busy, with the release of the film Soon, It’s Goodbye (opening February 6), in which he co-stars with actress Minami Hamabe (25), as well as SAKAMOTO DAYS, both scheduled for this year.

“According to Weekly Bunshun (Bungeishunju, December 4, 2025 issue), Meguro’s agency, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, reportedly informed production teams that he would be unable to participate in promotional activities for two films slated for release next year, requesting schedule changes and cancellations. Because he is focusing on filming SHOGUN, there is a possibility that the lead actor may be absent on the release dates.

In the article, Meguro is referred to as the lord, and it reports that production sites, constantly being tossed around by his intentions, are saying things like, ‘We don’t want to use that Shogun-sama anymore,’ and that the mood of rebellion is growing” (entertainment writer).

Furthermore, according to the web edition of Josei Jishin (Kobunsha, distributed December 5), a sequel to SAKAMOTO DAYS had already been decided, with filming originally scheduled to take place between February and April of next year.

However, due to Meguro’s appearance in SHOGUN, filming of the sequel has been postponed until 2027. The article also includes a comment from a staff member involved in SAKAMOTO DAYS, saying, “Within the industry, there are voices of surprise over Meguro-san prioritizing SHOGUN this time.”

For that very reason, in response to the earlier remarks by Director Fukuda, fans reacted with emotion:

“Hearing Director Fukuda, who worked directly with Meguro-kun, say the outside noise is just outside noise really makes me happy as a Snow Man fan.”

“There’s nothing more trustworthy than the words of Director Fukuda, who actually worked with him.”
“I didn’t read the negative articles, but even just seeing the headlines made me sad. But Director Fukuda sharing this kind of information made my eyes well up a little. Thank you so much.”

Meanwhile, producer Ken Murase, who worked on the Fuji TV dramas silent (aired in 2022) and The Beginning of the Sea (aired in 2024), both starring Meguro, is also one of those who has fallen for him.

In an interview video released on the Sankei News YouTube channel (distributed September 23, 2024), Murase praised him lavishly, saying, “He’s genuinely a really good person and very considerate. He’s the kind of person that anyone would end up liking if they spent time with him—Meguro-san is just like that.” People who have worked with Meguro even once acknowledge both his character and his ability. That, in turn, is why his individual acting career is going so smoothly (same source as above).

Loved not only by fans around the world but also within the industry, Meguro seems to enjoy broad support. Hopefully, he will continue to throw himself into his work, taking breaks to rest when needed.