Yu Aoi Returns to Private TV Drama After 18 Years, Inspired by Kitagawa and Toda’s Post-Baby Comebacks

Gave birth to her first daughter in 2022

Yu Aoi (40) is reportedly set to star in a commercial terrestrial TV drama for the first time in about 18 years since she played the lead in Osen (Nippon TV) in 2008, generating buzz within the industry.

Currently, adjustments are being made for her to star in the July term of the TBS Friday drama slot, where Tomoya Nakamura (39) is starring in DREAM STAGE.

Aoi married Ryota Yamasato (48) of the comedy duo Nankai Candies in June 2019 and gave birth to her first daughter in August 2022. She returned to acting in 2023 with NHK’s morning drama Boogie-Woogie, playing Reiko Yamato, the top star of the theater troupe “USK” (Umemaru Girls’ Theater Company).

“When she appeared on Asaichi, Aoi candidly talked about the difficulties of returning to work after giving birth, saying things like ‘My back was ruined from giving birth, so I didn’t know what to do when I was offered roles,’ which resonated with women of her generation. During filming, she reportedly lived a single-assignment lifestyle, taking her nursing child with her to NHK Osaka for the studio work and only returning to Tokyo on weekends. When Boogie-Woogie started, she surprised viewers with her classic ballet-trained, flawless dancing, showing a figure unchanged from her pre-childbearing days,” said a women’s magazine reporter.

Known as a skilled actress, Aoi mainly focuses on film.

Her major works include the Academy Award-winning supporting actress role in Hula Girls (released September 2006), her debut lead in Hana and Alice (2004), All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001), and One Million Yen and the Bitter Women(2008). On TV, however, she has often played important supporting roles rather than leads.

In the popular drama Dr. Coto’s Clinic (Fuji TV), which was also made into a movie, she played a nurse supporting the surgeon Dr. Coto. In NHK’s taiga drama Ryomaden, she played a geisha. Before giving birth, she starred in Wife of a Spy(2020), a project tied to both NHK and cinema. Considering this, taking the lead in a commercial TV drama, where audience numbers are critical, is likely a major challenge for her.

Returned after three years, showing presence in Reboot

“In her first lead role in a consecutive drama, Osen, Aoi played the young proprietress of a 200-year-old long-established Japanese restaurant. Her character was bold and sisterly, a glutton and heavy drinker, sexy yet naturally ditzy, but the average viewership ended at just the 7% range. At the time, consecutive dramas on terrestrial TV were generally performing well, so I’m sure she was disappointed. Now, 18 years later, Aoi is set to lead a TBS drama again, which may also be influenced by other actors of her generation thriving while being mothers,” said a television network source.

Recently, Keiko Kitagawa (39), a mother of two, gained attention for her performance in the NHK morning drama Bakebake, playing a lord’s daughter reduced to a beggar. Last November, she also played an illegal drug dealer in the film Night Flower, tackling roles she wouldn’t have considered before marriage.

This season, Erika Toda (37) has been attracting attention for her strong performances. In the Sunday Theater drama Reboot (TBS), she co-stars with Ryohei Suzuki (42) in a high-profile cast, and starting in April, she will portray the fortune-teller Kazuko Hosoki (deceased at 83) in the Netflix drama I’m Falling into Hell.

“Toda announced her marriage to actor Tori Matsuzaka (37) in December 2020, and the birth of their first child was reported in May 2023. She returned to acting in Reboot after three years, showing no sign of a gap. If Aoi leads the TBS drama in the July term, she’s likely to generate as much buzz as Toda’s recent success,” said the same television network source.

Our site sent TBS a fact-check inquiry regarding Aoi’s drama lead role, but no response was received by the deadline.

Ryota Yamasato (48) revealed on the January 28 late-night TBS Radio show Wednesday JUNK: Ryota Yamasato’s Futile Debate that Aoi taught him how to memorize long lines. As a mother and accomplished actress, it seems impossible to take your eyes off Aoi’s upcoming performances.