She’s Just Radiating “Cuteness”! For the First Time in Two Years Since *Saionji-san*, Wakana Matsumoto Shows Off Her Most Charming Smile on the Set of Her July Drama

“It’s already been two years since ‘Saionji-san…’”

It was in late May that I came across a beautiful woman in a yellow striped shirt, walking with a large parasol held in both hands in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district, an area that still retains its old-town charm. On that day, Wakana Matsumoto (42) was filming the TV drama series “Your Love Is Invincible” (TBS), set to air on Tuesdays starting in July.

“‘Your Love Is Invincible’ is an original script by Takeshi Miyamoto (48), who wrote the TBS drama ‘Saionji-san Doesn’t Do Housework’ from the July 2024 season—the show that launched Matsumoto’s career. The production team has also reunited,” said a TV magazine writer.

Matsumoto posted the following comment on the drama’s official website:

“I’m so happy to be back on the Tuesday drama series that’s so dear to my heart. (Since *Ms. Saionji Doesn’t Do Housework*) I find myself thinking, ‘It’s already been two years,’ but also, ‘It’s only been two years.’ This time, I think you’ll get to see a different side of my character, so I’m really fired up!”

Matsumoto, who plays the lead, portrays Anna Kusakabe, a free-spirited former consultant who doesn’t quite understand concepts like “cute” or “love” but has a strong sense of justice.

“Matsumoto’s co-star is Yuto Sano (28) from the five-member dance-vocal unit ‘M!LK.’He plays Seo Mizuki, a designer who creates ‘cute’ characters but is himself an extremely eccentric and quirky man. It’s a romantic comedy about these two mismatched personalities aiming to create a character loved by the whole world,” says a TV magazine writer.

Set against the backdrop of Japan’s “kawaii” character business industry, the series depicts the behind-the-scenes process of creating charming characters and the people who pour their passion into production—but beyond the story itself, it’s also generating buzz because Sanrio Co., Ltd., the company that has long led Japan’s “kawaii” movement, is cooperating with the production.

On this day, under the blazing sun, Matsumoto arrived on set surrounded by a large crew, holding a large parasol as described at the beginning—yet, for some reason, she was wearing sandals. With her lips pursed and her eyes darting around in curiosity, she was simply oozing “kawaii.”She appeared relaxed even while the stylist was fixing her hair, and smiles were constant on set.

Afterward, Matsumoto changed from her sandals into pumps, and the shoot began. The set was suddenly filled with a crisp sense of tension. Matsumoto commented on the character she plays, Kusakabe, as follows:

“I’ve lived my whole life without having a ‘favorite’ idol since I was a child, so I really understand how Kusakabe feels. (Mid-sentence omitted) I think there are many different kinds of ‘likes.’ We’d be very happy if you all came to love this drama alongside the people you love or hold dear. Please look forward to it!”

Will Matsumoto score another massive hit with this Tuesday drama—her first in two years?

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