“It’s almost scary…”—Mana Ashida’s “Industry Reputation” for Delivering a Performance on Par with Masato Sakai in Her Lead Film Role in *VIVANT*

She’s never been wrong

The new season of the TV drama series “VIVANT” (TBS), starring Masato Sakai (52), premieres on July 26.The first episode recorded an average household viewership rating of 18.8% (Video Research, Kanto region)—an outstanding figure amid a trend of declining TV viewership. The series will air over two seasons from July through December, and all eyes are on how high the ratings will climb.

The show’s massive success is driven by the presence and acting skills of Sakai, who plays Yusuke Nogi, an operative in the Self-Defense Forces’ secret unit “Betsuban.” He is known on set as a man who never makes a mistake.

Co-star Koji Yakusho (70), appearing via pre-recorded video on the July 26 broadcast of “Sunday’s Hatsumimigaku” (TBS), remarked,

“Mr. Sakai has the most lines… but I don’t think he’s ever made a single mistake,”

Fumiyo Kohinata (72), who also co-stars in the series, added on the same program,

“Sakai-kun never messes up. There was a scene where he interacted with a Thai actor, and Sakai-kun just burst in and rattled off a string of Thai at him. It was amazing,”

he praised.

While there are many actors who make few mistakes, those who are “flawless” are rare. Actress Mana Ashida (22) is said to be regarded as someone on par with Sakai in this regard.

“Mana-chan,” who rose to fame 15 years ago in *Marumo’s Law* (Fuji TV), is now a senior at Keio University’s Faculty of Law, majoring in political science. While balancing her studies, she recently wrapped up filming for her starring role in the movie *The Apothecary’s Soliloquy*.

In the series, there are several “conditions”

The original light novel series, whose first volume was released in August 2014, is a hugely popular series that has sold over 45 million copies to date.In 2017, the manga series *The Apothecary’s Musings* (in *Monthly Big Gangan*) and *The Apothecary’s Musings: Mao Mao’s Harem Mystery Notebook* (in *Sunday GX*) began serialization, and an anime adaptation has been airing on the Nippon TV network since October 2023.

Ashida plays Maomao, the daughter of a former apothecary and a young girl skilled in pharmacology. Fans of the original work have responded positively, noting that “her intellectual image is a perfect fit.” In an interview with this site, a film industry insider revealed the following:

“On set, Ashida never once messed up her lines. I was impressed that she managed to memorize the script so well despite being busy with her university studies. When her co-stars and the staff praised her, saying, ‘That’s amazing,’ Ashida would smile and modestly say, ‘No, no…’ But at her age, it was almost scary how perfect she was in every way.”

Ashida has remained completely scandal-free. With a presence that epitomizes the “innocent and pure” archetype, she has secured advertising contracts with 15 companies in the first half of this year alone (first place goes to Haruna Kawaguchi (31) with 17 companies). The list includes a lineup of top-tier companies such as “SoftBank,” “Suzuki,” “SBI Securities,” and “Ajinomoto.” As a result, it’s said that multiple “conditions” are imposed on the projects she appears in.

“Needless to say, love scenes are off-limits. Kiss scenes are also difficult. ‘Romance-themed’ works where men and women get involved with each other are probably out of the question. Roles as manipulative or eccentric women are also unlikely to be approved. Since her image must not be compromised, they say that when casting Ashida, every detail must be worked out with her agency,” said a source at an advertising agency.

Because she prioritizes her studies, it’s quite difficult to secure a slot in her schedule.

“Basically, Ms. Ashida’s availability takes top priority. Schedules can become fluid as we ‘wait for Ms. Ashida.’ However, the rest of the cast fully understands this,” said a source at her talent agency.

While her career path after college graduation remains unclear, she has already established a solid position as an actress. Given her major in college, she also seems poised to succeed as a news program anchor in the future. It looks like “Ashida’s dominance” will continue for some time to come.