Mana Ashida Shows Her True Acting Power—Industry Insiders Compare Her to Masato Sakai

She has never made a mistake

The new season of “VIVANT,” the TBS drama starring Masato Sakai (52), premiered on July 26. The first episode posted an impressive household average rating of 18.8% (Video Research, Kanto region), a standout figure at a time when television viewership continues to decline. The series will run for two consecutive cour from July through December, and all eyes are on how high the ratings will climb.

One of the major forces behind the show’s success is Sakai’s commanding presence and acting ability as Yusuke Nogi, an operative for “Beppan,” a secret unit of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. He is reportedly known on set as an actor who never makes mistakes during filming.

Appearing in a video segment on the TBS program “Hatsu Mimi Gaku (Sunday’s First Ear)” broadcast on July 26, co-star Koji Yakusho (70) said:

“The person who has the most enormous amount of dialogue is Sakai and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him get a single line wrong.”

Another co-star, Fumiyo Kohinata (72), also praised him on the same program:

“Sakai-kun doesn’t make mistakes. There was a scene where he had to interact with some Thai people, and Sakai-kun came rushing in and started rapidly speaking to them in Thai. It was incredible.”

There are plenty of actors who rarely make mistakes, but achieving a truly “perfect record” is rare. Apparently, the actress who is regarded as being on a similar level to Sakai is Mana Ashida (22).

The “Mana-chan” who shot to fame 15 years ago with “Marumo’s Law” (Fuji TV) is now a fourth-year student in the Department of Political Science at Keio University’s Faculty of Law. While balancing her studies and acting career, she recently took on the filming of her latest starring movie, “The Apothecary Diaries.”

Multiple conditions for her roles

The first volume of the original light novel was released in August 2014, and the hugely popular series has sold more than 45 million copies to date. In 2017, two manga adaptations began serialization: “The Apothecary Diaries (Monthly Big Gangan)” and “The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Palace Mystery-Solving Notebook (Sunday GX).” An anime adaptation began airing on Nippon TV and its affiliates in October 2023.

Ashida plays Maomao, a girl who was the daughter of an apothecary and is highly knowledgeable about medicine. Fans of the original work have responded positively, with comments such as, “Her intelligent image suits the character perfectly.” A film industry insider told this publication:

“Ashida doesn’t make a single mistake with her lines on set. I was amazed at how well she memorized the script while being so busy with her university studies. When her co-stars and staff praised her, saying, ‘That’s incredible,’ Ashida would smile and modestly respond, ‘Oh, no, no.’ But seeing how she has everything so perfectly together at her age was almost frightening.”

Ashida has also maintained an exceptionally scandal-free image. With a presence that embodies the quintessential wholesome young star, she appeared in 15 corporate advertising campaigns during just the first half of this year, second only to Haruna Kawaguchi (31), who led with 17. Her clients include an impressive lineup of major companies such as SoftBank, Suzuki, SBI Securities, and Ajinomoto. As a result, several conditions are reportedly imposed on the roles she takes.

“Needless to say, love scenes are off-limits. Even kissing scenes would be difficult. Romantic dramas involving intimate interactions between men and women would probably be out of the question. Roles involving overly calculating or eccentric women would also be unlikely to get approved. Since nothing is allowed to damage her image, we hear that when casting Ashida, the production company has to work out every detail with her agency.”— Advertising industry insider

Her schedule is also difficult to arrange because her studies take priority.

“Basically, Ashida’s availability takes top priority. There are times when the schedule remains fluid because everyone is waiting for Ashida’s availability. However, all the other cast members understand and accept that.” — Entertainment agency insider

It is unclear what Ashida plans to do after graduating from university, but as an actress, she has already established a firm position for herself. Given her university major, she could also potentially go on to work as a news program anchor in the future.

For the foreseeable future, the “Ashida era” looks set to continue.