Smiling Under a Big Umbrella! Mana Ashida Shows Unparalleled Politeness on the Set of Her First TV Drama Lead Role in 10 Years

A Current Law Student Takes on the Role of a Genius Lawyer

Holding a large black umbrella big enough to completely cover her entire body and flashing a refreshing smile is actress Mana Ashida (22).

In early August, filming was underway for the drama starring Ashida at an office building in Otemachi (Chuo Ward), Tokyo.

“We’re filming the Kansai TV/Fuji TV series ‘Attorney Minami Minami: A Genius,’ which premieres on October 19 as part of the October lineup.The series is the Japanese adaptation of the Netflix Korean drama *Lawyer Woo Young-woo Is a Genius*, which was a global hit in 2022. It depicts the journey of a rookie lawyer—who possesses a genius-level intellect and has autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—as she grows into a true lawyer.

The protagonist, Minamida Minami—played by Ashida—is a genius who graduated at the top of her class from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law and passed the bar exam with the highest score.“It’s a heartwarming legal drama that depicts her tackling various challenges at a major law firm—while facing prejudice against ASD and communication difficulties—thanks to her natural cheerfulness and the support of her colleagues,” said a TV magazine writer.

For Ashida, this marks her first lead role in a TV series in a full 10 years, since *OUR HOUSE* (Fuji TV). Ashida, who is currently a student studying law and politics at Keio University’s Faculty of Law, took on the challenging role of a “genius lawyer with ASD” by

“I deepened my understanding by reading books on autism spectrum disorder, speaking with the supervising professor, and actually attending a cram school for people with developmental disabilities to meet a variety of individuals,” (from Kansai TV’s website)

he explained, noting that he had thoroughly prepared for the role.

Filming took place inside a building. After wrapping up, Ashida emerged with a female staff member, dressed—as mentioned at the beginning—in a white shirt and gray skirt, a look that perfectly embodied a rookie lawyer.

However, the temperature in Tokyo that day reached 36.5 degrees Celsius, marking the highest temperature of the summer on that sweltering day. Perhaps because the strong sunlight was beating down, when a staff member held out an unusually large parasol for Ashida, she extended her arm to take it, as if to say, “I’ll hold it myself.”Wearing sandals and clearly in a relaxed mood, Ashida chatted and laughed with the staff. As she left the scene, she bowed deeply several times to the staff members seeing her off.

Ashida is already well-known for her humble attitude toward production staff in TV studios and on location, but on this occasion, she demonstrated a level of politeness that was truly in a league of its own—living up to every rumor.

As a current law student, Ashida is taking on the role of a lawyer. The atmosphere on set was impeccable, and it feels like this will surely be her greatest masterpiece yet.

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