<figure id="attachment_478591" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-478591" style="width: 4176px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7ddbf2c9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/037f4251c24102d31d4a5c18cbdabde4.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-478591" class="wp-caption-text">Mana Ashida to Play a Genius Lawyer in Her First Lead Role in a TV Drama Series in 10 Years</figcaption></figure>
<h2><span class="strongInContent"> A Current Law Student Takes on the Role of a Genius Lawyer</span></h2>
<p> Holding a large black umbrella big enough to completely cover her entire body and flashing a refreshing smile is actress Mana Ashida (22).</p>
<p> In early August, filming was underway for the drama starring Ashida at an office building in Otemachi (Chuo Ward), Tokyo.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “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.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> 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.</span></p>
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<p> 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</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “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)</span></p>
<p> he explained, noting that he had thoroughly prepared for the role.</p>
<p> 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.</p>
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<p> 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.</p>
<p> 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.</p>
<p> 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.</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Mana Ashida holding a large parasol"></div>
<figure id="attachment_478592" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-478592" style="width: 3543px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="86da22a0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/a287b8fd1decd04947777bf7015fb1b2.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-478592" class="wp-caption-text">Ashida accepts the parasol held out to her by a staff member</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_478593" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-478593" style="width: 4321px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="71143b93"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/1bcf9f21af58049f4fb465a282352ba6.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-478593" class="wp-caption-text"> Ashida, looking relaxed after finishing the shoot</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_478594" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-478594" style="width: 4176px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ccd7689a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/17055f06cc242493dc110865f24af8a2.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-478594" class="wp-caption-text"> Ashida waiting for her ride. Afterward, she bowed deeply to the staff</figcaption></figure>


 Kumatarō Arai

 It has been announced that Mana Ashida will star in the October-season Kansai Telecasting Corporation and Fuji TV series *Attorney Minamida Minami Is a Natural Genius*. In early August, we happened upon the set. Standing under a large parasol in front of a building in Otemachi, Mana Ashida showed the staff…

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

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