“Silencing Critics with Talent”: Mei Nagano’s Comeback & Erika Karata, in High Demand—The “Attitude” Cultivated Behind the Scenes of the Scandal　

She showed off her beautiful décolletage

Amid the pouring rain, actress Mei Nagano (27) walked the red carpet, revealing her snow-white skin and flashing a smile as bright as the sun.

Nagano appeared on the red carpet at the “39th Tokyo International Film Festival” held last month. As is well known, it became a hot topic that this was her first appearance before the press in about a year and a half since she appeared at a film event in Japan in April 2025.

“Nagano is the DMM original drama *The Queen of Himachi*, which was officially selected for this film festival, as both producer and lead actress at . The original manga is a popular series with cumulative sales exceeding 1.2 million copies. Nagano plays the protagonist, Ayane Ichijo, a former top hostess in Kabukicho.

“Although there are no explicit love scenes, there are reportedly scenes where she seduces customers while wearing revealing dresses. Given that her comeback project following the extramarital affair scandal features her playing a hostess, it has generated quite a buzz,” said a film magazine writer.

Nagano took the stage for a post-screening greeting following the world premiere on the 27th and delivered the following speech with a smile.

“I was involved not just as an actress, but from the very beginning of the production process. Since this was a project I poured my heart into from a different perspective than usual, I’m happy to see everyone’s faces after the screening, and I feel that all my hard work was worth it.”

Social media was flooded with comments from audience members who saw the film at the venue. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive, with comments like, “It was so entertaining!” and “Mei Nagano’s comeback film—it really lived up to expectations!” Although the release date has only been announced as “this winter” (as of November 5) with no official details yet, anticipation continues to grow.

There was another actress who became the talk of the festival: Erika Karata (29).

Karata made her appearance in a long dress featuring a distinctive neckline design where the left and right sides were different. Like Nagano, she generously revealed her décolletage and drew all the camera flashes to herself. Karata stars in the film *Negligence* (scheduled for release on February 5, 2027), which was entered in the competition section.

“The film depicts the struggles of two women who were raised in different countries due to a mix-up with their fertilized eggs. Karata plays Ji-hyun, a woman raised as a Korean.Ji-young (32), a member of ‘KARA’ and an actress, plays Nanako, a woman raised as a Japanese national, and the two-lead cast has become a hot topic,” said the writer mentioned earlier.

After the screenings, social media was flooded with posts praising Karata’s acting skills, such as “Karata’s performance was breathtaking. I cried my eyes out” and “Her acting has improved dramatically since the scandal.” Although both films narrowly missed out on awards, there is no doubt that the two actresses’ reputations have risen.

“His attitude is cool.”

Film journalist Harumi Nakayama says , “This isn’t simply a ‘return to acting’; the fact that she’s taken the step toward making her debut as a producer makes me sense Ms. Nagano’s strong determination—she’s not one to go down without a fight.”

“Ms. Nagano has mostly played cute roles up until now, but in reality, she’s a cool woman who holds a large-displacement motorcycle license and can even handle a Harley. Taking this controversy as an opportunity, she likely intends to create a new Mei Nagano through self-production. It’s still too early to tell how she’ll be received, and while some people may harbor negative feelings toward her, my anticipation is growing—let’s keep an eye on what she does next!”

Meanwhile, regarding Karata’s appeal, he commented as follows:

“The 2018 film *Asako I & II* served as a turning point for her both professionally and personally. The film was selected for the Competition section at the Cannes International Film Festival and, released in France under the title *Asako I & II*, became a hit, drawing approximately 100,000 viewers. It was a major achievement.Since then, she’s been in high demand for films that have garnered attention both domestically and internationally, such as *The Desert of Namibia*, *The Road to the Beach*, and *The Wicked Woman*, directed by Yurian Retriever (36).

Unforgettable is her intense portrayal of Chigusa Nagayo in the Netflix series *The Evil Queen*. Her passionate performance made it seem embarrassing for people to keep harping on the controversy. Through steady effort and sheer talent, she has truly returned to the glamorous stage of film festivals. Even in *Negligence*, there’s absolutely no sense of awkwardness in Karata’s Korean dialogue within the film.“She silences the naysayers with her talent. That attitude is so cool.”

A new winning streak for Nagano and Karata may be just beginning.