The NHK Asadora drama series "Blossom, " starring Shizuka Ishibashi , premiered on September 28th (NHK General, Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM, etc.). Based on the life of author Chiyo Uno(1897-1996), the first week focused on the childhood of the protagonist, Tama Hano. Many drama fans were undoubtedly impressed by Ran Murakami's delicate and memorable portrayal of young Tama, once again appreciating NHK's talent-gathering abilities.
◇Selected for the role of Tama from 426 applicants! Ran Murakami's charm lies in her "strong gaze and smile."
Murakami, who was selected for the role of Tama after an audition with 426 participants, is 12 years old and was born on January 29, 2014. When her casting was announced, she expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "Appearing in a Asadora was a big goal of mine. When the audition results came out, I hugged my family in joy. I am so happy to have come across ' Blossom.' With that joy and a sense of responsibility as the young Tama Hano, I will do my best to properly connect with Shizuka Ishibashi!"
Shunpei Murayama, the production supervisor for "Blossom," explained the reason for casting Murakami: "The deciding factor was that the director was strongly drawn to Murakami, but what I also thought was great was the strong gaze and smile that she shares with Ishibashi, who plays the adult Tama."
On social media, Murakami has been receiving praise such as, "Isn't Ran Murakami amazing!? Can she act like that at just 12 years old?", "Her emotional expressions were consistently wonderful and gave me chills", "Her acting skills are incredible. She made me cry so much", "Her acting ability and presence are phenomenal", "She's an actress to watch out for in the future", and "I hope to see her act again someday as the heroine of a Asadora".
Murakami left a vivid impression on viewers with her acting skills that rivaled those of adults, on the dream stage of a Asadora. I can't wait to see what kind of acting career she will build in the future.
◇Rika Sawai made a striking impression with "Boogie Woogie" after being "immediately selected" at the audition.
Like Murakami, other child actors who have gained attention for playing the childhood versions of Asadora heroines in recent years include Miharu Fukuchi in " Bakebake " (second half of 2025), Yuzuna Nagase in " Anpan " (first half of 2025), Sawai Rika in "Boogie Woogie" (second half of 2023), Asada Haru in "Maiagare!" (second half of 2022), Inagaki Kurumi in "Chimudondon" (first half of 2022), and Maida Haruno in "Ochoyan" (second half of 2020).
Among them, Sawai, who was selected from an audition of about 700 people to play the childhood version of Suzuko ( Shuri), the heroine of "Boogie Woogie," made a particularly strong impression. Fukui Mitsuhiro, who served as the chief director of the film, praised her at the time, saying, "It was an instant decision among us. We don't usually do this, but after the audition we stopped her for a bit and asked if she could cut her hair to make sure she was ready to start filming right away. Sawai really shone."
"Boogie Woogie" was her first drama appearance, but she left a strong impression on viewers with her solid acting skills and outstanding singing ability. Fukui gave her his seal of approval, saying, "She possesses a miraculous combination of talent: acting, singing, dancing, and a personality that makes her loved by those around her."
Discovered by NHK, Sawai appeared in the April 2024 drama "Believe - A Bridge to You -" (TV Asahi) as hospital patient Kanami Imoto. In the drama, which garnered attention for its star-studded cast including Takuya Kimura and Yuki Amami, she delivered a confident performance. Since then, she has continued to build her career in musicals and stage productions, utilizing her natural acting and singing abilities.
◇15-year-old "talented" actress Maida Haruno has already appeared in three Asadora.
In terms of "discovery," we can't forget to mention Maida. She took her first step in her career with the 2019 second half Asadora"Scarlet." As mentioned earlier, she was also cast in "Ochoyan," where she brilliantly portrayed both the heroine Chiyo (Hana Sugisaki Hana) as a child and Chiyo's niece Haruko, which became a hot topic.
Maida was selected for the role of Chiyo in "Ochoyan" from an audition with approximately 500 participants. Sakurai Soichi, the production supervisor for the show, praised her, saying, "The moment I saw her at the audition, I thought, 'This girl is on a different level.' There are hardly any girls who can act by watching the other person's acting, but she stood out from the beginning for reacting to the other person's acting. She can yell, laugh, cry, and perform a wide range of roles."
Having gained recognition as a child actress for her role as Chiyo, Maida appeared as a main cast member in the January 2022 drama "Wife Becomes a Grade Schooler" (TBS) and the NHK night drama "Your Belongings Are Here" which aired from August to September of the same year. Then, in the first half of 2024, she made her comeback to a morning drama after about three and a half years in "The Tiger and Her Wings," playing the role of Yumi, the daughter of the heroine Torako (Sairi Ito ). Since then, she has been active in numerous dramas and stage productions, and at the age of 15, she has grown into a talented actress with outstanding acting skills.
NHK's keen eye for selecting "child prodigies" to appear in Asadora one after another is truly a testament to their excellent "talent discovery ability." We can expect to see these vibrant child actors in various visual productions, primarily in Asadora, in the future. (Akamatsu Mikage/MANTANWEB)
