Actor Mei Hata's first starring role in the movie "Uchi no Ototodomo ga Sumimasen" was released on December 6th. This year, she was also cast in three TV dramas, including one in which she played the lead role, and she showed off her adorable side in the dramas. Although she is only 22 years old, she has already been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years, and we would like to look back on Hata's activities in 2024, as she continues to shine even more.
◇ Coincidence? She played the youngest sister in both "9 Border" and "Little Women"
Hata kicked off her 2024 career with the lead role in the drama "Patisserie MON" (TV Tokyo) in January. The drama is based on the manga of the same name by Kira, which was serialized in the women's manga magazine "YOU" (Shueisha) from 2006 to 2008. The love story is set in a French pastry shop, and this is Hata's first time starring in a TV Tokyo drama. She plays Yamazaki Otome, a novice pastry chef who has a pure personality and no romantic experience, but who puts her all into everything she does.
After playing a student in the special drama "GTO Revival" (aired on April 1st) celebrating the 65th anniversary of the founding of Kansai TV and Fuji TV, she appeared in the April drama "9 (Nine) Border" (TBS), starring Haruna Kawaguchi. The drama depicts three sisters who come to live under the same roof after their father suddenly disappears, and who are about to reach the milestone of 39, 29, and 19, but are filled with frustration and anxiety as they struggle to find happiness. In this drama, she plays the role of the youngest sister, Hakkai, who loves to cook and do DIY but has a "low body temperature" temperament.
Hata will also be appearing in the October drama "Little Women - Sisters in Love and I Who Don't Love" (Nippon TV), starring Hotta Mayu, which aired its final episode on December 15th.
The drama is based on the timeless best-selling novel "Little Women" written by American author Louisa May Alcott. It is a socially conscious sisterhood comedy set in the present day, with the idea of "what if those four sisters were alive in Reiwa Japan..." Hata plays the shrewd fourth daughter, Machida Mei, who attends a fashion school and falls for a swamp man. Coincidentally, Hata's cuteness fits perfectly in the role of the youngest sister in this "sister story" following "9 Border".
◇ You've been getting more and more lead and heroine roles...
Hata began her entertainment career at the age of one, and after working as a child actor and idol, she gradually began to make a name for herself as an actor in her mid-teens. In recent years, she has increasingly been given leading and heroine roles, but her entertainment career has not always been smooth sailing.
In an interview a year ago, she revealed, "I've been working hard since I was little, and there were times when I felt like giving up, thinking, 'This is probably not the life I had imagined.'" She continued, "Now, thanks to everyone's help, I've been able to get this far and I think, 'I'm glad I started doing this from a young age.' I'm glad that I got to experience the frustration and pain of being a child actor, but also see so many things." It was clear that she had alternated between pain and joy.
Furthermore, in the same interview, Hata described her current situation, in which she is in high demand, as "a turn to let out all the frustration and pain I've felt up until now", and revealed her strong determination, saying, "I have no frivolous feelings at all, so I'm going to keep sipping muddy water and crawling on the floor. I want to continue to have many different experiences."
She will no doubt continue to exude the natural charm she possesses, such as transparency and girlishness, in her roles, while also showing us her natural, life-size presence in the story.
