Fuka Koshiba , who will be appearing in the NHK Taiga drama " UNBOUND (Berabou) " (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others), starring actor Ryusei Yokohama , is the talk of the town. She plays Hananoi, a prostitute representing Matsubaya, a long-established brothel in Yoshiwara. In the opening scene, she already embodies the elegance and glamour of Hananoi, a childhood friend of the protagonist Tsutaya Juzaburo(Yokohama), who will become a "legendary" courtesan. Koshiba, who has long been known for her acting skills, seems to be completely changing into a full-fledged actress, but will she really be able to do so...? Here, we would like to look back on Koshiba's career and unravel her charms.
◇ Her talent as a comedienne blossomed in a flash with "Tokusatsu Gagaga"
Since her debut as an actor in 2012, Koshiba has charmed many viewers with her natural cuteness. Her presence was first highlighted in the film "Kiki's Delivery Service" released in March 2014. In this film, based on the children's book by Eiko Kadono, she played Kiki, a 13-year-old apprentice witch, and the following year won the Newcomer Award at the 57th Blue Ribbon Awards.
At that time, Koshiba was 17 years old. She was selected to play the eldest daughter of the NHK Asadora"Asa ga Kita" starring Haru, which began in October of the same year, and began appearing in the drama in January 2016, playing the role of a "daughter who shows a rebellious attitude towards her mother." She was a hit in the living rooms of homes across the nation.
The next time Koshiba made a big impact was in the serial drama "Tokusatsu Gagaga" broadcast on NHK in January 2019. This was her first lead role in a serial drama, and she embodied the delusions, conflicts, excitement, and struggles of the main character, a secret special effects otaku. Not only did she play a character who could be "cold" for the viewer with a lovable performance, but she also showed off her talent as a comedienne all at once.
Koshiba's activities in the same year were remarkable, and after her breakthrough work "Tokusatsu Gagaga", she appeared in a series of dramas such as "Love and Job Hunting Dumpa" (NHK BS Premium), "If You Get Bitten by a Rapper, You'll Become a Rapper" (TV Asahi), "Besharigurasshi" (TV Asahi), and "Yuganeda Hamon" (NHK BS Premium). In December, she also took on the role of a female announcer in the drama "Parallel Tokyo" in the NHK special "Series Experience the Capital Direct Earthquake". She showed her "range" as an actor, from comedy to serious roles.
◇ The smooth delivery of the lines in "Wave, Listen to Me!" and the perfect timing
Looking beyond 2020, she has starred in a number of TV dramas, starting with "Yokai Share House" (TV Asahi, 2020), which also had sequels and a movie version, "Mokomi: She's a Little Weird, But..." (same channel, 2021), "She Was Pretty" (Kantele/Fuji TV, 2021), "The Incidents Are Happening Around Her" (NHK, 2022), and "Wave, Listen to Me!" (TV Asahi, 2023) ("She Was Pretty" is a co-starring role with Kento Nakajima).
In addition to the works mentioned above, she has also starred in one-off dramas and movies, and even if she was not the lead, she was often the heroine or played a major role following that, making it clear that she has become one of the actors who is indispensable when talking about the current film industry.
In particular, her role in "Wave, Listen to Me!" as a "super depressed woman" with her trademark blonde hair and her sharp, machine gun-like talk became a hot topic when it was broadcast. At first, as the role was far removed from Koshiba's public image, there were many concerns from fans of the original work that "this doesn't suit her," but from the first episode of the drama, her smooth delivery of lines and perfect "timings" captured the hearts of viewers, leading to her winning the Newcomer Award at the 2024 Elan d'or Awards.
◇ His acting is on par with that of the “tricky”Ken Yasuda
After "Wave, Listen to Me!", she continued to appear in dramas as a regular cast member for four consecutive seasons, including the lead role, until the Thursday Theatre drama "Ooku" (Fuji TV, 2024). During that time, it was announced that she would be appearing in a taiga drama for the first time in "UNBOUND". She has also appeared in "GO HOME~Metropolitan Police Department Unidentified Persons Consultation Room~" (Nippon TV, same channel), and continues to appear in the present.
Hananoi's role in "UNBOUND" has been much talked about, but what particularly drew attention was her exchange with Hiraga Gennai (Ken Yasuda Ken) in the second episode, "Yoshiwara Sasami: Aaa Oedo" (broadcast on January 12th). Hananoi's quick thinking, realizing that the "Segawa" Gennai spoke of was the female actor "Segawa Kikunojo II," saved Tsutae (Yokohama), but Koshiba herself also played a role that was not inferior to Yasuda, who played the role of Gennai, a man who is devoted to one man, and livened up the scene as "Hananoi, who will entertain Gennai as his 'loved one' tonight."
Koshiba's sensual, deep voice was also a hot topic. It was a moment when she finally showed her true talent as a performer, something that was sometimes obscured by her natural cuteness.
She is currently 27 years old. In an interview last year, she said, "I often end up being seen as younger than my age. I suppose that's because I play a lot of roles that make me look younger, but I'd like to be able to take on more substantial roles and projects. I've always had the image of myself as being 'full of energy and cheerful!', so I'd like to be able to show a calmness and 'gravitas' that suits my age, even if only through a role." Her role as Hananoi will be the deciding factor in her complete transformation into a full-fledged actress. Expectations are only growing.
