The 48th Japan Academy Awards ceremony, a Japanese film festival, was held in Tokyo on March 14th, and former Nogizaka46 member Asuka Saito , who won the Newcomer Actor Award for her role in the film Oshi no Ko : The Final Act (directed by Smith), attended. "I believe that awards are special things that not everyone can get, even if they want them. I am honored and humbled to have received such a special award this time," she said with joy.
Saito said in her speech, "There have been many times in my life when I have felt that I have been blessed with luck, but now I am convinced. I seem to be quite lucky. I have been blessed with good luck and have had the opportunity to work with wonderful productions and wonderful staff and performers. I will never forget to be grateful for these connections, and will not be afraid to grab the hand that is offered to me at each moment. I will realize that I have friends who are by my side to support me, and I will be excited about the wonderful new connections that await me in the future. I would like to continue to do what I can, without arrogance, quietly, with sincerity and to the best of my ability."
The Newcomer Actor Award is given to an actor who has made an impression by playing a leading or supporting role, even if it is not their first film appearance. Saito played the iconic idol Hoshino Ai in " Oshi no Ko: The Final Act," and demonstrated an overwhelming live performance that made use of her own career. She embodied a complex role and contributed greatly to the success of the live-action adaptation of the hugely popular manga. In 2024, she also appeared in "My Home Hero" (directed by Aoyama Takahiro).
◇The winners of the Newcomer Actor Award are as follows (titles omitted):
Asuka Saito"Oshi no Ko-The Final Act-"▽Shibuya Nagisa "Who is that girl?"▽Yamada Anna "Golden Kamuy" "True Identity"▽Akaso Eiji "Six Lying College Students" "What if Tokugawa Ieyasu became Prime Minister?"▽ Rihito Itagaki"Legend of the Eight Dogs", "Cells at Work", "Onmyoji 0"▽Keisuke Koshiyama "My Sun"▽Saito Jun "Let's go to Karaoke!"▽Morimoto Shintaro "True Identity"
