In 2025, Yoshine Kyoko will star in two consecutive dramas, "Madoka26sai,Kenshui Yattemasu! " ( Kyoko Yoshine ) in January and " A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You " (Fuji TV) in April. Other upcoming projects include the release of the films "Snow Flower - Together We Are" and " I Kimi no Kao dewa Nakenai," as well as the stage performance of "Sensei no Sensei: A Film Director's Visionary Memoirs." Among these, "Waves in the Sun," in which she played the adorable married couple role with Honda Kyoya, has become a new signature work. We'd like to look back on Yoshine's career and delve into her appeal as an actor.
◇From "Omoko" to Asadora heroine: A true Cinderella story
Yoshine was born on February 28, 1997, in Tokyo. She made her acting debut in the 2013 drama series "Last Cinderella" (Fuji TV), which was also a Thursday Theatre production of "A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You." The following year, in the first half of 2014, she made her debut in the Asadora drama series "Hanako to Anne." In the 2015 drama series "Omotesando High School Choir Club!" (TBS), she won the lead role in an audition out of around 1,000 other candidates, and continued her momentum by being selected for the heroine role in the second half of 2016 morning Asadora"Beppin-san," also out of 2,261 other applicants.
Yoshine's recent rise to fame was like a "Cinderella story," but it was no fluke; she had solid talent even back then. Her breakthrough work, "Omoko," is a coming-of-age story about a beloved high school girl who creates a miracle at her school with the "power of song," and is famous for having produced such stars as Jun Shison Jun, Yoshimoto Miyu, Takasugi Mahiro, Aoi Morikawa, and Aoi Wakana, but there's no doubt that Yoshine was at the center of it all.
Although the drama itself, "Bepi-san," did not seem to receive high reviews, Yoshine's acting was by no means bad, as evidenced by the fact that she has since been cast in leading and heroine roles in many films and dramas.
After "Beppin-san," she made her first attempt at comedy in the Fuji TV Getsuku drama "Kuragehime" in 2018. The new talent that blossomed there was further honed in the 2019 HTB 50th anniversary drama "Channel wa Soredemo!", which won the Grand Prix in the TV category at the 2019 Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association Awards.
She also won the Best New Actor award at the 42nd Japan Academy Awards for her performance in "Kasane" (2018), co-starring with Tao Tsuchiya. She also played a young editor at a women's weekly magazine in the 2021 NHK drama "Radius 5 Meters," in which she portrayed a down-to-earth working woman, including her love affair with Katsuya Maikuma. The teasing she received during her time in "Beppin-san," in which she was described as "playing house" (though this wasn't directed at Yoshine's acting), is now a thing of the past.
◇ A subtle emotional expression, a sincere look in her eyes, and a smile that makes others happy
Yoshine's appeal as an actor is that she captivates viewers with her subtle emotional expressions, making them want to see more of her character even in the most ordinary scenes. This hasn't changed since "Omoko" 10 years ago, and was evident in many scenes in this year's "Madoka26sai,Kenshui Yattemasu!" and "A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You for Me."
In addition, the sincerity of her eyes is another charming feature. This purity translates into her being perfectly suited to not only "cute" or "adorable" roles, but also crazy characters.
Her natural smile and friendliness that bring happiness to others are also on full display outside of her video work, and her YouTube channel "Kyoko Yoshine's Live Journey," which captures her in her natural state, has become a popular piece of content, with a single video sometimes receiving over one million views.
Yoshine continues to be active thanks to her solid acting skills and high popularity. With new masterpieces like "A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You" and this trend becoming even more pronounced in 2025, it will be exciting to see what kind of appearance and expression she will show us in 2026 and beyond.
