Yui Narumi plays the heroine, a lawyer, in "The Uncertain Courtroom of Themis," which began airing on January 6th on NHK's "Drama 10" slot (General TV, Tuesdays at 10pm). She has been attracting attention for her excellent chemistry with Matsuyama Kenichi, who plays a judge with a developmental disability. Narumi's excellent performance in last year's morning Asadora"Anpan" is still fresh in our memories, but this is her first time playing the heroine in a drama. It has the potential to be the best work of her film career to date, but will it really be...?
◇Currently 27 years old, the turning point came three years ago and the professionalism that emerged
Narumi was born on May 16, 1998, and is 27 years old and hails from Hyogo Prefecture. He began his acting career in 2018, appearing in the Asadora"Natsuzora" the following year. Since then, he has steadily advanced his career, starring in the film "Understanding Happy End," which was released in December 2021, and has also appeared in a number of commercials, including for the job information website "Revatec," as well as the Nintendo Switch commercial "Super Detective Casebook Raincode," "Kuraray," "JCB Card," and "Wakatsuki Construction."
One turning point came when she moved to the talent agency Flamme in April 2023. Shortly after, it was announced that she would be appearing in the taiga drama "What Will Ieyasu Do?" that same year, and around the same time, her first photo book, "Sugarless" (Genkosha), was released.
In her first taiga drama, "What Will Ieyasu Do?", she plays the somewhat mischievous daughter of Honda Tadakatsu (Yuki Yamada), known as the "strongest man of the Sengoku period." In the photobook, Narumi charms fans not only with her natural smile, cuteness, and playfulness, but also with her first attempts at swimsuit and lingerie shots.
In an interview at the time, he confessed, "Five years after my debut, when people ask me, 'What is your occupation?' I can finally confidently say, 'I'm an actor.'"
Until then, she said, "I would feel intimidated wherever I went, thinking, 'I'm sorry I'm here,'" but "I thought that kind of feeling was absolutely unnecessary for a project and that I shouldn't bring it to the set, so I finally got rid of that as I gained more experience. A sense of professionalism began to grow in me." She continued, "You have to be confident in what you present to people, and when introducing a work to fans, friends, or parents, I have a resolve that since I've taken on the job, I should present it with confidence, and that's something I only developed at the age of 25. Based on that, my current goal is to continue to maintain the desire to entertain as many people as possible, which I've always had, and to focus carefully on the work in front of me, without forgetting my original intentions."
◇After "Anpan"... he's not inferior to Matsuyama Kenichi!
Narumi's deep desire to "entertain as many people as possible" was embodied and conveyed to many viewers in "Anpan," her Asadora appearance in six years since "Anpan." In the drama, she played Oda Kotoko, who joined the Kochi Shimpo newspaper as the first female reporter after the war, along with the heroine Nobu (Mio Imada). Kotoko is a normally demure girl who develops a strong tongue when she drinks, and perhaps due to Narumi's acting, she seems to have been very well-liked.
Three and a half months after "Anpan" ended, "The Uncertain Courtroom of Themis" began airing on the same NHK channel in January this year. It is a courtroom drama about a judge with a developmental disorder, Ando Kiyoharu (Matsuyama), who struggles with his own unique characteristics as he takes on difficult cases.
Narumi plays the role of Noa Onozaki, a lawyer who left a major law firm in Tokyo and came to Maebashi after a certain incident. In criminal cases, there is no chance for a lawyer to win against the prosecution, which boasts a 99.9% conviction rate. However, she approaches Ando, believing that she may be able to find a breakthrough if she can make good use of his special qualities. However, as she interacts with Ando, she comes into contact with his anguish and loneliness, and before she knows it, she finds herself influenced in unexpected ways.
The drama has aired up to episode two, and Onozaki's struggles and growth as she takes on two projects are worthy of the heroine's position. Through her role, Narumi also contributes to the excitement of the drama with her well-paced dialogue exchanges filled with just the right amount of tension, not to be outdone by the ``skilled actor'' Matsuyama.
What stands out in particular is the straightforwardness of her eyes. Onozaki is still inexperienced as a lawyer, but her eyes are filled with the determination to be a straightforward person, and she has a dignified demeanor. She exerts a "drawing power" that makes it impossible to take your eyes off her, more than ever before. You will find yourself "captivated" without even realizing it. Narumi shines in the long-awaited role of the heroine, and she continues to be an actor to watch.
