, is a Japanese actress who first gained attention for starring in the film My Love Story! (2015) and the 98th NHK asadora Half Blue Sky (2018). She received further recognition for the films Masked Ward (2020), And So the Baton Is Passed (2021), and Motherhood (2022).
Early life and career Mei Nagano was born in Nishitokyo, Tokyo on September 24, 1999. Her family consists of her mother, father, and an elder brother three years her senior.
Nagano was scouted in Kichijōji, Tokyo when she was in her third year of elementary school. She made her acting debut in the 2009 action-adventure film Hard Revenge Milly: Bloody Battle as a minor character. Nagano was a regular model for Japanese fashion magazines Nico☆Petite and nicola. In August 2016 she became an exclusive model for Seventeen. In 2015 she played the heroine, Rinko Yamato, in the romantic comedy film My Love Story!.
Her first lead role came in the 2016 teen drama Koe Koi as Yuiko Yoshioka, a high school student who meets a mysterious boy who wears a paper bag over his head. Later that year she provided the voice for the character Zaya in the Japanese version of the film Gods of Egypt. She also appeared in commercials for Calpis Water, Sekisui House, Townwork, UQ Mobile, and Alpen. In 2017 she starred in the romance film Daytime Shooting Star and was announced as the lead for NHK's 98th Asadora, Half Blue Sky which started airing in April 2018. For her lead role in this asadora, Nagano was named the Best Actress at the 98th Japan Television Drama Academy Awards.
In 2019, Nagano acted alongside Masaki Suda in the drama Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom, and was named Best Supporting Actress at the 100th Japan Television Drama Academy Awards for her role. In 2022, Nagano was nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in the 2021 film And So the Baton Is Passed at the 45th Japan Academy Film Prize. She was also named Best Actress at the 64th Blue Ribbon Awards for her role in the same film. She then appeared in the drama Unicorn ni Notte. She also starred in the live-action film adaptation of the manga My Broken Mariko which was released in September 2022.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2009Hard Revenge Milly: Bloody Battle2010Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra CitySumireWatashi no Yasashiku nai Senpaiyoung Yamako Iriomote2012Rurouni KenshinSanjō TsubameGachipan: Ultra MaxSeira2015A Stitch of LifeMariMy Love Story!Rinko Yamato 2017Daytime Shooting StarSuzume YosanoLead role ParksHaruTeiichi: Battle of Supreme HighMimiko Shiratori Peach GirlSae KashiwagiMixed DoublesAiri Ogasawara2019You Shine in the Moonlit NightMamizu WataraseLead roleNiNoKuniKotona and Asha (voice)2020Masked WardHitomi Kawasaki2021It's a Flickering LifeYoung YoshikoJigoku no Hanazono: Office RoyaleNaoko TanakaLead roleAnd So the Baton Is PassedYūko MorimiyaLead role2022My Broken MarikoTomoyo ShiinoLead roleMotherhoodSayakaLead role2023Mom, Is That You?!Mai2024Teasing Master Takagi-san MovieTakagiLead roleCells at Work!Erythrocyte / Red Blood Cell (AE3803)Lead role2025Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's JourneyAkiko HayashiLead role2026My Crazy Feminist GirlfriendSheLead role
Television drama Year Title Role Notes2010Hagane no OnnaYoung Ineko HagaEpisode 62011Tokidoki MayomayoTamakoEpisode 36: Onee-chan to YobanaideABU Asia Kodomo Drama Series Mizuki MishimaSeason 7, episode 2: "Ensoku"True Horror Stories: Summer 2011The patientShort drama2012Stand Up! VanguardSumire MizuharaTelevision film2013Yae's SakuraYoung Yamakawa TokiwaTaiga drama2014PlatonicSari MochizukiThe Man of the Tokyo Olympics Teen Grace Miyako WadaTelevision film2015Suiyo Mystery 9: HoshinChinatsu MiyashitaTelevision filmHigh School ChorusMiki KondoEpisode 3Summer Stalker BluesAki NakajōTeddy Go! Anne AmanoChō Gentei NōryokuMiyuki Hashida2016Love That Makes You CryRemi FunakawaKoe Koi Yuiko YoshiokaLead roleSanada MaruSenhimeTaiga drama2017Super Salaryman Mr. SaenaiMomoko SasaharaEpisode 8Fugitive BoysRenko Aokawa 2018Half Blue SkySuzume NirenoLead role; Asadora2019Mr. Hiiragi's HomeroomSakura KayanoLead role2020Daddy is My ClassmateSakura Obika2021Ichikei's Crow: The Criminal Court JudgesDefendant CameoPolice in a PodMai KawaiLead role2022Riding a UnicornSana NarukawaLead role2023Burn the House DownAnzu MurataLead role2024The Gift of Your HeartAme AiharaLead role2025Brighter DaysSaho TakahashiLead role; television filmNews AnchorHana SakikuboTBAHimachi no Jo-ouAyane IchijoLead role; also producer
Other television Year Title Notes201869th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen As a judge 2020Terrace House: Tokyo 2019–2020Guest studio commentator for episodes 33–36
Japanese dub Year Title Role Voice dub for Notes 2016Gods of EgyptZayaCourtney Eaton
Music video appearances Year Artist Title2011Funky Monkey Babys"Love Song"2013Southern All Stars"Eikō no Otoko"2015She's"Long Goodbye"2016Sakura ShimejiHidarimune
Bibliography Magazines Ribon, Shueisha 1995-, as an exclusive model since 2010 Nico☆Petite, Shinchosha 2006-, as an exclusive model from 2010 to 2013 nicola, Shinchosha 1997-, as an exclusive model from 2013 to 2016 Seventeen, Shueisha 1967-, as an exclusive model since 2016
Photobooks Moment (2019) No cambia (2020) Magnolie (2026)
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work(s) Result201943rd Elan d'or AwardsNewcomer of the YearHerself 202134th Nikkan Sports Film AwardsBest Supporting ActressIt's a Flickering Life46th Hochi Film AwardsBest Supporting ActressBest ActressAnd So the Baton Is Passed, etc.202264th Blue Ribbon AwardsBest ActressAnd So the Baton Is Passed, Jigoku no Hanazono: Office Royale45th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest ActressAnd So the Baton Is Passed47th Hochi Film AwardsBest ActressMotherhood and My Broken Mariko202377th Mainichi Film AwardsBest ActressMy Broken Mariko46th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Supporting ActressMotherhood202447th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Supporting ActressMom, Is That You?!
References
External links
at Rotten Tomatoes