Actress, model, and influencer Yuka Takanashi

I will continue to express what I can do every day

Actress, model, influencer　Yuka Takanashi(Yuka Takanashi)

■ Profile
Born July 21, 2001, in Fukuoka Prefecture, she is 22 years old and has gained a lot of support, especially from women of Generation Z. She boasts over 1.5 million followers, and her acting content has become a hot topic on TikTok! She is currently expanding her activities to television and magazines, and is also active as an exclusive model for JELLY. She will be starring in her first leading role in the film "Last 17 Days," which will be released on October 27th.

A coming-of-age film set in a high school newspaper club, depicting a 17-year-old boy experiencing the intense conflicts and growth of adolescence.Last 17 daysThis time, we spoke to the lead actress, Yuka Takanawa, who is active not only as an actress but also as a model and influencer, about the appeal of the film and the rewards of being an actress.

■The audition for the school play helped me change my shyness

Although I now appear in films and work as a model, I was actually extremely shy as a child, so withdrawn that I thought, "I absolutely don't want to be in front of people!" (laughs). But it was in the fifth grade of elementary school that I started to think, "I want to be in front of people and be active!" There was an audition to decide on a role for the school play, and there was one role I really wanted to play. The play was a comedy, and the role I wanted to play was the one that would bring the most laughs in the play. From then on, I suddenly felt like, "I want to stand out in front of people! I want people to know me!" and I became interested in acting and becoming an actress.

■ Social media activities and agency lessons that rediscovered the joy of acting

When I entered high school, I had a strong desire to study acting, so I went to a high school where I could study acting as part of my regular classes. However, I could only learn the very basics of acting at that school, and I didn't learn the appeal of acting, so I couldn't say it was very fun.
During my student life, I focused on activities on TikTok and Instagram. Social networking sites like TikTok and Instagram were starting to become popular when I was in high school, but no one around me was using them yet, so I thought, "It looks fun to give it a try!" and gave it a try. From then on, I started posting videos every day, but TikTok wasn't a big trend at the time, so I felt like people around me were looking at me and wondering, "What are you doing?" However, somewhere deep down I had a desire to "act," so I think that's why I was able to post myself on social media every day.
After graduating from high school, I was mainly working as a model, and then I started taking acting lessons at my current agency. As I attended the lessons, I started to feel that "acting is really fun!" and I started to put more effort into my acting.

■Make the character blend in with yourself so you don't lose to your peers

I feel that I am still able to continue my theatrical activities thanks to the support of my friends around me.
I'm a very competitive person, so when I see my peers doing well, it's a great motivation for me and makes me want to work hard too.
In order to not lose to those people, when I'm acting, I try to imagine the story and background of the characters that aren't written in the script and incorporate them into my own work, and I also observe and incorporate the good points of my co-stars. When I'm acting, I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I can completely become that character.

■ He became the main character because he was so similar to me

This movie "Last 17 daysI was extremely nervous during the audition for "I Am Your Lover." I was already acquainted with my co-star Ishikawa Shorin, and we were in the same audition group, so I was even more nervous. I was really happy when I found out I passed. As for filming, I was close in age to my co-stars, so we got along well and had a good atmosphere, but the one-take Jean shot was difficult... It was difficult because we had to redo it if we made a mistake, but on the other hand, I think I was able to portray the character's emotions more strongly because the one-take was long.
While playing the main character, Hosoya Kurumi, in this production, I tried to imagine the character's story and background, as well as make her as similar to me as possible. Kurumi is a character who thinks things alone and tends to compare herself to others, which is very similar to me. Because we are so similar, I empathized with her so much that even after the cut, I was still Kurumi. There is a scene in the play where Kurumi is conflicted by regret for not being able to do anything, and then overcomes that conflict, and I think this scene will resonate with many people. I'm sure people of all ages, including myself, have had similar experiences, so I think this production will be energizing for not only students but many people as well. There is a scene in which Kurumi breaks down in tears, so I hope you will pay attention to my acting (laughs).

■ I will spare no effort for the fans who look up to me

I will continue to focus on my acting career, and one of my goals is to appear regularly in prime-time dramas. Thankfully, there are people who look up to me while I work as a model and actress. I want to continue working hard so that I can be a role model for them. I've also loved designing clothes and books since I was little, so although I haven't decided on anything specific yet, I'd like to work in design.

■You are you, so have confidence without comparing yourself to others.

When you're a student, you're surrounded by people who are just like you, so I think it's easy to compare yourself to others. However, you are still you, so I hope you don't deny the efforts you've made, but rather affirm them. Even if you fail, there will come a day when it will be useful for something, so I hope you will have confidence in yourself and do your best.

Comment from Director Taku Katayama

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on December 10, 2023 by Ryusei Nishiyama, a fourth-year student at Musashino University