She is underrated and has very unique looks. Her acting style is also rather unusual among the late millennial and Gen Z actresses - tends to thrive in dark and gritty roles (mostly indie projects).
PLEASE CAST RIHO AS A MAIN LEAD ALREADY !!!!! WE ALL KNOW HOW GREAT SHE IS AS AN ACTRESS ! SO JUST PLEASE SOMEONE…
If this girl was a Korean or Chinese (be it Taiwan or Mainland), top filmmakers and TV series producers would've been already all over her. *Super* visual + can act + versatile -> what else you can ask for
Unfortunately Japan's TV/cinema industries are more into conformism and actors with *unusually* good looks are treated as surplus :(. No matter how good he/she is in acting. Sad truth that is.
The drop of number of projects in 2023 is quite astounding. What had happened? I thought she is the kind of actress whom high level and artistic, filmmakers are totally all over.
You can check out :-Two Homelands-Sing My Life-Tokyo Bandwagon-Aogeba Toutoshi-Boku no Ita Jikan-Kore wa Keihi…
You forgot Yamada Tarou Monogatari, Night Time Picnic (totally underrated movie), and Fish Story. But seriously, her early projects (mostly indie and smaller productions) are great (by standard of young/teen actress).
11 years after my comment and review and holy smokes it never ceases to amaze me what a well-crafted school-themed show can do to budding actors' career. Just look how many names that make it to the big stage.
Underrated but excellent actress who can do protagonist role and she did a villain role in chuugakusei nikki
Her Runa isn't really a villain. More like a 'victim' of misunderstanding and emotional immaturity, which makes sense since she is at puberty (or coming-of-age at best).
In fact Chuugakusei Nikki doesn't really have real villains, the closest one is the single mother whom her daughter is Hijiri's pupil.
Why did she stop acting? She's so pretty and her performance was great!
Retired due to undisclosed health problem. Totally agreed, had her career not been cut so short, she could've been easily an elite actress by now. Perhaps might've been at expense of a few other actresses of her age group that do make it in RL. I'm old enough to recall she was rated so high by critics back then even from the very start, think the likes of Komatsu Nana/Hirose Suzu/Kiyohara Kaya. Like, a generational talent level.
2 
*put 18 players
Unfortunately Japan's TV/cinema industries are more into conformism and actors with *unusually* good looks are treated as surplus :(. No matter how good he/she is in acting. Sad truth that is.
I thought she is the kind of actress whom high level and artistic, filmmakers are totally all over.
But seriously, her early projects (mostly indie and smaller productions) are great (by standard of young/teen actress).
Japan should NEVER stop making shows like this.
Damn, yet another great talent went down the drain :(((
In fact Chuugakusei Nikki doesn't really have real villains, the closest one is the single mother whom her daughter is Hijiri's pupil.
Totally agreed, had her career not been cut so short, she could've been easily an elite actress by now. Perhaps might've been at expense of a few other actresses of her age group that do make it in RL. I'm old enough to recall she was rated so high by critics back then even from the very start, think the likes of Komatsu Nana/Hirose Suzu/Kiyohara Kaya. Like, a generational talent level.