Minami Hamabe

Minami Hamabe established her career trajectory after winning the New Generation Award at the 2011 Toho Cinderella Audition. She quickly gained recognition for her compelling performances, notably as Meiko Honma in the 2015 live-action TV series Anohana. Her breakthrough arrived with the 2017 romance film Let Me Eat Your Pancreas, where she delivered a critically acclaimed lead performance as Sakura Yamauchi. The film became the fifth highest-grossing film in Japan in 2017, and her role earned her the prestigious Newcomer of the Year award at the 41st Japan Academy Prize in 2018, solidifying her status as a rising talent.

Hamabe continued her career progression with a series of commercially successful films and television roles. In 2019, she starred in The Great War of Archimedes, which achieved significant box office success, grossing over 1.9 billion yen in Japan. The following year, 2020, saw her take on lead roles in both Cursed in Love and The Promised Neverland, with the latter film demonstrating remarkable appeal by grossing over 2.1 billion yen. That same year, she also appeared in Murders At The House of Death, a project that further added to her commercial track record with earnings over 1 billion yen.

These high-profile roles showcased her versatility across diverse genres and cemented her presence in blockbuster cinema. Her exceptional work in Shin Kamen Rider and Godzilla Minus One was recognized with the Best Supporting Actress award at the 66th Blue Ribbon Awards in 2024. Demonstrating her expanding range beyond acting, Hamabe also showcased her hosting capabilities by fronting the 74th NHK K?haku Uta Gassen in 2023, a significant national television event. Her consistent trajectory of prominent roles in both critically acclaimed and commercially successful projects continues to establish Minami Hamabe as a leading figure in the entertainment industry.