One of Vogue Japan¡¯s Women of the Year in 2018, Honoka Matsumoto is a rising star who first made a name for herself in the popular NHK morning drama ¡°Hiyokko¡± two years ago. Interest in the Osaka-native has continued to grow since and she¡¯s now very much an actress in demand, particularly after playing the female lead in the 2018 live adaptation series of the popular wartime anime ¡°In This Corner of the World¡± (¡°Kono Sekai no Katasumi Ni¡°).
The 22-year-old¡¯s latest starring role is in Momoko Fukuda¡¯s moving comedy feature ¡°My Father, the Bride¡± (¡°Oishi Kazoku¡°), which started out as a 30-minute short titled ¡°Dad¡¯s Wedding¡± in 2016. Matsumoto¡¯s character, Tohka, is a struggling cosmetics saleswoman whose marriage is going through a rough patch. She returns home to the volcanic island of Niijima for the anniversary of her late mother¡¯s death and is shocked to see her father wearing women¡¯s clothes. On top of that, he¡¯s also planning to tie the knot again, this time to a man.
¡°This was my first movie as a lead so there were nerves, but after reading Fukuda¡¯s screenplay I was excited as I felt I could enter that world and play the part,¡± Matsumoto says. ¡°It¡¯s a charming plot that draws you in. The characters are full of life and have real affection for each other. Tohka¡¯s a deep thinker and a bit of an outsider. Subsequently, I didn¡¯t want to get too close to the cast. She¡¯s having a hard time dealing with her father¡¯s change of direction, but the love of her family pulls her through. She gradually grows to accept the marriage.¡±
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.