# Mei Nagano

Mei Nagano (永野 芽郁, Nagano Mei, born September 24, 1999), is a Japanese actress. Amongst her film and television credits are Rinko in the film My Love Story!, Suzume Yosano in the film Daytime Shooting Star, and Suzume Nireno in the 98th NHK asadora Hanbun, Aoi.

## 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, Hanbun, Aoi, 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 | Notes |
| 2009 | Hard Revenge Milly: Bloody Battle | | |
| 2010 | Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City | Sumire | |
| 2010 | Watashi no Yasashiku nai Senpai | young Yamako Iriomote | |
| 2012 | Rurouni Kenshin | Sanjō Tsubame | |
| 2012 | Gachipan: Ultra Max | Seira | |
| 2015 | A Stitch of Life | Mari | |
| 2015 | My Love Story! | Rinko Yamato | |
| 2017 | Daytime Shooting Star | Suzume Yosano | Lead role |
| 2017 | Parks | Haru | |
| 2017 | Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High | Mimiko Shiratori | |
| 2017 | Peach Girl | Sae Kashiwagi | |
| 2017 | Mixed Doubles | Airi Ogasawara | |
| 2019 | You Shine in the Moonlit Night | Mamizu Watarase | Lead role |
| 2019 | NiNoKuni | Kotona and Asha (voice) | |
| 2020 | Masked Ward | Hitomi Kawasaki | |
| 2021 | It's a Flickering Life | Young Yoshiko | |
| 2021 | Jigoku no Hanazono: Office Royale | Naoko Tanaka | Lead role |
| 2021 | And So the Baton Is Passed | Yūko Morimiya | Lead role |
| 2022 | My Broken Mariko | Tomoyo Shiino | Lead role |
| 2022 | Motherhood | Sayaka | Lead role |
| 2023 | Mom, Is That You?! | Mai | |
| 2024 | Teasing Master Takagi-san Movie | Takagi | Lead role |
| 2024 | Cells at Work! | Erythrocyte / Red Blood Cell (AE3803) | Lead role |
| 2025 | Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey | Akiko Hayashi | Lead role |

### Television drama

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2010 | Hagane no Onna | Young Ineko Haga | Episode 6 |
| 2011 | Tokidoki Mayomayo | Tamako | Episode 36: Onee-chan to Yobanaide |
| 2011 | ABU Asia Kodomo Drama Series | Mizuki Mishima | Season 7, episode 2: "Ensoku" |
| 2011 | True Horror Stories: Summer 2011 | The patient | Short drama |
| 2012 | Stand Up! Vanguard | Sumire Mizuhara | Television film |
| 2013 | Yae's Sakura | Young Yamakawa Tokiwa | Taiga drama |
| 2014 | Platonic | Sari Mochizuki | |
| 2014 | The Man of the Tokyo Olympics | Teen Grace Miyako Wada | Television film |
| 2015 | Suiyo Mystery 9: Hoshin | Chinatsu Miyashita | Television film |
| 2015 | High School Chorus | Miki Kondo | Episode 3 |
| 2015 | Summer Stalker Blues | Aki Nakajō | |
| 2015 | Teddy Go! | Anne Amano | |
| 2015 | Chō Gentei Nōryoku | Miyuki Hashida | |
| 2016 | Love That Makes You Cry | Remi Funakawa | |
| 2016 | Koe Koi | Yuiko Yoshioka | Lead role |
| 2016 | Sanada Maru | Senhime | Taiga drama |
| 2017 | Super Salaryman Mr. Saenai | Momoko Sasahara | Episode 8 |
| 2017 | Fugitive Boys | Renko Aokawa | |
| 2018 | Hanbun, Aoi. | Suzume Nireno | Lead role; Asadora |
| 2019 | Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom | Sakura Kayano | Lead role |
| 2020 | Daddy is My Classmate | Sakura Obika | |
| 2021 | Ichikei's Crow: The Criminal Court Judges | A defendant | Cameo |
| 2021 | Police in a Pod | Mai Kawai | Lead role |
| 2022 | Riding a Unicorn | Sana Narukawa | Lead role |
| 2023 | Burn the House Down | Anzu Murata | Lead role |
| 2024 | The Gift of Your Heart | Ame Aihara | Lead role |
| 2025 | Brighter Days | Saho Takahashi | Lead role; television film |
| 2025 | Newscaster | Hana Sakikubo | |
| 2026 | Toyotomi Brothers! | Nao | Taiga drama |

### Other television

| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
| 2018 | 69th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen | As a judge | |
| 2020 | Terrace House: Tokyo 2019–2020 | Guest studio commentator for episodes 33–36 | |

### Japanese dub

| Year | Title | Role | Voice dub for | Notes | Ref. |
| 2016 | Gods of Egypt | Zaya | Courtney Eaton | | |

### Music video appearances

| Year | Artist | Title |
| 2011 | Funky Monkey Babys | "Love Song" |
| 2013 | Southern All Stars | "Eikō no Otoko" |
| 2015 | She's | "Long Goodbye" |
| 2016 | Sakura Shimeji | Hidarimune |