Mana Ashida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mana Ashida
芦田 愛菜
Ashida in 2020
Born	(2004-06-23) 23 June 2004 (age 20) Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan
Other names	Mana-chan
Education	Keio Junior High School Keio Senior High School
Occupation	Actress tarento singer
Years active	2009–present
Employer	Jobbykids
Notable work	TV dramas Mother (2010) Marumo no Okite (2011) Beautiful Rain (2012) Film works Hankyu Densha Usagi Drop Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess Pacific Rim
Awards	Details
Signature

Mana Ashida (芦田 愛菜, Ashida Mana, born 23 June 2004) is a super talented Japanese actress, singer, and TV personality. In Japan, a TV personality is often called a tarento.

Mana first appeared in a short TV movie. She became famous after starring in the TV drama Mother. She made history by becoming the youngest lead actress in a Japanese TV drama with Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien. Then, in 2011, she became the youngest lead actress in a TV series when she starred in Marumo no Okite. You might also know her from movies like Confessions and Bunny Drop.

Mana and her co-star Fuku Suzuki sang the super popular song "Maru Maru Mori Mori" in 2011. This song was the theme for the TV drama Marumo no Okite.

Mana Ashida's Amazing Career

Starting Out: Early Roles

Mana Ashida began her acting journey in 2009. Her first appearance was in a short TV movie called ABC Short Movie 2. Bokenmama. In 2010, she made her film debut in Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora.

That same year, she acted in the movie Confessions. She also appeared in Ghost: In Your Arms Again, which was a Japanese version of the 1990 movie Ghost. For her role in Ghost: In Your Arms Again, she won a "Rookie of the Year" award at the 34th Japan Academy Awards.

Besides acting, Mana also used her voice for movies! She was the Japanese voice of Agnes in Despicable Me. She also voiced the young Fang Deng in the Japanese version of the movie Aftershock.

Becoming Famous: 2010-2011

Mana became very well-known after her role in the TV drama Mother. In this show, she played Reina Michiki, a young child who was abused. Her performance was so good that she won awards, including Best Supporting Actress.

When she was just 6 years old, Mana became the youngest lead actress in a Japanese TV drama. This happened when she starred in the special TV movie Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien in 2011. Later that year, she became the youngest actress to star in a TV series, Marumo no Okite. She acted alongside Fuku Suzuki, who was also 6 years old at the time. The show was very popular!

Mana also started her singing career with Fuku Suzuki. They sang the theme song for Marumo no Okite, called "Maru–Maru–Mori-Mori! (マル・マル・モリ・モリ!)". They formed a temporary group called Kaoru to Tomoki, Tamani Mook (薫と友樹、たまにムック, Kaoru to Tomoki, tama ni mukku). This song was released in May 2011 and quickly became a hit, reaching third place on the Oricon charts. This made them the youngest group ever to have a song in the top 10!

They even performed at big music events like the FNS Music Festival. In early 2011, Mana also appeared in Japanese films like Inu to Anata no Monogatari and Hankyū Densha.

Solo Music and Hosting: Late 2011

Mana starred with actor Kenichi Matsuyama in the movie Usagi Drop. She played the main character, Rin, and everyone praised her acting. The director said her laughter made the set a happy place. A reviewer from The Japan Times said she was amazing at changing from a sad child to a cheerful, smart kid. Mana won the "Best Newcomer" award at the 54th Blue Ribbon Awards. She was the youngest person ever to win this award!

In October 2011, Mana started co-hosting a TV talk show called Meringue no Kimochi. This made her the youngest regular host of a talk show!

She also started her solo music career in September 2011 with Universal Music. Her first solo single, ""Sutekina Nichiyōbi: Gyu Gyu Good Day!" (ステキな日曜日～Gyu Gyu グッデイ！～)", was released in October 2011. It was a lively dance song and reached 4th place on the Oricon charts. This made Mana the youngest solo artist to ever be in the Oricon weekly TOP10 charts, at just 7 years and 4 months old!

Her first album, Happy Smile!, came out in November 2011. It reached 8th place on the Oricon weekly charts. This made Mana the youngest artist, at 7 years and 5 months old, to have an album in the top 10!

Mana and Fuku Suzuki also became the youngest people to perform at the famous annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen singing competition.

Recent Years: 2012-Present

In 2012, Mana voiced Annie in the Japanese anime film Magic Tree House. She also sang the theme song for the anime series Jewelpet Kira☆Deco!, called "Zutto Zutto Tomodachi". This song was also used in the 2012 anime film Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess, where Mana voiced Princess Mana.

Mana starred in the TV drama Beautiful Rain as Miu Kinoshita. Miu was the daughter of a single father who had a type of Alzheimer's disease. Mana also sang the theme song for this drama, "Ame ni Negai o".

In December 2012, she held her very first solo concert in Tokyo!

Mana made her Hollywood movie debut in the 2013 film Pacific Rim. She played the young Mako Mori. She impressed the judges with her amazing acting during the audition. She even got to meet the director, Guillermo del Toro, and he let her call him "Totoro-san"!

In 2013, Mana appeared on a special "Celebrity Kids Edition" of the Japanese version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. She won the top prize of ¥1,000,000, becoming the youngest person to win the top prize in the show's history!

In 2014, Mana starred in the TV series Ashita, Mama ga Inai as Post, a child who was abandoned. Viewers loved her performance in this show. In 2015, she played a 10-year-old company president in her first main role in an NHK TV drama called Rugged!.

Mana Ashida's Personal Life

Mana Ashida was born on June 23, 2004, in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. She is an only child. People often call her Mana-chan, which is a cute nickname using her first name and a special Japanese ending for children.

Mana has shared that she is a big fan of the K-pop group Kara. She also loves riding unicycles and reads more than 60 books every month!

In April 2017, Mana was accepted into Keio Junior High School. This is one of the best junior high schools in the Greater Tokyo Area. She graduated from Keio Senior High School in March 2023.

Filmography

Films

• Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora (2010) as Mirai Natsume
• Confessions (2010) as Manami Moriguchi
• Ghost: In Your Arms Again (2010) as the child ghost
• Inu to Anata no Monogatari (2011) as Mana
• Hankyū Densha (2011) as Ami Hagiwara
• Bunny Drop (2011) as Rin Kaga
• Magic Tree House (2012) as the voice of Annie.
• Liar Game: Saisei (2012) as cool Alice
• Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess (2012) as the voice of Princess Mana
• Nobo no Shiro (2012) as Chidori
• Pacific Rim (2013) as Mako Mori in her childhood
• Kujikenaide (2013) as Toyo Shibata in her childhood
• Entaku (2014) as Kotoko Uzuhara
• Takayuki Yamada 3D The Movie (2017)
• Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us (2018) as the voice of Margo
• Children of the Sea (2019) as the voice of Ruka Azumi
• Under the Stars (2020) as Chihiro
• Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020) as the voice of Lubicchi
• The House of the Lost on the Cape (2021) as the voice of Yui
• BL Metamorphosis (2022) as Urara Sayama
• Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022) as the voice of Ōkami-sama
• Cells at Work! (2024) as Niko Urushizaki

Television dramas

• ABC Short Movie 2: Daibokenmama (2009, ABC)
• Ketto! Rojinto (2009, Wowow)
• Tokujo Kabachi!! (2010, TBS, episode 3)
• Mother (2010, NTV) – Rena Michiki / Tsugumi Suzuhara
• Toilet no Kamisama (2011, MBS) – Kana Uemura (childhood)
• Gō (2011, NHK) – Chacha (Childhood), Sen (Childhood)
• Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien (2011, NTV) – Kanna Yamazaki
• Marumo no Okite (2011, CX) – Kaoru Sasakura
• Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (2011, CX, episode 1) – Kaoru Sasakura (guest)
• Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni (2011, NTV) – Chizuru Hojo
• Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi (2011 Summer Season Special) (2011, CX)
• Marumo no Okite Special (2011, CX) – Kaoru Sasakura
• Nankyoku Tairiku (2011, TBS) – Haruka Furudate.
• Alice in Liar Game (2012, CX, Spinoff of Liar Game: Saisei film) – Alice.
• Beautiful Rain (2012, CX) – Miu Kinoshita
• Ashita, Mama ga Inai (2014, NTV) – Post
• Gin Nikan (2014, NHK) – Otetsu Maho (childhood)
• Hana-chan no Miso Soup (2014, NTV) – Hana Yasutake
• Rugged! (2015, NHK) – Noa Fukami
• Our House (2016, CX) - Sakurako Ban
• Manpuku (2018 – 19, NHK) – narrator
• Awaiting Kirin (2020 – 21, NHK) - Akechi Tama
• The Greatest Teacher (2023, NTV) – Kanau Ugumori

Japanese dubbing roles

• Despicable Me (2010) as Agnes
• Aftershock (2010) as young Fang Deng
• Despicable Me 2 (2013) as Agnes
• The Peanuts Movie (2015) as Little Red-Haired Girl
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) as Madison Russell
• Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) as Madison Russell

Variety shows

• Meringue (2011 – 2012, NTV) – co-host
• Music Japan (2011, NHK)
• 62nd Kōhaku Uta Gassen (2011, NHK)

Video games

• Ni no Kuni: Shiroki Seihai no Joō (2011) as voice of the Mysterious Girl (Kokoru).

Discography

Singles

Albums

• Happy Smile! (Universal Music, 2011)

Awards and Achievements

2010

• 4th Tokyo Drama Awards: Special Award for Mother
• 65th The Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Newcomer for Mother
• 14th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix: Best Supporting Actress for Mother

2011

• 34th Japan Academy Film Prize: Rookie of the Year for Ghost: In Your Arms Again
• 2011 Tokyo Drama Awards: Best Performance by an Actress for Marumo no Okite and Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien
• 53rd Japan Record Award: Special Award for Maru Maru Mori Mori!
• 54th Blue Ribbon Awards: Best Newcomer for Hankyū Densha and Usagi Drop

2023

• 47th Elan d'or Awards: Newcomer of the Year