Nana Kinoshita: Enigmatic Acting Prowess Secures Her Own Biographical Documentary
If you've watched the quite popular "AV Emperor" on Netflix in the past year or two, you're probably not unfamiliar with her, because in the drama, she plays the role of Nanami Kawakami, the actress who gets eliminated after switching agencies. Her emotional and moving performance made me, when I first watched this film, unaware that her real identity was actually an actress. It wasn't until I looked up the information afterward that I found out who she is. She is Nanami Kawakami, born on October 14, 1992. Before her debut, she aspired to become a band singer, but reality is harsh; pursuing a music career requires a high price. To chase her dreams and manage her life, she attended beauty school. Besides classes, she had to work part-time, living day after day in exhaustion. One day, she accidentally saw her tired self in the mirror and thought she looked sexy, which sparked an idea: why not pursue my dreams in another way? So, she started learning to dress up. With her looks already above average, she was quickly scouted by a film company's talent agent. With a mindset of "riding a donkey in search of a horse" and admiration for the idol group Muscat, she debuted as an exclusive actress for Alice Japan on January 13, 2012.
SAME-001 from ATTACKERS is her retirement film, titled "Female Teacher, Gratitude Visit Gang Rape." The story is fittingly set during a graduation ceremony, where Nanami plays the class teacher with a strong professional spirit in education. She always answers any questions from her students without hesitation. However, high school students in puberty are awakening to romance, and their stirring hormones make their thoughts unclear. Ueda in the class is a prime example. Over the three years, as a struggling student, Nanami has always voluntarily tutored him after class. Gradually, Ueda develops feelings for her. She continuously encourages him and believes he can become a teacher in the future. However, this seemingly innocent conversation lingers in Ueda's mind, leading to further imaginations. When he sees Nanami dating another full-time teacher and planning to marry, he can no longer hold back and plans to make this graduation day unforgettable for Nanami forever...
After relentless efforts, she finally tasted the fruits of victory in June 2015, realizing her singer dream by releasing her first single "The Incomplete Clown." This single secured most of the budget for her future singing career. Double happiness came on September 24 of the same year when she became a member of Ebisu★Muscat and served as the vice-captain, second only to Kirara Asuka as a main member. Moreover, she takes pride in her 2018 semi-autobiographical documentary film "The Actress Nanami Kawakami." Originally, this was just a promotional ad for a love hotel, but during planning, director Keitaro Sachi discovered that Nanami met the requirements perfectly, and ultimately turned the ad into a full movie project. This is undoubtedly a great affirmation for her, as it shows that whether in appearance or acting skills, Nanami has the ability to attract filmmakers' attention and make them captivated.