Timeless favourite actresses & actors.
They're all so outstandingly good, I always have to watch every single one of the respective projects they act in, no matter if the project is bland or star-studded. I will watch whatever dramas or movies they appear in.
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Kamiki Ryunosuke
Japanese
My first J-actor love, literally the man who started this entire avalanche of endlessly loving Japanese doramas. Found him the first time through Tantei Gakuen Q, started to fall harder through Akahana No Sensei, and the list just goes on since then. He's been doing acting his whole life (25 years and still going!), his resume is an entire encyclopedia. Crazily multitalented, has a gentle good soul, is quite versatile with the acting projects he picks, and has this ageless delicate visuals. Don't be fooled by his subtle elegance, because he can outperform himself whenever he does action scenes. In other words, he's perfect.
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Nagayama Eita
Japanese
It's hard not to sing the highest praises for Eita. Not only he's handsome, he's also the perfect definition and embodiment of what an actor is supposed to be. He can handle extremely lengthy monologues and dialogues in one breath, he knows how to control the tone of his voice, and he has an excellent understanding of playing with timing and tension to express the feelings/personalities of the characters he plays. Even if some plots of the projects he picks are mediocre, Eita has this ability to make them become so memorable. Eita is special, he's just a natural, he's on his own league. I still think about his roles in Saikou No Rikon, Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi, and Last Friends to this day.
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Ayano Go
Japanese
Ah, the deadliest fatal charmer. There's just something that always pulls me into him, like a black hole that I can never get out from. He has unique distinctive facial features that is very pleasing to the eyes, he has the strong sex appeal he's quite famous for, has the brightest eye smile, has the resonating laughter like a free innocent young boy, has the warmest heart, and he has the all the acting talent in the world. Even if he plays minor/supporting roles, your eyes will unconsciously try to find him and follow him wherever he goes. Many agree that the way he kisses onscreen is lethal, that the way he cries onscreen makes your heart weak, and I absolutely agree. He always picks socially-challenging projects and aces all of them. He's one of a kind, a rare gem.
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Peng Yu Chang
Chinese
I discovered Peng Yuchang from Back To Field (being one of my must-watch all-time staple healing variety shows), who genuinely stays true to himself, who is also really sweet and quietly caring, while also being a hardworker who is capable of doing anything. One movie led to another, and another, and before I realized it, I've already watched all of the works he has starred in or played a supporting role in, noting how most of them are in the form of movies instead of dramas. There's something so naturally appealing and charming about him, like magic. Maybe because I have fallen for his natural, addictive childlike laughter, or the way his eyes would naturally stammer in very tense situations, or his subtle body languages and gestures that would just add more humanity and realism in his roles. He's a treasure, a real frontliner who will bring a bright future to the C-film industry in the next generation.
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Mitsushima Shinnosuke
Japanese
A freaking KING, literally the G.O.A.T. ever. He has appeared in so many of my favourite doramas and movies from time to time, and he never disappoints, never underperforms, never gone stale. He always plays characters who are borderline dangerous to be portrayed, or are too sweet to even be real. He doesn't seem like he's acting, he just flows with the scripts, he'd sweep you off your feet and he doesn't let you remember that he's been acting all along. There's something extremely phenomenal about the way he pronounces his lines, how he emphasizes words with great timbre, how he has the ability to switch up from zero to a hundred, from irrationally-comedic characters to the deadly-serious ones. I'm always down for whatever roles he takes up because I know he'd eat them all up with ease. He's THAT good.
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Mitsushima Hikari
Japanese
What can this queen not do? She's stunningly beautiful, she has sung for Mondo Grosso's hit title tracks, she also happens to have the voice of an angel that can move your entire heart and soul, and all the roles she has been choosing to act out are very challenging, stand-out characters that'll make you remember them for the rest of your lives. Truly a gem of an actress, she is the only one I acknowledge who genuinely knows how to portray emotions through her voice, like it's her superpower. I would LOVE to meet her in person and just shower her with compliments, telling her how amazing she is each time.
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Tsumabuki Satoshi
Japanese
A freaking natural, it's hard to not sing my praises whenever I see him onscreen because he ALWAYS absolutely slays any role he's given. He's literally the kind of actor whose acting is so flawlessly natural, you'd find yourself sympathizing or cursing him out whenever he plays kindhearted or evil roles, you'd find yourself being immersed in his world without even realizing it. From time to time, I still recommend Wakamonotachi to so many muggles because of how amazingly natural he portrayed Asa-nii, the eldest brother of a dysfunctional yet wholesome family.
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Komatsu Nana
Japanese
The most mesmerizing actress of her generation, no arguments needed. It's important that not only she's gorgeous, she has this mysterious yet approachable aura that keeps people curious about her all the time. Though it's no surprise that she has more movie roles than dorama roles because that's how she likes it, all of the roles she played are very complex characters with a lot of depth and personality layers, such as her criminally-underrated performance in Yume Wo Ataeru. She captures you with her eyes alone, and to me, it's more than enough to keep people wanting to see more projects from her.
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Bando Ryota
Japanese
How the hell does this incredibly talented man not have any single grand project where he is the main character yet? I first found out about him from the Closed Ward movie and Muchuu-sa Kimi Ni, and I feel like he's a real chameleon onscreen. He just knows how to blend in with the vibe and the nature of the roles and scenes, he also seems to have a knack for playing weird and unusual roles, and he's outstandingly good at portraying them all! He's such a handsome unique charmer who can switch easily from an ikemen to a strange fella throughout his various roles. The fact that he's also an artsy person in real life whose daily things revolve around arts and photography just makes him even more attractive and appealing. I always look forward to the many projects he'll cover in his resume.
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Kiyohara Kaya
Japanese
Being the best actress of her generation, Kiyohara Kaya just never disappoints. Although very young, she's always brave enough to pick roles that are not textbook perfect. She has all the natural talent to embody all those difficult roles and make them likeable, even the word "natural talent" is not enough to explain how good she really is. She wholly deserves the NHK asadora baton, she deserves to be praised for her work ethics and talent by both her seniors and juniors. If there's anyone who is unwilling to check out how good she does in all her projects, then they're all just really missing out big in life.
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Kamio Fuju
Japanese
Just like everyone else, I discovered this beautiful young man from Love And Fortune, and it was more than enough to keep me hooked and amazed by his acting skills. He's exceptionally gorgeous, has the sex appeal that everyone quietly talks about, and he knows how to put viewers under his spell. His acting skills not only include embodying his characters, but he's also extremely talented at conveying feelings and emotions through subtle body languages, such as from the way he touches with his fingers, his gestures, his gaze, and he even has a title among viewers for the way he kisses onscreen. He knows how to ace flawed, very humane characters, and I'm looking forward to how far he goes as a young actor.
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Shiraishi Sei
Japanese
When I first watched Dakara Watashi Wa Oshimashita, I never expected myself to be head over heels so curious about her. Her portrayal of a socially-awkward underground idol with anxiety issues was extraordinarily real, and she amazed me from time to time, continuously searching for her appearances onscreen and anticipating what more she'll bring to the table. In contrast to her soft, youthful, modern beauty, she really has this delightful knack in portraying characters with various mental disorders, and she aces all of them so naturally. She's a grand discovery for her generation, and it's always exciting to look forward to what other versatile characters she'll play in the future.
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Miyazawa Hio
Japanese
I first knew Hio as an exclusive Men's Non-no model, literally as the most gorgeously-beautiful male Japanese model I've ever seen. But after stumbling upon his magazine interviews and watching him carry himself on camera, all by his respectful gestures and uniquely-intelligent way of thinking, I started to get really hooked. So I watched the one movie that solidifies his stance as an actor, His, and just right then, I completely understand why so many people and so many of my friends are always talking about him. The way he embodies his role as Shun has made me so spellbound, so I get it. I really get the well-deserved hype, the buzz, I really get it, I really do. And now I'm so down bad, and I'm now always really looking forward to what other challenging characters he'll take to portray.
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Ikuta Toma
Japanese
Nakatsu, Nakatsu, Nakatsu. Ikuta Toma is so wonderful and so great, there's not a single person I know who watched J-doramas and dislike him. A very versatile and well-rounded actor with marvelous visuals, he's also humorous and friendly, he's always approachable by everyone, and he has a big heart. But he's more than just Nakatsu from Hana Kimi, in fact he can unexpectedly take your breath away by playing serious or villainous roles, and he's so good at acting out any roles he can intimidate you. He's also one of the very few J-actors who can naturally handle extremely lengthy monologues and act out actual action scenes.
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Zhang Xin Cheng
Chinese
Granted, I do not watch C-dramas at all, until I gave Go Ahead a watch because it was high in my recommendations list, and falling for him was easy. Being the very first actual C-actor whose projects I've been keeping an eye out later on, Steven Zhang is truly an exceptionally multitalented star of his generation. Not going to ignore the fact that he's insanely handsome and has a great sunshine smile, he also stands out the most among others whenever he plays lonely characters who long for something meaningful. It's true that he's a great onscreen kisser, but he cries so heartbreakingly, he vents out his anger very satisfyingly, he knows how to wrench your entire soul and make you feel excited at the same time.
