Tatsushi Omori’s new coming-of-age drama, "Under the Stars," is being billed as a return to the big screen for its star, Mana Ashida, after a six-year hiatus.
Once ubiquitous in films and TV dramas, with the 2010 Nippon Television drama “Mother” being her launching pad, the actress decided to enter an elite high school and cut back on her showbiz commitments.
In “Under the Stars,” which is based on Natsuko Imamura’s novel about a girl raised by parents who are earnest followers of a cult, 16-year-old Ashida is almost unrecognizable as the cute kid who once won the hearts of millions.