Asura season 1: Full list of cast explored in the series
Asura season 1 is a Japanese drama series directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, who has co-written the series with Kuniko Mukôda. It is a remake of the popular 1979 series Like Asura (Ashura no Gotoku), based on Mukôda's novel of the same name. Released on January 9, 2025, the seven-part Netflix series is produced by Miyuki Fukuma, Eiji Kitahara, Hijiri Taguchi, and Yasuo Yagi.
Set in 1979 Tokyo, the series follows four Takezawa sisters, who discover their father Kotaro's secret affair and struggle to deal with its effect on their family and personal lives.
The official logline of Asura season 1, as per Netflix, reads:
"In 1979 Tokyo, four distinct sisters uncover their aging father's affair, causing their happy facades and bottled-up emotions to slowly unravel."
Jolene Kim, Rie Miyazawa, and others star in Asura season 1
1) Jolene Kim as Makiko
Jolene Kim stars as Makiko in Asura season 1.
The actress, director, and writer, previously played Tess Adams in season 7 of Grey’s Anatomy in 2010. Her other television credits include American shows like Days of Our Lives, NCIS: Los Angeles, 24, This is Normal, The Fosters, etc. She has also starred in a Korean drama Snowdrop (2021) as Pi Seung-hee.
Additionally, Jolene has acted in projects of different genre such as The Way We Weren't, The Appointment, A Deadly Deed, and Money Plane, to name a few.
2) Rie Miyazawa as Tsunako
Rie Miyazawa plays Tsunako, the Takezawa family's oldest daughter, in the Netflix series. After her husband's death, Tsunako earns a living by teaching flower arrangements (known as ikebana) and has an affair with a married man.
Miyazawa has played Konuma Eiko/Hisako in the 2004 film Tony Takitani, helmed by director Jun Ichikawa. She has also starred in films like Tsuki, Her Love Boils Bathwater, I Am Makimoto, and a comedy project titled The Sunday Runoff.
Among her television appearances are shows like Princess Go, Musashi, Genroku ryôran, The Naked Director, Gou-Gou datte Neko de aru, and Leaders.
3) Machiko Ono as Makiko
Machiko Ono plays the family's second daughter Makiko in Asura season 1. She is a full-time housewife who finds herself in the same predicament as her mother, Fuji, as her husband Takao is also having an affair.
From 2011 to 2012, Machiko played Itoko Ohara in the drama series Carnation, based on the fashion designer Ayako Koshino. Her other notable television credits include Light of My Lion, Mother, Grace no Rireki, Kirin ga kuru, In This Corner of the World, Hello, We Love You, Fujiko, The Best Divorce, and more.
Machiko has also worked in drama films like Arigatô, Kochira Amiko, Like Father, Like Son, and Sabakan. She also appeared in a comedy-drama film Being Good in 2015 and a fantasy movie titled The Miracles of the Namiya General Store in 2017.
In 2008, she played Eriko Kikuchi in Kazuhisa Imai's biographical film Departure: From Ashoro.
4) Suzu Hirose as Sakiko Takezawa
Suzu Hirose plays Sakiko Takezawa, the family's the third sister who works as a waitress in Asura season 1.
Suzu's first acting role was in the romantic comedy series Ghostly Girl in 2013. She went on to play the leading role of Tsubame Haruna in The Girl's Speech in 2015. Suzu has also starred in a martial arts comedy series The Phantom Thief Yamaneko and a crime mystery series, Bitter Blood.
Moreover, her recent television appearances include a romantic series Hold My Hand at Twilight and a mystery series titled Nemesis. Suzu is also known for her roles in films like At the Bench, The Wandering Moon, Kyrie, The Water Flows to the Sea, and Chihayafuru Part I, as well as its two sequels.
5) Yû Aoi as Takiko Takezawa
In Asura season 1, Yû Aoi plays the youngest daughter of the Takezawa family, Takiko. She works as a librarian and is the one to accidentally discover her father's affair.
Yû Aoi has acted in an action-adventure film Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part I - The Final and a romantic film From Miyamoto to You. Her notable appearance in other films include What a Wonderful Family, They Say Nothing Stays the Same, Zipang Punk, Tokyo Family, Tamatama, and Tokyo!, among others.
In her acting career, she has also been a part of shows like The Youngsters, Mozu, Ryômaden, Osen, and Tiger & Dragon.
Other supporting cast members of Asura season 1 are listed below:
- Jun Kunimura as Kotaro Takezawa
- Keiko Matsuzaka as Fuji Takezawa
- Yuuki Luna as Takiko
- Masahiro Motoki as Takao
- Ryuhei Matsuda as Katsumata
- Kisetsu Fujiwara as Jinnouchi
- Seiyo Uchino as Sadaharu
- Trish Le as Takiko
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