Saito Kyoko: “I was so happy” — One year after graduating from Hinatazaka, she’s headed to the Cannes Film Festival. Her first starring role, Love Trial, will premiere in the Cannes Première section.

Just one year after her graduation concert from Hinatazaka46 in April 2024, Saito Kyoko is set to walk the Cannes stage. “It honestly feels like a dream. I was so happy I couldn’t even put it into words,” she said. Saito will attend the festival with director Fukada, walk the red carpet, and appear at the official screening.

Love Trial was inspired by a newspaper article the director came across titled “Former Idol Ordered to Pay Damages.” The story had been in the works for ten years before finally coming to life. It follows a former idol who, after allegedly breaking the unspoken “no dating” rule of the Japanese idol world, is sued by her agency for breach of contract, leading to a courtroom battle.

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Source: Girls Channel

Comments:

1. [+29, -0] If you’re signed to a major agency, work keeps coming even after you graduate.

2. [+68, -3] I’m honestly fed up with hearing about the Akimoto groups.

3. [+5, -27] She’s got personality and talks well—makes sense she’s getting popular.

4. [+8, -1] She owes everything to Kyoccorohee.

5. [+12, -1] She was so bossy in Hinatazaka. The juniors were scared of her.

>> If she scolded you with that deep voice of hers, yeah, that’d be terrifying.

>> Isn’t that kind of gap—the cute face and deep voice—actually a cool combo?

>> I saw a hidden camera prank or something in the dressing room, where the 3rd gens were goofing around, then she walked in and the mood totally changed.

6. [+5, -14] I watched Nukemuri no Shokutaku. It was good.

7. [+102, 0] This girl really gives off major “just a regular person” vibes—can she actually act?

8. [+9, -0] She seems super ambitious.

9. [+18, -0] As a Hinatazaka fan, I’m grateful to Kyonko for a lot of things, but doesn’t the way she’s getting so many opportunities feel kind of unnatural?

10. [+21, -0] Isn’t she with Toho now? The amount of push she’s getting is wild.

11. [+4, -0] The movie is about a female idol who ends up in court after being sued by her agency for breaking the rumored “no dating” rule that floats around the Japanese idol industry.

I personally think the concept is really interesting, but I wonder how it’ll go over at Cannes? Idol culture like this feels super specific to Japan, so it might either be seen as really fascinating or totally off-putting—probably one extreme or the other.

12. [+13, -0] She really does look like just any regular girl you’d see around. If she’s still getting pushed, maybe she’s actually a good actress?