TOKYO (TR) – Suzuka Chinzei, a 27-year-old member of the hit pop idol group Fruits Zipper, has broken her self-imposed acting ban to take on her first solo lead role in a new horror film by genre master Takashi Shimizu, reports Sankei Sports (July 18).
The film, “Dareka-san to Asobo?” (Who Wants to Play?), hits theaters on July 24. Directed by the 53-year-old creator of the iconic “Ju-On” (The Grudge) franchise, the story centers on a fatal urban legend: anyone whose name and date are recorded on a cassette tape on the 13th step of an empty school staircase is doomed to die.
Chinzei ditches her bright idol persona to play Koharu, a psychological counselor brought into a school to investigate a string of bizarre incidents after students test the deadly rumor.
Severe phobia
Despite a background as a child actor on NHK, Chinzei revealed she had developed a severe phobia of the craft.
“There were so many talented people around me. I felt my acting wasn’t valued, and I started thinking I wasn’t suited for it. It was agonizing, a real trauma,” Chinzei confessed. “Up until now, I had been telling my agency that I refused to take any acting jobs.”
Instead, she focused entirely on Fruits Zipper following the group’s formation in 2022. The pop act has seen a meteoric rise, sweeping the Best New Artist award at the 2023 Japan Record Awards and securing massive performances at the Tokyo Dome and NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen.
However, as the group’s fame exploded, Chinzei began seeking ways to expand their horizons. Prompted by advice from a fortune teller—who told her she had a strong affinity for acting—and a push from her agency’s president, she decided to confront her past.
Dark tone
Filming kicked off in February, immediately following the group’s Tokyo Dome concert, and lasted a grueling month and a half. Chinzei, who previously despised the horror genre, found herself captivated by Shimizu’s flexible directing style. She pushed through multiple takes for her very first crying scenes, bonding with younger cast members like 16-year-old Anna Hoshino, who plays her sister—and one of the cursed students—in the film.
The film’s dark tone has also bled into Fruits Zipper’s music. Their new track, “Sensation,” serves as the movie’s collaboration song and features a music video where the usually bubbly idols completely drop their trademark kawaii (cute) smiles.
The edgy shift is already paying off. According to Chinzei, the single moved over 500,000 copies on its May 15 release day alone.
“My goal is to become an actress capable of leading a serial drama,” Chinzei declared, stepping out from the shadow of her past. “Just as Fruits Zipper is being recognized, I will work hard to be recognized for my acting.”
