Fuju Kamio Wants His Acting to Resonate; Star of New TV Romance Drama Looks Back at Career, Ambitions

By Yayoi Kawatoko / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:00 JST, October 10, 2025

Fuju Kamio’s wide, clear and bright eyes are very striking. At times sharp, in other moments they look tender. Depending on the role, he uses his eyes to express various shades of emotion. In the new TV drama “Subeteno Koi ga Owaru to Shitemo” (“Even If All Love Fades”), Kamio plays Mao, a young man skilled at drawing who single-mindedly loves his girlfriend, Yu.

“I think Mao is like someone who treats everyone in a gentle demeanor,” Kamio said. “I consciously tried to convey the way he looks at things and how he speaks. I hope I did his feelings for Yu justice.”

The drama tells the story of a group of young people, revolving around Yu and Mao, who are in love but also keep missing each other.

“Relationships are something that everyone goes through, so I couldn’t figure out what the right angle was. It was challenging to find the dynamic of a loving couple, their chemistry,” he said, looking back at the shoot.

In the story, Kamio played Mao from his high school days to growing up to become an adult member of society.

“It felt a bit embarrassing to play out the high school romance, but I did my best,” he said.

As for Mao as a grown-up, “He’s the only one who’s become stuck,” the actor said.

Unlike Mao, Yu goes out in society and adapts to her new environment. This contrast becomes the source of the distance between them.

Kamio played soccer for 12 years until his first year of high school. But feeling his limitations in sports, he decided to go for the world of entertainment.

“There was nothing else I had a passion for, and I thought, if I were to do something, I wanted to do something new, something no one around me was doing,” he said.

A turning point for Kamio came with the TV drama “Koi no Tsuki” (“Love and Fortune”), in which he appeared at 19.

“I couldn’t do well at all. The director criticized me, and it set me back. [But] I learned that’s what taking on a role is about,” he recalled.

His success thereafter was remarkable, and 10 years have passed since he first became an actor.

“Of course, there were times when I wanted to quit, [but I am driven by] having people who support me and the great experiences I wouldn’t be able to have if I had been living a normal life,” he said. “I want my acting to resonate with someone, if not everyone.”

Q&A session with Kamio

Q: What do you do to unwind?

A: It might be meeting up with my friends, like going out for drinks or to karaoke, whether it’s with my actor friends or those working in other industries. Shochu is my favorite alcoholic drink.

Q: How do you keep yourself in good shape?

A: After being in the TV drama “PJ” (“Pararescue Jumper”), I started taking good care of my throat as my voice became hoarse from shouting all the time. Now, I always carry cough drops with me. In the new drama, my character wears his emotions on his sleeve at times, but never shouts.

“Subeteno Koi ga Owaru to Shitemo”

From 10:15 p.m. on Sundays starting Oct. 12 on the TV Asahi network

High school classmates Yu (Wakana Aoi) and Mao (Fuju Kamio) start dating on the day of their graduation ceremony. In attending universities in different cities, cracks begin to appear in their long-distance relationship.

© ABC TV