Will Erika Sawajiri after the doping incident return to the screen as early as next year?
After the doping incident in 2019, the recent movements of Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri (36 years old), who is far from the screen, have attracted much attention. It is said that she will return to the actress industry as soon as next year.
In 2019, Erika Sawajiri was arrested and prosecuted for possession of the synthetic drug MDMA in her apartment in Tokyo. In a public trial at the Tokyo District Court in February 2020, he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.
Since then, it has actually withdrawn from the entertainment industry, and it is expected to end the suspension in February next year.
The private TV information program staff said: "Pierre Taki, who was also arrested for drug crimes, was still on a moratorium in the spring of 2021 and actually starred in the movie "ZOKKI", but most of the artists will come back after the suspension ends. In this sense, Erika Sawajiri's movements next year are attracting attention. ”
Of course, it is unlikely that the return will go very smoothly. Before the arrest, as one of the main actors, she was about to star in the NHK Taiga drama "Kirin is Coming", and she was a popular actress, so this arrest brought a huge impact to the world.
Undoubtedly, restoring the image requires considerable effort.
"Even if you return to actress, NHK will be troubled by finding substitutes and reshoots, and Minda TV will care about the audience's reaction, and it will be difficult to start immediately. The TV series is very grim for the time being" (the aforementioned information program staff)
On the other hand, many people think that she should be back soon.
"There are still many people who speak highly of Sawajiri's acting skills and presence. The guilt must be accepted heavily, but the great luck in misfortune, before the arrest, she was not the kind of star who sold favorability, so the damage of image decline was relatively small. (Film Distribution Company Staff)
Perhaps because of this background, the official website of the business partner of the personal firm, "Aihui Management", still publishes Sawajiri's personal information.
In that case, what is more concerned is her progress after her return.
"The likelihood of movies and stage plays is not zero, but it's more likely to come back from the video side first, because these videos are less influenced by sponsors." Depending on the evaluation, you may be invited to perform overseas outside of Japan. There are rumors that foreign companies have shown interest. If it is her return work, topicality alone is enough. ”
In February next year, can you see Erika Sawajiri return to the screen as an actress?