The career step
Kawata tells Daily Shincho that the role is her first drama lead since leaving the group in November 2025. The series is streaming on TVer, making the nine-month gap a transition period rather than a disappearance from entertainment.
What made the production different
She describes entering the set alone instead of working within the safety of an idol group and says she was intensely nervous before filming. The AI premise belongs to the drama’s fiction; the interview is about her preparation and post-idol career.
Update note: Adds the post-graduation timeline and separates the drama's AI premise from the actor's real-life career account.
Original headline: 日向坂46時代は「周りがすごすぎて、よくへこんでいた」河田陽菜、卒業から9か月でドラマ初主演
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Read the full three-page interview, including the drama premise, November 2025 graduation and Kawata's account of leading a production alone.
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