Juri Uesaka

Juri Uesaka is set to carry a shojo romance as the female lead of the live-action Fukakoryoku no I LOVE YOU, based on Mizuki Hoshino's manga and slated to open in Japan on March 5, 2027. She co-stars with Kota Nomura, with Yuka Yasukawa directing and Haruka Okita writing the screenplay. The manga has passed 1.8 million copies in circulation.

The casting puts Uesaka in a story built around what happens after a confession, not the chase. Nomura plays Wataru, a basketball ace whose devotion turns possessive. Uesaka plays the heroine who confesses to end her unrequited love, pulling her into a secret relationship. The two performers had only shared a TV commercial before this film.

Coverage split on how to name her character. One report calls the heroine Kotama Serina; another calls her Kodama Hoshinagi. The earlier story, published October 19, reported the film and both leads; a second story the next day focused on Uesaka's role and fan reaction to her high school girl look, with some fans voicing jealousy over the romance. Neither report addresses the name discrepancy, and the most recent frame of reference gives her as Kotama Serina.

Before this film, the stories tie Uesaka to the morning drama The Wind Blows, where she played Naomi. That role is the only previous credit the coverage mentions for her.