Shun’ichi Maki

Shun'ichi Maki, born June 25, 1990, in Saitama, Japan, has been popping up all over Japanese TV and movies for the last few years. If you’ve caught “Urutoraman Torigâ Nyû Jenerêshon Tiga” (2021), you probably noticed his energy—he’s got this way of throwing himself into a role that feels super genuine, like he’s just living out the wild sci-fi plotlines instead of acting them out. People who dig the whole Ultraman legacy definitely know his face by now, since that series is kind of a rite of passage for actors in Japan. Jump ahead to “DanDaDan” (2024), and Maki shows off a whole other side—way less the hero type, more quirky, kind of offbeat, and not afraid to be weird on screen. That’s honestly refreshing because, let’s face it, Japanese cinema can get a bit samey sometimes. He brings this raw, sometimes awkward charm that makes you root for his characters even when they’re clearly a mess. He also made waves in “Juusan kihei boueiken” (2019). While it didn’t blow up internationally, it’s one of those cult picks at home where fans swap stories about the cast’s on-set antics. Maki seems to love the grind, always picking up eclectic roles instead of sticking to one genre. Off-screen, he’s low-key, no wild tabloid stories or anything, but you get the sense he’s all about the craft. Basically, he’s one of those actors you want to keep an eye on because you never really know what he’ll do next.