Anna Sawai’s best movies and television shows prove how talented of an actress she is, and her impressive string of recent roles has skyrocketed her career in the past few years. Sawai began acting in a Japanese stage production of Annie when she was just 11 years old, eventually making her feature film debut in 2009 with Ninja Assassin. After a decade away from acting, she returned to various fantastic roles, which include Giri/Haji, the emotionally powerful Pachinko, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the world-building series for the Monsterverse franchise, and one of the best television shows of 2024, Shōgun.
Alongside her impressive acting resume, Sawai initially rose to fame in Japan as one of the lead vocalists of the girl pop group, Faky, from 2013 through 2018. That was when Sawai departed from the group to truly pursue her acting career. Though it was tough for fans of Faky to see her go, the decision proved to be the right one for her, as her recent efforts in television and film have been incredibly impressive to say the least.
6
Ninja Assassin (2009)
Anna Sawai as Kiriko
Critically maligned at release, Ninja Assassin is a solid martial arts action flick revolving around a disillusioned assassin named Raizo who is looking for retribution against his former master. While the story might be convoluted and a bit lackluster overall, Ninja Assassin makes up for it with some great combat sequences that highlight the martial arts talent involved in the movie.
Over a decade before she became a star with Shōgun, Pachinko, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Anna Sawai made her film debut in Ninja Assassin. She plays the teenage version of Kiriko in the movie, and she does a fine job in the role, showing both strength and compassion. Kiriko develops a relationship with Raizo towards the beginning of the film, but her death, after abandoning the Ozuno Clan, is one of the biggest driving forces for Raizo going forward.
5
F9 (2021)
Anna Sawai as Elle Lue
F9: The Fast Saga
7/10
- Release Date
-
June 25, 2021
- Runtime
-
143 Minutes
The ninth entry in the long-running, high-octane Fast & Furious franchise, F9 has shown the diminishing returns of the series, but it is still a good time at the movies. Each movie in the franchise has gotten bigger, bolder, and downright absurd, and the best thing about F9 is its willingness to lean into everything silly about the franchise, crafting some truly baffling but remarkable set pieces in the process. It’s a testament to the strength of the series that the action still doesn’t feel dull after two decades of films.
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Anna Sawai joined the franchise for F9 as she portrays Elle Lue, the adopted daughter of one of the most beloved characters in the entire series, Han Lue. Her biological parents were Japanese scientists involved in Project Aries, a weapons program that was capable of allowing the user to control the world’s weapon systems and computers. She doesn’t have a major role in the movie, but it is a delight to see Sawai join such a major franchise, given how talented she is.
4
Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters (2023–Present)
Anna Sawai as Cate Randa
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
- Release Date
-
November 16, 2023
- Network
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Apple TV+
- Showrunner
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Chris Black, Matt Fraction
Exploring two different time periods in the Monsterverse franchise, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is one of the best things to happen to the series, as the TV format gives it a chance to deepen the lore more than ever before. The main story takes place in 2015, just one year after the emergence of Godzilla, following half-siblings Cate and Kentaro Randa, who are investigating the connection between their missing father and Monarch. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters also takes place in the 1950s, exploring two scientists involved in the early development of the titular organization.
|
Monsterverse Franchise |
|
|---|---|
|
Godzilla |
2014 |
|
Kong: Skull Island |
2017 |
|
Godzilla: King of the Monsters |
2019 |
|
Godzilla vs. Kong |
2021 |
|
Skull Island |
2023 |
|
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters |
2023- |
|
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire |
2024 |
Anna Sawai is a welcomed addition to the Monsterverse as she plays Cate Randa, a schoolteacher from San Francisco dealing with PTSD from the Godzilla attack and searching for her missing father. One of the best parts about Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is how it is able to further explore the human side of the franchise, and Sawai does a fantastic job of portraying the complex emotional and mental journey that Cate goes through over the course of the series.
3
Giri/Haji (2019)
Anna Sawai as Eiko Fukuhara
Giri/Haji
- Release Date
-
2019 – 2018
- Network
-
BBC Two
- Directors
-
Julian Farino, Ben Chessell
Taking place in both London and Tokyo, Giri/Haji is a remarkable crime drama that revolves around a Tokyo detective journeying into the London underworld hoping to find his allegedly deceased brother. Smartly written and beautifully shot, Giri/Haji is consistently suspenseful and engaging, with a twisting, intertwined narrative that is satisfying from start to finish. It’s a masterclass in how to create a suspenseful crime television series.
Caught in the middle of violent men on the precipice of a gang war, Anna Sawai as Eiko Fukuhara is unbelievable. Eiko Fukuhara is the daughter of yakuza boss Fukuhara, who strikes up a romantic relationship with Yōsuke Kubozuka’s Yuto Mori, a member of the yakuza and the younger brother of Kenzo Mori, who was once thought dead. The acting in Giri/Haji is incredibly strong throughout, and Sawai holds her own against some of Japan’s best actors.
2
Pachinko (2022-Present)
Anna Sawai as Ichizaki Naomi
Pachinko
- Release Date
-
March 25, 2022
One of the most emotionally moving and profound television shows to come out in years, Pachinko is an incredible adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by author Min Lee Jin. Set against the backdrop of Japan and Korea, the series spans four generations of a Korean family from 1915 through 1989, experiencing the Japanese occupation of Korea all the way through the bubble economy of Japan. Anna Sawai plays Ichizaki Naomi in Pachinko, an original character created for the series.
One of the most emotionally moving and profound television shows to come out in years.
Ichizaki Naomi is the strong-willed co-worker of Jin Ha’s Baek Solomon, and the two eventually strike up a messy romantic relationship. Sawai is incredible as Ichizaki Naomi in Pachinko, who initially appears standoffish, but slowly lets her guard down as the show progresses, revealing the layers of her character. She is a mix of tender and strong, and even though she is an original character that wasn’t in the book, Ichizaki Naomi was an outstanding addition to the show.
1
Shōgun (2024)
Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko
Shogun
8/10
- Release Date
-
2024 – 2025
- Directors
-
Fred Toye, Jonathan van Tulleken, Charlotte Brändström, Takeshi Fukunaga, Hiromi Kamata
-
Hiroyuki Sanada
Yoshii Toranaga
-
Cosmo Jarvis
John Blackthorne
Based on the incredible novel of the same name by James Clavell, Shōgun is one of the best television shows to come out in years. Shōgun set multiple awards records in the process, including the most Emmys for a single season of television ever. The series follows an English sailor named John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, only to find himself a political pawn in a blossoming civil war. There, he strikes up an unexpected romance with his translator, Toda Mariko, whose dark past keeps her from seeing a future for herself.
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Anna Sawai’s performance as Mariko is transcendent as she is able to give the character so much depth and complexity, both in her speaking parts and the facial expressions she uses throughout. It’s easily the best performance of her career so far, earning her multiple awards, including a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Shōgun is a masterpiece of television through and through, and Anna Sawai is a major reason for how incredible it turned out.
