She has also publicly stated her desire to direct. "I am tired of the male gaze in Japanese cinema," she told Cinema Today in a rare, unguarded interview. "I want to shoot women the way I see us in my head—tired, strong, beautiful, and ugly all at once."
Her film debut came in 2016 with Nana: Part 2 , a franchise already beloved by manga fans. But it was her role in the 2018 thriller The Blood of Wolves that signaled the arrival of a serious actress. Playing a small but emotionally volatile role, Imada held her own against veteran actors like Koji Yakusho. Critics noted her "explosive vulnerability"—the ability to appear fragile one second and devastatingly violent the next. mirei imada
This willingness to critique the industry while working within it has earned her the respect of peers. Unlike stars who rely on talent agencies to filter their opinions, Imada is known for speaking her mind during press junkets, a trait that endears her to the younger Gen Z audience who value authenticity. As of late 2025, Mirei Imada is attached to two major projects. The first is a Netflix international production titled Tokyo X-Files , a sci-fi noir where she plays a detective with dissociative identity disorder. The second is a stage adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha in London’s West End, marking her international stage debut. She has also publicly stated her desire to direct
Furthermore, she launched a small production label called "9/12" (her birthday). The label's first project is a short film about a female carpenter in rural Hokkaido, a deliberate move away from the neon-lit streets of Tokyo she is famous for. In an era where Japanese entertainment is often overshadowed by the global juggernaut of K-Dramas and K-Pop, Mirei Imada represents the future of J-drama —grittier, more global, and less reliant on saccharine tropes. But it was her role in the 2018