AKB48′s Shinoda Mariko is making her big screen debut with a starring role in the omnibus movie “Inu to Anata no Monogatari: Inu no Eiga.” The movie is a sequel to the 2005 film “Inu no Eiga,” which tells various stories about people and their dogs.

It was revealed in June that Nao Omori (38) and Nanako Matsushima (37) are starring as a married couple in one of the stories, which have grown in number from the 6 reported at the time to a total of 9. Other known cast members in the different stories include Masaaki Uchino (42), newscaster Tomoaki Ogura (63), and child actress Mana Ashida (6).

Shinoda’s story is a comedy piece titled “Aikenka wo Tazunete ~ Orikou.” She plays a dog lover named Sudo, who appears on television when her dog is featured as a “genius” that can answer any of her questions. However, she attempts to prove its abilities in a surprising way.

Although the idol has appeared in a few television dramas before, this is her first time with a major role. She stated that she was initially very nervous on the set, but she enjoyed the fact that there were many cute dogs. Shinoda herself is a dog lover in real life and has two dogs, a 2-year-old toy poodle and a 1-year-old Maltese.

“Inu to Anata no Monogatari” is set for release on January 22.

Source – Tokyograph