Stories of selfhood often arrive disguised as performance. Stage lights, whispered dreams, and borrowed names become doorways into truer identities. Within Netflix’s growing Japanese slate, one such narrative gathers quiet momentum.

In an age where the possibilities of being exactly who one wants to be continue to widen, so does the platform’s instinct for casting lives shaped by turbulence. This Is I stands at that intersection, where queerness, reinvention, and biography converge, with the perfect faces to encapsulate the story as well.

Where dreams meet society’s unblinking stare, this film gathers its voices; some fresh, some time-tempered, yet all the perfect pitch to Haruna Ai's timbre. 

Bringing more depth to Netflix’s ever-expanding archive of authenticity, the cast of This Is I emerge not quietly, but with the cadence of a life sung against resistance.

Haruki Mochizuki portrays Haruna Ai, the lead, inspired by the real transgender performer Ai Haruna. This rising 18-year-old star debuted in dramas like Love Is Better the Second Time Around as young Miyata Akihiro and Black Postman.

Saitô Takumi plays Dr. Kôji Wada, the doctor pivotal to Haruna Ai's path. He is known for his leading roles in yet another experimental Netflix production, He's Expecting (2022), and Bullet Train Explosion. Saitô also brings in directorial expertise with his dabbling behind the lens in Zokki in 2020. 

Kimura Tae plays a key supporting role, mother to Haruna Ai. Known for numbers such as 1998's After Life and 2004's Hana & Alice, plus dramas like My Home Hero, Kimura brings veteran depth. ​

Chihara Seiji contributes to the ensemble as Haruna's father, with appearances in the drama Police in a Pod and 11 Rebels, among others. 

Nakamura Ataru features in the cast as Aki. This is I will be an acting landmark in Nakamura's singing-songwriting portfolio.​

Yoshimura Kaito supports the narrative, known from Tokyo-based acting under Ever Green Entertainment. He is known for his roles in Smoking, Mogura, and Welcome Back. ​

Megumi embodies the character Yuko in the story. She has previously been spotted in the 2023 show Unknown and ​has produced Badly In Love in 2025. 

Shidô Nakamura adds gravitas with his Kabuki stage prominence. He will play Tsuruhisa in the film. ​

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This is I is Netflix's retelling of a tale far closer to home than meets the lens. 

Premiered globally on Netflix on February 10, 2026, amid the streamer's Broadway debuts and more, This Is I chronicles the 2009 Miss International Queen winner, Haruna Ai’s rise from Kenji to national fame following the 2008 lip sync breakthrough. Directed by Yusaku Matsumoto and produced by TOHO Studio with Yoshihiro Sato executive producing and Yoshihiro Kubota producing. 

Biographical cinema often searches for spectacle, yet this narrative leans toward interior truth. Through cabaret stages, clinic corridors, and public scrutiny, the film traces resilience rather than reinvention alone. This is I pulses with 80s-2000s tunes, as its cast reflects layered authenticity, bridging emerging performers with cultural mainstays.

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What do you think of This is I's cast? Let us know in the comments!