Millennium Actress

About Millennium Actress

If you are hunting for a new drama series, Millennium Actress (千年女優) deserves a look (2002). The setup goes like this. In short: Millennium Actress blurs the lines between the past and the present, and truth and fiction, when a documentary filmmaker fulfills his quest to find the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara. When Chiyoko grants the filmmaker’s request, he, in turn, presents her with a token – a key she had lost and thought was gone forever.

Soon after, the filmmaker could not have imagined that the key would not only unlock the long-held hidden truths of Chiyoko’s life, but also his own. (Source: Dreamworks) Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 28, 2001.

With drama at the core, character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. Chiyoko Fujiwara (Miyoko Shouji) and Eiko Shimao (Shouko Tsuda) are two of the characters you will meet early. This one is best suited to viewers who prefer story and feelings over flashy action. With 1 episodes in total, there is enough room for the story to develop.

Production & Appeal

MADHOUSE is the studio behind Millennium Actress, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. Within the drama category, character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. Viewers rate it 8.1/10, which signals strong word of mouth. Voice casting, including Miyoko Shouji as Chiyoko Fujiwara, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. Released in 2002, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.