Naomi Watanabe

Career

Watanabe does impersonations of popular artists in Japanese culture, among which her imitation of Beyoncé singing "Dreamgirls" and "Crazy in Love" quickly became popular. She has also launched her own fashion line called Punyus (loosely translated to "chubby" in English), and played the role of Mabel in the musical Fame and Tracy Turnblad in the musical Hairspray. Her Instagram account has 9.9 million followers as of 23 February 2023.

Watanabe made her musical debut in 2017, as a featured artist on Japanese-American singer Ai's single "Kira Kira". The song served as the opening theme song for the Japanese drama Kanna-san!, with Watanabe as the lead actress. "Kira Kira" was later nominated for the Grand Prix Award at the 59th Japan Record Awards.

In 2022, she appeared as a featured artist on a Japanese remix of Doja Cat's 2021 single, "Kiss Me More".

In 2025, Watanabe and the comic duo Chocolate Planet formed N-choco. They released their debut single, "Elusive", with M-flo.

Guest appearances

Watanabe was seen as a guest in the 2013 anime movie Crayon Shin-chan: Very Tasty! B-class Gourmet Survival!!. In 2016, she voiced the character of Ashima in the Japanese language dub of the Thomas & Friends film The Great Race. In 2019, she was featured in Queer Eye: We're in Japan!, Season 1, Episode 3, "The Ideal Woman". She has appeared in Us Weekly magazine.

Personal life

Watanabe was born in Taipei to a Japanese father and a Taiwanese mother and raised in Ibaraki. She is of Japanese and Taiwanese descent.

In March 2021, she announced she would move from Japan to the United States. Watanabe relocated to New York City, describing it as a "major rebirth".

Awards

In December 2024, Naomi Watanabe was included on the BBC's 100 Women list.

Discography

Singles

As a featured artist

Filmography

Variety shows

Film

Television drama

Animation

Japanese dub

;Live-action

;Animation

Notes

References

References

1. (2008-08-23). "和製ビヨンセ・渡辺直美、美空ひばりさんのモノマネ初披露". Oricon.
2. (2008-05-02). "和製ビヨンセ・渡辺直美が激白？「椎名桔平に口説かれたら芸人辞めます！」". Cinema Today.
3. (August 2019). "Make Some Room For Naomi Watanabe The unstoppable Japanese comedian is coming for America and the world.". The Cut.
4. (18 April 2018). "Comedian Naomi Watanabe on luxury, loneliness and being plus-size in Japan". [[Financial Times]].
5. (2017-07-06). "AI×渡辺直美「カンナさーん！」主題歌フルバージョンをオンエア解禁！！".
6. "チョコプラ／渡辺直美によるユニット×m-floとのコラボ曲「ELUSIVE」MV公開".
7. "Archived copy".
8. "映画 きかんしゃトーマス「走れ！世界のなかまたち THE GREAT RACE」".
9. "Queer Eye: We're in Japan! {{!}} Netflix Official Site".
10. Us Weekly, 13 December 2021, p. 46.
11. (18 April 2018). "Comedian Naomi Watanabe on luxury, loneliness and being plus-size in Japan".
12. Hou, Kathleen. (1 August 2019). "Make Some Room For Naomi Watanabe".
13. (2009-11-25). "渡辺直美は8.5kg減 「肉食ダイエット」がいいかも". Ameba News.
14. (3 March 2021). "Naomi Watanabe moving to U.S.; switching base of operations to outside Japan".
15. "Naomi Watanabe {{!}} These New Worlds? They Demand A Rebirth!".
16. (3 December 2024). "BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?". BBC.
17. "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2017/08/09".
18. "渡辺直美がラップで全世界デビュー、ドージャ・キャット楽曲に参加 {{!}} CINRA".
19. "『新解釈・三國志』"自称イケメン将軍"岩田剛典＆"絶世の美女"渡辺直美が参戦". Crank-in!.
20. "Live-Action The Promised Neverland Film Casts Keiko Kitagawa, Naomi Watanabe".
21. "渡辺直美が朝ドラ「おむすび」出演、歩を元気づけるパワフルギャル・アキピー役".
22. (29 January 2020). "Naomi Watanabe Cast in 2020 Doraemon Anime Film".
23. (2020-09-10). "劇場版「美少女戦士セーラームーンEternal」 ジルコニアのキャストが発表！".
24. (21 October 2021). "DEEMO Memorial Keys Anime Film Reveals February 25 Debut, 5 More Cast Members".
25. (25 May 2025). "日本人初！USオリジナル版＆日本版声優に抜擢！平和を愛する惑星の大使・オーヴァ役に渡辺直美さんが決定！".
26. "ナイト ミュージアム／エジプト王の秘密". Fukikaeru.
27. "マイアミ・ギャングスター". Sony Pictures.
28. "ゴーストバスターズ". Fukikaeru.
29. "ゴーストバスターズ／アフターライフ －日本語吹き替え版". Fukikaeru.
30. (16 March 2018). "リメンバー・ミー".
31. "ミニオンズ フィーバー －日本語吹き替え版". Fukikaeru.