Introduction
Naomi Watanabe (渡辺 直美, Watanabe Naomi, born October 23, 1987) is a Japanese actress, comedian, and fashion designer. She rose to fame in 2008 for her imitation of Beyoncé Knowles and was given the title "the Japanese Beyoncé."
Career
Watanabe does impersonations of popular artists in Japanese culture. Among her impersonations, her imitation of Beyoncé Knowles 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).
Personal life
Watanabe has long been overweight. On November 25, 2009, Watanabe reported that she had lost 8.5 kg. of weight and 10% of her body fat due to the Carnivorous Meat Diet, which required a low intake of carbohydrates and sugar.
Guest appearances
Watanabe was seen as a guest in the 2013 anime movie Crayon Shin-chan: Very Tasty! B-class Gourmet Survival!!. In 2017, she voiced the character of Ashima in the Japanese language dub of the Thomas & Friends film The Great Race.