Kodama Nanami Feature | S1's Lost Legend Returns After 500 Days

She carried S1’s banner at 19, vanished at 20, and came back at 21 with a new name

If the name Ogura Nanami rings a bell, you’re not alone. I still remember the impact when she debuted from S1 in September 2021. Nineteen years old, F-cup, an almost ethereal aura. She landed second place in the newcomer category of Monthly FANZA’s “Most Impressive AV Actresses of Winter 2021.” That girl.

And then, a year later, she was gone.

The reason for her retirement was never publicly stated, though the timing coincided with the enforcement of Japan’s new AV legislation. The whole industry was in turmoil back then. Just when it seemed like she’d disappeared for good, a post appeared on X in September 2023 announcing her return under a new name: “Kodama Nanami.” About six months later, on April 19, 2024, her comeback title dropped from S1.

A comeback after 500 days. And the fact that S1 took her back says everything about how highly they valued her potential from day one. One look at the reception of her post-return work makes it clear that decision was the right call.

Profile

Kodama Nanami. Formerly known as Ogura Nanami. Represented by T-Powers.

• Date of birth: June 22, 2002
• Height: 161cm
• Measurements: B92/W58/H88 (F-cup)
• Blood type: A
• Hobbies: Photography, Rubik’s Cube
• Debut: September 2021 (S1 exclusive, as Ogura Nanami)
• Return: April 2024 (S1 exclusive, as Kodama Nanami)
• Total works: 183+ (combined under both names, as of March 2026)
• SNS: X (@_KodamaNanami_) / Instagram (@nn_0622) (96K followers)

Photography and Rubik’s Cube as hobbies — honestly, that combination alone makes you think “okay, this one’s a little different.” When someone whose job is being in front of the camera picks up photography as a hobby, it usually means they have a sharp eye for composition and lighting. Watch her work closely and you’ll catch moments where that sensibility shows through.

Career Timeline

As Ogura Nanami — One year carrying S1’s highest expectations

On September 10, 2021, she debuted from S1 with “Fresh Face NO.1 STYLE Ogura Nanami AV Debut.” 91 reviews, averaging 4.51. For an S1 newcomer debut, those are outstanding numbers.

A 19-year-old F-cup with an effortless balance of innocence and sensuality — she fit S1’s “classic beautiful girl” mold perfectly. Right after her debut, she ranked 33rd in FLASH’s sexiest actress rankings and took second in Monthly FANZA’s newcomer feature. Industry expectations were through the roof.

She continued releasing solo titles from S1 at a pace of about one per month, steadily expanding her range across school uniform themes, teacher scenarios, and groping setups. In February 2022, she took her first shot at VR. The immersive quality combined with that translucent beauty was honestly unfair.

But it all ended there. October 1, 2022 — retirement. She also left her agency, Life Promotion. Just one year and one month after her debut. The talent S1 had been cultivating simply vanished.

500 days of silence — and a new name

Not much has been shared publicly about the circumstances of her retirement. The timing aligned with Japan’s new AV legislation coming into effect, and there was reportedly a stretch of months where job offers dried up completely. Only fragments of the story remain.

On September 12, 2023, a post appeared on X: “I will be working under the name Kodama Nanami.” Newly signed with T-Powers and reborn under a different stage name. Leaving the name Ogura Nanami behind and starting from zero again — that takes real resolve.

As Kodama Nanami — The day S1 said “Welcome back”

Her comeback title dropped on April 19, 2024. The title: “Legendary Beautiful Girl Kodama Nanami Revival Debut The 3 Kinds of SEX I Really Wanted to Have.” 58 reviews, averaging 4.26.

After a 500-day gap, S1 welcomed her back as an exclusive. In industry terms, this is highly unusual. It’s rare for an actress who quit to return to the same studio, and even rarer when that studio is S1. That’s how strong her reputation was during the Ogura Nanami era, and it speaks to how determined she was about coming back.

Post-return, she’s been releasing one to two solo titles per month. What’s remarkable is that her review scores are actually higher than before she retired. Her May 2024 title about a marathon sensitivity test pulled 60 reviews at an average of 4.57. The July 2024 “Men’s Esthetic” release hit 4.65 across 20 reviews. The hiatus somehow deepened her performances rather than dulling them.

Then in February 2025, “Ripe Sisters’ Bodies” landed at the top of all Kodama Nanami titles by popularity. 48 reviews, averaging 4.60. Her position within S1 was firmly cemented.

By December 2025, she even released a title through Moodyz. An S1 exclusive appearing on another label — that’s how high the demand is.

The “gap” gave her work real depth

Watching Kodama Nanami’s post-return catalog, what stands out is an “emotional depth” that simply wasn’t there during her 19-year-old debut era.

As Ogura Nanami, her weapon was being the “beautiful girl with an ethereal quality.” That hasn’t changed. But in her post-return work, there’s something more — a vulnerability. In the way she carries herself before the camera, you can sense the self-awareness of a woman in her early twenties and the resolve of a professional actress. I don’t know what happened during those 500 days, but that time unquestionably added another layer to her performances.

The difference is most striking in drama-format concept titles. There’s a visceral believability to the scenarios — you genuinely think, “What if she were really in this situation?” That probably comes from the fact that her real experience of leaving and returning to the industry injects authenticity into fiction.

Her review averages consistently sit above 4.5, and the review counts are high. That means people who watch her work are compelled to write about it. She’s putting out that caliber of content on a consistent basis.

Tracing Kodama Nanami’s evolution through key titles

Her post-return masterpiece — New territory in a sisters scenario

The most popular title under the Kodama Nanami name. 48 reviews, averaging 4.60. A drama built around a sisters premise, and her ability to calibrate emotional distance with her co-star is exceptional.

Within S1’s classic “drama meets beautiful girl” format, what sets Kodama Nanami apart is that the drama portions actually work as genuine performances. Factor in how convincingly she wears a school uniform, and this title marks the high point of her post-return career.

First Moodyz appearance — Perfect review scores

An unusual release from Moodyz despite her S1 exclusive status. “Devoured by a Literary Girl 5” — 9 reviews, averaging a perfect 5.00.

Being cast in the fifth installment of this series means the production team saw something in her that fit this particular concept. In a more aggressive role than her usual S1 work, she reveals an entirely different side. There’s a genuine “I didn’t know she could do that” factor here. This is essential viewing for anyone who only knows her S1 persona.

Latest solo release — Kodama Nanami in 2026

Her newest solo title, released February 2026. 4 reviews, averaging 5.00.

A forbidden-love drama. Nearly two years after her comeback, her position within S1 feels fully locked in. She’s no longer “the one who came back.” She’s “someone holding S1 up right now.”

The title that proved her post-return awakening

May 2024, just one month after her return. 60 reviews, averaging 4.57.

A six-hour marathon that squeezed out every ounce of Kodama Nanami’s potential. Sixty reviews for a concept title of this type is an extraordinary number. Even so early after her comeback, this was enough to convince anyone that she was dead serious about being back.

Who should check her out

• Fans of S1’s classic beauties who want something with more substance: The coexistence of ethereal beauty and dramatic depth is a quality unique to post-return Kodama Nanami

• People who knew Ogura Nanami and wondered “What happened to her?”: After 500 days away, she’s definitively leveled up. Long-time fans will be the most surprised

• The pragmatist who picks titles based on review scores: Nearly all her post-return solo works average 4.5 or above. The odds of picking a dud are extremely low

• Anyone who loves drama-format concept titles: She has the acting chops to breathe life into a scenario. Sisters themes, teacher setups, and men’s esthetic scenarios are her wheelhouse

Final thoughts

She carried S1’s banner at 19, disappeared at 20, and came back at 21 under a different name. On paper, Kodama Nanami’s career reads as turbulent, but if you follow her work chronologically, a clear through-line emerges: “This person belongs in front of a camera.”

Her post-return review scores prove it in hard numbers. Those 500 days weren’t wasted. If anything, that time away is the reason the Kodama Nanami we know today exists.

In 2026, she’s branching out to Moodyz while keeping S1 as her home base. She released a photobook, “Earthly Idol.” Her Instagram following sits at 96,000. Her presence is growing beyond her titles alone. An actress who once vanished is coming back bigger than she was before. We’re lucky to be following this story in real time.

Note: Product information is displayed in Japanese.