On August 15, 2017, Watanabe was introduced as one of nine Hiragana Keyakizaka46 (now Hinatazaka46) "second generation" members. She made her acting debut two months later in the group's drama
Re:Mind, aired on
TV Tokyo and
Netflix, and was the only second generation member to appear in the main story with the founding first generation members. Watanabe's first photobook, titled
Hidamari and photographed in
New Zealand, was released on January 17, 2019. About 17,000 copies were sold in its release week, placing it first on the
Oricon Weekly Photobook chart and fifth on the overall Weekly Book chart. It was the first and only solo photobook by a Hiragana Keyakizaka46 member, as subsequent books by other members were released after they were rebranded into Hinatazaka46 in February of that year. Watanabe appeared in the Hinatazaka46 dramas
Dasada (2020) She and fellow members
Miku Kanemura and
Akari Nibu, together colloquially known as the "Saitama Trio" after their shared home prefecture, also lent their voices to characters named after themselves in the short animation series
Pickles the Frog: Color of Feelings (2021). Watanabe played female lead Nasa Kotosaka in the television drama adaptation of the romance/science fiction novel ''
(2021), alongside Gordon Maeda. The drama was aired on Nippon TV and Hulu Japan, with slightly different storylines for each version. She played female lead Remi Watanuki in the action web film Good Morning, Sleeping Lion (2022) alongside Seiji Takaiwa and several other Kamen Rider franchise veterans. On being offered the role, she remarked that a fortune teller on the Hinatazaka46 variety show Hinatazaka de Aimashō had predicted years earlier that "a Kamen Rider'' offer" would come to her. On April 3, 2022, Watanabe announced that she would depart from Hinatazaka46 after the promotion for the group's 7th single "
Boku Nanka" (2022) has concluded. She would be the first second generation member, and the third after the group's rebrand, to leave the group. For that single, she served as center (lead performer) for the "aggressive,
rock-sounding" track "Koishita Sakana wa Sora wo Tobu", and the music video for "Hikōkigumo ga Dekiru Riyū" is about the closing of a dormitory named "Hidamari", a reference to her aforementioned photobook. Her "graduation" ceremony took place on June 28 at the
Tokyo International Forum, Hall A; recordings of the concert were included on the Type A and Type B editions of Hinatazaka46's 8th single "
Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight" (2022). A graduation commemorative book, titled
Watashi ga Watashi de aru Tame ni was published by
Nikkei BP, which sold 16,000 copies in its release week and placed fourth on the
Oricon Weekly Book chart. She officially left Hinatazaka46 on July 31, with her posting on its official blog for the last time the next day, August 1. In an interview with
Oricon, Watanabe stated that she would continue her entertainment career and utilize her acting experience. On September 1, 2022, Watanabe announced her affiliation with the talent agency Queen-B. She also launched her
Twitter and
Instagram accounts, an official website and her own fanclub. Watanabe appeared in the dramas
Brother Trap (2022) She made her full-fledged voice acting debut in the
NHK short animation series
Animation x Paralympic, in a 2023 episode featuring
paracanoe athlete . She is also a member of the
Saitama Prefecture public relations group, the Saitama Supporters Group, or Kobaton Club. Watanabe continued to expand her acting career in 2025 with regular roles in the television dramas
Junkissa Tsunagari, Heiten Shimasu (
TV Aichi),
Ameagari no Bokura ni Tsuite (
TV Tokyo), and ''Jigoku wa Zen'i de Dekiteiru
(Kansai TV). In 2026, she secured a co-lead role as Meiko Mori in the TOKYO MX romantic comedy series Yukari-kun wa Gap ga Zurui
alongside Hayato Takao, as well as the social drama Umanai Onna wa Dame desu ka? DINKs no Totsukitooka'' (TV Tokyo). == Filmography ==