Mao Inoue (井上 真央 Inoue Mao) (born January 9, 1987) is an award-winning Japanese actress. She debuted as a U-15 idol in 1999. She is best known to Japanese television drama audiences as Akane Imai (今井 茜Imai Akane) in Kids War (キッズ・ウォー Kizzu Uo^?) and as Makino Tsukushi in the popular Hana Yori Dango series .