Asian Drama

Adapted from the novel "Kisetsu no Nai Machi" (季節のない街) by Yamamoto Shugoro (山本 周五郎).

Episodes: 10

The daughter of Detective Shibasaki Sachio from the First Investigation Division is found stabbed to death. He goes after the truth with Kawasumi Shigekatsu, a junior detective who respects Shibasaki as his mentor in life and is a close family friend. However, the hard work of the police is in vain and the case goes unsolved. 15 years later, Shibasaki is retired and quietly spending the rest of his life looking after his wife Miwako who is seriously ill. The situation begins to change with the establishment of a unit specializing in re-investigating unsolved cases. Kawasumi also joins them and while the case is reexamined, a man regarded as the criminal emerges. Shibasaki pursues the truth on his own. A single phone call triggers a desire for vengeance and he winds up facing a charge.

Adapted from the novel "Ryoba no Ono" (両刃の斧) by Takeaki Daimon (大門剛明).

Fumi lives a wholesome life in a small town among dear friends. One day, her car is hit by a meteorite, the odds of which are 100 million to 1. "Such an unlikely event. Maybe something good will happen in my life!" As she becomes excited at that thought, Shinoda Goro, a man who used to be a dentist in Tokyo, moves to the town where she lives. He has experienced a tragedy, having failed to prevent his wife from committing suicide. Fumi happens to see him blowing a tune on a leaf in a park, and is touched by the lonesome figure he cuts. She has also experienced her own unforgettable personal tragedy, having lost her son in an accident. The two of them, each bearing the own emotional scars, awkwardly grow closer to each other, and Fumi's life, which had been on hold until then, slowly starts moving again.

Hiroto Miyama works with rookie lawyer Honoka Kono on a team that specializes with criminal cases for Madarame Law Firm. Atsuhiro Sada has become the director of the law firm. One day, the law firm receives a request about a case that took place 15 years ago. The case was about a poisonous wine incident.

Takashi is a psychiatrist who has shut down emotionally after his wife's death, and Ayako is his patient. They plunge into a torrid love affair that helps the love-starved Ayako and provides solace to Takashi. However, their love becomes riddled with jealousy and possessiveness.

Shin Karino is an unpopular manga writer and he is single. He lives in an apartment complex that has a rule forbidding children from living there. One day, Shin Karino's doorbell rings. When he opens his apartment door, he sees a small boy. The boy is 5-year-old Kotaro Sato. Kotaro Sato tells Shin Karino that he moved into the neighborhood. Shin Karino makes a weird face, because of the rule of his apartment complex. Kotaro Sato says that he lives by himself. At first, Shin Karino is annoyed by Kotaro Sato, but residents of the apartment building, including Shin Karino, become attached to Kotaro Sato.

Adapted from the manga series "Kotaro wa 1-ri Kurashi" (コタローは1人暮らし) by Tsumura Mami (津村マミ).

Megumi Soutome is a contract employee in the editorial department at a publishing company. She is invited by her colleagues to join them for a drink get-together, but Megumi Soutome declines their offer. She leaves quickly after work. The reason why she is in such a rush, is so she can have a "solo katasu." She enjoys solo activities like eating alone at restaurants, having her own party, and staying at love motels.

Toshi-chan and BB live in a hut with a blue sheet on the banks of the Tama River. Having lived there for several years, they are familiar with the area. The two of them gather cans across town from 4 am in the morning and sleep at 7 pm in order to save money on electricity at night. While they do not have substantial income, they are not particularly concerned about money. They are carefree each day and take pride in being homeless men who can support themselves. Nao, a young female actress from a small theatre company, visits Toshi-chan and BB one day. She is playing a heroine who has a grand romance with the leader of homeless men in her next performance and asks to interview them. This is the beginning of a long night for the trio…

Tenko runs a pension alone. It is located in a forest in Nagano, that is full of the Japanese larch tree. She interacts with her guests, who come from all walks of life.

After the Onin War, the world is plunged into chaos. Amid this situation, heroes of the warring states begin to emerge in an attempt to unify the country and rule in these turbulent times. In the mid-1540s, there is a young wandering samurai in Mino which is strategically located between the East and West. His name is Akechi Mitsuhide. At this time, there is plenty of internal strife within the Toki clan which rules Mino. Surrounded by the Oda of Owari, the Imagawa of Suruga and the Asakura of Echizen, Mino has constantly faced the risk of invasion. Mitsuhide is pulled into battle and destroys the enemy. His bravery as well as stratagem catches the attention of Saito Toshimasa, the chief retainer of the Toki clan, and he is singled out. This man who is also known as Saito Dosan will go on to takeover the Toki and make Mino his own.

Onda Kokoro is an oncologist called Dr Onkoro for short by the people around her and teased that she was born for this path. She got married to Takumi, whom she had known since she was a student, and they had a son. Life was going smoothly for her. But three months ago, her husband fell in an accident and remained unconsciousness even though he underwent emergency surgery. Although Kokoro puts on a brave face at work, she still has not been able to accept reality. One day, she meets Kajiyama Kaoru, a competent gastroenterologist who has transferred to work at the hospital. Kaoru understands the need for oncology as a surgeon and gives emotional support with her sunny personality as a colleague. She becomes a dear friend whom Kokoro feels is sudden a ray of light in her personal and professional life…

Kajiki Hidemaru, Chu-san, and Yuki are patients at a psychiatric hospital in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture. Hidemaru killed his mother and daughter-in-law. Chu-san used to work as a salaryman, but he suffers from auditory hallucinations. Yuki is a high school student and she refuses to go to school. Due to that, she receives outpatient treatment.

Patients at the psychiatric hospital try to live brightly, but things suddenly change. A murder takes place at the hospital. The murderer is Hidemaru.

Set over one night in Tokyo, the film will follow Leo, a young boxer down on his luck as he meets his ‘first love’ Monica, a call girl and an addict but still an innocent. Little does Leo know, Monica is unwittingly caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, and the two are pursued through the night by a corrupt cop, a yakuza, his nemesis, and a female assassin sent by the Chinese Triads.

Oshii Takashi is a detective with excellent reasoning power. Unfortunately, he usually misses the criminal in front of him and other detectives get recognition for the capture. He is transferred to the Utobashi Police Station.

Oshii Takashi goes to a record company CEO's house. The CEO's third son was burned to death. The police are set to conclude that his death was an accident, but Oshii Takashi thinks otherwise. Oshii Takashi begins to investigate.

Hiroshi Kataoka works at a bank. He receives a promotion to manager of the Kamata branch. He is also informed that the Kamata branch will be shut down and he does not have to work hard. After the branch's shutdown, he will work again at the bank's headquarters. Hiroshi Kataoka is embarrassed by the situation. He sees the branch employees work hard and they do not know the branch will close. Hiroshi Kataoka is conflicted between his job and his employees.

Ibuki Hiiragi works as an art teacher. He began teaching at his current high school two years ago. He is the homeroom teacher of 3rd Grade A Class. 10 days before graduation day, Ibuki Hiiragi stands in front of his 29 students, and tells them "From now on, you are hostages."

Sosuke reaches retirement age farmed out to a subsidiary after his elite career gets derailed. Work has been everything to Sosuke and he doesn't know what to do with his free time. His complaining gradually alienates his wife Chigusa, who is busy with her work as a hairstylist. Then, a new encounter gives his life momentum.

Based on the same-titled novel by scriptwriter Uchidata Makiko.

Hajime Saionji (Takaya Kamikawa) is the perfect butler and he works for a madame who is elegant. The madame is full of curiosity and has a pure personality. Hajime Saionji began to work for the madame before her husband died and they share a deep level of trust.

One day, they a face murder case. The madame holds doubts about the murder case. Hajime Saionji uses his great reasoning powers in an attempt to solve the mystery.

Attempted murder, fraud and embezzlement, illicit drugs, tax evasion and even murder? Five women convicted of various crimes and a crime-loathing female warden put aside their differences to hatch a grand plot of revenge against a handsome but crooked company CEO. But the revenge plan keeps hitting snags. All of these mature women with interesting back stories meet in a female penitentiary and band together to clear each other of unjust sentences in this blockbuster female crime story rich in laughter and tears, brilliantly merging the comedy and cheerfulness of Kudo Kankuro storytelling with serious deeper questions of why we’re all here and what constitutes true happiness.

Sawa Yamagishi worked as a nursing-care helper. The family of an old man asked Sawa to sleep with him, which led her to eventually lose her job and house. Now, she has nowhere to go. Sawa finds elderly people in trouble and gets involved in their lives. Meeting them, their lives change and Sawa's own wounds start to heal.

Based on the same-titled novel, the drama is set in the year 1964, the year the Olympics were held in Tokyo. A nation trying to rebuild its economy post world war II, Japan was eager to show the world what it had to offer. Amidst all the excitement and enthusiasm, two fires had broken out consecutively; at the private residence of the Chief of Police, Suga Shuichiro, and then at the Nakano Police Academy. However, both incidents were hushed up, and even Detective Ochiai Masao, from Division One MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) had to find out about it from his fellow colleague. Ochiai was puzzled as to why no investigations were being carried out and it soon came to light that prior to the first fire at the Chief's home, a threatening letter had been sent to the MPD. In view of the upcoming Olympics, everyone at the MPD were feeling jittery over the letter and the arson, and thus a team was set up to ensure the safety of the public during the event. Ochiai and his team mates were to carry out the investigation secretly. Information came to Ochiai, that some 25 tubes of dynamite were stolen from a gunpowder factory. While questioning the owner, Ochiai was introduced to Shimazaki Kunio, a poor student from Akita prefecture, attending Tokyo University and working part-time there. Suspecting him of the crime, Ochiai started digging around into Shimazaki's life and was surprised to find out that his own sister, Yumi, was actually dating Shimazaki!

Set 10 years after "Kids Return." Shinji and Masaru have graduated from high school. They have taken completely different paths in their lives. Shinji attempted to become boxer and Masaru a yakuza. They both tried to rise to the top of their respective fields, but they both failed.

10 years later, Shinji has given up on boxing and now works part-time jobs. After release from prison, Masaru goes back to gang life. Shinji and Masaru then meet once again. With Masaru's encouragement, Shinji again steps into the ring. Meanwhile, Masaru takes a challenge that risks his own life.

Amano Aki goes with her mother Haruko to her hometown in Kitasanriku during a summer vacation. There, she meets her maternal grandmother, Natsu, for the first time. Natsu is a woman diver aka "ama", and Aki thinks that is just so cool. Aki is a second-year high-school student, and she struggles to keep up with the fast-paced life in Tokyo. Having been confined indoors most of the time, everything she sees in the rural town is exciting to her. But most of all, seeing her grandmother diving under the fierce surf along the coastline, leaves a huge impact on her. "I think I would like to be a diver too..."

The drama is based on the best-selling same-titled novel by Shigematsu Kiyoshi. It tells the story of how a widower brought up his only son, after the death of his beloved wife. Ichikawa Yasuo, or Yasu as he is known, is a baka, with no paper qualifications to his name. However, like all normal parents, he dotes on his only son, Akira. Having grown up without his parents around, Yasu himself knows next to nothing of what parenting is about. With his wife, Misako, by his side, he had spent many happy days together with his little family.

However, when Akira was 3 years old, Misako passed away suddenly from an accident. Heart-broken, and filled with regrets, Yasu pulled himself together, in order to care for his little son. Together with the help of his friends, Yasu overcame it all, and Akira grew up to be a bright and successful young man.

"With nothing but love for his son... that's all there is"

Five years after leaving Josai bureau, Kuryu Kohei, who has been working in Sapporo, Hokkaido, is transferred to Nijigaura, Yamaguchi (a fictitious town, its real name is Nijigahama), a quiet place on the seaside where he arrives precisely when the first murder in eleven years has been committed. Soon, Takita Akihiko, the most beloved and influent person of the town, is suspected and Kuryu has to deal with this problem, as the other members are too frightened to take any action.

An SP in which the atmosphere of the renzoku series is kept, even though the cast has been almost entirely replaced. The fact that the story is located in the countryside gives the little bit of originality this episode needed. And it is with great pleasure that we meet again several characters of the renzoku series who make an apparition as guests.

The 45th NHK Taiga Drama is Komyo ga Tsuji.

Kazutoyo lived during the end of the Sengoku period (1546-1605). He was the first feudal lord of the fief of Tosa on the island of Shikoku. He served Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Chiyo (1557-1617) was his wife, and was known in history for her dedication and devotion to her husband (like Matsu was to Toshiie in Toshiie to Matsu). She is the daughter of a samurai who served the feudal lord Asai.

A young boy (and Ultraman addict) named Tsutomu finds a mysterious glowing ball that tells him it can make wishes come true. The one thing Tsutomu wants more than anything else is to meet Gamu, Ultraman's human counterpart, so he can give the boy some pointers on standing up to the school bully. Unfortunately, the bully finds the wishing ball and wishes for a giant monster to appear and start stomping around their suburban Tokyo neighborhood. Gamu and the Science Patrol team must then find a way to open a gateway between the two universes to stop the monster and try to help Tsutomu with his personal problems.

A 19-year-old girl Hiroko Terasawa working in a matching agency promises her client Masakazu Sekine that she'll pose as his fiancée for a remarkable cash reward. Hiroko moves to Sekine's mansion and prepares to attend the family's meeting. However, this only turns out to be a prelude of a bloody fight over the family's legacy.