Asian Drama

Tetsuo Tosu is a typical father whose biggest worries are his job and his rebellious daughter, Reika. That is until he finds a bruise on her face. His worst fears come true when he finds out she has a secret boyfriend and he's part of a crime ring that's using her to steal her grandparent's wealth. If that wasn't bad enough, the thug catches Tetsuo snooping around and threatens to kill Reika as soon as she gets home. Fueled by fatherly instincts, Tetsuo murders the man. Only for his wife to walk in and witness what he's done. Now, with a corpse to hide and a crime ring hot on his tail, Tetsuo must resort to his love of detective novels and his wits to stay one step ahead of a grim fate.

(Source: MangaUpdates.com)

Adapted from the manga series "My Home Hero" (マイホームヒーロー) written by Yamakawa Naoki (山川直輝) and illustrated by Asaki Masashi (朝基まさし).

Since he was in his 20's, Natsume Shunpei was a world famous maestro and lived abroad, while working with renown orchestras. He was always passionate about music and his passion inspired other musicians. But, Natsume Shunpei has zero abilities outside of music. He is unable to do simple things like housework. His life has been focused on himself and his music. Something happened that changed Natsume Shunpei's life. Due to that incident, his family, including his daughter Natsume Hibiki, left him and he left the music field.

5 years later, Natsume Shunpei returns to Japan for the first time in decades to conduct an orchestra in a province. He meets his daughter Hibiki that he hasn't seen in 5 years and they begin to live together. Unlike her father, Natsume Hibiki hates music and lives her life without it. Her father's genius ability in music clouds his view outside of music and he is unaware of his daughter's feelings. Natsume Shunpei faces Hibiki as her father and her life, that stopped 5 years ago, slowly begins to move again.

(Source: AsianWiki)

Episodes: 10

Duration: 54 min.

Airs On: Sunday

After her divorce, Kariya Mako returned to work as a contract editor for an economics magazine. There, she is ordered to be in charge of a serialization based on the theme of women in poverty. She interviews people living in various difficult situations, and it gradually makes her realize that this is a widespread problem that she herself is not entirely impervious to, as she is also someone dealing with employment instability while struggling to raise her children.

(Source: Drama Otaku)

~~ Adapted from the book "Tokyo Hinkon Joshi. Kanojotachi wa Naze Tsumazuita no ka" (東京貧困女子。彼女たちはなぜ躓いたのか) by Nakamura Atsuhiko (中村淳彦).

Episodes: 6

Tosu Tetsuo never expected his daughter, Reika, to be a victim of domestic violence. Suspecting that her yakuza boyfriend, Matori Nobuto, is the perpetrator, Tetsuo decides to investigate him and his associates. But as he searches for evidence at Reika's apartment, the father learns that his daughter is not the first victim and that a worse fate awaits her.

When he is discovered by Nobuto, Tetsuo ends up killing him in the ensuing fight. Assisted by his wife, Tetsuo hides the body in fear of retaliation from the yakuza. To add to the misfortune of the Tosu family, Nobuto happens to be the son of the mafia's head. Considered to be prime suspects behind Nobuto's disappearance, Tetsuo and his wife will have to deploy all their ingenuity to protect their daughter from the yakuza and their ruthless investigation.

(Source: MyAnimeList)

Adapted from the manga series "My Home Hero" (マイホームヒーロー) written by Yamakawa Naoki (山川直輝) and illustrated by Asaki Masashi (朝基まさし).

Episodes: 10

Mishima Kanji is a reporter for the Weekly Times, which mainly deals with gossip. He feels a sense of emptiness and discomfort as he spends his days chasing celebrity scandals, without a shred of the journalistic spirit he aspired to. One day, Mishima goes to Amagasaki to pick up a certain person under the direction of chief editor Nagasawa Asuka. Nagasawa sends him off as a chance to fulfill Mishima's former wish to "see a world you wouldn't see if you lived a normal life", but what awaits him is Keijiro Kihara, a man who is now a renowned figure in all areas of the underworld, politics, and entertainment, as well as an urban legend among informers, known as "Informer".

Adapted from the novel "Informa" (インフォーマ) by Okita Garyo (沖田臥竜).

A certain summer day, as the cicadas sing loudly. A man with no money and no place to belong tries to end his life, however is unable to take the last step. While wavering between life and death, he sees a gourmet food program on television, and realising he's never once eaten crab in his life decides that "For my last day on this Earth, I'll eat crab". Settings his sights on the wife who lives in a high-class neighbourhood that he happened across in a library, he forces his way into her home. And thus, he demands money from her, however things go in an unexpected direction.

Adapted from the manga "Yukionna to Kani wo Kuu" (雪女と蟹を食う) by Gino0808.

A certain summer day, as the cicadas sing loudly. A man with no money and no place to belong tries to end his life, however is unable to take the last step. While wavering between life and death, he sees a gourmet food program on television, and realising he's never once eaten crab in his life decides that "For my last day on this Earth, I'll eat crab". Settings his sights on the wife who lives in a high-class neighbourhood that he happened across in a library, he forces his way into her home. And thus, he demands money from her, however things go in an unexpected direction.

Adapted from the manga "Yukionna to Kani wo Kuu" (雪女と蟹を食う) by Gino0808.

Suzuki Mitsu is a talented contract engineer working for an IT company, but it wasn't their benefits package that attracted her. She's working for the company that drove her late husband to suicide, and she won't rest until she exacts her revenge on each and every person responsible.

Toshizo Hijikata, the “Baragaki'” of Bushu Tama, heads to Kyoto with Isami Kondo, Souji Okita, and other comrades, with the dream of becoming a samurai in his heart. Under the auspices of the Tokugawa Shogunate, he formed the Shinsengumi, with Kamo Serizawa as its chief, to protect the city.

As vice-commander, Hijikata leads the organization with unparalleled skill and strict laws, and the Shinsengumi shows all-around success in suppressing the anti-shogunate forces. Hijikata had a fateful encounter with Oyuki and was attracted to each other, but the tide of the times is tilting towards overthrowing the curtain. The unknown love and battle of the men who burned their lives with swords now open the curtain.

Adapted from the novel "Moeyo Ken" by Ryotaro Shiba.

~~ Adapted from a novel of the same name by Yuzuki Asako

Under a full moon. seven friends dine together when the therapist among them suggests that if smartphone messages and e-mails were made public, not many relationships could survive the secrets that they keep.. Intrigued, and with nothing to hide, the assembled guests, consisting of three couples and one single, unlock their telephones and the game begins,

As the evening unfolds, it becomes clear the lives of the participants have three realms-the public one, the private one and the oh-so secret one... What price will a round of full disclosure cost their relationships?

Remake of the Italian movie "Perfetti sconosciuti" (2016) by Paolo Genovese. The said movie holds the Guinness World Book of Records for the movie with the most re-makes (18) in cinematic history.

One night, Amemura Shinsuke, a bartender at a Nishi Azabu bar in Tokyo, is attacked by a male stranger and loses a part of his memories. However, he soon learns that he caused the death of a woman called Kishinaka Minae in a traffic accident one and a half years ago. And the man who came to attack him and later committed suicide, was her husband Reiji. For some reason, Shinsuke is frequently advised by the people around him that it is better not to recall bad things. He begins to have misgivings about the truth of the accident. Then when Shinsuke returns to the bar on one rainy night, Ruriko, a woman in mourning clothes and of unwordly beauty, shows up all of a sudden. From the time of her appearance, Shinsuke descends into a world of madness and anguish. Does she truly exist or is she a figment of imagination conjured by a guilty conscience?

Akashi Koji’s father committed suicide. His father was a whistleblower, involving a large corporation. Akashi Koji's family now faces ruin. Kitamura works at an orphanage. He approaches Akashi Koji. To protect the children, Kitamura does not mind committing crimes. Due to Kitamura, Akashi Koji thinks of taking revenge.

A remake of the American tv show, Suits.

Shogo Kai is an arrogant lawyer at one of the biggest law firms in Japan. He is excellent at his job, and only cares about winning his cases. He is close to becoming a senior partner at his firm, but his bosses are concerned with his sole focus on winning. As a condition for him becoming a senior partner, his boss requests that he hires a young lawyer as an associate. Shogo Kai interviews a variety of prospects but none really capture his attention until he meets Daiki Suzuki...

Daiki Suzuki has had a rough childhood, having lost his parents at a young age and then being raised by his grandma. Despite his hardships, he is an extremely intelligent young man with a remarkable memory. He works a variety of part time jobs in order to financially support his grandmother, and also doing odd jobs here and there like taking the University Entrance exam for others. Once this is discovered, he is kicked out of school and barred from ever taking the bar exam. Once he moves to Tokyo, he continues doing petty crimes. However, when his grandmother's health takes a turn for the worse, he need to start making real money in order to pay her hospital bills. That's when he meets Shogo Kai...

17-year-old Aoi came to Yui Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic as a part-time nurse apprentice in Summer 1997. Right after her entry, she is shocked after witnessing an abortion surgery. However, she also met staff members like Yui, the head of the clinic who is careful about everything, Sayako, a reliable and experienced nurse, and Sakaki, the gentle head nurse, who face each pregnant patient and support them after surgeries. Fumika, Aoi's mother, is worried about her clumsy nature and poor communication skills, but Aoi's unique compassion and kindness draws patients' hearts. "I wonder what's life..." Aoi matures while looking at the newborn babies' overwhelming life and asking herself that question.

"Miss Sherlock" is set in modern day Tokyo and both lead characters are Japanese women – Dr. Wato Tachibana, a surgeon recently returned from a volunteer doctors’ mission in Syria and Sara Shelly Futaba, an investigation consultant to the police department who solves bizarre and difficult cases. Throughout the series, the pair solves mystery after mystery with Miss Sherlock’s extraordinary observation and reasoning skills.

(Source: IMDb)

Adapted from a collection of short stories and novels "Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Episodes: 8

Duration: 49 min.

Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

Aired On: Friday

Ratings: 8.0

“Love Stories From Fukuoka” is a series of real-life stories submitted by viewers in Fukuoka about their personal experiences with love, loss and longing. All the stories are based in Fukuoka, the capital city of the Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu Island. The stories feature many actors, celebrities and athletes who have ties to Fukuoka, including a few members of the popular Japanese girl group AKB48.

In "Beyond Your World", the university student Sota falls in love with a girl at the library at first sight. However, she was born deaf. Determined not to give up, Sota starts learning sign language and they fall in love. Will they be able to overcome the fact that they live in different worlds?

Tae Ukishima (Erina Mano) works at the front desk for a company. Her dream is to marry a competent man and live as a housewife. Her boyfriend is Shunpei Shiraishi and he works at the same company. They have dated for the past year. To marry him, Tae Ukishima pretends to act like a naive and shy person in front of him. Her real personality though is to speak frankly and making sharp remarks.

Tae Ukishima wants to relieve her stress and she decides to purchase Jun Setsuna (Ryusei Yokohama) as her boyfriend. To pay off his debt, Jun Setsuna becomes an obedient boyfriend to Tae Ukishima.

An epic set in post-WWII Japan and centered on an American former G.I. who joins the yakuza.

1952 Japan a former American Army Captain Nick Lowell is in an Osaka prison where he saves Kiyoshi, a yakuza, from being hung to death. This meeting starts Nick down the path of becoming a fellow brother in the Shiromatsu yakuza family.

Tsukakoshi is an old man. His mistress is Geisha Fumiko and he is fascinated by her beautiful feet. He requests Unokichi to paint a picture of Fumiko as a model. Second film in a 3 part project titled "Tanizaki Tribute".

Adapted from the novel "Fumiko no Ashi" by Tanizaki Junichiro.

Hiroto Miyama is a poor lawyer who takes on criminal cases, but unable to make money. He pursues the truth for the 0.1% out of Japan's 99.9% conviction rate. One day, Hiroto is scouted by Haruhiko Madarame. Haruhiko Madarame is the head of Madarame Law Firm which is one of the biggest law firms among the 4 big law firms. Hiroto Miyama begins to work with Atsuhiro Sada. Atsuhiro Sada is a lawyer specializing in civil cases and makes lots of money for the law firm. He doesn't have any interest in criminal cases which can not make money.

"We can't live without each other. You're my other half." "I've killed a woman." The domineering voice on the phone was that of a high school classmate, Mitsuo Ichikawa. Buried memories from the past resurface in the heart of a man with the same name, Mitsuo Ichikawa. It drags him right back into the passions of the past. They reunite as accomplices, yet their relationship as master and servant slowly changes into something else.

Okuyama Keisuke is a successful lawyer with a dark past. He suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder due to abuse and betrayal as a young boy. One day, Keisuke is asked to defend his distant relative and psychopath “friend”, Ando Tatsuya, who is a suspect in a murder case. Tatsuya had robbed him of his own parents and happiness one after another. After that, he was repeatedly mistreated by Tatsuya’s family who adopted him. Keisuke takes a risky gamble to bury Tatsuya from society. Their reunion is the start of a battle with a new nightmare.

Natsumi Kawai wants to become a photographer. She takes a bike which her late father left behind and goes to a forest to find a firefly she saw with her father. In the forest, Natsumi Kawai meets old mother Yasu and old son Jizo. They run a general store. Natsumi Kawai learns how to live in nature from them. She has happy summer days there. One day, Jizo tells her that he became estranged from his son in the past.

Hiroto Miyama is a poor lawyer who takes on criminal cases, but unable to make money. He pursues the truth for the 0.1% out of Japan's 99.9% conviction rate. One day, Hiroto is scouted by Haruhiko Madarame. Haruhiko Madarame is the head of Madarame Law Firm which is one of the biggest law firms among the 4 big law firms. Hiroto Miyama begins to work with Atsuhiro Sada. Atsuhiro Sada is a lawyer specializing in civil cases and makes lots of money for the law firm. He doesn't have any interest in criminal cases which can not make money.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department creates a new division which consists of 5 female detectives. The new division is called Higanbana which is a flower with a poison root. The 5 female detective have their own specialties and sensitivities. The women try to solve a murder that took place at the wedding of a female doctor.

Detective Nagisa Kinomiya is a member of Higanbana. She has the special ability of sensing a criminal’s murderous intent and ill will.

The New Yoshiwara pleasure district, in the twilight years of the Edo Period. Popular prostitute Asagiri will soon be freed from her indentured service. One day at a local festival, she meets young artisan Hanjiro which changes her destiny. Asagiri feels love for the first time in her life, but history involving Hanjiro's client leads to tragic circumstances.

Sasamoto Sawa is a happily married housewife of 5 years, who works part-time as a cashier at a supermarket. Takigawa Rikako is also a housewife who had recently moved into the neighborhood. Rikako is the wife of the editor of a huge publishing company, and together with their 2 daughters, they live in a newly constructed home. Even though they seemed like a nice happy family, Rikako is actually having affairs in the afternoon, while her husband is at work and her kids are at school.One day, Rikako is with one of her numerous lovers, a young man by the name of Hagiwara Tomoya, but while in the supermarket's carpark, a high school student, Kentaro, tries to rob them. The police shows up and Rikako needs to cover up the fact that she was having an illicit rendezvous with Tomoya. Spying Sawa leaving the supermarket for home, Rikako quickly pulls Sawa to her side and claims that she was actually at the supermarket with Tomoya to meet up with Sawa, as the three of them had pre-arranged to have coffee together. Sensing Rikako's desperation, Sawa decided to fall in with the act, and backs up Rikako's story. While sorting out the case with the police, Kentaro's form teacher, Kitano Yuichi, shows up to bail his student out. After this chance meeting with Kentaro, Sawa finds herself unable to forget Yuichi, and soon, the two of them become lovers...

Yoshinari Chinami, who has been selling buttons and fabric at a clothing material store in an old neighbourhood of Tokyo, unexpectedly finds herself working at the editorial division of a fashion magazine and is thrilled. The fashion industry is a dazzling world which she has never seen before. But what opens up to her is a terrifying den of demons where females prey on each other day after day … … From the low-level person who has to do odd jobs for a lifetime to the uppermost level which manipulates magazines and advertisements at will, it is an industry of dramatic disparities. It is also a ridiculous female world where women assign ratings and rankings change everyday. The only way to survive in this harsh place is to be “first class”. Chinami’s only friend is the assistant photographer Nishihara Itsuki. Will she be able to to find happiness in this fashion hell?