Asian Drama

How have you been? Takeshi's letter is delivered one each month to his younger brother, Naoki. Takeshi is serving a life term in prison for the crime that he had committed to save his brother. But the crime's aftereffect extends...

On December 25, it is Shuko Yoshioka's (Kazue Fukiishi) 34th birthday. She has a good time with her husband Kenichi (Munetaka Aoki), her first child Ai (Konomi Watanabe) and her second child Yu (Hinata Igarashi), but Kenichi notices something different about Shuko. He asks her if something is wrong. She tells him that she might have breast cancer. She also says that she already received a test, but is waiting for the results. Shuko goes to the hospital to find out the results of her test. She hears from the doctor that she has terminal breast cancer and surgery is not an option. That night, her husband tries to comfort her. Meanwhile, Kenichi receives the results of a check-up he received a couple of days ago. He notices that it says "needs reexamination." Kenichi goes in for a reexamination and is diagnosed with lung cancer. Like his wife, he is told surgery is not an option. Kenichi, attempting to protect Shuko, does not tell anyone about his test results.

Four women, who have their own different sorrows, embark on a road trip. They look back at their past and restart their lives ...

Jinko (Aoi Miyazaki) and Motoko (Sakura Ando) have been friends since their university days. One day, they hear a rumor about their former classmate and friend Miki (Kazue Fukiishi). The rumor is that Miki ran into the sea, but got out safely. Jinko and Motoko decide to visit Miki to see if she is OK. In addition, Haraki (Shiori Kutsuna), who Jinko met at the library where she works, joins their trip as a driver. Their one night and two days road trip begins.

Shingo Murakia (Masahiro Matsuoka), a skilled chef, is appointed as a temporary teacher for a high school cooking class back in his old rural hometown. At first, Shingo finds himself up against his students' indifference to his class and in school in general. Slowly the teacher and his pupils find common ground and then start working together as they open a restaurant, which acts as a training ground for the students.

Ask any nursery-aged little girl what she wants to be when she grows up and she's bound to say nurse, florist, or ballerina. Ask any nursery-aged little boy what he wants to be when he grows up and he's bound to say policeman, fireman, sports player, or pilot. As for 20-year-old young man Taiyo Suzuki, however, he's had different aspirations all his life. Moved by his elderly nursery school teacher, Taiyo decided then and there that he too would also become one. Now, having passed the nursery school teacher examination, bright-eyed and eager Taiyo is out to make his mark on a totally female-dominated world. Posted at the Himawari Nursery School to cover for another teacher on maternity leave, Taiyo has but a few short months to prove himself to the female teachers and children's mothers who are arrayed against him that he is every bit as capable as the women. And more importantly, along the way, he'll make his mark with his sparkle and energy to be a true best friend to the children at the school as well.

Japan is in trouble. Serious trouble, to the tune of 800 trillion yen. At the current rate of national debt accumulation, the country will effectively collapse in a few years' time. The Ministry of Finance traces the beginning of the end to 1990 when a real estate cap set in motion a series of events that caused the bubble economy to burst, plunging the nation into hard economic times. But the Ministry has a crack plan to reverse all this. Into the picture comes flighty indebted bar hostess Mayumi (Hirosue Ryoko) whose mother has just passed away - or so she thinks until grave-faced civil servant Shimokawaji (Abe Hiroshi) shows up on her doorstep. It turns out her mother Mariko (Yakushimaru Hiroko) invented a time machine and traveled back in time to prevent the Finance Minister from making his disastrous policy move. Mariko has since gone missing, however, and now it's up to Mayumi to go back to 1990 to find her mom and, oh yes, save Japan. Directed by Baba Yasuo, Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust is a delightfully over-the-top comedy that colorfully and good-naturedly pokes fun at Japan's contemporary concerns and past bubble economy. Heads would burst if one tried to analyze the time travel logic or economic reasoning presented in the film, but the goal here is laughter, and Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust delivers it in large, sidesplitting portions. Director Baba contrasts the somber present with a hilariously excessive neon-lit 1990, a time when dresses were tight, eyebrows were thick, and money was everywhere for the taking. Abe Hiroshi (Trick) transforms seamlessly from a humorless, gray-haired salaryman to a goofy and irresponsible womanizer, while petite pop idol Hirosue Ryoko (Collage of Our Life) and former 80s idol Yakushimaru Hiroko (Always - Sunset on Third Street) make a formidable time-travelling mother-daughter duo. Packed with broad humor, pop culture references, and bubbly nostalgic fun, Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust is easily one of the most enjoyable and entertaining films of 2007.

Young Atsuko Kagami comes into possession of a magical mirror that lets her transform into anything she wishes. Atsuko Kagami then attempts to save a company which is about to be sold by using her transformation abilities. She also falls in love as a 22-year-old college student.

One night at a party, Yumi's friend gets a weird voice message on her cell phone. The message is dated two days in the future and she can hear her own scream in it. Two days later Yumi's friend dies and Yumi starts to wonder if it had anything to do with the phone call. As fear starts spreading among the students at Yumi's school, Yumi soon realize…

A drama adaptation of a popular comic written by Sekiya Tetsuji. After a year of working at a neighborhood Italian restaurant, Ban Shogo (Matsumoto Jun), an enthusiastic, cocky young college student from Fukuoka, comes to Tokyo to perfect his cooking skills as a chef in Italian cuisine. He discovers he has much to learn and has to continually prove himself to the very competitive, quick and efficient staff at the upscale Italian restaurant.

The National Police Safety Rescue, or NPS is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s special assault team which possesses both the mobility of the Special Unit (SAT) as well as the investigative skills of the Special Investigations Team (SIT), and is tasked with bringing criminals into custody alive. This small elite team is a new approach to fighting against heinous crimes. Kamikura Ichigo (Mukai Osamu) retired from the life of a professional boxer and became a police officer after that. In his second year working as a uniformed police officer, an incident leads to him being scouted by the NPS. Armed with excellent reflexes, explosive power and punches honed through boxing, Kamikura is a close combat specialist who is good at getting control over his opponents using barefists. On the other hand, Soga Iori (Ayano Go) is a member of the SAT. Described as superhuman, he prides himself in his sharpshooting and is the SAT’s best sniper. Soga was once assigned to a police precinct because he had aspirations to become a detective. Before long, he arrested three robbers and attracted attention as one of the promising newcomers. He is cool and collected, has great concentration, endurance, perception as well as combat ability; the embodiment of the SAT’s ideal male.

Ooejo agricultural high school is located in Hokkaido. Most students are from families involved in agriculture and their dreams are to continue working in agriculture. Meanwhile, Yuugo, who graduated from a prestigious middle school, applied to the Ooejo Agricultural High School just because the school has a dormitory. Yuugo, who grew up in the city, finds himself in an unfamiliar environment at Ooejo Agricultural High School, surrounded by nature and animals. Yuugo is also the only one who doesn't know what type of career he wants to pursue. Yuugo becomes impatient. He goes through struggles everyday, but he he also gets to know the other students and rural life in general. He begins to grow as a person.

Based on the manga "Gin no Saji Shiruba Supun" by Hiromu Arakawa.

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!

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"

During the late Heian era, a youth who did not know his birth parents was raised by the Heike (also known as the Taira), a samurai clan of emerging influence. Taira no Kiyomori (Matsuyama Kenichi) was in truth the illegitimate son of Emperor Shirakawa. With his adoptive father, Tadamori (Nakai Kiichi), he got rid of the pirates in the Seto Insland Sea, and was trained to be a samurai. In a period where the samurai were being discriminated by the aristocrats of the upper echelons of society, Kiyomori, who was adept at winning hearts and minds, controlled the pirates. He worked to reform the aristocracy, persisted with the way of life of the samurai and built up the mighty Taira clan (Nakamura Baijaku, Kamikawa Takaya, Fujimoto Takahiro, Daito Shunsuke). Before long, he rose from a senior courtier of the third rank to become the chief minister and the ruler of Japan.

30-year-old Miki Makoto (Fukuishi Kazue) is an ordinary housewife struggling with housework and childrearing, but she has always believed in the importance of managing the household over looking beautiful so that her husband, Atsushi (Hasegawa Tomoharu) can go out to work without any worries. However, his infidelity spurs her to make up her mind to search for her “self” and become beautiful. Choosing the path of an amateur model, she steps into a modelling world that is more rough than she had imagined. Her weapons are her height which has given her an inferiority complex since young, and her extraordinary determination. She keeps having internal conversations with herself as she regains her lost beauty … 

While a menacing typhoon approaches, an accident at the giant natural gas plant Regalia occurs. Japan Coast Guard rescue divers Daisuke Senzaki, Tetsuya Yoshioka and engineer Hiroshiichirou Sakuragi head together to the gas plant. During their rescue efforts an explosion occurs that traps Daisuke, Natsu Nishizawa Kazue Fukiishi and worker Hisayoneo Kizima. Daisuke then looks for a way out for his party with a man he just meets Takuya Hotori. Because of the typhoon, even a helicopter cannot approach the Regalia.

Meanwhile, at the head office of the Japan Coast Guard, the Japanese coast guard tries to find a way to rescue the trapped people, but the government officials put national interests first. Tension arises between these two parties. Daisuke's wife Tamakisai Senzaki prays for the safe return of Daisuke not only for her sake, but for their new born son.

Daisuke's party is still trapped in the giant plant have one last choice...

"The Last Message: Umizaru" was be screened in 3D at Japanese theaters. Post-production processes will transfer the film into a 3D film and increase the production cost by 50%.

Sabu and Eiji were best friends since they were small. They served as poor trainees in a traditional umbrella store. When they grew up, it was time for them to turn on a new leaf and live on their own. Unforturnately, Eiji was falsely accused as a thief. He was then isolated in a deserted island and forced to work as a coolie. Eiji was very angry and upset. He kept on thinking of ways to take revenge on the person who falsely incriminate him. During this period, Sabu kept on supporting Eiji and visiting him in jail. At the beginning, Eiji was jealous of Sabu and became hostile to him. As time went by Eiji met many pals in the jail and they worked hard to fight against many difficults. Finally, Eiji learnt to compromise to his fate. After many years of isolation, when Eiji was about to recover his freedom, a cruel fact was revealed to him by Sabu and it drove Eiji crazy.....

The Young Kindaichi is back and better than ever! In this first of many cases, Kindaichi finds himself onboard a cruise ship in which the captain mysteriously disappears the day after a big party. A search of the ship finds nothing, except for little drops of blood on the light switch in the captain's room. Might it be a clue perhaps? You bet! When what looks to be a case of serious foul play unfolds, the ship's radio is found disabled-so much for contacting the authorities. So, far out at sea until they can reach land, it's up to Kindaichi and friends to find the killer - and stay alive!