Asian Drama

Adapted from the novel "Jiken" (事件) by Ooka Shohei (大岡昇平).

Episodes: 4

Nara Kenichi is a police officer who is tasked to investigate the disappearance of a 11-year-old girl Ishioka Aoi. It is not known if she was abducted, met with an accident or left home on her own because her parents were about to get divorced. Kenichi takes an exceptional interest in this case as his younger sister Mayuko has been affected emotionally since she was attacked by a man so he desperately wants to prevent something similar from happening.

Tanaka Keiko went abroad for culinary training, while Yoshioka Toshinori, was unable to visit the U-shaped bar due to his feelings for Keiko. The two meet again for the first time in two years.

Depicts the lives of three generations of women who have close links to the English lessons on radio which began in 1925.

Depicts the lives of three generations of women who have close links to the English lessons on radio which began in 1925.

Kawai Maria transfers to Totsuka High School after being expelled from her previous school. Upon entering the classroom and hearing the students gossip, she bluntly states that the reason for her expulsion was an act of violence against her former teacher. The sharp tongue and frank nature hidden under her pretty face immediately makes her an outcast among her classmates. After all, she was told that she "taints others." Nevertheless, Maria hopes for a fresh start. She manages to become close with two of her classmates after they hear her beautiful singing. One is Yusuke Kanda, who's kind and friendly to everyone on the outside, but inside isn't that way at all. He teaches her a "lovely spin" which should help her get along with others better, but it just makes her seem even more intimidating. Maria, apparently, isn't a "lovely spin" kind of a girl. The other is Shin Meguro. He is tall, dark-haired and always frowning. Coming from a family of musicians, he knew right away which song Maria was singing. Meguro is a returnee but Maria points out that because he lacks communication skills he doesn't really know how to speak English. Throughout the year Maria faces many problems, mainly relating to getting along with others but soon resolves it with the constant help of her friends and bluntness.

Adapted from the manga "Akuma to Love Song" (悪魔とラブソング) by Toumori Miyoshi (桃森ミヨシ).

Hoshikamo yearned to become a private detective and he now works as a private detective. He is not good at communicating with women. Hoshikamo once worked at a big private detective agency, but he now he runs his own private detective office. His office is situated within his grandmother's recycle shop. Hoshikamo solves various cases with his assistant Tsugumi Karato. He first met Tsugumi Karato when she was his client. She hired him to help her with a stalker.

N/A

Teiichiro married his wife, Sachiko, and succeeded his wife's parents' company, Ishino Clinic, in Kanazawa. Although the doctor is reputed for his straightforward work, he has been hiding a secret from his wife for three years. He has been having an affair with a college student, Umezawa Tomohisa. One day, a detective investigating a murder case comes to Teiichiro. A man named Sugiyama, arrested for alleged murder, claims his alibi is that he had met with Teiichiro at the time of the incident. In fact, on that day, Teiichiro enjoyed a secret meeting with his lover, Tomohisa, and accidentally met with Sugiyama, but pretended to not remember. However, Teiichiro, who was mentally driven to lose his relationship with Tomohisa and lost his family and work, falsely remembers that he did not meet Sugiyama on that day.

High school students, Shun and Nagisa first meet and fall in love with each other during their first year. Years later around the time Shun is about to graduate from university, Nagisa tells him that he can't see a future with him. They make the decision to break up despite Shun’s still strong feelings. Years later, Shun lives alone in a rural area, working as the owner of his own store. But what happens when Nagisa unexpectedly shows up with his 6-year-old daughter Sora, and Shun still harbours feelings for Nagisa. As they begin spending time with each other, can Nagisa accept the feelings he knows have been there all along.

Yoshioka Toshinori is a 28-year-old advertising agency employee who always has busy days going back and forth between his office and house. One day, Toshinori reunites with his senior, Tanaka Keiko, who tells him that going to a U-shaped bar is what he needs now. Toshinori takes the courage to open the door and sees a wonderland that he has never known before.

(Source: DramaWiki)

Episodes: 12

Yoshioka Toshinori is a 28-year-old advertising agency employee who always has busy days going back and forth between his office and house. One day, Toshinori reunites with his senior, Tanaka Keiko, who tells him that going to a U-shaped bar is what he needs now. Toshinori takes the courage to open the door and sees a wonderland that he has never known before.

(Source: DramaWiki)

Episodes: 12

In 1994, a human skeleton is found in the mountain of Saitama. A shogi game piece is found with the skeleton. The shogi piece was made by a master craftsman. Veteran detective Takeshi and rookie detective Naoya begin to investigate the owner of the shogi piece.

Keisuke is a genius professional shogi player. While doing an interview with a shogi magazine, Keisuke recalls his childhood. In 1972, Keisuke was an elementary school student and he lived with his father. His father was violent and did not even give Keisuke a proper meal. Keisuke happened to meet Koichiro, who was a retired teacher. Koichiro was nice to Keisuke and, because of him, Keisuke became fascinated with the game of shogi.

Detective Takeshi and Detective Naoya go to see Keisuke. Is Keisuke the killer? Who is the dead person?

Continuation from season 1.

Saionji Hajime serves the wealthy Ijuuin family. He graduated at the top of the London school for butlers. As the perfect butler, housekeeping skills and management of the mansion go without saying. He mastered martial arts and also has knowledge of all sorts of genres including science and history. Saionji has established a firm relationship of trust with Yuriko, the widow of the head of the Ijuuin family. He abides by the wishes of the inquisitive Yuriko and independently investigate difficult case. No matter how capable he is as a butler, he should be an amateur at investigating cases. However, nothing is impossible for Saionji who brilliantly figures out the mystery with his knowledge and skills.

Hiroshi makes high-grade charcoals at a charcoal kiln that he inherited from his father. He has a wife and a son going through a rebellious phase. Hiroshi is indifferent to his family. One day, Hiroshi's ex-friend Eisuke comes back to his hometown. Eisuke is a former self-defense official. After Hiroshi learns about Eisuke's past, he decides to take his job and family more seriously.

Noriko Takanori is 33 years old. Due to some case which she had in the past, she has an absolute sense of justice. She does not allow herself to do wrong or commit crimes. After she got pregnant, Noriko Takanori became a housewife.

Noriko Takanori meets again her 4 friends from high school: Yumiko Nishiyama, Riho Williams, Reika Ishimori and Kazuki Imamura. Her four friends all lead their own separate lives. Due to meeting Noriko Takanori again, their lives begin to change.

Based on novel "Zettai Seigi" by Rikako Akiyoshi.

Noriko Takanori is 33 years old. Due to some case which she had in the past, she has an absolute sense of justice. She does not allow herself to do wrong or commit crimes. After she got pregnant, Noriko Takanori became a housewife.

Noriko Takanori meets again her 4 friends from high school: Yumiko Nishiyama, Riho Williams, Reika Ishimori and Kazuki Imamura. Her four friends all lead their own separate lives. Due to meeting Noriko Takanori again, their lives begin to change.

Based on novel "Zettai Seigi" by Rikako Akiyoshi.

After waking up from a month-long coma due to injuries sustained in a reckless, heated investigation, detective Yashiro Tomo quickly returns to work at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. She is ordered to transfer from the First Investigative Division’s Violent Crimes Unit to the Sixth Special Investigations Unit. Located in the basement, it is in charge of deciphering documents of unsolved cases. Despite Tomo’s bewilderment, she begins work in her new postalong with a brusque senior detective Narumi Risa who is called the expert of document deciphering for her unusual ability to predict the personality and thoughts of a writer from writings. However, the reality is that this kind of work is nothing more than that of a “storekeeper” of investigation materials.

Based on novel "Keishichou Bunsho Sousakan" by Kazushi Asami.

Saito Hiroshi is a kind-hearted young man who grew up in a loving family. He is to start working in a long-established insurance company. Waiting for him on the first day is the strict HR employee Tsubaki Mako. The new employees start their 2 weeks training and the first thing Mako imposed on newcomers on the first day is to write "retirement wish". Mako declares that 50 new recruits will be narrowed down to 10 people on spot while training.

Hisashi and Mai are set to have their wedding ceremony in 3 months, but Mai falls ill and lapses into a coma. Hisashi does not give up on his fiance and prays for her recovery. Finally, Mai wakes up, but she doesn't have any memory of Hisashi.

Based on the true story of Hisashi and Mai Nakahara.

Hisashi and Mai are a happy couple in their 20s who are engaged to be married. But three months before their wedding, Mai becomes seriously ill. Her heart stops momentarily, and she falls into a deep coma. Hisashi visits Mai at the hospital every day before work. With no idea if or when she will ever awake, Mai’s parents encourage Hisashi to find someone else, but he refuses to give up and continues to pray for her recovery. As if his prayers are answered, Mai begins to regain consciousness several years later, and even utters a few words. But tragically, she has suffered brain damage and has no memory of Hisashi.

Based on the true story of Hisashi and Mai Nakahara.

Kanda is a producer of a popular quiz program. When he wakes up, he finds himself wearing a mysterious necklace and there a lot of business cards scattered on the floor. His daughter daughter is there and wearing the same necklace. Kanda and his daughter are locked up in a secret room.

Mysterious man X (Masaki Okada) appears in front of Kanda. X suggests to him the “Meishi Game” ("Business Card Game") with a 2 hour time limit. The rule of the game is for Kanda to find the business cards he received and return them to the owner of the business, but, if Kanda makes a mistake, his daughter will blow up. Kanda accepts the challenge to save his daughter and there is also a hidden secret.

Legal apprentice Okumori Rei is on the verge of getting married when he is cornered by someone due to a past secret. Eight years ago, during the summer when Rei was a third-year junior high school student, he killed his father Kosuke and made it look like he went missing in order to protect his mother Akiko from domestic violence. This became the secret between him and his mother. Rei aspired to be a lawyer and had lived without getting deeply involved with anyone. That was until he met Tachibana Saya at law school. She is like a sudden light that illuminates his dark life and the two of them soon fell in love. However, right after Rei’s marriage to Saya is decided, he starts receiving ominous messages from someone who knows his secret.

Ishikawa Tsubame and Sakamoto Marin are first-year students at a university for aspiring navigators. The two girls join a month-long practical training aboard a vessel for their first test as freshmen in an environment where 80% are boys. They have to cope with the gruelling training and unimaginable seasickness as they struggle together with the male students.

Salaryman Fukase Kazuhisa graduated from a famous university but his life is very ordinary and unremarkable. His only hobby – if it can be called that – is drinking coffee. Coffee, in fact, leads him to Mihoko Ochi, who becomes his girlfriend. Then one day, Mihoko receives a mysterious letter which consists of a single line, “Kazuhisa Fukase is a murderer.” Fukase’s instinct tells him that the time has finally come to face “that incident” 10 years ago. One winter 10 years ago, his good friend Hirosawa Yuki died in an unfortunate accident during a snowboarding trip with his university classmates Tanihara Yasuo (Ichihara Hayato), Asami Kosuke , Murai Takaaki and Murai’s younger sister Asuka. However, there is a big secret hidden in that accident. Letters are also sent to Tanihara, Tanihara and Murai who also share in this secret, and even they are hit by a series of incidents. Fukase decides to confront the truth of the past in order to protect the people dear to him.

Based on Reverse by Minato Kanae.

Yuri Ishikawa and her team try to crack unresolved cold cases in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

The Japanese version of Warner Bros ‘Cold Case'.

“If you want help, but have no one to consult … At such times, make a phone call first!” Akenabe Yugo’s occupation is a “rental saviour”. He is a “saviour” who shows up to handle any kind of impossible demand for a limited time only. This is a peculiar, innovative rental service which has appeared as a result of a movement in the rental industry. But Akenabe is certainly not a fellow to be worshiped as a saviour. He is just a very good-natured middle-aged man who is forced to be one as a way to make supplementary income through this commission-based, for-profit, confidential service because he has a huge debt and a wife and child. On the other hand Aoi Denjiro, who is a “rental saviour” together with Akenabe, is a big show-off who loves attention.

Based on renowned Japanese writer Natsume Soseki's same-titled short story collection, Ten Nights of Dreams brings ten fantastical dream sequences to film with great visual and psychological panache. Representing the combined efforts of eleven directors, this outstanding anthology delves into...

NAOTO has been part of EXILE and Sandaime J Soul Brothers for years, but his job in these groups is a cover for his true job. He is actually a hero that protects society from bad people. He doesn't want to be discovered by the other members, though, because he doesn't want to cause them trouble.

Residents in a town have a hard time due to the land tax and forced labor. 9 people worry about the future of their town and they set up a plan to save it. The plan is to lend large amounts of money to han (historical term for the estate of a warrior) and distribute the interest annually to the residents.

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.

Low level and bumbling Yakuza Miki Shunichiro snatched $200 million from his syndicate, and hides out at the Hotel New Mexico, a strange isolated hotel filled with quirky employees. Soon, one after another people from his past start showing up at his hotel room door, including his hot ex-girlfriend, her pathetic weakling boyfriend, his Yakuza brother, and an assassin sent to kill them all. Meanwhile, everything happening in his room is being watched by Captain Banana, a professional peeping tom, and his new protege, Okita Soji - although not the Bakumatsu era Samurai sword master of the same name. This Okita Soji is a sweatervest wearing peeping tom with a bad haircut, played by Asano Tadanobu, who is the complete polar opposite of his character Samehada from Sharkskin Man and Peach Hip Girl.

Sawaki is a postman who's not quite thrilled about his boring way of life. But his life is about to change when he delivers mail to his old schoolmate Noguchi, who's now a member of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia, and just finished cutting his little finger off.

Detective Mizunuma Shouzo (Terajima Susumu), his younger sister Rie (Nishida Naomi), who works at a firm of judicial clerks, and Kamijo Masato (Horibe Keisuke), a psychiatrist who runs a mental clinic, are each saddled with enormous debts of 200 million yen for a variety of reasons. These three people join hands and commit fraud to strip money from rich people and pay off their debts.

Saburo, an ordinary high school student, travels back in time to the Sengoku era (1549). He encounters a young lord who looks exactly like him and is told, “Be my substitute. I’m the eldest son of the Oda family, Oda Nobunaga.” After the young lord leaves, Saburo is mistaken for Nobunaga by a vassal and taken to the castle. He starts to live as Oda Nobunaga from this day. The young samurai of the Oda family, which is merely a minor feudal lord, set out towards the extraordinary dream of unifying the whole country through the power of Saburo.

Saburo, a person from modern times who has no experience killing people, does not understand the willingness of the warlords of the Sengoku era to lay down their lives for their family. It is the same for the vassals too. They have had a hard time understanding Nobunaga’s actions ever since the ill-mannered, wilful Saburo took over. Despite this “generation gap across space and time”, they are soon on the brink of achieving their dream.

Sawano has lost his job due to depression and isn't on good terms with his wife and 6-year-old son. After a failed suicide attempt, he discovers 7 letters which had not been delivered and sets out to give them to their intended recipients in a way of counting down to the end of his life.

Yukiko Makabe works at the #3 Special Investigation Team of the Metropolitan Police Department. She has excellent negotiation skills. Yukiko then attempts to negotiate with a hijacker on a bus, but something unexpected happens and her mission fails. Yukiko takes full responsibility and takes a transfer to a special interrogation team "Kintori". Her boss is Katsutoshi Kajiyama and Yukiko has had a difficult working relationship with him in the past. Her other coworkers include Susumu Hishimoto, Zenjiro Nakata and Haruo Koishikawa.

A man with leather gloves asks a girl to place a can of cookies in the police substation. Because of this, a police officer dies. Tetsuji Watanabe and Daijiro Kenmotsu, detectives from the #1 investigation team, finds out the identity of the man in leather gloves. They believe the culprit is famous attorney Fujishiro who only takes on miscarriage of justice cases. Fujishiro vehemently denies his involvement in the cookie incident during his interrogation by the Kintori team. Around this time, a man turns himself in and takes responsibility for an explosion at a police substation.

Soumato Corporation is intriguing place where recorded images of one’s life can be viewed on DVD. A person who happen sto stray into Soumato Corporation, will be handed DVDs equivalent in number to his age by Kaminuma (Kashii Yu), the company’s mysterious guide. She will tell him to go back and watch his life to his heart’s content. What he will see on these DVDs is his own life through the eyes of other people. He will learn startling facts that are better left unsaid. What will he think after watching everything?

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.

The plot revolves around a young man named Nagashima Kyohei who has felt emotionally detached due to a traumatic incident in his high school days. However, when he takes a job sorting through the personal belongings of the deceased, he's forced to face the concept of life and death. He eventually develops a relationship with a co-worker named Yuki Kubota, which allows him to open up a little more, but he soon discovers she has a dark past of her own.

~~Adapted from the novel by singer and writer Sada Masashi.

When Kaoru Inoue (Junichi Okada) opposes Soichiro Ogata (Shin'ichi Tsutsumi), Soichiro makes the cryptic remark "It couldn't be helped. It was for a greater cause ...".

One month later, at an event hall in Roppongi Hills, there is a charity event for landmine eradication. Kaoru does security with Security Police officers Soichiro Ogata, Eri Sasamoto (Yoko Maki), Takahumi Yamamoto (Satoru Matsuo) and Mitsuo Ishida (Yu Kamio). Kaoru Inoue senses a threatening existence and starts to suffer a severe headache and becomes dizzy. When Kaoru was young, his parents were killed by terrorists and that incident has had an traumatic effect on Kaoru since.

Inside the event hall, Kaoru Inoue replies to Ogata calls that everything is fine. The Secretary of Japan then appears on stage and Inoue again senses a threatening existence. Kaoru has a premonition of what will happen in the future. Right after, Kaoru finds a man in a suit holding an umbrella, even though the weather is clear, and starts running towards him. The man approaches the stage and Kaoru is blocked from reaching him by other spectators. Kaoru Inoue warns Eri Sasamoto about the man. As the man attempts to push a button on the umbrella, Kaoru and Eri are able to restrain him and take the umbrella away. The man slips away and runs off.

Kaoru Inoue chases the man to the center of the city and arrests him near the subway platform. The chase was covered by the media. The chief of SP, Yoshiharu Nakao (Shingo Egami), later stares down at Kaoru and tells him a pipe bomb was discovered in the umbrella which could have caused severe damage. Prime Minister Yuzou Asada (Kei Yamamoto) and other higher government officials gave Inoue favorable reviews, but Kaoru, nevertheless, crossed proper protocols and should refrain from such excessive behavior in the future.

That evening, a campaign fund raising event is held in support of of Secretary General Kunio Date (Teruyuki Kagawa). After the fund raising event, the secretary for the Ministry of Defense Takikawa (Takehiro Hira), who was a member of the same university political club that Soichiro Ogata attended at Tokyo University, chief international terror agent at the Ministiry of Foreign Affairs Anzai (Kazuki Namioka), Metropolitan Police Department member Mitsuhiko Kaziyama (Satoru Date) and Soichiro Ogata gather together in a suite room of the hotel with Kunio Date.

There Takikawa tells Soichiro Ogata that its time to perform the plan. Takikawa affirm that the soft landing way pushed by Yuji Nishijima (Kisuke Iida) will not be effective to build up the country. Anzai insists a crisis is needed to change people's values. Kunio Date promises to support them and orders Soichiro Ogata to carry out their plan.

Around that time, Ichiro Tanaka (Toru Nomaguchi) investigates the relationships between Kunio Date, Kunio Date, Kaziyama and the suicide of government official Yuji Nishijima. A few days later, Soichiro Ogata calls Kaoru Inoue at night to the meet at the park. The park was the same place where tragedy met Kaoru Inoue's parents some twenty years ago. Soichiro Ogata begins to tell a shocking truth, while Kaoru Inoue can't understand his intentions.

The next day Soichiro Ogata assigns to Security Police officer in the #4 Security Section an assignment to guard Kunio Date. After guarding Kunio Date that night, the terrorist plot finally begins attacking Kaoru Inoue and his colleagues.

Ten people are mysteriously locked away and forced to play the "King Game" for the next 10 days. The game revolves around 10 sticks with one of the sticks marked as the king. Whoever gets the king stick has the absolute power over that game and gives orders that the other players have to follow. As they play the game more and more, the orders become more frightening and sinister as well... who will win?

Two prisoners managed to escape after the police truck carrying them crashed. One of them ,is a gangster. The other called "Otowa YonKo" - our protagonist - is a con artist whose cheats money from criminals or terrorists. Accidentally, "Otowa Yonko" then becomes the new teacher for the nearby high school, under the new name "Hachisuka Goro", and according to a deal of "Hammer Session" with the headmaster.

Adapted from the manga series "Hammer Session!" (ハンマーセッション!) written by Koganemaru Yamato (小金丸大和) and Yatsu Hiroyuki (八津弘幸) and illustrated by Tanahashi Namoshiro (棚橋なもしろ).

Koike Minami returns from USA to Japan to accomplish her deceased twin sister's wish to win a competition and sing with Avril Lavigne on the stage in a concert in Tokyo.

Adapted loosely from the comic "Make 5 Wishes" by Camilla d'Errico.

Three apparently unrelated suicides occur on the same day in Tokyo. One involves a young athlete, one a groom at his wedding reception, and the third an elderly man celebrating his wife's birthday. A middle aged detective investigating one of the cases begins to suspect a connection between the three when he discovers that each person mentioned a "green monkey" before they died. With the help of a young psychiatrist he formulates the theory that hypnosis is somehow involved. In the mean time other bizarre "suicides" are reported and the mystery intensifies. Who will be next? What is the truth? Can more deaths be prevented? Written by Infofreak.