Asian Drama

Minami Ayako is a 33-year-old single, unsuccessful novelist who is struggling to find herself a lifelong partner. One day, Yamada, a scumbag she had dated in the past, appears before her as a ghost. He tells her he cannot reincarnate unless he fulfils a certain "promise". Just then, Ayako is mocked by another popular writer, who is a colleague of hers, that still being unmarried at this age means she must be a failure for having nobody who loves her. Due to this, Ayako decides to take marriage hunting seriously, and Yamada joins forces alongside her in order to support her in her quest to find a marriage partner.

(Source: Drama-Okatu)

Adapted from the novel "Konkatsu 1000 Pon Knock" (婚活1000本ノック) by Minami Ayako (南綾子).

Duration: 54 min.

Airs On: Wednesday

The "first penguin" is the courageous first penguin that dives into the sea filled with enemies. Iwasaki Nodoka is a young single mother with no money, no house, and no work. While Nodoka decides that she will do anything to eat, she meets a fisherman who offers her "10,000 yen to rebuild the coast". Thus, Nodoka now carries the dreams of the local fishermen whose lives are on her shoulders. Despite her limited knowledge of the fishing industry, Nodoka does her best working with the stubborn sea men, breaks through the old common sense and customs with her boldness, and creates a revolution in the industry.

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.

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One day, a popular YouTuber called Taiga visits ex-prosecutor Iwai after being attacked on the subway station following a death threat. Iwai, who was asked to identify the person behind death threat, discovered that Taiga is the son of a politician who he had been previously investigated for corruption. Who is targeting Taiga? Is it true that once your information is posted online, you are branded with digital tattoo and you can never start over? Iwai, an analog person, wants to change that for his clients.

Igarashi Iori is a talented radiographer who believes the “truth” is definitely captured in CT and MRI images. He and radiologist Amakasu An work at a hospital’s radiology department where they determine the causes of patients’ illnesses and injuries.

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.

In order to end the Sengoku period and determine a ruler for the new era, on October 21, 1600 the Battle of Sekigahara takes place between the Western Army, led by Mitsunari Ishida, and the Eastern Army, led by Ieyasu Tokugawa, who attempts to keep a hold of the nation within his greedy grasp. Even though the Western Army are believed to outnumber the Eastern Army, they take losses on the battlefield. A hidden truth exists. Hatsume was sent to spy on Mitsunari Ishida, but falls in love with him.

One day, Inspector Shibasaki Reiji of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's General Affairs Department is made to take responsibility for the inexplicable suicide of a direct subordinate and demoted to a police precinct despite being among a small number of elite candidates in the police force. Reiji received a phone call from his boss Nakata instructing him to allow his subordinate Kazuhiko Kido, who previously suffered from depression, to take part in shooting training. Reiji followed the instructions, but Kazuhiko killed himself soon after receiving a handgun from him. Reiji was interrogated, but his boss denied making the phone call regarding Kazuhiko. Who made the phone call?

While Reiji showers love on his wife and child, he has had no qualms about using intimidation on fellow police officers in order to get ahead in his career. Realising that he has been set up, he devises a plan not only to shed light on the truth, but make a return to the career track.

A large real estate company’s social gathering is held on board the cruise ship ‘Poseidon’ as it goes around Tokyo Bay. Then the company president Kudo Ryoko (Nakano Yuta) is fatally stabbed. The ship never once stopped and it is impossible for someone to board from the sea. In other words, the murder scene is a “locked room aboard a ship”. The suspects are three employees Takase Minami (Takimoto Miori), Mitsumine Yoko (Nakagoshi Noriko) and Narita Koki (Tonesaku Toshihide) who were together with Kudo. They unanimously complain of being “put to sleep by sleeping pill” and “waking up after the murder occurred”. Detective Hagami Kyoko (Zaizen Naomi) of the First Investigative Division proceeds to investigate the case together with the young detective Kaburagi (Kiriyama Ren). However, a series of tragedies occur right in front of them. Mystery engenders mystery, darkness sucks in darkness. This is the “punishment” meted by Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, to those who do wrong. Internal trouble, baffling human resources and gruesome cases that vanish in the vortex of time. Then the perfect crime of a lifetime. Will Kyoko be able to get to the criminal?

The young, genius scientist Takano Ryuzo (Saito Yusuke) has died in his home. He was a leading authority on induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells together with his older wife Misuzu (Shimizu Misa). The cause of his sudden death is determined to be a heart attack, but insurance agent Tomonaga Masahiko (Hamano Kenta) approaches his wife Kuriko (Ueno Juri), who is also researcher in iPS cells, about Takano’s sudden death that leaves questions unanswered. He had been insured for a large sum of money. Furthermore, the crime scene is a perfect locked room. These increases Masahiko’s suspicions that it was a murder. Kuriko, the research geek, corners the “invisible criminal” with a wealth of knowledge unique to a female scientist and feminine deduction.

Following the death of their mother Kyoko (Nakamura Yuri), three sisters Chiaki (Dan Rei), Haruna (Kimura Midoriko) and Natsui (Watanabe Makiko) gather at the home where they were born and raised for an all-night vigil. Third sister Chiaki recalls memories of the time she was a girl when she sees something that was inserted into the coffin. After the end of the war, their father Hiroshi (Mashima Hidekazu) brought Toru, their youngest brother who is not related by blood, home. Then one day, Toru suddenly disappeared as if he had been spirited away. Who was responsible and where did he go? As the three sisters begin to trace back distant memories, a young man (Nakajima Ayumu) comes. He greets them with the words, “It’s been a long time since I last saw you, sisters …” The sisters piece together their memories and what starts to emerge is their father’s betrayal and mother’s secret. The 40-year-old truth that their mother had kept to herself is about to be revealed.

Watanabe Shogoro (Higashiyama Noriyuki) is a lazy constable at the Honmachi Magistrate’s Office and avoids troublesome tasks. But once there is a “job”, he demonstrates cool-headedness in cutting down villains with his sword. Shogoro has always been unable to hold his head high as a son-in-law adopted into the family. One day, he has a rare display of anger and gets into a quarrel with his wife Fuku (Nakagoshi Noriko). Fuku leaves home. Coincidentally, a chief priest and wives who have run away from their husbands and sought refuge at the temple are slain. Fearing that Fuku is one of them, Shogoro hurries to the temple. At the same time, a husband and wife pair of assassins Kawaraya no Jinpachiro (Endo Kenichi) and Nakibokuro no Omiya (Yamamoto Mizuki) arrive in Edo. Shogoro happens to encounter them at the corner of a street. Okiku (Wakui Emi), who knows Jinpachiro and Omiya, warns Shogoro that he must not have anything to do with them. However, Jinpachiro, a carouser and gambler, ends up meeting the picture framer Ryoji (Matsuoka Masahiro) at a gambling den in the red light district. Despite the things they share in common, Ryoji cannot hide his disgust at Jinpachiro’s way of life. At that point, a man who seems to be the criminal in the temple massacre is found to have committed suicide. Although Shogoro senses a conspiracy behind the case, the jurisdiction for the temple lies with the magistrate for temples and shrines, and Shogoro’s superior Masumura Rintaro (Namase Katsuhisa) is too timid to investigate further. The priest Enten (Takenaka Naoto) takes up the position of chief priest with the blessings of the magistrate for temples and shrines Edajima Kaneyoshi (Nakamaru Shinsho) shortly after that. Ryu (Chinen Yuri) who had originally experienced religious training as the heir of a temple, feels something is wrong with the new state of affairs at the temple which has started accepting females as if nothing has happened. On this day, Oichi (Tanaka Minako) brings her daughters Misato (Miyatake Mio) and Yui (Miyatake Matsuri) to the temple to seek shelter from her husband’s violence. However, behind the scenes at the temple is a conspiracy to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of females and exploit them.

29-year-old Toyoshima An is a young and very ambitious team leader of Horizon, the online mail order company which boasts a selection of more than 100 million merchandise. 38-year-old Harada Miki has always been kindly supporting the sales people in an clerical role ever since she joined the company. The maverick An and conservative Miki are complete opposites. While they provide a service that enables any merchandise to be obtained with one click of the mouse, they cannot achieve the personal happiness that they have been taking for granted. Both of them have yet to meet the men that their hearts desire. Anne has a reason for not being able to disclose things about the boyfriend she is dating to the people around her. Miki ends up being dumped by the man she has been dating just before their 10th anniversary. Furthermore, An gets into unexpected trouble. She will be asked to leave the company if she does not make the new project a success within two months. Will the two of them be able to carry through the project and win true love at last?

Sugisaki Momoko used to be a nursery school teacher. Her difficulty smiling leads to communication problems with parents and her contract is terminated in one year. Momoko is picked up by ‘Little Snow’, a home care service for sick children, and makes a fresh start there as a caregiver. When a child has a fever, the caregiver would visit the home and care for the child in place of the parents who simply cannot take time off from work. Momoko encounters all sorts of families at the places she is sent to. With the support of her colleagues and the occasional help of her best friend, Yumika, she starts to face work, romance, family and friendship.

Episodes: 10

Nakano Yumi, a single career woman who works at a small advertising agency, and Tamura Yumi, a housewife weary of married life, are complete strangers and yet they see each other’s lives with unsettling clarity in their dreams each night. Before long, their destinies start to become intertwined. One day, Nakano Yumi meets Tamura Yumi’s friend Arinuma Ikuko in real life. Furthermore, Ikuko introduces her to Tamura Yumi’s husband Yohei as a potential date. She had only seen the two of them in her dreams, and finds herself feeling disoriented. She begins to wonder if what she has been seeing are precognitive dreams. And yet it somehow seems different. The situation grows more bizarre for her when Yohei, whom she knows is married to Tamura Yumi, asks her out to dinner. Meanwhile, Tamura Yumi, who is troubled that her husband may be cheating on her, sees Nakano Yumi hear a traumatic truth from Ikuko in her dream … … She died two years ago! Worrying that this might portend the future, she goes in search of the advertising agency which appeared in the dream. Although she does not know Nakano Yumi’s whereabouts, she confirms the existence of the advertising agency and Nakano Yumi’s boss. Then she tries to send a message through to Nakano Yumi with the request to find out when and how she died … … Startling situations occur in quick succession, and the two Yumis are seized with a fear beyond words.

High school student Aya Tsukimori becomes cursed and is unable to leave her school dormitory. Meanwhile, many students begin reporting ghost sightings at the school, while others go missing and are later discovered to have drowned mysteriously. Soon, Aya attempts to communicate with fellow student Michi Kazato, who begins investigating the disappearances of her friends.

The story features a team of four sleuthing sisters.

The plot revolves around four ladies struggle to find happiness in the capital city of Tokyo:

Satoko: Works as a receptionist at an escort service “Heavan’s Gate.” At home, she often prays to God to find a boy that will love her.

Chihiro: Works in a low level office position. When her roommate, Toko, asks if there is a God, she replies “God would be something like a boyfriend. Buys me whatever I want and makes possible all my wishes.” She often involves herself with men who only use her for sex.

Akiyo: Works at an escort service “Heavan’s Gate” as a call girl. She saves her money in order to eventually buy a condo situated on the 5th floor or higher. Once she gets old & senile, she plans to jump out of her apartment to her death. She is infatuated with Kikuchi, an old school friend. Akiyo changes her appearance when around Kikuchi and conceals the fact that she is a call girl.

Toko: Works obsessively as an illustrator. She suffers from bulimia, a fact she conceals from her roommate, Chihiro.

The story is centered on the love between a musically gifted South Korean man, Yoo Sung Jae, and a Japanese woman, Misaki. Misaki, who feels guilty over her boyfriend's death, is transferred to Korea and meets Seong Jae who helps her cure her wounds of the past memories with love.