Asian Drama

In the turbulent last days of the Edo period, Kawai Tsugunosuke, a Japanese samurai serving the Makino clan of Nagaoka, dreamt of independence from the restraints of vassalship. Despite his progressive views and his desire for his estate to remain neutral during the Boshin Civil War, he was bound by loyalty and duty to the clan and was compelled to choose sides.

Adapted from the novel "Toge: Saigo no Samurai" (峠 最後のサムライ) by Shiba Ryotaro (司馬遼太郎).

Tomoatsu Godai has the sprit of a warrior and the talents of a merchant. He was born in the Satsuma domain. He worked as a Meiji government officer and became a businessman. He laid the foundation for Osaka to become a commercial city.

When Mio was young, she lost her parents in a great flood and also became separated from her best friend Noe. Afterwards, Mio found her talent in cooking and eventually became a cook. Meanwhile, Noe has become an oiran (high-ranking courtesan).

Based on the Mitsumei novel series by best-selling author Saeki Yasuhide. Sozaburo Kanasugi is a samurai in the Kyushu countryside. After accepting a secret mission from his daimyo, he leaves his clan and travels alone to Edo to accomplish his task.

Mai Hanasaki (Anne Watanabe) and Ken Soma (Takaya Kamikawa) work for Tokyo Daiichi Bank and their job is to fix problems that arise at various local bank branches. Keisuke Matsuki (Hiroki Narimiya) is an enthusiastic and honest bank teller. While working with Mai Hanasaki, he develops feelings for Mai Hanasaki. Meanwhile, insensitive Mai Hanasaki is oblivious to Keisuke's feelings towards her.

Is it worth living for three short days only? Is it sensible, to wait for something impossible for a lifetime? Can you tell if somebody's else life is worth living? This is quiet movie but it's a strong voice in defence of those who are fighting for each day lying motionless in bed. It remains us how fragile we are.

Ichinose Ryo works as a salesperson for Hashiba Sales Service, a subsidiary of the mid-sized electronics manufacturer, Hashiba Electronics, which prides itself on its long history. One day, he is ordered to transfer to the company’s headquarters. Why him when he has no strong points? Hashiba Electronics designs products which its subsidiary is responsible for manufacturing. The group’s share of the market is now being lost to emerging foreign companies and it is in financial difficulty. The new company president, Matsumoto Kiyoomi, who has come from America, has his eye on Ichinose’s perseverance as a salesperson and intends to make a five-member team contemplate strategies to improve the management of the group. Ordered to submit a proposal, Ichinose and the members head to Vietnam in search of ideas for cost-cutting measures. He finds out about a new business plan, a license business in Vietnam. However, that is when he learns of the ongoing bribery behind the contract work between headquarters and subsidiary as a result of the license business. Ichinose’s former boss, Taki Shinsuke, is aware of this bribery, and had promised to keep quiet about it in exchange for a director’s position at Hashiba Electronics. Determined to push through reforms in order to correct company’s way of doing things and fulfil his own and the other members’ dreams, Ichinose gets close to but a series of big hurdles stand in his way.

Kyonosuke Kawamura is the successor to the prestigious Kishima family. He performs as a kabuki stage actor. One day, as he is leaving the theater, Kyonosuke Kawamura hears cheers from girls who are waiting for him. There, Ayame Chiba, who also attends the same high school, approaches him and shouts out "that is not Kagamijishi and I want my money back!"

Due to excessive expectation as the successor of the Kishima family, Kyonosuke becomes sick and tired of kabuki. He plays with best friend Haruhiko Sakamoto and female fans until late into the night. When he arrives back home, his father Yozaemon, who is a master in kabuki, scolds him. An argument ensues. Yozaemon has never acknowledged Kyonosuke's efforts. That is a big reason why Kyonosuke has become estranged from kabuki. He also can't forgive his father for always placing kabuki as his first priority. His father did not show up when his mother became gravely ill and died.

Kyonosuke then meets Ayame at school. She again complains about his performance. Kyonosuke also learns that Ayame has a favorite actor. He's embarrassed by her complaints. For his next performance, Kyonosuke shows up practice, but he is chewed out by his instructor Matsukichi. Others, including Shohei Sawayama, watch this and make fun of Kyonosuke behind his back. Kyonosuke also hears from his rival Ichiya Sawayama that he was shocked at his performance. Kyonosuke feels numb.

Based on the manga series "Pin to Kona" by Ako Shimaki (first published November 2009 by Monthly Cheese!)

Yonekura Ryoko plays a 35 year old woman who mysteriously goes back to high school as a student.

It is April at Kokubunkan Public High School which is known for being good at both studies and sports. Aoyagi Haruka, the rookie form teacher of Class 3D, swells with hope. However, the assistant form teacher is Takakura Yuko, the biology teacher with a poor reputation in school. Furthermore, the transfer student Toda Toshio suddenly accuses the class prefect Mochizuki Ryohei and others of bad deeds. There is a lot to sort out for the new school term. One day, Class 3D’s Yamagishi Rio is instructed by her boyfriend, Tatsuya, to collect the email addresses of her friends. Tatsuya attends a first rate university and has also passed the bar exam. He belongs to the “winners”, but is in truth a peddler who sells unregulated herbs. In order to keep her relationship with Tatsuya going, Rio caters to his demands even though she knows is it wrong. Before long, there is a spam email that starts the rumour of Rio offering email addresses and encouraging unregulated herbs. An inspection of Rio’s bag is carried out without warning. Rio seeks Haruka’s help and Haruka promises to keep it a secret from the school. However, Yuko points out that Rio is a mere tool of the peddler. In addition, there is a call about the collapse of the students of Class 3D after smoking the unregulated herbs. In an attempt to save an embattled Rio, Haruka asks Yuko for help. But Yuko coldly says that she will save Rio in exchange for Haruka’s first paycheck. Yuko, the classics teacher Uchida Sumire and art teacher Fujii Aya wear different faces from daytime. They are “black teachers” who solve problems in return for large sums of money.

A former psychologist, who has the ability to recognizes lies through behaviour and mimic, now works as a detective. He uses his ability for solving difficult cases.

Blessed with good looks, Takano Kyohei, a college student, is always suffering from the unreasonable behaviour of customers who want him and the sexual harassment of his store manager. Because of his hot temper, he loses his head on this occasion and is fired from his part-time job. Then one day, the glamorous owner, Ms Nakahara proposes, "I'll give you free board-and-lodging if you can turn my niece, Sunako, into a lady!" Kyohei and Toyama Yukinojo, Oda Takenaga and Morii Ranmaru, the other guys living together in the same boarding house, are enthusiastic, but the person who appears before the four of them is a spooky girl whose hair covers her face and who loves horror and vampires. And so, their tumultuous communal life begins.

Adapted from the manga "The Wallflower" (ヤマトナデシコ七変化) by Hayakawa Tomoko (はやかわともこ).

Blessed with good looks, Takano Kyohei, a college student, is always suffering from the unreasonable behaviour of customers who want him and the sexual harassment of his store manager. Because of his hot temper, he loses his head on this occasion and is fired from his part-time job. Then one day, the glamorous owner, Ms Nakahara proposes, "I'll give you free board-and-lodging if you can turn my niece, Sunako, into a lady!" Kyohei and Toyama Yukinojo, Oda Takenaga and Morii Ranmaru, the other guys living together in the same boarding house, are enthusiastic, but the person who appears before the four of them is a spooky girl whose hair covers her face and who loves horror and vampires. And so, their tumultuous communal life begins.

Adapted from the manga "The Wallflower" (ヤマトナデシコ七変化) by Hayakawa Tomoko (はやかわともこ).

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.

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The life story of Ashikaga Takauji, the founder and the first Sei-I-Tai-Shogun of Ashikaga Shogunate. He was born in the late Kamakura Period, during the time of discontentment with the Hojo clan's monopoly in the Shogunate administration. Emperor Go-Daigo took this opportunity to restore back Emperor's power. After some failed earlier attempts, he succeeded eventually with the help of a few independent Samurai Lords and Takauji's betrayal of the Hojo clan. However, it was not long before the Samurai class revolted due to unfair treatment and discontentment with the Nobles' domination in the new government. As the head of Minamoto descendants, Takauji took responsibility to confront Go-Daigo and establish Ashikaga Shogunate.

Adapted from the novel "Shihon Taiheiki" by Yoshikawa Eiji.