Asian Drama

A legal drama about a former manager of entertainment agency who became a paralegal of a clumsy rookie lawyer.

Episodes: 11

Duration: 58 min.

Aired On: Friday

In Kyoto, soon after the war, Ichika strives to save her family's long established ryoten restaurant from financial crisis. In order to do so, she marries Yamaguchi Amane, who is 15 years younger, in a marriage of convenience.

Adapted from the manga series "Nagatan to Aoto: Ichika no Ryourijou" (ながたんと青と -いちかの料理帖-) by Isoya Yuki (磯谷友紀).

Shiro Miura , an architect, suddenly returns to Marukin Onsen, the public bath house left behind by his late father. The reason for his return is to tell his younger brother Goro, who manages the store, that he will fold the old public bath and rebuild it into an apartment. Goro reacts coldly to Shiro, who runs away from his parents' house and lives freely in the city. On the other hand, Yokoyama a postal worker who is nearing retirement age, is fascinated by Yudo, which is said to give him deep thoughts about bathing.

(Source: Filmarks)

New season.

Shizuka lives with her father Junsuke, who runs a photo studio in a local shopping district. Her father was born deaf and her mother, who was also deaf, died when Shizuka was little. Shizuka has been Junsuke's ears since she was a child. Therefore, she has a habit of staring at the other person and talking with gestures.

However, this habit is perceived poorly and her colleagues at the restaurant where she works part-time do not like her.

One day, Shizuka sees Keiichi, a regular customer of the restaurant, in trouble because he can't explain himself to a shopkeeper and Shizuka helps him.

Two people who are not good at communicating normally are attracted to each other...

A love story spanning 5 years between a man and a woman. A 22-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman both miss the last train at Meidaimae Station in Tokyo and meet there. Their relationship develops romantically.

Hakuro's father died when he was a child allowing his mother to re-marry into the wealthy Yagami family. Although Hakuro was also welcomed, he struggles to feel a part of this family. His younger half-brother, who possesses the same blood as him, has fared much better. After the death of his mother, Hakuro dropped the Yagami surname and parted ways with the family.

Hakuro, now a veterinarian, has a strong sense of justice, is sincere and has a weakness for beautiful women. One day, he is approached by such a woman, claiming she is the wife of his half-brother. She worriedly informs him that his half-brother has gone missing, leading the pair to team up and find his whereabouts.

In the process, Hakuro finds himself reluctantly embroiled in the Yagami family's battle over one sizeable inheritance. Could his half-brother's mysterious disappearance be connected?

Based on novel by Keigo Higashino.

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.

Aikawa Kazuki is a university lecturer who teaches ethology, which is the study of animal behaviour. He just started life as a lecturer six months earlier at the recommendation of Professor Samejima Shun whom he studied under in university. However, when it comes to the animals and living things that Kazuki loves, he gets so immersed that he pays no attention to other things. He is not able to follow the rules established by the university and gets scolded at work every day. In addition, he has the habit of procrastinating on things that he finds bothersome and is also poor at being punctual. Kazuki’s lessons are “not ordinary”. Although he gives students assignments to make them express their opinions, he would end up saying that he does not know the right answer and stump them. Kazuki’s behaviour bewilders the people around him, and at times, it even irritates them. They keep this “eccentric” at a slight distance but this does not perturb him. However, their own values are shaken by the sight of Kazuki, who has no bias or preconceived ideas and enjoys each day following his interests and curiosity, and they are gradually influenced by him.

Nagatsu Ryoko, who belongs to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, is found dead in the mountain. One month ago, she discovered a Buddha statue at a mountain shrine. Her death seems accidental, caused by Ryoko slipping, but Itomura Satoshi determines that her death was not accidental.

Itomura Satoshi is back again, but in Kyoto and with a new team. He begins work at the 1st Investigation Division of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Station. The 1st investigation division with deals with the most difficult cases.

A radio play is going to go on air at a Tokyo radio station. It is a weepy melodrama written by housewife Miyako, who is the winner of the competition run by the station. Suddenly, the hot-tempered lead actress Nokko decides she wants the name of her character to be Mary Jane and not Ritsuko. That leads to the chain of events which changes the play completely.

Mare is an elementary school student. She lives with her family in the city, but, right before her father goes bankrupt, they run away and settle down at a fishing village in Noto. The family rents a couple's home who run a salt pond. Mare's father starts a new business, but it also fails. Her mother supports the family by working at the salt pond. 8 years later, Mare, about to graduate from high school, decides to work for the Wajima local government. She wants to have a steady job, unlike her father. Her job is to support people who move to Noto.

Sakatsuki Shizuto is a mourner. He goes to scenes of accidents and mourns for the victims. Nagi Yukiyo, who killed her husband and served prison time, goes to the scene of the murder and meets Shizuto. She follows him from that time.

Other people that exists in their lives are Shizuto’s mother Junko who is terminally ill with cancer and waits for Shizuto’s return, his younger sister Mishio who is pregnant by her now ex-boyfriend and a magazine reporter who chases after Shizuto. The movie examines life and death, love and hate and sin and forgiveness through these characters. ~~ Based on the novel "Itamu Hito" by Tendo Arata.

Kensuke Okouchi (Tori Matsuzaka) is blind, but with his desire to help the weak he has become a lawyer. Now, he works at a law office with the help of his assistant Michiyo (Keiko Toda). He also has a wife Natsumi (Nao Minamisawa) who is pregnant.

One day, Kensuke receives a client, Satomi (Mari Hoshino), seeking a divorce. She wishes to end her marriage to Kazuya (Hidekazu Mashima) due to domestic violence.

One day, a middle-aged man, Fujimoto Makoto, is standing on a train platform, about to jump in front of a train. Nakashiro Kana and Tasaki Shota both happen to be on the same platform, and sensing what is about to happen, they quickly pull him back to safety. There’s a reason why Kana and Shota realized Makoto’s intentions, they both have the kind of emotional scars that can’t be put into words. Even after so much pain, through a series of e-mails, they've become attracted to one another and slowly learn to open up their hearts once again.

Yoshizaki Kaoruko, who had been a clinician at a university hospital, takes up a post at a medical examiner’s office after she is told by her professor to try to get experience. However, everyone from the Supervising Dr. Akita Shinya, Director Yanagida Shuhei, and Assistant Yamashita Mieko are all individualistic characters. This does not bode well for the future. Meanwhile, Akita and Kaoruko are put in charge of the dead body of a popular model who fell to her death. The police consider it to be a suicide, but Akita is drawn to a subtle point...

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!

16-year-old Haruka (Ai Hashimoto) lost the people she loved the most in a fire. Haruka is also physically and emotionally wounded from the fire, but she still dreams of becoming a pianist. She takes part in an upcoming competition. Inauspicious incidents then occur around her. Musical student Yosuke (Shinya Kiyozuka), who teaches piano to Haruka, tries to solve the case.

A private high school by the sea... All of the senior students devote themselves only to their studies for college entrance exams from the end of the summer. One day, an unconventional teacher gets posted at this high academia-oriented school. His name is Sakurai Sakutaro. His background is a mystery. Nobody gets what he's talking about. He's pushy and bold. The students are reluctant to open up to him who sticks his nose into their private affairs. But Sakutaro keep trying to help them overcome their problems He also encourages and guides them, and they eventually develop a bond of trust. "Live in the moment which exists only now"... His message gradually gets through to his students.

Humanity has always been obsessed with the idea of somehow regaining our youth and going back to our childhood. But what would happen if that dream became a reality? Would that really bring happiness… or tragedy?

Yuko has a promising career in journalism ahead of her, and is happily married to Satoru, a younger man. But an unfortunate event turns their world upside down, and leads Yuko into a desperate attempt to regain her youth. She drinks a potion that begins a “de-aging” process, only to find out that once started the process cannot be stopped! Yuko and Satoru are forced to reexamine her life and their marriage, and their love for each other. And Yuko must somehow find a way to return to halt the process, or dire consequences await.

This touching story not only explores the question of lost youth but also takes a hard look at what it really means to love someone.

Sosuke Nakata is just your everyday salaried worker. There is really nothing special that stands out about Nakata. He is a serious guy, whose life mostly consists of going back and forth to the office each day.

Suddenly one day though, Nakata just happens to meet a certain woman by a coincidence she is the top star, Hikaruko Kirishima. Just by talking to her, Nakata is left standing feeling as he has just seen a dream.

Several days later, Kirishima calls an emergency press conference. And there she announces: "I am now dating a gentleman by the name of Sosuke Nakata, a salaried worker, whom I intend to marry." An announcement about their "relationship" out of the blue! More than that, this top star's boyfriend is just your typical salaried worker!! What does Kirishima have up her sleeve as she hides behind her intrepid smile?!

Nakata obviously has no idea about what happened at the press conference. He also doesn't know what lies ahead for him at work, and about Hikaruko's true intentions.

~~ Remake of the American movie “Nothing Hill” [1999].

Episodes: 11

Duration: 45 min.

Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

Aired On: Thursday

Ratings: 7.2

The 64th NHK Asadora Renzoku Drama is Churasan, a story of a young woman, Kohagura Eri, who was born in Kohamajima Island, Okinawa on May 15, 1972, the day when Okinawa was returned to Japan from the U.S. Eleven years later, Kamimura Shizuko and her two sons, Kazuya and Fumiya, come from Tokyo to stay as the guests of a small inn run by Eri’s family. Eri’s fun-loving, yet eccentric family welcomes them warmly.

However, Eri is shocked to hear one of the sons, Kazuya is terminally ill and Shizuko and her sons came to Okinawa to spend his last moment together in beautiful nature. Fumiya, Kazuya’s younger brother, and Eri promise to marry each other someday. However, after Kazuya’s death, Fumiya and his mother leave the island to go back to Tokyo. Years later, they are reunited, Eri as a nurse and Fumiya, a doctor, working at the same hospital in Tokyo.

The story's settings include Okinawa, Naha, and Tokyo.

In 30th Television Academy Awards, the Drama won awards for Best Scriptwriter, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress.

Tales of the Unusual: A four-part anthology in the spirit of The Twilight Zone, this film starts off with a group of commuters stranded at a train station in the rain, listening to stories told by one of the group. These include tales of a group stranded in the mountains and haunted by guilt over a death they inadvertently caused, an emotionally broken chessmaster pressed into playing a real-life game for an eccentric millionaire, a wandering medieval samurai who finds a modern-day cell phone on the ground and a person on the other end asking questions about the past, and a young couple who agree to try a computer simulation of what their future as husband and wife would be like.

The drama tells the story of a hostess turning 30 years old.