Summer 2019 Dramas

Kansatsui Asagao
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Mondays, 8 July 2019
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Nemoto Nonji (Fruits Takuhaibin, Ten Tenhodori no Kaidanji, Izakaya Fuji)
Original Work: Kansatsui Asagao by Kagawa Masahito
Cast: Ueno Juri, Tokito Saburo, Kazama Shunsuke, Shida Mirai, Nakao Akiyoshi, Morimoto Shintaro, Sakanoue Akane, Totsugi Shigeyuki, Hiraiwa Kami, Yamaguchi Tomoko, Ishida Hikari, Miyake Hiroki, Itao Itsuji, Emoto Akira, Takahashi Tsutomu (guest star), Ukaji Takashi (guest star), Kamio Yu (guest star), Kanno Misuzu (guest star), Okada Yoshinori (guest star), Yamamoto Mirai (guest star)
Synopsis: Maki Asagao (Ueno Juri) is a rookie forensic pathologist who works at Kouun University’s Department of Forensic Medicine in Kanagawa Prefecture. While she is still a novice, she possesses outstanding skills and a wealth of knowledge that has earned her the respect of the people around her. She is a loving, compassionate and sincere young woman who cares more about others than herself. However, Asagao not only lost her mother (Ishida Hikari) in the Great East Japan Earthquake but continues to feel raw grief that the body has not even been found. This sorrow has given her an unshakeable conviction as a forensic doctor to never allow a death to go unidentified. She lives with her father Taira (Tokito Saburo), who is a veteran detective. One day, he unexpectedly transfers to a police precinct’s investigation unit which has jurisdiction over Kouun University. If a dead body is found, the police will bring it to the department where Asagao works. So Asagao now has to work with her father.
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/asagao

Boku wa Mada Kimi o Aisanai Koto ga Dekiru
Date: From 15 July 2019 (updated on Mondays)
Station: Fuji on Demand
Scriptwriters: Arai Yuka (Kimi wa Petto (2017), Watashi no Uchi ni wa Nanimo Nai, Tokyo Sentimental), Koga Fumie (Kimi wa Petto (2017), Itazurana Kiss 2 (2014))
Original Work: In Time with You by Mag Hsu
Genre: Romance
Cast: Adachi Rika, Shirasu Jin, Asaka Kodai, Matsumoto Kiyo, Sakuma Yu, Nagano Munenori, Saori, Nakamura Kumi, Hirokawa Mitsunori, Kato Kazuko
Synopsis: Mitari Yo (Adachi Rika) is a career woman who works for a shoe maker. She finds her work rewarding and has successfully advanced in her career. But she keeps having her heart broken and her romantic life has not gone very well lately. Ishida Ren (Shirasu Jin) works for a developer and is Yo’s best friend. An ex-classmate from both high school and university days, he understands her the best and is the only person she pours her heart out to. On Yo’s 29th birthday, the two friends place a wager to give 300,000 yen as a congratulatory gift to the one who is the first to get married by the last day they are 30. Although they declare that it is impossible for them to fall in love with each other, this wager as well as advances by Ren’s junior in the company and Yo’s reunion with her ex-boyfriend Mizusawa Ryusei (Asaka Kodai) lead to gradual changes in the relationship of the two best friends.
Website: www.cinemart.co.jp/dc/j/bokumada
Preview: Boku wa Mada Kimi o Aisanai Koto ga Dekiru CM

Legal Heart ~ Inochi no Saiken Bengoshi
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Mondays, 22 July 2019
Station: TV Tokyo
Scriptwriter: Nishiogi Yumie (Joshu Seven, SPEC Series, Tamiou)
Original Work: Inochi no Saiken Bengoshi ~ Kaisha to Kazoku o Ikikaeraseru by Muramatsu Kenichi
Genre: Legal
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Koike Eiko, Horii Arata, Wakui Emi, Hashizume Isao, Matsumoto Rumi, Mizusawa Rintaro, Tabata Shima, Ishiguro Ken (guest star), Takahashi Hitomi (guest star), Takashima Masahiro (guest star), Yada Akiko (guest star), Horiuchi Keiko (guest star), Tokushige Satoshi (guest star), Matsui Rena (guest star), Hayashi Yasufumi (guest star), Shibuya Kento (guest star), Masu Takeshi (guest star), Sendo Nobuko (guest star), Tajima Reiko (guest star), Amano Kosei (guest star), Takeda Kohei (guest star), Mizuhashi Kenji (guest star)
Synopsis: Murakoshi Seiichi (Sorimachi Takashi) is a lawyer who rescues small and medium-sized companies that are on the brink of bankruptcy. He tries to impart knowledge to the people involved to protect their livelihoods, give them courage and hope, and draw out the strength to take the step towards turning around the company. As long as there is just 0.01% of hope, Murakoshi will sometimes use surprisingly legal methods to save people from bankruptcy as he tenaciously faces off with their creditors.
Website: www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/legalheart

Two Weeks
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 16 July 2019
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Yamaura Masahiro (Miss Devil, Zenigata Keibu Series, Umi ni Furu)
Original Work: Two Weeks by MBC
Genre: Suspense
Cast: Miura Haruma, Yoshine Kyoko, Higa Manami, Miura Takahiro, Inagaki Kurumi, Kondo Koen, Suzuki Jin, Buffalo Goro A, Kamio Yu, Kubota Yuki, Isomura Hayato, Hara Sachie, Ikeda Tetsuhiro, Takashima Masanobu, Kuroki Hitomi
Synopsis: Yuki Daichi (Miura Haruma) previously served time for attempted murder and now feels no hope in life. He spends each day just living for the moment. Then one day, his girlfriend Aoyagi Sumire (Higa Manami), who was the only one he ever loved deeply but told him they were over due to some incident, shows up. She says that she gave birth to their daughter whom she calls Hana (Inagaki Kurumi). Hana is now 8 years old and has leukemia. Although Yuki is bewildered this sudden revelation, he feels fondness as a father when he meets Hana for the first time at the hospital. As luck would have it, Yuki learns that he is a match with Hana and this gives him meaning in life once again. However, he is framed by someone and ends up getting arrested for a murder. With the bone marrow transplant surgery scheduled to take place two weeks later, Yuki goes on the run in order to save Hana’s life.
Website: www.ktv.jp/twoweeks
Preview: Two Weeks CM

Heaven? Gokuraku Restaurant
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 9 July 2019
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Yoshida Erika (Hana Nochi Hare, Dansui)
Original Work: Heaven? Gokuraku Restaurant by Sasaki Noriko
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Ishihara Satomi, Fukushi Sota, Shison Jun, Taguchi Hiromasa, Uchida Chika, Oshige Wataru, Matsumoto Shishimaru, Katsumura Masanobu, Yashiba Toshihiro, Ueda Haruka, Tachi Hiroshi, Danta Yasunori, Kishibe Ittoku, Zaizen Naomi (guest star), Yamauchi Takaya (guest star), Koyanagi Yu (guest star), Takenaka Naoto (guest star), Maruyama Tomomi (guest star), Kaga Mariko (guest star)
Synopsis: Iga Kan (Fukushi Sota) has been working at a French restaurant. He is serious and inflexible. Because he cannot even smile for the sake of customer service, both his colleagues and customers have a low opinion of him. However, a mysterious woman named Kurosu Kanako (Ishihara Satomi), who has a high regard for him, shows up. She scouts Iga for the French restaurant that she is going to open soon. “My staff need to have originality. You’ll certainly be a good service guy,” she tells him. Iga is moved by her words and decides to work at her restaurant. But this restaurant is located in a cemetery far from train stations, shopping districts and even residential areas. In addition, the employees that Kanako has assembled are all novices – Kawai Taichi (Shison Jun), a former trainee hairdresser; Tsutsumi Keitaro (Katsumura Masanobu), a manager of a beef bowl shop for five years; Yamagata Shigeomi (Kishibe Ittoku), a retired banker who is a qualified sommelier – with no prior experience with the exception of Ozawa Yukio (Danta Yasunori), a talented chef who has had the misfortune of working in restaurants that all subsequently closed down. Why has Kanako brought them together and will the restaurant be able to open without incident?
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/Heaven_tbs
Preview: Heaven? Gokuraku Restaurant CM

Scams
Date: From 1.28 a.m., Wednesdays, 3 July 2019
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Tsugita Jun (Giver, Deadstock)
Original Work: Roujin Kui by Suzuki Daisuke
Cast: Sugino Yosuke, Maeno Tomoya, Yamamoto Maika, Tozuka Junki, Fukuyama Shodai, Mizuma Ron, Wakabayashi Takuya, Hanamura Asuka, Yanagi Shuntaro, Yamanaka Takashi, Wada Masato, Nishida Naomi, Sugimoto Tetta
Synopsis: After graduating from a prestigious private university, Kusano Seiji (Sugino Yosuke) gets a job at a big company and lives the life of a winner. However, he is one of the new graduates axed merely six months into his job because of the economic downturn precipitated by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. At the same time, Kusano’s father falls sick and has to undergo expensive treatment that is not covered by insurance. To make matters worse, he cannot find another job and is pressed by the bank to repay his student loan. Kusano feels despair. He ends up doing a shady part-time job where he can make hundreds of thousands a day. He is the front man who takes the cash that old people targeted in fraud involving phone calls feigning distress have deposited from ATMs. After Kusano shows his mettle, he is forced to be the caller who makes the phone call to the old people. Although Kusano is conflicted by his rapid progress as a fraudster, he attempts to make a quick buck and break free from the underworld but … …
Website: www.mbs.jp/drama-scams
Preview: Scams CM

Gisou Furin
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Wednesdays, 10 July 2019
Station: NTV
Scriptwriter: Eto Rin (Survival Wedding, Nodame Cantabile Series)
Original Work: Gisou Furin by Higashimura Akiko
Genre: Romance
Cast: Anne, Miyazawa Hio, Nakama Yukie, Seto Toshiki, Tahihara Shosuke, Megumi, Tanaka Michiko, Natsuko, Izawa Hiroshi, Asaka Mayumi
Synopsis: Hama Shoko (Anne) is a temporary employee in her 30s. She is single, lives with her parents (Izawa Hiroshi, Asaka Mayumi) and has grown weary of looking for a marriage partner. One day, she meets Banno Joe (Miyazawa Hio), a charming, handsome younger man on an plane as she sets off a solo trip. The two of them end up having a meal together at the destination. However, Shoko ends up lying to him that she is already married, wanting to pretend that she is someone’s woman instead of a spinster. She gets an unexpected chance at romance with this “married” tag when he proposes that she have a fling with him during this trip. Shoko learns the joy of romance for the first time through this “limited-time romance”. Although she tells herself that this is an affair to Joe and not pure love, she gradually falls too deep. Can this happiness be called true happiness?
Website: www.ntv.co.jp/gisouhurin

Zenra Kantoku Season 1
Date: From 8 August 2019
Network: Netflix
Episodes: 8
Scriptwriter: –
Original Work: Zenra Kantoku Muranishi Toru-den by Motohashi Nobuhiro
Cast: Yamada Takayuki, Morita Misato, Mitsushima Shinnosuke, Tamayama Tetsuji, Emoto Tokio, Ito Sairi, Tomite Ami, Goto Takenori, Yoshida Kotaro, Itao Itsuji, Yo Kimiko, Koyuki, Lily Franky, Kunimura Jun, Ishibashi Ryo
Synopsis: Muranishi Toru (Yamada Takayuki) was called the AV king during the bubble era in the 1980s. He had seven prior convictions, owed 5 billion yen and US law enforcement sought a 370-year sentence for him. Muranishi saw an opportunity to succeed in adult videos back when he was in the depths of despair. The company that he worked for as an encyclopaedia salesman had gone bankrupt and he saw his wife cheating on him. Muranishi broke into the world of porn after a chance encounter with a thug named Toshi (Mitsushima Shinnosuke). They started producing and selling porn magazines but their success attracted unwanted attention of Poseidon, the largest player in the porn industry. Not long after spurning Poseidon’s attempted buy out, they are arrested by Takei (Lily Franky), a detective connected behind the scenes with Poseidon’s boss Ikezawa (Ishibashi Ryo). Once Muranishi and Toshi get out, they reunite with Kawada (Tamayama Tetsuji) and set up an AV production and sales company called Sapphire Pictures. Although Muranishi rose to fame overnight, the interferences of his business rival drove him into a corner. That was when he met a university student Megumi (Morita Misato) who had suppressed her true self because of her strict mother. This encounter between the two will upend society’s norms.
Website: www.netflix.com/jp/title/80239462
Preview: Zenra Kantoku Season 1 CM

Sign ~ Houigaku Yuzuki Takashi no Jiken
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Thursdays, 11 July 2019
Station: TV Asahi
Scriptwriters: Habara Daisuke (Spiral, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Godan), Kosaka Takafumi (Kinkyuu Torishirabeshitsu Season 3, Genkai Danchi, Themis no Kyuukei)
Original Work: Sign by SBS
Genre: Suspense
Cast: Omori Nao, Matsuyuki Yasuko, Iitoyo Marie, Takasugi Mahiro, Satsukawa Aimi, Fuchikami Yasushi, Yoshida Oolongta, Kokubo Toshihito, Yokoyama Ryo, Yanagi Miki, Ino Manabu, Morikawa Aoi, Kinoshita Houka, Rijuu Go, Nishida Toshiyuki (guest star), Nakamura Toru
Synopsis: The Japan Forensic Research Institute is co-managed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as well as the National Police Agency. The forensic pathologists listen to the silent voices of the dead but come up against the powerful who cover up inconvenient truths. One of pathologists is the eccentric Yuzuki Takashi (Omori Nao) will pursue the truth and justice without yielding to authority. Despite failures, setbacks, betrayals and intrigue, the pathologists and their associates press on in their quest for signs of the truth left on the bodies and justice. In every case, the “truth” they uncover exists side by side with the “truth” fabricated by those with power. They find themselves in a fierce fight to the finish as both sides try to establish that their “truth” is the actual truth. In the midst of this, a popular singer’s death leads to maneuvering behind the scenes by someone with immense power beyond imagining, and the “truth” that the pathologists have arrived at gets buried in darkness.
Website: www.tv-asahi.co.jp/sign
Preview: Sign CM

Lupin no Musume Season 1
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Thursdays, 11 July 2019
Station: Fuji TV
Genre: Romantic comedy
Episodes: 10
Scriptwriter: Tokunaga Yuichi (Strawberry Night Saga, Good Doctor, Keiji Yugami)
Original Work: Lupin no Musume by Yokozeki Dai
Cast: Fukada Kyoko, Seto Koji, Ozawa Maju, Kurihara Rui, Donguri, Fujioka Hiroshi (guest star), Kato Ryo, Onuki Yusuke, Sato Honami, Shida Masayuki, Marcia, Maro Akaji, Watabe Atsuro
Synopsis: Mikumo Hana (Fukada Kyoko) is the daughter of the big thief Lupin (Watabe Atsuro). Although she is more talented at stealing than anyone else in the family (Ozawa Maju, Kurihara Rui, Donguri, Maro Akaji), she declines to take over the family business and works as a librarian in order to live an ordinary life. Hana is seriously dating Sakuraba Kazuma (Seto Koji) who works at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Third Division which specalises in catching thieves. One day, Kazuma brings Hana home and she panics when she learns for the first time that he comes from a family of police officers. His parents Norikazu (Shida Masayuki) and Misako (Marcia) are opposed their marriage simply because Hana is not a member of the police force. Their long-cherished wish is to produce a detective with the First Investigation Division, and they will agree to his marriage on condition that he moves to the Division. So Kazuma hopes to distinguish himself by arresting Lupin’s family which is famous even within the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department even though no one knows who they are.
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/Lupin-no-musume
Twitter: twitter.com/lupin_no_musume
Preview: Lupin no Musume CM

Ubai Ai, Natsu
Date: From 11.00 p.m., Thursdays, 8 August 2019
Station: AbemaTV
Scriptwriter: Suzuki Osamu (Meishi Game, Nou ni Sumaho ga Umerareta!, Ubai Ai Fuyu)
Cast: Mizuno Miki, Koike Teppei, Matsumoto Marika, Kote Shinya, Tanaka Minami, Sugawara Dakichi, Asaka Mayumi, Otani Ryosuke, Minowa Kosuke, Matsuoka Rie, Ihara Aoi, Saburi Mayuna, Hamada Jun, Yoshimoto Yusuke, Oda Miori
Synopsis: “Marry me for 1 million yen!” Hanazono Sakura (Mizuno Miki), the CEO of the matchmaking app Love Next, makes this shocking proposal to the handsome Kiriyama Tsubaki (Koike Teppei) all of a sudden. Kiriyama works for the company’s PR department and actually has a girlfriend Sorano Anne (Matsumoto Marika) in the same team, but they have kept their relationship a secret in office. He evades Sakura’s persistent monitoring and continues to date Anne in secret. However, Sakura gets wind of this and begins to take drastic action.
Website: abema.tv/channels
Preview: Ubai Ai, Natsu Introduction
Related: Ubai Ai, Fuyu

Watashi Danna o Share Shiteta
Date: From 11.59 p.m., Thursdays, 4 July 2019
Station: NTV
Scriptwriters: Nishi Kosuke (Zettai Seigi, Napoleon no Mura, Mozu Series), Miura Kisa (Ghost Town, Kodaikei no Hitobito), Honda Takaaki (Silent Voice, Daishou, Retake)
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Koike Eiko, Ryou, Okamoto Rei, Akaso Eiji, Kuroki Keiji, Watanabe Makiko, Hirayama Hiroyuki, Natsuki Mari
Synopsis: Single mother Morishita Harumi (Koike Eiko) lived happily with her beloved husband Amaya Kyohei (Hirayama Hiroyuki) even though theirs was a common-law marriage. One day, the police notify her that someone murdered her husband. When Harumi rushes to the hospital, two other women, Ogura Kanako (Ryou) and Fujimiya Akane (Okamoto Rei), claiming to be his wives turn up. Furthermore, the three of them end up living together because of his will. A shocking fact becomes known. He will only leave 300 million yen to only one wife. Who is the person he loved the most?
Website: www.ytv.co.jp/danshare
Preview: Watashi Danna o Share Shiteta Introduction

Janus no Kagami
Date: From 16 August 2019 (updated on Fridays)
Station: Fuji On Demand
Scriptwriters: Aso Kumiko (Kakafukaka, Gosaigyou, Double Fantasy), Aoki Erika
Original Work: Janus no Kagami by Miyawaki Akiko
Cast: Sakurai Hinako, Shirasu Jin, Shiono Akihisa, Nimura Sawa, Mori Maria, Hagiwara Masato, Kokusho Sayuri
Synopsis: Ozawa Hiromi (Sakurai Hinako), a kind-hearted second-year high school student, lives with her strict grandmother Takako (Kokusho Sayuri) and her late mother’s older brother and wife. Grieved by the loss of her daughter, Takako’s education for Hiromi goes too far. Hiromi is robbed of her freedom by her grandmother and her high school life shrinks. Hiromi likes Shindo Kenichi (Shirasu Jin), the president of the student council. But at one point, Takako learns of Kenichi’s existence. In a fury, she locks Hiromi up in a storage room as punishment for the first time in years. An old mirror in the room triggers Hiromi’s flashbacks of the past and she faints. When she wakes up, she has changed into another person, Yumi, with a completely different personality.
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/yanusu
Preview: Janus no Kagami CM

Coffee & Vanilla
Date: From 12.59 a.m., Fridays, 5 July 2019
Station: TBS
Scriptwriters: Shimoda Yuko (Bungaku Shojo), Date Sorami
Original Work: Coffee & Vanilla by Akegami Takara
Genre: Romance
Cast: Fukuhara Haruka, Sakurada Dori, Kuroba Mario, Ogoe Yuki, Hama Shogo, Kita Noa
Synopsis: 20-year-old Shiragi Risa (Fukuhara Haruka) has just come up to Tokyo from her hometown in Kyushu to attend university. She is popular and treated like someone beyond the reach of the people around her. But she actually has no experience in love. Risa dreams of a tantalisingly sweet romance. One day, while she is having a problem with someone persistently hitting on her, a good-looking man (Sakurada Dori) in a suit shows up. He smartly rescues her and they end up going for a meal so that she can also thank him. This man is Fukami Hiroto, a businessman and they start to date. At first, Risa is estactic with her boyfriend but his hidden past, presence of a rival CEO, Akutsu Takaaki (Kuroba Mario), and love rivals Yoshiki Tsubasa (Ogoe Yuki) and Ichiyanagi Yuki (Hama Shogo), makes their love bitter sweet.
Website: www.mbs.jp/coffee-vanilla

Kafka no Tokyo Zetsubou Nikki^*NEW*
Date: From 12.59 p.m., Fridays, 13 September 2019
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Asada Atsushi (Maji de Koukaishitemasu Series)
Original Work: Manga de Yomu Zetsubou Meijin Kafka no Jinseiron by Hiramatsu Akiko
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Suzuki Hiroki, Nao, Maehara Ko, Konno Anna, Kin Takao, Omura Namihiko, Miyata Sanae, Nakayama Kyuichiro
Synopsis: Novelist Franz Kafka (Suzuki Hiroki), one of the major figures of 20th-century literature known for the story The Metamorphosis, is living in an apartment in present day Tokyo for some reason. He works part-time at a bread shop since he is unable to support himself with his works. Kafka gets genuinely hurt, overwhelmed and eventually seized by despair over all sorts of incidents that occur daily such as the need for approval on social media, the hunt for a spouse or the cat boom. However, the more he spirals into depression, the more the people seeing this feel inspired by his honesty.
Website: www.mbs.jp/kafka-drama
Preview: Kafka no Tokyo Zetsubou Nikki CM

Hotarugusa ~ Nana no Ken
Date: From 8.00 p.m., Fridays, 26 July 2019
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriters: Watanabe Mutsuki (Ichiro, Challenged Series, Genya), Moriwaki Kyoko (Denshichi Torimonocho, Watashi o Mitsukete, Ginnikan)
Original Work: Hotarugusa by Hamuro Rin
Genre: Period
Cast: Kiyohara Kaya, Machida Keita, Tanimura Mitsuki, Matsuo Satoru, Hamada Mari, Ukaji Takashi, Takada Sho, Matsudai Koya, Minamisawa Nao, Kariya Shunsuke Ishibashi Renji, Nakahara Takeo, Issey Ogata, Honda Hirotaro, Kitamura Yukiya
Synopsis: 16-year-old Nana (Kiyohara Kaya) has gone into service with the Kazahaya family. The husband is Ichinoshin (Machida Keita) who treats his gentle wife Sachi (Tanimura Mitsuki) equally and the couple have two children. Nana is actually from a samurai family. Her father was about to expose wrongdoings within the domain when he was forced to commit ritual suicide by disembowelment for a crime he did not commit. After that, Nana hid her identity and sought refuge with her mother’s family. Sachi soon dies from tuberculosis, and Ichinoshin who intends to correct the wrongdoings of the domain, also ends up getting framed. When Nana learns that Todoroki Heikuro (Kitamura Yukiya), the person at the centre of this, is none other than her father’s enemy, she makes the decision to fight and protect Ichinoshin and his children just as Sachi had entrusted her to. Even Ichinoshin’s friends get ensnared by the enemy and the people who become Nana’s allies are nothing but difficult to deal with. However, Nana begins to challenge the enemy with their help as well as the evidence of misdeeds in the domain that her father left behind.
Website: www4.nhk.or.jp/P5823
Preview: Hotarugusa CM

Nagi no Oitoma
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Fridays, 19 July 2019
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Oshima Satomi (Boukyaku no Sachiko Series, Anata ni wa Kaeru Ie ga Aru, Machi Kouba no Onna)
Original Work: Nagi no Oitoma by Konari Misato
Cast: Kuroki Haru, Takahashi Issei, Nakamura Tomoya, Ichikawa Mikako, Takiuchi Kumi, Otsuka Chihiro, Fujimoto Izumi, Mizutani Kaho, Karata Erika, Shiratori Tamaki, Nakata Kurumi, Tani Kyosuke, Tamoto Soran, Katahira Nagisa, Yoshida Yo, Mita Yoshiko
Synopsis: 28-year-old Oshima Nagi (Kuroki Haru) works for a home appliance manufacturer in Tokyo. She conforms to her surroundings as she constantly gauges people’s moods. Because of that, her goal is to pass each day without incident. However, as a result of reading too much into situations and pushing herself too hard, she collapses from hyperventilation. One day, Nagi’s boyfriend Gamon Shinji (Takahashi Issei) says something that breaks her heart. This prompts her to reexamine her life, and she makes the decision to change it. She resigns from her company, cancels the contract for the apartment she is living in and also stops communicating with everyone including Shinji. She plans to reset her life in order to be happy and let her naturally curly hair, which she has a hang-up about, grow out as is.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/NAGI_NO_OITOMA
Preview: Nagi no Oitoma CM

Kore wa Keihi de Ochimasen!
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Fridays, 26 July 2019
Station: NHK
Scriptwriters: Watanabe Chiho (Holiday Love, Beppin-san, 5-nin no Junko), Fujihira Hisako (Tantei ga Hayasugiru, Miss Devil), Hiruta Naomi (Onna no Kigen no Naoshikata)
Original Work: Kore wa Keihi de Ochimasen! by Aoki Yuko
Genre: Office
Cast: Tabe Mikako, Shigeoka Daiki, Ito Sairi, Kiriyama Ren, Matsui Airi, Kan Hanae, Kakuta Akihiro, Katase Nana, Moro Morooka, Hirayama Hiroyuki, Fukikoshi Mitsuru, Eguchi Noriko, Becky
Synopsis: Moriwaka Sanako (Tabe Mikako), a single young woman near 30, works for a soap manufacturer’s accounting department. Her motto in life is the same as a balance sheet – to balance everything in life. She checks the receipts and invoices that come to her. Only the amount of money and minimal reasons are written on each slip. However, when Sanako carefully scrutinises them, she is able to see questionable facts of the people involved or their troubles. Sanako actually does not want to go after something that is none of her concern. But it is impossible for her to overlook those who mix business with personal affairs. As a low-ranking employee in the accounting department, how will she approach these dishonest people and establish an equal relationship?
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/drama/drama10/keihi
Preview: Kore wa Keihi de Ochimasen! CM

Semi Otoko
Date: From 11.15 p.m., Fridays, 26 July 2019
Station: TV Asahi
Scriptwriter: Okada Yoshikazu (Monroe ga Shinda Hi, Hiyokko Series, Kibogaoka no Hitobito)
Genre: Romance
Cast: Yamada Ryosuke, Kinami Haruka, Imada Mio, Miyake Ken, Yamazaki Shizuyo, Yatsui Ichiro, Kitamura Yukiya, Sagawa Sawako, Dan Fumi
Synopsis: Semi (Yamada Ryosuke), the cicada, was born in the garden grounds connected to Utsusemiso, an apartment building in the outskirts of Tokyo. He grew underground for several years and when he finally emerged on the surface, he was nearly crushed beneath a woman who had fallen. She is Okawa Yuka (Kinami Haruka), a resident of Utsusemiso. Yuka works for a food company and has never had a day when good things happen to her. Although he was saved from being squashed by her quick wits, Semi senses her loneliness. Out of a burning desire to make her smile, he transforms into a human and appears before her. Semi proposes to be with Yuka for seven days and do anything to repay her for saving his life. This is the beginning of their limited time together, but … …
Website: www.tv-asahi.co.jp/semio

Afro Tanaka
Date: From 12.00 a.m., Saturdays, 6 July 2019
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriters: Sakai Yoshifumi (Sabori Man Kantaro), Ishida Yusuke
Original Work: Joukyou Afro Tanaka by Noritsuke Masaharu
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Kaku Kento, Kaho, Matsuo Satoru, Shiraishi Shunya, Ozawa Yukiyoshi, Murakawa Eri, Shimizu Hazuki, Konno Anna, Watanabe Eri
Synopsis: Tanaka Hiroshi (Kaku Kento) transfers to a high school in Saitama Prefecture.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/drama/afrotanaka
Preview: Afro Tanaka Introduction

I Turn
Date: From 12.12 a.m., Saturdays, 13 July 2019
Station: TV Tokyo
Scriptwriter: Uchida Eiji
Original Work: I Turn by Fukuzawa Tetsuzo
Cast: Muro Tsuyoshi, Furuta Arata, Tanaka Kei, Suzuki Airi, Watanabe Daichi, Tezuka Toru, Watanabe Makiko, Kawahara Masahiko, Morita Misato, Hannya, Tamoto Soran, Aijima Kazuyuki, Sasano Takashi, Kuroki Hitomi, Yabe Taro (guest star), Kinoshita Takayuki (guest star)
Synopsis: 45-year-old Komae Mitsuo (Muro Tsuyoshi) is a salesman who works for an advertising company. He gets demoted from the head office and transferred to a small branch office in the countryside. He has to leave his wife Atsuko (Watanabe Makiko) and daughter behind and go alone to a “hellish town” controlled by gangsters. Komae becomes the manager of the branch office which only has a pathetic two employees. He is stuck with the unreasonable demand to boost performance or face immediate closure and dismissal. With a home loan and his daughter’s further education to consider, Komae plans to increase sales with the skills he honed back at headquarters. Meanwhile, he receives a sudden phone call from a client regarding the production of new flyers they have undertaken. The CEO, Ryuzaki Kenji (Tanaka Kei), is absolutely furious. A single mistake is about to change Komae’s life dramatically. He discovers that his client is a company run by a gang called Ryuzaki-gumi. This is the beginning of a nightmare.
Website: www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/iturn

Junichi
Date: From 1.55 a.m., Saturdays, 13 July 2019
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Sunada Asami
Original Work: Junichi by Inoue Areno
Genre: Romance
Cast: Shison Jun, Kaho, Fujii Mina, Eguchi Noriko, Makita Aju, Ito Marika, Harada Mieko
Synopsis: Junichi (Shison Jun) is a mysterious young man who instantly charms women from 16 to 62. Unemployed and homeless, he goes from one woman to another as he fancies. There is the pregnant Eiko (Fujii Mina); Tamaki (Kaho) who is sleeping with her younger sister’s husband; the widow Ayuko (Harada Mieko) who suspects her husband of infidelity; Chihiro (Eguchi Noriko) who is constrained by her husband; high school girl Rui (Makita Aju) who wants to lose her virginity; and Mika (Ito Marika) who hunts for a man every day … … Junichi shows up out of nowhere amidst their lonely daily lives and disappears just as he came … …
Website: www.ktv.jp/junichi
Preview: Junichi CM

W Kenkei no Higeki
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Saturdays, 27 July 2019
Station: BS Tokyo
Scriptwriters: Izumisawa Yoko (Dairenai, Itsumademo Shiroi Hane, Lunch no Akko-san), Inoue Tete (Uwasa no Onna, Massage Tantei Joe), Miura Hayato (Shitsuji Saionji no Meisuiri Series, Prison Hotel, Umi ni Furu)
Original Work: W Kenkei no Higeki by Hamanaka Aki
Genre: Suspense
Cast: Ashina Sei, Sato Hitomi (guest star), Satsukawa Aimi (guest star), Tanimura Mitsuki (guest star), Yuki Mio (guest star), Toda Naho (guest star), Suzuki Sawa (guest star), Tokoshima Yoshiko (guest star), Ito Kazue (guest star)
Synopsis: A gathering of the top brass of the prefectural police headquarters, dubbed “Entaku Kaigi” or roundtable conference, is held in a special private room at Tamayoshien, the most exclusive Chinese restaurant in W Prefecture. One woman is summoned to this tremendously powerful roundtable, which is the highest decision-making body. She is an inspector called Matsunaga Nahoko (Ashina Sei). Nahoko pushes herself every day with the intention of becoming a member of this roundtable in order to pave the way for female police officers in the prefectural police which remains chauvinistic and old-fashioned. Her job is a position that can be called “police among the police” and she holds her own with female police officers (Sato Hitomi, Satsukawa Aimi, Tanimura Mitsuki, Yuki Mio, Toda Naho, Suzuki Sawa, Tokoshima Yoshiko, Ito Kazue) in the various police precincts, making full use of her powers of observation and insight. However, none of them are easy women. Even so, Nahoko is broad-minded enough to be tolerant with an eye toward joining the Entaku Kaigi. But each woman seems to have some sort of secret … …
Website: www.bs-tvtokyo.co.jp/w-kenkei

Sagi Deka
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Saturdays, 31 August 2019
Station: NHK
Scriptwriter: Adachi Naoko (Kinou Nani Tabeta?, Toumeina Yurikago, Daibinbo)
Genre: Detective
Cast: Kimura Fumino, Takasugi Mahiro, Mashima Hidekazu, Shimizu Hiroya, Adachi Rika, Tamaoki Reo, Nagatsuka Keishi, Tsurumi Shingo, Kagawa Kyoko, Aoki Munetaka, Endo Kenichi, Izumi Pinko (guest star), Tsutsui Mariko (guest star), Ito Shiro (guest star)
Synopsis: Detective Imamiya Karen (Kimura Fumino) belongs to the Second Investigation Division which is in charge of white-collar crime. She thoroughly and single-mindedly investigates and tracks down criminals wherever they are on her motorbike. Her secret investigation pays off, allowing her colleagues including Moriyasu Shingo (Mashima Hidekazu) to burst into a secret operations base and successfully arrest the criminals behind a bank transfer scam. However, this bunch are at the bottom of the organisation and do not know anything about the higher-ups who have the large sums of money. Imamiya’s section chief Tezuka Kenzo (Endo Kenichi) proposes that Imamiya let Kaji Hayato (Takasugi Mahiro) go free in the hope that he will make contact with the top. This is the start of Imamiya’s long “game” with Kaji. There is also another reason why Imamiya wishes to do whatever it takes to arrest the ringleader … …
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/drama/dodra/sagideka
Preview: Sagi Deka CM

Mirror Twins Season 2
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 8 June 2019 (continues from first season on Fuji TV)
Networks: Fuji TV & WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Takahashi Yuya (Hi no Ko, Angel Heart, Tenshi to Akuma)
Genre: Suspense
Cast: Fujigaya Taisuke, Kurashina Kana, Watanabe Dai, Satoi Kenta, Takahashi Katsunori, Furuya Ikkou, Nakamura Shunsuke, Kirishima Reika, Hirai Rio, Fukuda Yuta, Miyazaki Yoshiko, Hirayama Yusuke
Synopsis: Katsuragi Keigo (Fujigaya Taisuke) is a detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division. The only evidence discovered at the scene of a case that he is investigating, is DNA that is exactly the same as his and he finds himself under pursuit. He wonders if the criminal is his older twin brother Yugo (Fujigaya Taisuke) who was abducted and went missing as a child. Despite having the same genes, their lives have turned out like two sides of a mirror. That is why deep in their hearts, each twin thinks that he is different from the other. Which one is truly evil and which one is righteous?!
Website: mirror-twins.com
Related: Mirror Twins Season 1

Poison Daughter, Holy Mother
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 6 July 2019
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Shimizu Yukako (Reverse, Fukigenna Kajitsu (2016), Onna Sore o Yurusanai)
Original Work: Poison Daughter, Holy Mother by Minato Kanae
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Terajima Shinobu, Adachi Rika, Kiyohara Kaya, Nakamura Yuri, Kurashina Kana, Ito Ayumi, Yamashita Rio, Ochiai Motoki, Yamada Anna, Murata Hideaki, Tosaka Junichi, Kataoka Reika, Watanabe Makiko, Miyazaki Yoshiko, Takahashi Yuto, Misaki Ayame, Nakagawa Nozomu, Akizuki Mika, Minemura Eri, Sakai Maki, Yamada Maho, Wada Masato, Onoue Hiroyuki, Komakine Ryusuke, Komiya Takayasu, Nakamura Kumi, Hamano Kenta, Okuno Eita, Yanagi Yurina, Minosuke, Chiba Masako, Akama Mariko, Satsukawa Aimi, Uda Takaki, Kameda Yuki, Umezawa Masayo
Synopsis: Actress Fujiyoshi Yumika (Adachi Rika) has been troubled by her mother Yoshika (Terajima Shinobu) since young. She regards her mother who tries to control her the way she wants, as a toxic parent. Yumika runs to Tokyo in an act of rebellion but she is unable to break free. Yoshika’s machinations cause her to split up with a man and lose important work. Learning about this, Yumika accuses her mother on a talk show and this generates tremendous response. Meanwhile, the people who know Yoshika, regard her as a caring mother and certainly not a toxic parent. Yoshika reflects on her own life after hearing what Yumika said, and decides to let go of her daughter. But … …
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/poison

Voice Season 1 ~ 110 Kinkyuu Shireishitsu
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 13 July 2019
Station: NTV
Scriptwriter: Hamada Hideya (Zettai Reido Season 3, Yake ni Ben no Tatsu Bengoshi ga Gakkou de Hoeru, Chef)
Original Work: Voice by CJ ENM
Genre: Suspense
Cast: Karasawa Toshiaki, Maki Yoko, Masuda Takahisa, Kimura Yuichi, Ishibashi Natsumi, Tamura Kentaro, Yasui Junpei, Koichi Mantaro, Yahagi Honoka, YOU, Kikuchi Momoko, Yoshikawa Ai (guest star)
Synopsis: Higuchi Shogo (Karasawa Toshiaki) is a detective of the First Investigative Division. His wife Miki (Kikuchi Momoko) was struck in the head with a blunt object and murdered in brutal fashion. Right before she was killed, she had called the emergency command centre to ask for help as she tried to run away. But at that time, the centre did not have the capability to pinpoint her location. It called her back instead and this sound alerted the killer to where she was. Higuchi, who was pursuing a fugitive in another case, only learnt this devastating truth after everything had ended. The police was certain that the suspect Sagara Takuya was his wife’s murderer from the clothes found at Sagara’s house and he was tried. However, Tachibana Hikari (Maki Yoko), the police officer who received the emergency call, testified that the voice she heard at the time of the incident, was not his. She added that there was a faint clacking sound and asserts that the killer is someone else. As a result, Sagara was released and the case was never solved. Three years later, Higuchi has become a different man after his wife’s death, and transferred to work at a police box. Meanwhile, Hikari becomes the head of the emergency command centre. When Higuchi learns about this, he barges into the centre, demanding to know why she said that she could hear things no one else could. Hikari asks if he would believe her if she told the truth. At that moment, a call comes in from someone who says she has been kidnapped … …!
Website: www.ntv.co.jp/voice
Preview: Voice Season 1 ~ 110 Kinkyuu Shireishitsu CM

Beshari Gurashi
Date: From 11.15 p.m., Saturdays, 27 July 2019
Station: TV Asahi
Scriptwriter: Tokunaga Tomihiko (Aibou Seasons 7 – 17, Dele, Keiji 7-nin Series)
Original Work: Beshari Gurashi by Morita Masanori
Cast: Mamiya Shotaro, Watanabe Daichi, Yamoto Yuma, Koshiba Fuka, Suruga Taro, Hotta Mayu, Onoue Hiroyuki, Asaka Kodai, Uehara Yuya, Nakagawa Chika, Yanagi Yurina, Osada Seiya, Maeda Koki, Shinohara Yukiko, Tokunaga Eri, Terajima Susumu
Synopsis: Azuma Keisuke (Mamiya Shotaro) is the king of laughter who loves making people crack up. He is willing to put his life on the line and do anything to make people laugh. One day, Tsujimoto Jun (Watanabe Daichi), who is a high school student yet also a former professional entertainer, transfers from Osaka to the same class as Keisuke. At first, the two of them clash but eventually form a comic duo called Kisoba Automatic and take the path towards the tough world of standup comedy.
Website: www.tv-asahi.co.jp/beshari

Dakara Watashi wa Oshimashita
Date: From 11.30 p.m., Saturdays, 27 July 2019
Station: NHK
Scriptwriter: Morishita Yoshiko (Gibo to Musume no Blues, Onna Joshu Naotora, Tenno no Ryoriban)
Cast: Sakurai Yuki, Shiraishi Sei, Hosoda Yoshihiko, Matsuda Ruka, Kasahara Hideyuki, Tanaka Shuri, Matsukawa Akari, Amaki Jun, Sawabe Yu, Murasugi Seminosuke
Synopsis: Endo Ai (Sakurai Yuki), an office lady approaching 30, is a little exhausted and pushed to the limit amid the competition to look good on social media and appear superior to her friends every day. She feels anxious if she does not have other people’s affirmation and will not think something is good unless everyone says so. One day, Ai happens to go to a live event for an underground idol group, and sees the idol Hana (Shiraishi Sei), who flashes awkward smiles and is nothing spectacular. Ai feels irritated by how awkward Hana is, but she is moved by her earnestness and eventually comes to think of Hana as her favourite member. However, this is precisely the start of “swampy fandom”. Ai gets stuck deep in this morass which is a far cry from her days dressing as a office lady. But the more she gets hooked, the more their relationship begins to go wrong. Was their encounter good or bad fortune?
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/drama/yoru/doruota

Sorezore no Dangai
Date: From 11.40 p.m., Saturdays, 3 August 2019
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Horasawa Mieko (Kamogawa Shokudo)
Original Work: Sorezore no Dangai by Kosugi Kenji
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Endo Kenichi, Tanaka Misato, Shimizu Hiroto, Watanabe Ao, Nagase Riko, Nimura Sawa, Uchida Shige, Nashimoto Kenjiro, Meguro Yuki, Tanaka Misako
Synopsis: 14-year-old Shikata Kyosuke (Watanabe Ao), who behaves violently at home and cuts classes, is murdered by his classmate Yamaki Mitsuru (Shimizu Hiroto) one day. At first, Kyosuke’s father Kyoichiro (Endo Kenichi) is suspected by the police. He is even fiercely criticised by society for erupting in anger at Mitsuru. Mitsuru has been arrested but is protected by the juvenile law and will not be given fitting punishment for his crime. As his family (Tanaka Misako, Nagase Riko, Nimura Sawa) breaks up, Kyoichiro turns his hatred on Mitsuru’s mother Hatsumi (Tanaka Misato) and seeks her out. However, he realises that the woman he should not forgive is suffering from loneliness, and is greatly shaken. Kyosuke and Hatsumi who are carrying heavy crosses of their own, soon get close to each other in their search for momentary release and fall headlong into a forbidden love.
Website: www.tokai-tv.com/dangai
Preview: Sorezore no Dangai CM

No Side Game
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Sundays, 7 July 2019
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Ushio Kentaro (Shitamachi Rocket Season 2, Black Pean, Chiisana Kyojin)
Original Work: No Side Game by Ikeido Jun
Genre: Corporate
Cast: Oizumi Yo, Matsu Takako, Maeda Gordon, Sasamoto Rena, Amano Yoshihisa, Hirose Toshiaki, Saito Yuya, Hayashiya Tamahei, Koji, Kaku So, Murata Rin, Saigo Teruhiko, Otani Ryohei, Nakamura Shikan, Kamikawa Takaya, Takahashi Mitsuomi, Katsuyama Sho, Enomoto Teppei, Mayumi Yoji, Iino Yuki, Tanuma Hiroyuki, Tsurugasaki Yoshiaki, Kabuki Takayuki, Mizumoto Tatsuya, Hatamoto Taro, Kitagawa Yuji, Nakamura Shinsuke, Ibuki Seisuke, Morimoto Ryoma, Ishikawa Yuta, Itagaki Yuta, Hetsu Kanta, Konishi Masaru, Takahashi Gintaro, Iwatsume Wataru, Inoue Takuya, Arai Ryuichi, Akune Jun, Kudo Genki
Synopsis: Kimijima Hayato (Oizumi Yo) is a mid-level salaryman who works for a large manufacturer Tokiwa Motors. He is said to be leading the field of candidates for an executive position. However, he is relegated to be the administrative manager of a regional plant as a result of opposing an acquisition led by his boss. This transfer is against his wishes but this is also the fate of a salaryman. As a disconsolate Kimijima takes up his position at the plant, he is ordered to double as the general manager of Tokiwa Motors’ rugby team Astros (Amano Yoshihisa, Hirose Toshiaki, Saito Yuya, Tanuma Hiroyuki, Tsurugasaki Yoshiaki, Kitagawa Yuji, Nakamura Shinsuke, Akune Jun). Astros was once a mighty team. However, it has been mired in a slump. Rebuilding a team is a heavy burden for Kimijima who lacks knowledge and experience in rugby. He begins his battle to make a comeback with a struggling rugby team and no hope for career advancement. Saimon Takuma (Otani Ryohei) who has experience coaching university rugby clubs is invited to be the coach of Astros, and becomes Kimijima’s partner in rebuilding the team.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/noside_game_tbs
Preview: No Side Game Introduction

Kami no Te
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 23 June 2019
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Tanaka Hiroshi (Yokokuhan)
Original Work: Kami no Te by Kusakabe Yo
Genre: Medical
Cast: Shiina Kippei, Sugimoto Tetta, Suzuki Sawa, Kitamura Yukiya, Hoshino Mari, Ashina Sei, Hayama Shono, Inoue Hajime, Sakai Maki, Kondo Masaomi
Synopsis: After surgeon Shirakawa Yasuo (Shiina Kippei) has tried every possible means for his 21-year-old patient Furubayashi Shotaro (Hayama Shono) who has terminal cancer, he makes the agonising decision and chooses euthanasia in the end. However, Shotaro’s mother Yasuyo (Suzuki Sawa), who is a journalist, brings a charge against him. Was it murder or manslaughter? While this becomes the talk of the town for consecutive days, it makes the legalisation of euthanasia, which had already been debated, seem very real. Behind the scene are groups seeking to pass a bill legalising euthanasia and drastic medical reforms, doctors opposed to mercy killing and Yasuyo who plans to make use of the mass media. Shirakawa soon gets engulfed this torrent.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/kaminote
Preview: Kami no Te Teaser

Baby Sitter Gin!
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 30 June 2019
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriters: Izumisawa Yoko (Dairenai, Itsumade mo Shiroi Hane, Lunch no Akko-san), Shimada Ureha (Diary, Zenryoku Shissou, Sumika Sumire)
Original Work: Baby Sitter Gin! by Yamato Waki
Cast: Ohno Takuro, Yuriyan Retriever, Takahashi Hitomi, Ryu Raita, Suzuki Anne (guest star), Watabe Gota, Kochi Machiko (guest star), Amano Kosei (guest star), Iketai Mion (guest star)
Synopsis: Shimoochiai Gin (Ohno Takuro) is a baby sitter who dresses like an English lady even though he is a man. The unconventional looking Gin is sent to all sorts of homes by Shimoochiai Poppins Club which his younger sister Mimiko (Yuriyan Retriever) runs. He solves the parenting problems of all sorts of families with his own distinctive style.
Website: www4.nhk.or.jp/P5822
Preview: Baby Sitter Gin! CM

Soshite, Ikiru
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 4 August 2019
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Okada Yoshikazu (Hiyokko Series, Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni, Kibougaoka no Hitobito)
Genre: Romance
Cast: Arimura Kasumi, Sakaguchi Kentaro, Ji-young, Okayama Amane, Hagiwara Masato, Mitsuishi Ken, Minami Kaho
Synopsis: Ikuta Toko’s (Arimura Kasumi) parents died in a traffic accident when she was three years old. She was adopted by her father’s older brother (Mitsuishi Ken) who runs a barber shop in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, and grew up happily. Toko was sometimes active as an idol and eventually aspired to become an actress. Then when she turned 19, Toko decided to try for an audition that was being held in Tokyo. However, on 11 March 2011, the day before her performance, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck. That autumn, Toko participates in volunteer activities in Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture together with a Korean coworker Han Yuri (Ji-young) at the cafe. This is where she meets Shimizu Kiyotaka (Sakaguchi Kentaro), a Tokyo University student who is a executive committee member of a student volunteer group. Kiyotaka runs operations on the ground quietly and systematically, but Toko feels something is off about his smile for some reason. She has no way of knowing his own cruel fate. As Toko and Kiyotaka spend time together in Kesennuma, they begin to develop special feelings for each other.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/ikiru
Preview: Soshite, Ikiru CM

Banjo no Himawari
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 8 September 2019
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriter: Kuroiwa Tsutomu (Maison de Police, Monte Cristo Haku, Kizoku Tantei)
Original Work: Banjo no Himawari by Yuzuki Yuko
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Chiba Yudai, Renbutsu Misako, Otomo Kohei, Shibukawa Kiyohiko, Takenaka Naoto, Dan Fumi, Emoto Akira
Synopsis: In 1994, a skeleton is discovered in the mountains of Saitama Prefecture. Detective Ishiba Tsuyoshi (Otomo Kohei) from the prefectural police and Sano Naoko (Renbutsu Misako), who has become a police officer after withdrawing from the apprentice association under the Japan Shogi Association, search for the owner of a famous shogi piece that was buried together with the dead body. At the same moment, the maverick Kamijo Keisuke (Chiba Yudai), who has become a professional shogi player without going through the apprentice association after switching from the business world, challenges six-time title holder Mibu Yoshiki. He wins in the early stages of the game. As Kamijo is being interviewed by a shogi magazine, he recalls his childhood when he picked up a shogi magazine that was thrown out as rubbish in his hometown of Suwa in Nagano Prefecture. Back in 1972, Kamijo was a poor elementary school student. With the wholehearted support of a retired teacher called Karasawa Koichiro (Emoto Akira), he quickly grew fascinated with shogi. He soon met the legendary Tomei Shigeyoshi (Takenaka Naoto), who went by the nickname “demon slayer” and plays shogi for big money. This started turning the gears of their destinies.
Website: www4.nhk.or.jp/P5835

Anata no Ban desu ~ Hangeki-hen
Date: From 10.30 p.m., Sundays, July 2019 (continues from last season)
Station: NTV
Scriptwriter: Fukuhara Mitsunori (Gokudo Meshi, Makanai-sou Series, Shikaku Tantei Higurashi Tabito Series)
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Harada Tomoyo, Tanaka Kei, Nishino Nanase, Asaka Kodai, Nao, Yamada Maho, Mikura Kana, Otomo Karen, Kanazawa Miho, Tsubokura Yoshiyuki, Nakao Masaki, Koike Ryosuke, Isaka Ikumi, Araki Towa, Hakamada Yoshihiko, Katagiri Jin, Matobu Sei, Wada Soko, Nomaguchi Toru, Hayashi Yasufumi, Kataoka Reiko, Minagawa Sarutoki, Tokui Yu, Tanaka Yoji, Nagano Satomi, Sakata Masanobu, Okata Hisako, Minemura Rie, Takenaka Naoto, Ando Masanobu, Kimura Tae, Namase Katsuhisa, Yokoyama Ryusei, Tanaka Tetsushi
Synopsis: A newlywed couple move into an apartment near the Sumida River in Tokyo. Tezuka Nana (Harada Tomoyo) is a designer of sportswear. She was pursued by sports gym trainer Shota (Tanaka Kei) whom she met through work and they got married despite their 15-year age gap. What they share in common is a love of mysteries. Seeing the close families and couples, they imagine a bright and happy future for themselves. However, the fates of the Tezukas are rocked by a residents meeting that Nana attends. The residents of the apartment building start dying around them. Those with motives to kill have alibis and the murderers cannot be arrested in any of the cases. The riddle lies in a game that the residents are playing among themselves. 13 of them have written down the people they want to kill for offending them and started this murder game where these slips of paper are randomly drawn. At first, it was something that none of them took seriously. Then the people whose names were written started getting killed one after another and another threatening note is delivered with the warning, “You are next”. There is no turning back even if they have regrets.
Website: www.ntv.co.jp/anaban

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