Eru
Date: Spring 2020
Station: NHK
Scriptwriter: Hayashi Koji (Headhunter, Sniffer Series, Cold Case Season 1)
Cast: Kubota Masataka, Nikaido Fumi, Karasawa Toshiaki, Kikuchi Momoko, Sakumoto Takara, Kazama Morio, Yamazaki Ikusaburo, Nakamura Aoi, Moriyama Naotaro
Synopsis: In 1909, a long-awaited baby boy was born to a family (Karasawa Toshiaki, Kikuchi Momoko) which has run a dry goods store for generations in Fukushima Prefecture. He would later become the talented composer Koyama Yuichi (Kubota Masataka) who wrote many famous songs. Although Yuichi was brought up as the heir of the business, he was rather dreamy and considered a child with no redeeming traits by the people around him. However, when he encountered music, it sparked joy and unleashed his gift in composing music through self-study. As a youth, Yuichi secretly put his name down for an overseas songwriting competition. This would change his destiny. He won runner-up for the song he entered for the competition. As a result, he got to know Sekiuchi Oto (Nikaido Fumi), a female student who wanted to be a singer. Despite the long distance between them – Fukushima and Toyohashi – they tied the knot. When Yuichi and Oto came to Tokyo, they met all sorts of people and weathered a dark period to produce a number of hit songs. However, war broke out and Yuichi had to compose wartime songs at the army’s request. It pained him that young men died in battle after singing the songs he had written. After the war, the country began to recover amid the chaos. The couple made a new era of music in an attempt to encourage the wounded through the power of music.
Website: –
Pareto no Gosan ~ Caseworker Satsujin Jiken
Date: March 2020
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Takei Aya (Eerie Mienai Kao, Sousa Kaigi wa Living de!, Juken to Cinderella)
Original Work: Pareto no Gosan by Yuzuki Yuko
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Hashimoto Ai, Masuda Takahisa
Synopsis: Synopsis: Makino Satomi (Hashimoto Ai) has been reluctantly working for the welfare division at a municipal office. One day, she is ordered to be a caseworker all of a sudden and this makes her feel uneasy. A veteran caseworker named Yamakawa encouragingly tells Satomi that it is a rewarding job. Together with a colleague called Onodera Junichi (Masuda Takahisa), Satomi starts engagin with people despite her doubts. However, a few days later, Yamakawa’s murdered body is later found after an apartment fire. Why would this happen to someone so adored by the people she helped? As suspicions of Yamakawa’s possible involvement in something illegal grow, Satomi and Onodera begin to get entangled in the lives of various people over life insurance and the shadow of impropriety hanging over the town.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/pareto
Tetsu no Hone (WOWOW)
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, April 2020
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Maekawa Yoichi (Akira to Akira, Shizumanu Taiyo, )
Original Work: Tetsu no Hone by Ikeido Jun
Genre: Corporate
Cast: Kamiki Ryunosuke, Nakamura Shido, Tsuchiya Tao, Koyuki, Shibata Kyohei, Mukai Osamu, Ishimaru Kanji, Uchino Masaaki
Synopsis: Tomishima Heita (Kamiki Ryunosuke) is a young employee who has been with a mid-sized construction company for four years, and loves construction site. One day, Heita is ordered to transfer to the General Affairs Department which is a different line of work. It is a unit in charge of winning large public works contracts and mocked as the Bid-Rigging Department. Together with a weary-looking department manager, senior colleagues and a shrewd but inscrutable managing director, Heita aims to secure a public works contract worth 200 million yen. As his interactions with a fixer deepens, he sees desire and obligatory ties with his own eyes. Even though Heita struggles between his ideals and reality, he finds his work rewarding. Meanwhile, their company is in the lead with a bold technical innovation in its bid. However, the management of a rival company stands in their way. To make matters worse, the Special Investigation Department of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office starts to look into collusive bidding involving influential politicians and the investigation even extends to Heita. What will happen to him and the company?
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/tetsunohone
Hanzawa Naoki Season 2
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Sundays, April 2020
Network: TBS
Scriptwriter: Ushio Kentaro (Shitamachi Rocket Season 2, Black Pean, Chiisana Kyojin)
Original Works: Lost Generation no Gyakushuu and Ginyoku no Icarus by Ikeido Jun
Cast: Sakai Masato
Synopsis: Hanzawa Naoki (Sakai Masato) is seconded from Tokyo Chuo Banking Corporation to Tokyo Central Securities.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/hanzawa_naoki
Related: Hanzawa Naoki Season 1
Operation Z ~ Nippon Hametsu, Mattanashi*NEW*
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 15 March 2020
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Sakurai Takeharu (Kioku Sousa, Kami no Shita o Motsu Otoko, Ataru)
Original Work: Operation Z by Mayama Jin
Genre: Political
Cast: Kusakari Masao, Mizobata Junpei
Synopsis: Japan is facing a serious crisis. This is not about its ageing population and environmental problems but money – something that has been heard of but does not draw much attention. The country’s debt exceeds 1 quadrillion yen and it is still piling up. Prime Minister Ejima Takamori (Kusakari Masao) gathers four of the best finance officials including Suo Atsushi. He announces that general account expenditure will be halved for the sake of the country’s future and a project named Operation Z is formed. The largest expenditure is social security-related expenditure followed by tax money allocated to local governments. It will be impossible to reduce the general account expenditure by half without keeping these two items close to zero. Will the Operation Z members’ intentions get through to the people?
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/drama/original/oz
Taiyo wa Ugokanai
Date: May 2020 (followed by movie)
Network: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Hayashi Tamio (Yokokuhan Series)
Original Work: Taiyo wa Ugokanai by Yoshida Shuichi
Genre: Suspense
Cast: Fujiwara Tatsuya, Takeuchi Ryoma
Synopsis: Takano Kazuhiko (Fujiwara Tatsuya), an agent for a secret organisation, has a small bomb embedded in his heart and is pushed to breaking point. His partner is Taoka Ryoichi (Takeuchi Ryoma). They begin a dangerous game of wits with agents from other countries over top-secret information about next-generation energy while facing the risk of death round the clock. Amid an extreme situation where they do not know who are their allies and foes, the bombs in their hearts approach the limit.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/taiyodrama
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