Keibuho Sugiyama Shintaro ~ Kichijoji-sho Jiken File
Date: From 8.00 p.m., Mondays, 12 January 2015
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Morosawa Kazuyuki (Keiji 110 kg Season 2, Shiawase ni Naritai, Nurse no Oshigoto Series)
Genre: Detective
Cast: Tanihara Shosuke, Kaname Jun, Honda Miu, Ishiguro Hideo, Nagaike Natsuko Enoki Takaaki, Suda Eito, Matsuura Rihito, Katase Nana, Sani Shiro, Takahashi Keiko, Sakai Miki
Synopsis: Assistant Inspector Sugiyama Shintaro (Tanihara Shosuke) is a compassionate detective who works for Kichijoji Police Precinct. The cases he has solved are too many to count. Once he comes back home, he is a father to the three children, Miharu (Honda Miu), Kaito (Suda Eito) and Gaku (Matsuura Rihito), he has with his beloved wife Kaori (Sakai Miki). However, he cannot deny that he has sacrificed his family because he has been busy at work. At that very moment, Kaori is fighting against an illness in hospital and his mother-in-law (Takahashi Keiko) is not pleased with him. Sugiyama has focused on the family ever since his wife fell sick. He has even considered a move away from the frontline and Kichijoji Police Precinct’s arrest rate has consequently declined. Then, a murder occurs within the precinct’s jurisdiction. Sugiyama strives to juggle child raising, housework and the investigation. However, he can hardly do so as he ends up late for a meeting because he has to send his children to nursery school. Unable to just watch without doing anything, his mother-in-law declares that she will take custody of the children. Sugiyama makes the decision to quit being a detective, but … …
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/keibuho2015
Preview: Keibuho Sugiyama Shintaro CM
Date ~ Koi to wa Donna Mono Kashira
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Mondays, 19 January 2015
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Kosawa Ryota (Legal High Series, Suzuki Sensei, Gaiji Keisatsu)
Cast: Anne, Hasegawa Hiroki, Kuninaka Ryoko, Nakajima Yuto, Matsuo Toru, Wakui Emi, Fubuki Jun, Matsushige Yutaka
Synopsis: Yabushita Yoriko (Anne) joined the Cabinet Office’s Economic Research Institute after researching the application of macroeconomic mathematical models at Tokyo University’s Graduate School of Mathematical Scientific Research. Now seconded to the Yokohama Research Institute, she is enthusiastic about her job which allows her to serve country and society. Yoriko is an ultra-rationalist who does things at her own pace and lacks flexibility. She likes an efficient and systematic lifestyle. The train she boards, seat she sits in, path she walks, clothes she wears and menu she eats are determined by the day of the week. Because of these quirks, it is difficult for her to interact with people and she does not get on well with those around her. However, Yoriko’s life has been going as planned. She graduated from Tokyo University’s graduate school, became a national civil servant and even has tens of millions in savings. Her next task is marriage and childbirth, but her appointed time limit will soon be here. Because her late mother (Wakui Emi), female relatives and neighbours all got married around 30, she believed it would naturally be the same for herself. Thinking that marriage is no more than a contract with an ideal partner, Yoriko thinks that she should first find a partner and if that person likes her, the deal is done … … Taniguchi Takumi (Hasegawa Hiroki) is a self-professed “high class idler” who does not work, sponges off his parent, and indulges in the world of literature, arts, music and pleasure. He will never personally acknowledge it, but he is what is socially called a NEET. Nevertheless, he is neither depressed nor obsequious. He is cheerful, mild and intellectually smart. On first glance, Takumi considers it foolish to waste precious time for the sake of working, and better if he does not have to work. He takes pride in his own lifestyle. His parents are divorced and he now lives with his mother, Rumi (Fubuki Jun) in the family home. While Takumi gives himself the airs of a high-class idler, he feels that with his lack of economic clout, he is not qualified to seriously date a female let alone marry. But because of his mother’s tendency to fall sick in addition to her old age, he has to face the reality that if his mother passes away, he will not be able to continue with his current lifestyle. That is when he thinks of marriage to a woman whom he can sponge on in place of his mother!
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/date
Preview: Date CM
Taikomochi no Tatsujin ~ Tadashii XX no Homekata*UPDATED*
Date: From 11.58 p.m., Mondays, 12 January 2015
Station: TV Tokyo,
Scriptwriters: Komine Hiroyuki (Bitter Blood, Miss Pilot, Meshibana Keiji Tachibana), Arai Yuka (Itazurana Kiss 2, Tamagawa Kuyakusho of the Dead), Hori Masato
Original Work: Tadashii Busu no Homekata & Tadashii Taiko no Mochikata by Tokio Knowledge
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Tezuka Toru, Emoto Tokio, Kinami Haruka, Daito Shunsuke (guest star), Yamamoto Hiroshi (guest star), Minamisawa Nao (guest star), Shumoto Erika (guest star), Asari Yosuke (guest star), Asami Reina (guest star), Sato Hitomi (guest star), Mihiro (guest star), Tsuda Kanji (guest star), Miyaji Mao (guest star), Tanaka Minako (guest star), Harumi Shiho (guest star), Ochiai Motoki (guest star), Takahashi Ai (guest star), Takahashi Tsutomu (guest star), Yasui Junpei (guest star)
Synopsis: Yowatari Wars is the ultimate online simulation game. It helps people with trouble communicating through the positive weapon of “praise words”. Three characters who call themselves Captain Stallone (Tezuka Toru), Strategist Mike (Emoto Tokio) and Data Analyst Risa (Kinami Haruka) appear in the game. Masters at flattery, they impart wisdom to the troubled, expertly compliment adversaries (business negotiators and personal acquaintances) who are hard to deal with and overcome difficulties. However, another drama lies behind these three flatterers … …
Website: www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/official/taikomochi
Ghost Writer
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 13 January 2015
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Hashibe Atsuko (Boku no Ita Jikan, Osozaki no Himawari, Freeter, Ie o Kau Series)
Genre: Suspense
Cast: Nakatani Miki, Mizukawa Asami, Miura Shohei, Takasugi Mahiro, Nanao, Kimura Midoriko, Enami Kyoko, Ishibashi Ryo, Tanaka Tetsushi
Synopsis: Tono Risa (Nakatani Miki) is a gifted writer in her 30s. She has already made a name for herself, but actually feels that she is at the end of the road. At that moment, Kawahara Yuki (Mizukawa Asami), a young woman in her 20s who has come to Tokyo with the dream of becoming a novelist, appears in front of her. Tired of her title as a genius and unable to confide in anyone that she has exhausted her own ability, Risa entrusts Yuki with being her ghost writer. Risa gets distressed about pretending to be someone she is not in the shadows of her glittering career, but continues to act the way the people think of her. The talented Yuki finds the admiration she should have for Risa gradually transform into bitter animosity. Oda Hayato (Miura Shohei), a rookie editor, is the first person to discover Yuki’s talent, and become the one who understands her the most. He struggles in his attempt to make Yuki stop being Risa’s ghost writer and debut as an novelist.
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/ghostwriter
Preview: Ghost Writer CM
Zeni no Sensou
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 6 January 2015
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Goto Noriko (Team Batista Series, Toshi Densetsu no Onna Series, Katagoshi no Koibito)
Original Work: Zeni no Sensou by Park In-kwon
Genre: Revenge
Cast: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Oshima Yuko, Kimura Fumino, Takada Sho, Shinkawa Yua, Shiga Kotaro, Kino Hana, Tamamori Yuta (guest star), Tsugawa Masahiko, Judy Ong, Osugi Ren, Watabe Atsuro
Synopsis: Shiraishi Tomio (Kusanagi Tsuyoshi) graduated from Tokyo University and works for a foreign securities firm. He has a beautiful fiancee, Aoike Kozue (Kimura Fumino), and life has been smooth sailing. However, one day, his father Takao (Shiga Kotaro) commits suicide, leaving behind a lot of debts. As the joint guarantor, all of Tomio’s savings are spent on paying off the debts. In addition, he is pursued by moneylenders. He loses everything. His money, job and fiancee … and becomes homeless. The path he chooses is that of the moneylenders who drove him to the very bottom. He ends up going to work for Akamatsu Daisuke (Watabe Atsuro) who runs Akamatsu Finance. Akamatsu Finance looks like a normal company on the outside, but lends money at high interest rates behind the scenes. Tomio wants to regain everything that he and his father lost in their lives because of money, with money. Deciding that he will endure any kind of hardship for the sake of money, Tomio goes to great lengths to do whatever it takes to achieve his aims, even the illegal … … He meets Konno Mio (Oshima Yuko), the daughter of his debt-ridden high school teacher (Osugi Ren). She makes him realise before he is aware of it, that he has been obsessed with money, and special feelings start to blossom between the two of them. Furthermore, Tomio’s former girlfriend, Kozue, who has complicated love-hate feelings for him shows up again. The three soon develop a complex romantic relationship. Faced with the truth of his father’s death, Tomio plots a heroic revenge. But will he be able to regain all that he has lost?
Website: www.ktv.jp/zeni
Preview: Zeni no Sensou Teaser
Zenryoku Rikon Soudan
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 6 January 2015
Station: NHK
Scriptwriters: Komatsu Yoshiko, Ide Mari
Cast: Maya Miki, Kamiji Yusuke, Taketomi Seika, Konoe Hana, Seki Megumi, Riju Go, Watanabe Tetsu, Nakao Mie, Tachi Hiroshi, Ishibashi Renji (guest star), Yoshizawa Hisashi (guest star), Ando Tamae (guest star), Ujiki Tsuyoshi (guest star), Otake Makoto (guest star), Iwai Hideto (guest star), Yamada Masa (guest star)
Synopsis: Takeuchi Miharu (Maya Miki) is a capable lawyer with a law firm in Nagoya. One day, she is assigned a divorce case of a client company by Mizuno Toyohiko (Tachi Hiroshi), the head of the law firm. Gohara Naoki (Yoshizawa Hisashi), the president of the company, wants to divorce his wife Nobue (Kone Hana) who left their 5-year-old son behind and moved out. However, Nobue cries that she will not hand over their son. In fact, Miharu has had experience with divorce too. She was deprived of custody because of her own mistake and has not seen her daughter Kanae in 10 years. She reluctantly starts to grapple with this case but gradually gets absorbed in it. While she is the husband’s attorney, the solution she offers reflects Nobue’s feelings. This offends the client company and the law firm’s advisory contract is terminated. Mizuno, who likes Miharu, desperately dissuades her from resigning. But she takes responsibility and quits the firm. That night, a dejected Miharu drowns her sorrows in drink at ‘Ankake Spaghetti’ which is located directly beneath her residence. She finds herself grumbling to the owner Mitsuya Tetsu (Kamiji Yusuke) whom she is on friendly terms with. “In the end, I lost both my job and man at the same time … …” Then Nobue arrives with twin sisters who are distressed by their parents’ impending divorce. She believes they can count on Miharu who identified with her own divorce issues. Miharu does all in her power to try to pull the twins’ broken family together. Seeing Miharu like this, Tetsu and Nobue encourage her to start a divorce counselling centre. On the day of the opening of ‘Takeuchi Harumi Divorce Counselling Centre’, a young lady stares at the signboard of the centre with a surly expression. She is Miharu’s daughter, Kanae (Taketomi Seika), who is now an adult.
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/nagoya/rikon
Preview: Zenryoku Rikon Soudan CM
Masshiro
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 13 January 2015
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Inoue Yumiko (Hirugao, Kinkyuu Torishirabeshitsu, Pandora Series)
Genre: Medical
Cast: Horikita Maki, Yagira Yuya, Shida Mirai, Takanashi Rin, Nanao, Megumi, Takeuchi Miyako, Nishio Mari, Nobukawa Seijun, Watanabe Mai, Shumoto Erika, Ito Mamiko, Mikami Kensei, Tsuda Eisuke, Mashima Hidekazu, Ishiguro Ken, Mizuno Miki, Kimura Tae, Watanabe Dai, Fukuda Ayano, Hosoda Yoshihiko, Kaga Takeshi (guest star)
Synopsis: 25-year-old Arimura Akari (Horikita Maki) graduated from the local nursing school in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture and works for the hospital’s geriatric ward. When she became a nurse, she wanted to be of help to others and appreciated by those people she helped. But in the course of slaving away for a meagre salary over the past four years, Akari would rather quit and get married quickly. Then she gets the chance for a fresh start with a makeover as a well-off young lady. She slips into the very exclusive Touoh Hospital which draws a stream of politicians, entertainers and intellectuals despite the expensive medical care. However, it is a hospital with novice doctors, adulterous nurses and spoiled patients. Among them is the head nurse, who is called the overall director of the “White Inner Palace”. She is tough on Akari and many difficulties are in store for Akari every day. Moreover, the policy to keep things that happen in the hospital under wraps is certainly like the inner palace.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/masshiro2015
Preview: Masshiro CM
Toho Nanahun
Date: From 11.15 p.m., Tuesdays, 6 January 2015
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriter: Maeda Shiro (Nocon Kid, Last Dinner)
Cast: Tanaka Rena, Tanaka Kei, Fukushi Seiji, Nahana, Ishino Mako
Synopsis: 32-year-old Kurosaki Yoriko (Tanaka Rena) has no man, no friends and no job. She starts to live alone for the first time and comes in touch with a new world. This is the story of the small incidents that occur within a 7-minute walking distance from her apartment.
Website: ww4.nhk.or.jp/toho7min
Onna Kudoki Meshi*UPDATED*
Date: From 1.15 a.m., Wednesdays, 28 January 2015
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Kitagawa Ayako (Ofukou-san, Taberu Dake)
Original Work: Onna Kudoki Meshi by Mine Nayuka
Gnere: Comedy
Cast: Kanjiya Shihori, Fukushi Seiji
Synopsis: Kanbayashi Megumi (Kanjiya Shihori) is a freelance writer who has not had a boyfriend in five years. She will turn 30 in three months and starts to panic about marriage. One day, she is brought a proposal by a magazine editor whom she is on friendly terms with. It is a proposal about “trying to be hit on while eating” at restaurants suggested by single male candidates. Megumi spends the majority of her fees on eating out alone and has vast knowledge regarding restaurants. Thinking that she will not only be able to eat delicious meals for free, but also have a chance to meet men, Megumi readily agrees. If a man catches her fancy, she can even let herself be won over. Megumi begins to recruit men for the rather offensive sounding title, “Pick-up meals ~ Take me to a meal!”
Website: www.mbs.jp/kudokimeshi
Zannenna Otto
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Wednesdays, 14 January 2015
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Yamazaki Takako (Kekkon Shinai, Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu)
Cast: Tamaki Hiroshi, Kurashina Kana, Kuroki Keiji, Hayashi Kento, Takahashi Maryjun, Asada Miyoko, Kishitani Goro, Otsuka Nene
Synopsis: With his looks, personality and capabilities, Haruno Yoichi (Tamaki Hiroshi) is considered the “ideal husband”. However, he feels that his wife’s attitude has cooled ever since she gave birth to their child. He knows neither the cause nor the solution, and has been reduced to the “disappointing husband” at home. Chisato (Kurashina Kana) is thought to be the “ideal wife with all the the traditional graces” who does her best to look to her husband with respect. But her husband’s words and deeds which she could excuse until after childbirth, now make her feel uneasy. Because of her continued hysterics, she has become the “monster wife” to her husband.
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/zannen
Preview: Zannenna Otto CM
Marumaru Tsuma
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Wednesdays, 14 January 2015
Station: NTV
Scriptwriter: Yukawa Kazuhiko (Jun to Ai, Kaseifu no Mita, Magerarenai Onna)
Cast: Shibasaki Kou, Higashiyama Noriyuki, Kuroki Hitomi, Shirota Yu, Renbutsu Misako, Okunuki Kaoru, Watanabe Makiko, Sharo, Nakabayashi Taiki, Kido Yuya, Iwamoto Masayo, Hiraizumi Sei
Synopsis: Hikari (Shibasaki Kou) will perform household chores to perfection for the sake of her husband, Kubota Masazumi (Higashiyama Noriyuki). Her own life is only to support him. Kubota, a newscaster, takes pride in his popularity because of his outspoken remarks despite the conventions of sponsors and the television network. His behaviour mobilises public opinion and he wishes that he can change society with his words. Kubota owes his position as main newscaster on the news programme ‘News Life’ to the support of his wife of six years too. But why does Hikari devote herself completely to him? The certain characteristic that Kubota’s wife possesses is an enigma, and a shocking development awaits him … …
Website: www.ntv.co.jp/tsuma
Preview: Marumaru Tsuma CM
Kaze no Toge ~ Ginkan no Fu
Date: From 8.00 p.m., Thurdays, 15 January 2015
Station: NHK
Scriptwriters: Morishita Tadashi (Keiji 110 kg Season 2, Kakushou, Taburakashi), Nishii Fumiko (Roosevelt Game)
Original Work: Ginkan no Fu by Hamuro Rin
Genre: Period
Cast: Nakamura Masatoshi, Shibata Kyohei, Sakuraba Nanami, Hira Takehiro, Ikeda Tetsuhiro, Yoshida Yo, Nakamura Shido, Takahashi Kazuya, Aso Yumi
Synopsis: Kusakabe Gengo (Nakamura Masatoshi), of the Tsukigase domain in Western Japan, is handed an order to execute the chief retainer, Matsuura Shogen (Shibata Kyohei). Kusakabe and Matsuura are childhood friends and also went to the same kendo training school. They were once bound by a firm friendship, but took different paths and fell out as a result of some incident. The rumours are that Shogen has incurred displeasure because he is hindering the rise of the lord of the domain. However, he is known to the public as an artist so it would look bad if he were publicly executed. Gengo, who has been ordered to handle it as a fight due to a personal grudge, searches for the place for Shogen to die. He decides to visit Shogen for the first time in 20 years. When the paths of the two men cross again as they approach old age, fate starts moving again … …
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/jidaigeki/ginkan
Deiri Kinshi no Onna ~ Jiken Kisha Kurogane
Date: From 7.58 p.m., Thursdays, 15 January 2015
Station: TV Asahi
Scriptwriter: Nishioka Takuya (Tetsu no Hone, SP Keishichou Keigoka Series)
Cast: Mizuki Arisa, Zaizen Naomi, Takuma Takayuki, Komoto Masahiro, Taniuchi Shinya, Maeda Oushiro, Masuoka Toru, Kobayashi Nenji
Synopsis: Kurogane Shinobu (Mizuki Arisa) is a roving reporter for the Local News Section of the Kyoto Times. During her time at the Kyoto Shinpo, she wrote numerous hardline exposes and even won awards. Although many reporters have left the Kyoto Times because they hated the change in policy, she stayed. Because Shinobu is tenacious and fearless in interviews, she is not scared of any interview subject and would make a beeline for the person without a thought for the inconvenience she might cause. This is the reason why she is banned from going in and out of many places.
Website: www.tv-asahi.co.jp/dekin
Doctors Season 3 ~ Saikyou no Meii
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Thursdays, 8 January 2015
Station: TV Asahi
Scriptwriter: Fukuda Yasushi (Hero Season 2, Doctors Series, Galileo Series)
Genre: Medical
Cast: Sawamura Ikki, Takashima Masanobu, Higa Manami, Kurokawa Tomoka, Asari Yosuke, Miyaji Masako, Masana Bokuzo, Takizawa Saori, Atsushi, Saito Yoichiro, Sasai Eisuke, Anami Atsuko, Ito Ran, Ono Takehiko, Nogiwa Yoko
Synopsis: Dogami Tamaki (Nogiwa Yoko), the director of Dogami General Hospital, entrusts her nephew, Moriyama Suguru (Takashima Masanobu), with the role of acting director and sets off to travel around the world on a luxury liner. Unaccustomed to the work of the director, Moriyama flounders and yet continues to behave outrageously within the hospital.
Website: www.tv-asahi.co.jp/doctors
Preview: Doctors Season 3 CM
Related: Doctors Season 2 ~ Saikyou no Meii
Utsukushiki Wana ~ Zanka Ryouran
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Thursdays, 8 January 2015
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Asano Taeko (Ten no Hakobune, Kare, Otto, Otoko Tomodachi, Ooku)
Original Work: Zanka Ryouran by Okabe Etsu
Genre: Revenge
Cast: Tanaka Rena, Aoyagi Sho, Wakamura Mayumi, Miura Rieko, Takahashi Kaori, Yoshida Riko, Hiraizumi Sei, Murakami Hiroaki
Synopsis: 34-year-old Nishida Rika (Tanaka Rena) is about to put an end to a three-year affair and move towards marriage. The man she had been having an affair with is the handsome, desirable Kashiwagi Sota (Murakami Hiroaki). 20 years her senior, the ambitious Kashiwagi is the managing director of a large corporation. He has a beautiful wife, Mitsuko (Wakamura Mayumi), and a daughter who is a high school student, Miu (Yoshida Riko). Because her mother died when she was 17, Rika has been attached to her father (Hiraizumi Sei). She sought a father figure and fell in love with Kashiwagi. Although she realises that their affair has no future, her love for him is deep. However, she is betrayed and dumped by Kashiwagi. Furthermore, Mitsuko orchestrated it. The moment Rika learns about this, the flames of vengeance flare up within her. Even so, she is not able to completely become the wicked woman. She brought it upon herself, but is devastated by the continuous onslaught of evil around her. Then she finds out that Mitsuko is emotionally reliant on businessman Ochiai Keiichi (Aoyagi Sho) who is the younger brother of Kashiwagi’s good friend. Rika decides to steal his heart and starts to date him with a view to marriage … …
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/utsukusikiwana2015
Preview: Utsukushiki Wana CM
Mondai no Aru Restaurant
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Thursdays, 15 January 2015
Station: Fuji TV
Scriptwriter: Sakamoto Yuji (Mosaic Japan, Saikou no Rikon, Mother)
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Maki Yoko, Higashide Masahiro, Nikaido Fumi, Takahata Mitsuki, Matsuoka Mayu, Usuda Asami, YOU, Suda Masaki, Yasuda Ken, Tayama Ryosei, Fukikoshi Mitsuru, Sugimoto Tetta
Synopsis: Tanaka Tamako (Maki Yoko) had been working for a male-dominated restaurant business but was betrayed by her boyfriend who was hired as the chef. In addition, she is taken to the police as a result of an incident she caused because her friend Morimura Kyoko (Usuda Asami) was subjected to sexual harassment. Tamako resigns from her unreasonable company and starts a bistro selling homemade pot-au-feu on a rooftop in an alley in Jingumae, Tokyo. This is the story of females who are labelled “write-offs” and the restaurant they have established in order for them to get out from life’s abyss. They battle difficulties and search for ways to change their lives as they experience the joys of work. This is a problem restaurant because they are all females with problems, but it is certainly not lousy. The women who have a common enemy – men, and the restaurant unites them in a fight to the death.
Website: www.fujitv.co.jp/mondainoaru_restaurant
Preview: Mondai no Aru Restaurant CM
Kumokiri Nizaemon Season 2
Date: From 8.00 p.m., Fridays, 6 February 2015
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriter: Miyagawa Ichiro (Kumokiri Nizaemon Season 1, Natsukumo Agare), Furuta Motomu (Kamiya Genjiro Torimono Hikae, Damashie Utamaro Series)
Cast: Nakai Kiichi, Kunimura Jun, Uchiyama Rina, Emoto Tasuku, Tezuka Toru, Endo Kumiko, Matsuda Satoshi, Kyono Kotomi, Watanabe Tetsu, Murata Takehiro, Tamura Ryo, Ibu Masato
Synopsis: During the Kyoho period there is a gang of thieves which is active not just in Edo but also the Tokaido and the Nakasendo, and all across the Kansai region. Targeting only the very wealthy, they steal large sums of money with skillful techniques and never kill or injure people. Because they appear with the clouds and disappear like the mist, people call them the Kumokiri gang. The leader who keeps a rein on this gang of highly-skilled and notorious followers Nanabake no Ochiyo (Uchiyama Rina), Kinezumi no Kichigoro (Ibu Masato), Subashiri no Kumagoro (Tezuka Toru), Ingakozo Rokunosuke (Emoto Tasuku) and others is Kumokiri Nizaemon (Nakai Kiichi), the greatest bandit of all time. Abe Shikibu (Kunimura Jun), the chief of the public security force, the Hitsuke Tozoku Aratamekata, opposes him. The fierce battle which pits the wits of the two men continues to go on.
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/jidaigeki/kumokiri2
Related: Kumokiri Nizaemon Season 1
Hamon (Yakubyougami Series)*NEW*
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Fridays, 9 February 2015
Station: BS Sky Perfect
Scriptwriter: Sakai Masaaki (Smoking Gun, Kazoku no Uta, Zettai Reido Series)
Original Work: Hamon by Kurokawa Hiroyuki
Cast: Kitamura Kazuki, Hamada Gaku, Yamashita Rio, Makita Tetsuya, Kuno Akiko, Kubo Akira, Nakamura Yuri, Okada Koki, Nozoe Yoshihiro, Yabe Kyosuke, Kamio Yu, Shukugawa Atom, Nagasawa Toshiya, Kawaoka Daijiro, Tsurumi Shingo, Akai Hidekazu
Synopsis: Kuwahara Yasuhiko (Kitamura Kazuki), a quick-witted, brawny member of an organised crime group, and Ninomiya Hiroyuki (Hamada Gaku), a construction consultant, team up in the most jinxed combination in history, to try to find some stolen money.
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/jidaigeki/kumokiri2
Preview: Hamon Teaser
Ouroboros ~ Kono Ai Koso, Seigi
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Fridays, 16 January 2015
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Furuya Kazunao (Saigo no Keikan, Kasukana Kanojo, Priceless)
Original Work: Ouroboros Keisatsu o Sabaku wa Ware ni Ari by Kanzaki Yuya
Cast: Ikuta Toma, Oguri Shun, Ueno Juri, Yoshida Kotaro, Yoshida Yo, Seino Nana, Takito Kenichi, Mitsuishi Ken, Takeda Kumiko, Muro Tsuyoshi, Nakamura Hashinosuke, Hirosue Ryoko, Nakamur aoi (guest star)
Synopsis: Ryuzaki Ikuo (Ikuta Toma) and Danno Tatsuya (Oguri Shun) are orphans who grew up in an orphanage called Mahoroba. When they were elementary school students, Kashiwaba Yuiko (Hirosue Ryoko), an orphanage staff who took care of them like a mother, was killed by someone before their very eyes. The two of them gave statements to the police, but their words were by squashed by a police official with a gold watch and the case was also covered up for some reason. 15 years later, Ikuo has become a detective. Skilled at catching whiff of cases, he has the highest rate of arrests in his police precinct. On the other hand, Tatsuya has risen to the top of the underworld as a leading member of an organised crime group. A police and a gangster with only each other to trust. The objectives of these two people who should never have any association, are to locate the gold watch man within the police, find out the truth and expose the darkness of this all powerful organisation.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/OUROBOROS
Preview: Ouroboros CM
Second Love
Date: From 11.15 p.m., Fridays, 6 February 2015
Station: TV Asahi
Scriptwriter: Oishi Shizuka (Zero no Shinjitsu, Kazokugari, Otenki Onee-san)
Genre: Romance
Cast: Kamenashi Kazuya, Fukada Kyoko, Hayami Akari, Koshiba Fuka, Terajima Susumu, Onuki Yusuke, Akiyama Natsuko, Aso Yumi, Namase Katsuhisa
Synopsis: Contemporary dancer Taira Kei’s (Kamenashi Kazuya) talent emerged at a young age and he went to study in Germany in his teens. Called the “young genius”, he even won an international championship. But Kei did not fulfil his ambition. His dream suffered setbacks. Kei has now returned to Tokyo and has been working part-time order to take another shot at his dream. He takes great pride in dancing and will never accept half measures. That is why he earns a living by manual labour. Although he used to be full of ambition, he has been frustrated with himself for seemingly wasting away ever since he returned to Japan … … At that moment, he falls in love with Nishihara Yui (Fukada Kyoko), an older teacher at a prestigious girls high school. Yui has actually been having an affair with her married colleague, Takayanagi Taro (Namase Katsuhisa), for five years. She realised right from the start that this would not be followed by marriage. Now she is clueless about what she wants from this romance. However, Kei starts to sway her sense of values with his appearance.
Website: www.tv-asahi.co.jp/secondlove
Preview: Second Love Teaser
Kaiki Renai Sakusen
Date: From 12.12 a.m., Saturdays, 9 January 2015
Station: TV Tokyo
Scriptwriter: Kera
Genre: Horror comedy
Cast: Aso Kumiko, Sakai Maki, Ogawa Tamaki, Nakamura Toru, Okura Koji, Inuyama Inuko, Yamanishi Atsushi, Konno Ayuri, Mizusawa Shingo, Iketani Nobue, Ozawa Yukiyoshi (guest star), Kino Hana (guest star), Suzuki Kosuke (guest star), Takahashi Hitomi (guest star), Narumi Riko (guest star), Hagiwara Masato (guest star), Pierre Taki (guest star), Matsui Kenta (guest star), Matsuo Suzuki (guest star), Magy (guest star), Mano Erina (guest star), Mickey Curtis (guest star)
Synopsis: Keshizaki Natsumi (Aso Kumiko), Akiko (Sakai Maki) and Fuyu (Ogawa Tamaki) are close sisters who are around 40. Dreaming of becoming a cafe owner, Natsumi resigns from her company. When she goes to the site where she is to open the cafe, there is already a mysterious store called ‘Cafe Omokage’. Akiko, a part-time high school music teacher, has her feelings toyed by her students. Fuyu, a self-professed actress, strives at a part-time job every day while aiming to become a movie star. But she quarrels with her boss and gets sacked … … As if drawn to strong “negative aura”, these three sisters are caught in all sorts of bizarre phenomenon. Natsumi’s childhood friend, the detective Sankaido Noboru (Nakamura Toru), and his junior, Kanashibetsu (Okura Koji), get involved and bigger disaster happens.
Website: www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/kaiki
Preview: Kaiki Renai Sakusen Teaser
Gakkou no Kaidan
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Saturdays, 10 January 2015
Station: NTV
Scriptwriter: Yoshida Tomoko (Kaeru no Ojousama, Zenkai Girl, Hataraki Man)
Cast: Hirose Suzu, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Ishibashi Anna, Sugisaki Hana, Suga Kenta, Mamiya Shotaro, Shimizu Kurumi, Yoshikura Aoi, Shirasu Jin, Narita Ryo, Iitoyo Marie, Kentaro, Kaneko Nobuaki, Nonami Maho, Kaneyama Kazuhiko, Izumiya Shigeru, Namase Katsuhisa, Asano Atsuko
Synopsis: Haruna Tsubame (Hirose Suzu), an inconspicuous high school girl, is always sensitive to people’s moods and keeps the peace in school. One day, she gets pushed to become the president of the student council by the people around her. Tsubame’s encounter with the young man, Shizukui Satoshi (Kamiki Ryunosuke), who is a genius speechwriter, leads to a revolution in school. He imparts speech techniques to her as a weapon in her struggle to change a school full of irrationality and dissatisfaction.
Website: www.ntv.co.jp/kaidan
Preview: Gakkou no Kaidan CM
Genkai Shuraku Kabushikigaisha
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Saturdays, 31 January 2015
Station: NHK
Scriptwriter: Sakurai Tsuyoshi (Miss Pilot, Priceless, Marumo no Okite Series)
Original Work: Genkai Shuraku Kabushikigaisha by Kurono Shinichi
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Tanihara Shosuke, Matsuoka Mayu, Inoue Waka, Kato Toranosuke, Suzuki Kosuke, Hiraizumi Sei, Shibamoto Yuki, Terada Minori, Igawa Hisashi, Nagayama Aiko
Synopsis: In the interior of the Kanto region, there is a small settlement surrounded by the mountains. This small village with a population of about 50 people has been transformed into a marginalised village on the verge of being wiped out after the merger of municipalities. Even its hospital and bus are going to be done away with. The farmer, Ouchi Masato (Sorimachi Takashi) had once attempted organic farming in his 20s, but failed. He chalked up a lot of debt, left his parents and daughter and fled to Tokyo. 13 years on, his father, Kazuo (Igawa Hisashi), has passed away. He returns to his hometown in order to help his daughter, Miho (Matsuoka Mayu), and his elderly mother, Yayoi (Nagayama Aiko), who said they would take over Kazuo’s fields. However, what awaits him is the low-income barrier which surrounds farming. Then a mysterious management consultant called Takigawa Yu (Tanihara Shosuke) appears before them. He plans to revitalise farming by using all possible means but … …
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/dodra/genkai
Iron Grandmas
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 10 January 2015
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriter: Iida George (Strangers 6, Godhand Teru, Ashita no Kita Yoshio)
Cast: Otake Shinobu, Muroi Shigeru, Tsutsui Michitaka, Kato Haruhiko, Haba Yuichiro, Emoto Akira
Synopsis: Iron Grandmas are special investigators. The two of them, Reiko (Otake Shinobu) and Naomi (Muroi Shigeru) used to be special investigators with the codename “Salt & Sugar” and they were responsible for diplomatic espionage behind the scenes. Their last assignment was more than 20 years ago. The two of them team up again to uncover the true identity of Takanashi Yoichiro (Tsutsui Michitaka) in an attempt to stop a crime.
Website: www4.nhk.or.jp/igrandma
Shokuzai no Sonata
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 24 January 2015
Station: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Nishioka Takuya (SP Keishichou Keigoka Series, Tetsu no Hone)
Original Work: Shokuzai no Sonata by Nakayama Shichiri
Cast: Mikami Hiroshi, Sometani Shota, Shiraishi Junya, Nomaguchi Toru, Yamashita Yorie, Horibe Keisuke, Toyota Maho, Nakahara Takeo (guest star), Lily Franky
Synopsis: Mikoshiba Reiji (Mikami Hiroshi) is an invincible lawyer who is described as one who would certainly fight to win a suspended sentence no matter what the charges are. As a result, his fees are also exorbitant. Because the clientele that comes to him are also unscrupulous, he is even shunned by those around him for being a crass lawyer. Mikoshiba volunteers to be the court-appointed defence lawyer in the trial of a murder for insurance money. The cards are overwhelmingly stacked against the defendant, Mitsuko (Toyota Maho). In the midst of this, a drowned body is discovered in a riverbed within Saitama Prefecture and Watase (Lily Franky) of the prefectural police embarks on the investigation. Then he discovers that the victim, a freelance journalist, had been snooping around Mikoshiba just before death. As the investigation progresses, Watase gets to Mikoshiba’s past. He is the real culprit in the murder of a little girl. Why did a murderer become a lawyer? What is his objective?
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/sonata
Gurasu no Ashi
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 21 February 2015
Station: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Nagata Yuko (Watashitachi ga Puropozusarenai noni wa, 101 no Riyuu ga Atte da na, Resident, Renai NEET)
Original Work: Gurasu no Ashi by Sakuragi Shino
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Aibu Saki, Ozawa Yukiyoshi, Okuda Eiji, Nakamura Yuri, Morikawa Aoi, Watanabe Konomi, Kobayashi Katsuya, Chiba Tetsuya, Kino Hana, Takigawa Yumi
Synopsis: Koda Setsu (Aibu Saki) is the wife of the owner of Hotel Royal, a love hotel which looks out on the Kushiro Marsh. Her husband Kiichiro (Okuda Eiji) is old enough to be her father. One afternoon, while Setsuko is in bed with her lover, the consulting tax attorney Sawaki Masahiro (Ozawa Yukiyoshi), she receives word from the police that the car her husband was driving has met with an accident. At the hospital, she is told by the doctor that he suffered serious brain injuries and has no hope of regaining consciousness. Then Setsuko’s mother, Fujishima Ritsuko (Takigawa Yumi) arrives and proceeds to shout abuse at her. In fact, the free-spirited Ritsuko has once been Kiichiro’s mistress. Setsuko detests Ritsuko who had abused her in her childhood … …
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/garasunoashi
Onii-chan Gacha
Date: From 12.50 a.m., Sundays, 11 January 2015
Station: NTV
Scriptwriter: Nojima Shinji (Platonic, Ashita Mama ga Inai, Gold)
Cast: Suzuki Rio, Kishi Yuta, Miyachika Kaito, Nakada Hiroki, Hara, Yoshizawa Shizuya, Kajiyama Asahi, Hara Yoshitaka, Meguro Ren, Osanai Karin, Nomura Masumi
Synopsis: Elementary school student Miko (Suzuki Rio) was born to a poor family. Made responsible for all the housework by her mother and siblings, she hopes to escape from the harsh reality. One day, Miko inserts a coin to play with ‘Onii-chan Gacha’, a vending machine which dispenses toys in plastic capsules. She turns the handle as she wishes for a kind brother. Her world undergoes a drastic change from that day on. Older brothers who are like fantasies, appear before her one after another. The older brother who always smiles, the handsome older brother, the older brother who looks a wee bit scary but always protects her … … Which brother will Miko choose?
Website: www.ntv.co.jp/gacha
Hanamoyu
Date: From 8.00 p.m., Sundays, 4 January 2015
Station: NHK
Scriptwriter: Oshima Satomi (Taiyou no Wana, Hayami-san to Yobareru Hi, Shijukunichi no Recipe)
Genre: Period
Cast: Inoue Mao, Osawa Takao, Iseya Yusuke, Kora Kengo, Higashide Masahiro, Higashiyama Noriyuki, Igawa Haruka, Yuka, Seto Koji, Kaname Jun, Wakamura Mayumi, Aso Yumi, Gekidan Hitori, Sato Ryuta, Kojima Fujiko, Ohno Takuro, Miyazaki Karen, Harada Taizo, Naito Takashi, Ishimaru Kanji, Matsuzaka Keiko, Katase Rino, Takahashi Hideki, Dan Fumi, Nagatsuka Kyozo, Okuda Eiji, Kitaoji Kinya
Synopsis: The Meiji Restoration started with this family, the Sugis. In 1843 (Tenpo 14), Fumi (Inoue Mao), the fourth daughter, is born. The second son Torajiro (Iseya Yusuke), later Shoin, had become the adopted son of the Yoshidas, the family of his father’s younger brother, but returns to the Sugis upon his uncle’s death. Fumi feels proud of her older brother who is a respected military strategy instructor even in their domain. When she is 8 years old, Shoin travels to Edo to study and ends up committing the crime of “fleeing his domain”. Fleeing the domain is a major crime of betraying the lord of the domain. Concerned for Shoin’s welfare, Odamura Inosuke (Osawa Takao) who would become the husband of their second sister, Hisa (Yuka), talks him into coming back from Edo. In the end, Shoin is stripped of his samurai status and becomes the Sugi family’s ward. Through the grace of the lord of the Choshu domain, Mori Takachika (Kitaoji Kinya), Shoin heads to Edo again. He plots to stowaway when Matthew Perry’s ships arrive, but this fails. He surrenders and is incarcerated in a jail in Hagi. While in jail, Shoin straightens out the prisoners. After he comes out, Shoin is placed under house arrest at the Sugis and starts lecturing on Mencius. His lectures which incorporate the latest world affairs and social conditions become popular, and a string of aspiring disciples gather. Then a confident, handsome young man, Kusaka Genzui (Higashide Masahiro), joins his school, Shoka Sonjuku. This would the fateful meeting between Fumi and Kusaka. Fumi is a favourite younger sister with young men such as Takasugi Shinsaku (Kora Kengo), Ito Hirobumi (Gekidan Hitori), Shinagawa Yajiro, Yamagata Aritomo who would subsequently run Japan. She marries Kusaka. However, their married life does not last long. The era is headed towards turbulence in the twilight years of Shogunate rule. As this intensifies, Shoin is executed in prison. His family and disciples have to face numerous difficulties. Meanwhile, conflict breaks out between a faction in Choshu domain which advocates respect for the Shogunate and a faction critical of the Shogunate. Although Kusaka is concerned about Fumi, he plunges into the fight … …
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/hanamoyu
Preview: Hanamoyu CM
Ryusei Wagon
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Sundays, 18 January 2015
Station: TBS
Scriptwriter: Yatsu Hiroyuki (Roosevelt Game, Hanzawa Naoki, Sugarless)
Original Work: Ryusei Wagon by Shigematsu Kiyoshi
Genre: Sci-fi fantasy
Cast: Nishijima Hidetoshi, Kagawa Teruyuki, Igawa Haruka, Ichikawa Miwako, Takahashi Hiroshi, Irie Jingi, Machida Keita, Yokoyama Kota, Takagi Serai, Umegaki Hinako, Watanabe Makiko, Baisho Mitsuko, Yoshioka Hidetaka
Synopsis: In the past six months, Nagata Kazuo (Nishijima Hidetoshi) has been told that he is being laid off, his wife Miyoko (Igawa Haruka) wants divorce, and their son Hiroki (Yokoyama Kota) will not stop violence at home. And in Kazuo’s heart is an antagonism with his father Tadao (Kagawa Teruyuki) who has end-stage cancer. As Kazuo sits on a bench in front of a train station wondering where he has gone wrong, a wine-coloured wagon suddenly appears. The person driving it is Hashimoto Yoshiaki (Yoshioka Hidetaka) who should have died five years ago. His son Kenta (Takagi Serai) riding with him should be dead too. Kazuo boards this mysterious wagon with the two of them and in the course of going round to important places of the past, he starts to learn how things went wrong with his wife and son.
Website: www.tbs.co.jp/ryusei_wagon
Preview: Ryusei Wagon CM
Dakara Kouya
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 11 January 2015
Station: NHK BS Premium
Scriptwriter: Asano Taeko (Ten no Hakobune, Kare, Otto, Otoko Tomodachi, Tsuki no Koibito)
Original Work: Dakara Kouya by Kirino Natsuo
Cast: Suzuki Kyoka, Takahashi Issei, Shinagawa Toru, YOU, Hamada Tatsuomi, Maeda Goki, Ono Yuriko, Izumiya Shigeru, Denden, Nakahara Hitomi, Tsutsui Mariko, Toyohara Kosuke, Sasano Takashi, Sugimoto Tetta
Synopsis: Morimura Tomomi (Suzuki Kyoko) is a housewife scorned by her husband (Sugimoto Tetta) and two sons (Hamada Tatsuomi, Maeda Goki), and yet she continues to protect the family. On her 46th birthday, she leaves home in disgust and embarks on a 1,200 km journey. It is Tomomi’s first time driving onto the highway and she speeds along to the west. On the road, she encounters a series of traumatising episodes. She detects her husband’s affair, is faced with a truck driver who mistakes her for a prostitute housewife, and finally her car gets stolen. While Tomomi is at a loss, a good-looking young man and an elderly person give her a ride, and she arrives in Nagasaki. As she meets various people in this town which was once transformed into a wasteland because of the atomic bomb, she becomes aware of a “wilderness” within her and starts to explore the path to rebirth … …
Website: www.nhk.or.jp/drama/dakara
Preview: Dakara Kouya CM
Kageri Yuku Natsu
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 18 January 2015
Station: WOWOW
Scriptwriters: Yoshimoto Masahiro (Kabuka Bouraku, Naze Kimi wa Zetsubou to Tatakaeta no ka, Aishiteru), Kosaka Tafumi (Umoreru)
Original Work: Kageri Yuku Natsu by Akai Mihiro
Cast: Watabe Atsuro, Tokito Saburo, Suda Masaki, Iwamatsu Ryo, Takito Kenichi, Hasegawa Tomoharu, Kiba Katsumi, Sato Bsaku, Shimada Kyusaku, Kadowaki Mugi, Maeda Atsuko, Itaya Yuka, Tsuruta Mayu
Synopsis: A major newspaper has informally decided to employ a female university student, Asakura Hiroko (Kadowaki Mugi). However, shock ripples within the newspaper because of a weekly magazine’s scoop that she is the daughter of the criminal in a serious case. This was the kidnapping of a newborn baby at a big hospital 20 years ago. The criminal demanded a ransom from the director of the hospital instead of the parents. But after the criminal had the large sum of money in hand, he died in an accident while being pursued by the police. The baby was never found. Kaji Hidekazu (Watabe Atsuro) a former hotshot journalist who has become deadwood in the wake of an incident, is ordered by the newspaper to re-investigate the kidnapping case. He finds out the shocking, tragic truth which had been kept under wraps.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/kageriyukunatsu
Preview: Kageri Yuku Natsu CM
Tenshi no Knife*NEW*
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 22 February 2015
Station: WOWOW
Scriptwriter: Onishi Kenichi (Bonkura, Iryu Sousa Series, Rinjo Series)
Original Work: Tenshi no Knife by Yakumaru Gaku
Cast: Koide Keisuke, Kurashina Kana, Fujimoto Izumi, Chiba Yudai, Murakami Nijiro, Machida Keita, Kitamura Takumi, Shimizu Hiroya, Wada Masato, Tezuka Toru, Wakamura Mayumi
Synopsis: Three 13-year-olds (Murakami Nijiro, Machida Keita, Kitamura Takumi) murder a man’s wife (Fujimoto Izumi). Their motive is money. The detectives cannot hold them accountable because they are protected by the Juvenile Law due to their age. On the other hand, the family of the victim is hounded by the mass media and everything about their life is exposed. Four years go by. The husband, Hiyama (Koide Keisuke), privately starts to look into the “rehabilitation” and “current situation” of the youth who have returned to society. Right after that, the youths are attacked one after another and killed. Hiyama, who is the prime suspect, searches for the truth of the youths’ motive while being chased by the police (Tezuka Toru, Wakamura Mayumi). What emerges is his wife’s unexpectedly dark past, attacks from a human rights lawyer and journalist, and several traps which lie behind the case … … The truth that was hidden by the Juvenile Law is laid bare. And then the story heads towards a jarring conclusion as it questions what is right and wrong.
Website: www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/tenshi
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