Asian Drama

Kuno Totono is a college student with naturally curly hair. He is extremely smart and loves curry, but doesn't have any friends or a girlfriend. Kuno Totono loves to talk and he can often solve difficult problems simply by talking it through. One day, Kuno Totono visits the city of Hiroshima. There, he gets involved with a mystery involving the succession of the Kariatsumari family’s property.

(Source: AsianWiki)

Adapted from the manga "Mystery to Iunakare" (ミステリと言う勿れ) by Tamura Yumi (田村由美).

Mantaro comes from a rich family in Kochi who owns a brewery but because of him being sickly, he becomes the target of bullying. As a child, he has been fascinated with plants and decides to quit school so as to head to Teikoku University in Tokyo where he studies botany and works as a research assistant with the vision of creating an encyclopedia on all plants in Japan, he works hard to realise his dream.

Mantaro comes from a rich family in Kochi who owns a brewery but because of him being sickly, he becomes the target of bullying. As a child, he has been fascinated with plants and decides to quit school so as to head to Teikoku University in Tokyo where he studies botany and works as a research assistant with the vision of creating an encyclopedia on all plants in Japan, he works hard to realise his dream.

Kiyo and Sumire are childhood friends from Aomori Prefecture who move to Kyoto to become maiko. During their training, Sumire is praised for her talent and diligence. Kiyo, meanwhile, has difficulty learning the basic skills and is eventually expelled. However, Kiyo's talent in cooking is discovered, and she is hired as the new cook of the maiko house. Kiyo is happy with her new role: supporting Sumire and the other maiko through her cooking.

Adapted from the manga series "Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san" (舞妓さんちのまかないさん) by Koyama Aiko (小山愛子).

Hitotsubashi Kiriko is sinking into a pit of sorrow when her one and only best friend whom she lived with for three years, dies of illness. Living on a pension and working part-time is not easy, and the thought of having solitary death terrifies her.

One day, she was fascinated by the statement of an arrested person she saw on TV which inspires her to commit crime so she could live in prison. And so, Kiriko's "Life in Prison" plan began. As Kiriko proceeds with her crime plan, she finds new experiences and encounters.

Hitotsubashi Kiriko is sinking into a pit of sorrow when her one and only best friend whom she lived with for three years, dies of illness. Living on a pension and working part-time is not easy, and the thought of having solitary death terrifies her.

One day, she was fascinated by the statement of an arrested person she saw on TV which inspires her to commit crime so she could live in prison. And so, Kiriko's "Life in Prison" plan began. As Kiriko proceeds with her crime plan, she finds new experiences and encounters.

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In Tokyo, a murderer leaves his signature, an `X`on the dead body. When found, the mark appears eerily similar to that of the one seen on the body of the dead wife of Detective Genji Ando. Banned from the investigation, he secretly reaches out to Jin Jinbo, an associate professor at the medical school`s genome analysis lab. Who better than a DNA expert to identify this potential serial killer?

Natsuko has been in a cold relationship with her husband, Kensaku, for many years. One day he dies suddenly, leaving Natsuko alone with a wizard, Mari, who appears and offers to grant up to four wishes. Natsuko requests to go 50 years back in time to the past before she met her husband.

There, Natsuko meets young Kensaku, her young self, and her father Shintaro. Natsuko pretends to be someone she is not and attempts to uncover hidden truths while living in the past. What awaits Natsuko at the end of her time travel? And what will be her last wish to the wizard?

Taeko Sugimoto moves in with her daughter Natsuki and granddaughter Mizuki. They begin a lively life together. In the midst of it all, Taeko sees her former self in Mizuki. The bitter taste of the first pineapple she ever ate, the disastrous score on a math test, the awakening of her acting spirit at a school performance. As Taeko recalls her elementary school days, she unleashes a dream that she had long given up on and sealed away. I'm going to be on stage! Taeko immediately auditions and devotes herself to rehearsing for a Shakespeare play. But just then, the theater where she was planning to perform goes bankrupt. But just then, the theater where she was going to perform goes bankrupt, and she is forced to give up on her dream again!

Adapted from the manga series "Only Yesterday" by Okamoto Hotaru.

Ryo Onodera, played by Miyazaki, had a groom runaway on the wedding day four years ago. Her father, Tosaku (Matsushige) and her mother, Machiko (Matsuzaka), built a large two-family house to live with their daughter and her new family.

One day, Ryo says that she has been proposed to, Machiko is surprised to see that face. This is because Kotaro was a former subordinate of the workplace and was now her boss. Although she wants to congratulate her daughter's marriage, Machiko wonders if she can live with her boss. Where is the love between Ryo and Kotaro? Can the two get married? Can Ryo and Kotaro, Tosaku and Machiko become a family?

Totei University Hospital has built a massive deficit. Investor Nicholas Tange, whose nickname is Vulture, comes up with a turnaround plan for the hospital. His plan implements restructuring and cost cutting. By Nicholas Tange’s request, Michiko Daimon begins to work at the Totei University Hospital again.

Kazumasa and Kaoruko are in a troubled marriage and have agreed to divorce once their daughter's elementary school entrance exams are over. However, just before they are to rehearse for the family oral interview, they are informed of their daughter drowning in a pool. Rushing to the hospital, Kazumasa and Kaoruko are met with a heartbreaking situation.

Adapted from the novel "Ningyo no Nemuru Ie" by Higashino Keigo.

Based on true story of the wife of Ando Momofuku, the businessman who founded Nissin Food Products Co. Ltd. and the inventor of instant ramen, the 99th Asadora follows the life of Tachibana Fukuko, a young woman who tries to survive tough times in Osaka with her husband from before WWII to the rapid economic development era. Together they overcome various setbacks before they succeed in creating instant noodles.

Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Meiji Restoration, was born to a poor, low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture). His simple honesty caught the attention of its charismatic feudal lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira’s assertion that the love of people is what will enrich and strengthen the nation captivated Saigo who took on Nariakira’s secret mission and eventually became a key person for Satsuma. Not a portrait of him survives today and much of his life is a mystery. He is a man who was twice exiled and thrice married. He overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate with exceptional bravery and action. Although he accomplished the restoration, he lost his life in a fight with the new Meiji government.

Based on the novel "Sego Don" by Hayashi Mariko.

A heartwarming romantic drama set in Ofunato City in Iwate Prefecture. The story revolves around Yukari, a city hall employee who hosts a matchmaking-party held on a train running along the beautiful Sanriku Coastal Area. One day, she happens to live with her brother-in-law who resolves to cook an original ramen noodle.

Kisaragi Sumi is a 20-year-old university student. But do not be surprised that she is a 65-year-old inside. Under pressure to help out with the family business from a young age, she could not have a youth. Even afterwards, she devoted her entire life to taking care of first her grandmother and then her father and mother. Sumi finds herself turning 65 without ever having had a boyfriend. She takes a little pride in having lived with integrity. But after her mother passes away, she has the sudden thought of regaining her youth once more and making a fresh start in life. A miracle happens to her. One day when Sumi wakes up, she has the appearance of a 20-year-old! Despite being bewildered by this unbelievable reality, she introduces herself as Sumire and gets another try at youth.

A comedic drama about the inside world of filmmaking, FALL GUY (KAMATA KOSHIN-KYOKU) was helmed by acclaimed Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku. A declining movie star, Ginshiro, decides to exploit the devotion of an over-dedicated fan, Yasu, to help restore his image and superstardom. First, he asks Yasu to marry his pregnant mistress Konatsu, in order to deflect any negative press and resulting scandal. Yasu, to support Konatsu and at Ginshiro's insistence, becomes a stuntman for Ginshiro's increasingly dangerous endeavors. Konatsu feels her loyalty being torn between the two men, even as Yasu's dedication to his idol places him in ever more precarious positions. FALL GUY was given all four major awards by the Japanese Academy in 1982, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Set in Kyokuhoku Citizen Hospital in Hokkaido, Japan. "Kyokuhoku Rhapsody" follows the life of a young doctor for a one year period. Imanaka Yoshio (Eita) works at the Kyokuhoku Hospital that is losing staff members and facing bankruptcy. During this difficult time, Imanaka Yoshio meets hairdresser Namiki Kozue (Kato Ai) and falls in love.

Fumi becomes Genzui Kusaka’s wife. During the turbulent times of the closing days for the Tokugawa shogunate, she lives positively and tries to keep up Shoin Yoshida's will. Shoin Yoshida is her older brother and intellectual.

Forever supporting actor Hiroshi's (Toru Masuoka) real life seems to mimic his minor acting career. When he walks out on the street he is often mistaken for a shop clerk, staff member, security guard or even a kidnapper. At home, his famous play-writer father Kenta Matsuzaki (Masahiko Tsugawa) treats him like an idiot.One day, Hiroshi's life turns upside down when he meets the woman of his dreams, aspiring actress Aya (Hiromi Nagasaku). While attempting to court Aya, Hiroshi also tries to play the lead in his own life ...

Biblia Second-hand Bookstore has been quietly open for business in some corner of Kamakura. Its owner is Shinokawa Shioriko, a young, pretty but introverted girl who is extremely shy around strangers and cannot interact well with people she meets for the first time. However, when it comes to knowledge of old books, no one can to compare to her. Talking about books makes Shioriko forget her shyness. In fact, she becomes eloquent and passionate. She unravels the mysteries and secrets associated with many old books with her vast knowledge and keen eye.

Adapted from the novel series "The Biblia Antiquarian Bookstore Case Files" (ビブリア古書堂の事件手帖) by Mikami En (三上延).

Nishikawa Chiaki (Inoue Mao) works at the public relations department for the city of Oita. The city in the past was won the tug-of-war world championship three times and Chiaki is also an enthusiast for the tug-of-war game. To promote the city of Oita, the mayor instructs Chiaki to form a female tug-of-war team.

Shinobu Takeuchi becomes a homeroom teacher at Ooki Elemntary School in Osaka, Japan. Shinobu loves mystery novels and can't stand things when it doesn't turn out right. Shinobu with three of her students then attempts to solve a difficult cases that even detectives can't solve.

Kaido published "Madonna Verde" in 2008 as a sequel to "Gene Waltz," continuing the story around the controversial issue of surrogate pregnancy in Japan. Kuninaka plays the doctor Rie Sonezaki, known as the "Cool Witch" by her colleagues in the obstetrics department. The character was previously played by Miho Kanno (33) in the movie version of "Gene Waltz." In "Madonna Verde," Rie and her husband (played by comedian Jin Katagiri) want to have a child, but Rie lost her uterus due to an earlier illness. She decides to ask her own mother Midori (Matsuzaka) to be the surrogate mother, and the three of them proceed with their plan in secret. However, a man named Maruyama (Kyozo Nagatsuka), who is in love with Midori, finds out about their plan. Later, a professor at Rie's university hospital (Hirotaro Honda) receives an accusatory letter, and Midori and Rie are desperately forced to pretend that the child in Midori's womb is her own. --

After being forced to resign from her publishing company job when her magazine goes out of circulation, office worker Haname Jinchoge is given the name of her real father-Noburo Jinchoge when her mother falls into a coma after nearly drowning in a pond while searching for kappa. Unsure if Noburo is her father, Haname decides to visit him but tells him that she is a distant relative, he happens to be the shopkeeper at an odd antiquities shop called Light Bulb Co., working for her father is a punk rocker named Gas.

Haname becomes fascinated with the various oddities and charm of Light Bulb Co., and discovers that she, like her father has a knack for selling things so she decides to become a shopkeeper herself. Customers are hard to come by, but she listens to her dad's strange advice-like filling a sink full of water whilst running errands makes life exciting. One day her father offers to sell her the key to the family warehouse for 1 million yen to fund his next trip, which she excitedly agrees to without thinking. However, when she discovers a shocking fact about Light Bulb Co. she chucks the key away in disgust. Later she realizes that she's been stubborn not telling Noburo he was her dad, but by the time she runs back to meet him he's already gone. Eventually Haname with the support of gas.

Leo, a young Japanese college student, travels to Hawaii and eventually falls in love with Maray, an older Japanese-Caucasion woman.