Quick Review #57: Jimenshitachi - Summer 2024

Title: Jimenshitachi / 地面師たち

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who like white-collar crime stories based on real cases presented in a sleek way with nail-biting moments and/or are fans of the cast members

Liked:

- Much as the story may seem far-fetched and incredulous at certain points, the fact that the original novel inspired by an actual land fraud case in 2017 actually added much credibility and reality to the plot. On hindsight, many fraud cases could have been seen through but when people are caught in the midst of a scam and various factors come into play, it can be difficult for people to think straight. As such, stories of this nature can serve as a timely reminder for everyone especially in this era when there are scams of all sorts happening around us. With just 7 episodes, the pacing of the storytelling was well-managed with hardly any draggy moments and also provided a nice balance of nail-biting moments threatening to expose the scam. 

- It's been a while since I was impressed with the BGM and sound effects of a work. Kudos goes to Ishino Takkyu this time for the BGM which was spot-on in accentuating the atmosphere and tension of the scenes. Sound effects deserve special mention especially during the more violent and gory scenes. You actually don't get to see what happened but the sound effects were so realistic and compelling enough to make me grimace and cringe through my imagination because it was as good as seeing the bloody violence unfold in front of me. I felt that this left a deeper impression on me as compared to seeing the gore dished up on screen.

- The acting was simply superb especially the interaction between Toyokawa Etsushi and Ayano Go which felt like an evenly-matched ball game with a never-ending rally. The supporting cast lineup was charismatic and they delivered memorable performances. Unfortunately, if there is ever a sequel, the cast lineup would pretty much see an overhaul because of the high body count towards the end of the story.

Disliked: 

- Illogical loopholes in the stories of dramas and movies are aplenty but I get it that in this drama, it was probably meant to show that despite how far-fetched this scam was, it was still successful due to greed, complacency, urge to succeed, lack of compliance and checks. The thing is, some parts were just too ridiculous to be true and failed to convince me. For example, the owner of the house is in a taxi heading towards her house on a straight road and she is definitely not more than 1km away from her gate. Yet, she fails to see a bunch of people coming out of her supposedly locked house and two men trying to close her wooden gate frantically before she alights from the taxi. When she reaches her gate and sees that it was unlocked with a new lock that she had never seen before dangling there, why wouldn't she feel alarmed about it? Seriously? Was she looking elsewhere while in the taxi or had poor eyesight?

- Insensitivity or harmless humour? To be honest, using the name Sekiyo House in an obvious reference to Sekisui House which was the victim in the 2017 land fraud case could be seen as either being insensitive to the victim or the creators of this drama/novel engaging in harmless fun. I wasn't so bothered by this but when Pierre Taki's character criticised Kitamura Kazuki's character in jest for being addicted to drugs, I thought that this was inappropriate. Especially when you consider that Taki himself was convicted for cocaine possession and consumption offences and left a trail of mess for those who worked with him, I wonder if those who were affected adversely by his actions back then and had to deal with the aftermath would still be able to laugh at these joking remarks. Whether these were part of the script or ad-libs from Taki, I wasn't that amused by these jokes which appeared more than once in this drama. No wonder there was criticism towards Taki as to how he could have the cheek to say such lines after what he did.

First impression of TV Asahi Summer 2024 drama "Sky Castle" and the inevitable comparisons with its Korean predecessor in terms of money and settings

While I initially had no intention to watch yet another Japanese remake of a Korean drama, curiosity got the better of me in the end. For now, I think I won't proceed to watch the rest of this drama.

If you had watched the Korean version before just like me, what I can say is that it will be extremely hard not to make comparisons between both versions and not end up being frustrated with various things.

To begin with, allow me to lay out the key facts and differences between both versions from the settings and money angles.

For those who are not familiar with the Korean version, this article in the Korea Times by American professor Emanuel Pastreich is a very detailed analysis of the K-drama and helps you understand the societal setting, the obsession over education excellence and status in South Korea as well as the significance of the title and name of the upscale residential estate featured in this drama.

However, to transplant the Korean setting wholesale into Japan felt like a misfit to me right from the start. While I do not deny both countries do place a lot of value on educational qualifications and the pursuit of entry into so-called brand name universities or top schools, the level of intensity and obsession in this aspect does come across quite differently in Japan especially in recent years. South Korea talks a lot about entering the SKY universities as a huge reflection of status and achievement and that will lead to landing jobs in the conglomerates where they are assured of high salaries and career success. A long time ago, many Japanese dramas were singing a similar tune as well as they kept talking about entering Todai i.e. University of Tokyo as the epitome of success in life but the sentiment has somewhat shifted in recent years even though the focus on academic excellence hasn't gone away completely.

What's more, the Japanese version even adjusted the age setting of the kids from senior high to junior high which could be due to the primary fact the actresses playing the mothers don't look that old to have kids of that age group. Those in the Korean version didn't look old as well but the sense of urgency and desperation would be elevated for parents if you are talking about senior high school students rather than junior high kids. However, by reducing the ages of the kids in the remake, it made me wonder if there was any compelling need for the parents to get so uptight at this stage and shell out that kind of money i.e. JPY 30m for a year to engage an exam coordinator to ensure that their children could get into the desired senior high school. Especially when you consider the financial situation of these families, things don't make sense (oh well, let's not forget this is fiction after all).

In the Korean version, the husbands were namely neurosurgeons, a law professor-cum-former prosecutor and an orthopedics surgeon. Using average annual salary data found online as a rough guide, the average salaries of these professions are (without taking into consideration seniority and type of workplace):

Neurosurgeon = KRW 257m (about JPY 28.5m)

Law Professor = KRW 124m (about JPY 13.8m)

Orthopedic surgeon = KRW 232m (about JPY 25.7m)

In the Japanese version, the husbands are all neurosurgeons which means the average annual salary is around JPY 15m (not considering seniority and type of workplace). And not to mention, these husbands aren't even holding managerial posts in the hospital nor are professors in an university hospital. Now, if the exam coordinator is asking for double your annual salary just to ensure that your kid gets into the desired senior high school which supposedly means that it's straight entry to the top medical university, do you still think this is a good deal or simply too much to bear? And that is why one of the wives played by Matsushita Nao had to beg her mother-in-law for the money because this would not have been possible to be paid out of her husband's salary. 

Now still on the topic of money...

In terms of budget, Sky Castle being set in a top-class residential estate for the rich and influential would definitely boast of posh-looking houses with expensive-looking furnishings and decor as well as the characters clad in designer wear and driving sleek cars. It was reported before that the production budget of Sky Castle's Korean version was KRW 7.5 billion won which would be about JPY 753m based on the average exchange rate to JPY in 2018. Based on the current rate (with a weaker JPY), it would be around JPY 832m. 

In Japan, the average budget for a single episode of a private network drama is said to be around JPY 30m. Assuming that the Japanese version would have up to 10 episodes (max), this would come up to JPY 300m at most. So...TV Asahi definitely looks like they have to replicate the same extravagance and luxurious feel with just half the money. It is thus no wonder that there has been criticism after the first episode's OA that the set design, the clothes and accessories worn by the cast and the houses featured in the Japanese version of Sky Castle do not look as expensive as the Korean version - which I think is perfectly understandable. If they had the budget like "Hana Yori Dango" to replicate the rich lifestyles, this would have been a different ball game.

Coming to the number of episodes, the Korean version had 20 episodes of 60 mins each on average to develop the whole story. What I saw in the first episode was truly a jumbled mess. If the Japanese version must squeeze everything into half the number of episodes (maybe even less) with about 45 mins per episode, it is a tall order to expect TV Asahi to still maintain the logicality and completeness of the storyline within this time constraint. Unfortunately, this means that something has to go and these missing pockets of information will probably get on your nerves especially if you already know the full story from the Korean version.

I certainly think that if you have no prior knowledge of the Korean version, chances are that you might enjoy this drama far more than if you already know what's coming up. The issue is, sometimes copying and pasting something from a different country with different social issues, norms, cultures and practices is not the way to go. What works in South Korea may not be a winning formula in Japan. Remember "Itaewon Class" vs. "Roppongi Class"? 

Remakes are not always bad, it's how you do it and adapt to your target audience that will determine whether it will be successful. The way it looks right now, my biggest bugbear is with the fragmented story. I can ignore the sets and costumes etc. not looking as expensive as they should but I'm sorry, the story is simply a no-go for me this time.

Preview of "Danchi no futari" - Summer 2024

Title: Danchi no futari / 団地のふたり

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 1 September 2024

Timeslot: Sundays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Original novel by: Fujino Chiya

Cast: Koizumi Kyoko, Kobayashi Satomi, Oka Mitsuko, Yuki Saori, Natori Yuko, Sugimoto Tetta, Tsukamoto Takashi, Bengaru & Hashizume Isao

Quick Review #56: Ryoujin no ono - Autumn 2022

Title: Ryoujin no ono / 両刃の斧

Rating: 7 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who like thought-provoking but slow-paced suspense stories with twists

Liked:

- While this was largely a suspense story trying to get to the bottom of a 15-year-old murder case, it turned out that the truth was not as it seemed. To be frank, rather than feeling gratified that the truth was out in the open, the feeling of "munashii" (in vain or emptiness) came across more strongly. Was it everyone's best interests that the truth was known? Just like what the title meant i.e. a double-edged axe, there was a likelihood of hurting someone behind you when you did something seemingly for the best. As such, it was worth considering that if the entire journey in search for closure and the truth was worth it after all because this felt like a tragedy after all with a bittersweet ending.

- The acting of Shibata Kyouhei and Iura Arata was a good contrast between calmness and passion and their chemistry on screen was a joy to watch. Even the supporting cast members had their moments to shine especially Nao. I would have wanted to see more of Mikami Ai and Nagasawa Itsuki though - just too bad.

Disliked: 

- The slow pacing of the story (despite this being just 6 episodes) can be a test of your patience if you are the type who craves for faster developments. Although there were many twists in the story which provided some "excitement" and unpredictability, I really had the temptation to turn up the playback speed whenever it took ages for things to move along.

Preview of "Haha no matsu sato" - Summer 2024

Title: Haha no matsu sato / 母の待つ里

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 16 August 2024 at 8.15pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Total number of episodes: 4

Original novel by: Asada Jiro

Cast: Nakai Kiichi, Matsushima Nanako, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Miyamoto Nobuko, Mitsushima Shinnosuke, Sakai Maki, Tsurumi Shingo, Negishi Toshie, Ibu Masato, Nakajima Hiroko, Gozu Takeo, Matsuura Yuuya, Nahana, Yashiba Toshihiro, Iriyama Noriko, Ohnishi Ayaka & Nagata Rin

Quick Review #55: Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki - Spring 2024

Title: Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki / アンメット　ある脳外科医の日記

Rating: 9 /10 

Recommended for: 

Those who would like to watch a down-to-earth and natural medical-cum-humanity drama without the frills and exaggeration and are fans of the cast

* Spoilers ahead!

Liked:

- Unlike a lot of medical dramas which tend to play up the dramatic factor by projecting the medical personnel as super beings who can save the day regardless of whatever serious or complicated illness they are dealing with, this drama bucked the trend by delivering the medical aspect of the story in a very down-to-earth and as a-matter-of-fact manner. For the surgical scenes which were supposed to be the "climax" or had more tension built up, there was hardly any overly dramatic BGM nor exaggerated antics by the cast to show the "superior capabilities" of the medical personnel. The complicated neurological conditions were explained so well and easy to understand even for a layman. This was extremely unusual because medical dramas tend to bombard the viewers with so much jargon and overly-complicated terms that sometimes make me wonder if these illnesses were cooked up from nowhere just to make the doctors seem like super heroes who can cure anyone. The effort put in by the production crew really shone through in making this story feel more realistic as a workplace drama set in a neurology department of a hospital and keeping the viewers in mind by explaining the medical conditions properly and clearly.

- Since the story did not require the cast to over-act, it was so comfortable to watch them fit into the shoes of their characters so nicely. Besides Sugisaki Hana and Wakaba Ryuuya taking centrestage in driving the story with their superb work, I was particularly impressed with Chiba Yuudai and Kichise Michiko's performances this time which was way more natural than any of their acting I saw in the past. Iura Arata was as good as usual while the romance story between Okayama Amane's and Ikuta Erika's characters turned out to be more interesting to watch than expected.

- The sizzling chemistry between Sugisaki Hana and Wakaba Ryuuya made the lead couple such a joy to watch. One good thing that worked to their advantage was how well the love story of Miyabi and Sanpei was crafted with proper layering and tying up the loose ends so well with one scene in the finale. On the other hand, you also cannot deny that they did really well in conveying the emotions by relying on facial expressions most of the time since there was hardly any skinship or intimate scenes. Towards the end of the season when rumours of them being romantically involved started surfacing, it may probably affect how you see their onscreen interaction but I guess it's also fun to look out for signs of whether it was love for real or reel for them.

Disliked: 

- Given that the manga had yet to finish its run by the time the drama concluded (it was finished this month), I can understand why the drama did not have a very conclusive ending. At the very least, the most important question of whether Miyabi regained her memory was answered so I'm glad that this was properly addressed. Ideally, there should have been a "happily-ever-after" showing what happens to the key characters after the ending but that probably will only come through in a SP (if it ever happens) since there probably won't be enough new material for a full sequel. On the other hand, I'm also not too keen for a sequel in case it does not match up to the quality of this drama.

Preview of "Warau Shukujo" - Summer 2024

Title: Warau Shukujo / 嗤う淑女

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 27 July 2024

Timeslot: Saturdays at 11.40pm

Broadcast by: Tokai TV / FujiTV

Original novel by: Nakayama Shichiri

Theme Song: "Heaven" by Kotone

Opening Song: "BLEEDING" by HYDE

Cast: Uchida Rio, Matsui Rena, Naitou Shuichiro, Kojima Fujiko, Aoki Sayaka, Miyata Toshiya, Marui Wan, Takeda Kouhei, Maeda Kentaro & Daito Shunsuke

Preview of "The 3 meisama Omega" - Summer 2024

Title: The 3 meisama Omega / THE３名様Ω

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

Official YouTube: here

O.A. Start Date: 24 July 2024

Timeslot: Wednesdays at 12.40am

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Original manga by: Ishihara Makochin

Cast: Sato Ryuuta, Okada Yoshinori, Tsukamoto Takashi, Kobayashi Daisuke, Momotsuki Nashiko & Ando Tamae

Quick Review #54: Soshite, baton wa watasareta

Title: Soshite, baton wa watasareta / そして、バトンは渡された

Rating: 7 /10 

Recommended for: 

Those who like heart-warming stories about atypical families and the different forms which love can come in

* Disclaimer: I have the novel which is still lying around in my to-be-read stack but my opinion here is based on the movie alone with no prior knowledge of the story.

Liked:

- While I think that viewers may not enjoy the story as much if they had read the novel especially since the developments were mostly standard and predictable, the fact that I hadn't read it probably helped me to enjoy the twist and revelation better towards the end. To be honest, as much as two-thirds of the movie was a tad confusing and the flow of the story kept getting disrupted because the timeline repeatedly went back and forth between the childhood version of Yuko i.e. Miitan and the senior high school version in the current day. However, things improved by the final part of the movie so if you can hold out till then, the ending should at least be satisfying enough to address why certain things happened and why people did what they did. 

- While the developments were hardly surprising, the central theme of what it means to be family despite the lack of blood relations and how love can come in different forms was presented in an engaging and thoughtful manner but not to the extent of a full-blown tearjerker. To be honest, Yuko had really great luck in that the fathers she had were all good men who truly loved her as a daughter in their own ways. Or perhaps not because this was a conscious choice by Rika after all. If it turned out that any of these guys were bad, Yuko's life would have turned out a lot more differently. While Rika's life choices may seem to have been selfish on the surface, I think that the revelation into her true thoughts and reasons for her actions helped to redeem her, albeit it was too late.

- The acting of Nagano Mei, Ishihara Satomi and Tanaka Kei turned out to be better than expected. Since the story wasn't going to offer much surprises, I wasn't hopeful that they had much room to develop their roles or stand out but they proved me wrong. Especially if you are a Ishihara fan, I think you would enjoy seeing how gorgeous she looked in this movie (most of the time). The funny thing though was, these three hardly had any or in fact any scenes together. In fact, as Ishihara's character Rika was MIA for multiple periods of time, I don't even recall her having a scene with Nagano after Miitan grew up to be Yuko.

Disliked: 

- While the final revelation did bring some belated justice for Rika who had been portrayed as a not-so-good mother, the realistic side in my mind kept questioning the likelihood of this happening in real life. It's like, you get the logic of why she did what she did but whether you were convinced by her rationale was another thing altogether. Likewise, for her subsequent husbands to be so welcoming of her stepdaughter to this extent, it did create some doubt as to why they did that even though they knew the real reason why Rika chose them as her husbands. Perhaps it's my doubtful nature to question the whys rather than accepting the "good things in life" as they are but these nagging thoughts made me feel that this movie was more of a fairy tale rather than a realistic take on the unconventional family structures in the modern era.

Preview of "Shrink - Seishinkai Yowai -" - Summer 2024

Title: Shrink - Seishinkai Yowai - / シュリンク―精神科医ヨワイ―

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 31 August 2024

Timeslot: Saturdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Total number of episodes: 3

Original manga by: Nanami Jin & Tsukiko

Cast: Nakamura Tomoya, Tsuchiya Tao, Igeta Hiroe, Miura Takahiro, Takezai Terunosuke, Sakai Wakana etc.

Guest stars: Kaho, Yo Kimiko (Ep 1) etc.

Quick Review #53: Black Pean Season 1 - Spring 2018

Title: Black Pean Season 1 / ブラックペアン

Rating: 3 /10 

Recommended for: 

Those who like stories about super doctors, are fine with overlooking the illogical parts in a medical drama or are fans of Ninomiya Kazunari

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Liked:

- For fans of Nino, you will probably like his performance as the "devil of the operating room" i.e. Tokai Seishiro where he has no qualms demanding money to fix the issues caused by his comparatively less-competent colleagues, is arrogant because of his skills and shows his disdain and distrust for his supervisor Saeki Seigo very openly. I wouldn't say this is one of his best performances to date but he did bring out the cockiness of Tokai. Just that the final showdown felt slightly anti-climatic because Tokai "deflated" too quickly at the end.

Disliked: 

- I am not a fan of "super doctor stories" like "Doctor X" where the doctor can cure anyone despite the tough or hopeless circumstances as if he/she is God. This type of genre may have been refreshing and interesting to watch a long time ago when it first burst onto the scene. However, with so many variations over the years and the doctors becoming increasingly "capable" until they don't feel like human beings anymore, the fatigue of seeing such incredulous stories is very real for me at least. This was one of the key reasons why I did not feel like watching Black Pean back then in 2018. If not for the fact that I could watch the later half of this drama at 1.5x speed and wanted to know the back story of what happened to Tokai's dad and Saeki, I think I would have dropped this by Ep 3 or 4.

- The biggest problem I had was with the story. Much as I understand that this is fiction after all and there should be dramatic developments to engage the viewers, the reason why Tokai had to take revenge that was also related to why Saeki came up with the black pean was simply too hard to stomach. And to think that the original novel was written by a real surgeon, not someone with no medical background. Leaving a metallic pean inside someone's body for years to save him and the patient doesn't seem to know what had happened? Using a carbon-based pean to replace that rusty one just to cover up the mistake, prevent further complications for the patient and avoid detection even at the point when the patient dies and his body is cremated? Tokai's father squandering his career, reputation and all that he had achieved for something which he truly believed to be right despite the controversial nature of it? And Saeki living with the realisation all along that he ruined someone's life and yet still tried to cover up his decision that he thought he was right about with yet another lie? Sorry but I think all these were hardly convincing, believable nor acceptable.

- The relationship between Tokai and Nekota was never explained properly. Why did they have such a strong bond and what happened to lead to that? Nothing at all on this so this was such a huge letdown.

- Takeuchi Ryoma and Kato Ayako really stood out for the wrong reasons for me. As the narrator and a key figure in the story, I was expecting him to do a much better job than this. His narration was so emotionless and there were parts when he was rattling off his lines so quickly that it was hard to hear what he was saying even though I had Japanese subs turned on. I even double-checked that I did not accidentally increase the playback speed. I can't help but wonder - this definitely isn't the same guy I thought well of when I first saw him in "Rikuou".

While I can cut Kato some slack because she didn't start out as an actress, I thought that she was also speaking too quickly at times and her pronunciation a bit too rigid and unnatural for day-to-day speech. Perhaps this was due to her training as a TV announcer where she always had to pronounce every word clearly but her occupation in this drama probably didn't call for such an extreme precision. While the character setting also suggested a feminine charm like a "koakuma / little devil" needed for Kinoshita, Kato couldn't really convey the same kind of vibe.

Preview of "Mikkoku wa utau 2 Keishicho kansatsu fairu" - Summer 2024

Title: Mikkoku wa utau 2 Keishicho kansatsu fairu / 密告はうたう2　警視庁監察ファイル

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 11 August 2024

Timeslot: Sundays at 10pm

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Original novel by: Igane Gentaro

Cast: Matsuoka Masahiro, Nakamura Tooru, Izumi Rika, Ikeda Tetsuhiro, Hamanaka Bunichi, Makita Sports, Totsuka Shota & Mashima Hidekazu

Quick Review #52: Idoujirei wa ongakutai!

Title: Idoujirei wa ongakutai! / 異動辞令は音楽隊！

Rating: 2 /10 

Recommended for: 

Those who want to watch a music-themed story about the underdogs struggling at work and life but don't want too much angsty or emotional drama

Liked:

- While the story left much to be desired, I think that the cast did try their best to deliver good performances although they were definitely capable of more and better stuff. 

Disliked: 

- Perhaps it was because of this movie trying too hard to pack various elements into the story within 2 hours that everything came across as delivered quite half-heartedly. For example, the lead character had various struggles in life i.e. singlehandedly taking care of his mother who has dementia, going through a rough patch at work and being relegated to a department which supposedly is unimportant because of his stubborn-ness and extreme way of doing things and having problems with his teenage daughter. His issues alone would have provided much material to be explored and it would have been interesting to have the work and family situations mirror each other and offer more room for thought. However, just when you felt that there was going to be a bit more to see, the story shifted focus to the next point and you can't help but feel, "is that all to this?". While I get that the direction of the movie was probably not to go big on emotions and keep this as relatively light entertainment peppered with some serious issues, the film did come across as something hardly making a dent The main plot and subplots were barely scrapping the surface of the issues presented so there was very little insight nor any plausible justification about how some of the characters behaved the way they did. 

- I was quite disappointed with the music element of this movie which should feature prominently and have a bigger impact. Movies of this nature about a struggling band/orchestra/musicians etc. would usually begin with them playing atrocious-level of music and then improving to such a stage when they would inspire and touch people. However, by the time you get to the climax scene, I thought that the before-and-after difference was there but pretty negligible. The level of music never really got to the inspiring and touching level typical of such movies because to be honest, the music corps weren't that bad in terms of their playing, they were just not very coordinated and the playing was not smooth, that's all.

- I personally felt that the movie was projecting the music corps in a very unflattering manner and wondered if it did anything good to improve the perception of them in the end. To begin with, it was not explained properly why the music corps in the police force were so belittled and looked down on other than this viewpoint of them not contributing to the actual act of catching criminals. This bias against them was "reversed" partially only when they did help to capture the criminal. What this seemed to show is that, if you don't contribute to the core KPI of catching a criminal or solving a case, you have no value in the police force. 

However, the crux of the movie should be to illustrate that the music corps are there to serve a different purpose and contribute to crime fighting in another manner. And yet, if everything boils down to crime fighting in a conventional way, I question the value of having this movie because it only perpetuates and accentuates the notion that the music corps are secondary and have little value. That is especially unfair when you consider that those in the music corps had to juggle their core duties with the practice time for the music corps and yet didn't get anything in terms of tangible rewards for this. In addition, they were ridiculed for being part of the music corps which was somewhat described as a dumping ground for people who couldn't do well in the organisation for various reasons. If the movie was meant to convey the message that people who are on alternative or unconventional paths can still achieve success, I don't think it was very successful and convincing in this regard.

Japanese nominees for the 2024 ContentAsia Awards (Drama categories)

Winners will be announced in Taipei, Taiwan, on 5 September 2024. For the full list of the nominees, please refer here.

Here are the nominees from Japan for the drama-related categories:

Best Asian Drama Series Made for a Regional or International Market

Ossan's Love Returns - TV Asahi

Last Man Zenmou no sousakan (The Last Man: The Blind Profiler) - TBS

Grace no rireki (Traces of Grace) - NHK

VIVANT - TBS

Best Drama Series Made for a Single Market in Asia

Gekokujou Kyuuji (Worst to First: A Teen Baseball Miracle) - TBS

Best Asian Feature Film/Telemovie

Shinnyuushatachi no bansan (Trespassers) - NTV

Preview of "Shosen hitogoto desukara ~ To aru bengoshi no honne no shigoto ~" - Summer 2024

Title: Shosen hitogoto desukara ~ To aru bengoshi no honne no shigoto ~ / しょせん他人事ですから 〜とある弁護士の本音の仕事〜

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 19 July 2024

Timeslot: Fridays at 8pm

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Sato Masamichi & Fujiya Katsuhito

Cast: Nakajima Kento, Shiraishi Sei & Katahira Nagisa etc.

Preview of "Sky Castle" - Summer 2024

Title: Sky Castle / スカイキャッスル

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 25 July 2024

Timeslot: Thursdays at 9pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Original Korean drama by: SLL Joongang Co., Ltd

Theme Song: "We All Lie" by milet

Cast: Matsushita Nao, Kimura Fumino, Takahashi Maryjun, Tanabe Seiichi, Suzuki Kosuke, Honda Chikara, Ootani Ryohei, Toda Naho, Hashimoto Jun, Fuji Mariko, Ono Takehiko, Higa Manami & Koyuki etc.

Preview of "Densetsu no head Sho" - Summer 2024

Title: Densetsu no head Sho / 伝説の頭　翔

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 19 July 2024

Timeslot: Fridays at 11.15pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Original manga by: Natsuhara Takeshi & Hamori Takashi

Theme Song: "REVERSE" by TREASURE

Cast: Takahashi Fumiya, Sekimizu Nagisa, Igeta Hiroe, Sugou Araki, Nakagawa Daisuke, Komagine Kiita, Tanaka Taketo, Kan Hideyoshi, Ishiyama Junsei, Miura Ryota, Mori Kasumi, Shida Kohaku, Yoshida Ryoka, Yuki Moe, Karuma, Kinjo Sukai & Iijima Naoko

Preview of "Kao ni doro wo nuru" - Summer 2024

Title: Kao ni doro wo nuru / 顔に泥を塗る

Official website: here
Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 13 July 2024

Timeslot: Saturdays at 11.30pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Original manga by: Yoshikazu

Cast: Takahashi Hikaru, Kimura Keito, Nishigaki Sho, Kubozuka Airu, Kawazu Asuka, Tanaka Michiko, Takano Akira & Okunuki Kaoru

Preview of "Kurasumeito no joshi, zenin suki deshita" - Summer 2024

Title: Kurasumeito no joshi, zenin suki deshita / クラスメイトの女子、全員好きでした

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 11 July 2024

Timeslot: Thurdays at 11.59pm

Broadcast by: YTV / NTV

Original book by: Tsumegiri Otoko

Theme Song: "You and Me" by Suda Keina

Cast: Kimura Subaru, Shinkawa Yua, Maehara Kou, Yuki Moe, Oikawa Touri, Sakata Masanobu & Minagawa Sarutoki

Preview of "Maruhi no Mitsuko-san" - Summer 2024

Title: Maruhi no Mitsuko-san / マル秘の密子さん

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 13 July 2024

Timeslot: Saturdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NTV

Theme Song by: Superfly

Cast: Fukuhara Haruka, Uesugi Shuhei, Shimizu Hiroya, Shida Sara, Kiryu Sakura, Sakurai Hinako, Kuroba Mario, Watanabe Makiko, Koyanagi Rumiko & Matsuyuki Yasuko

Preview of "Kinshicho Paradise ~ Shibuya kara ippon ~" - Summer 2024

Title: Kinshicho Paradise ~ Shibuya kara ippon ~ / 錦糸町パラダイス～渋谷から一本～

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 12 July 2024

Timeslot: Fridays at 12.12am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Cast: Kaku Kento, Emoto Tokio, Ochiai Motoki & Okada Masaki etc.

Preview of "Otto no katei wo kowasu made" - Summer 2024

Title: Otto no katei wo kowasu made / 夫の家庭を壊すまで

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 8 July 2024

Timeslot: Mondays at 11.06pm

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Akaishi Mana

Theme song: "down under" by Zakinosuke

Ending theme song: "Koukyuu French yori anata to tsukuru shinya no French toast ga suki" by SARM

Cast: Matsumoto Marika, Takezai Terunosuke, Nonami Maho, Nomura Kota, Ota Rina, Tanaka Miku, Ota Masaki, Nakajima Moeko & Asou Yumi

Preview of "Minami-kun ga koibito!?" - Summer 2024

Title: Minami-kun ga koibito!? / 南くんが恋人!?

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 16 July 2024

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 9pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Theme Song: "Fusen kaishu" by Yuzu

Cast: Iinuma Ai, Yagi Yuusei, Takeda Shinji, Banka Tenta, Takeda Rena, Iwase Yoji, Yamato Nao, Yagi Akiko, Sawamura Ikki, Mitsuishi Ken, Muroi Shigeru, Kaga Mariko & Kimura Yoshino

Preview of "Douka watashi yori fukou de ite kudasai" - Summer 2024

Title: Douka watashi yori fukou de ite kudasai / どうか私より不幸でいて下さい

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 9 July 2024

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 12.24am

Broadcast by: NTV

Original manga by: Saimasa, Takeno Shun & Mashiki

Cast: Yoshitani Ayako, Asakawa Nana, Seto Toshiki, Murase Sae, Munakata Shunji, Tomite Ami, Yamashita Yorie & Jinbo Satoshi

Preview of "Isobe Isobee Monogatari ~ Ukiyo wa tsurai yo ~" - Summer 2024

Title: Isobe Isobee Monogatari ~ Ukiyo wa tsurai yo ~ / 磯部磯兵衛物語～浮世はつらいよ～

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 12 July 2024

Timeslot: Fridays at 11pm

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Original manga by: Nakama Ryo

Cast: Sugino Yosuke, Suzuki Fuku, Nagahama Neru, Makita Sports, Tsuda Kanji, Ayata Toshiki, Miyake Hiroki, Dan Rei, Hiraizumi Sei, Tokushige Satoshi, Araki Hirofumi, Akiyama Ryuji & Mashima Hidekazu

Preview of "Aoshima-kun wa ijiwaru" - Summer 2024

Title: Aoshima-kun wa ijiwaru / 青島くんはいじわる

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start DateL 6 July 2024

Timeslot: Saturdays at 11pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Original manga by: Yoshii Yuu

Theme Song: "Kimi wa boku no mono" by Snow Man

Cast: Watanabe Shota, Nakamura An, Tozuka Junki, Akimoto Manatsu, Ito Shuko, Kobayashi Ryoko, Yada Akiko & Kimura Tae

Preview of "GO HOME ~ Keishicho mimoto fumeinin soudanshitsu ~" - Summer 2024

Title: GO HOME ~ Keishicho mimoto fumeinin soudanshitsu ~ / GO HOME ~ 警視庁身元不明人相談室~

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 13 July 2024

Timeslot: Saturdays at 9pm

Broadcast by: NTV

Cast: Koshiba Fuuka, Ooshima Yuko, Abe Ryohei, Yanagi Miki, Kawase Riko, Totsugi Shigeyuki, Hankai Kazuaki, Takashima Reiko & Yoshida Kotaro

Preview of "Furitsumore kodoku na shi yo" - Summer 2024

Title: Furitsumore kodoku na shi yo / 降り積もれ孤独な死よ

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 7 July 2024

Timeslot: Sundays at 10.30pm

Broadcast by: YTV / NTV

Original manga by: Inoryu Hajime & Ito Shota

Theme Song: "Zarame" by Aimyon

Cast: Narita Ryo, Yoshikawa Ai, Kohinata Fumiyo, Kuroki Meisa, Hagiwara Riku, Sato Taiki, Nomaguchi Tooru, Naka Bambi, Matsumoto Reo, Mokudai Kazuto & Kakaroni Kuritani

Preview of "Black Pean Season 2" - Summer 2024

Title: Black Pean Season 2 / ブラックペアン　シーズン２

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 7 July 2024

Timeslot: Sundays at 9pm

Broadcast by: TBS

Original novel by: Kaidou Takeru

Theme Song: "Sono saki ni aru mono" by Oda Kazumasa

Cast: Ninomiya Kazunari, Takeuchi Ryoma, Aoi Wakana, Kim Mu-jun, Uchimura Haruka, Konno Hiroki, Morita Kanro, Yamada Yuusuke, Matsukawa Naruki, Mizutani Kaho, Tanaka Minami, Ishizaka Koji, Kanno Misuzu, Hashimoto Satoshi, Danta Yasunori, Koizumi Kotaro & Uchino Seiyo