Preview of "Minoshirokin wa yuukai desu" - Winter 2026

Title: Minoshirokin wa yuukai desu / 身代金は誘拐です

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 8 January 2026

Timeslot: Thursdays at 11.59pm

Broadcast by: YTV

Theme Song: "echo" by Yuka

Cast: Katsuji Ryo, Takimoto Miori, Asaka Koudai, Kiriyama Akito, Sakou Yoshi, Izumiya Seina, Matobu Sei, Satsukawa Aimi, Isoyama Sayaka & Kawanishi Kenshiro etc.

Preview of "Professional Hoken chousain Amane Ren" - Winter 2026

Title: Professional Hoken chousain Amane Ren / プロフェッショナル　保険調査員・天音蓮

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 8 January 2026

Timeslot: Thursdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Theme Song: "Kakebbuchi Ruby" by Tokyo Ska Paradise

Cast: Tamaki Hiroshi, Okazaki Sae, Kote Shinya, Nomaguchi Tooru, Watabe Atsuro, Kataoka Hisamichi, Yuki Moe, Ito Shunsuke & Hasegawa Kyoko etc.

Preview of "Sei Love Survivors" - Winter 2026

Title: Sei Love Survivors / 聖ラブサバイバーズ

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 7 January 2026

Timeslot: Wednesdays at 12.30am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Hiura Satoru

Opening theme song: "Melty Love" by Girls²

Ending theme song: "Love letter" by Park Yuna

Cast: Ishii Anna, Ueda Tatsuya, Satsukawa Aimi, Yamaya Kasumi, Mashiko Atsuki, Hamanaka Bunichi, Saeki Daichi, Toudou Hinata, Usa Takuma & Nakabeppu Aoi

Preview of "Kochira yobi jiei eiyuuho?!" - Winter 2026

Title: Kochira yobi jiei eiyuuho?! / こちら予備自衛英雄補？！

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 7 January 2026 at 12.24am

Broadcast by: Chukyo TV & NTV

Theme Song: "Iranai" by Sakanaction

Cast: Kikuchi Fuuma, Non, Morinaga Yuuki, Goto Takenori, Komiyama Rio, Oka Mitsuko, Totsugi Shigeyuki, Rokkaku Seiji, Takasugi Kou & Ando Riki

Preview of "Kono ai wa machigai desuka ~ Furin no shokuzai" - Winter 2026

Title: Kono ai wa machigai desuka ~ Furin no shokuzai / この愛は間違いですか～不倫の贖罪

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 7 January 2026

Timeslot: Wednesdays at 1am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Otoha Ichika

Opening theme song: "Stand by..." by hitomi

Ending theme song: "Gomen ne" by Cider Girl

Cast: Miyamoto Mayu, Izuka Kenta, Katayama Moemi & Tozuka Shota

Preview of "Ryakudatsu Datsukon" - Winter 2026

Title: Ryakudatsu Datsukon / 略奪奪婚

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 6 January 2026

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 12.30am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Yamada Mei

Opening Theme Song: "LOOP" by Faulieu

Cast: Uchida Rio, Ito Kentaro, Nakamura Yurika, Matsumoto Hiroki, Kawashima Ririka, ISSEI, Onozuka Hayato, Machida Shion & Nomura Mami

Winners of the 38th Nikkansports Eiga Taisho (2025)

Best Movie: Kokuhou

Ishihara Yujiro Award: Takarajima

Best Director: Lee Sang-il (Kokuhou)

Best Leading Actor: Yoshizawa Ryo (Kokuhou / Babanbabanban Vampire)

Best Leading Actress: Hirose Suzu (Tooi yamanami no hikari / Yukitekaheranu)

Best Supporting Actor: Tanaka Min (Kokuhou)

Best Supporting Actress: Takiuchi Kumi (Kokuhou / Futsuu no kodomotachi / Takarajima)

Best Newcomer: Hayashi Yuuta (Orokamono no mibun)

Ishihara Yujiro Award - Newcomer Award: Kurokawa Souya (Kokuhou / Kono natsu no hoshi wo miru)

Source: Nikkansports

Preview of "Kurosaki-san no ichizu na ai ga tomaranai" - Winter 2026

Title: Kurosaki-san no ichizu na ai ga tomaranai / 黒崎さんの一途な愛がとまらない

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 6 January 2026

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 12.24am

Broadcast by: NTV

Original manga by: Okada Piko

Theme Song: "Koharu biyori" by Sakurashimeji

Cast: Toyoshima Hana, Yamanaka Jutaro, Ohnishi Riku, Takemori Sento, Nishiyama Rento, Sato Tasuku, Kitaki Mayu, Uehara Amane, Nakayama Mimi, Ishikawa Ren & Inaba Yu

Preview of "Toyotomi Kyoudai!" - NHK 2026 Taiga drama

Title: Toyotomi Kyoudai! / 豊臣兄弟！

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 4 January 2026

Timeslot: Sundays at 8pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Narrator: Ando Sakura

Cast: Nakano Taiga, Ikematsu Sousuke, Yoshioka Riho, Hamabe Minami, Shiraishi Sei, Sakai Maki, Miyazawa Ema, Daitou Shunsuke, Matsushita Kouhei, Yamaguchi Bakiya, Miyazaki Aoi & Oguri Shun etc.

Preview of "119 Emergency Call 2026 Yokohama Blackout" (Drama SP)

Title: 119 Emergency Call 2026 Yokohama Blackout / 119 エマージェンシーコール２０２６ Yokohama Blackout

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 3 January 2026 at 9.30pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Theme Song: "Koe" by Hitsujibungaku

Cast: Seino Nana, Seto Koji, Mikami Ai, Ichinose Hayate, Maehara Kou, Sakai Taisei, Miura Ryota, Renbutsu Misako, Horiuchi Keiko, Toyama Toshiya, Nakamura Yuri & Sato Koichi

Preview of "Kyou mo karee desuka?" (Drama SP)

Title: Kyou mo karee desuka? / 今日もカレーですか？

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 29 December 2025 at 12am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Fujikawa Yotsuba & Azuma Shoko

Theme Song: "spice" by Pop shinanaide

Cast: Tamaki Sora, Akita Shiori, Suzukawa Sayu, Suda Aki, Hirano Aya & Murata Takehiro

Preview of "Temisu no futashika na houtei" - Winter 2026

Title: Temisu no futashika na houtei / テミスの不確かな法廷

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 6 January 2026

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Total number of episodes: 8

Original novel by: Naoshima Sho

Cast: Matsuyama Kenichi, Narumi Yui, Tsunematsu Yuri, Yamazaki Shigenori, Ichikawa Mikako, Wakui Emi & Endo Kenichi etc.

Preview of "Otto ni machigai arimasen" - Winter 2026

Title: Otto ni machigai arimasen / 夫に間違いありません

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

Official YouTube: here

O.A. Start Date: 5 January 2026

Timeslot: Mondays at 10pm

Broadcast by: Kansai TV

Theme Song: "Kotonoha" by tuki.

Cast: Matsushita Nao, Sakurai Yuki, Miyazawa Hio, Nakamura Kaito, Matsui Rena, Yamazaki Manato, Yoshimoto Miyu, Shiromiya Mizuho, Otsuki Takehiro, Nii Kagetora, Isomura Ameri, Maekawa Yasuyuki, Asaka Mayumi, Yo Kimiko & Yasuda Ken

Preview of "Shinnen sousou Futekisetsu nimo hodo ga aru! ~ Majime na hanashi, shicha dame desuka? ~" (Drama SP)

Title: Shinnen sousou Futekisetsu nimo hodo ga aru! ~ Majime na hanashi, shicha dame desuka? ~ / 新年早々　不適切にもほどがある！～ 真面目な話、しちゃダメですか？～

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 4 January 2026 at 9pm

Broadcast by: TBS

Theme Song: "Nidone" by Creepy Nuts

Cast: Abe Sadao, Naka Riisa, Isomura Hayato, Kawai Yumi, Sakamoto Manato, Miyake Hiroki, Hakamada Yoshihiko, Nakajima Ayumu, Eguchi Noriko, Nishikido Ryo, Yashima Norito, Hikomaro, Ono Takehiko, Yamamoto Koji, Furuta Arata & Yoshida Yo

Preview of "Kyotojin no hisoka na tanoshimi Rouge - Keishou -" - Winter 2026

Title: Kyotojin no hisoka na tanoshimi Rouge - Keishou - / 京都人の密かな愉しみ Rouge-継承-

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 4 January 2026

Timeslot: Sundays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Cast: Hoshi Moeka, Tokiwa Takako, Ishimaru Kanji, Morita Kokoro, Sugita Rairu, Akiyama Natsuko, Ginpuncho & Watanabe Ken

Guests: Danta Yasunori, Yamanishi Atsushi & Sasano Takashi etc.

Preview of "Uchi no bengoshi wa mata shitemo te ga kakaru" (Drama SP)

Title: Uchi no bengoshi wa mata shitemo te ga kakaru / うちの弁護士はまたしても手がかかる

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 4 January 2026 at 9pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Cast: Muro Tsuyoshi, Kinami Haruka, Kichise Michiko, Kanno Rio, Hyuga Wataru, Iriyama Noriko, Tonesaku Toshihide, Honda Chikara, Hayase Ikoi, Adachi Yumi, Murakawa Eri, Matsuo Satoru, Tokito Saburo (narrator), Sakou Yoshi & Toda Keiko

Preview of "Haguregumo" - Winter 2026

Title: Haguregumo / はぐれぐも

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 4 January 2026 

Timeslot: Sundays at 6.45pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Original manga by: George Akiyama

Cast: Sasaki Kuranosuke, Kurashina Kana, Kawahara Eito, Issey Ogata, Watabe Gouta, Musaka Naomasa, Satoi Kenta, Maeno Tomoya & Nakagoshi Noriko

Guests: Kato Masaya, Nakayama Yuuma, Kamiji Yuusuke, Naitou Takashi & Karata Erika

Preview of "Kodoku no gurume 2025 Oomisoka SP Okawari wa, Goro serufu de hakobimasu!" (Drama SP)

Title: Kodoku no gurume 2025 Oomisoka SP Okawari wa, Goro serufu de hakobimasu! / 孤独のグルメ２０２５大晦日スプシャル おかわりは、五郎セルフで運びます！

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 31 December 2025 at 9.55pm

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Kusumi Masayuki & Taniguchi Jirou

Cast: Matsushige Yutaka, Shinkawa Yua, Morinaga Yuki, Fukuzawa Jubun, Yazaki Kina, Hirata Atsuko, Tajima Reiko & Tsukamoto Takashi

Preview of "Setsuen Chase" (Drama SP)

Title: Setsuen Chase / 雪煙チェイス

Official website: here

O.A. Date: 2 & 3 January 2026 at 10pm

Broadcast by: NHK
Original novel by: Higashino Keigo

Cast: Hosoda Kanata, Muro Tsuyoshi, Daigo Kotaro, Tsunematsu Yuki, Maeda Gouki, Takeda Rena, Shirasu Jin, Nakayma Yuma, Kobayashi Ryoko, Takada Kaho, Yoshida Kengo, Naenano, Musaka Naomasa, Yamashita Yorie, Ito Shuko, Takano Masanari, Hiraizumi Sei, Takahashi Hitomi, Yashima Norito, Yoshida Kotaro & Nakama Yukie

Preview of "Last Man Zenmou no sousakan FAKE / TRUTH" (Drama SP)

Title: Last Man Zenmou no sousakan FAKE / TRUTH / ラストマン　全盲の捜査官 FAKE / TRUTH

Official website: here

O.A. Date: 28 December 2025 at 9pm 

Broadcast by: TBS

Cast: Fukuyama Masaharu, Ooizumi Yo, Nagase Ren, Imada Mio, Matsuo Satoru, Imai Tomohiko, Oku Tomoya, Kimura Tae, Yoshida Yo, Matsumoto Wakana, Mukai Koji, Kamikawa Shusaku, Shoji Yusuke, Shimono Hiro, Horiguchi Maho & Yoshida Kotaro

Preview of "Sadou 2025 SP ~ Nukumori ni omoi wo hase Totonou ~" (Drama SP )

Title: Sadou 2025 SP ~ Nukumori ni omoi wo hase Totonou ~ / サ道　２０２５SP～ぬくもりに思いを馳せ　ととのう～

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 30 December 2025 at 11.30pm

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Tanaka Katsuki

Cast: Harada Taizo & Miyake Hiroki etc.

Preview of "Kabanya no souzoku" - Autumn 2025

Title: Kabanya no souzoku / かばん屋の相続

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 27 December 2025

Timeslot: Saturdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Total number of episodes: 4

Original novel by: Ikeido Jun

Cast:

Ep 1 - Machida Keita, Komoto Masahiro, Ishimaru Kanji & Kamikawa Takaya

Ep 2 - Sugou Araki, Ikehata Anji, Hirayama Hiroyuki & Kuroki Hitomi

Ep 3 - Ito Atsushi, Izumisawa Yuki, Minagawa Sarutoki, Masana Bokuzo & Ishiguro Ken

Ep 4 - Fujiwara Joichiro, Nakao Akiyoshi, Aoyagi Sho & Ishimaru Kanji

Preview of "Debussy ga hikeru made" (Drama SP)

Title: Debussy ga hikeru made / ドビュッシーが弾けるまで

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 24 December 2025 at 10pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Cast: Kunimura Jun, Ozaki Takumi, Kato Shiho, Nishihori Ryo, Harumi Shiho & Katahira Nagisa

Preview of "Nonremu no mado Winter 2025" (Drama SP)

Title: Nonremu no mado Winter 2025 / ノンレムの窓　２０２５・冬

Official website: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 21 December 2025 at 10.30pm

Broadcast by: NTV

Cast: Yamamoto Koji, Nishino Nanase, Asari Yosuke, Yoshizumi, Maehara Kou, Kochi Yamato, Saito Yuki (voice-only) & Baka Rhythm

Preview of "Zetsumeshi Road Heimakuhen" (Drama SP)

Title: Zetsumeshi Road Heimakuhen / 絶メシロード　閉幕篇

Official website: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 29 December 2025 at 11.40am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Cast: Hamatsu Takayuki

Preview of "Hitojichi wa kyakuhonka" (Drama SP)

Title: Hitojichi wa kyakuhonka / 人質は脚本家

Official website: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 20 December 2025 at 2.30pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Cast: Nakao Akiyoshi, Takahashi Katsumi, Uchida Rio, Maggy, Imai Yuuki, Nagashima Seira, Hayashi Yuuki, Nakawaki Mikito, Watanabe Sugie, Yamamoto Mizuki & Soneda Asuna

Preview of "Otto wo shakaitekini massatsu suru 5tsu no houhou Re:venge" (Drama SP)

Title: Otto wo shakaitekini massatsu suru 5tsu no houhou Re:venge / 夫を社会的に抹殺する5つの方法 Re:venge

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Dates: 17 & 24 Dec 2025 at 1am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Mita Tatami & CLLENN

Theme Song: "Hold on" by Mikansei Brave

Cast: Kato Shiho, Iijima Hiroki, Kobayashi Ryota, Shida Nene, Ishikawa Karen, Tanaka Takashi, Izuka Kenta & Yamashita Yorie

Preview of "Kasei no joou" - Autumn 2025

Title: Kasei no joou / 火星の女王

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 13 December 2025

Timeslot: Saturdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Total number of episodes: 3

Theme Song: "Kioku to inryoku" by Kimishima Ohsora, Bandou Yuta, yuta yamaguchi feat. Disc Miners

Cast: Suri Lin, Suda Masaki, Shim Eun-kyung, Kishii Yukino, Sugawara Koharu, Miyazawa Hio, UA, Matsuo Suzuki, Matsuoka Mayu, Suzuki Ryohei, Takito Kenichi, Deyemi Okanlawon, Sandy Chen, Miyazawa Rie, Yoshioka Hidetaka & Takahashi Rie (voice actor)

Quick Review #150: 366 nichi (movie)

Title: 366 nichi / ３６６日　　　　　　　

Rating: 6 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to watch a love story featuring very compatible-looking leads set in gorgeous Okinawa with a nice OST BUT don't mind the clichés and some unreasonable developments 

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* I have not watched the drama version in its entirety (one episode only).

Liked:

- Despite my initial reservation about how Akaso Eiji and Kamishiraishi Moka were actually going to pull off looking like a couple with just a year's difference in age (even though their age gap is actually much bigger), I guess I was worried for nothing after all. It did seem like their previous experience of working together in "Pending Train" helped in improving their chemistry on the whole.

Thanks to the fact that Akaso can still look like a high school guy with his youthful looks and the proper styling plus he and Moka do look very compatible on screen, it was easy to forget their true age gap or not be bothered by it. I also liked their onscreen chemistry especially during the days when the lead couple was still in love - it was as if I could feel their happiness seeping through across the screen.

- I was particularly impressed with Moka's acting - be it as a young high schooler to an older version of herself in university and later when she became a mother. The breadth and depth of her acting was truly brilliant despite the story being quite meh at some junctures. I also liked her interaction with Inagaki Kurumi and was pretty surprised to find that they do look similar enough to pass off as mother-and-daughter in this movie.

- The scenery in Okinawa was definitely a sight to behold. Given that HY hails from Okinawa, this location was a natural choice and a good one after all. Along with HY's songs (not just "366 nichi" which is the motif of this movie), the actual theme song for this movie "Koi wo shite" was also a great fit with the visuals and story. It was nice to see that these elements complemented one another to make this movie more memorable and enjoyable to watch.

Disliked: 

- The biggest problem for me was the story i.e. how predictable this was heading (the couple was never going to end up together in the end) and how some developments were so unbelievable or didn't make sense. Just to name one - would you have allowed your junior school daughter to fly all the way from Okinawa to Tokyo on her own to find someone? While the father did get someone to "accompany" her in secret, it was somewhat bothersome to me.

One other problem I had was the similarities this had with another movie of a similar plot/genre i.e. "Ito" - also based on a song (albeit by Nakajima Miyuki), spanned 18 years, featured Okinawa (although Hokkaido was the "main" location for "Ito") and described how a couple couldn't be together for one reason or another. It got me comparing both movies unconsciously from time to time even though the circumstances facing both couples were truly different and the songs had vastly different vibes. 

Last but not least, I felt a generation gap with the lead couple in this movie - the MD player featured prominently in their younger days but my childhood and teenager days were more in the cassette tape-to-CD-player era. Frankly speaking, I hardly had any exposure to the MD because I moved on to portable MP3 players straight from CDs.  As such, it was no wonder that the MD plot device didn't really resonate with me.

Quick Review #149: Rokunin no usotsuki daigakusei (movie)

Title: Rokunin no usotsuki daigakusei / 六人の噓つき大学生　　　　　　　

Rating: 2 / 10

Recommended for: 

Who like the cast and don't mind the predictable and at-times yawn-inducing storyline 

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* I have not read the original novel.

Liked:

- The cast of young actors/actresses did a decent job in portraying their characters. Despite being in a "closed room" setting with hardly any variation in the background and the limited developments largely depending on their solo acting and interactions with one another, everyone contributed in keeping things going, albeit in varying degrees.

Disliked: 

- Often, the promotional slogans for suspense/mystery/detective dramas and movies tend to dangle the claim that the viewer will be in for a big shock or the story will be so unexpected so as to attract viewers' attention and interest. However, such claims tend to fall flat especially which is usually due to these claims increasing the viewers' expectations to such a point that there are huge shoes to fill. For me, while I like being pleasantly surprised when the result is better than expected, the disappointment I experience when the actual turns out to be way less than the expected is usually amplified.

In this movie's case, it was somewhat unexpected that even with a novel forming the basis of and supposedly driving the plot, the story didn't come across as coherent and convincing. Not only was the motive of the culprit so ridiculous and trivial, I was flabbergasted and rolling eyes at how someone became the scapegoat and yet didn't clear his/her name despite knowing who had wronged him/her. To begin with, the culprit's motive of taking revenge for someone who he/she had no vested or direct interest in just seemed unbelievable. Why would someone go to this extent at the potential risk of damaging one's career prospects just to get back at that company which didn't really commit a heinous crime or something? 

What was more bewildering was, the scapegoat went through such a great extent to take up the blame for someone who made use of him/her, managed to find proof to clear his/her name and yet did not go the last mile to seek justice for himself/herself? Not to mention the process of the final revelation many years later which hardly felt like vindication for the scapegoat, these developments were such a torture to watch.

- Due to the lacklustre story, the cast certainly could have done better than this but were very much limited by the constraints of their uninspiring characters. Especially since I've seen much better performances from them before in other works, I feel that this movie didn't bring out the best from them which was a huge waste of their potential.

Winners of GQ MEN OF THE YEAR 2025 JAPAN (Acting & music categories)

Here are the winners of GQ MEN OF THE YEAR 2025 JAPAN for the acting and music categories:

* For the full list of winners, please visit here. 

Breakthrough Actor: Takahashi Fumiya

Breakthrough Artist: Aina The End

Breakthrough Pop Icon: timelesz

Best Actor: Yoshizawa Ryo

Achievement Artist: RIP SLYME

The 125th Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2025) - Best Drama

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Bokutachi wa mada sono hoshi no kousoku wo shiranai
2) Shiawase na kekkon
3) 40 made ni shitai 10 no koto

Voters Ranking Top 5

1) 40 made ni shitai 10 no koto

2) Ai no, gakkou.

3) DOPE Mayaku torishimaribu sousaka

4) Chihayafuru - Meguri -

5) 19 banme no karute

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Anpan
2) Shiawase na kekkon
Bokutachi wa mada sono hoshi no kousoku wo shiranai

4) 40 made ni shitai 10 no koto

5) Ai no, gakkou.

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Bokutachi wa mada sono hoshi no kousoku wo shiranai

2) Shiawase na kekkon

3) 40 made ni shitai 10 no koto

4) Fune wo amu ~ Watashi, jisho tsukurimasu ~

Ai no, gakkou.

Source: The Television