Mamagoto

Drama: Mamagoto
Romaji: Mamagoto
Japanese: ママゴト
Director: Hideo Nakata
Writer: Hiroko Matsuda, Noriaki Sugihara
Network: NHK
Episodes:
Release Date: August 30, 2016 -
Runtime: Tuesday 23:15-23:44
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot
Snack bar mama Mieko (Sakura Ando) drinks alcohol with her regular male customers. One day, when she is about to close the snack bar, her old friend Shigeko (Asami Usuda) appears with her 5-year-old son Taiji (Harutomo Koyama). Shigeki leaves Taiji with Mieko and disappears. She leaves a letter behind. While looking at Taiji, Mieko remembers her own past when she gave birth. Mieko and Taiji begin to live together.

Cast
Sakura Ando
Harutomo Koyama
Asami Usuda
Kanji Furutachi
Kaito Takamura
Pao Kurihara
Toshie Negishi
Tetta Sugimoto

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Her Love Boils Bathwater

Movie: Her Love Boils Bathwater (English title)
Romaji: Yu o Wakasu Hodo no Atsui Ai
Japanese: 湯を沸かすほどの熱い愛
Director: Ryota Nakano
Writer: Ryota Nakano
Producer:
Cinematographer:
Release Date: October 29, 2016
Runtime: 125 min.
Distributor: Klock Worx
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot
Futaba (Rie Miyazawa) has a tender and tough side. Her daughter is Azumi (Hana Sugisaki). One day, she learns that she doesn't have much time left to live. Futaba decides she has 4 things to do before she dies: 1.) she wants to find her missing husband and get him to resume the family bathhouse business 2.) get her daughter Azumi to stand on her own 3.) find the right man for Azumi and 4.) related to her secret that nobody knows about it.

Cast
Rie Miyazawa
Hana Sugisaki
Joe Odagiri
Tori Matsuzaka
Aoi Ito
Yukiko Shinohara
Taro Suruga

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Close Knit

Movie: Close-Knit (English title) / When They Knit Seriously (literal title)
Romaji: Karera ga Honki de Amu Toki wa
Japanese: 彼らが本気で編むときは、
Director: Naoko Ogigami
Writer: Naoko Ogigami
Producer: Kumi Kobata, Mayumi Amano, Noriaki Takagi, Masashi Igarashi
Cinematographer: Kozo Shibasaki
Release Date: February 25, 2017
Runtime: 127 min.
Genre: Drama / Transgender
Distributor: Suurkiitos
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot
11-year-old Tomo (Rinka Kakihara) lives with mother Hiromi (Mimura), but Hiromi decides to give up on her and leaves their home. Tomo, now all alone, visits her uncle Makio's (Kenta Kiritani) home. Makio lives with his beautiful girlfriend Rinko (Toma Ikuta). Rinko was born as a man and now works as a caregiver at a home for the elderly. Tomo is a little confused by the situation, but they begin to live as a family.

Cast
Toma Ikuta
Kenta Kiritani
Rinka Kakihara
Mimura
Eiko Koike
Mugi Kadowaki
Shuuji Kashiwabara
Kaito Komie
Lily
Misako Tanaka

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Kanna-san!

Title: カンナさーん!
Title (romaji): Kanna-san!
Also known as: Ms. Kanna!
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Comedy, family
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 10.12%
Broadcast network: TBS
Broadcast period: 2017-Jul-18 to 2017-Sep-19
Air time: Tuesday 22:00
Theme song: Kirakira by AI feat. Kanna (Watanabe Naomi)

Synopsis
Suzuki Kanna is a powerhouse woman with single-minded devotion once she puts her mind to something. Working for a fashion designer, her dream is to someday design clothes that will make women everywhere "amazingly attractive." But her world begins to spin out of control when she discovers that her "loving" hunk of a husband, Rei, is having an affair! Meanwhile, her unreasonable boss dumps loads of work, her husband is a mama's boy and her mother-in-law drops in unannounced to dote on her son and grandson, and all while Kanna is trying to raise a needy 4-year-old son, Reon. Pushed to a breaking point and battling the world alone, Kanna, however, isn't one to run, bend or break. Instead, she girds herself for battle, stokes her inner fire and confronts adversity head on, chasing her dream in pursuit of happiness and fulfillment for herself and her son. -- TBS

Cast
Watanabe Naomi as Suzuki Kanna
Kaname Jun as Suzuki Rei
Saito Yuki as Suzuki Ryuko
Yamaguchi Sayaka as Kataoka Mika
Kudo Asuka as Aota Sosuke
Triendl Reina as Sakaigawa Shoko
Jiro (じろう) as Katagiri Yuta
Kawahara Eito (川原瑛都) as Suzuki Reon
Toyama Toshiya as Suzuki Tetsuzo
Asaka Mayumi as Morikawa Yoshie

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Kahogo no Kahoko

Title: 過保護のカホコ
Title (romaji): Kahogo no Kahoko
Also known as: Overprotected Kahoko
Genre: Drama, family
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 11.47%
Broadcast network: NTV
Broadcast period: 2017-Jul-12 to 2017-Sep-13
Air time: Wednesday 22:00
Theme song: Family Song by Hoshino Gen

Synopsis
College student Kahoko is the quintessential overprotected child born out of today's Japanese society. Shielded by her parents, Kahoko grew up completely pampered and became somewhat of a miraculously naive "test tube human." She is 21 years old and about to start working for a company, but she has never slept away from home, had a part time job, chosen her own clothes, or even ridden a train alone. Kahoko has had her picture taken, but she has never taken a picture herself.

Now, Kahoko is about to step out of her germ-free isolation pod and into the germ-infested world. It won't be long until she realizes, "I'm different from everybody else!"

She has been her mother's best friend all her life and her father can't live without her. As they become emotionally unstable from the changes that Kahoko goes through, their family begins to fall apart. That's when Kahoko herself and the people around her begin to see the strength that hides deep within. -- NTV

Cast
Takahata Mitsuki as Nemoto Kahoko
Kuroki Hitomi as Nemoto Izumi
Tokito Saburo as Nemoto Masataka
Takeuchi Ryoma as Mugino Hajime
Mita Yoshiko as Namiki Hatsuyo
Nishioka Tokuma as Namiki Fukushi
Nishio Mari as Tomita Setsu
Shukugawa Atom as Tomita Atsushi
Kubota Sayu as Tomita Ito
Nakajima Hiroko as Kunimura Tamaki
Sato Jiro as Kunimura Mamoru
Hiraizumi Sei as Nemoto Masaoki
Umezawa Masayo as Nemoto Tae
Hamada Mari as Nemoto Noriko
Yokoyama Ayumu as Tamotsu (ep7-10)
Takahashi Hitomi as Hajime's mother (ep8)

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Yutori Desu ga Nani ka

Drama: We're Millennials Got a Problem? (English title)
Romaji: Yutori Desu ga Nani ka
Japanese: ゆとりですがなにか
Director: Nobuo Mizuta
Writer: Kankuro Kudo
Network: NTV
Episodes: 10
Release Date: April 17 - June 19, 2016
Runtime: Sundays 22:30
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot
Drama series depicts the lives of three men born in 1987 and oppose irrational things of the world through work, love and friendship. The men are from the Yutori generation when the Japanese government reformed the education system emphasizing a pressure-free environment referred to as Yutori education.

Since Masakazu’s (Masaki Okada) father passed away, he lives with his mother, older brother, older brother’s wife and younger sister. He studied hard in his school days and began working for a good company after college. He has worked in different divisions. This spring he is assigned to a bar franchise his company owns.

Kazutoyo (Tori Matsuzaka) is a elementary school homeroom teacher. His teaching style, derived from his own Yutori education, draws the ire of the school and parents. He is connected with a female university student who arrives at the school for teaching apprenticeship.

Maribu (Yuya Yagira) was born from an elite family. In his school days, he did well in his studies and sports. He applied for admission to Tokyo University, but was denied. 10 years later, he is now married and has a baby. His family still lives in a small place. Even though he is in a difficult financial situation, he is still trying to gain admission into Tokyo University.

Cast
Masaki Okada
Tori Matsuzaka
Yuya Yagira
Sakura Ando
Taiga
Toru Tezuka
Haruka Shimazaki
Yoshiko Nakada
You Takahashi
Sayaka Aoki
Kotaro Yoshida
Riho Yoshioka
Kazushige Komatsu
Ryo Kato
Fukiko Hara

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Kitakaze to Taiyo no Hotei

TV Movie: Court of North Wind and Sun (literal title)

Romaji: Kitakaze to Taiyo no Hotei

Japanese: 北風と太陽の法廷

Director: Noriyoshi Sakuma

Writer: Rie Yokota

Network: NTV

Episodes: 1

Release Date: March 17, 2017

Runtime: Friday 21:00

Language: Japanese

Country: Japan

Plot

Sakuragawa Fuka (Haru), a hard-nosed lawyer of one of Japan’s largest law firms, mercilessly dispatches her opponents. An expert in divorce cases, she has never lost a case and is secretly called “iron mask”. One day, after a trial in which Fuka had cornered the defendant in court with her customary, perfect speech, Fuka is greeted by a strange guy in knickerbockers. This guy Kojitani Yota (Okada Masaki) speaks highly of her performance. Then he hugs her without warning and identifies himself as a lawyer. Meanwhile, Fuka is asked by her boss Isohata Koichiro (Otani Ryohei) to take on a divorce case. Hara Hisako (Takahashi Hitomi), the wife of the director of a large hospital, has asked for the divorce of her only son Shoji (Yamamoto Yusuke). The lawyer for Shoji’s wife Kyoko (Kawashima Umika) is the mysterious lawyer Kojitani Yota. Furthermore, Fuka learns that he belongs to the law firm of Tezuka Rokuro (Ichimura Masachika), who has been a father figure to her. With his talent for reaching an amicable settlement no matter how complicated a case may be, Yota is a complete contrast to Fuka. Although they are on opposing sides in court, he had fallen in love with her at first sight and is over-friendly while she treats him coldly. Shoji claims custody of his son (Tanaka Rei) and calls for a quick divorce. On the other hand, his wife Kyoko stubbornly insists that she will never divorce him. Thus, Fuka and Yota, who have become lawyers for a husband who is determined to divorce and a wife who will not divorce, end up fighting.

Cast

Haru

Masaki Okada

Rio Uchida

Ryohei Otani

Yusuke Yamamoto

Umika Kawashima

Takeo Nakahara

Hitomi Takahashi

Rei Tanaka

Mamiko Ito

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Gekokujo Juken

Title: 下剋上受験
Title (romaji): Gekokujo Juken
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Home drama
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 8.16%
Broadcast network: TBS
Broadcast period: 2017-Jan-13 to 2017-Mar-17
Air time: Friday 22:00
Theme song: Iden by Saito Kazuyoshi

Synopsis
Shinichi Sakurai is a junior high school graduate who works for a mid-sized real estate company. His wife, Kanako, is also a junior high school graduate, and they are blessed with a daughter - Kaori. Even though the family isn't wealthy, they live happily together.

One day, however, Kaori receives the horrific result she scored on a nationwide exam. "Will my daughter be just a junior high school graduate as well?" Shinichi asks. After deciding to send Kaori to an elite school, worried Shinichi soon realizes his daughter will be in the bottom class in a cram school which makes it impossible for her to pass the school entrance exam.

Shinichi names the study room at home as "My cram school" and studies together with Kaori to make a way for her to enter a competitive school. -- TBS

Cast
Abe Sadao as Sakurai Shinichi
Fukada Kyoko as Sakurai Kanako
Yamada Mikuu as Sakurai Kaori
Kobayashi Kaoru as Sakurai Kazuo
Kaname Jun as Tokugawa Naoyasu
Shinokawa Momone as Tokugawa Maria
Kazama Shunsuke as Narasaki Tetsuya
Tezuka Toru as Hasegawa
Koshiba Fuka as Koyama Midori
Wakadanna (若旦那) as Matsuo
Minagawa Sarutoki as Takei
Okada Kohki as Umemoto
Kawamura Yosuke as Sugiyama

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2030 Kanata no Kazoku

Title: 2030かなたの家族
Title (romaji): 2030 Kanata no Kazoku
Format: Tanpatsu
Genre: Drama, family, sci-fi
Viewership ratings: 5.1%
Broadcast network: NHK
Broadcast date: 2015-Sep-26
Air time: 21:00 - 22:29

Synopsis
In Tokyo in the year 2030, 27-year-old Itakura Kakeru lives in a shared apartment. He is suddenly approached by Ogiwara Misae, his housemate three years his senior, about wanting his help to have a child. Kakeru has never even considered having a family before. But as he searches for an answer for Misae, he comes face to face with his parents, grandparents and younger sister who went their separate ways 15 years ago, and starts to consider what family is. And then, Kakeru gives more than a passing thought to the significance of being connected to someone.

Cast
Eita as Itakura Kakeru
Renbutsu Misako as Itakura Emii
Matsushige Yutaka as Itakura Toru
Kobayashi Satomi as Itakura Keiko
Yamamoto Gaku as Itakura Katsuzo
Watanabe Misako as Itakura Satoko
Aibu Saki as Ogiwara Misae
Kohinata Fumiyo as Naruhodo (voice)

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Kaseifu no Mitazono

Title: 家政夫のミタゾノ
Title (romaji): Kaseifu no Mitazono
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Drama, family, mystery
Episodes: 8
Viewership ratings: 7.66%
Broadcast network: TV Asahi
Broadcast period: 2016-Oct-21 to 2016-Dec-09
Air time: Friday 23:15
Theme song: Ai! wanna be with you... by TOKIO

Synopsis
One day, two new housekeepers from a housekeeping agency arrive at a luxurious house in a residential neighbourhood. They are Hanada Emiri and an obviously sturdy, big woman Mitazono Kaoru. Mitazono actually has a secret. “She” is a male. Mitazono handles housework such as cleaning, laundry, cooking and babysitting perfectly in an industry dominated by females. However, it is not just the dirt in the house that Mitazono cleans. He completely cleans off “deep-rooted dirt” in the households that he is assigned to each time. These are the households that society calls the “successful” where the people are proud, condescending and insufferable. Mitazono learns the family secrets and slowly lays traps to expose all of the secrets and reveal the family for who they really are. Then he gives the last push that breaks up relationships. However, this becomes the catalyst for the family to start again and solve the problems they have. The governor of Tokyo, Ozuzame Yoichiro, lives with his wife Kiyomi, son Naotaro and daughter Miho in this house. They are all very proud and look down on Mitazono and Emiri. However, just when Mitazono and Emiri are about to start doing the housework, Ozuzame’s chauffeur accidentally spills coffee on Ozuzame shirt. Ozuzame is beside himself with rage because he must wear this shirt today. Mitazono removes the coffee stain with a first-aid kit and dishwashing liquid in a matter of seconds. As a result, this raises the governor’s opinion on him. In fact, a threatening letter containing the words “Call off the Tokyo governor election” was delivered to Ozuzame right before this. Moreover, this does not appear to the first time it has happened. Knowing this, Mitazono rummages through the garbage bags placed at the garbage collection area and starts to probe into the family’s true state of affairs. Then one day, Mitazono is asked by Kiyomi to deliver something to Ozuzame and secretly peeps at its contents which appears to be secret accounts of over 3 billion yen in illegal donations. He also learns Kiyomi’s shocking secret and eventually the darkness of the family, and sets a trap … …

Cast
Matsuoka Masahiro as Mitazono Kaoru
Shimizu Fumika as Hanada Emiri
Shibamoto Yuki as Fujikawa Ran
Hotta Akane as Arisawa Haruki
Hirata Atsuko (平田敦子) as Abe Maria
Yo Kimiko as Musubi Yoriko
Hamura Jinsei as Kisugi Yuta

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OUR HOUSE

Title: OUR HOUSE
Tagline: わたしたちのいえ / Watashitachi no Ie
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Home comedy
Episodes: 9
Viewership ratings: 4.5%
Broadcast network: Fuji TV
Broadcast period: 2016-Apr-17 to 2016-Jun-12
Air time: Sunday 21:00
Theme song: Ai wo Tomenaide by Off Course

Synopsis
Set in the residential suburb of Tokyo, the story revolves around the Ban Family with four kids and a widow father. Since their loving mother passed away from illness six months ago, the eldest daughter, 12-year-old Sakurako has taken care of all the household chores and manages the family alone. While the four siblings are still feeling down from the loss of their mother, their father Sota returns home from his work in the U.S. along with a young American woman named Alice Shepherd whom he decided to marry almost instantly. Unhappy that her father has remarried so soon, Sakurako tries various ways to drive Alice out of the house. On the other hand, Alice believes that her encounter with Sota was true fate and is determined to become the new mother of the Ban Family. Will she eventually befriend the children? Will Sakurako and Alice ever understand each other? -- Fuji TV

Cast
Ashida Mana as Ban Sakurako (eldest daughter)
Charlotte Kate Fox as Alice Shepherd (new mother)
Yamamoto Koji as Ban Sota (father)
Kato Seishiro as Ban Kotaro (eldest son)
Terada Kokoro as Ban Shintaro (second son)
Matsuda Serika as Ban Momoko (second daughter)
Matsushita Yuki as Akao Kotone (aunt, Sota's sister)
Takayama Yoshihiro as Akao Takuma (Kotone's husband)
Hashizume Isao as Ban Soichiro (grandfather)
Watanabe Mai as Ban Yoko (deceased mother)
Tsukamoto Takashi as Mikami Joji (uncle, Yoko's brother)
Inukai Atsuhiro as Kagami Junichi (Sakurako's homeroom teacher)

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Kazoku no Katachi

Title: 家族ノカタチ
Title (romaji): Kazoku no Katachi
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Home drama
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 8.98%
Broadcast network: TBS
Broadcast period: 2016-Jan-17 to 2016-Mar-20
Air time: Sunday 21:00
Theme song: Unpredictable Story by ellie

Synopsis
Nagasato Daisuke is a 39-year old bachelor with an extremely negative attitude towards marriage, but by no means an unattractive man. However, he truly believes that he'd "rather be alone." Averse to taking the risk of bringing in other people into his living space, he protects it as if it was his castle, and is fully enjoying his idiosyncratic single life. Kumagai Hanako, on the other hand, is a 32-year old divorcee who works for a major trading firm. She has her own distinct thoughts about being single, doesn't want to get married again, and already planning for her life after retirement. She’s a hard worker who has a strong sense of responsibility for her work, but at the same time, has a critical temperament and is strict with others.

When these two meet, they fight constantly, but they're actually similar in a lot ways. When Daisuke's father and Hanako's mother barge into their respective homes, their comfortable single life comes to an end. -- TBS

Cast
Katori Shingo as Nagasato Daisuke
Ueno Juri as Kumagai Hanako
Mizuhara Kiko as Tanaka Rina
Arakawa Yoshiyoshi as Sasaki Shoichi
Nishida Toshiyuki as Nagasato Yozo
Fubuki Jun as Kumagai Ritsuko
Chiba Yudai as Irie Haruto
Yanagihara Kanako as Yamane Satori
Takada Hyoga (髙田彪我) as Nagasato Kota
Nakamura Anne as Kozue Aya
Mizuki Alisa as Ono Mika (ep1,6,10)
Tanaka Kei as Takase Kazuya
Morimoto Leo as Shige
Asaji Yoko (浅茅陽子) as Nagasato Misayo
Mizuno Miki as Nagasato Megumi
Nagao Mariya as Koyama Yuka
Konishi Kiss (小西キス) as Fukuda Ayumi
Irie Masato as Tanaka Nobuaki
Okuda Tatsuhito as Sawa

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Umimachi Diary

Movie: Our Little Sister (English title) / Sea Town Diary (literal title)
Romaji: Umimachi Diary
Japanese: 海街diary
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Writer: Akimi Yoshida (manga), Hirokazu Koreeda
Producer: Kaoru Matsuzaki, Hijiri Taguchi
Cinematographer: Mikiya Takimoto
World Premiere: May 14, 2015 (Cannes Film Festival)
Release Date: June 13, 2015
Runtime: 126 min.
Genre: Family / Sisters / Women / Based on a Comic / Arthouse
Distributor: Toho, Gaga Corporation
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot
There are three sisters: 29-year-old Sachi Kouda (Haruka Ayase), 22-year-old Yoshino Kouda (Masami Nagasawa) and 19-year-old Chika Kouda (Kaho). They live at a house in Kamakura, Japanese. Their house was left by their grandmother.

One day, they receive news of their father's death. When the sisters were young, their parents divorced and their father left them. They haven't seen their father in 15 years. Upon hearing the news on their father's death, the sisters attend their father's funeral.

At the funeral, they meet their stepsister Suzu Asano (Suzu Hirose). She is 14-years-old and there are no one to take care of her. Oldest sister Sachi invites Suzu to live with them.

Cast
Haruka Ayase
Masami Nagasawa
Kaho
Suzu Hirose
Shinobu Otake
Shinichi Tsutsumi
Midoriko Kimura
Kirin Kiki
Kentaro Sakaguchi
Ryo Kase
Takafumi Ikeda
Ryohei Suzuki
Oshiro Maeda
Jun Fubuki
Lily Franky

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Flying Colors (Biri Gyaru)

Movie: Flying Colors / Flying Colors: How a Teen Girl Went from Academic Absurdity to an Elite University in One Amazing Year
Romaji: Biri Gyaru
Japanese: ビリギャル
Director: Nobuhiro Doi
Writer: Nobutaka Tsubota (novel), Hiroshi Hashimoto
Producer: Jun Nasuda, Junichi Shindo
Cinematographer: Yasushi Hanamura
Release Date: May 1, 2015
Runtime: 117 min.
Genre: Based on True Story / Teen / School / Family / Coming of Age
Distributor: Toho
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot
Sayaka Kudo (Kasumi Arimura) is a 2nd grade high school student. She is a gal who wears miniskirts and has her hair dyed blonde. Even though she is a high school student, her actual academic grade level is on par with 4th grade elementary school students. During the summer, Sayaka attends a private institution. There, she meets Teacher Tsubota. Besides her mother, Teacher Tsubota is the first adult to praise her. Sayaka begins to change. She studies hard and eventually passes an entrance exam for Keio University.

Cast
Kasumi Arimura
Atsushi Ito
Shuhei Nomura
Tetsushi Tanaka
Yo Yoshida
Yuhei Ouchida
Kokoro Okuda
Ken Yasuda
Morio Agata

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Mother Game

Title: マザー･ゲーム
Title (English): Mother Game
Also known as: The Mother Class
Tagline: 彼女たちの階級 / Kanojotachi no Kaikyuu
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Family
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 8.79%
Broadcast network: TBS
Broadcast period: 2015-Apr-14 to 2015-Jun-16
Air time: Tuesday 22:00
Theme song: Beautiful by Superfly

Synopsis
Kamahara Kiko is a poor single mother whose 5-year-old son, Haruto, gets admitted to a prestigious kindergarten in an unexpected turn of events. One Haruto's first day of school, high-end cars are backed up in front of the kindergarten's front gate. Mothers swagger on high heels within the compound and carry luxury brand bags. Although Kiko is shocked by the reality of this kindergarten where she is out of her element, she expresses her feelings directly to the mothers who regard her as an enemy. With her vivacity and compassion, she starts to change the thinking and establish new bonds with these rigid women living in a completely different world and generation

Cast
Fumino Kimura
Kyoko Hasegawa
Shihori Kanjiya
Yumi Adachi
Rei Dan
Raita Ryu
Ayumu Yokoyama
Hijiri Sakurai
Kiyo Hasegawa
Kanon

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Yokoso, Wagaya e

Title: ようこそ、わが家へ
Title (romaji): Yokoso, Wagaya e
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Family, suspense drama
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 12.50%
Broadcast network: Fuji TV
Broadcast period: 2015-April-13 to 2015-Jun-15
Air time: Monday 21:00
Theme song: Aozora no Shita, Kimi no Tonari by Arashi

Synopsis
Kurata Kenta lives with his father, Taichi, his mother, Keiko, and his younger sister, Nana in an isolated home in the suburbs. He works as an unpopular commercial designer. Kenta possesses a timid personality, which he picked up from his father. Kenta doesn't like his father.

One day, while waiting for the train, Kenta warns a man who pushed a woman and cut in line. Kenta is surprised that he spoke out with his normally timid personality. After that incident, Kenta's family home is targeted by an unknown person with flowers from their garden being pulled out and the seat of a bicycle being torn. Also, Kenta's younger sister Nana is stalked by her ex-boyfriend.

Kenta and his family try to find out who is responsible.

Cast
Aiba Masaki as Kurata Kenta
Sawajiri Erika as Kandori Asuka
Arimura Kasumi as Kurata Nana
Minami Kaho as Kurata Keiko
Terao Akira as Kurata Taichi
Fujii Ryusei
Adachi Rika
Takada Junji
Sato Jiro
Takenaka Naoto
Yamaguchi Sayaka
Tanaka Mirie (田中美麗)
Horiuchi Keiko
Mashima Hidekazu

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I'm Home

Title: アイムホーム
Title (English): I'm home
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Family mystery
Broadcast network: TV Asahi
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 14.65%
Broadcast period: 2015-Apr-16 to 2015-Jun-18
Air time: Thursday 21:00

Synopsis
Ieji Hisashi, a salaryman who works for a securities company, has a fuzzy memory of the recent five years because of an accident at his job posting. His wife of five years, Megumi and their 4-year-old son seem to wear masks. He can neither tell their facial expressions nor their emotions. He also struggles about his love for them. On the other hand, Ieji feels an attachment to his ex-wife, whom he divorced five years ago, and their daughter. What sort of days did he have in those five years which are a blank to him? Ieji sets out on a journey to find his past self with a mysterious bunch of 10 keys that he has. He becomes aware that he was a cold, career-minded man before the accident, and the persona that is gradually revealed is beyond the imagination of his present kindhearted self. -- Jdrama Weblog

Cast
Kimura Takuya as Ieji Hisashi
Ueto Aya as Ieji Megumi
Mizuno Miki as Nozawa Kaoru
Tanaka Kei as Honjo Tsuyoshi
Suzuki Kosuke as Watanuki Shinji
Yoshimoto Miyu as Takanashi Yua
Ino Manabu (猪野学) as Hifumi Tsutomu
Anami Atsuko as Isami Yoko
Nomaguchi Toru as Iwashita Noboru
Yano Masato as Tokura Shingo
Takahashi Rai (高橋來) as Ieji Yoshio
Yamaguchi Mayu (山口まゆ) as Nozawa Subaru
Arai Hirofumi as Kuroki Jin
Mitsuishi Ken as Todoroki Haruki
Watanabe Ikkei as Teshigawara Yosuke
Oikawa Mitsuhiro as Tsukuba Yoshiaki
Nishida Toshiyuki as Kozukue Yukio

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Sakura - Jiken wo Kiku Onna

Drama: The Good Listener (English title) / Sakura - Woman Listening to Case (literal title)
Romaji: Sakura - Jiken wo Kiku Onna
Japanese: SAKURA～事件を聞く女～
Director: Kosuke Suzuki, Hideo Mizumura
Writer: Miyako Matsumoto, Junpei Yamaoka
Network: TBS
Episodes: 10
Release Date: October 20 - December 22, 2014
Runtime: Mondays 20:00
TV Ratings: 8.0% (weekly average)
Genre: Family / Mystery / Suspense-Thriller
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot
Sakura (Yukie Nakama) is a detective who uses her listening skills to solve cases.
In the morning, Sakura listens to callers to as DJ Kokoro at a local radio station. In the afternoon, she listens to citizens' problems by working at the Community Safety Section at the Komagome Central Police Office. At night, she receives information from regulars at a restaurant run by her grandmother Ume (Mitsuko Kusabue).
When cases takes place, Sakura goes undercover to investigate. She partners with Detective Masato (Ryuta Sato) as they work to solve mysterious cases together.

Cast
Yukie Nakama
Ryuta Sato
Kazuyuki Aijima
Hana Kino
Takuro Ohno
Yutaka Morioka
Taro Suruga
Ayane
Chieko Iinuma
Mio Uema
Mitsuko Kusabue
Reiko Takashima

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Dear Sister

Title: ディア・シスター
Title (English): Dear,Sister
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Love comedy
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 11.3%
Broadcast network: Fuji TV
Broadcast period: 2014-Oct-16 to 2014-Dec-18
Air time: Thursday 22:00
Theme song: Happiness by Che'Nelle
Insert song: BF by moumoon

Synopsis
27-year-old Fukazawa Misaki and 29-year-old Hazuki are sisters who are polar opposites in both lifestyle and personality. Although they would hurt each other's feelings, they would also make up for each other’s deficiencies. The beautiful Misaki is the typical younger sister who is good at putting on the little girl act. She did not fare well academically but knows how to swim with the tide. After graduating from high school, she left home and went missing. But one day, she suddenly moves into Hazuki's apartment and behaves with wild abandon. However, Misaki has a secret which she keeps to herself... Hazuki works at a ward office and has set her sights on an early marriage to her boyfriend who works in the same office. She is the well-organised, fastidious chairperson type, but is a wee bit socially awkward. Hazuki feels that Misaki snatched all their mother's love in childhood. What will happen now that Misaki has moved in with her? Hazuki actually has a secret which she cannot tell Misaki too. As these two sisters clash while living under the same roof, their values start to change little by little. -- Jdrama Weblog

Cast
Ishihara Satomi as Fukazawa Misaki (27)
Matsushita Nao as Fukazawa Hazuki (29)
Katahira Nagisa as Fukazawa Nanae (55)
Iwata Takanori as Sakurabo Eito (27)
Mori Kanna as Sato Kazuko (30)
Tanabe Seiichi as Sakurabo Soichiro (42)
Ward Office
Hiraoka Yuta as Yoshimura Tatsuya (30)
MEGUMI as Hirayasu Naoko (32)
Appleseed
Hirayama Hiroyuki as Hagiwara Yohei (36)
Horiuchi Keiko as Uesugi Kaori (40)

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Hana-chan No Misoshiru

Cast: 
Ono Machiko,
Ashida Mana,
Okura Tadayoshi,
Tanaka Yuko,
Kataoka Tsurutaro,
Mano Kyoko,
Osugi Ren,
Kitami Toshiyuki,
Otani Naoko

Synopsis:
Yasutake Shingo (Okura Tadayoshi) is a newspaper reporter whose only redeeming feature is his earnestness. He meets Matsunaga Chie (Ono Machiko), who attends a music college, and they start dating. Each day becomes all the more bright and enjoyable for Shingo because of the lively Chie. She loves to laugh, sing and eat. After one and a half years, Chie is employed as a music teacher. One day, Shingo is informed that Chie has breast cancer. After thinking about it, he decides to share a lifetime with her and proposes. His proposal gives her the courage to undergo surgery which she had been mulling over. Chie’s left breast is removed and the tumour taken out. However, her cancer is high-grade and there is a chance of a relapse. According to the doctor, if there are no signs of a relapse five years after anti-cancer drug treatment, she is fully cured. Chie receives an eight month-long course of treatment and weathers the painful side effects. After that, Shingo and Chie get married and start life together. Then she conceives. Shingo is overjoyed, but Chie has mixed feelings. A woman’s hormones will increase following childbirth and the risk of a recurrence of cancer is high. Chie decides to deliver the baby. A girl is born and given the name, Hana. Hana’s existence brings about a big change in Shingo and Chie. Chie regains her cheerfulness and would play the piano and sing like she used to. When Hana is nine months, Chie’s cancer is found to have spread to her lungs. Chie undergoes anti-cancer drug treatment again. She suffers side effects and also becomes mentally unstable. Shingo tries to support her, but the harsh reality starts to exhaust him. Hearing a woman’s story about overcoming cancer by taking food that is good for the body, Shingo and Chie begin a diet based on this advice. She altars her meals, sleeps regularly and endeavours to be bright and positive. Her physical condition noticeably improves. One day, Chie starts to teach 5-year-old Hana the “important things in life” such as laundry, cleaning and cooking. She thinks that even if she is no longer around, her daughter and husband will be able to live. Four years have passed since Chie’s cancer cells vanished. Hana is now 8 years old. Chie feels a change in her body. The doctor’s diagnosis is that the cancer has spread to her entire body … …

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