The New Year's Day special "Finale" of the popular detective drama "Aibou Season 24" (TV Asahi, Wednesdays at 9:00 PM), starring Mizutani Yutaka and Terawaki Yasufumi, is scheduled to air from 9:00 PM to 11:15 PM on January 1, 2026, and it has been announced that Danta Yasunori will appear as a guest.
The episode is set on a remote island in the middle of the ocean. At a hotel on Hijirijima, a remote island where legend has it that five residents were sacrificed to exorcise evil spirits, a series of murders based on the popular mystery novel "Bloody Christmas Eve" occurs, forcing the Special Investigation Team and the guests into a corner. The incidents, which seem to imitate the novel, cause Ukyo (Mizutani) more anguish than usual, and there are times when he is at a loss in his battle of wits with the real culprit. The script is written by Kamimori Marie and directed by Uchikata Teru.
Danta plays Shosuke Mimasaka, a writer whom Ukyo also admires. Every year, Mimasaka, the author of "Bloody Christmas Eve," invites his fans to a reading group on Hijiri Island, the "holy land" of the story, to hold a book club. However, when a disturbing threatening letter arrives, the Special Investigation Unit receives a request for Ukyo, "the Metropolitan Police Department's best detective," to investigate.
This will be his first appearance in the "AIBOU" series, and he confessed his joy at receiving the offer, saying, "I've always watched 'AIBOU' as a viewer. I've always wanted to appear in it, and when I was asked to appear in the New Year's Special, I thought, 'It's finally here!' I was so happy!" He commented on the character he will be playing, "It's an interesting role, and as the story progresses, you never know what will happen."
Regarding the upcoming production, he commented, "When I first read the script, the story was complicated and I was surprised, thinking, 'What is this?!' But when I read it again to memorize my lines, I was impressed by how carefully crafted and interesting the mystery was. The mystery this time is quite difficult to solve, and Ukyo-san investigates while getting lost. That's what makes it interesting. It's not just a difficult mystery to solve, there are also some touching scenes that really appeal to human emotions, so it's a spectacular and interesting drama perfect for the New Year, so please do check it out."
Also announced to appear in the film are Mari Hamada as a hotel employee, Kanato Tsukishiro as Mimasaka's manager, Asuka Kurosawa as the publishing company editor-in-chief, and Ayumu Tanida as a publishing company employee.
