"Drama 1 Week" brings you a roundup of major drama news from the past week. This week (December 20th-26th) featured the release of a special episode of " Jaa, Anta ga Tsukutte Miro yo It " (TBS), which aired its final episode on Getsuku , titled "So, Katsuo Makes It," and the 65th episode of the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake," which aired its final episode of the year, which has been praised as a "godly episode." This article covers these topics in two parts.
On December 24th, it was announced that TV Asahi's special drama "Mori Hanae: Butterfly Beyond," starring Yagi Rikako, will air in March 2026. The drama commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Hanae Mori, the first Asian to become a full member of the Paris Haute Couture (high-end tailoring) Association and a pioneer of Japanese elegance throughout the world. Yagi will play Mori from the age of 17 to 39. Prior to filming, Yagi visited the site of her birthplace in Shimane Prefecture and attended the first posthumous exhibition, "100 Years Since the Birth of Hanae Mori: Vital Type," held at the Shimane Prefectural Iwami Art Museum. She attended the same dressmaker's school in Shinagawa, Tokyo, where Mori studied, taking lessons in design drawing and treadle sewing machine operation.
On the 25th, a special episode of the popular October drama "Jaa, Anta ga Tsukutte Miro yo It " (TBS) titled "So, Katsuo Makes It" was streamed on TVer, TBS FREE, and U-NEXT. Takeuchi Ryoma, who plays Katsuo, showed off the cooking skills he displayed in the drama. In response to the overwhelming response, the decision was made to produce and stream the special. The video also included recipes for the dishes, and was designed to recreate the flavors of the drama. It also included previously unreleased cuts and behind-the-scenes footage.
On the 26th, it was announced that popular voice actress Inori Minase , known for her role as Rem in the anime " Re:Zero (Re:ZERO)," will appear in the TBS drama series "Mirai no Musuko" (Tuesdays at 10 PM), which will begin airing on January 13, 2026. The series is a timeless love story about a young woman in her late twenties, Shiokawa Mirai (Shida Mirai), whose dreams and career are on the brink of collapse, and a boy named Souta (Amano Yuu) who claims to be her "future son." Minase will voice Luna, the smartwatch worn by Souta, who has come from the future. Luna becomes Souta's reliable companion, conveying his feelings to him and supporting his life in the present, as he is only five years old and unable to give complex explanations or express his own feelings well.
On the 26th, the 65th episode of the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake " (General TV, Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times), starring Akari Takaishi , aired. This episode, the final one of the year, finally saw Toki (Takaishi) and Heaven ( Tommy Bastow) marry, eliciting emotional responses from viewers. When Toki bumps into Heaven at the foot of a bridge, she asks Heaven, who says she's going for a walk, "Can I join you?" to which Heaven replies, "Yes." Heaven grabs Toki's hand, who seems shy, and the two begin walking hand in hand. The episode ended with a beautiful sunset reflected between their hands. Social media users commented, "It was a divine episode, fitting for the end of 2025," "It was like the final episode!" "I cried so hard it was unbelievable," "It was so beautiful," and "Among the many confession episodes in Asadora, this was by far the most beautiful ending..."
