Autumn drama roundtable discussion:Which works are not to be missed in the final stages? Discerning editorial staff discuss a drama of the battle between gods that you can't take your eyes off of, and a magnificent love story spanning 70 years, including a "parasitic" wife.

The autumn drama season that began in October is drawing to an end. The discerning MANTAN editorial staff have chosen some of the most interesting dramas they have seen so far, based on their own personal opinions and biases. They talked to drama fans of the "R40" generation about what to look forward to and what to look out for in the upcoming season.

◇The battle between gods gets more and more exciting in the "All-Area Anomaly Resolution Room"

"All-Area Anomaly Solution Room" (Fuji TV, Wednesdays at 10pm) is a full-scale mystery drama written by Tsutomu Kuroiwa and directed by Junichi Ishikawa, set in the world's oldest investigative agency, "All-Area Anomaly Solution Room (Zenketsu)," which solves "inexplicable abnormal cases" that go beyond common sense. The main characters, Masa Okitama, a specialist in paranormal phenomena, played by Tatsuya Fujiwara, and police officer Koyume Amano, played by Alice Hirose, pursue the frequent "abnormal cases" and the mysterious entity "Hiruko" that connects the cases.

Reporter A (woman in her 40s): In the first half, the occult or paranormal phenomena were the cause of the incident, and when the team investigates, it turns out that it was all the work of humans. But at the end of the fifth episode, we find out that a mysterious woman, Toyotama Hika (played by Fukumoto Riko), is on the team's side, and it also becomes clear that Okitama and the other team members have superhuman powers, and it gets a lot more interesting.

Reporter B (male, 30s): People who like "TRICK" and "SPEC" will also like this. Tatsuya Fujiwara is a perfect fit for the role.

Reporter C (40s, female): I was blown away by Tatsuya Fujiwara's line, "I am also a god." I also like Riko Narumi's death voice-like tsukkomi. I love the occult, so I'm really into it.

Reporter D (woman in her 50s): I started watching it without any notice and it was interesting. In the next episode, episode 9 (broadcast on December 11th), Okitama is stabbed with the same pen as Komu (actually the arrowhead of the sacred treasure Amanokaguya) and is left near death, and apparently he reveals to the members of the All-Stars that he is "Amanoishidowake no Kami". There was a one-week break last week, so I'll take this opportunity to review what has happened so far.

◇What will happen if the mine fire occurs? The future of Hashima Asako and Teppei is "a diamond in the sea"

"Diamonds Sleeping in the Sea" (TBS, Sunday 9pm) is a story of love, friendship and family spanning 70 years, set on Hashima Island (Gunkanjima) in Nagasaki Prefecture, which developed through coal mining from the beginning of the Meiji era to the postwar high economic growth period, and in modern-day Tokyo. It is written by Akiko Nogi, directed by Ayuko Tsukahara, and produced by Junko Arai, the team behind the TV dramas "Unnatural" and "MIU404" (TBS) and the movie "The Last Mile".

Reporter D: The images are so immersive. It's like watching a high-quality movie every time, and it's so exhausting that it's pleasant. I've always been interested in Hashima (Battleship Island), but after watching this drama, I really want to go there. Now I find myself watching a lot of videos and TV programs related to Hashima.

Reporter A: In episode 5, we found out that the true identity of the modern Izumi (played by Miyamoto Nobuko) is Asako (played by Sugisaki Hana), and things started to get interesting. At the end of last week's episode 6 (broadcast on December 1st), we found out that Izumi (= Asako) doesn't know where Teppei (played by Kamiki) is, so who did Asako marry? You can't miss a single scene.

Reporter C: The acting of the cast was so natural that the scene where Teppei confessed his feelings to Asako was like a romance reality show. In the first episode, when Rina (Elaiza Ikeda) left the island on a small boat, was the baby she was holding in her arms the one she gave birth to in the sixth episode? The mystery is getting deeper, and I might miss something if I watch it just once, so I want to watch it again from the first episode.

Reporter B: It seems that the 7th episode (broadcast on the 8th) will depict a fire in the mine. I wonder what will happen to Hashima. I'm really looking forward to what happens next.

◇The theme is "cuckoo wife" - how will the outcome of this double hellish situation end? "My Treasure"

"My Treasure" (Fuji TV, Thursdays at 10 p.m.) is the third drama about marital taboos produced by producer Reiko Misao, who also produced "Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon" (2014) and "Even if You Don't Do It" (2023). The story follows the fate of the protagonist, who decides to become a villain in order to protect her precious "treasure," her husband, who is at her mercy, and her childhood friend, whom she once fell in love with.

Reporter C: I had been paying attention to this story even before it aired, as it was about a woman who gave birth to a child with a man other than her husband and falsely pretended it was her husband's child, and then raised it. From Hiroki's (Tanaka Kei) moral harassment in the first episode, I thought the story would go in the direction of supporting the plot of the main character, Miu (Matsumoto Wakana), but after the birth of the child, Hiroki changed into a good person, and the story unfolded in a chaotic and interesting way.

Reporter A: In last week's episode 8 (broadcast on the 5th), Miu was called by Risa (Sato Honami), who has a crush on Fuyutsuki (Fukazawa Tatsuya), and was questioned about her relationship with Fuyutsuki. Hiroki also had a direct confrontation with Fuyutsuki, creating a tense ``double battlefield.''

Reporter B: In the preview for episode 9 (broadcast on the 12th), Miu was splashed with water by Risa. In the first place, Miu was cuckooed because Risa lied that Fuyutsuki had died overseas. Meanwhile, Miu's best friend Makoto (Yuri Tsunematsu), who likes Hiroki, is stirring things up. I wonder what will happen next.

Reporter D: It's a real quagmire, but what does Miu want to do? To live alone? But what about Shiori (Miu and Fuyutsuki's child)? As expected of the "Hirugao" staff, they're making me anxious. There's no way Miu will live a simple life alone like in "Hirugao", or that Fuyutsuki will really die in an accident this time. I want Miu to be with the person she loves and be happy. But maybe that's impossible.