"Drama Week" Topics from May 24th to 30th (Part 2)

"Drama 1 Week" brings together the main drama news of the week. This time (May 24-30), it was announced that the title of the NHK Asadora drama series for the second half of 2026 will be "Blossom," with Shizuka Ishibashi playing the lead role, and that Honda Tsubasa will star in the Kansai TV/Fuji TV series "Kita-kun is too cute for my hands, so I decided to share it with the three of us" (Tuesdays at 11pm), which will start on July 1st. This will be covered in two parts.

On May 27th, it was announced that a special episode of the drama "Shimoyama Meshi" (TV Tokyo), in which Shida Mirai plays the main character enjoying gourmet food after climbing a mountain, titled "Shimoyama Meshi Takasaki Edition", will be broadcast from 12:30 midnight on June 26th. In the "Shimoyama Meshi Takasaki Edition", a "one-night-only" special, Shida plays illustrator Itadai Mineko, who visits Mount Haruna in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, and climbs Mount Haruna Fuji, which has an impressive, well-balanced shape like Mount Fuji. After descending the mountain, they go to a restaurant on the shore of Lake Haruna. They enjoy "smelt fritters" and "minced meat cutlet croquettes (menkoro)" as snacks to go with their beer, as well as "udon" made with wheat flour, a specialty of Takasaki City. Finally, as the "show's first dessert", they gobble down a "parfait" and "pancakes" made with plenty of fruits from Takasaki.

On the 28th, it was revealed that Honda will star in the Kansai TV/Fuji TV drama series "Kita-kun is too cute for me to handle, so I decided to share it with the three of us." which will start airing on July 1st. This will be Honda's first time starring in a drama series since "Kimi no Hana ni Naru" (TBS), about three years ago, and her first time starring in a Kansai TV/Fuji TV series. Honda plays Asada Minami, a nurse with plenty of romantic experience and a straightforward personality. One day, she meets Manaka Kita (Iwase Hiroshi), also known as "Natural Born Angel Kita-kun," at the hospital where she works and falls in love at first sight. Minami, bakery employee Hiruma Toko (Shida Mirai), and bookstore employee Nishino Haru (Masuko Atsuki) form the "33% Club" to share Kita-kun's love in three equal parts. The three of them live together with Kita-kun.

On the 28th, Ayase Haruka attended a press conference for the Saturday drama "Hitori de Shinitai" (starting June 21st, every Saturday at 10pm), in which she plays the lead role, at the NHK in Shibuya, Tokyo. The drama is based on the manga "Hitori de Shinitai" by Kaoru Curryzawa. Narumi Yamaguchi (Ayase), who is in her late 30s, starts looking for a husband after her beloved aunt dies alone, but is unsuccessful. She makes a 180-degree turn and starts thinking about preparing for the end of her life... Ayase said, "I read the original and there were many things I could relate to. Everyone feels anxious about death, and there are many things I can learn from it." There is a scene in the drama where Ayase sings and dances, and she began practicing about two months before filming began.

On the 28th, it was revealed that the July drama series "Chihayafuru -Meguri-" (Nippon TV, Wednesdays at 10pm), starring Ami Touma, will begin airing on July Getsuku. "Chihayafuru" is a manga by Yuki Suetsugu that was serialized in "BE・LOVE" (Kodansha) from 2007 to 2022. This drama is an original story that depicts a world 10 years after the trilogy that was made into a movie. The setting is Umezono High School's competitive karuta club, which has few members and is on the verge of being disbanded. The protagonist, Aizawa Meguru, a second-year ghost club member played by Touma, meets Oe Kanade (Kamishiraishi), a part-time classical Japanese teacher and the new advisor for the competitive karuta club, and her fate begins to move... and so the story unfolds.

On the 29th, it was revealed that Takaya Kamikawa will be starring in the July drama series "Noh Mask Prosecutor" (TV Tokyo). The series is based on the same-named novel series by Shichiri Nakayama, who is also known as the "King of Plot Twists." Kamikawa, who plays the role of an expressionless prosecutor with his bangs up, said, "This is a solid legal drama in which new mysteries emerge with each episode. I hope you will enjoy it." Kamikawa plays Shuntaro Fuwa, the ace prosecutor at the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office. This is a legal mystery in which he uncovers the truth of cases without any consideration for the higher-ups of the prosecution or the police organization. The drama will be broadcast on TV Tokyo every Friday at 9pm from July 11th. The first episode will be extended by 15 minutes.

On the 29th, it was announced that the title of the Asadora for the second half of 2026 will be "Blossom," and that Ishibashi will play the lead role. "Blossom," the 115th serial TV drama, is based on the story of writer Chiyo Uno , who continued to seek freedom throughout the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras. She leaves her hometown of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, and meets fascinating people, which draws her back to her dreams and propels her into the turbulent times of the Taisho and Showa eras. The script is written by Sakurai Tsuyoshi, known for "Your Goods Are Here" and "Boogie Woogie." Ishibashi plays the main character, Hano Tama. Tama's biological mother died when she was two years old, and she was raised by her father and his stepmother, who was his second wife. After graduating from a girls' school, she started working as a substitute teacher, but was fired and moved to Tokyo, relying on her relatives. She started her career as a writer by submitting a novel for a contest.

On the 30th, it was announced that the serial drama "Kidnapping Day" (TV Asahi, Tuesday 9pm) starring Takumi Saito will start on July 8th. This human mystery follows a kind-hearted but clumsy kidnapper played by Saito and a genius girl with amnesia played by child actor Yuno Nagao as they flee from the police and unidentified men who are somehow targeting the girl. The 43-year-old Saito and the 8-year-old Yuno form a "unique buddy" with a 35-year age difference. The original is a serial drama produced in 2023 by ASTORY, a Korean production company that has produced hits such as "Signal" and "Lawyer Woo Young-woo is a Genius". The Japanese version will be written by Kentaro Ushio, a hit maker who has worked on TBS's Sunday Theater "Downtown Rocket" and "Hanzawa Naoki".

On the 30th, the 45th episode of the Asadora"Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM and others), starring Mio Imada , was broadcast, and viewers were drawn to the unexpected behavior of "Yam-on-chan" Kusakichi ( Sadao Abe). In the episode, a rumor spreads that Asada Pan had rebelled against the army by refusing to make hardtack. When Kamaji (Kotaro Yoshida) pleaded with him to make hardtack, Kusakichi explained why he didn't want to bake it. However, the next day, the ingredients for hardtack were delivered to the Asada house, and while Kamaji was surprised, Kusakichi baked it. The next morning, Kusakichi's back was shown as he left the Asada house. On social media, comments such as "I've been crying since the morning," "Yam-on-chan is leaving? We'll see each other again, right?" and "It's sad to see him walking away" were posted.