It was announced on September 27th that WOWOW's drama "Serial Drama W Sirius no Hansho" (5 episodes, the first episode will be broadcast free of charge), starring former Hey! Say! JUMP member Yuto Nakajima, will be broadcast and streamed in January 2026. Nakajima will play lawyer Fujishima Shota, a member of "Team Zero," an organization that works to provide relief to victims of wrongful convictions, who takes on the seemingly impossible task of requesting a retrial. This will be Nakajima's first lead role in a WOWOW original drama.
The film is based on the novel of the same name (KADOKAWA) by popular author Takeaki Daimon, who has written many socially conscious mystery works incorporating profound themes and clever criminal tricks. The film will be directed by Yusaku Matsumoto, who made waves with his realistic and sensitive portrayal of a real-life incident in the 2023 film "Winny."
25 years ago, a family was brutally murdered in the scenic town of Gujo Hachiman in Gifu Prefecture on the night of the Gujo Odori, one of Japan's three major Bon Odori festivals. Will Fujishima and his team be able to overcome the legal barriers to rescue the innocent? This is the story of a young lawyer, Fujishima, who takes on the seemingly impossible task of requesting a retrial in order to overturn a death sentence.
Nakajima and others' comments are as follows:
◇Comment from lead actor Yuto Nakajima
The topic of redressing wrongful convictions may seem like something that doesn't concern anyone else and is difficult to delve into, but that's precisely why we should pay attention to it. The realistic story makes you think deeply about relief efforts, the difficulty of requesting a retrial, the suffering of victims, biased investigations, etc. I think this is a profound and serious production that only WOWOW can produce.
This will be my first leading role in a WOWOW production, so I'm very nervous...but because the film deals with such a serious theme, the cast and staff are all so cheerful outside of filming, which is really helpful!
The character I play, Fujishima, is a lawyer, but he is also a man of ambivalent and complicated feelings, as he has unconsciously developed biases due to events that happened to him in the past, which has led to a biased view of the case. I hope you will look forward to seeing him pursue the truth of the case while facing various obstacles as he attempts the seemingly impossible request for a retrial.
◇Comment from Director Yusaku Matsumoto
This suspense drama explores the theme of false accusations caused by bias. There's a legal maxim: "It's better to let ten criminals go than to punish one innocent person." However, in reality, innocent people continue to be charged with crimes. This is particularly evident in the retrial system. Behind the extremely low approval rate are multiple systemic problems, including a lack of a system for disclosing evidence, prolonged trials due to prosecutorial appeals, and flaws in the process itself. We hope this work will provide an opportunity to consider, even just a little, the challenges facing the current judicial system and the dangers posed by human bias.
◇Comment from original author Takeaki Daimon
Thank you for adapting "Sirius's Disproof" into a TV drama. This work centers on the false accusations caused by science. Science is extremely useful, but not omnipotent. Blind faith can sometimes lead to false accusations, and once a decision is made, it's difficult to overturn them. Despite struggling with the gap between ideals and reality, the protagonist, together with his friends, forges ahead to rescue those falsely accused. Yuto Nakajima's portrayal of this protagonist perfectly matches the image, and I'm very excited. The beautiful streets of Gujo, where the story is set, and the footage of the passionate all-night dancing will surely add to the excitement of the story. I strolled around the town of Gujo for research and even participated in the all-night dancing, and it was thrilling to see the intensity of the experience on film, something that's hard to capture in words. I'm sure it will be a great drama.
◇Comment from Chief Producer Masatoshi Iguchi
This film tells the story of a group of young lawyers determined to win a retrial, a "locked door." Despite facing numerous obstacles and flaws in the current judicial system, they never give up, struggling to free a death row inmate from a false accusation and finally discovering the truth. When I first encountered the protagonist, Fujishima, in the original novel, the first person to come to mind was Yuto Nakajima. His pure, energetic, and straightforward eyes breathe life into the character of Fujishima with determination. This thrilling production is currently underway. The film is directed by the cutting-edge director Matsumoto Yusaku, who is bringing a breath of fresh air to the film industry with his sincere perspective and sensitive direction. Don't miss this new chapter in a socially conscious mystery that tackles the social issue of false accusations while also being highly entertaining.
