"Drama 1 Week" brings you a roundup of major drama news from the past week. This time (September 27th to October 3rd), we've covered topics such as Akaso Eiji's starring role in TV Tokyo's drama series "Kimbap and Onigiri: Two Lovers Are Similar, But Different," which will begin airing on January 12th, 2026, and WOWOW's drama series "Serial Drama W: Sirius no Hansho," starring former Hey! Say! JUMP member Yuto Nakajima, which will be broadcast and streamed in January 2026. We'll cover these topics in two parts.
On September 27th, it was announced that WOWOW's drama series "Serial Drama W Sirius no Hansho" (5 episodes, the first episode will be broadcast free of charge), starring Yuto Nakajima , will be broadcast and streamed in January 2026. Nakajima plays 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 series is based on the novel of the same name (KADOKAWA) by popular author Daimon Takeaki, who has written many socially conscious mystery works that incorporate profound themes and clever crime tricks.
On the 29th, it was revealed that Yuki Sakurai and Terajima Shinobu will appear in the WOWOW drama series "Drama W Shadow Work" (Sundays at 10 PM), starring Mikako Tabe, which will begin airing on November 23rd. The drama is a mystery that depicts the "ultimate sisterhood" that wives suffering from domestic violence find in the depths of despair in order to survive. Sakurai will play Kitagawa Kaoru, an important character who could be considered the "other protagonist." Kaoru is a detective inspector at Yamanami Police Station, and is an excellent officer with a strong sense of justice, but for certain reasons she was demoted from the First Investigative Division. Terajima will play Akie, who manages a shared house where women victims of domestic violence gather. She also runs the bakery where the women work.
On the 29th, Takashi Okabe attended the premiere public viewing (Asadora) of the NHK morning drama "Bakebake " (NHK General TV, Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times) at the Matsue Workers' Welfare Center/Matsue Terrsa (Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture). He enjoyed the premiere broadcast and talk show with 440 attendees. Okabe, who plays Tsukasanosuke , the father of the heroine Toki Matsuno(Akari Takaishi ), said, "Yesterday (September 28th), I ate fish and clam soup from Shimane. Lake Shinji and the rivers are so beautiful, it reminds me of my hometown, Wakayama Prefecture. I heard (co-star Kohinata) talk about visiting shrines and temples in Matsue, so I definitely want to go there myself." Also attending the event was Bon Koizumi, great-grandson of Yakumo Koizumi and director of the Yakumo Koizumi Memorial Museum.
On the 29th, it was announced that Shogo Hama will be appearing in "Bakebake." He will play Shoda Takichi, a friend of Ryo Yoshizawa, played by Yoshizawa Ryo. This will be Hama's second appearance in a Asadora, following "Maiagare!" in the second half of 2022. Shoda Takichi, played by Hama, is a brilliant student from Matsue who describes himself as "a little less than half" Nishikori, who is known as a "master of the craft." Hama said, "When I read the script for ' Bakebake,' I was captivated by the kind-hearted, mysterious story of characters who are incredibly serious yet somehow funny and lovable. I haven't played many roles like Shoda Takichi, who is incredibly pure, so it will be a challenge and a new frontier for me personally. Please look forward to it!"
On the 29th, Non appeared at the premiere event for the Abema original drama "MISS KING" held in Tokyo just before its release. Non, who plays Asuka, a girl aiming to become the "first female shogi player in history," reflected, "I've never played shogi before, and it was my first time even touching a shogi piece. I've never played a character who is this unsmiling, brusque, and rude, so I tried my best to portray that in a way that would make her appealing." She continued, "I was taught by a shogi instructor, and he told me, 'If you play 100 times a day, you'll definitely get better, so don't worry!' So, aiming for 100 times, I spent all my time touching the pieces, even while eating breakfast and watching TV." The drama will be available for free streaming from the same day. It consists of eight episodes.
On the 30th, it was revealed that Eiji Akaso will star in the TV Tokyo drama series "Kimbap and Onigiri: Two Lovers Are Similar Yet Different" (Mondays, 11:06 PM), which will begin airing on January 12, 2026. The heroine will be played by Kang Hyewon, a former member of the globally popular girl group IZ*ONE. Akaso will play Taiga Hase, a promising young man who was an ace in the university relay race, but suffered setbacks due to poor grades and is now working part-time at a small restaurant. However, after meeting and falling in love with Park Rin (Kang), a graduate student studying in Japan from South Korea, he begins to confront his own life and take a step towards his future.
On the 30th, it was revealed that Masaki Okada will be appearing in the drama series "A Little Bit of Esper" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 9 PM), starring Oizumi Yo, which will begin airing on October 21st. The seven regular cast members, who have been announced weekly since September 2nd, have now been announced. Okada will play Kizashi, the president of Nonamare, the man responsible for turning Bunta (Oizumi), Sakurasuke (Dean Fujioka), Enjaku (Atsuko Takahata Atsuko), and Hanzo (Uno Shohei) into slight espers. Kizashi is a mysterious character who gives Bunta and his friends a mysterious mission to save the world, as well as imposing an absurd and incomprehensible rule that they "must never love others."
On the 30th, Misato Ugaki appeared at a press conference for the drama series "Even if I can, even if I can't" (TV Tokyo, Thursdays at 12:30 AM) in Tokyo. Regarding her first lead role in a drama series, she said that many of the filming sessions begin early in the morning. "Until now, I've been a really night owl. But now that I've been forced to work early in the morning, I've realized that working early isn't so bad," she said with a smile. However, perhaps due to the change in her lifestyle, she added with a wry smile, "I haven't been able to control my appetite lately," she continued. "I end up eating too many sweets in between scenes, and my stomach growls a lot. Even during sensitive scenes, my stomach rumbles and I have to say, 'I'm sorry...' (laughs). So I get my manager to put quail eggs in my pocket, and I always eat those." The drama begins on Getsuku.
