"Drama 1 Week" brings you the latest drama news from the past week. This week (October 18-24) featured the announcement of the 26 characters and cast members for the sequel to TBS's Sunday Theatre drama "VIVANT," which will air in 2026, and the live-action adaptation of "Kujo no Taizai," the latest work by Shohei Manabe, known for the popular manga "Yamikin Ushijima-kun." This article covers these topics in two parts.
On October 18th, the video streaming service "TELASA" began streaming "How to Make Dad's Meals," an original content for the TV drama series "Papa to Chichi no Uchigohan" (TV Asahi, Saturdays at 11pm). Hosted by Shuto Inomata, who plays Akutsu Tatsuya in the series, the behind-the-scenes video offers a glimpse into the filming of "Papa to Chichi no Uchigohan." "How to Make Dad's Meals" showcases the crank-in of Matsushima, Shirasu, and child actors Nozomi Tanahashi and Sakura, as well as interviews with Matsushima and Shirasu in which they talk about their roles.
On the 19th, it was announced that Jun Ikeido's novel "Our Hakone Ekiden" will be broadcast as a TV drama series on Nippon Television in 2026. The exact broadcast date has yet to be decided. The story revolves around Meisei Gakuin University, a veteran university that has missed out on the main Hakone Ekiden for two consecutive years. To compete in the Hakone Ekiden, they must pass a qualifying tournament held in October. Will Meisei Gakuin actually be able to run the Hakone course? Furthermore, an unexpected incident occurs at the television station responsible for the broadcast... This is the story. Nippon Television, which has been broadcasting the Hakone Ekiden live since 1987, is producing the series with the full cooperation of the Kanto Student Athletics Federation, the organizer of the race.
On the 19th, a talk show for NHK's taiga drama "UNBOUND (Berabou) " was held in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, where Yuki Inoue, who plays Matsudaira Sadanobu, appeared. The area is the former site of the Shirakawa Domain, where Matsudaira Sadanobu served as lord. Inoue said, "Sadanobu is a man who has always fought for the betterment of his country. He has an unwavering core of 'for the betterment of the country,' so I'm trying to cherish that as I play him. He's a quirky character, but I hope you won't dislike him." He also urged fans in his hometown to "pay attention to how Matsudaira Sadanobu's downfall is portrayed and how he continues to thrive after his downfall." Kokoro Terada , who plays Tayasu Masamaru, the "later Matsudaira Sadanobu," also appeared at the talk show.
On the 20th, it was announced that "Kujo no Taizai," the latest work by Manabe Shohei, known for the popular manga "Yamikin Ushijima-kun," will be adapted into a live-action film starring Yagira Yuya and co-starring Matsumura Hokuto of SixTONES. Produced by TBS, the film will be released on Netflix in the spring of 2026. Yagira will play Kujo Mahito, a lawyer who takes on only shady cases. Kujo takes on only difficult clients, including gangsters, yakuza, and those with criminal records, and solves them without regard for morality. Matsumura will play Karasuma Shinji, a young and talented elite lawyer who graduated from the University of Tokyo and suddenly finds himself working as a "living lawyer" at Kujo's law firm.
On the 20th, it was revealed that the July drama series " We Still Don't Know the School Rules of That Planet )" (Kantele/Fuji TV), starring Hayato Isomura , won the September Monthly Award in the Television category of the Galaxy Awards (Broadcast Critics Association), which recognizes programs, individuals, and organizations that have contributed to the advancement of broadcasting culture. The Broadcast Critics Association commented, "This work, which skillfully weaves the ideas of Kenji Miyazawa into a school lawyer protagonist, is not just a school drama; it also meticulously depicts the protagonist's transformation through his encounters with the students, making it a human drama. In particular, the scene in the homemade planetarium, which seems to converse with the starry sky, has become a memorable scene that will be etched in the history of television dramas for the beauty of the words woven and the poetry of the scene."
On the 21st, the cast and characters of the sequel to the popular TBS Sunday Theatre drama "VIVANT" starring Masato Sakai (to be broadcast in 2026) were announced, revealing that Hiroshi Abe, Nikaido Fumi, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Tori Matsuzaka will be reprising their roles. Abe will play Nozaki Mamoru of the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau, Nikaido will play Yuzuki Kaoru, a doctor, Ninomiya will play Nokor, the younger brother of Nogi Yusuke (played by Sakai) and the number two in the dismantled tent in the previous film, and Matsuzaka will play Kurosu Shun, Nogi Yusuke's partner in the separate squad. Kimura Midoriko will play the role of Sakurai Satomi, the commander of the separate squad; Ichikawa Emazaburo will play Takada Akitoshi, a separate squad member shot by Nogi Yusuke in the previous film; Tamaki Ryo will play Hirose Mizuki; Nishiyama Jun will play Kumagai Kazuki; and Hirayama Yusuke will play Wada Mitsugu.
