"Drama 1 Week" brings you the latest drama news from the past week. This time (November 1st to 7th), the news that former KAT-TUN member Taguchi Junnosuke will be appearing in a terrestrial TV drama for the first time in about 11 years, and that Shida Mirai will be playing a mother again, 20 years after her appearance in the 2006 drama "14-sai no Haha ~ Ai no Tame ni Umarekita ~" (14-sai no Haha ~ Born to Love ~) was a hot topic. The article will be covered in two parts.
On November 1st, it was announced that former KAT-TUN member Taguchi Junnosuke will be starring in the TOKYO MX drama "Greedy Girls and Problematic Boys," which will air from December 22nd to 24th. This will be Taguchi's first terrestrial drama appearance in approximately 11 years, and he will play the protagonist, whose life changes dramatically when he is accused of sexual harassment at work. Kanda Daichi (played by Taguchi) was steadily building his career at a mid-sized advertising agency, but was demoted after being accused of sexual harassment. Through interactions at a shared house, a ray of hope is lit in his wounded heart, creating a "story of rebirth." The story, which also includes comedic elements, follows the protagonist, who has lost everything, as he regains his confidence and will to live. There are five episodes, each 15 minutes long. Park Yuchun, Sugichan, and others also appear.
On the 2nd, it was announced that Hey! Say! JUMP's Kei Inoo will co-star alongside Kei Inoo in the January 2026 "Nichi 10" drama "50 Minute Lover" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sunday 10:15 PM). This will be Inoo and Matsumoto's first time acting together. One day, Naho Karashima (Matsumoto), a character designer working at a game company, makes a contract with the surly, handsome Haru Amami (Ino) to make her 30 bento lunches. As they spend 50 minutes together during their company lunch break, they grow closer, only to discover that Haru is actually a top game creator at a rival company. While constantly thrown off balance by Haru's oddball behavior, Naho gradually finds herself drawn to him in this "off-kilter romantic comedy."
On the 2nd, the fourth episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9 PM), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, aired, revealing the identity of the "important character" played by Snow Man's Ren Meguro . One day, Kurisu (Tsumabuki) follows Kozo as he heads out somewhere. Kozo heads to Maebashi General Hospital. Learning that Kozo has visited a woman named Nakajo Mikiko (Nakajima Tomoko), Kurisu passes Koichi in the hospital hallway. At the end of the episode, a weekly magazine reports that Kozo has a "secret child with the president of Royal Human, a quagmire of financial troubles!?" It is revealed that the character played by Meguro is Kozo's illegitimate child, Nakajo Koichi. Social media was abuzz with comments like, "What a secret child!" and "A quagmire...that must be tough."
On the 4th, it was announced that the NHK Taiga drama " UNBOUND (Berabou), " starring Ryusei Yokohama , wrapped up filming on October 30th. A photo of Yokohama's gray-haired character, Tsutaya Juzaburo, alongside a banner reading "Filming Completed," was also released. Yokohama, who played the "Edo media mogul" for roughly a year and a half, commented, "Thank you all so much for the past year and a half. Dedicating those years to UNBOUND and living my life as Tsutaya Juzaburo has become a treasure to me, and I'm truly grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and for meeting everyone and working on this project together." The final episode of the 48-episode series is scheduled to air on December 14th, as a 15-minute extended version.
On the 4th, the third episode of the drama series "A Little Esper" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 9 PM), starring Yo Oizumi, aired, and the mysterious college student Ichimatsu (Takumi Kitamura) became a hot topic. In the third episode, the protagonist, Bunta (Oizumi), and his fellow esper friends take on the mission of "stopping people from dying in an explosion" at a shrine bustling with people during a festival. A gas explosion occurs at a food stall, but thanks to Sakurasuke's (Dean Fujioka) quick thinking, they manage to prevent any fatalities. A suspicious-looking man wearing a fox mask appears at the scene. When he removes the mask, his true identity is revealed to be Ichimatsu, who also appeared in the first episode. Social media users expressed suspicion about Ichimatsu, with comments such as, "Is Takumi Kitamura a dark hero?" and "It's a bit scary to think of Takumi Kitamura as a villain right after Anpan ."
On the 5th, it was announced that Shida Mirai will star in the TBS drama series "Mirai no Musuko" (Tuesdays at 10 PM), which will begin airing in January 2026. Twenty years after her 2006 drama "14-sai no Haha: Ai no Tame ni Umarekita," Shida will once again become a mother. Shida will play the protagonist, Shiokawa Mirai, a 28-year-old woman on the brink of disaster with no permanent job, no savings, and no boyfriend. One night, a little boy calling Mirai "Mom" appears with a clap of thunder. The boy, who calls himself Souta, claims to have come from the future of 2036 to help reconcile Mirai and his father, "Ma-kun." Souta will be played by 5-year-old child actor Amano Yu, who was selected from approximately 200 candidates in an audition. This will be Shida's first regular role in a drama series.
