The drama series "Kitakata Kenzo Suikoden," starring actor Oda Yuji, will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW and the video streaming service "Lemino" from February 15, 2026. The cast and characters surrounding the "outcasts" at Liangshanbo, led by Song Jiang (Oda), were announced on November 28, revealing that eight people will appear, including Mizuki Yoshida, Rika Izumi, Nakamura Yurika, and Oka Mitsuko.
The film is based on the monumental historical epic novel "Suikoden" series (19 volumes, Shueisha Bunko) written by Kitakata Kenzo. It is a reconstruction of "Suikoden," considered one of the three great Chinese classics, and has sold over 11.6 million copies. It is the first of the "Great Suikoden" trilogy, which will be followed by "Yang Lingden" and "Yue Feiden."
The story is set in China at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (early 12th century). In a world where corruption was rampant, one low-ranking official who believed in justice rose up. His name was Song Jiang. His book on "social reform," "The Way of Heavenly Reform," strikes a chord with those who resist the times. This is a story of "rebellion" in which 108 people unite under one banner and challenge the great enemy that is the state in an attempt to change an unjust era.
Yoshida plays Yan Po-xi, the daughter of a group of spies tasked with the dangerous task of quickly detecting enemy movements and information and relaying it to their allies. Yan Po-xi is a female attendant who takes care of Song Jiang's daily needs.
Izumi will play Zhang Lan, the wife of Lin Chong (Kazuya Kamenashi), the leading warrior of Liangshanbo; Nakamura will play Deng Lihua, who serves Lu Junyi (Takashi Ukaji), who supports the economic foundation of Liangshanbo; and Oka will play Wangbo, the "mother" who continues to support Wang Jin (cast not yet announced), a warrior who becomes an important character in the story.
Also starring in the cast are Ken Tanaka as Shi Rei, the father who watches over the growth of the rough-and-tumble Shi Jin (Kimura Tatsunari), and Tokihide Wakabayashi as Tang Niu-er, the servant who takes care of Song Jiang. Furthermore, Shiho Matsushima plays Chen Li, the ailing wife of Zhu Gui (Takahashi Kazuya), who runs a restaurant on the shores of Lake Liangshan, and Manami Natsume plays Pan Jinlian, the sister-in-law of Wu Song (Ito Kentaro), known as the "Tiger Killer," who is burdened with a turbulent fate.
"Kitakata Kenzo Suikoden" (7 episodes) will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW and WOWOW On Demand every Sunday at 10pm starting February 15, 2026. It will also be streamed simultaneously on Lemino.
