"Drama 1 Week" brings you the latest drama news from the past week. This time (December 6th to 12th), we're covering topics such as the Korean remake of "Doctor X: Surgeon Daimon Michiko," starring Ryoko Yonekura, and the fact that Ryo Narita will be playing Hana Sugisaki's boyfriend in "Something in Winter, Something in Spring." We'll cover these topics in two parts.
On December Getsuku, it was announced that Toyoshima Hana and M!LK member Jyutaro Yamanaka will be co-starring in the drama series "Kurosaki-san's Unwavering Love Won't Stop" (Tuesdays at 12:24 AM), which will air on Nippon Television's Tuesday Platinum Night slot "Drama DEEP" starting January 6th, 2026. This will be Toyoshima's first lead role in a drama on the network. The drama is based on the manga of the same name by Okada Pico (Flex Comics), which has sold over 800,000 copies. It is a groundbreaking romantic comedy about two innocent people with zero romantic experience. While helping out at her father's rice ball shop, high school student Shirase Koharu (Toyoshima) is suddenly proposed to: "Marry me for this 1 billion yen." Standing before Koharu is a young man named Kurosaki Ayato (Yamanaka).
On the 10th, it was announced that Naniwa Danshi," which will air on the MBS/TBS "Dramaism" slot (MBS Tuesdays at 12:59 AM, TBS Tuesdays at 1:28 AM) on January 20, 2026. A visual of him with a blonde haircut, created for the role, was also revealed. The story is based on the manga "Matori to Mad Dog: Men in the Back Alleys," written by Takashi Tajima and illustrated by Masashi, which began serialization in Young Champion (Akita Shoten) in 2021. Nishihata plays Kyonosuke Umezawa, a popular child actor who is now a drug dealer. However, a series of unexpected events forces him into the hellish position of a double agent for both the narcotics control officer (commonly known as a narcotics agent) and the police...
On the 10th, it was announced that Koichi Sato and Yasuko Matsuyuki will appear in the drama series "Kitakata Kenzo Suikoden," starring Yuji Oda, which will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW and the video streaming service "Lemino" from February 15, 2026. Sato will play Wang Jin, a renowned martial arts instructor in the Imperial Guard protecting the Song Dynasty emperor, while Matsuyuki will play Ma Gui, a spy serving Song Jiang (played by Oda). New visuals and stills have also been released. The drama is based on the monumental historical epic novel "Suikoden" series (19 volumes, published by Shueisha Bunko) by Kitakata Kenzo.
On the 10th, the 11 new cast members for the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (NHK General TV, Sundays at 8 PM and other channels), starring Taiga Nakano, were announced. It was revealed that Yoshitane Otsuru will play the role of Sengoku daimyo Yoshimoto Imagawa, and Ukon Onoue will play Yoshiaki Ashikaga, the last shogun of the Muromachi shogunate. Also appearing are Tsutomu Takahashi as Masakatsu Hasegawa, a Mino force who opposes the Oda clan, served by the protagonist brothers Koichiro (later Toyotomi Hidenaga, played by Nakano) and Tōkichirō (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi, played by Sosuke Ikematsu), Satoru Matsuo as Jirōzaemon Osawa, Kurara Emi as Jirōzaemon's wife Shino, Yasushi Shimao as Yoshimichi Inaba, Yamato Kento Shibuya Maeno, and Tetsushi Tanaka Tanaka as Morinari Andō. Broadcast begins on January 4th, with the first episode extended by 15 minutes
On the 11th, it was revealed that Ryo Narita will play the lead role of Hana Sugisaki Hana's boyfriend in the January 2026 drama series "Winter Something, Spring Something" (NTV, Wednesdays at 10 PM). The two also played a married couple in the NHK morning drama "Ochoyan" (2020). Narita, who has also co-starred with Sugisaki in "Yayoi, March: 30 Years of Loving You," will play Yukio Saeki, the current boyfriend of the protagonist, novelist Tsuchida Fumina (Sugisaki). A hairdresser by trade, he meets Fumina while visiting a laundromat. He has a kind and straightforward personality, and develops an interest in Fumina through their shared love of music and casual conversation, leading to the pair starting a relationship. "Winter Something, Spring Something" will begin airing on January 14, 2026.
On the 11th, it was announced that Totsugi Shigeyuki will be appearing in the TV Asahi drama series "Okome no Onna - National Tax Agency Document Investigation Division, Miscellaneous Country Office" (Thursdays, 9 PM), starring Nanako Matsushima, which will begin airing on January 8, 2026. He will play Mugitani Minoru, the boss of the protagonist, tax investigator Masako Yoneda (played by Matsushima), who harbors deep-rooted resentment and complexes towards her. Totsugi's character, Mugitani, is a career employee at the Ministry of Finance and heads the Complex National Tax Cases Processing Office (commonly known as Zakkoku), and is the head of the Second Taxation Division at the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau. He still harbors a grudge over the embarrassing experience of being compared to Masako, who joined the ministry at the same time, during new employee training. He persistently calls Masako "Komeda Masako" and frequently interrupts her.
On the 12th, it was announced that the popular medical drama "Doctor X: Surgeon Daimon Michiko" (TV Asahi), starring Ryoko Yonekura, will be remade in Korea. The drama will be produced by major Korean production companies Studio Dragon and Studio S, and will air on terrestrial broadcaster SBS in 2026 under the title "Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia." The Korean version will be a social suspense drama set in the medical world, a "medical noir." The protagonist, Kye Soo-jung, who corresponds to Michiko Daimon, will be played by Kim Ji-won, who starred in the hit drama "Queen of Tears" (2024). The role of Jang Hee-sook, director of the renowned doctor referral center, will be played by talented actress Lee Jeong-eun, known for her roles in films such as "Parasite" (2019), and will be the counterpart to Akira Kanbara, played by Ittoku Kishibe.
On the 12th, it was announced that Daichi Mao will be appearing in the drama "Okome no Onna - National Tax Agency Document Investigation Division, Miscellaneous Tax Office." Daichi will play Iijima Sakuko, a former national tax investigator and former boss of Masako. She was feared as the "raid witch" who could find any kind of slush fund, but was deeply traumatized by a certain incident and transferred to the tax office. While she was living a peaceful life, consulting elderly people about their tax returns, she was recruited by Yoneda Masako (played by Matsushima) and became a member of the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau's Complex National Tax Case Processing Office (commonly known as Zakkoku). While Matsushima drastically cut her hair short to suit her role, Daichi also underwent a "makeover" with a bob cut.
