"Drama Week" brings you the most important drama news of the week. This week (January 17-23) featured news such as the start of streaming for Yuka Ogura's first work in five years as an actor, and the end of the TV Asahi drama series "Kasouken no Onna," starring Yasuko Sawaguchi, after a 26-year run. This article will cover these topics in two parts.
On January 20th, the first episode of the TV Asahi drama series "Reunion ~Silent Truth~" (Tuesdays, 9 PM), starring Ryoma Takeuchi, surpassed 3.13 million views, breaking the record for the network's primetime drama (as of January 19th, calculated by TVer DATA MARKETING). To commemorate the milestone, behind-the-scenes shots of Takeuchi, Mao Inoue, Koji Seto, and Daichi Watanabe, who co-star as classmates, were released. The drama is an adaptation of Yokoseki Dai's novel "Reunion" (Kodansha), winner of the 56th Edogawa Rampo Prize (2010). This human love mystery begins with a fateful reunion 23 years later between four classmates who share a secret: they buried a gun used in a crime under the school's cherry tree during their elementary school days.
On the 21st, the short drama streaming service "BUMP" began exclusive streaming of "The Great Marriage War of Shallow Cinderellas," starring Ogura Yuka. This marks Ogura's return to acting after about five years. The drama is a romantic comedy about a former popular Minato Ward girl who is on the brink of disaster in life, who enters the "battlefield" of a matchmaking party to seize the marriage of her dreams, and engages in a battle for a prince. Ogura, who attracted attention as an "8-head-tall beauty," made waves last year with her appearances on variety shows and her return to gravure modeling after a five-year hiatus. In this work, she plays Kagawa Nana, a former Minato Ward girl who was once known as the "Archangel of Minato Ward," but who is now in a desperate situation after turning 30 and being abandoned by her "father." There are 21 episodes in total, each about three minutes long.
On the 21st, character trailers for the drama series "Kitakata Kenzo: Suikoden," starring Yuji Oda, were released, featuring the protagonist Song Jiang (played by Oda), Chao Gai (played by Sorimachi Takashi), and Lin Chong (played by Kamenashi Kazuya). The trailer features Song Jiang, who laments the devastation of the world and aspires to rebuild it into a better place, quietly and powerfully writing the "Tale of Heavenly Reform"; Chao Gai, a fierce leader with a fierce fighting spirit, wielding his sword and raising the flag of "Tale of Heavenly Reform"; and Lin Chong, who continues to wield his spear, carrying the grief of losing a loved one to state machinations. "Kitakata Kenzo: Suikoden" will air and stream on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand every Sunday at 10 PM starting February 15, 2026. It will also be streamed on Lemino.
On the 22nd, Suzuki Ryohei appeared at an advance screening of the second episode of "Reboot" held in Tokyo. When asked about the first episode, which aired on the 18th, Suzuki said with a smile, "The response has been amazing." He seemed to be pleased, saying, "I really feel the enthusiasm of the viewers." He also said with a smile, "I was particularly happy when my fellow actors sent me a bullet-point list of what they liked about my acting, telling me that I did a good job."
On the 22nd, it was announced that Ohno Manami of the idol group Hinatazaka46 will be appearing in the drama series "Radio Star" (General), which will begin airing on NHK this spring and star Momoko Fukuchi. This will be Ohno's first time appearing in a drama. "Radio Star" is set in Noto. It will be a "non-stop entertainment drama" in which an unknown citizen becomes a star. Ohno will play Ono Mana, a second-year junior high school student living in Noto. She is the only daughter of Ono Sakura (Tokiwa Takako), who participates in the opening of a radio station in the hopes of restoring bonds to the town, and Sakura's husband, Ono Masahiro (Kazama Shunsuke), a chef. Ohno commented, "I will carefully and sincerely portray Mana as she tries her best to weave her feelings."
On the 23rd, the TV Asahi drama "Kasouken no Onna" starring Yasuko Sawaguchi drew to a close after 26 years of production with the special drama "Kasouken no Onna Final," which aired on the same day. A glimpse of Sawaguchi's wrap-up was also released. The moment the final shot finished, the studio erupted in thunderous applause, and the cast and staff gathered in front of the Kasouken Lab set. Holding back tears, Sawaguchi bowed deeply and said, "Mariko was all about science, and her catchphrase was 'Science doesn't lie,' but in this finale, I was able to decipher everyone's feelings from their research papers, and I felt that I had grown as a person. The days I spent filming this series are a treasure in my life."
