Manami Higa is cast in NTV drama series “First Cry.” The drama series features an original screenplay by Hideya Hamada (“Themis’ Uncertain Court“). For Manami Higa, “First Cry” marks her first time starring in a prime time drama series on NTV. In “First Cry,” Manami Higa will play OB-GYN Aki Mitsui. She leads a secret team that is formed to help pregnant mothers who have nowhere to go for help.
“First Cry” will first air July, 2026 in Japan.
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Rena Tanaka and Yuta Furukawa are cast NTV-YTV drama series “Shinai Naru Otto e.” The suspense filled screenplay is written by Erika Toyama (“Forbidden to Love“). In “Shinai Naru Otto e,” Rena Tanaka and Yuta Furukawa will play a married couple. What the public doesn’t know about their marriage, is that the wife Maiko Sakai is obsessed with her husband Yuichi Sakai and controlling over him. Maiko Sakai mysteriously dies the day after Yuichi Sakai asks for a divorce. Yuichi Sakai investigates her death.
“Yuichi Sakai” will first air July, 2026 in Japan.
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Ryosuke Yamada is cast in NTV-YTV drama series “Labyrinth of Hortensia and the Minotaur.” Drama series is based on novel “Ichi Jigen no Sashiki” by Ryunosuke Matsushita. The screenplay will have Ryosuke Yamada play graduate student-researcher Haruka Nanase. He is tasked to examine the DNA for 200 year old skeletal remains excavated from India, but he finds a remarkable match with his missing stepsister. He attempts to unravel the baffling mystery.
“Labyrinth of Hortensia and the Minotaur” will first air July, 2026 in Japan.
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Jun Shison is cast in NTV drama series “10 Kai Kitte Taorenai Ki wa Nai.” Drama series is scripted by Izumi Kawasaki (“Single Flower Day“) and directed by Naoko Komuro (“Escape“) & Hidemi Uchida (“The Reluctant Preacher“). In “10 Kai Kitte Taorenai Ki wa Nai,” Jun Shison will play Teru Aoki. He lost his parents at age of 7 and then was adopted by his father’s best friend was from South Korea. Teru Aoki then grew up in South Korea under the name of Kim Min-Seok and was the successor to his adoptive family’s business. Things changed after his father died in South Korea. He then returns to Japan and meets Momoko Kawase.
“10 Kai Kitte Taorenai Ki wa Nai” first airs April 12, 2026 in Japan.
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Keita Machida and Honoka Matsumoto are cast in NTV drama series “Tatsuki Sensei wa Ama Sugiru.” Drama series is scripted by Koji Tokuo and directed by Yuma Suzuki. Koji Tokuo and Yuma Suzuki previously worked together for 2021 NTV drama series “Love Deeply.” Story for “Tatsuki Sensei wa Ama Sugiru” is set at a free school, which is an alternative school for children who have dropped out of a traditional school. The aim of the free school is to allow children to learn at their own pace and also provide an environment where they are not isolated from society. Keita Machida and Honoka Matsumoto will play teachers at the free school.
“Tatsuki Sensei wa Ama Sugiru” will first air April 11, 2026 in Japan (takes over NTV’s Saturday 9 PM time slot after “We Are Worse at Love than Pandas“).
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Seishiro Kato is cast in NTV-YTV drama series “Kimi ga Shikei ni Naru Mae ni.” The suspense drama series that involves time travel features an original screenplay by Hayashi Mori (“Classmate no Joshi, Zenin Sukideshita“) and Yuki Takeda (“Mother Game“). For “Kimi ga Shikei ni Naru Mae ni,” Seishiro Kato will play Kotaro Sakabe. He gave up working at an insurance company and has become more reclusive. He then travels 7 years into the past with two friends and meets a woman who is executed in the present day for a serial murder case. She tells them that she is innocent.
“Kimi ga Shikei ni Naru Mae ni” will first air April 2, 2026 in Japan (takes over NTV‘s Thursday midnight time slot following the conclusion of “My Fave, the Killer.”)
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Hana Sugisaki is cast in NTV drama series “Fuyu no Nankasa, Haru no Nankasa.” The drama series is scripted and co-directed by Rikiya Imaizumi. He previously worked with Hana Sugisaki in 2023 WOWOW drama series “Hana Sugisaki’s Filming Break.” The drama series is setup to tell an everyday love story about a young woman who lives earnestly despite making mistakes.
“Fuyu no Nankasa, Haru no Nankasa” will first air January 14, 2026 in Japan (takes over NTV’s Wednesday 10PM time slot after “Escape“).
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Ryoko Shinohara is cast in NTV drama series “Punch Drunk Woman.” Drama series is scripted by Yoshihiro Izumi (“Smiling Matryoshka“). Ryoko Shinohara will play detention center guard Kozue Fuyuki. When she meets a detainee charged with murder, her life changes drastically. An attempted prison escape takes place.
“Punch Drunk Woman” will first air January, 2026 in Japan (takes over NTV’s Sunday 10:30PM time slot following “Chosen Home“).
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Moka Kamishiraishi and Toma Ikuta are cast in NTV drama series “We Are Worse at Love than Pandas.” The romantic-comedy drama series is based on 2021 novel “Panda yori Koi ga Nigatena Watashitachi” by Kazuaki Sena. Moka Kamishiraishi, playing her first main character in a terrestrial broadcast drama series, will portray Ichiha Shibata. She joins a publishing company in hopes of working in their fashion magazine as an editor. But, she ends up working in a lifestyle magazine. She gets tasked with planning a love advice column for a famous model. She seeks out help from Tsukasa Shido, played by Toma Ikuta. His specialty is studying animal courtship behavior.
“We Are Worse at Love than Pandas” will first air January, 2026 (takes over NTV’s Saturday 9PM time slot after “The Right to Judge“).
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Hiyori Sakurada and Hayato Sano are cast in NTV drama series “Escape.” Drama series features an original screenplay scripted by Kayo Hikawa (“After School Doctor“) and directed by Naoko Komuro (“Secret Makeover“) & Makoto Naganuma (“Inheritance Detective“). Hiyori Sakurada will play Yui Yagami. She is the daughter of a pharmaceutical company president, but is kidnapped for ransom during her 20th birthday party. Hayato Sano will play Daisuke Hayashida. He is one of the people that takes part in her kidnapping. Circumstances will have them together as they try to escape.
“Escape” will first air October 8, 2025 in Japan (takes over NTV’s Wednesday 10 PM time slot after “Chihayafuru: Meguri“).
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