Marika Matsumoto

Daimon Michiko is a 37-year-old freelance surgeon who is part of a questionable “doctor placement service” that has her wander from hospital to hospital. The harsh environment at the hospitals led many doctors to retire from their positions, forcing hospitals to make use of said program to fill the empty spots at least temporary. However, Michiko doesn’t look like a doctor at all with her flashy clothes and eccentric attitude. In the first episode she raises objections to a certain operation which is planned to be done by the head of a hospital who hasn’t performed an operation for a very long time. This causes Michiko to incur odium at the hospital, however, everyone becomes frozen when Michiko points out the outdated skills of the director. She also holds a scrupulous compliance when it comes to her working hours, never does any unnecessary chores that don’t require a medical license, and couldn’t care less about the power struggles within the hospitals. Nobody knows how she acquired such a top-level skill that allows her to claim exorbitant sums as reward, but her private life is an even greater mystery to everyone around her. Tanaka plays a rookie surgeon, Uchida an anesthetist, Kishibe the head of the placement service, and Ito the head of the surgical department of this institution.

Satoshi Itomura is an assistant police investigator who belongs to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Scientific Investigation Team. Reenactments, fingerprint and voice data collections, profiling... His team collects scientific evidence and pieces together fragments of information in order to help build evidences. However, Itomura often does not care about the scientific approach and instead pays a great deal of attention to the things that the victims always carried with them or treasured. And he focuses on these things because they usually carry the victim’s dying wishes, understanding that last message not only helps solve the cases but also brings closure to the depressed family of victims.

The hosts explore different neighborhoods and izakayas, discussing various snacks and drinks. They share interesting trivia about the food and beverages, often accompanied by lively conversations with female guests and experts.

The 74th NHK Asadora Drama is Junjo Kirari, which means something along the lines of "pure-hearted Kirari." The story is set in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture in the era around the Second World War. When the story opens in 1928, the heroine, Sakurako, is a very active seven-year-old girl. Indeed, even in the first episode she exhibits her confidence and enthusiasm. But above all else, Sakurako is interested in becoming a jazz pianist, and music features extensively in the plot.

Chocolat Meilleure is a happy-going and optimistic girl. Together with her friend-cum-rival, Vanilla Mieux, they are potential candidates to become Queen of the magic world. After obtaining their magic wands, they set off to the human world to gather the hearts of unsuspecting humans. Whoever gets the most hearts will be the crowned Queen.

The 82nd NHK Asadora is Gegege no Nyobo. The story is based on a 2008 autobiography by Mura Nunoe, the wife of Gegege no Kitaro mangaka Mizuki Shigeru. The story revolves around the life of the married couple, told from the perspective of Mura. --Tokyograph

He lost his land, his father, and was torn from his mother. Lonely and wounded, young Takechiyo thought he'd live out his days quietly as a hostage. But fate had other plans. Inspired by Mikawa warriors, he becomes a minor lord and dives into a war-torn world ruled by monsters like Nobunaga and Shingen.Life-or-death moments, miscalculations, and no time to breathe—what will you do, Ieyasu?

Un-Go is set in a war-torn Tokyo, in a near-future Japan. In response to Japan sending their military abroad as peacekeeping forces, terrorists launched multiple attacks on Japan, killing many people and destroying much of its cityscapes. Some time after the war receded to a period of uneasy peace, the Japanese Parliament passed the "Information Privacy and Protection Act", which gives the Japanese government control over the Internet. Detective Shinjuurou Yuuki and his strange partner Inga make a living in solving crimes and exposing human souls, all influenced in some way by the dystopian backdrop.

In an otherwise mundane diner open from midnight to 7 a.m., there is no menu – but the chef cooks anything his customers want. Each episode is about different a different customer, as they find simple yet profound connections with one another based on their shared love of a particular dish.

Tatsumiyajima is the central island in the middle of a small cluster of islands, in a sleepy backwater of the Japanese isles. Not much happens there, and the island's young people go to school knowing that their lives are likely to remain peaceful and undisturbed. Or so they have been taught...but the truth is different. The fate of mankind is on the line, and Tatsumiyajima is the last line of defense against a hostile and incomprehensible enemy. At the center of it all, fighting for Humanity's continued existence, is the giant robot Fafner, the dragon that guards this final treasure of mankind.

Adapted from the manga series "Black Jack"

A 100-year-old resident of a Lake Biwa nursing home dies mysteriously. Did a respirator keeping him alive suddenly malfunction, or was he murdered? A young detective on the case meets a female caregiver. The investigation runs into a dead end, but the two fall into a passionate but forbidden relationship. Terrifying memories emerge from the vast, deep lake to ensnare the detectives on the case, the caregivers, and a reporter trying to uncover a hidden past.

Luca lost her family in the Great East Japan Earthquake causing her not to be able to speak. However, her singing voice shakes the hearts of those who listen to her. It is a hymn of compassion played by Luca and the people.

Four women of different ages work at or frequent an ice cream shop, each dealing with dreams, timidity, inexperience with love, and personal pain, their lives intersecting at the shop.

A state of emergency was declared for the first time under the Law Concerning Special Measures against COVID-19, on April 7th, in Japan. It has changed everyone’s life. The film is based on the actual experience of the film director, Mishima Yukiko on April 22nd, 2020, and was filmed by 20 actors.

Miwa lost her mother in a traffic accident and wanders the streets of Shibuya. Trying to sort out her feelings for her mother, she feels alone wearing her mother’s earrings. Meanwhile, Takako, a high school student who is constantly moving, can’t meet anyone she likes and spends her days lonely and alone. These two meet and communicate while dancing between fantasy and reality. People are alone, but these two find each other. We are never alone.

After their parents die, two brothers reopen a seaside hotel that no one visits. A woman asking for a long stay arrives without a reservation—then the grandfather clock suddenly chimes, as if welcoming her, changing their lives.

Shinichi debuted as a novelist at a young age, but his career has been stagnant for many years. He also has broken up with his girlfriend. His day have now become gloomy. At this time, Yuko and her son moves into Shinichi's home. Yuko is the ex-wife of Shinichi's friend. Shinichi lets them stay at his house. Shinichi writes his novel every night, while Yuko goes out at night to date men. She is conflicted with her feelings to act as a strong parent and to deal with her unspeakable loneliness. Yuko's son, feeling the loss of his father's presence, begins to admire Shinichi. With their living arrangement, Shinichi and Yuko try keep their distance from each other. But one night.. Adapted from the short story "Yoru, Toritachi ga Naku"

Shizuku Tsukishima is a middle school student in the 3rd grade. She likes to read books. Shizuku meets Seiji Amasawa, who goes to the same class and school as Shizuku.

Yuta lives in an orphanage while waiting for her mother to pick her up. One day, Yuta, who happened to know his mother's whereabouts, escaped from the facility with all his heart. However, there was a mother who depended on her cohabiting man and lived a self-deprecating life. Despaired, Yuta meets Sakamoto, a homeless man who lives in a light tiger while walking along the beach. Sakamoto accepts Yuta without asking anything. The two sleep and eat together while earning a small amount of money. Eventually, he became acquainted with Shiori, a girl who grew up in a wealthy family but had no place to live at home or school. Yuta is attracted to Shiori, who has the same loneliness as himself but is kind to him. However, the calm days end with an incident.

Mio Meguro (Fuka Koshiba) continues her dream of becoming a writer, while living with yokai (folklore monsters) in a share house. She struggles in her job in the editorial department of a publishing company. She proposes plans at her company, but her plans are rejected. A popular AI dating app has become popular, but Mio Meguro isn't interested because of her work. One day, Mio Meguro meets genius mathematician AITO (Ayumu Mochizuki), who was raised in England. She falls in love with him, but her love causes problems for the share house and yokai.

A short film by Kazuaki Kiriya.

At a movie studio in 1988, rookie director Hanako Hayashi is making her directorial debut, the erotic As Far as Love Will Take Us. She's under pressure from her producer and crew. When she is about to shoot the climax of the film, numerous problems arise. To make matters worse, the set is visited by a censor from the Film Certification Committee, and the key scenes end up being cut out to avoid an R rating. Can Hanako realise her dream?

One day, the Tropical-Rouge Pretty Cure receive an amazing invitation from the Land of Snow, Shantia. They're holding a ceremony to celebrate Sharon becoming the new queen. They all depart to the sparkling world of snow. Laura, who wants to be the queen of the Mermaid Kingdom, befriends Sharon who gives her a beautiful ring. But just as they decide to keep a promise, a mysterious monster suddenly appears and locks everyone inside of the kingdom. When it seems like all hope is lost, the Heartcatch Pretty Cure team rush in and give them all a boost of motivation. And when their feelings become one, the ring transforms into the Snow Heartful Ring...

Haru and Reo perform as musical duo Haru-Reo. With their indie music, they suddenly get popular. Even with their newfound success, they decide to disband the duo. Haru-Reo go on one last tour together. Their roadie Shima goes with the girls on the tour.

Born out of every artist’s creative crisis, the search for the next topic, Hirobumi WATANABE presents his latest film, dealing with the question of what his film should be about. The director stages himself as he idles away his days, delivering endless monologs during car rides, sleeping on the floor at his grandma’s house, or philosophizing over video games and the FIFA World Cup.

Raku Ichijo (Kento Nakajima) is an only son and a high school student. His father is the leader of yakuza group Shuei-gumi. Raku Ichijo doesn't like to fight and he studies hard. His dream is to become a public official. One day, he passes the entrance gate at his high school and is kicked inadvertently by Chitoge Kirisaki (Ayami Nakajo). She is a new transfer student at the school. Chitoge Kirisaki is the only daughter of a rival gang leader. To keep the peace between the rival gangs led by their fathers, Raku Ichijo and Chitoge Kirisaki decide to act as boyfriend and girlfriend. --asianwiki

Iwakiri is now a third year university student who belongs to a film studies group on campus but has yet to shoot even one film. He hears from an older student about a ghost which appears once every four years at the welcome party for new students.

Two lifelong friends in their mid-thirties begin questioning their lives and future when an encounter with a younger woman prompts them to reflect on aging, identity, and what truly makes them happy.

Runa, a high school girl raised as the “Child of the Fire God” risks shattering her faith—and her world—when she falls for Kensho, the boy who saves her from bullying, defying a sacred rule that forbids love.

A former forensic ace turned full-time mom, Yoshioka Shiori balances housework, childcare, and solving crimes with her rookie detective husband and their insightful young son.

After a painful breakup and career doubts, Manatsu starts anew as a PR manager, only to encounter a CEO who looks just like her ex—and whose complicated love life pulls her into a forbidden romance filled with passion and conflict.

Set in a large company that retains an old hot-blooded constitution, the protagonist, Ren Hitomi, who is too stupid and pure, and the heroine, Naomi Mano, who struggles every day with the hope of changing the company, face the various problems of employees in the company with a unique human resources department and face the various problems of modern people".

A young girl named Ruka, who had been living a wandering life in Osaka, is taken in by Fumi, an elementary school teacher. Later, Ruka spends time in Obihiro, Hokkaido, with Natsuhiko, who was her sister's lover, and forms a friendship with a high school girl named Maori. However, the fate that awaits her is always harsh. After arriving in Tokyo, Ruka becomes a musician and begins singing on the streets under the name Kyrie. There, she reunites with Maori, who now goes by the name Ikko and survives in Tokyo through her ever-changing cosplay and relationships with men. From Ishinomaki, Osaka, and Obihiro to Tokyo—Ruka, while being tossed about by fate, weaves a grand lyrical poem through her determined life.

Kisaragi Minori, who thought she had a happy family with her pure love since they were students and was married to her husband Yudai, was blessed with children, but the story begins when she finds out that her husband Yudai has been cheating on her for 15 years. Minori, who has vowed to take revenge on Yudai, who has another family, and on his lover, Riko Miyake, plots her revenge using Riko's son, Wataru.

The story centers on Asakura Sumire, a marriage swindler who has seduced many men with her beauty and skilful techniques. Sumire targeted men who made a fortune through illicit activities, and she operated in the shadows as a "Miss Target," ensuring that her chosen targets never escaped. However one day, she decides to give it all up and earnestly begin searching for a partner through marriage activities! Armed with her skills at her advantage, she enthusiastically enters the marriage market to meet a wealthy man... who is the person she is destined to meet at the end of her serious marriage search?

A collab drama between the travel guide book “Chikyu no Arukikata” and four celebrities, who visit various places across the four episodes. Each episode will focus on a different actor and destination.

Hajime Madoka is a special accountant police officer, who has been dispatched from the central government office, to work at the local police station on a “special mission” in order to reduce expenditure as part of the austerity budget. Her meticulous personality and attention to detail means she doesn’t miss even the slightest discrepancies in numbers. Her various proposals to reduce expenses during the investigations causes chaos for the detectives as she tends to approach cases with the unusual mindset of “cutting costs” while reaching the same outcome.

He lost his land, his father, and was torn from his mother. Lonely and wounded, young Takechiyo thought he'd live out his days quietly as a hostage. But fate had other plans. Inspired by Mikawa warriors, he becomes a minor lord and dives into a war-torn world ruled by monsters like Nobunaga and Shingen.Life-or-death moments, miscalculations, and no time to breathe—what will you do, Ieyasu?

In the year 202X, Japan feels a deep sense of stagnation and has been branded by the world as a country on the decline. Wanting to break free of this endless situation, Prime Minister Washida sets up an experimental project Utopi-AI. Commonly known as the UA concept, leaders are selected from all over the country by AI and made to govern cities that have degenerated. It has been said that the reason why young people cannot take charge of politics is their lack of experience. AI has a massive amount of data that one person cannot possibly “experience”. In other words, AI can supplement any amount of “experience”. As if to prove it, AI chooses 17-year-old Maki Aran who is immature and wants an ideal society, to be the Prime Minister. The other members are all young people around the age of 20. Maki and his compatriots use AI to push forward reforms to regenerate the degenerated regional cities as the experimental city UA.

Ataru Aida lives with his mother and has never moved out of his childhood room. A clean freak since he was a little boy, Ataru hates to go out and is cynical and seriously lacking in communication skills. He was having a blast with his work-from-home situation brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic when, one fateful day, he is fired for having an attitude problem.

Tsuyuko Hoshino, a nurse, meets high school teacher Santa Fuyuno at a café for musicians and immediately falls for him. Despite knowing he is engaged, she becomes obsessed with him. Unbeknownst to her, her own daughter Akari is taught flute by Santa and their relationships develops beyond that of teacher and student.

After Jun married her husband, she quit her job. She is now a housewife and has been happily married to Takeyori for the past 8 years. They haven't had sex for 5 years and they don't have a child. She tells her husband that she wants to have a child, but he doesn’t even want to talk about having children. To change her mood, Jun decides to work again. She takes a job as a contract worker. One day, Jun sees her husband Takeyori walking with a woman.

Set in the year 1985, an arson-murder case takes place at an apartment in Tokyo. The victim is novelist Kohei Kimizuka. Ritusko Ikematsu is soon arrested for his death. Ritusko Ikematsu and Kohei Kimizuka were childhood friends. Prosecutor Tsutaguchi takes charge of the murder case. He begins to contact people who knew Ritusko Ikematsu. Prosecutor Tsutaguchi learns of her unfortunate life and the men surrounding her. The men's impressions of Ritusko Ikematsu are all different. Prosecutor Tsutaguchi then learns of a case that took place in 1955 in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture, where Ritusko Ikematsu and Kohei Kimizuka grew up. He believes that case is the key to solve Kohei Kimizuka’s murder.

Top-class martial artists gather together to showcase their fiery talks and demonstrate secret techniques.

Eight fictional holidays are taken by actor Ryoma Takeuchi. While taking a break from filming, he visits a spice shop.