[jade_frosts]

Thought it'd be good to have a post on this, so those who enjoy Japanese dramas will know what's coming up next.

Upcoming Fall Dramas 2006

Mondays, 9.00 pm
Nodame Cantabile
Station: FujiTV
Cast: Hiroshi Tamaki (Chiaki Shinichi), Juri Ueno (Noda Megumi), Asami Mizukawa, Keisuke Koide (Okuyama Masumi), Eita (Mine Ryutaro), Misa Uehara (Tagaya Saiko), Naoto Takenaka
Synopsis: Based on the popular manga series of the same name by Tomoko Ninomiya. Music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor but his fear of flying grounds his plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, he wonders if he should quit music altogether. Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, aka Nodame, who cannot cook, clean, or even read a music score, but can play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style.

Tuesdays, 9.00 pm
Yakusha Damashii
Station: FujiTV
Cast: Matsu Takako, Fujita Makoto, Moriyama Mirai
Synopsis: From the writer of the Bayside Shakedown series comes the story of a female manager and an actor who will perform nothing but Shakespeare.

Tuesdays, 10.00 pm
Boku no Aruku Michi (The Path I Walk)
Station: FujiTV
Cast: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Karina, Ohsugi Ren, Kohinata Fumiyo, Nagayama Aiko
Synopsis: The third in the popular "Boku" series. The first two being Boku no Ikiru Michi (The Way I Live) and Boku to Kanojo to Kanojo no Ikiru Michi (The Way We Live). This time the theme will be on purity. Kusanagi Tsuyoshi plays Teruaki Otake, a 31-year-old man who has the intellectual capacity of a 6-year-old due to a congenital disorder.

Wednesdays, 10.00 pm
14 sai no Haha (14-year-old Mother)
Station: NTV
Cast: Shida Mirai (Miki)
Synopsis: In a drama dealing with teenage pregnancy, Shida Mirai, the young actress of Jyou no Kyoushitsu fame, plays an average high school student who becomes pregnant with her lover’s child. The drama will show her gradually maturing as the circumstances around her change.

Thursdays, 9.00 pm
Damenzu Walker
Station: ANB
Cast: Fujiwara Norika, Yamada Yuu
Synopsis: In another adaptation of a popular manga series in which the women attract gangsters, stalkers, cheaters and other sundry losers, Norika Fujiwara and Yuu Yamada star as two women who fall for ne'er-do-wells.

Thursdays, 10.00 pm
Dr Koto Shinryoushou 2006
Station: FujiTV
Cast: Hidetaka Yoshioka, Kou Shibasaki, Saburo Tokito, Nene Otsuka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Toshio Kakei, Shigeru Izumiya
Synopsis: A continuation of the popular 2003 drama of the same name.

Kiraware Matsuko no Issho
Station: TBS
Cast: Rina Uchiyama (Matsuko), Jun Kaname (Ryu)
Synopsis: A dark melodrama about a woman whose life descends into a downward spiral due to love, ill fate, recklessness. Adapted from Muneki Yamada's novel, the TV version comes in the wake of the movie of the same name, which starred Miki Nakatani in the lead role.

Fridays, 9.00 pm
Kazoku (Family)
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Yutaka Takenouchi, Tetsuya Watari
Synopsis: Yutaka Takenouchi plays a 35 year-old man who works in a foreign company, and lives a happy life family life with his wife and son. On the day he decides to switch careers and submit his resignation, his wife runs away from home, leaving his hands full taking care of the home and bringing up his son. Tetsuya Watari stars as a 61 year-old man who decides to live alone when he loses his wife to illness not long after he reached the mandatory retirement age.

Fridays, 10.00 pm
Sailor Fuku to Kikanjyuu (Sailor Suit and Machine Gun)
Station: TBS
Cast: Tsutsumi Shinichi, Masami Nagasawa, Kyoko Koizumi, Ken Ogata, Akiyoshi Nakao, Hiromasa Taguchi
Synopsis: A remake of a 1982 FujiTV drama starring Harada Tomoyo. It follows the story of a female high school student who inconceivably becomes the leader of a group of gansters.

Saturdays, 9.00 pm
Tatta Hitotsu no Koi (Just One Love)
Station: NTV
Cast: Ayase Haruka, Kamenashi Kazuya
Synopsis: The story of pure love between the son of a man who runs a ship repair factory beset with financial troubles and the well-bred daugther of a national jewellery chain store owner. Set in Yokohama.

Sundays, 9.00 pm
Teppan Shoujo Akane!!
Station: TBS
Cast: Maki Horikita
Synopsis: Maki Horikita stars as Akane, a girl who travels the country in search of her missing Teppan chef father and encounters culinary masters from all over Japan.

[strawberry]

Thanks very much.

[eeyore]

Thanks jade_frost. I'm looking forward to see Horikita Maki again.. yes!!

[beansprouts]

Thanks for the information, I am still not sure what I want to watch next season. I will have to see what shows the fansubbings are doing since my Japanese is crap and decide from there on.

[jade_frosts]

Originally Posted by beansprouts

Thanks for the information, I am still not sure what I want to watch next season. I will have to see what shows the fansubbings are doing since my Japanese is crap and decide from there on.

If you understand Chinese, you'll be able to watch them all 'cos the fansub groups are really dedicated. I always marvel at their ability to translate dramas 1-2 days after they are aired in Japan. Still, sometimes, they don't do it fast enough and I have to contend myself with watching the unsubtitled versions to satisfy my curiosity and impatience.

I think I'm only gonna follow Nodame Cantabile. Don't really fancy the fall lineup. I'm hoping for a better one in winter, since it generally packs more impressive storylines and stars.

[beansprouts]

I understand Chinese, but I prefer English subs, unless I am dying to watch the show, I usually wait patiently for the English subs (either hard or soft subs).

Looking at the list, I am probably going to check out Horikita Maki's show, even though I doubt I'll follow it, as well as Sailor Fuku to Kikanjyuu, which sounds amusing. Of course, I wouldn't miss out Kusanagi Tsuyoshi and Takenouchi Yutaka's serials as well, just to watch them in action again.

[jade_frosts]

Upcoming Winter Dramas 2007

Kira Kira Kenshui
Station: TBS
Time: Thursdays, 10.00pm
Cast: Konishi Manami, Wentz Eiji, Kato Masaya, Terashima Susumu, Namase Katsuhisa, Harada Yoshio
Synopsis: Adapted from a popular blog, this drama follows the comical struggles and growth of an intern doctor, Usako, played by Konishi Manami in her first lead role. Wentz Eiji stars as a male nursing aide to Usako, who falls in love with her.
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/program/kirakira.html

Haikei Chichiue-sama
Station: Fuji TV
Time: Thursdays, 10.00pm
Cast: Ninomiya Kazunari, Takashima Reiko, Umemiya Tatsuo, Kuroki Meisa, Yachigusa Kaoru, Takahashi Katsumi
Synopsis: With an established restaurant in Kagurazaka, Tokyo as the setting, this comedy which follows the male protagonist as he searches for his father, is full of laughter and tears. Written by famous Japanese screenwriter, Kuramoto Sou, the drama will continue in the comedic vein that characterised his popular family drama, Zenryaku Ofukuro-sama, 31 years ago. The drama also reunites Kuramoto with Ninomiya Kazunari who starred in the previous drama he wrote, Yasashii Jikan.

Warui Yatsura
Station: Asahi TV
Time: Fridays, 9.00pm
Cast: Yonekura Ryoko, Kamikawa Takaya
Synopsis: The last in a three-part adaptation of Matsumoto Seichou's works (the other two being Kurokawa no Techou and Keimonomichi), sees Yonekura Ryoko resume her role as a "bad woman". This time she plays a nurse who turns into a stalker (and murderer). In a slight deviation from the original storyline, the drama starts off with a nurse in love with a doctor (Kamikawa Takaya), and proceeds its depiction as her life spirals out of control.
Offcial Site: http://waruiyatsura.asahi.co.jp/

Hana Yori Dango 2
Station: TBS
Time: Fridays, 10.00pm (TBC)
Cast: Inoue Mao, Matsumoto Jun, Oguri Shun, Matsuda Shota, Abe Tsuyoshi
Offcial Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/hanayoridango/

Karei Naru Ichizoku
Station: TBS
Time: Sundays, 9.00pm (TBC)
Cast: Kimura Takuya, Suzuki Kyoka, Hasegawa Kyoko, Yamamoto Koji, Yamada Yu, Aibu Saki, Nakamura Toru, Fukuishi Kazue, Inamori Izumi, Takigawa Yumi, Narimiya Hiroki
Synopsis: Kimutaku plays the charismatic eldest son, Teppei Manpyou, an executive managing director of a steel firm in this television adaptation of Toyoko Yamasaki's book of the same name. She is also the author behind Nyokei Kazoku and Shiroi Kyoto. The book depicts the conflicts within the Manpyou family, which was famous in Kansai's financial circles, amidst the tumultuous reorganisation of the financial industry of 1970s. Unlike the book, the eldest son, Teppei, and not the father, Daisuke, will be the central character of the story.
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/program/ichizoku.html

Fuurin Kazan (Samurai Banners)
Station: NHK
Time: Sundays, 8.00pm
Cast: Uchino Masaaki, Ichikawa Kamejiro, Fubuki Jun, Tanabe Seiichi, Gackt, Tanihara Shosuke, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Shibamoto Yuki
Synopsis: NHK's 46th Taiga drama, Fuurin Kazan is based on the best-selling historical novel on Yamamoto Kansuke, a lowly ronin who rises to chief strategist in warlord Takeda Shingen's army by not-so-honorable means. However, when he and his lord fall in love with the same woman, Yu-hime, things get complicated and he learns the true meaning and value of loyalty.

[strawberry]

Originally Posted by jade_frosts

Upcoming Winter Dramas 2007

Updating as news comes in.

Karei Naru Ichizoku
Station: TBS
Time: Sundays, 9.00pm (TBC)
Cast: Kimura Takuya
Synopsis: Kimutaku plays the charismatic eldest son, Teppei Manpyou, an executive managing director of a steel firm in this television adaptation of Toyoko Yamasaki's book of the same name. She is also the author behind Nyokei Kazoku and Shiroi Kyoto. The book depicts the conflicts within the Manpyou family, which was famous in Kansai's financial circles, amidst the tumultuous reorganisation of the financial industry of 1970s. Unlike the book, the eldest son, Teppei, and not the father, Daisuke, will be the central character of the story.
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/program/ichizoku.html

Kira Kira Kenshui
Station: TBS
Time: Thursdays, 10.00pm
Cast: Konishi Manami, Wentz Eiji, Kato Masaya, Terashima Susumu, Namase Katsuhisa, Harada Yoshio
Synopsis: Adapted from a popular blog, this drama follows the comical struggles and growth of an intern doctor, Usako, played by Konishi Manami in her first lead role. Wentz Eiji stars as a male nursing aide to Usako, who falls in love with her.
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/program/kirakira.html

Haikei Chichiue-sama
Station: Fuji TV
Time: Thursdays, 10.00pm
Cast: Ninomiya Kazunari, Takashima Reiko, Umemiya Tatsuo, Kuroki Meisa, Yachigusa Kaoru, Takahashi Katsumi
Synopsis: With an established restaurant in Kagurazaka, Tokyo as the setting, this comedy which follows the male protagonist as he searches for his father, is full of laughter and tears. Written by famous Japanese screenwriter, Kuramoto Sou, the drama will continue in the comedic vein that characterised his popular family drama, Zenryaku Ofukuro-sama, 31 years ago. The drama also reunites Kuramoto with Ninomiya Kazunari who starred in the previous drama he wrote, Yasashii Jikan.

Hana Yori Dango 2
Time: Fridays, 10.00pm (TBC)
Cast: Inoue Mao, Matsumoto Jun, Oguri Shun, Matsuda Shota, Abe Tsuyoshi
Offcial Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/hanayoridango/

Yeh...looking forward to the new drama by ninomiya.

[monkichi]

can't wait for Hana Yori Dango 2.. I hope it's as good as the first..

[beansprouts]

New drama by Nino, definitely a must watch for me, haven't seen him in a drama for such a long time.

[Lady Zhuge]

Kira Kira Kenshui sounds a bit like Scrubs...with a female lead.

[jade_frosts]

Upcoming Drama Specials - November

Tokyo Tower
Date: 18 November, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Tanaka Yuko, Oizumi Hiroshi, Hirosue Ryoko, Otsuka Nene, Kanie Keizou, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Kiki Kirin, Okada Yoshinori, Tsukaji Muga
Synopsis: Tokyo Tower focuses on the relationship between a woman (Yuko Tanaka) who is in fragile health and her grown son (Hiroshi Oizumi), who is trying to make a living as an artist in 1970s Tokyo.

Niji wo Kakeru Ouhi
Date: 24 November, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Kanno Miho, Okada Junichi, Watanabe Ikkei, Hirota Reona, Furuya Ikkou, Harata Mieko
Synopsis: Spanning the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras amidst the rivalry between Japan and Korea, this drama special explores the political marriage of the last crown prince of Korea Lee Eun and the eldest daughter of the Nashimoto royal family, Princess Masako of Nashimoto (later Crown Princess Bangja), and the true love that developed between the couple.

Haruka Naru Yakusoku ~ 50 nen no Toki wo Koeta Unmei no Ai
Date: 25 November, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Abe Hiroshi, Kuroki Hitomi, Hirosue Ryoko, Konno Mahiru, Sasaki Kuranosuke
Synopsis: Haruka Naru Yakusoku is about the love between a man and woman torn apart by the Japan-Russo War.

Hyoten (Ice Point)
Date: 25 & 26 November, 9.00 pm
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Ishihara Satomi, Nakamura Toru, Iijima Naoko, Tegoshi Yuya, Kishimoto Kayoko, Jinnai Takanori, Honjo Manami, Murozuka Shunsuke, Nakao Akiyoshi, Morinaga Ei, Kaku Chikako
Synopsis: A remake of the 2001 drama of the same name, Hyoten, shows a happy family that gradually falls apart when tragedy strikes with the murder of the Tsujiguchi's daughter. Not long after, the husband plots revenge against his wife - whom he suspects of being unfaithful to him - by using his new adopted daughter as the pawn.

[strawberry]

thks. How long is an episode of each special drama?

[jade_frosts]

Originally Posted by strawberry

thks. How long is an episode of each special drama?

It depends, but I reckon it would be about two hours per episode.

[jade_frosts]

It looks like there are heaps of dramas and drama specials to immerse in as the weather gets colder. If only every season had such a varied spread of dramas like winter!

Upcoming Drama Specials - January

Maguro (Tuna)
Date: 4 & 5 January, 9.00 pm
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Watari Tetsuya, Matsuzaka Keiko, Amami Yuki, Takahashi Katsunori, Nishida Toshiyuki, Uchida Yuki, Kobayashi Kaoru
Synopsis: Set in Omamachi in Aomori Prefecture, Maguro fleshes out the life and family of a fisherman, Tatsuo, who dedicates (and even risks) his life fishing for tuna.

Byakkotai (White Tiger Brigade)
Date: 6 & 7 January, 9.00 pm
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Tanaka Koki, Fujigaya Taisuke, Higashiyama Noriyuki, Yakushimaru Hiroko, Nogiwa Yoko, Asano Yuko
Synopsis: About a group of boys who formed the Byakkotai, and fought and died in the Boshin Civil War - a civil war fought between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those favouring an imperial restoration.

Attention Please SP ~ Yoko, Hawaii ni Tobu
Date: January (TBA)
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Ueto Aya, Nishikido Ryo, Maya Miki, Koizumi Kotaro, Aibu Saki
Synopsis: This drama special shows Yoko training for international routes, and the unexpected trouble she gets into on her first trip abroad.

[Lady Zhuge]

Thanks for posting all of this, jade_frosts. I'm definitely interested in watching Byakkotai and Haruka Naru Yakusoku.

[monkichi]

ah !! I want to watch Attention Please.. Can't wait to see Misaki Yoko again..

[jade_frosts]

Originally Posted by jade_frosts

Upcoming Drama Specials

Niji wo Kakeru Ouhi
Date: 24 November, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Kanno Miho, Okada Junichi, Watanabe Ikkei, Hirota Reona, Furuya Ikkou, Harata Mieko
Synopsis: Spanning the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras amidst the rivalry between Japan and Korea, this drama special explores the political marriage of the last crown prince of Korea Lee Eun and the eldest daughter of the Nashimoto royal family, Princess Masako of Nashimoto (later Crown Princess Bangja), and the true love that developed between the couple.

Haruka Naru Yakusoku ~ 50 nen no Toki wo Koeta Unmei no Ai
Date: 25 November, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Abe Hiroshi, Kuroki Hitomi, Hirosue Ryoko, Konno Mahiru, Sasaki Kuranosuke
Synopsis: Haruka Naru Yakusoku is about the love between a man and woman torn apart by the Japan-Russo War.

More information on the two drama specials:

Niji wo Kakeru Ouhi
This is about Crown Prince Lee Eun's marriage to a Japanese woman. He (Junichi Okada) is brought to Japan to study, though in effect he is a hostage. His Japanese handlers decide that a marriage of convenience is in order and set him up with Princess Masako (Miho Kanno), the daughter of a peer of Japan's Imperial family. They fall in love. The prince becomes an officer in the Imperial military and after his father dies he takes his place as the head of the Korean royal family. However, following Japan's surrender, the new Korean government bans the peerage and, uncomfortable with whatever influence the prince still has over the people, prevents him from returning to Korea. He and Masako settle in Japan.

Haruka Naru Yakusoku ~ 50 nen no Toki wo Koeta Unmei no Ai
A love story based on real events, Haruka Naru Yakusoku is about Yasaburo Hachiya (Hiroshi Abe), a soldier who marries a nurse, Hisako (Hitomi Kuroki), that he meets while hospitalized in 1940. Yasaburo and Hisako marry and have a daughter, but Yasaburo is shipped off to China, where he is stationed when the war ends. The Russians imprison him as a spy. Later, he marries Claudia, a Russian woman and fellow former prisoner, and settles in Russia. However, he never forgets his family back in Japan, and almost 50 years after last seeing Hisako, he returns for a visit.

[jade_frosts]

To give this better sequence, I'm grouping the drama specials by the month and then by the dates they air.

Upcoming Drama Specials - December

Kimi ga Hikari wo Kureta
Date: 4 December, 9.00 pm
Station: TBS
Cast: Wakui Emi, Narumi Riko, Murata Takehiro
Synopsis: A story about the interaction between a girl who repeatedly inflicts injuries on herself and an abandoned dog, at a children's self-support facility run by a couple played by Wakui Emi and Murata Takehiro.

Iwojima ~Senjou no Yuubin Haitatsu
Date: 9 December, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Itoh Atsushi, Fuji Tatsuya, Tezuka Satomi
Synopsis: A documentary drama on Iwojima.

Busu No Hitomi Ni Koi Shiteru SP
Date: 26 December, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Inagaki Gorou, Murakami Tomoko

Ooku ~ Episode 0
Date: 29 December, 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Fukada Kyoko, Takashima Reiko, Matsushita Yuki, Kimura Tae, Igawa Haruka, Asano Yuko

Keishichou Sousa Ikka 9 Gakari SP
Date: December, 9.00 pm
Station: TV Asahi
Cast :Watase Tsunehiko, Inohara Yoshihiko, Hada Michiko

[jade_frosts]

The entire winter drama lineup is out and there are lots of big names.

Upcoming Winter Dramas 2007

Mondays
Tokyo Tower ~ Okan to Boku to, Tokidoki Oton ~
Station: Fuji TV
Time: 9.00pm
Cast: Mokomichi Hayami, Izumiya Shigeru, Baishio Mitsuko
Synopsis: Based on the autobiographical book by Lily Franky, the novel is about Franky's family and the time he spent with his mother.

Tuesdays
Konshuu, Tsuma Ga Uwaki Shimasu
Station: Fuji TV
Time: 9.00pm
Cast: Yusuke Santamaria, Ishida Yuriko, Tomosaka Rie, Sawamura Ikki, Enami Kyoko, Nishimura Masahiko
Synopsis: Yusuke Santamaria plays a cuckolded husband to Ishida Yuriko's character, a career woman with a apparel company.

Himitsu no Hanazono
Station: Fuji TV
Time: 10.00pm
Cast: Shaku Yumiko, Kaname Jun, Sakai Masato, Ikeda Tetsuhiro, Hongo Kanata
Synopsis: Shaku Yumiko stars in her first lead role as Sonoda Natsuyo, a bumbling editor who is transferred to the shoujou manga (girls' comics) editorial department after the publication of her fashion magazine is discontinued. She is put in charge of popular manga writer Hanazono Yuriko, but later discovers that Hanazono is truly the creative effort of four weird brothers.

Wednesdays
Haken no Hinkaku
Station: NTV
Time: 10.00pm
Cast: Shinohara Ryoko, Kato Ai, Koizumi Koutaro, Oizumi You, Shirakawa Yumi
Synopsis: Popular actress Shinohara Ryoko takes on the role of Haruko, a responsible and capable contract OL who earns 3,000 yen an hour and has 28 people under her charge. Haruko, however, never cracks a smile, is cold, never minces her words and leaves the office on the dot. Haken no Hinkaku is a termed a timely drama that examines the differences in the treatment of a contract OL dispatched by a food manufacturer to a supermarket and regular employees, and the ways to overcome frictions in interpersonal relationships. It follows in the wake of an October report on labour conditions by the Labour Ministry, which showed that the proportion of regular employees to contract OLs had doubled compared to that 8 years ago, after a relaxation of regulations.

Thursdays
Erai Tokoro ni Yomeide Shimatta
Station: TV Asahi
Time: 9.00pm
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Tanihara Shosuke, Matsuzaka Keiko
Synopsis: Erai Tokoro ni Yomeide Shimatta is a comedy that focuses on a bride and her mother-in-law. In a turnaround from her role in Komyou ga Tsuji, Nakama Yukie plays Kimiko an unfeminine, sloppy wife who is a bad cook and housekeeper but is somehow mistaken for a "good wife" by her meddlesome, tradition-bound mother-in-law, Shimako, played by Matsuzaka Keiko. Tanihara Shosuke stars as Kimiko's husband, Isojiro, a good looking man who tries to please everybody around him.

Kira Kira Kenshui
Station: TBS
Time: 10.00pm
Cast: Konishi Manami, Wentz Eiji, Kato Masaya, Terashima Susumu, Namase Katsuhisa, Harada Yoshio
Synopsis: Adapted from a popular blog, this drama follows the comical struggles and growth of an intern doctor, Usako, played by Konishi Manami in her first lead role. Wentz Eiji stars as a male nursing aide to Usako, who falls in love with her.

Haikei Chichiue-sama
Station: Fuji TV
Time: 10.00pm
Cast: Ninomiya Kazunari, Takashima Reiko, Umemiya Tatsuo, Kuroki Meisa, Yachigusa Kaoru, Takahashi Katsumi
Synopsis: With an established restaurant in Kagurazaka, Tokyo as the setting, this comedy which follows the male protagonist as he searches for his father, is full of laughter and tears. Written by famous Japanese screenwriter, Kuramoto Sou, the drama will continue in the comedic vein that characterised his popular family drama, Zenryaku Ofukuro-sama, 31 years ago. The drama also reunites Kuramoto with Ninomiya Kazunari who starred in the previous drama he wrote, Yasashii Jikan.

Fridays
Warui Yatsura
Station: Asahi TV
Time: 9.00pm
Cast: Yonekura Ryoko, Kamikawa Takaya
Synopsis: The last in a three-part adaptation of Matsumoto Seichou's works (the other two being Kurokawa no Techou and Keimonomichi), sees Yonekura Ryoko resume her role as a "bad woman". This time she plays a nurse who turns into a stalker (and murderer). In a slight deviation from the original storyline, the drama starts off with a nurse in love with a doctor (Kamikawa Takaya), and proceeds its depiction as her life spirals out of control.
Offcial Site: http://waruiyatsura.asahi.co.jp/

Hana Yori Dango 2
Station: TBS
Time: 10.00pm
Cast: Inoue Mao, Matsumoto Jun, Oguri Shun, Matsuda Shota, Abe Tsuyoshi

Saturdays
Enka no Jyou (Enka Queen)
Station: NTV
Time: 9.00pm
Cast: Amami Yuki, Harada Taizou, Sakai Wakana, Takahata Junko, Kikawada Masaya, Fukuda Mayuko, Nukumizu Youichi, Danta Yasunori, Ikeuchi Junko
Synopsis: Yuki Amami plays an unsuccessful 39-year-old enka singer, Himawari, who has bad luck with men and money, in this drama which once again teams her up with Jyou no Kyoushitsu scriptwriter, Kazuhiko Yukawa. Born in an Osaka takoyaki shop, the young Himawari was inspired by her father's words to immerse herself in enka. However, when she was 13, her father disappeared. Her mother who'd remarried, treated her harshly. After graduating from high school, Himawari heads to Tokyo and makes her debut as an enka singer ... ...

Sundays
Fuurin Kazan (Samurai Banners)
Station: NHK
Time: 8.00pm
Cast: Uchino Masaaki, Ichikawa Kamejiro, Fubuki Jun, Tanabe Seiichi, Gackt, Tanihara Shosuke, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Shibamoto Yuki
Synopsis: NHK's 46th Taiga drama, Fuurin Kazan is based on the best-selling historical novel on Yamamoto Kansuke, a lowly ronin who rises to chief strategist in warlord Takeda Shingen's army by not-so-honorable means. However, when he and his lord fall in love with the same woman, Yu-hime, things get complicated and he learns the true meaning and value of loyalty.

Karei Naru Ichizoku
Station: TBS
Time: 9.00pm
Cast: Kimura Takuya, Suzuki Kyoka, Hasegawa Kyoko, Yamamoto Koji, Yamada Yu, Aibu Saki, Nakamura Toru, Fukuishi Kazue, Inamori Izumi, Takigawa Yumi, Narimiya Hiroki
Synopsis: Kimutaku plays the charismatic eldest son, Teppei Manpyou, an executive managing director of a steel firm in this television adaptation of Toyoko Yamasaki's book of the same name. She is also the author behind Nyokei Kazoku and Shiroi Kyoto. The book depicts the conflicts within the Manpyou family, which was famous in Kansai's financial circles, amidst the tumultuous reorganisation of the financial industry of 1970s. Unlike the book, the eldest son, Teppei, and not the father, Daisuke, will be the central character of the story.