New Japanese Drama Release in January 2019 Part 1

January has just started, but the news of Japanese movies and drama release has been overflowing. Here is the lsit of 10 anticipated movies and drama released in January.

1.       Nusumareta Kao 

Actors: Hiroshi Tamaki, Rio Uchida, Keita Machida, Ayumi Ito, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, etc.

Episodes: 5

Genre: Detective, mystery

Release date: January 5 – February 2019.

Network: WOWOW

Based on novel by Keisuke Hada

Synopsis: Takamasa Shirato (Hiroshi Tamaki) is a detective. His job is to catch wanted criminals relying on their faces. One day, he accidentally sees someone’s face that resembles his senior detective who died 4 years ago. His death remains a mystery.

 2.       3 nen a gumi / Mr. Hiiragi’s Homeroom

Actors: Masaki Suda, Mei Nagano, Moka Kamishiriashi, etc

Episodes: no news

Genre: School, mystery

Release date: January 6, 2019

Network: NTV

Synopsis: Ibuki Hiiragi is an art teacher. He started teaching in the school two years ago. He is the homeroom teacher 3^rd Grade A Class. 10 days before graduation day, Ibuki Hiiragi stands in front of his 29 students, including Sakura Kayano (Mei Nagano) and tells them, :You are now my hostages!”

3.       Idaten/ Idaten Tokyo Olympic Banashi

Actors: Ikuta Toma, Hana Sugisaki, Sadao Abe, Haruka Ayase, Kankuro Nakamura, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Rina Kawaei, etc

Episodes: 50

Release date: January 6, 2019

Network: NHK

Synopsis: NHK’s new historical drama to welcome The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020. The first half of the story will tell about the story of marathon runner, Shino Kanakuri , who joined the Stockholm Olympic in 1912. The second half will feature Masaji Tabata, the coach who laid the foundation of Japanese swimming and helped bring the games to Tokyo for the frist time in 1964.

4.       Les Miserables

Actors: Dean Fujioka, Iura Arata, Yamamoto Izuki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Murakami Nijiro, etc.

Episodes: -

Release date: January 6, 2019

Network: FUJI TV

Synopsis: No detailed synopsis yet. So far, it’s based on well-known French novel by Victor hugo.

5.       Trace, Kasouken Otoko/ Toresu, Kasouke no Otoko

Actors: Ryo Nishikido, Yuko Araki, Koyuki, Shigenori Yamazaki, etc.

Episodes: -

Genre: medical, drama

Release date: January 7, 2019.

Network: FUJI TV

Synopsis: Reiji Mano (Ryo Nishikido) is a forensic science researcher at the Scientific Researcher Laboratory in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He has a great knowledge on his field and has an excellent technique. However, he is not good at working with others, especially media’s thirst of sensational news. When he was child, he experienced a terrible case. He has looked for the truth for that case.

Nonna Sawaguchi (Yuko Araki) is a rookie forensic science researcher. She begins to work with Reiji Mano. He starts to open his mind to others.

6.       Ie Uru Onna no Gyakushu/ Your Home Is My Business Counterattack.

Actors: Keiko Kitagawa, Shota Matsuda, Yudai Chiba, Asuka Kudo, Toru Nakamura, etc.

Episodes: -

Network: NTV

Release date: January 9, 2019

Synopsis: Machi Sangeya (Keiko Kitagawa) is a successful real estate agent. She is now married to Dai Shiro (Toru Nakamura). Then, here comes Kenji Rusudo (Shota Matsuda) a rival real estate agent. This is the continuation of previous drama released in 2016 & 2017.

7.       Keiji Zero/ Detective Zero

Actors: Sawamura Ikki, Miori Takimoto, Susumu Terajima, Daisuke Yokoyama

Episodes: -

Network: TV ASAHI

Release date: January 10, 2019

Synopsis: Rekihiko Tokiya (Ikki Sawamura) is an excellent Detective in Kyoto. One day, he falls into a ditch and gets unconscious. He wakes up in a hospital and doesn’t remember anything for the past 30 years. He is 51 years old now. He is a divorcee, but he doesn’t remember anything about his ex-wife. He still has a strong sense of justice, but now he deals with cases differently from he used to do. 

8.       Sukyandaru Senmon Bengoshi Queen/ Queen/ Lawyer Specializing Scandal

Actors: Yuko Takeuchi, Asami Mizukawa, Taishi Nakagawa, Rika Izumi,

Episodes: -

Network: FUJI TV

Release Date Janury 10, 2019

Synopsis: Ko Himi (Yuko Takeuchi)  works as a lawyer and she is also an expert in crisis management. Her clients are mostly women with scandals. She never gives up on her clients and willingly does anything necessary for her clients.

9.       Koukou no Masu/ A Lone Scalpel

Actors: Hideaki Takizawa, Toru Nakamura, Asuka Kudo, etc.

Episodes: 8

Network: WOWOW

Release date: January 13, 2019.

Synopsis: The story was set in 1980 when internal organ transplant was a taboo. Tetsuhiko toma (Hideaki Takizawa) is surgeon who went to United states to study. He then begins working at a private hospital in a rural area in Japan. His belief is that everyone deserves to get the same level of care at all hospitals. Having those principles, he takes on challenging surgeries and saves the lives of his patients. His attempts to perform internal organ transplant for the first in Japan gets blocked by the health care system. The story is based on a novel Koukou no Masu: Gekai Toma Tetsuhiko by Roran Takayama. It was published in January 2005.

10.   Innocence – Enzai Bengoshi/ Fight Against False Charges

Actors: Kentaro Sakaguchi, Kawaguchi Haruna, Fujiki Naohito, etc

Episodes: -

Network: NTV

Release date: January 19, 2019.

Synopsis: Taku Kurokawa (Kentaro Sakagachi) works as an attorney. He has found some verdicts’ innocence for his clients. It is believed that it is a miracle remembering that almost 100% guilty rate in Japan. As an attorney, Taku Kurokawa always grooms himself well, and wherever he goes, he carries a bag. Kaede Wakura (Haruna Kawaguchi) is a rookie attorney at the same law firm as Taku Kurokawa. At the beginning, she hates him, but then her views of him change as she works with him. Meanwhile, there’s Kyochiro Akiu (Naohito Fujiki) who always gives Taku his expertise as Taku looks for from him. Kyouchiro Akiu is an associate professor in physics and he has demonstrated some experiments in crime scenes. 

So, which one(s) will you consider watching? There are various genres you can think about what to watch. Or, if your consideration is the actors/ actresses, no matter what genre his or her role is, just pick your choice. Well, just expect that some TV we subscribe will broadcast them the same time as Japanese television air.

Happy selecting the drama. Happy watching!

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