Japanese dramas, Q3 2025: the quarter in review

NHK's 113th asadora (morning drama), produced by NHK Osaka, aired 125 episodes on NHK General TV from Monday to Friday at 8 a.m. from September 29 to March 27, 2026. A work of fiction modeled on Setsu Koizumi and Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo), it tells the story of a woman who loved ghost stories together with her foreign husband in rapidly Westernizing Meiji-era Japan, and of their marriage. Akari Takaishi plays Toki Matsuno, and Tommy Bastow, chosen in an audition that drew 1,767 applicants, plays Lefcada Heaven. It is the first time a morning drama has cast a foreign male lead. Ryo Yoshizawa, Shinichi Tsutsumi and Keiko Kitagawa co-star, and Mitsuhiko Fujiki wrote the script.

It opened at 16.0%, peaked at 16.5% with episode 52 (December 9, 2025), and drew 15.5% for the final episode, averaging 15.2% over its run. At the 127th Television Drama Academy Awards it won Best Actress (Akari Takaishi), Best Supporting Actor (Tommy Bastow) and Best Director, and it also received a Special Prize in the TV category at the 63rd Galaxy Awards and a Newcomer Award (Akari Takaishi) at the 50th Elan d'Or Awards.

It aired eight episodes in TBS's Sunday Theater slot from July 13 to September 7. In this medical drama, Akira Tokushige (Jun Matsumoto), a doctor in general medicine, the "19th specialty" that does not focus on any particular organ, listens to patients' stories to find the causes of their illnesses. It is based on Katsuhito Fujiya's manga 19-banme no Karte: Tokushige Akira no Monshin, with a script by Fumi Tsubota. Fuka Koshiba and Mackenyu Arata co-star.

It opened at 11.4%, reached its series high of 11.6% with episode 2, and drew 11.0% for the final episode; its 10.2% average was the highest among the summer season's commercial-network serials. It also spent four weeks in Netflix's Top 10 for TV in Japan, one of them at No. 1.

All six episodes were released on Netflix on September 25. Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) are once again drawn into the Borderland (Imawa no Kuni), a world of death games, and Kento Kaku plays Ryuji. It is based on Haro Aso's manga of the same name (Shogakukan), and Shinsuke Sato directed, as he did the earlier seasons.

In its first week of release it drew 8.5 million views, ranking No. 2 on the global chart for non-English TV, and in its second week it took No. 1 with 7.0 million. Season 3 stayed in the global Top 10 for five weeks, from the week of September 28 to the week of October 26, and its weekly views over that period added up to 21.6 million. Meanwhile, Season 1 also re-entered the global Top 10 at No. 7. In Netflix's Top 10 for TV in Japan, it spent two weeks at No. 1.

All 10 episodes were released on Netflix on July 31. This musical coming-of-age drama, based on Mio Wakagi's novel series, unfolds as drummer Akane Saijo joins TENBLANK, the band formed by genius musician Naoki Fujitani. Takeru Satoh pitched the project to Netflix himself and plays Naoki Fujitani, and Yu Miyazaki plays Akane. Keita Machida, Jun Shison and Masaki Suda co-star, and Mari Okada was among the screenwriters.

It spent eight weeks in Netflix's Top 10 for TV in Japan, from the week of August 3 to the week of September 28, two of them at No. 1. On the global chart for non-English TV, it ranked No. 8 in the week of August 10 with 1.2 million views. TENBLANK, the band in the series, also released a real album. It won an Award for Excellence in the streaming drama category at FILMARKS AWARDS 2025.

This TV Asahi Thursday drama aired nine episodes from July 17 to September 11. In this original script by Shizuka Oishi, star lawyer Kotaro Harada (Sadao Abe), who had stayed single for 50 years, suddenly marries a mysterious art teacher, Nerura Suzuki (Takako Matsu), and then confronts the secrets of his wife's family. Rihito Itagaki and Takashi Okabe co-star.

It opened at 8.5% and averaged 6.9%, and it spent nine weeks in Netflix's Top 10 for TV in Japan, peaking at No. 3. It won the Galaxy Award's monthly prize for September, and Takako Matsu won Best Supporting Actress at the 125th Television Drama Academy Awards.

It aired 11 episodes in Fuji TV's Thursday Theater slot from July 10 to September 18. In this grown-up story of pure love, high school teacher Manami Ogawa (Fumino Kimura) and Kaoru (Raul), a host who struggles to read, are drawn to each other across the gap between their worlds. This original drama reunites screenwriter Yumiko Inoue and director Hiroshi Nishitani, who made Hirugao together, with Ikki Sawamura co-starring.

Its premiere drew 4.7%. At the 29th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (summer), it won Best Drama, Best Actress (Fumino Kimura), Best Supporting Actor (Raul) and Best Supporting Actress (Mariko Tsutsui).