Now that we’ve entered the first month of Japan’s media “winter season”, fresh titles are brewing for us to feast on. From new projects to new actors to follow, January is jam-packed with many new launches.
To counter this a little – and to not overwhelm you – we’ve decided to split them into two parts this time. You can find the movies, specials, Toku and Taiga below, with the dramas following in a separate post later
Movies
Kyojo Reunion
Kimura Takuya, Tsuna Keito, Kura Yuki, Kaneko Daichi, Igeta Hiroe, Saito Kyoko and more
Release date: Jan 1 (Netflix)
Fans of Kyojo series are in for a treat this month, because the police academy series is coming back as two-part movies to focus on a new roster of students as part of the 205th class at the academy. Kimura Takuya returns as the strict instructor Kimichika Kazama to help his students with their personal struggles.
Kyojo Requiem
Kimura Takuya, Kawaguchi Haruna, Akaso Eiji, Fukuhara Haruka, Sometani Shota, Nakamura Aoi and more
Release date: Jan 20
The second part and a direct continuation of Kyojo: Reunion, Requiem utilises the same plot line with the addition of a side arc involving the police academy alumni as they gather under Kimichika to track down Tozaki Haru (Moriyama Mirai), a character from the Kyojo: Zero (2023) series. Familiar faces from previous Kyojo series will reprise their roles once again in this massive ensemble.
The Imaginary Dog Tells A Lie / Kakuu no Inu to Uso wo Tsuku Neko
Takasugi Mahiro, Ito Marika, Fukagawa Mai, Yasuda Ken, Ando Yuko, Kouri Yuka and Emoto Akira
Release date: Jan 9
Takasugi Mahiro leads a melodrama about the traditional yet dysfunctional Haneko family who go through a quarter of the century hiding secrets from each other and turning away from inconvenient truths, such as the loss of a family member that comes a little too soon. Based on a novel by Terachi Haruna, the story begins in 1988 and spans 25 years till when the grandmother, who was the glue that kept the family together, is buried and the family is forced to reunite and confront each other.
All Greens / Banji Kaicho
Minami Sara, Deguchi Natsuki, Yoshida Mizuki, Kaneko Daichi, Hamura Jinsei
Release date: Jan 16
A live action adaptation of Namiki Do’s coming-of-age novel, Banji Kaicho tells the story of aspiring rapper Boku Hidemi (Minami Sara) and Yaguchi Miruku (Deguchi Natsuki), the sociable ace of the track team with a penchant for cinema, and their struggle to strike a fortune in a futureless town. Seeking escapism, they formed the “All Greens” club to embark on a forbidden extracurricular activity.
Tore!
Nakashima Runa, Maikichi, Wada Masanari, Miyaji Mao and Okina Megumi
Release date: Jan 16
From the director of Saiaku no Ichinichi, a short film that won the 2018 Hokkaido International Short Film Festival, and the man behind YouTube channel “kouichitv”. Tore! is Takahashi Kouichi’s directorial debut starring Nakashima Runa as protagonist Sato Misaki, a financially struggling high school part-timer who lives with her single mother. As she spends her last remaining days of high school, Misaki is invited into the world of social media by best friend Hashimoto Satsuki (Maikichi). Satsuki, who has garnered a mass following as a “Generation Z icon”, welcomes Misaki to post fake paranormal videos for profit. As their ambition grows and the thrill to seek something authentic multiplies, the two decide to sneak into an abandoned building to capture real supernatural footage. And if that’s not enough danger, Misaki becomes unfortunately possessed by a mask-wearing entity after praying to a Jizo statue she found by the roadside.
Renai Saiban
Saito Kyoko, Kura Yuki, Tsuda Kenjiro, Karata Erika, and more
Release date: May 22 (TIFFA) • Jan 23 (Cinema)
In the eyes of the public, a no-dating rule in idol culture sounds like a “reasonable” ban that comes with the package. After all, this is only one of the few things that shapes pop culture. But what happens when a female idol is sued by her agency for violating said rule? A breach to her contract, they say, and a supposedly justified reason to call upon a lawsuit. Standing in court is Yamaoka Mai, a J-pop idol and centre of her own group who, after unexpectedly falling in love, is now facing trial from not only the justice system but also the industry. Former idol Saito Kyoko was cast as Mai, undeniably bringing in her own experience with the theme. Fukada Koji’s Cannes Premiere might just be a feature film that feels a little too familiar, particularly for fans of idols in general.
Ai no Gotoku
Furuya Robin, Miyamori Remi, Yamasaki Mami
Release date: Jan 23
Based on a posthumously released short story collection of the same name by Yamakawa Masao, Ai no Gotoku is a story about grief starring Furuya Robin and Miyamori Remi. Furuya portrays novelist Hayao who finds himself drawn to his ex-girlfriend, Izumi (portrayed by Miyamori) after the death of his mentor.
Tadaima tte Ieru Basho
Suzuki Airi, Kawaguchi Mana, Otsuka Nene, and Ito Ayumi
Release date: Jan 23
Former idol and current soloist Suzuki Airi takes the spotlight on her first ever lead role in a movie directed by Tsukamoto Renpei (Bento Harassment, Off The Record, The 35-Year Promise). The series is said to be a human drama centred on two key characters: a teacher, Asai Eriko (played by Suzuki), who is unable to leave her parent’s house, and Tsukioka Chika (played by rookie actress Kawaguchi Mana), a quiet honour student who has stopped going to school. Despite the polarising condition, the two share a connection through social media in search of a place to truly feel belong.
Shikemoku to Kuzu to Hanabi to
Endo Yumi, Nakano On, and Mori Miu
Release date: Jan 31
Set and shot entirely in Hiroshima, Shikemoku to Kuzu to Hanabi to is a coming-of-age directed by Yamagishi Kentaro (The Memory Stealers, A World Without Mercy) and centred on three characters: an izayaka part-time worker Sugiyama Sueko (Endo Yumi), influencer Sakuto (Nakano On) who also part-times at the same izakaya, and mysterious girl named Ako (Mori Miu). The story kickstarts into motion when the enigmatic Ako appears before Sueko and Sakuto after they witness an incident involving a group of wheelchair-bound elders. It doesn’t take long for the three of them to be involved with each other, each with their own bleak frustration towards modern society and the vague emptiness of life.
SP Dramas
Setsuen Chase
Hosoda Kanata, Muro Tsuyoshi, Nakama Yukie, Daigo Kotaro, Tsunematsu Yuri and Maeda Goki
Release date: Jan 2 (1st Ep)
Nothing beats a Higashino Keigo adaptation for fans of whodunit mystery-thrillers who have been craving for more investigative suspense to welcome the new year. Set against the backdrop of a vast snowy mountain, Setsuen Chase starts with Wakisaka Tatsumi (Hosoda Kanata), a college student who is currently on the run from the police. Unfortunately for Tatsumi, the police are hot on his tail for a murder and robbery he claimed he didn’t commit. To prove his innocence, Tatsumi desperately seeks for a female snowboarder he met at a ski resort to vouch for his alibi.
119 Emergency Call: 2026 Yokohama Blackout
Seino Nana, Seto Koji, Mikami Ai, Ichinose Hayate, Maehara Kou and Nakamura Yuri
Release date: Jan 9
After its 2025 drama, 119 Emergency Call returns in a sequel special that seems to draw its rising action from a real life situation. On top of responding to emergency 119 calls, the team over at Communications Command Centre is faced by a new dilemma involving AI, or rather, the efficiency and morality that comes from the proposed “AI Controller” to, arguably, replace human jobs. And as if that’s not enough, the command centre is faced with a new problem: a massive blackout that throws the entire city into chaos during New Year’s Eve.
If you enjoyed the series’ cast, worry not because Seino Nana, Seto Koji, Mikami Ai, Ichinose Hayato and Maehara Kou will reprise their roles again. The existing ensemble will be joined by new faces, including but not limited to Nagano Hiroshi, Riko and Kashiwabara Shuji.
Taiga & Tokusatsu
GARO Higashi no Kairo
Kuriyama Wataru, Nanri Miki, and more
Release date: Jan 29 (1st Ep)
The latest instalment in the GARO franchise sees Dogai Ryuga (Kuriyama Wataru) on his way to Line City to purify his armour after a battle in Creacity. At the same time, in Sagan, a massive outbreak caused by demonic beasts that feed on people’s shadows, horrors, plunges everything into chaos. To save the town and prepare for the coming calamity, Ryuga is joined by Makai Priestess Rian (Nanri Miki).
Toyotomi Kyodai
Nakano Taiga, Ikematsu Sosuke, Oguri Shun, Yoshioka Riho, Shiraishi Sei, Hamabe Minami, Miyazaki Aoi, Matsushita Kohei, Hamada Tatsuomi, Ando Sakura and more
Release date: Jan 4 (1st Ep)
The taiga baton has been passed down and it’s time for a story centred on, you guessed it, the Toyotomi brothers! Told primarily from the perspective of Koichiro (Nakano Taiga), it details the trajectory of their career in the warring period, starting from a simple village life up to a point where Kinoshita Tokichiro (Ikematsu Sosuke) eventually becomes Toyotomi Hideyoshi while serving the young warlord, Oda Nobunaga (Oguri Shun), and Koichiro’s evolution into becoming Toyotomi Hidenaga himself.