Netflix Marks Tenth Anniversary in Japan

Marking the tenth anniversary of its launch in Japan, Netflix has commissioned three new series: a drama, a comedy and an anime production.

Straight to Hell tells the story of the famed Japanese fortune-teller Kazuko Hosoki, portrayed by Erika Toda. It is set to arrive on the platform in 2026, directed by Tomoyuki Takimoto. “I disliked Kazuko Hosoki,” Takimoto said in Netflix’s press release. “Whenever she appeared on TV, I changed the channel. And yet I accepted this reckless project for two reasons. Hosoki wrote an autobiography titled Onna no Rirekisho (A Woman’s Résumé). There are plenty of exaggerations and untruths, but taken together, her little-known rise from post-war poverty is immensely compelling and overflowing with classic drama: love, betrayal, ambition, ill intent, and self-preservation. In today’s world, bound so tightly by compliance, the energetic figure of a woman who lived true to her desires at each moment looked incredibly magnetic to me. The second reason was the powerful partner I had in Erika Toda. It’s no easy task for an actor to convincingly embody someone’s life—let alone Hosoki’s, from age 17 to 66. She delivered even more ferocity than I expected. Through her performance, I discovered how that once-in-a-generation trickster came to be. When you finish the finale, I promise you’ll be overwhelmed by the duel between two monsters: Kazuko Hosoki and Erika Toda.”

Did Someone Happen to Mention Me? hails from screenwriter Kankuro Kudo and producer Akira Isoyama, who previously worked together on Let’s Get Divorced and Extremely Inappropriate! for the platform. The comedy tells the story of the first Japanese actor to play the lead role at London’s Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, who returns home after a two-year absence to discover he has been forgotten. It is in production for launch next year

“There are some slightly sci-fi elements to the setting, but at its core, this is a very straightforward comedy,” Isoyama said. “It’s the story of a man in his 60s, burdened with an oversized “need for recognition,” who, due to certain circumstances, gets a chance to start his life over and gradually discovers the meaning of living. When we first started thinking about this project with Mr. Kudo, I never could have dreamed that Koji Yakusho would end up taking the role. But now, the more I think about it, the more I realize that there was no one else who could have played this part. He has taken on an incredible number of challenges, shown us so many different sides of himself, and turned this into an unmissable drama.”

STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an anime series based on Shueisha’s manga by Hirohiko Araki. Yasuhiro Kimura, director, commented: “STEEL BALL RUN is a story that depicts characters running through a grand race, staking their own beliefs. My heart is pounding with excitement to be entrusted with directing this anime adaptation. The entire staff shares this feeling and is pouring their passion into daily production. I look forward to sharing our enthusiasm for this work with all of you and hope we can ride this journey together.”