Jin Shirasu is a Japanese actor who was born on November 1, 1992, in Aomori, Japan. He first rose to prominence when he took part in fashion magazine Junon’s Super Boy Contest in 2010, making the top 30. The year after, he made his musical debut in a performance of “The Prince of Tennis 2.” He went on to make his drama bow in the 2013 series “Biblia Used Bookstore Casebook,” going on to star in “Happy Marriage” (2016) and – more recently – the 2019 Japanese remake of Taiwanese drama “In Time With You.”

Jin Shirasu

At thirty, Akira Isomori (Jin Shirasu) is comfortably settled in his exceptionally normal life. A committed salary man, happily married to his novelist wife Sonoko (Yua Shinkawa), Akira has known nothing but the comfortable routine that comes with a five-year marriage and a steady job. But that comfortable life is changed in an instant, the moment his health takes an unexpected turn.

Suffering an unbearable headache, Akira is rushed to the hospital where his worst fears are confirmed. Diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, Akira is rushed into surgery but the man who goes into the operating room is not the same as the man who comes out. Diagnosed with a rare medical condition known as “Sex Altering Syndrome”, the only way to save Akira’s life is for him to spend the rest of it as a woman. Finding herself now married to the woman Akira (Natsuna), Sonoko isn’t sure how to handle this sudden and completely unexpected change.&nbsp;

As Sonoko struggles to adjust to her husband’s new appearance, Akira also finds adjusting to life as a woman difficult. Will the love that Akira and Sonoko share be enough to help them overcome this unexpected challenge or will the difficulties of this new life prove to be too much?

Based on the manga “Individual Differences” by Kinoko Higurashi, “Love You Just As You Are” is a 2022 Japanese romance drama directed by Daisuke Yamauchi.

Love You Just as You Are

Team Love You Just As You Are

TV Asahi

Shikamori Umi (Suzuki Airi) is part of the production staff on a popular TV talk show. She is worked to the bone by her seniors, who always make her work overtime that she rarely has time for herself. As a result, she is always tired, and has no time for a love life. One day, she falls asleep on the set during a live broadcast – and this shameful moment makes her reevaluate her life. She realizes that there is no way to change her boss – so she quits the company.

She switches jobs, moving to a completely different field – the world of makeup and beauty. She finds an entry-level post at a makeup agency named Animal Beauty. At first, she begins to worry that she has made the wrong choice, when she gets off on the wrong foot with the firm’s CEO Sakaki Keisuke (Jin Shirasu). But she soon discovers that the CEO is not quite as abrasive as he seems – and that he might even have a crush on her! She also meets Kazao (Honda Kyoya), a handsome and talented photographer who works at the company. She develops a friendship with him, and also begins to feel a mutual attraction forming. Will Umi’s career change prove to be a success? And might it even lead her to love?

“Animals” is a 2022 Japanese drama series that was directed by Hara Keinosuke.

ANIMALS

The Animal Beauty Team

WOWOW

It’s been a year since former top-chef Nobuyuki Yazawa (Ryohei Otani) and his partner, Shinobu Senke (Rena Takeda), opened their bar, Nobu, in a deserted alley in Kyoto. With the front entrance of the bar mysteriously connected to the world of Aiteria, a parallel universe reminiscent of medieval Europe, Nobuyuki and Shinobu have had to overcome several unexpected obstacles. But having successfully done so, the bar is thriving.

Drawn to Nobu for its delicious food and its renowned beer, Toriaezu Nama, people from all over Aiteria flock to the bar. But not all patrons of Nobu are reputable. Drawn by her love of alcohol and sweets, a woman by the name of Ingrid (Miki Mizuno) darkens the door of Nobu. With the appearance of a witch, Ingrid catches the eye of everyone she meets, which soon starts rumors flying. Catching wind of a witch at Nobu, Archbishop Rodrigo (Satoru Matsuo) springs into action, determined to bring her and her associates in before any can escape.

Having narrowly escaped trouble with the law last year, Nobuyuki and Shinobu aren’t ready for another showdown with powerful officials. But can they let a seemingly innocent woman be taken from their establishment without a fight?

Based on the Japanese light novel series of the same name by Natsuya Semikawa, “Isekai Izakaya Nobu - Season 2” is a 2022 Japanese drama directed by Hiroshi Shinagawa.

Isekai Izakaya Nobu – season 2

Togoku Kyosui (Nozomu Kotaki) is the owner and manager of Rokuhodo, a traditional Japanese tea house. A tender-hearted soul with a fondness, his tea-making skills are without equal. But he struggles with making tasty food to complement his brews – so decides to enlist the help of some kindred souls to make Rokuhodo a success. He turns to his old school friend and talented cook Tokitaka Nagae (Shono Hayama) to help out in the kitchen.

Also helping out at the tea house is Gregorio “Gure” Valentino (Saeki Daichi), a masterful coffee expert who learned his trade in Italy. Rounding out their number is the shy buy incredibly talented pastry chef Tsubaki Nakao (Ryusei Onishi). Clad in their kimonos, they make a very distinctive team – and are always at hand to listen to their customers’ troubles, even offering some helpful advice along the way. But while fixing other people’s problems is important, so is trying to resolve their own personal issues!

The drama was based on a long-running manga series of the same name that debuted in 2013 and was authored by Yu Shimizu.

“Rokuhoudou Colorful Days” is a 2022 Japanese drama series that was directed by Yuki Saito, Keisuke Shibata, and Eriko Sato.

Rokuhoudou Colorful Days

Though a university graduate, Nodakura Naho (Mayuu Yokota) has yet to turn her dreams of becoming an everyday office worker into reality. With her bills piling up and no sign of permanent employment in sight, Nodakura has no choice but to take a part-time job. But finding even a part-time job is easier said than done.

Whether led by fate or chance, Nodakura finds herself accepting a position at a design company whose president, Sakisaka Takumi (Shirasu Jin), is quite the character. Despite his frivolous outward nature, Sakisaka is actually a highly accomplished designer who has more than a few prestigious awards to his name. Having seen both sides of her new boss, Nodakura can’t decide how she feels about him, or her new job.

Despite how she feels about her boss, Nodakura is determined to make her dreams of full-time employment come true. Working hard, Nodakura inadvertently catches Sakisaka’s eye. Giving his new hire an increasing amount of attention, it’s only a matter of time before sparks start to fly. But will these sparks lead to a passionate flame or a total burnout?

Adapted from the manga, “Anyway, I Won’t Run Away” by Kazumi Kazui, “Can’t Run Away From Love” is a 2021 romantic comedy drama directed by Yo Kawahara.

Can't Run Away from Love

💘  Captivated by You💘

Having been raised by a modern, liberal family, Saki M izuguchi (Keiko Kitagawa) grew up believing she could do and be anything she wanted. With that mindset driving her, Saki grew up to become an outstanding editor at a fashion magazine, a job which she absolutely loves. Koichi Obara (Eita Nagayama), on the other hand, grew up in a strict military family. As straight-laced as they come, Koichi grew up to become the ace of the Air Rescue Wing of the Air Self-Defense Force.

Despite being polar opposite in every way, Saki and Koichi fall madly in love, immediately after meeting. Convinced they’re destined for a lifetime of marital bliss, Saki and Koichi decide to skip a drawn-out dating period and go straight to the wedding. With a lavish wedding soon behind them, the newlyweds are excited to start their happy life together. But the realities of married life soon have them regretting their decision to marry so quickly. Unable to agree on anything, Koichi and Saki soon tire of their constant bickering and begin to start looking for a way out of their marital misery.

Unable to admit to their family and friends that their marriage is an utter failure, Koichi and Saki attempt to divorce in secret. But separating the lives of those brought together by their marriage proves much more difficult than they imagined. Will they find a way to end their misery without hurting those around them?

A story of matrimony and mistakes, “How to Get a Divorce for the Whole Family!” is a 2021 Japanese romantic comedy drama directed by Toshio Tsuboi, Sanae Suzuki, Satoshi Kan, and Sakura Komaki.

How to Get a Divorce for the Whole Family!

🍂🌻Stay Together Team🍂🌻

In high school, Yuri Totsuka (Kanna Hashimoto) was just another teenage girl. Experiencing all the ups and downs that come with high school, Yuri’s struggles weren’t any different than every other girl her age. Living on her own, in a quiet apartment complex in a peaceful province, Yuri should have had a largely uneventful teenage life. But one terrifying event would change not only her life, but the lives of two of her classmates, forever.

Once a friend of Yuri’s, Satoko Hino (Ai Yoshikawa) had given up on their friendship after the two had a falling out. Now more a stranger than a friend, Satoko suffers through her miserable life alone. Alongside her, transfer student Maho Sakazaki (Wakana Aoi) seems doomed to spend her high school years as a loner; but living in the same apartment complex as Yuri, the two soon become close friends. With a new friend by her side, Yuri might have forgotten all about Satoko, had Fate not decided to intervene in a truly cruel and horrifying way.

When Maho is attacked by a violent assailant, Yuri steps in, desperate to save her friend; but her frantic attempt to help ends in murder. Only adding to the horror of it all, Satoko is arrested the very next day. Now caught in a tangled web of lies and murders, the three girls desperately search for a way out. But is escape even an option when you’re in this deep?&nbsp;

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Fumie Kondo, “INFLUENCE” is a 2021 suspense drama directed by Naruhide Mizuta and Paul Young.

INFLUENCE

Highschooler Ito (Shirasu Jin) is a serious, hard-working student aged 17 years. But he is also bored and feels unfulfilled.


On his way home from school, Ito often plays a sort of game, challenging himself to walk along a long white line in the road.


One day, while he is playing his lonely game, he comes across another high school student, the naïve but friendly Nishi (Raiku). Ito instantly falls for Nishi’s uncomplicated charms.


The duo meets again, but they only ever seem to get to spend time together when they are returning home from school. In a fit of passion, Ito suddenly kisses Nishi – and is overjoyed to discover that Nishi also has feelings for him.


The tale follows the two boys as they transition out of late childhood, and into adulthood – and are forced to take on brand new challenges that test their love at every turn.


This film was based on the hit manga title of the same name, which was released in 2017.


“Life~ Love on the Line” is a 2020 Japanese film directed by Ninomiya Takashi.


The Director’s Cut edition features a number of previously-unseen scenes that were deleted from the original drama series, as well as additional storylines about the two main characters’ later lives – following their adventures as they enter their eighties.

Life~Love on the Line (Director's Cut)

💞 Strings of Fate 💞 Team

Friends since middle school, Rino Sakuragi (Yuna Taira) and Ren Kiritani (Alan) have all but grown up together. Now in high school, Rino’s feelings for Ren have grown into something much stronger than friendship but she’s afraid of what might happen, should she confess how she feels for one of her closest friends.

With her feelings for Ren growing by the day, Rino has no idea that Ren’s feelings towards her have changed over the years as well. Unable to hide his feelings any longer, Ren decides the time is right to confess how he feels to Ren. Overjoyed to have her feelings reciprocated, Rino and Ren waste no time in becoming an official couple. Enjoying all of the sweet firsts that come with and new relationship and young love, Rino and Ren are indescribably happy. Sadly, that happiness can only last so long.

Not long after they start dating, Rino is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. Faced with immeasurable challenges as Rino’s body gives out on her a little more every day, can the two hope to share a bright future?

Adapted from the manga series of the same name by Miyasaka Kaho, “One in a Hundred Thousand” is a 2020 Japanese youth romance drama film directed by Miki Koichiro.

One in a Hundred Thousand

Hana (Kawashima Umika) and Mizuki (Asakawa Nana) are lifelong best friends and have been like two peas in a pod ever since elementary school. Hana, 25, works in the product development department of a major retailer. She longs to be loved, but her expressions often show when she looks at other people – leading to complications. Mizuki, meanwhile, is very protective of Hana – but is secretly quite jealous of Hana...mainly because men seem to always prefer Hana over her!

When Hana’s heart is broken by a cheating boyfriend, the duo travels to a hot spring to recover. And this is where they meet two handsome young men named Yosuke (Jin Shirasu) and Ayumu (Akihisa Shiono). While they are chatting, Yosuke chastises Hana for always taking a back seat in the conversation. This gets Hana thinking about the way she behaves. Love is about to spark between these lonely hearts – but who will end up with who? And could the balance of love be disrupted when Ayumu’s brother arrives on the scene – with love plans of his own?

This drama was based on a manga series of the same name by Eiko Tachibana, which debuted in 2019.

“We Are Too Clumsy About Love” is a 2020 Japanese drama series that was directed by Koji Ono and Hidetaka Sakamoto.

We Are Too Clumsy About Love

Me Before You Team

Rakuten TV

Highschooler Ito (Shirasu Jin) is a serious, hard-working student aged 17 years. But he is also bored and feels unfulfilled.

On his way home from school, Ito often plays a sort of game, challenging himself to walk along a long white line in the road.

One day, while he is playing his lonely game, he comes across another high school student, the naïve but friendly Nishi (Raiku). Ito instantly falls for Nishi’s uncomplicated charms.

The duo meets again, but they only ever seem to get to spend time together when they are returning home from school. In a fit of passion, Ito suddenly kisses Nishi – and is overjoyed to discover that Nishi also has feelings for him.

The tale follows the two boys as they transition out of late childhood, and into adulthood – and are forced to take on brand new challenges that test their love at every turn.

This drama was based on the hit manga title of the same name, which was released in 2017.

“Life~ Love on the Line” is a 2020 Japanese drama series directed by Ninomiya Takashi.

Life~Love on the Line

Somewhere in Kyoto, on some out-of-the-way street not often frequented by visitors, there sits a bar by the name of Nobu. While most people would pass this bar without giving it a second thought, those familiar with the establishment know it possesses a rather strange secret. For the front entrance of Nobu is connected to an alternate world, a world known by its residents as Aiteria.

How Nobu and a world reminiscent of medieval Europe became connected is the secret of Nobuyuki Yazawa (Ryohei Otani). Once a chef at a successful high-end restaurant, Nobuyuki gave up that life to pursue a more peaceful existence. Now the owner of Nobu, Nobuyuki wants nothing more than to serve his customers the very best food and drink. Helping him manage the bar is Shinobu Senke (Rena Takeda), a pretty, brilliant young lady who certainly knows how to handle the bar’s lively, albeit sometimes unusual, patrons.

With customers from both Japan and Aiteria flocking to Nobu to enjoy its fine cuisine, the bar's business couldn’t be better. But with two worlds colliding at a single location, how long will this success last?

Based on the Japanese light novel series of the same name by Natsuya Semikawa, “Isekai Izakaya Nobu - Season 1” is a 2020 Japanese drama directed by Hiroshi Shinagawa.

Isekai Izakaya Nobu – season 1

Fuji TV

Mitari Yo (Adachi Rika) is a manager at a company that makes shoes, while Ishida Ren (Shirasu Jin) works in urban redevelopment. 

They have been best friends for years, and their close platonic friendship dates back to their high school days.

But on Mitari Yo’s 29th birthday, they make a fateful wager – whoever marries first will receive a 300,000 yen (approx USD 2,780) cash gift from the other, providing the wedding takes place before Mitari Yo turns 31.

However, the duo soon discovers that love can be very unpredictable – and that Cupid can strike at the most unexpected moment.

A young junior employee in Ishida Ren’s company appears to be developing feelings for him, while things get even complicated for the friends when Mizusawa Ryusei (Asaka Kodai) – Mitari Yo’s ex-boyfriend – reappears on the scene.

Who will claim the 300,000 yen prize? Will new admirers and old flames win the day? Or will Ishida Ren and Mitari Yo discover that their feelings actually go beyond friendship after all? 

This drama is based on the Taiwanese series of the same name, which first aired in 2011.

“In Time With You” is a 2019 Japanese drama directed by Izuru Kumasaka.

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