This is a coming-of-age ensemble drama set in Shibuya in 1984, which incorporates semi-autobiographical elements from Mitani. This marks Mitani’s first time writing a prime-time drama series for a commercial broadcaster in about 25 years, since Aikotoba wa Yuki aired on the same network in 2000.
Leading the cast is Suda Masaki, who plays Kube Mitsunari, a young theater enthusiast who believed in his own talent and raced through the late Showa era. Co-starring are Nikaido Fumi as mysterious dancer Koda Rika, Kamiki Ryunosuke as Horai Shogo, a rookie scriptwriter inspired by Mitani’s younger self, and Hamabe Minami as Egashira Juri, a shrine maiden of the quietly standing Hachibun Shrine in Shibuya.
While society brimmed with hope and thrived on the economic boom, in the corners of Shibuya there were still young people struggling with frustration, failure, and sometimes even love. Some chased glory, some faced heartbreak, some were troublesome and difficult, and some longed to escape the city altogether.
Quirky and flawed, they were clumsy in life, often seen as nobodies from the outside – yet to themselves, they were earnest and giving it their all. These deeply “human” characters, locking eyes, connecting hearts, and sometimes clashing fiercely, lived with raw energy through the Showa era in 1984. Mitani brings this world to life with his trademark style, full of both laughter and tears.
