Seiji Chihara

Wednesday Downtown

Everybody has theories that they personally cling blindly to regardless of proof or scientific validity. In this entertaining information program, a host of celebrities present their cases for pet theories to studio guests by any means be it academic argument or laughably “out there” logic. Can their theories gain acceptance? Or will they be discarded as pop science that only adds confusion to the world? Find out through exhaustive examination including on-location experiments!

Gaki no Tsukai No Laughing Batsu Game

After participating to a previous show where they have to bet or be challenged to any kind of competitions, the losing members of the Gaki no Tsukai are selected to spend 24 hours in a setting which they have no knowledge of the theme nor the course of the events. They are exposed to various absurd and crazy situations nonstop for 24 hours and must refrain from laughing. If they do so, hang-men appear and hit the rule breakers with a weapon (the weapon varies every year).

Yasuragi no Toki: Michi

HITOSHI MATSUMOTO Presents Documental

Produced by Hitoshi Matsumoto, Documental pits ten comedians against each other. The objective is to make each other laugh in a closed room. Each contestant brings a one million yen participation fee. The last person to stay in the room without laughing wins. The winner is awarded a 10 million yen prize and bragging rights as the funniest comedian.

Police in a Pod

20-year-old rookie police officer Kawai Mai works hard at a police box and feels both physically and mentally drained. She has never felt appreciated even though she supposedly works for the sake of the area’s residents. In addition, she does not find working at a police box rewarding. Mai is about to hand in her resignation when she meets 30-year-old Fuji Seiko, the former ace detective of the Criminal Investigations Division. Seiko is said to have been forced to transfer to the police box for harassing a subordinate at work but … … This encounter between Mai and Seiko will significantly change their lives as they are suddenly paired up. This odd pair struggle to help and support each other in cases, routine duties and romance?! And Seiko’s true reason for coming to the police box is revealed.

ATARU

Ataru is a TBS series is about an autistic young man with a mysterious past who helps the police solve criminal cases. It stars Masahiro Nakai in the title role and has received 19.9% TV viewership ratings.

Sentosha: Battle Wheels

Renowned entertainers and car lovers grasp the wheel and compete with their battle cars in a variety of never before seen challenges! They face off in life-threatening duels designed to test their speed, courage, and above all, their grit! Put the pedal to the metal! Burn! Destroy! Crash into! This is a new show of the "Dangertainment variety (danger + entertainment)".

TAP: Perfect Education

In Okinawa, a down-and-out middle-aged yakuza underling named Shidara kidnaps and confines a high school girl named Yui, the daughter of a fellow yakuza’s mistress.

This Is I

Bullied for wanting to be an idol, Kenji finds belonging in a cabaret and help from a trailblazing doctor, emerging onstage as her true self, Ai Haruna.

11 Rebels

When the brutal Boshin War breaks out in Japan, a group of inmates on death row unite to defend a fortress against the Imperial army.

Hana

In a poor district of Edo lives a young samurai named Soza. He has been sent by his clan to avenge the death of his father. He isn't an accomplished swordsman however, and he prefers sharing the life of the residents, teaching the kids how to write etc. When he finally finds the man he is looking for, he will have to decide whether he follows the way of the samurai or chooses peace and reconciliation.

The Eternal Zero

The story of Saeki Kentaro, who continues to fail the National Bar Examinations and lose sight of the goal of his life, and his old sister Keiko, who is a freelance writer looking up their grandfather Miyabe who died in the Pacific War as a Kamikaze pilot. Miyabe had an astute ability as a pilot of fighter planes, but he was extraordinarily afraid of death. His two grandchildren started wondering why he applied for the Kamikaze corps. Revealing Miyabe’s unexpected title of “genius yet coward”, they unveil a surprising fact which has been sealed for over 60 years.

The Homeless Student 2

Sequel to the 2008 film.

In the Wake

Baffling serial killings unfold in which the victims are tied up and left to starve. Tone was just released from prison after finishing his sentence for another crime, and he surfaces as a suspect but detective Tomashiro can't nail down conclusive proof.

Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill

Ataru, who suffers from “savant syndrome,” has the power to discover, observe, see through, and deduct microscopic evidence of unsolved cases. Why does he always go to the criminal sites? What explains his strange behavior? Meanwhile, a mystery unfolds with Ataru and a woman named Madoka, who is a killer. The woman possesses the same extraordinary memory and deductive reasoning abilities as Ataru. Who is she?