
Back to All News
Japanese Female Pro-Wrestling Drama Series The Queen of Villains' Premieres September 19
Entertainment
17 July 2024
GlobalJapan
Link copied to clipboard
How did one woman whip Japan into a frenzy? Launching on September 19, The Queen of Villains unveils the story of Dump Matsumoto, the most terrifying heel during the golden age of women's pro wrestling in Japan. Spanning five episodes, the series explores the events that led to her rise decades ago.
From the 70s to the 80s, female pro-wrestling tag teams like Beauty Pair (Jackie Sato and Maki Ueda) and Crush Gals (Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka) became national icons. They captivated Japan not only by competing but also by singing and dancing in the ring. On the other side of this was Dump Matsumoto, the sworn rival of the Crush Gals. She made all of Japan her enemy, wreaking havoc in and outside of the ring. But once upon a time, young Dump Matsumoto was told she was too kind to be a villain. What events made her one of the most disliked figures in Japanese wrestling history?
Bringing these iconic female wrestlers to life is a talented cast chosen through auditions:
Multi-talented comedian Yuriyan Retriever portrays Dump Matsumoto.
Erika Karata (Desert of Namibia) plays Chigusa Nagayo, who starts as a failed wrestling trainee but eventually rises to stardom.
Ayame Goriki (Watashi ga Ore no Jinsei?!) portrays Lioness Asuka, known for being the most athletic and technical wrestler among her peers.
The renowned Osamu Suzuki developed, wrote, and produced the series. After hearing Matsumoto talk about the women's pro wrestling era on his show, Suzuki was inspired to turn her story into a series and wrote the screenplay himself. Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil's Path, The Blood of Wolves, Lesson in Murder) serves as the supervising director, while Chigusa Nagayo herself led the actors' physical training and presided over the wrestling scenes.
Watch the rise of these women to fame and the lessons their journeys hold today. The Queen of Villains premieres globally on September 19, only on Netflix.
About Netflix Series The Queen of Villains Cast: Yuriyan Retriever, Erika Karata, Ayame Gorik Developer, Producer, Screenwriter: Osamu Suzuki Supervising Director: Kazuya Shiraishi Director: Katsuhito Mogi Writer: Junya Ikegami Producers: Haruhiko Hasegawa Hidehisa Chiwata Produced by: Netflix Production Company: KADOKAWA Release Date: September 19, 2024 Episode: 5 episodes https://netflix.com/thequeenofvillains
#TheQueenofVillains
Logline: The Queen of Villains unveils the untold story of Dump Matsumoto, a professional wrestler who ignited a boom in womens wrestling in the 1980s with her cult-like following. Unlike the iconic Crush Gals duo, Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka, Matsumoto made her mark as the most famous heel. Dominating television screens, they became a cultural phenomenon, captivating Japan.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers and infrastructure builders, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across the full stack wit...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
14/07/2026
Victory+ telecasts to be simulcast on TEGNA-owned station, expanding free local distribution...
14/07/2026
Plug-ins for heavy music
Avalanche Tones is the brainchild of Ava Toton, a 17-year-old musician and developer who says her goal is to make the lives of gui...
14/07/2026
Launched alongside new Singer Showcase purchase model
IK Multimedia's innovative vocal-synthesis software has just gained its latest voice add-on, the R...
14/07/2026
Registration open until 1 September 2026
The MIDI Association have revealed that the registration deadline for this year's MIDI Innovation Awards has no...
14/07/2026
88-note model completes MK4 range
Novation have just introduced the final model in their flagship MIDI controller keyboard range, the Launchkey MK4 88. Roun...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
IBC2026 has unveiled a powerful Conference programme bringing together global media leaders, technology innovators, creators, sports organisations, broadcasters...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has delivered two highly capable outsid...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of the Nemotron Labs blog series, which exp...
14/07/2026
Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters
BroadcastBroadcast EquipmentLive StreamingBroadcast Studio2026
14 July Writ...
14/07/2026
Tuesday 14 July 2026
First look revealed for Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal ...
14/07/2026
When immersive audio dominates industry headlines, it's easy to assume that every broadcaster is preparing for an Atmos future. The reality is quite differ...
14/07/2026
Emma and Sophie from ICG's marketing team joined thousands of fellow marketers, brands and agencies at MAD//Fest London 2026, one of the UK's biggest ma...
14/07/2026
Why Trusted and Secure Media Operations Matter In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operati...
14/07/2026
Pilot Project Shows How Retailers Are Prepared for the Next Step in the Evolution of Digital Commerce
Arvato Systems Drives Agentic Commerce Forward
G terslo...
14/07/2026
As part of this commitment, weve joined the SME Climate Hub, publicly pledging to:
measure our greenhouse gas emissions
reduce them in line with a net zero p...
14/07/2026
Power is AI infrastructure's inescapable constraint. How many tokens an AI factory can generate within a fixed power budget determines its revenue and profi...
13/07/2026
The Braves opted to keep production in-house rather than hand it off to MLB...
13/07/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
13/07/2026
Eurovision Sport is making live athletics more accessible to fans than ever befo...
13/07/2026
The Milwaukee Bucks will return to full-season over-the-air television for the 2...
13/07/2026
SMPTE has announced an expanded education pathway for media technology professio...