Japanese Female Pro-Wrestling Drama Series The Queen of Villains' Premieres September 19

17/07/2024

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.

LINK:	https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-queen-of-villains-premieres-sept...
	See more stories from netflix

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

22/04/2026