Back to All NewsFour New Japan Titles Announced for 2026: Viral Hit', One Year to Live, Buy a Man', Doors Closed, Bids Open', Sparks of Tomorrow'
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalJapan
Link copied to clipboard
Today, we unveiled four new titles part of our 2026 slate in Japan, spanning live-action series, film, unscripted, and animation:
Viral Hit - A series starring Ouji Suzuka One Year to Live, Buy a Man - A film co-starring Ko Shibasaki and Eiji Akaso Doors Closed, Bids Open - An unscripted series hosted by Matsuko Deluxe Sparks of Tomorrow - An animated series by Kyoto Animation
These additions showcase the range of Japanese storytelling coming to members worldwide this year. Further updates to the J content lineup will be shared in the months ahead.
Viral Hit On Netflix May 28, 2026 | Series
Kota Shimura is a bullied high school student struggling under the weight of his mother's medical bills and constant abuse from school bullies. His life couldn't be more bleak Until one day, an opportunity suddenly falls his way. When a fight with a classmate is accidentally streamed online and goes viral, Kota realizes that fighting can be a profitable venture. He starts a streaming channel and begins to claw his way out from the pits of despair.
Based on the highly popular South Korean webtoon Viral Hit, this live-action adaptation marks the first Netflix series from director Hideki Takeuchi and writer Yuichi Tokunaga, the powerhouse team that has enthralled Japan with its unconventional worlds in works such as Fly Me to the Saitama and Cells at Work! Ouji Suzuka (Listen to the Universe, silent) stars as Kota, our unlikely hero. Ai Mikami plays Aki Yashio, Kota's junior who holds the key to the story, while Araki Sugou appears as the idiosyncratic Toru Kaneko. In addition, a dynamic cast including Nana Asakawa, Takuro Osada, and Mieko Harada comes together. Trailer
Based on: the WEBTOON Series "Viral Hit" by Taejun Park, Kim Junghyun Directed by: Hideki Takeuchi Written by: Yuichi Tokunaga Producers: Naoto Inaba, Shigeji Maeda Planning Production: MYRIAGON STUDIO Inc. Production Company: RAKUEISHA Produced by: Netflix Cast: Ouji Suzuka, Ai Mikami, Araki Sugou, Mieko Harada, Nana Asakawa, Takuro Osada
One Year to Live, Buy a ManOn Netflix 2026 | Film
Starring Ko Shibasaki & Eiji Akaso, this series brings together screenwriter Yoshikazu Okada and director Hiroki Kazama to adapt a best-selling novel of an unconventional, borrowed time love story.
"Saving money is the best entertainment and the perfect way to kill time." So said Yui Katakura, a 40-year-old single woman. She has deliberately avoided anything she deems to be uneconomical, including romance, marriage and childbirth. During a free medical examination, she is diagnosed with cancer and told she only has a year left to live. Although the doctor urges surgery, Yui secretly feels relief. "If I'm going to die, there's no need to save money anymore." Her life shifts when Sena, a pink-haired nightclub host down on his luck, unexpectedly approaches asking "Can you lend me some money?" Yui responds by buying him for 720,000 yen. What begins as an odd arrangement gradually becomes a warm, unconventional bond, and to their surprise, an unpredictable love gradually starts to take shape between.
This film is based on a 2021 novel of the same name, which won the 28th Shimase Romantic Literature Award, and stars Ko Shibasaki and Eiji Akaso. Directed by Hiroki Kazama (silent, The Beginning of the Sea), the story delicately explores the subtleties of the heart in a faithful adaptation of the original novel's meditation on life and how to live it. Together with veteran screenwriter Yoshikazu Okada (Beyond Goodbye, The Last 10 Years), they have teamed up to create a film that offers a fresh perspective on one's remaining years and reexamines the brilliance of life.
Based on: One Year to Live, Buy a Man by Toriko Yoshikawa (Kodansha Bunko) Directed by: Hiroki Kazama Written by: Yoshikazu Okada Producers: Kasumi Yao, Tsutomu Hirabayashi Production Company: AOI Pro. Planned and Produced by: Netflix Cast: Ko Shibasaki, Eiji Akaso
Doors Closed, Bids Open On Netflix 2026 | Unscripted Series
Matsuko Deluxe comes to Netflix with a one-of-a-kind secret members-only veiled auction.
Matsuko Deluxe, one of Japan's most beloved TV emcees and a fixture of countless programs winning the Favorite Host ranking for five consecutive years, is finally making her Netflix debut. Known for her deep knowledge of a wide range of topics and her unique perspective that resonates with viewers, Matsuko is teaming up with Netflix for the very first time to present a forbidden auction show hosted by none other than Matsuko Deluxe herself. Only a select few are invited as bidders to this secret social club, which mysteriously appears in an underground space. What exactly will be up for auction there...?
Host: Matsuko Deluxe Produced and Programmed by: Shinichi Sakurai Producer: Shunji Nakayama Chief Director: Keiji Takahashi Production Company: Imagine, Inc. Planned and Production by: Netflix
Sparks of TomorrowOn Netflix July 2026 | Animated Series
Presenting a new frontier for Kyoto Animation, this anime features stunning, impressionistic backgrounds and intricately expressive animation that bring to life the dreams of a young boy and girl, sparking a turbulent era of revolution.
In an alternate version of the early 20th century where technological progress evolved along a different path shaped by steam power, Kyoto is blanketed in constant smoke.
A boy, hardened by the loss of his brother, grows distrustful after their shared dream of an Age of Electricity is cut short. A deeply devout girl hides her dreams and regrets for her deceased mother deep within her heart. When the two cross paths, th
