Back to All News
25 Former Athletes Seek Redemption in Final Draft,' Japan's First Physical Survival Series, Premiering August 12
Entertainment
14 July 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied to clipboard
Netflix will premiere Final Draft, its first Japanese-produced physical survival series, on August 12. The show brings together 25 former athletes - some who had to walk away from their dreams, and others who retired on their own terms - as they compete in grueling physical and psychological challenges for a 30 million yen prize to jump-start a new career.
Combining brute strength, strategy, and mental resilience, Final Draft pushes participants to their limits in a high-stakes competition for redemption. The newly released trailer reveals a determined cast from a wide range of athletic backgrounds.
Standout competitors include baseball legend Yoshio Itoi, nicknamed Superhuman for his extraordinary athleticism; three-division boxing world champion Hozumi Hasegawa, who retired with a 36-5 record; and soccer icon Yoshito Okubo, the first J-League player to lead the league in scoring for three consecutive seasons.
The lineup also features younger athletes fighting for a second chance, including Yuya Shozui, a high school baseball phenom released after five years in the pros; Koji Tokuda, a comedian and former American football player; Atsushi Arai, a former water polo player and Offline Love cast member; and Olympic gold medalist Eri Tosaka, who stepped away from wrestling.
The show highlights the emotional and physical toll of reinvention, juxtaposing athletes who once soared at the peak of their sports with those whose careers ended before they began. Tensions mount as competitors clash in a quest fueled by pride, ambition, and unfinished dreams.
The trailer hints at dramatic moments: athletes pushed to their breaking points, emotional scenes with supportive yet anxious family members, and one shocking twist - a contestant walks away with 3 million yen, choosing to exit early.
Who will endure the trials, outlast the rest, and walk away with 30 million yen? Find out as these top athletes put everything on the line for another shot at success.
Time for the athletes to get off the bench and claim their prize. Final Draft begins streaming August 12, only on Netflix.
Contestants
Atsushi Arai, former member of the Japan national water polo team
Yoshio Itoi, former professional baseball player
Yoshito Okubo, former member of the Japan national soccer team
Ryudai Onikura, former amateur boxer
Akira Kaji, former member of the Japan national soccer team
Yosuke Kashiwagi, former member of the Japan national soccer team
Yu Kato, former professional womens baseball player
Yujo Kitagata, former professional baseball player
Takashi Kurihara, former member of the Japan national American football team
Kouzi, martial arts fighter
Kazuhiro Goya, former member of the Japan national rugby sevens team
Goson Sakai, former professional soccer player
Masayuki Shimokawa, former member of the Japan national kabaddi team
Yuya Shozui, former professional baseball player
Tomoe Tamura, former member of the Japan national ultimate frisbee team
Kenta Tsukamoto, former bodybuilder
Eri Tosaka, former member of the Japan national wrestling team
Koji Tokuda, former American football player, comedian
Hozumi Hasegawa, former boxing world champion
Sari Baba, former professional tennis player
Naoto Hayasaka, former member of the Japan national gymnastics team
Masato, former street workout athlete
Kaho Mita, former trampoline athlete, bodybuilding and fitness competitor
Ryosuke Miyaguni, former professional baseball player
Katsuma Yonemura, former judo athlete
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
15/07/2025
Independent media outlets in Brazil and Colombia are invited to apply for a new programme aimed at strengthening the long-term resilience of journalism in the f...
15/07/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
15/07/2025
Spotify une fuerzas con DiDi, la app l der en servicios de movilidad, delivery y...
15/07/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
15/07/2025
L3Harris put its CORVUS-RAVEN counter-small UAS capability into the hands of soldiers at VANAHEIM, showcasing its ability to provide passive signal detect, enha...
15/07/2025
Netflix Viewing Up 13.5% vs. May, Represents 42% of Monthly Gain for Streaming
...
15/07/2025
SAN FRANCISCO and BENGALARU, India Sangeeta Chakraborty has been named chief revenue officer at Amagi, a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology pro...
15/07/2025
As part of its mandate, the Advanced Television Systems Committee the U.S. organization tasked with developing advanced broadcast TV standards promotes ATSC 3.0...
15/07/2025
QuickLink, the leading global provider of multi-camera video productions and remote contributions, announces the launch of two innovative control panels Studi...
15/07/2025
Chris Kontopanos has joined leading high-quality microphone solutions manufacturer, DPA Microphones, as the company's new Regional Sales Manager for the Mid...
15/07/2025
Magnifi by VideoVerse, a global leader in AI-powered video automation, has launched a major platform upgrade built to simplify live and archival video editing f...
15/07/2025
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, will preview its latest innovations at IBC2025, Stand 7.B21. This year's showcase highlights how...
15/07/2025
IBC2025 is set to transform the onsite experience for its global attendees with the launch of a pioneering new feature: full integration of Amsterdam's GVB ...
15/07/2025
Music, sport and technology collided in spectacular fashion as ASB GlassFloor powered the debut of Beats N Buckets, Germany's first Basketball meets Hip-Ho...
15/07/2025
The Collectv, the Emmy award-winning broadcast solutions and workflows consultancy - and winner of Broadcast Tech's Team of the Year is delighted to announc...
15/07/2025
SipRadius, the expert in secure, low latency media transport, will showcase how broadcasters and media companies can take control of fragmented IP workflows at ...
15/07/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, today announced its strategic partnership with beIN ASIA PACIFIC, a leading multi-platform sports media...
15/07/2025
Company marks 15 years of innovation at the show
Broadpeak, a leader in streaming and monetization at scale, will return to IBC (Hall 1, Stand F83. RAI, Amster...
15/07/2025
New software solutions extend trusted timing measurement across broadcast, venue, and professional AV applications
Hitomi Broadcast, the market leader in audi...
15/07/2025
SHENZHEN, China Telycam has added control options for its portfolio of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with a new plug-in for Elgato's Stream Deck family of con...
15/07/2025
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron said its Chyron LIVE cloud-native live production solution has successfully completed the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Foundational Technical...
15/07/2025
PHILADELPHIA The Xumo streaming platform joint venture between Comcast and Charter has announced the nationwide launch of a new line of Xumo TVs from Westinghou...
15/07/2025
LONGMONT, Colo. DPA Microphones said Chris Kontopanos has joined the microphone solutions provider as its new regional sales manager, Mid-Atlantic....
15/07/2025
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNIT...
15/07/2025
Audiences and ad dollars are moving to streaming - media organizations are evolving to meet them there....
15/07/2025
U&GOLD has acquired the broadcast rights for Fawlty Towers: The Play (1x120'). Recorded during the show's run at the West End with its original cast, Fa...
15/07/2025
Live From MLB All-Star 2025: FOX Sports Aims To Capture Chatty Players on the Fi...
15/07/2025
Live From MLB All-Star 2025: From Live Event Coverage to Studio Shows, MLB Netwo...
15/07/2025
Live From MLB All-Star 2025: FOX Sports' Francisco Contreras and Tom Lynch o...
15/07/2025
Live From MLB All-Star: FOX Sports' Production Is Bigger Than Ever in Steamy...
15/07/2025
Live From MLB All-Star: FOX Sports Director Matt Gangl and Producer Pete Machesk...
15/07/2025
TV SIM builds for the future with high efficiency transmitter from Rohde & Schwa...
15/07/2025
News Corp Authorizes New $1 Billion Stock Repurchase Program and Intends to Acce...
15/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Announces the Start of Production of Los secretos de l...
15/07/2025
Harmonic's Hybrid, AI-Powered and Live Sports Streaming Innovations are Key ...
15/07/2025
The well-known and well-loved 4099 has been completely revamped. It features amazing CORE+ technology, which eliminates distortion and extends dynamic range, a ...
15/07/2025
Comscore Partners with HyphaMetrics to Launch Advanced Person-Level Audience Mea...
15/07/2025
Peak audiences of over half a million tune into both Kerry v Tyrone and Donegal ...
15/07/2025
PROTON Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025 posted: 15/07/2025
Proton Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025
Alongs...
15/07/2025
Submissions for NVIDIA's Plug and Play: Project G-Assist Plug-In Hackathon a...
14/07/2025
The Royal Moroccan Air Force hosted a C-130 award ceremony with L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert a...
14/07/2025
UK launch set for September, following on from recent US and Germany releases
London - UK, July 14, 2025 - Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, da...
14/07/2025
SHENZHEN, China Telycam has added control options for its portfolio of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with a new plug-in for Elgato's Stream Deck family of con...
14/07/2025
The awards are open to IBC2025 show exhibitors and offer a valuable platform for companies to raise awareness for the new products and solutions they will be la...
14/07/2025
Clear-Com is excited to announce a significant expansion of the award-winning Arcadia Central Station with new software updates. Together, these releases dram...
Back to All News
