Image: Illustration von Kira Takashi/Kodansha, anlässlich der Dramatisierung von „Akato Elegy“ gezeichnet
AMBot | 08/19/2026 | Reading Time: 5 Min.
The manga series "Akato Elegy" by Kira Takashi is receiving a live-action adaptation about 20 years after its conclusion. As the broadcaster announced in mid-August, the series will start on October 8, 2026, in the late-night programming of TV Tokyo (Thursdays, 24:00); TV Aichi, TV Setouchi, TV Hokkaido, and TVQ Kyushu Hoso will also broadcast it simultaneously. On BS TV Tokyo, the series will follow from October 13, also on Tuesdays at 24:00.
The lead roles are played by Kodai Kurosaki and Yui Narumi – for both, it is their first leading role in a continuing drama series. Kurosaki plays the inconspicuous, unmotivated odd-job worker Satoshi Yanagawa, while Narumi plays the blonde and hot-tempered Chiiko (Tomoko Akiyama). Both actors come from the Kansai region, Kurosaki from Sanda and Narumi from Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture, and they perform in the production in the original Kansai dialect. Kurosaki made his acting debut in 2023 in the NHK morning drama "Boogie Woogie" and has since gained attention in, among others, the Netflix series "Kyujo no Taizai" and the films "Kyo no Sora ga Ichiban Suki, to Mada Ienai Boku wa" and "Kyuni Guai ga Waruku Naru"; he has been awarded several times as the best newcomer actor. Narumi first appeared in front of the camera in the NHK morning drama "Natsuzora", appeared in the taiga drama "Dosuru Ieyasu", and is announced for the morning drama "Meguru Swan" to be broadcast in 2027.
The source material is the manga series of the same name, which was awarded the Grand Prize in the newcomer category of the Chiba Tetsuya Prize in 2003 and was published from 2004 to 2008 in Weekly Young Magazine (Kodansha) – a total of 15 volumes. The story is set in the Higashiosaka and Moriguchi area near Osaka: Satoshi, an unemployed, weak-willed young man, falls in love with the quarrelsome Chiiko during a part-time job as a traffic flagman, where he waves a red signal light. As clumsy as he may be, his sincere affection eventually wins her heart. After the end of the main series, an epilogue volume titled "Akato Elegy: Tokyo Story" was created at the request of readers, and in 2021, a special short story was published on the occasion of the magazine's 40th anniversary. The series title itself is an allusion to the work "Akai Elegy" by artist Seiichi Hayashi.
For the adaptation, according to the production, almost entirely shot in Osaka to capture the warm-hearted atmosphere of the original with authentic locations and local flavor. In addition to the two lead actors, other performers with Kansai connections as well as members of the popular Shinkigeki comedy troupe are planned; the full cast is to be announced in the coming weeks. Yusuke Taki, Keita Kumano, and Kenzo Hasegawa are responsible for direction and screenplay, and the music is composed by Yoshitaka Fujimoto. The executive producers are Sakuya Nihei (TV Tokyo) and Akihisa Yamamoto (Chiaroscuro); the series is produced by TV Tokyo and Chiaroscuro, with Walt Disney Japan involved as a cooperation partner.
Accompanying the series, the manga also returns: In issue 46 of Weekly Young Magazine, which goes on sale on October 13, the continuation "Akato Elegy 2024" starts. Thus, the new story of the two main characters appears immediately after the start of the television series. The distribution is broadly set up: Disney+ secured the exclusive streaming rights for Japan and Asia and will make each episode available after the respective TV broadcast. Additionally, catch-up offers via TVer, the platform Net mo TV Tokyo, and Lemino are planned.
To mark the start, Kira Takashi also released an illustration drawn specifically for the dramatization, showing Satoshi and Chiiko in their work uniforms as traffic flagmen. The author thanked the team for the respectful handling of the source material: The plot of 15 volumes was skillfully condensed into the series format and updated for the present; during a visit to the set, Kurosaki and Narumi were for him "really Satoshi and Chiiko." Kurosaki, who describes the original as one of his favorite works, emphasizes that the filming in Osaka brings him great joy. Narumi hopes that the story of two people who rub against each other and grow together touches people today. Chief producer Nihei sees in the clumsy couple an encouraging counter-figure in a time strongly shaped by comparisons of success – the two, who wish each other happiness, rather evoked admiration in him.
The lead roles are played by Kodai Kurosaki and Yui Narumi – for both, it is their first leading role in a continuing drama series. Kurosaki plays the inconspicuous, unmotivated odd-job worker Satoshi Yanagawa, while Narumi plays the blonde and hot-tempered Chiiko (Tomoko Akiyama). Both actors come from the Kansai region, Kurosaki from Sanda and Narumi from Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture, and they perform in the production in the original Kansai dialect. Kurosaki made his acting debut in 2023 in the NHK morning drama "Boogie Woogie" and has since gained attention in, among others, the Netflix series "Kyujo no Taizai" and the films "Kyo no Sora ga Ichiban Suki, to Mada Ienai Boku wa" and "Kyuni Guai ga Waruku Naru"; he has been awarded several times as the best newcomer actor. Narumi first appeared in front of the camera in the NHK morning drama "Natsuzora", appeared in the taiga drama "Dosuru Ieyasu", and is announced for the morning drama "Meguru Swan" to be broadcast in 2027.
The source material is the manga series of the same name, which was awarded the Grand Prize in the newcomer category of the Chiba Tetsuya Prize in 2003 and was published from 2004 to 2008 in Weekly Young Magazine (Kodansha) – a total of 15 volumes. The story is set in the Higashiosaka and Moriguchi area near Osaka: Satoshi, an unemployed, weak-willed young man, falls in love with the quarrelsome Chiiko during a part-time job as a traffic flagman, where he waves a red signal light. As clumsy as he may be, his sincere affection eventually wins her heart. After the end of the main series, an epilogue volume titled "Akato Elegy: Tokyo Story" was created at the request of readers, and in 2021, a special short story was published on the occasion of the magazine's 40th anniversary. The series title itself is an allusion to the work "Akai Elegy" by artist Seiichi Hayashi.
For the adaptation, according to the production, almost entirely shot in Osaka to capture the warm-hearted atmosphere of the original with authentic locations and local flavor. In addition to the two lead actors, other performers with Kansai connections as well as members of the popular Shinkigeki comedy troupe are planned; the full cast is to be announced in the coming weeks. Yusuke Taki, Keita Kumano, and Kenzo Hasegawa are responsible for direction and screenplay, and the music is composed by Yoshitaka Fujimoto. The executive producers are Sakuya Nihei (TV Tokyo) and Akihisa Yamamoto (Chiaroscuro); the series is produced by TV Tokyo and Chiaroscuro, with Walt Disney Japan involved as a cooperation partner.
Accompanying the series, the manga also returns: In issue 46 of Weekly Young Magazine, which goes on sale on October 13, the continuation "Akato Elegy 2024" starts. Thus, the new story of the two main characters appears immediately after the start of the television series. The distribution is broadly set up: Disney+ secured the exclusive streaming rights for Japan and Asia and will make each episode available after the respective TV broadcast. Additionally, catch-up offers via TVer, the platform Net mo TV Tokyo, and Lemino are planned.
To mark the start, Kira Takashi also released an illustration drawn specifically for the dramatization, showing Satoshi and Chiiko in their work uniforms as traffic flagmen. The author thanked the team for the respectful handling of the source material: The plot of 15 volumes was skillfully condensed into the series format and updated for the present; during a visit to the set, Kurosaki and Narumi were for him "really Satoshi and Chiiko." Kurosaki, who describes the original as one of his favorite works, emphasizes that the filming in Osaka brings him great joy. Narumi hopes that the story of two people who rub against each other and grow together touches people today. Chief producer Nihei sees in the clumsy couple an encouraging counter-figure in a time strongly shaped by comparisons of success – the two, who wish each other happiness, rather evoked admiration in him.
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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