Four Lies
This renzoku follows four women in the "around 40" generation. Shifumi is an attractive woman who stole her classmate's boyfriend in high school, and despite criticism from others, she got married and had a child. However, she soon divorced and currently keeps a younger boyfriend. Three of Shifumi's former classmates: ordinary housewife Makiko, work-focused doctor Neri, and housewife Miwa. Miwa is having an affair with Shifumi's ex-husband Keishi (the boyfriend Shifumi originally stole from her.) Eventually, the various secrets and lies kept by the four women all come to light.
Hidetomo Matsuda
Masato Hijikata
Also Directed by Hidetomo Matsuda
Based on the novel "Tsuyoki Ari" by Seicho Matsumoto In her past, Isako Sawada ran a restaurant. She then met Nobuhiro who is 31 years older than her and an executive of a corporation. They eventually married. Nobuhiro owns a large mansion and his money is managed by housekeeper Saki Tsubaki. Isako Sawada doesn't like that arrangement, but she hides her contempt because she has a plan. Her plan is to become a widow in 3 years and inherit one billion yen from her husband. Isako Sawada schemes to have Nobuhiro die in an apparent natural manner and she is having a relationship with another man.
Ring: The Final Chapter is a television series, produced in Japan, based on the Ring movie series. There are a total of 12 episodes in the series and a sequel was made called Rasen, consisting of 13 episodes.
Japanese-American track star Mizuki Ashiya transfers from a school in California to Japan, but not to just any old school. The school is Osaka High School - an all male high school! Mizuki Ashiya must disguise herself as a boy, all to get closer to her hero Izumi Sano, a high jump athlete who attends Osaka High. Now with short hair, flattened chest and deeper voice, Mizuki becomes roommates with Izumi Sano, but trouble soon starts to brew. Izumi Sano discovers by accident that Mizuki is a girl and falls in love with her, but Mizuki is unaware of the fact. Complicating things, fellow classmate Shuichi Nakatsu starts to develop feelings for Mizuki, unaware that she is a girl!
Nobuko Sawaguchi is a surly, unattractive housekeeper in her mid-thirties. However, in actuality, she is a beautiful woman, but she hides this fact using her makeup because of a traumatic past experience. One day Nobuko is sent to housekeep for the Uehara family, known for its tremendous wealth. In the Uehara family, there is a massive quarrel over each member’s future succession and inheritance. In the middle of this hectic situation, Nobuko is asked by the daughter called Akemi to protect her.
Motoharu Akiyama is an elite pilot who has just completed astronaut training at NASA. Something happened in his past that caused him to go out searching for the meaning and purpose of life. However, he hasn't been able to find a satisfactory reply and the void in his heart has only expanded. But Akiyama has a meeting that changes his life. He meets Reiko Nishina, a director at an investment bank, who is looking at investing in an attempt at the first Japanese space shuttle launch. Although the meeting was pure chance, it affects Reiko greatly. She realizes that although it looks like she has everything, there is something she wants that she doesn't have. And this meeting has an effect on those around them also...
Journalist Maebata Shigeko, young Tsukada Shinichi and elderly Arima Yoshio all suffer from and become involved in a serial kidnap and murder case. Shinichi first discovers a cut arm and handbag from the murder case. Elderly Yoshio's granddaughter is a murder victim. Based on the novel "Mohouhan" by Miyuki Miyabe.
Hosted by veteran comedian Tamori, "Bizarre Tales 2002 Spring Special" presents five tales. 1. Mushi Game (Ignore the Game) - starring Uchiyama Rina 2. Okashina Machi (Funny Town) - starring Yanagiba Toshiro 3. Tokage no Shippo (Lizard's Tail) - starring Kashiwabara Takashi 4. Yogisha no Otoko (Man's Night Train) - starring Osugi Ren 5. Manhole - starring Kagawa Teruyuki
Nobuko is a plain, unattractive woman with disheveled hair, and is hired as a housekeeper in the Inamura residence in Tokyo. The Inamuras are a family of six. The father, Tatsuya, is the head of a university hospital's department of internal medicine. He lives with his wife Haruko, their three sons, and Tatsuya's mother, Shigeko. Although the Inamuras appear to be a happy family, Nobuko soon uncovers the truth.
Takanashi Shoko is a former lawyer. She was disbarred from the law profession due to an incident. Later, she persuades a university professor, who is accredited as a lawyer, to open a law firm. Takanashi Shoko hires a lawyer and assistants to work at the law firm. The team goes after legal victory. They go up against a large firm in a civil suit. While working on the suit, the team experiences difficult situations.
In a modern society in which violent crimes are on the rise, there is a team that tries to resolve cases without bloodshed. It is the metropolitan police's special team, known by the abbreviation SIT (Special Investigation Team). The SIT doesn't get into action after a case but heads to the site just as a crime is being committed. They are on the front-line of risky missions, facing off against criminals; tenaciously conducting negotiations with criminals. As a result of the rigid police hierarchy that can curb the conduct of negotiators, the SIT is also a male-dominated society controlled with strict discipline. There is one female negotiator, Usagi Reiko, who bravely fights at the frontline. She is isolated in the male world of the SIT but courageously fights against crime as well as her organisation.
Also Directed by Masato Hijikata
A writer (Hidetoshi Nishijima) who has an artistic crisis purchases a stack of diaries written by a teenage girl (Yû Aoi) who is fatally ill. Living in different time lines both are able to communicate via writing diaries…
An incident in the past causes Ogata Kouhei (Tanabe Seiichi) to resign his position and leave the country in shame. Now, at the hotel's 30th anniversary, the hotel is facing a crisis; the president has just been submitted to the hospital, and the hotel is facing a potential takeover. Under his request, assistant manager Odagiri Kyoko (Ueto Aya) goes to Korea in order to convince Kouhei to return. Kyoko is caught up in an incident when her purse is stolen when she meets Mizusawa Keigo (Oikawa Mitsuhiro), who tries to help her. Ultimately, Kyoko comes back to Japan unsuccessful. However, under the advice from Korean hotel manager Shin Dong Hyuk (Bae Yong Jun), Kouhei returns to Tokyo Ocean Hotel as the position of the new general manager. Upon his return however, Kyoko once again meets Mizusawa Keigo. Little does Kyoko know, not only does Keigo want to take over the Tokyo Ocean Hotel, but he also carries affections for her.
Kageyama (Sho Sakurai) works as the butler for rich heiress Reiko Hosho (Keiko Kitagawa). Reiko happens to be a novice detective but lacks certain deductive skills needed by detectives. Because of this Reiko relies on Kageyamaa to help her solve cases. Meanwhile, Kageyama isn't afraid to mince words and often calls out Reiko with his sharp tongue!
Kie Hirano (Haruka Ayase) is an ordinary OL who often daydreams. Mitsumasa Kodai (Takumi Saito) at the same company as Kie Hirano, but he is an elite salaryman. He is the eldest son in the Kodai family and he is also telepathic. Mitsumasa Kodai got his special ability to read other people's mind from his British grandmother. Mitsumasa becomes attracted to Kie's warm heart and her dreamy temperament. They begin to date and enjoy their days together, but Mitsumasa Kodai's mother calls.
A collection of five short stories by Hoshi Shinichi
***Fushiawase wo Anata ni (We Bring You Misfortune) A woman sees a company called "Fushiawase wo Anata ni" (we bring you misfortune) promoting a new sales concept: giving its clients misfortune to motivate them to seek greater happiness. ***Kuuhaku no Hito (Blank Person) A woman wakes up in her bed every morning not remembering the events of the past night, and finding that someone has moved around the things in her room. ***Jigoku wa Manin (Hell Is Full) As there is no more room in hell, the evil/sinful find they cannot die. ***Kako kara no Nikki (Diary from the Past) A struggling author chances upon a diary which changes his life. ***Aketekure (Open Up!) A woman's husband dies in a car accident, but that same evening he is heard pounding on the door for someone to let him in.
Forced out of his research group after conflicts with his colleagues, Ogawa Takanobu takes up an offer to teach at a girls' high school in Nara. When taking roll call on the first day one of his students, Hotta Ito, sneaks into class late, claiming a bogus excuse--that she got a ticket after trying to park her deer in front of the train station.
Two women are bound by their mutual passion for writing. Tono Risa is already a successful writer. Her books are all best sellers and have been made into movies, putting increasing pressure on Risa to keep churning out masterpieces. The professional pressures and her personal responsibilities begin to make Risa feel overwhelmed and dejected. Yuki is a young woman who moves to Tokyo with the dream of becoming a published writer someday. When she is about to give up on that dream, Yuki is offered a job to work as Risa’s assistant by her editor. The two women start off a little stilted but eventually form a friendship and a productive working relationship. As Yuki’s role gradually increases from being an assistant to a ghostwriter for Risa, will Risa feel threatened by Yuki’s ambition?