Four New Japan Titles Announced for 2026: 'Viral Hit', 'One Year to Live, Buy a Man', 'Doors Closed, Bids Open', 'Sparks of Tomorrow'

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.

Viral Hit

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 Man

On 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 Tomorrow

On 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, they set about exploring the secrets of the 20th Century Electrical Catalog, a glimpse into the future they long for.

Together, they must confront their pasts and carve a path toward the future they once believed in.

Based on: "20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku" by Hiro Yuki (published by KA Esuma Bunko / Kyoto Animation)

Director: Minoru Ota

Series Composition: Tatsuhiko Urahata

Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Kohei Okamura

World Building: Takaaki Suzuki

Music: Hitomi Koto

Animation Production: Kyoto Animation

Cast: Yuma Uchida (Kihachi Sakamoto), Sora Amamiya (Inako Momokawa)