Netflix has teamed up with Palme d’Or-winning Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, who is writing and directing a classic Japanese family drama series.
Titled Asura, the series will be a modern take on Ashura no Gotoku, a 1979 family drama series which in turn was based on a Mukoda Kuniko novel of the same title.
Asura will tell the story of four sisters: Ikebana teacher Tsunako (Miyazawa), housewife Makiko (Ono), librarian Takiko (Aoi) and waitress Sakiko (Hirose). Takiko’s suspicion that their father is having an affair leads to different conflicts and reveals secrets in each woman’s life. Just like the “asura,” demigods in Buddhist cosmology, the women “embody a whirlwind of emotions, clashing fiercely yet sharing moments of profound connection”.
The original 1979 series aired on public broadcaster NHK in Japan, and went on to inspire several other Japanese family drama series, and even a feature film adaptation in 2003.
Starring Rie Miyazawa, Machiko Ono, Yu Aoi, and Suzu Hirose, the show is already in advanced post production.
According to the streaming giant, Kore-eda’s approach to Asura will serve as a tribute to the screenwriter and novelist Mukoda, who was behind several scripts for popular Japanese dramas.
“With great respect for Mukoda and her influence on his career, Kore-eda infuses Asura with his unique vision, highlighting the independence and complexity of women,” Netflix said in a statement.
“What makes Kuniko Mukoda’s dramas so rich are the superficial poison exchanged in conversation and the love hidden behind those cruel words. The four actors playing the sisters understand this well, so the series was very enjoyable to shoot,” said Kore-eda.
The series has been developed and produced by Yasuo Yagi, who worked previously with Mukoda before her tragic death from a plane crash in 1981.
“Before the 40th year since her passing, I revisited her works and realised that Like Asura was central to her legacy,” said Yagi. “We focused on casting the best actors for the sisters, and with Kore-eda as director, I believe we’ve created a quintessential drama.
Oscar nominee Kore-eda won the Jury Prize for Like Father, Like Son in 2013 and the Palme d’Or at Cannes for Shoplifters in 2018, and has also written and directed the 2023 miniseries The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House for Netflix.
Asura will be released on Netflix on 9 January 2025.
