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| NTV Drops Summer Sleeper Hit? Dorama 'Renai Kinshi' Serves Suspense, Secrets & Sato Taiki (NTV) |
NTV's got something brewing for the midnight crowd again—this time it’s called Renai Kinshi (恋愛禁止), and from the looks of it, we’re diving headfirst into a mess of obsessive love, suspicious disappearances, and that classic “Did I just commit murder?” energy.
Set to premiere 3 July 2025 in their Thursday 11:59 PM slot, the 10-episode series stars Ihara Rikka (you’ve definitely seen her in Meiji Tokyo Renka or last year’s reboot of Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t), who’s front and centre this time as Kimura Miho—a woman trying to start fresh in Tokyo after a breakup that was anything but clean.
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But of course, clean breaks are for people not starring in late-night psychological thrillers. Her ex turns up again, Miho ends up (maybe accidentally, maybe not) killing him, and… plot twist: the body vanishes, crime scene and all. No body, no blood, no trace. But someone out there knows what happened—and they’re watching.
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Joining Ihara Rikka are two lads who know how to work a camera and a moody stare: Sato Taiki (from the global boy group JO1, and actually not bad at acting—credit where it’s due) and Watanabe Keisuke (from Kamen Rider Zi-O and that string of dramas where he’s always playing the reliable but emotionally confusing second lead).
Sato Taiki plays Tsusaka Shinya, the guy who’s not looking for love but ends up Miho’s unexpected ally, while Watanabe is Goda Hajime—sweet at first, until he turns clingy, then shady. We’re expecting a love triangle, but the sort where someone might not make it to episode 10.
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Renai Kinshi is based on a popular suspense novel series by director Nagae Toshikazu, who’s also pulling triple duty here directing the drama himself. So if things feel tightly plotted and a bit novelistic, now you know why. There’s already talk among J-netizens that the series might spiral into a horror twist—not confirmed, but the promo visuals do look like they’re hiding something.
No word yet on whether it’ll hit international streaming platforms, but NTV dramas usually end up on Hulu Japan or TVer for domestic streaming.
Cast breakdown:
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Ihara Rikka as Kimura Miho – a woman fleeing the past, accidentally(?) kills her ex, then gets tangled in a psychological net of guilt, secrets, and maybe new love.
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Sato Taiki as Tsusaka Shinya – quiet, aloof, but becomes her emotional anchor. Probably hiding his own backstory.
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Watanabe Keisuke as Goda Hajime – the ex who’s not quite as ex as she hoped. Things get scary fast.
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How to watch:
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Starts 3 July 2025
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Airs Thursdays at 11:59 PM JST on NTV
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Domestic streaming: Hulu Japan, TVer (most likely)
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International: TBA. Fingers crossed for Viki or Netflix Japan with subs.
FAQ
Q: Is this a horror or a thriller?
A: NTV’s calling it a “suspense mystery,” but there are definitely horror-ish vibes.
Q: Is this the first time Ihara Rikka is leading a thriller?
A: Not quite—she’s done genre stuff before, but this is arguably her darkest lead role to date.
Q: Will there be romance?
A: Yes—but don’t expect it to be sweet. It’s called Love Prohibited for a reason.