Info in Movie News | NHK is preparing to launch its latest asadora, “Bakebake,” which will premiere on September 29, 2025, in its traditional morning slot at 8:00 a.m. JST. The 113th entry in NHK’s long-running series of morning dramas, this show blends themes of love, cultural differences, and a fascination with ghost stories, set against the backdrop of Japan’s Meiji era. Viewers can expect 125 episodes airing Monday through Saturday, continuing the legacy of asadora storytelling after the success of the current title, “Anpan.”
According to mantan-web.jp, “Bakebake” stars Akari Takaishi as the heroine Matsuno Toki, a young woman from a once-prestigious samurai family that has fallen into poverty after her father’s failed business venture. Tommy Bastow, a British actor, is next to her. Tommy plays Lefkada Haven, a foreign English teacher who goes to Matsue with a confused past. Both actors were picked out of large casting calls - Takaishi out of almost 2,900 contenders and Bastow out of more than 1,700. Such a casting choice symbolizes NHK's habit of finding fresh talent and combining them with new stories, which, in turn, impact a wide range of the country.
Takaishi is known for her roles in the action-comedy movie series “Baby Assassins” and the TBS Sunday drama “Ojo-sama Sensei.” She today becomes the first to jump into her first asadora lead role. Bastow’s face appears to be known to people from all over the world who watch the FX series “Shogun,” which is to air in 2024. He played Father Martin Alvito. His acting in “Bakebake” is for the first time in a Japanese morning drama, which shows that the project has an international flavor.
The plot is set in Matsue city, Shimane Prefecture, during the change of the Meiji era. Matsuno Toki who loves to listen to ghost stories and other strange tales is forced to take another road after the downfall of her family. She, however, assumes the role of a live-in maid for a foreign teacher who has just arrived as a way of escaping death. Because of language barriers and cultural misunderstandings, their association is first tough. With time, however, Toki and Haven come to realize they are both lonely and have an odd tie to one another. Both keep an interest in ghost stories. And this affinity lights up a nightly habit of swapping supernatural tales. In a period of the world full of crazy characters and fast modernization, by helping each other, they both succeed to survive.
The personalities and events of the drama are, to a great extent, inspired by the interaction between Koizumi Setsu, a Japanese female from Matsue, and Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo), an Irish author who made his residence in Japan and took Japanese citizenship. Hearn’s writings, with “Kaidan” being the major one, are currently regarded as the primary media of Japanese mythological depictions. Notably, NHK states that “Bakebake” is definitely not a direct adaptation but an absolute invention of the story. To create a new narrative, the authors have changed the names, events, and organizations of the original work. At the same time, the themes of cross-cultural connection and ghostly fascination continue to be the major turning points of the story.
The screenplay has been penned by Fujiki Mitsuhiko, the name behind the perceptive and character-rich narratives of “Asagaya Sisters’ Easy Living” and “Tokkyu Series” on WOWOW. Kensuke Ushio, who has worked on anime like “Dandadan” and “Chi: On the Movements of the Earth,” is the one to compose the music. Humbert Humbert, a Japanese folk duo, will be singing the opening song “Warattari Korondari.” It is anticipated that their mellow and unique acoustic will perfectly reflect the production’s the light and quirky side.
This group of actors consists of familiar faces from Japan that are well recognized and have the ability to bring more depth to the story. Toki's father is played by Takashi Okabe, Chizuru Ikewaki is the mother of Toki and Fumiyo Kohinata, the grandfather, is the veteran performer. Yoshizawa Ryo who is most known for being the cause of the "Tenyo-kun fever" outbreak in the 2019 asadora Natsuzora is going to be Nishikoori Yuichi, the powerful character that Toki's path will be affected by. Heavily starring for the first time in a morning drama, Keiko Kitagawa is Ushimizu Tae, the character who offers the girl the traditional knowledge. With this combination of new and experienced actors, NHK is emphasizing its objective of mixing the seasoned experience with the fresh energy.
The beginning of filming was in Kyoto in March 2025. The production went on in Shimane and Kumamoto after that, these locations being the same as the places where the characters’ lives had changed. NHK put out the signature asadora promotion image, which shows the main character, Akari Takaishi, with a handwritten note, a typical feature of regional connection that the morning dramas get from the area, being the closest and most recent community.
The meaning of the title “Bakebake” adds another layer of intrigue. The word can evoke “bakemono,” or spirits and apparitions, but also the idea of transformation. NHK reports that the drama depicts the “transformation” of people and society as a result of modernization, and even how the “change” of life’s hardships into something new and meaningful eventually happens. This conceptual duality is the combination of the characters’ supernatural delight and the historical transition of the Meiji era.
“Bakebake” is expected to be the next daily serial of asadora dramas, which from the very beginning have been the choice of both the audience and the critics for their entertainment value and insightful social reflections. The series promises to have appeal among domestic viewers as well as international audiences who will be able to watch it live via NHK Plus streaming. The drama is committed to giving an innovative and affecting portrayal of the search for kinship in a world always on the move by presenting one of the most unusual, yet empathetic, relationships – that between Matsuno Toki and Lefkada Haven.
The release of “Bakebake” is eagerly awaited and may become one of NHK’s titles with the most media coverage and public discussion in 2025. It will be able to extend the asadora narrative tradition with its peculiar combination of spirits and human warmth.
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