Season 1 • Episode 156
LatestSuzume is a girl born to a family running a small restaurant in Gifu Prefecture. She loses her hearing in one ear from a disease. Encouraged by her loving parents and childhood friend, she lives through an eventful life with a tenacious spirit.
Acting
Mei Nagano ages 15 years on screen with zero uncanny valley.
Production
Asadora magic: 156 mini-movies, each with period-perfect Gifu detail.
Writing
Disability portrayed as texture, not tragedy — radical for 2018 NHK.
Mei Nagano
Suzume Nireno
Takeru Satoh
Ritsu Hagio
Yasuko Matsuyuki
Haru Nireno
Kenichi Takitoh
Utaro Nireno
Kaisei Kamimura
Sota Nireno
Masatoshi Nakamura
Senkichi Nireno
Jun Fubuki
Renko Nireno
Shosuke Tanihara
Yaichi Hagio
Tomoyo Harada
Wako Hagio
Rokkaku Seiji
Mitsuru Saionji
Yuriko Hirooka
Tomiko Saionji
Yuma Yamoto
Ryunosuke Saionji
Wataru Takagi
Goro Kidahara
Nao
Kidahara Nao
Nobue Iketani
Sachiko Kidahara
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Asadora are NHK's morning dramas, traditionally starring 'ideal' heroines; Suzume's partial deafness marked rare disability representation in the format.
Mei Nagano was 17 when cast; the 156-episode shoot lasted 8 months with her aging from high school to middle age through makeup and demeanor shifts.
JP
