Kuroki's First Solo Lead Drama in Over a Decade
Meisa Kuroki, best known internationally for the live-action Space Battleship Yamato (2010), steps back into a solo lead drama role for the first time in 11 years. She plays Yagami Eiko, a detective in the organized crime division at Tokyo's Ueno Central Police Station who secretly works with the criminals she's supposed to be policing.
The full trailer released by Japanese film news site Eiga Natalie shows Eiko being warned by her superiors: "Revenge is meaningless. If you're trying to uncover the truth behind your husband's death, stop now." She ignores them. The drama's tagline sums up the spiral: "The deeper she chases evil, the more it stains her."
Yagami Eiko is adapted from Akio Fukamachi's Soshiki Hanzai Taisakuka Yagami Eiko novel series, published by Gentosha Bunko. The novels follow Eiko as she investigates the mysterious death of her freelance journalist husband, Masaya, by infiltrating the criminal underworld of Ueno. She cuts deals with yakuza bosses and Chinese mafia leaders, running an off-the-books investigation that puts her on the wrong side of every line the badge is supposed to protect.
A Stacked Cast Across Three Factions
The key visual and newly released character relationship chart lay out the power dynamics at the center of the series. Multiple factions collide: the police, the Chinami-gumi yakuza clan, a semi-organized gang called the Tokyo Alliance, and a Chinese mafia operation in Ueno.
Katsuya Maiguma plays Eiko's late husband Masaya. Kengo Kora, who starred in Norwegian Wood (2010), plays Gojo Takafumi, a detective from Shinjuku South's organized crime division. Hiroyuki Ikeuchi plays Eiko's direct superior, Kawakami Shuhei.
On the criminal side, veteran actor Eiji Okuda takes the role of Chinami-gumi boss Arishima Shogo, with Naohito Fujiki as his second-in-command, Kai Michiaki. Ryo plays Chinese mafia boss Liu Yinli, and Ken Kojima of idol group Ae! group plays Guraniso, a Filipino hitman. Luna Fujimoto plays Rika, a Chinese mafia fighter. Sota Uchimura plays Izawa Satoru, Eiko's junior partner in the organized crime division.
Behind the Camera
The series is directed by Ryuichi Hiroki, whose credits include Kabukicho Love Hotel (2014 Toronto International Film Festival selection), alongside co-directors Kohei Kinomoto and Yuki Saito. Ureha Shimada wrote the screenplay. The score comes from Wild Law Orchestra, a group featuring Nobuaki Kaneko.
Looking Ahead
Yagami Eiko premieres July 24, 2026 exclusively on Hulu Japan. The five-episode run starts with a two-episode drop on premiere day, with new episodes following every Friday. No international streaming partner has been announced. Hulu Japan is a separate service from Hulu in the United States (which merged with Disney+ in 2024), so availability outside Japan is not guaranteed without a dedicated licensing deal.
Fukamachi's source novels have been in print since 2011 with five volumes published through Gentosha Bunko. No official English translation of the novels has been announced.