Now that summer's coming to a close, it's time to look forward to the turning of the leaves. So what can you expect from the dramas this fall season? Below is a list of the major titles scheduled to broadcast: Kazuya Kamenashi and Haruka Ayase star in this story of love between two different worlds, scripted by veteran writer Eriko Kitagawa (Orange Days, Beautiful Life, Long Vacation). Nao (Ayase) is a college student and the daughter of a successful jewelry shop owner in Yokohama. Hiroto (Kamenashi) works in a boat repair shop, living with his mother and his frail younger brother after his father passed away. One day, Nao encounters Hiroto on her way to school, and he ends up telling her that he's a student at a famous university...

Other Cast: Koki Tanaka, Yuta Hiraoka, Erika Toda

This is an adaptation of the popular manga Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya. Shinichi Chiaki (Hiroshi Tamaki) is a talented music student who dreams of becoming a conductor but is set back by his own fears and personal issues. Then he meets a strange girl known as "Nodame" (Juri Ueno), who has a gift for playing the piano in cantabile style.

Other Cast: Eita, Asami Mizukawa, Keisuke Koide, Misa Uehara, Naoto Takenaka

Hidetaka Yoshioka makes a return as surgeon Kensuke Goto in this follow-up to the popular 2003 medical drama series, Dr. Coto's Clinic, which attracted an average viewer rating of 19.0%. Most of the main cast is back, along with a couple new faces.

Other Cast: Kou Shibasaki, Saburo Tokito, Nene Otsuka, Yu Aoi, Masato Sakai, Shigeru Izumiya, Toshio Kakei, Kaoru Kobayashi

This new comedy marks Takako Matsu's first appearance in a drama series in three years. She plays the role of Hitomi Toriyama, a manager at a talent agency who ends up in charge of an actor who will only perform Shakespeare.

Other Cast: Mirai Moriyama, Makoto Fujita, Rosa Kato, Umika Kawashima, Fumiki Yoshikawa, Mari Hamada, Koichiro Tomioka, Yasuyuki Maekawa, Teruyuki Kagawa

"Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" is based on a 1981 film by Shinji Somai (which has already been previously adapted into a drama in 1982). Izumi Hoshi (Masami Nagasawa) is a high school student whose father suddenly dies. As a result, she winds up next in succession as head of a yakuza group.

Other Cast: Shinichi Tsutsumi, Kyoko Koizumi, Ken Ogata, Akiyoshi Nakao, Hiromasa Taguchi, Ryuji Yamamoto, Hiroaki Fukui

SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi stars in this third "Boku Michi" drama series (the first two being Boku no Ikiru Michi and Boku to Kanojo to Kanojo no Ikiru Michi). This time, Kusanagi plays the role of Teruaki Otake, a 31-year-old man with the mental capacity of a 6-year-old because of a congenital disorder.

Other Cast: Karina, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Yuika Motokariya, Fumiyo Kohinata, Aiko Nagayama, Koji Kato, Ren Osugi

Based on a somewhat obscure manga by Tateo Aoki and Hitoshi Ariga, "Teppan Shojo" tells the story of a young girl Akane (Maki Horikita) in search of her missing father, a chef. Armed with her father's teppan (iron plate), she gets tangled up in various incidents and has to confront other chefs in cooking showdowns.

Other Cast: Takashi Tsukamoto, Nana Katase, Takanori Jinnai

This is the fifth season of the popular detective series "Aibou" (also known as "Partners"), featuring the unique crime-solving duo of Ukyo Sugishita (Yutaka Mizutani) and Kaoru Kameyama (Yasufumi Terawaki).

Other Cast: Sawa Suzuki, Saya Takagi, Ittoku Kishibe

This is another adaptation of Mayumi Kurata's manga of the same name (it was previously made into a drama on NTV in 2002). The story revolves around two women who only fall for men who are no good ("dame" in Japanese). Maria (Norika Fujiwara) is a 33-year-old OL in the secretarial office of a large company. Natsu (Yu Yamada) is a 23-year-old new to the same office.

Other Cast: Hiroyuki Miyasako, Rieko Miura, Sayaka Aoki, Seiichi Tanabe, Hitomi Shimatani, Red Yoshida, Shingo Yanagisawa, Tokuma Nishioka

Actress Mirai Shida takes on a controversial topic in this drama about teenage pregnancy. Miki Ichinose (Shida) is an average 14-year-old student at a private middle school. Her boyfriend (Haruma Miura) is a 3rd-year at a public middle school. When he finds out that he got Miki pregnant, he leaves her, and Miki is forced to deal with it on her own. But her parents, her teachers, and even her friends are against her having the child.

Other Cast: Misako Tanaka, Katsuhisa Namase, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Kazuki Kitamura, Shigeru Muroi

This drama adaptation of Muneki Yamada's novel follows on the heels of the film adaptation released earlier this year. The story follows the life of Matsuko Kawajiri (Rina Uchiyama), once a popular teacher. But after an incident that costs Matsuko her job and her reputation, she finds herself lost in life. Desperately searching for love, she begins a descent into darkness as she falls victim to poor relationships, physical abuse, and crime.

Other Cast: Jun Kaname, Eiko Koike, Masato Hagiwara, Shosuke Tanihara, Kazuki Kitamura, Emi Suzuki

In this home drama, Yutaka Takenouchi and Tetsuya Watari each play a man trying to build an ideal family life. Takenouchi's character decides to change jobs so that he can spend more time with his wife and son, but after submitting his resignation, he returns home to find that his wife has run away. Meanwhile, Watari plays a man who has lived only for his work, but upon passing the retirement age, he decides to finally strive for a peaceful life of happiness with his wife. Unfortunately, he finds himself living alone after she soon passes away from illness.
This is a comedy about love and friendship based on the manga of the same name by Yumiko Suzuki. Riri (Becky) is a young girl who seems to misunderstand everything! Her delusions lead her to believe that she is more beautiful than her best friend Anna, and that guys are always after her instead of Anna. She even starts believing that Anna's boyfriend is in love with her!
"Tamamoe!" is adapted from Natsuo Kirino's novel about a woman trying to restart her life. Toshiko (Atsuko Takahata) is a housewife in her fifties whose husband suddenly dies. She soon discovers that he's had a mistress for ten years. Meanwhile, the children are fighting over the inheritance. Reassessing her life, she decides to flee her home to try starting a new life.

Other Cast: Keiko Takahashi, Taro Yamamoto, Miki Sakai, Takashi Ukaji

The 75th NHK Asadora is a home drama revolving around the life of Machiko Hanaoka (Naomi Fujiyama), who marries a divorced doctor (Jun Kunimura) and moves in with him and his five children. Although she works in a hardware store, she practices her writing because she dreams of becoming a novelist. But at the same time, she has to deal with the problems that accompany a large family.

Other Cast: Tomoko Tabata, Ayumi Ishida, Shigeru Joshima

This is a family comedy about six sisters who are all unmarried, with ages ranging from 17 to 39. The second eldest, Futaba (Emi Hashino), has been taking care of the household since their mother passed away. But trouble begins when the fourth sister reveals that she's getting married...

Other Cast: Minako Tanaka, Sou Hirosawa, Ryoko Yui, Maya Hamaoka, Saki Kagami, Shinya Owada

The story takes place in the summer of 1947, not long after the end of World War II. A young woman (Miki Sakai) is working as a teacher offering open-air classes. At the same time, she is trying to pay off her family's debt by working as a prostitute in the red-light district. One fateful day, she meets a man (Makiya Yamaguchi) she falls in love with...

Other Cast: Rena Komine, Shigemitsu Ogi

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In addition to the renzoku (series) drama, there are several tanpatsu (one-shot) specials to look out for. Here are a few of the confirmed ones so far: In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Detective Conan anime (also known as "Case Closed"), this special drama is a new story about Shinichi Kudo that takes place before he transforms into Conan. Kudo (Shun Oguri) receives a challenge in the form of a note that says one of his classmates will be kidnapped during the school trip. Tomoka Kurokawa plays the role of Kudo's friend, Ran Mori.

Other Cast: Takanori Jinnai, Mayuko Iwasa, Masahiko Nishimura, Masato Ibu, Asami Mizukawa, Ryo Fukawa, Yutaka Matsushige, Kazuhiko Nishimura

Aya Matsuura stars in this human drama as a girl with a heart disease whose parents (Shin Takuma, Keiko Takahashi) try to find a way to save her life. The special is based on a true story, and it was commissioned in honor of CBC's 50-year anniversary.

Other Cast: Shunta Nakamura

This is a special for the popular police drama Unfair that aired earlier this year. As the title suggests, this special will feature a dose of cryptography.

Cast: Ryoko Shinohara, Eita, Sadao Abe, Mari Hamada, Kotaro Shiga, Masaya Kato, Susumu Terajima, Teruyuki Kagawa

The latest spin-off of the Bayside Shakedown ("Odoru Daisosasen") franchise focuses on the lawyer, Hideki Haijima (Norito Yashima). This will be Yashima's first leading role in a drama.

Other Cast: Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Hironobu Nomura, Hidekazu Nagai, Yuriko Ishida, Miki Maya, Shiro Ito

Based on the bestselling novel by author Lily Franky, "Tokyo Tower" is a tearjerking story about family. The story revolves around Masaya (Yo Oizumi) and his connection with his mother (Yuko Tanaka), who eventually becomes ill with cancer.

Other Cast: Ryoko Hirosue, Nene Otsuka, Keizo Kanie, Haruko Kato, Kirin Kiki, Kaoru Kobayashi, Naoto Takenaka, Ryuta Sato, Yoshinori Okada, Muga Tsukaji, Ryunosuke Kamiki