NTV is producing a drama adaptation of Shota Kikuchi's "Osen" manga series, which currently runs in Kodansha's magazine Evening.

The drama will feature rising actress Yu Aoi in the lead role. Aoi has starred in several movies and currently stars in the WOWOW series "Yu Aoi x Yottsu no Uso: Camouflage," but this will be her first lead in a television drama on a major network.

Aoi plays Sen Handa, the "okami" (proprietress) of a long-standing restaurant in one of the lower parts of Tokyo. Though she is normally airheaded and loves to drink, she has an impressive mastery of a wide range skills, from cooking to ceramics to calligraphy. While the drama follows various events surrounding the restaurant, one of the series' highlights is its illustration of Japanese food and culture.

Filming starts at the end of March. The show begins in April, airing on Tuesdays at 10:00pm.