Popular playwright/director Ai Nagai will see her acclaimed work, "Konnichiwa Kaasan" ("Hello Mother"), adapted into a short drama series on NHK.

The story revolves around a man in his fifties who gets laid off and returns home for the first time in two years, only to discover his mother, now in her seventies, leading a completely different life. She has become lively, is active in the community as a volunteer, and even has a boyfriend. The play (and the drama) examines the lives of these three people as they begin a strange life together in the same house.

The series will star Haruko Kato, Mitsuru Hirata, Keiko Takeshita, and Yasunori Danta. Additional cast members include Eriko Watanabe, Ayumi Ishida, and Kiyoshi Kodama.

NHK will air the 4-episode series in its Saturday 9:00pm time slot. It begins on May 26.