Netflix Japan Reveals 2026 Slate With Four New Titles
The slate's mix of film, anime, webtoon adaptation, and unscripted TV signals Netflix Japan's strategy to diversify beyond anime into broader live-action and reality formats, capitalizing on a 2025 breakout year for Japanese content.
Reporting from 1 sources: Deadline Anime.
Netflix Japan announced four new titles as part of its 2026 slate on January 27. The lineup includes a live-action film adaptation of Toriko Yoshikawa's novel 'One Year to Live, Buy a Man,' directed by Hiroki Kazama and starring Ko Shibasaki and Eiji Akaso. The anime 'Sparks of Tomorrow,' produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Minoru Ota, is set for a July release. A live-action adaptation of the webtoon 'Viral Hit' will premiere on May 28, directed by Hideki Takeuchi. The unscripted auction format 'Doors Closed, Bids Open,' hosted by Matsuko Deluxe, was also announced. The streamer noted that Japanese content viewing hours hit a record in the second half of 2025, with one in two Netflix members globally watching anime.
Netflix Japan's 2026 slate, unveiled at a showcase on January 27, includes four new titles spanning film, anime, live-action series, and unscripted television. The film 'One Year to Live, Buy a Man' adapts Toriko Yoshikawa's 2021 novel about a single woman diagnosed with cancer who buys a nightclub host for 720,000 yen. Hiroki Kazama directs, with Yoshikazu Okada writing the screenplay. The anime 'Sparks of Tomorrow' is Kyoto Animation's first project announced for 2026, set in an alternate 20th century where steam power dominates. Yuma Uchida and Sorta Amamiya voice the leads. The webtoon adaptation 'Viral Hit' follows a bullied high school student who turns fighting into a streaming business; it stars Ouji Suzuka and Ai Mikami. 'Doors Closed, Bids Open' is a forbidden auction show where bidders do not know what they are bidding on. Netflix also confirmed 26 original series, films, and anime adaptations for 2026, alongside previously announced titles like 'One Piece: Into the Grand Line' and 'Steel Ball Run Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.'
- One Year to Live, Buy a Man: Live-action film adaptation of Toriko Yoshikawa's novel, directed by Hiroki Kazama, starring Ko Shibasaki and Eiji Akaso
- Sparks of Tomorrow: Anime from Kyoto Animation, directed by Minoru Ota, set in an alternate steam-powered 20th century, July 2026 release
- Viral Hit: Live-action webtoon adaptation, directed by Hideki Takeuchi, premieres May 28, 2026
- Doors Closed, Bids Open: Unscripted auction format hosted by Matsuko Deluxe, produced by Imagine, Inc.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.