Keigo Higashino novel ‘Utsuro na Juujika’ adapted into drama starring Shingo Katori

The acclaimed mystery novel ‘Utsuro na Juujika’ (Hollow Cross) by Keigo Higashino is being adapted into a four-part drama series starring Shingo Katori and Eiji Akaso. The production explores heavy themes of the death penalty, atonement, and the complexities of human nature following two murder cases separated by eleven years.

Director Takahisa Zeze and screenwriter Noriaki Sugihara discussed the production process, noting that WOWOW’s creative freedom allowed them to tackle sensitive social issues that might be restricted on terrestrial television. The series aims to present the legal and judicial systems through a human lens, focusing on characters who are not portrayed as monsters but as ordinary people caught in tragic circumstances.

Shingo Katori portrays Michimasa Nakahara, a man running a pet funeral service who investigates the truth behind his ex-wife’s murder. Eiji Akaso plays Fumiya Nishina, a pediatrician who becomes a target of social scrutiny after his father-in-law commits a murder. The series is scheduled to begin broadcasting on September 6.