The Days (Japanese TV series)

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The Days
The Days (Japanese TV series).jpg
Promotional poster
Genre Biograhical Drama
Based onOn the Brink: The Inside Story of Fukushima Daiichi
by Ryusho Kadota
Directed byMasaki Nishiura & Hideo Nakata
Starring Koji Yakusho
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producersHiroyuki Ikeda
Shinichi Takahashi
Producers
  • Jun Masumoto
  • Daisuke Sekiguchi
  • Tomoki Masuko
  • Ryohei Takada
Running time60 minutes
Production companies Warner Bros. Japan
Lyonesse Pictures
Original release
Network Netflix

The Days is a Japanese biographical drama series on Netflix with all 8 episodes released on June 1, 2023. [1]

Contents

Premise

The series follows Japanese government officials, Tokyo Electric Power Company employees and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant employees in Okuma, Japan in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The massive waves and structural damage cause damage to the Nuclear Power Plant leading to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The series explores the series of events in the immediate aftermath, where some consider the people involved to be heroes who prevented a much larger nuclear disaster, while others blame them for not preventing the disaster that occurred.

Cast

Episodes

Season 1

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [2]
1"The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is Submerged"Hideo NakataRyūshō KadotaJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
2"No Need to Evacuate"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
3"Radioactive Emissions Will Be Minimal"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
4"It Would Mean Turning Our Backs on Fukushima"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
5"Our Company Has Lost Its Mind"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
6"I Can No Longer Leave Here Alive"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
7"Decide the Conditions for Evacuation"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
8"A Scenario of Japan's Collapse"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)

Production

In September 2022, Netflix announced its new series The Days would be developed, written, and produced by Jun Masumoto and directed by Masaki Nishiura and Hideo Nakata. [3] Masumoto cites three specific publications as primary sources for the creation of the series: The Yoshida Testimony, which is the station manager Masao Yoshida’s first-hand account of events; the official Fukushima Nuclear Accident Analysis Report; and journalist Ryūshō Kadota's bestselling book - On the Brink: The Inside Story of Fukushima Daiichi, for which he interviewed more than 90 people who responded to the accident. [4]

Filming

The series was filmed in Japan, in the region where the actual disaster took place, the Fukushima prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Honshū. Filming began in June of 2021 and was completed in October 2021. [5]

Casting

The first cast member announced was Kōji Yakusho, set to lead the series as Masao Yoshida the real life plant manager at Fukushima. [6]

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References

  1. Edwards, Chris (June 1, 2023). "How many episodes of 'The Days' are there?". NME . Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  2. "Shows A-Z – The Days on Netflix". The Futon Critic . Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  3. CE Features (September 15, 2022). "Netflix announces cast, production and release date for upcoming series The Days". Cinema Express . Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  4. Marsh, James (May 29, 2023). "Netflix drama review: The Days – Japanese series on Fukushima nuclear disaster is an enthralling account of the 2011 event, with strong hints of HBO's Chernobyl". South China Morning Post . Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  5. Shrestha, Naman (June 1, 2023). "Where is Netflix's The Days Filmed?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  6. Netflix Entertainment (September 15, 2022). "Netflix Reveals Production, Lead Actor for Netflix Series 'The Days'". Netflix News . Retrieved June 5, 2023.