Gift (2026 TV series)
| Gift | |
|---|---|
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| GIFT (ギフト) | |
| Genre | Sports drama |
| Created by | Shunichi Hirano |
| Written by | Tomoki Kanazawa |
| Directed by | Shunichi Hirano Naoki Kato Hiroaki Ito |
| Starring | Shinichi Tsutsumi Yuki Yamada Kasumi Arimura |
| Music by | Yuki Hayashi |
| Ending theme | "Stardust" by Official Hige Dandism |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Masako Miyazaki Yuki Uchikawa |
| Running time | 54 minutes |
| Production company | TBS Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | TBS |
| Release | April 12 – June 14, 2026 |
| Related | |
| SHIFT: Those Who Collide and Move Forward | |
GIFT (Japanese: ギフト) is a 2026 Japanese sports drama television series broadcast in the Sunday Theatre programming block on TBS from 12 April to 14 June 2026. The series stars Shinichi Tsutsumi as an eccentric astrophysicist who becomes involved with an underperforming wheelchair rugby team.[1]
Created and conceived by director Shunichi Hirano and written by Tomoki Kanazawa, the original story uses wheelchair rugby as its central subject.[2] The Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation cooperated in the production and provided technical supervision.
Premise
Fumito Gotetsu is a brilliant but socially abrasive associate professor of astrophysics who finds intellectual pleasure in solving difficult problems. Hitoka Kiriyama, an editor for the lifestyle magazine Yurugi, is assigned to report on wheelchair rugby and becomes acquainted with both an elite team and the struggling Blaze Bulls.
Gotetsu visits the Blaze Bulls, whose head coach is his cousin Masami Hino. After analysing the team's performance, he concludes that its greatest weakness is the absence of an overwhelming ace. His blunt assessment provokes player Ryo Miyashita, who challenges him. Gotetsu subsequently becomes an adviser to the team and applies his analytical methods to its sporting and personal problems. Through his relationships with the players and Kiriyama, he gradually confronts emotions and forms of attachment that cannot be reduced to equations.
Cast and characters
Main characters
- Fumito Gotetsu (伍鉄文人, Gotetsu Fumito)
- Portrayed by Shinichi Tsutsumi. An associate professor at Tokei University who studies black holes. Brilliant, eccentric and tactless, he becomes an adviser to the Blaze Bulls. His floral shirts are a recurring visual characteristic.[1]
- Ryo Miyashita (宮下涼, Miyashita Ryō)
- Portrayed by Yuki Yamada. A 36-year-old Blaze Bulls player and municipal welfare-department employee. He was captain of his high-school football team before a traffic accident left him a wheelchair user.[3]
- Hitoka Kiriyama (霧山人香, Kiriyama Hitoka)
- Portrayed by Kasumi Arimura. An editor at Gem & Roots Publishing. She first meets the Blaze Bulls while reporting a magazine series about para-athletes and their support networks, and later joins the team as a support staff member.[3]
Blaze Bulls
- Masami Hino (日野雅美, Hino Masami)
- Portrayed by Michiko Kichise. The team's head coach, a physical therapist and Gotetsu's cousin.[4]
- Natsuhiko Tachikawa (立川夏彦, Tachikawa Natsuhiko)
- Portrayed by Yoshihiko Hosoda. The mild-mannered captain of the Blaze Bulls and an emotional anchor for the team. He became a wheelchair user after developing Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease.
- Keijiro Asaya (朝谷圭二郎, Asaya Keijirō)
- Portrayed by Kyoya Honda. A rebellious young man who joins the Blaze Bulls after facing Miyashita in wheelchair rugby. He was paralysed in a motorcycle accident.[5]
- Catherine Akiko Kimishima (君島キャサリン秋子, Kimishima Kyasarin Akiko)
- Portrayed by Wan Marui. A returnee to Japan and a low-point player.
- Takuya Bando (坂東拓也, Bandō Takuya)
- Portrayed by Keitatsu Koshiyama. The youngest member of the team and a former snowboarder who was paralysed in a training accident.
Shark Head
- Akiyasu Kunimi (国見明保, Kunimi Akiyasu)
- Portrayed by Ken Yasuda. A former player who serves as head coach of Shark Head, the dominant rival team.[4]
- Soichi Taniguchi (谷口聡一, Taniguchi Sōichi)
- Portrayed by Kanata Hosoda. A Shark Head player and member of the Japanese national team.[6]
- Oliver Bradley
- Portrayed by Kazuki Sawai. A Canadian high-point player who briefly helps the Blaze Bulls while away from Shark Head.
Other recurring characters
- Sora Sakamoto (坂本昊, Sakamoto Sora)
- Portrayed by Yuta Tamamori. A former manager of the composer Tenjin who later becomes a supporter of the Blaze Bulls.[7] He is eventually revealed to be Fumito Gotetsu's son.
- Hiroe Sakamoto (坂本広江, Sakamoto Hiroe)
- Portrayed by Tomoko Yamaguchi. An artist, Sora's mother and Gotetsu's former lover.[7]
- Sakura Munakata (宗像桜, Munakata Sakura)
- Portrayed by Yu Miyazaki. A postdoctoral researcher in astrophysics at Tokei University.[6]
- Seiko Nishijin (西陣誠子, Nishijin Seiko)
- Portrayed by Sei Matobu. Kiriyama's supervisor at Gem & Roots Publishing.
- Kiyoshi Takamizu (高水潔, Takamizu Kiyoshi)
- Portrayed by Hiromasa Taguchi. A highly skilled but stubborn wheelchair technician.
- Kimiyo Miyashita (宮下君代, Miyashita Kimiyo)
- Portrayed by Yumi Asō. Ryo's mother.
- Tatsuya Miyashita (宮下達也, Miyashita Tatsuya)
- Portrayed by Daikichi Sugawara. Ryo's father.
Production
The series was conceived, planned and principally directed by Shunichi Hirano. Tomoki Kanazawa wrote the screenplay, with additional direction by Naoki Kato and Hiroaki Ito.[8] Yuki Hayashi composed the score. Masako Miyazaki and Yuki Uchikawa served as producers, with Minami Nakazawa as cooperating producer.
The Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation supervised and cooperated with the production. Wheelchair rugby players and federation personnel also appeared in competition and training scenes.
The theme song is "Stardust" by Official Hige Dandism, released through Irori Records and Pony Canyon.[9] The insert song is "Ichirin" by Little Glee Monster.[10]
Episodes
| No. | English translation of title | Directed by | Original air date | Household rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "What Is With This Guy?! A Crazy Scientist Appears!" | Shunichi Hirano | 12 April 2026 | 9.4% |
| 2 | "He's Actually Serious: The Genius Scientist Shows What He Can Do!" | 19 April 2026 | 8.7% | |
| 3 | "Why Do I Play Wheelchair Rugby?" | 26 April 2026 | 8.5% | |
| 4 | "The Stars Align! A Genius's Theory of Victory" | Naoki Kato | 3 May 2026 | 6.8% |
| 5 | "When Two Stars Align, Will the Sound of Victory Ring Out?" | 10 May 2026 | 6.9% | |
| 6 | "A Turbulent Training Camp After the Genius Discovers He Has a Son" | Shunichi Hirano | 17 May 2026 | 7.3% |
| 7 | "Fate Strikes the Team: A Father and Son's Tearful Melody" | Hiroaki Ito | 24 May 2026 | 7.5% |
| 8 | "On the Eve of Battle: A Fiery Vow Beneath the Stars" | Naoki Kato | 31 May 2026 | 6.0% |
| 9 | "Dazzling Stardust" | Shunichi Hirano | 7 June 2026 | 7.2% |
| 10 | "The Final! A Gift Reached Beyond Love and Miracles" | 14 June 2026 | 7.6% |
The premiere was extended by 25 minutes and aired from 9:00 to 10:19 p.m. The second episode was extended by 15 minutes and aired until 10:09 p.m.
The series recorded an average real-time household audience rating of 7.6% in the Kanto region, according to Video Research. Japanese media reported that it was the first drama in the Sunday Theatre block for which every episode remained below a 10% household rating.[11]
Spin-off
A four-episode side story, SHIFT: Those Who Collide and Move Forward (Japanese: SHIFT―ぶつかり、進む者たち―), was released on U-Next after selected broadcasts of the main series. It stars Kyoya Honda as Keijiro Asaya and follows events connected to the Blaze Bulls.[12]
Other cast members include Kazuto Mokudai as Hayato Okihira and Kasumi Mori as Mio Aoki, with Tsutsumi, Arimura, Yamada and other actors from the main series reprising their roles. Kota Sawada wrote the spin-off, which was directed by Naoki Kato and Hiroaki Ito.
| No. | Release date | English translation of title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 April 2026 | "Reunion" | Naoki Kato |
| 2 | 26 April 2026 | "Rekindling" | Hiroaki Ito |
| 3 | 31 May 2026 | "Rebirth" | Hiroaki Ito |
| 4 | 14 June 2026 | "Regeneration" | Naoki Kato |
Home media
A Blu-ray and DVD box set is scheduled for release in Japan on 13 January 2027.[13]
References
- 1 2 TBS日曜劇場4月期タイトルは『GIFT』、堤真一が27年ぶりに主演 “天才”宇宙物理学者が「車いすラグビー」と出会う物語【コメントあり】 [TBS announces April Sunday Theatre drama GIFT, starring Shinichi Tsutsumi]. Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon ME. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ↑ 日曜劇場『ＧＩＦＴ』堤真一＆山田裕貴＆有村架純が対談！ 「車いすラグビー」の魅力とドラマへの熱い想いを語る [The cast of Sunday Theatre's GIFT discuss wheelchair rugby and the drama]. Crank-in! (in Japanese). Lawson Entertainment. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
- 1 2 山田裕貴、車いすラグビー選手役を体当たり熱演 有村架純とともに初の日曜劇場出演 [Yuki Yamada plays a wheelchair rugby athlete in his first Sunday Theatre appearance]. Oricon News (in Japanese). 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- 1 2 4月期日曜劇場『GIFT』安田顕&吉瀬美智子がヘッドコーチ役 [Ken Yasuda and Michiko Kichise join GIFT as head coaches]. Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ 本田響矢、『GIFT』で日曜劇場初出演 細田善彦、円井わんら“ブレイズブルズ”キャストも [Kyoya Honda and other Blaze Bulls cast members join GIFT]. Real Sound (in Japanese). 26 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- 1 2 細田佳央太＆宮崎優＆麻生祐未ら堤真一主演「ＧＩＦＴ」に出演 [Kanata Hosoda, Yu Miyazaki, Yumi Aso and others join GIFT]. Cinema Cafe (in Japanese). 4 March 2026. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- 1 2 山口智子＆キスマイ玉森裕太、親子役で初共演 新日曜劇場「Gift」出演決定 [Tomoko Yamaguchi and Yuta Tamamori cast as mother and son in GIFT]. Modelpress (in Japanese). Net Native. 30 March 2026. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
- ↑ 堤真一が約27年ぶり日曜劇場主演『GIFT』で車いすラグビーのコーチになる宇宙物理学者に [Shinichi Tsutsumi stars in Sunday Theatre for the first time in approximately 27 years]. TV Life (in Japanese). One Publishing. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ↑ Official髭男dism、新曲「スターダスト」が堤真一主演『ＧＩＦＴ』主題歌に [Official Hige Dandism's "Stardust" selected as the theme song for GIFT]. Barks (in Japanese). 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ Little Glee Monster、新曲「一輪」が堤真一主演日曜劇場『GIFT』挿入歌に [Little Glee Monster's "Ichirin" selected as an insert song for GIFT]. Real Sound (in Japanese). Blueprint. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ 堤真一主演のTBS日曜劇場「GIFT」最終回7・6％ 全話通じて世帯視聴率２ケタ届かず [Final episode of TBS Sunday Theatre drama GIFT records 7.6%; no episode reaches double digits]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ 本田響矢、日曜劇場サイドストーリーで主演 『SHIFT』新キャストも解禁 [Kyoya Honda stars in Sunday Theatre side story SHIFT]. Oricon News (in Japanese). 10 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ ドラマ『GIFT』Blu-ray&DVD BOXが2027年1月13日発売 [GIFT Blu-ray and DVD box set to be released on 13 January 2027]. Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). 14 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.