The Hot Spot (TV series)
| The Hot Spot | |
|---|---|
| Hotto Supotto (ホットスポット) | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Written by | Bakarhythm |
| Directed by | Itaru Mizuno Nobuyoshi Yamada Kento Matsuda |
| Starring | Mikako Ichikawa Akihiro Kakuta Anne Suzuki Kami Hiraiwa Kaho Fumiyo Kohinata |
| Music by | Fox Capture Plan |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Tadahisa Dosaka |
| Producers | Reina Oda Yusuke Odai Kenta Noda |
| Running time | 55 minutes |
| Production company | NTV |
| Original release | |
| Network | NNS |
| Release | January 12 – March 16, 2025 |
The Hot Spot (hepburn ホットスポット) is a Japanese fantasy comedy drama starring Mikako Ichikawa. It was first broadcast on January 12, 2025, on Nippon TV and is available online on netflix. Comedian Bakarhythm wrote the scenario with music composed by Fox Capture Plan.
Plot
Kiyomi Endo (Mikako Ichikawa) is a single mother working at a Hotel reception in a small town at the foot of Mt. Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture. After returning from work one day going home on a bicycle, she was saved by her by her senior workmate, Kosuke Takahashi fellow working, a split second before she was going to be run over by a truck. His actions seemed humanly impossible, as he not only saved her, but is standing next to her with her bicycle in the air.[1]
Kiyomi interrogates Takahashi, and as the events are otherwise unexplainable, Takahashi confesses that he is an alien with special posters. Kiyomi promises that she will not say anything else, but she soon breaks her promise, telling her local childhood friends, Hazuki Nakamura and Minami Hibino.[2][3]As he has special powers that can be used to her advantage, Kiyomi befriends him and asks him to solve minor issues for her. Soon word gets around of his powers amongst her friends, and the hotel staff, including Yumi Isomura and Takahiro Okuda who also try to get him to do things for him[4], often to his annoyance.[5]
While initially using him for minor conveniences, and to assist the running of the hotel her friends and some of the hotel staff work together for some more major issues affecting the town.[6]
Cast
- Mikako Ichikawa as Kiyomi Endo
- Akihiro Kakuta as Kosuke Takahashi
- Kaho as Yumi Isomura
- Anne Suzuki as Hazuki Nakamura
- Kami Hiraiwa as Minami Hibino
- Maki Sakai as Eri Sawada
- Mirai Shida as Mizuki Manabe / "Mizupon"
- Mamoru Hagiwara as Takahiro Uemura
- Naoki Tanaka as Takahiro Okuda
- Rinko Kikuchi as Masako Umemoto
- Sosuke Ikematsu as Yuma Kishimoto
- Fumiyo Kohinata as Hirotaka Murakami
Production
The series was filmed around the town of Fujiyoshida. The shot has become popular enough in Japan that fans still form long quest to get into various real businesses that were used in filming[7][8]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18th Tokyo Drama Awards | Best Drama Series | The Hot Spot | Nominated | [9] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Akihiro Kakuta | Won | |||
| 51st Hoso Bunka Foundation Prize | Best Drama Series | The Hot Spot | Nominated | [10] | |
| Screenplay Award | Bakarythym | Won | |||
| Acting Award | Akihiro Kakuta | Won | |||
References
- ↑ Schaefer, Owen (2025-09-16). "'The Hot Spot' is the Japanese Comedy-Drama We Need". Counter Arts. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Schaefer, Owen (2025-09-16). "'The Hot Spot' is the Japanese Comedy-Drama We Need". Counter Arts. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Michel, Patrick St (2025-02-10). "'The Hot Spot': Close encounters of the mundane kind". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Schaefer, Owen (2025-09-16). "'The Hot Spot' is the Japanese Comedy-Drama We Need". Counter Arts. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Schaefer, Owen (2025-09-16). "'The Hot Spot' is the Japanese Comedy-Drama We Need". Counter Arts. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ "The Hot Spot". NIPPON TV. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ "1 year on, fans still flock to Mt. Fuji foothills filming sites of hit drama 'The Hot Spot'". Mainichi Daily News. 2026-05-11. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ "[Complete Guide] Visiting the Filming Locations of "Hot Spot" Written by Bakarhythm | A 3-Night, 4-Day Trip!｜umi ゆるっとOL". note（ノート）. 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ 【東京ドラマアウォード】奈緒、主演女優賞 “緑色のレタス頭”を完全再現で話題. Oricon (in Japanese). October 28, 2025. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ 『ホットスポット』が放送文化基金賞で優秀賞 角田晃広は演技賞も受賞 脚本・バカリズムに感謝「その通りにやったら、このような賞を」. Oricon (in Japanese). July 9, 2025. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
External links
- The Hot Spot at IMDb