Asura

In 1979 Tokyo, four distinct sisters uncover their aging father's affair, causing their happy facades and bottled-up emotions to slowly unravel.

Asura (2025) is a Japanese family drama series created by Hirokazu Kore-eda for Netflix. Set in 1979 Tokyo during the Shōwa era, it follows four sisters, led by Rie Miyazawa as Tsunako and Machiko Ono as Makiko, alongside Yu Aoi as Takiko and Suzu Hirose as Sakiko, who uncover their aging father's extramarital affair. The engine of the story is the gap between the outward courtesy the household maintains and the resentments that begin to surface once the secret is known. Masahiro Motoki plays Takao Satomi, and Ryuhei Matsuda and Jun Kunimura appear among the wider cast of people drawn into the unraveling. Across seven episodes of roughly an hour each, the series moves through quiet kitchen conversations, strained family dinners, and sharp confrontations, building a portrait of a household where everyone performs contentment. The tone is intimate and melancholic, with dry restraint and an observant warmth characteristic of a Japanese domestic drama. Its mood lingers on small gestures and unspoken hurts rather than spectacle. Fans of Still Walking, Tokyo Story and Like Father, Like Son will find resonance in its patient study of family bonds and the cost of keeping up appearances. It is a limited series of one season.

Critics and audiences broadly admire the sensitive ensemble acting and the quiet, precise handling of family secrets, though its slow pace is a known trait.

• Still Walkingslow burn family drama, sibling dynamics, domestic secrets, japanese domestic realism
• Like Father, Like Sonfamily secrets unraveling, japanese domestic drama, intimate ensemble of women
• Tokyo Storyquiet domestic melancholy, multigenerational family tensions, japanese household life

Created by

Hirokazu Kore-eda

Release Date

2025-01-09

Episode runtime

58 min

Rating

7.6 / 10 (37)

What is Asura about?

In 1979 Tokyo, four sisters discover their aging father's affair and watch their composed family life slowly come apart.

What is Asura like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Asura as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Asura violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Asura.

What did critics think of Asura?

Critics and audiences broadly admire the sensitive ensemble acting and the quiet, precise handling of family secrets, though its slow pace is a known trait.

Which shows are like Asura?

Shows with a similar feel include Still Walking, Like Father, Like Son, and Tokyo Story.

How long is Asura?

Asura: 1 season, 7 episodes.

Is Asura still running?

No, Asura has ended.

Where can I watch Asura?

In United States, Asura streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.