Amachan

Aki Amano, a high-school girl from Tokyo moves to the Sanriku Coast in the Tohoku region to become a female diver. She becomes a local idol, then returns to Tokyo to try to become a real idol, and finally returns to Tohoku to help revitalize the area after the Great East Japan earthquake.

Amachan (2013) is a Japanese national-television asadora drama created by Kankuro Kudo, Teruyuki Yoshida, Toki Kajiwara, Go Inoue, Tomohiro Kuwano and Takegoro Nishimura for NHK. Non plays Aki Amano, a high-school girl from Tokyo who moves to the Sanriku Coast in the Tohoku region to train as a female diver. Her grandmother Natsu Amano (Nobuko Miyamoto) and mother Haruko (Kyoko Koizumi) anchor the family line, while Ai Hashimoto plays Yui Adachi, a local friend tied to Aki's rise. The engine of the show is Aki's shifting ambition: she starts as a local idol in a seaside community, then chases a real idol career in Tokyo, and eventually comes back to help revive her hometown. Each stretch is built from everyday small-town routines, sea-side rivalries, family squabbles, and the rhythm of a long daily serial. Set in present-day Tohoku and tracing the years around the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake, the series blends comedy with grief and resilience, its tone hopeful and warm without ignoring loss. Fans of Ringo Musume, Hanasaki Mai's Dream and Hana Ichimonme will find resonance in its coming-of-age heart and regional asadora form. A single season of 157 fifteen-minute episodes.

• Ringo Musumesmall town coming of age warmth, slice of life heroine rising through local and urban stages
• Hanasaki Mai's Dreammulti-year heartfelt drama about a young woman's ambition, rural roots, and rebuilding community after disaster
• Hana IchimonmeJapanese morning drama tradition, small coastal town setting, cheerful yet emotionally resonant tone

Created by

Kankuro Kudo, Teruyuki Yoshida, Toki Kajiwara, Go Inoue, Tomohiro Kuwano, 西村武五郎

Release Date

2013-04-01

Episode runtime

15 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (15)

What is Amachan about?

A Tokyo teenager spends a year as a diver and local idol on the Sanriku Coast and later returns to help her hometown recover after the 2011 earthquake.

What is Amachan like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Amachan as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Amachan violent?

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

Which shows are like Amachan?

Shows with a similar feel include Ringo Musume, Hanasaki Mai's Dream, and Hana Ichimonme.

How long is Amachan?

Amachan: 1 season, 157 episodes.

Is Amachan still running?

No, Amachan has ended.