Radio Star (2026)

Feels more like a documentary than a drama with a plot

I was very conflicted after watching this, because on one hand, I really liked the majority of the performances from the actors and the calm, understated vibe with lovely cinematography that is typical of most of the NHK yorudramas I've watched. I thought Fukuchi Momoko did great as the lead, and the Radio Star family had nice chemistry. I didn't know anything about the Noto peninsula or that it had a major earthquake, so I appreciated that the drama highlighted that.

However, I think therein also lies the problem with this drama for me - I feel like it focused *too* much on showcasing the region and unpacking the aftermath of the earthquake at the expense of its characters and story. Pretty much all the characters are defined in relation to their experience with the earthquake rather than actual personality traits or background, which made them flat and hard to connect with. Like yes, I have empathy for what they went through, but I have barely any idea who these people are, and the drama doesn't quite seem to know what to do with them either.

And not to try to shoehorn in a romance when that was clearly not the purpose of the drama, but I was reaaaaaalllly hoping they'd do something between Rikuto and Kanade because they had such amazing chemistry from the jump. Episode 11 was definitely my favorite, and the scene where they're at the coast at sunset drinking and talking over the wind was the highlight of the whole drama for me, so I was very disappointed that it didn't go anywhere.

Overall, there are lots of individual things to like about this drama and the vibes are strong, so I enjoyed myself even if it didn't really come together for me in the end as a story. I would recommend if you are looking for something cozy (although a bit melancholic) to watch or like any of the actors, but don't expect a gripping human drama with high emotional stakes.

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