What is Netflix’s new Japanese drama First Love about?

First Love is a heartfelt romantic Japanese drama series that will premiere globally on Thursday, November 24, on Netflix. This feel-good series takes place over more than 20 years, following the beautiful connection between leads  Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Satoh, who play Noguchi Yae and Harumichi Namiki, respectively.

Directed and written by Yuri Kanchiku, First Love is inspired by two of Hikaru Utada’s songs, First Love” and “Hatsukoi.” Several of the J-pop sensation’s songs will be featured in the series, too. In addition to the new J-drama, Netflix also showed Hikaru Utada’s studio live performance, “Hikaru Utada Live Sessions from Air Studios,” earlier this year, and you can still stream it on the platform.

This cross-generational love story follows Yae Noguchi and Takeru Satoh, high school sweethearts who meet and fall in love in the late 1990s. As they become adults, Yae and Harumichi move on with their lives, but when they reconnect in the 2000s, they quickly realize that their story is not over just yet.

First Love plot synopsis

Here is the official plot description, courtesy of Netflix:

"A cross-generational love story inspired by “First Love”(1999) and “Hatsukoi”(2018), two seminal songs by Hikaru Utada. Two teenagers fall in love for the first time in the late 90s; two decades later, one is about to get engaged, while the other is divorced with a teenage son who’s falling in love for the first time."

First Love cast

The complete cast features several up-and-coming Japanese actors, with a total of nine leading actors in the show.

• Hikari Mitsushima as Noguchi Yae
• Takeru Satoh as Harumichi Namiki
• Kaho Minami
• Akiyoshi Nakao
• Araki Towa
• Aoi Yamada
• Osamu Mukai
• Arata Iura
• Kyoko Koizumi.

First Love episode count

There will be 10 episodes in the show’s first season.

First Love trailer

The trailer is sure to give you goosebumps as it teases what is sure to be an excellent show complemented by a beautiful soundtrack.

Are you looking forward to watching First Love on Netflix? Are you a fan of Hikaru Utada’s music?