The boys-love manga Ao to Midori by creator Roji is making the jump to live-action television. The series, which follows the eight-year journey of two young men struggling to reconcile their feelings while navigating the pressures of societal expectations, is scheduled to debut on October 5.
Naoya Kusakawa has been cast as Midori Yamamura, with Hidekazu Chinen taking on the role of Ao Hayama. The production team features director Nao Nomura and screenwriter Ayumi Shimo, both of whom previously collaborated on the live-action adaptation of Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko. They are joined by directors Hitomi Kitagawa and Saki Michimoto to bring the story of the titular characters' "mutual unrequited love" to the screen.
Viewers can catch the broadcast premiere on BS Asahi at 11:24 p.m. on October 5, followed by a TV Kanagawa airing at 11:30 p.m. The series will also see a wider rollout on HBC, RKB Mainichi Broadcasting, and CBC TV starting October 8. For those looking to watch online, the show will be available on Lemino beginning at 10:00 a.m. on October 5, with additional streaming via TVer following the BS Asahi broadcasts.
This project marks another high-profile adaptation for Roji, whose work Countdown to Yes also received a live-action series earlier this year in January. Given the creative team's experience with similar romance dramas, it will be interesting to see how the eight-year timeline of the manga translates to the episodic format of this new series.
