Netflix’s new Japanese family drama Asura brings an unexpected mix of tension and darkly comic timing to 2025’s streaming lineup. Set in Tokyo in 1979, the series begins with a discovery no daughter wants to make, yet every viewer can immediately feel: an elderly father’s secret romance that sends four very different sisters into emotional freefall. What follows is a sharp, atmospheric unraveling of a family that once believed itself stable. Asura leans into drama with a sly wink, suggesting that sometimes the truth doesn’t just hurt – it laughs at you on the way down. Here is everything you need to know about Asura – from the plot and cast to reviews and release date.
The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
Asura – All the key details
- Title: Asura
- Original title: Asura no Gotoku
- Format: TV Series
- Length: 7 episodes, 60 minutes each
- Genre: Drama
- Country of production: Japan
- Original language: Japanese
- Release date: January 9th, 2025
- Creator / Director: Kuniko Mukôda
- Lead cast: Rie Miyazawa, Machiko Ono, Yu Aoi
- Produced by: Yasuo Yagi, Miyuki Fukuma, Eiji Kitahara, Hijiri Taguchi
What Asura is about
Asura unfolds with a tone steeped in dramatic irony: a family that prides itself on emotional composure is undone by a secret that everyone, except them, seems destined to recognize sooner or later. Set against the restrained etiquette of late–1970s Tokyo, the series follows four sisters who have mastered the art of sidestepping conflict until their father’s hidden relationship forces them into the very confrontations they’ve avoided for years.
The narrative thrives on the tension between what is said and what is painfully obvious. Each sister interprets the revelation with a theatrical seriousness that contrasts sharply with the quiet absurdity of the situation. Asura uses that contrast—between tragedy and the faintest glimmer of irony—to expose the fragility of family narratives. The story suggests that families often crumble not under the weight of a secret itself, but under the collective performance of pretending that nothing has changed.
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Asura – Cast: the main characters
Rie Miyazawa anchors the cast with a performance that leans into Asura’s ironic bite. As the eldest sister, she carries herself with unwavering poise, even as her character internally negotiates a crisis that etiquette alone cannot smooth over. Viewers familiar with Miyazawa’s work in Tony Takitani will recognize her talent for portraying emotional depth through restraint. Machiko Ono’s role builds on this dynamic with a quietly combustible quality. Known for Mother and The Great Passage, Ono embodies a sister who outwardly follows every social script yet inwardly questions why those scripts were written in the first place. Her reactions become some of Asura’s most telling—and ironically, its most comedic—beats. Yu Aoi infuses her character with understated wit. International audiences who know her from Hana and Alice or Rurouni Kenshin will appreciate how she balances vulnerability and emotional intelligence, often revealing truths the others prefer to ignore.
Is Asura based on a true story?
Asura is not based on a true story. Nevertheless, its dramatic irony is rooted in the everyday complexities of Japanese family life in the late 1970s. The series draws on cultural rhythms and social expectations of the time: respectability, silence, and the belief that uncomfortable truths can be indefinitely postponed. Of course, Asura makes a point of showing that they cannot. Because the story is fictional, it has the freedom to heighten emotional contradictions in ways that feel authentic without being literal.
What reviews say about Asura
Early reactions highlight Asura’s unusual balance of emotional precision and quietly ironic storytelling. The pacing favors contemplation over confrontation, allowing tensions to simmer in glances, pauses and carefully measured words. Viewers describe the series as “a drama that understands families too well,” noting its ability to expose uncomfortable truths without ever raising its voice. Although full critic reviews are still forthcoming, online discussions praise the show’s ability to reveal character flaws through subtle humor, often at the exact moment the drama feels most serious.
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Where was Asura filmed?
Asura recreates Tokyo in 1979 with close attention to period detail. Whether through location shooting or studio sets designed to reflect the era’s architecture and interiors, the series uses its setting to reinforce its dramatic irony: a modernizing city where tradition and change collide.
Asura: Behind the scenes and fun facts
Behind the camera, Asura appears to embrace stylistic influences drawn from 1970s Japanese cinema, where emotional understatement often carried more weight than overt conflict. The long takes, quiet compositions and deliberate pacing mirror the sisters’ carefully curated lives—just before everything unravels. The creative team leans into moments where irony becomes inseparable from drama: a carefully poured cup of tea during a family meltdown, or a perfectly polite greeting delivered seconds after receiving life-altering news. These details offer a subtle commentary on the gap between social expectations and emotional truth.
Why watch Asura
If you enjoyed The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House or A Girl at My Door, this is the right series for you, blending Japanese dramatic storytelling with a distinctive layer of dramatic irony, textured emotional conflict and a deeply human exploration of family fractures.
Asura – Release date on streaming
Available now. Asura is already streaming on Netflix, where it is gaining significant attention among fans of international drama.
Release date: January 9th, 2025.
▶ WATCH ON NETFLIX
