Few figures in modern Japan commanded belief, fear, and fascination on such a scale. Kazuko Hosoki is the controversial force at the center of Straight to Hell, Netflix’s upcoming Japanese biographical drama premiering worldwide on April 27, 2026, which revisits a life that blurred the line between guidance and control, faith and power.
Spanning six decades, the series traces Hosoki’s rise from postwar poverty to cultural dominance, mapping a journey driven by instinct, ambition, and controversy. From the back rooms of Ginza’s nightlife to the glare of prime-time television, influence expands, reputations harden, and belief becomes currency. Straight to Hell resists easy judgment, instead examining how authority is built — and what it costs when belief turns absolute. Here is everything you need to know about Straight to Hell — from the true story behind the series and its cast to themes and release details. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
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Straight to Hell: all the key details
- Title: Straight to Hell
- Format: Series
- Genre: Biographical drama
- Country of production: Japan
- Original language: Japanese
- Release date: April 27, 2026
- Directors: Tomoyuki Takimoto; Norichika Oba
- Lead cast: Erika Toda; Sairi Ito
- Music: Hibiki Inamoto
- Platform: Netflix
What Straight to Hell is about
Straight to Hell chronicles the extraordinary life of Kazuko Hosoki, born in the aftermath of World War II and raised in poverty. As a young woman, she entered Japan’s nightlife world and quickly rose through its ranks. By her twenties, she was running a string of successful clubs in Ginza, earning the nickname “The Queen of Ginza.”
Drawing on the instincts she developed there, Hosoki later reinvented herself as a fortune-teller whose influence swept across Japan. Through her self-created Six Star Astrology, bestselling books, and frequent television appearances, she became a household name. The series explores how belief transforms into authority and how authority becomes power, leaving behind a legacy that continues to provoke fascination and debate. Set against Japan’s postwar recovery, economic boom, and bubble-era excess, the drama unfolds as a high-stakes examination of ambition, belief, and the cost of commanding public faith.
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Straight to Hell cast: the main characters
Erika Toda stars as Kazuko Hosoki, portraying her from age 17 through 66. The performance captures Hosoki’s relentless drive alongside the isolation that followed her ascent. Director Tomoyuki Takimoto has described the role as essential to understanding how Hosoki’s contradictions were formed.
Sairi Ito co-stars as Minori Uozumi, a writer commissioned to write Hosoki’s autobiography. Through Minori’s perspective, the series explores the fragile line between truth and self-created myth. As Minori digs deeper into Hosoki’s past, admiration gives way to challenge, setting up a tense relationship between two women shaped by different eras.
The ensemble cast includes Toma Ikuta, Eita Okuno, Kentaro Tamura, Ayumu Nakajima, Gaku Hosokawa, Kazuya Takahashi, Tetta Sugimoto, and Renji Ishibashi. The women’s lineup features Toko Miura as Showa-era superstar singer Chiyoko Shimakura, alongside Yasuko Tomita, Kimiko Yo, and Miwako Ichikawa.
Teaser, tone, and creative approach
The teaser art depicts Hosoki seated on an opulent throne, framed as an empress whose influence is unquestionable yet unsettling. The teaser trailer reinforces that image with a restrained, ominous tone, underscored by an original score from pianist and composer Hibiki Inamoto.
Directed by Tomoyuki Takimoto and Norichika Oba, the series adopts a grounded and incisive approach. Oba has been involved since the earliest development stages, contributing extensive research that helped shape Hosoki’s portrayal. The creative team has emphasized realism and emotional weight over spectacle.
Is Straight to Hell based on a true story?
Yes. Straight to Hell is based on the real life of Kazuko Hosoki. The series dramatizes documented phases of her life while interrogating how truth, belief, and self-mythology intersect.
Why Straight to Hell is worth adding to your watchlist
Straight to Hell stands out as a biographical drama that refuses easy judgment. It examines how influence is built, why people surrender belief, and what happens when ambition reshapes public truth. If you are drawn to serious character-led dramas rooted in real history, this Netflix series should be on your radar.
Straight to Hell release date and platform
Straight to Hell premieres worldwide on Netflix on April 27, 2026. Watch on Netflix.
