Yuki Kodama's Pottery Romance 'Ao no Hana Utsuwa no Mori' Gets NHK Night Drama

NHK announced today that Yuki Kodama's manga Ao no Hana Utsuwa no Mori will receive a live-action television adaptation in the network's respected "Yorudora" evening drama block this autumn. The series will air on NHK General Television Mondays through Thursdays at 10:45 p.m. starting in the fall, with streaming on NHK ONE.

Set in the historic Hasami pottery town of Nagasaki Prefecture, the story follows Aoko, a skilled ceramics painter working at a local kiln, and Tatsuki, a reserved young potter who arrives from Finland. Their initial clashes over technique and philosophy gradually give way to mutual respect and a heartfelt adult romance rooted in the rhythms of craft and community. Kodama serialized the ten-volume josei title in Shogakukan's Flowers magazine from 2018 to 2022.

Rena Matsui, the former SKE48 and Nogizaka46 idol known for roles in various dramas and films, stars as Aoko. She has already begun practicing pottery herself to prepare, describing how handling clay helped her connect with the character's daily sense of wonder. Kodama expressed delight at seeing her work adapted for NHK, comparing the collaborative process to shaping clay on the wheel and firing it in the kiln—full of anticipation for the final result. Director Yoshihiro Fukagawa and screenwriter Yōko Izumisawa are attached to the project.

Filming will take place extensively on location in Hasami, promising an authentic portrait of Japanese ceramic traditions alongside the central romance. For fans of Kodama's earlier work like the music-themed Kids on the Slope, which also received both anime and live-action adaptations, the news signals another chance to experience her grounded, character-driven storytelling in a new medium.