Ai Hashimoto and Koji Seto take on the leading roles in Nikotama, a new television drama adapted from the manga of the same name by Watanabe Peko. The series examines the idea of “a love with no correct answer” through the story of a couple who have been together for twelve years since university and are now living under the same roof.

Asao Atsuko, played by Hashimoto, works at a bento shop called Yonesuke in Yanaka, Tokyo. Her long-time partner Iwaki Kohei, portrayed by Seto, is a patent lawyer. Their relationship is built on shared routines—eating dinner together, noticing even the slightest changes in one another, and enjoying a quiet, stable sense of happiness.
Complicating their lives is Kohei’s past relationship with Takano Yuko, a fellow patent attorney. As all three characters arrive at personal crossroads, they find themselves wavering between hesitation and stubbornness while confronting what “family” should mean for them. The drama follows their emotional struggles as they navigate choices that have no clear right or wrong.
Nikotama will be available online starting December 26, bringing viewers a gentle yet realistic portrait of modern love and partnership.
