Ame ni Kieta Himawari

Ame ni Kieta Himawari (Japanese: 雨に消えた向日葵) is a Japanese television drama series that aired on WOWOW from July 24 to August 21, 2022. The series consists of five episodes and was broadcast in the Sunday 22:00 time slot. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Eri Yoshikawa, which was published by Gentosha on September 19, 2019.

Plot

The story follows the disappearance of Aoi Ishioka, a fifth-grade elementary school student, on a rainy day. Her umbrella is discovered near a field of sunflowers. Kenichi Nara, a detective in Saitama Prefecture, is assigned to the case. As he investigates, he encounters the girl's father, who is separated from his wife. The investigation becomes complex as the police struggle to determine whether the child was kidnapped, involved in an accident, or ran away.

During the investigation, Nara is haunted by memories of his younger sister, Mayuko, who was previously the victim of a violent attack. This personal history influenced his decision to become a detective. Nara remains committed to uncovering the truth behind Aoi's disappearance despite the lack of initial leads.

Cast

The series features an ensemble cast, including:

Tsuyoshi Muro as Kenichi Nara
Ryuta Sato as Masanori Ishioka
Kami Hiraiwa as Mayuko Nara
Hiroki Konno as Yuta Okumura
Ryoko Yuui as Akina Ishioka
Miyu Oshima as Aoi Ishioka

Tsuyoshi Muro, who portrays detective Kenichi Nara.

Production

The drama was directed by Masato Hijikata and Kazuyuki Iwata, with a screenplay by Erika Seki. It occupied the WOWOW Sunday 22:00 time slot, following the conclusion of Me no Kabe and preceding Uzukawamura Jiken.