Ao no SP: School Police

Ao no SP: Gakko nai Keisatsu Shimada Ryuhei (Blue SP: School Police - Ryuhei Shimada), commonly referred to as School Police, is a Japanese television drama series that aired in 2021. The series explores the implementation of a experimental police program within the Japanese school system.

Promotional poster for the drama School Police

Premise

The story follows the introduction of a specialized police system in Tokyo, where officers are stationed directly on middle school campuses to address criminal activity. Ryuhei Shimada (played by Tatsuya Fujiwara), a detective from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Unit 1, is assigned to Akamine Middle School. While the school appears ordinary, it hides significant issues, including drug use and illicit activities. Shimada's presence is met with resistance from Ryoko Asamura (Yoko Maki), a Japanese language teacher who prioritizes the students' perspective and frequently clashes with the detective's methods.

Production

The series was broadcast on Fuji TV and KTV, running for 10 episodes from January 12 to March 16, 2021. It occupied the Tuesday 21:00–21:54 time slot. The production was directed by Masahiro Kunimoto, Takeshi Shirakawa, and Takashi Takahashi, with a screenplay written by Tetsuya Oishi, Junpei Yamaoka, and Soichiro Ojima.

Cast

The main cast includes:

Tatsuya Fujiwara as Ryuhei Shimada
Yoko Maki as Ryoko Asamura
Yuki Yamada as Hiroki Saegusa
Kenta Suga as Kiyoshi Niitsu
Yuki Izumisawa as Toru Shibata