Kinpa to Onigiri: A Japanese Television Drama Series
Kinpa to Onigiri, known in Japanese as キンパとおにぎり～恋するふたりは似ていてちがう～ and with the romaji title Kinpa to Onigiri: Koi Suru Futari wa Nite Ite Chigau, is a Japanese television drama series broadcast on TV Tokyo. The series ran for 10 episodes from January 12 to March 16, 2026, airing in the Monday 23:06 to 23:55 time slot.
Premise and Synopsis
The narrative centers on Taiga Hasegawa, played by Eiji Akaso, who previously competed as a member of his university's long-distance relay race team before discontinuing his athletic pursuits due to poor academic performance. He subsequently takes a part-time job at a small restaurant, finding a sense of fulfillment in duties such as developing new menu offerings.
Meanwhile, Park Rin, portrayed by Kang Hye-Won, is a South Korean graduate student residing in Japan to study animation. While managing her demanding academic schedule, she faces an abrupt notice that her dormitory stay has been canceled, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted. During this difficult period, she visits the restaurant where Taiga works and finds comfort in the onigiri rice balls he serves, while Taiga is drawn to her presence.
Cast and Characters
- Eiji Akaso as Taiga Hasegawa
- Kang Hye-Won as Park Rin
- Mun Ji-Hu as Kang Jun-Ho
- Mai Fukagawa as Masumi Miyauchi
- Rin Kataoka as Noa Somejima
- Shodai Fukuyama as Akinori Oba
- Mitsuru Fukikoshi as Shigeo Taguchi
- Seo Hye-Won as Lee Yun-Gyeol
- Bang Eun-Hee as Choi Mi-E
- Ryoko Yuui as Reiko Ishida
- Hiroko Nakajima as Hiroko Hase
- Masaki Miura as Eiji Sakumoto
- Makiko Watanabe as Asako Hoshimi
- Rin Hukumatsu as Shintaro Ito
Production and Broadcast Details
The series was directed by Hirokawa Hayashida, Miyuki Hatanaka, and Ryota Koyama. The screenplays were written by Lee Nawon, Yoshitatsu Yamada, Chisato Yokoo, and Miyuki Hatanaka. Kinpa to Onigiri took over TV Tokyo's Monday 23:06 time slot that was previously occupied by Synanthrope.