Princess Jellyfish (2018 Japanese Television Series)

Princess Jellyfish (Japanese: 海月姫, Hepburn: Kuragehime) is a Japanese television drama series that aired on Fuji TV from January 15 to March 19, 2018. The series is based on the manga of the same name by Akiko Higashimura, which began serialization in the magazine Kiss in 2008.

Promotional image for the 2018 Princess Jellyfish drama — Promotional poster for the 2018 television adaptation of Princess Jellyfish.

Plot

The story follows 20-year-old Tsukimi Kurashita, who moves from Kagoshima Prefecture to Tokyo with aspirations of becoming an illustrator. Living in a communal apartment building populated by self-described otaku women, Tsukimi struggles with social anxiety and a deep fascination with jellyfish, a passion rooted in memories of her late mother. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters Kuranosuke Koibuchi, a fashion-conscious man who enjoys cross-dressing, and his brother, Shu Koibuchi. These interactions force Tsukimi to step outside her isolated social circle.

Cast

The series features an ensemble cast including:

Kyoko Yoshine as Tsukimi Kurashita
Koji Seto as Kuranosuke Koibuchi
Asuka Kudo as Shu Koibuchi
Haruka Kinami as Jiji-sama
Rena Matsui as Banba-san
Rio Uchida as Mayaya
Eriko Tomiyama as Chieko
Jun Kaname as Yoshio Hanamori
Kinya Kitaoji as Keiichiro Koibuchi

Kyoko Yoshine, who portrays the lead character, Tsukimi Kurashita.

Koji Seto, who portrays Kuranosuke Koibuchi.

Jun Kaname, who portrays Yoshio Hanamori.

Kinya Kitaoji, who portrays Keiichiro Koibuchi.

Junpei Yasui, who portrays Kohei Sasaki.

Yoshiko Tokoshima, who portrays Yoko Koibuchi.

Production and Reception

The series was directed by Junichi Ishikawa and Kaede Kamiya, with the screenplay written by Yuichi Tokunaga. It consisted of 10 episodes, which aired on Monday nights. According to data from Video Research, Ltd., the series achieved an average household viewership rating of 6.1% in the Kanto region.