Netflix Readies Star-Studded Japanese Musical Drama ‘Glass Heart’ With Takeru Satoh

Netflix‘s “Glass Heart,” a Japanese musical drama starring Takeru Satoh, is set to premiere globally on July 31.

The series stars Satoh (“First Love”) as Naoki Fujitani, the enigmatic frontman of fictional band Tenblank. The musical drama chronicles Fujitani’s artistic journey as he clashes with rival vocalist Toya Shinzaki (Masaki Suda) of competing band Over Chrome, while navigating the machinations of a powerful music industry producer.

Based on Mio Wakagi’s novel, the series follows drummer Akane Saijo after being ousted from her previous band just before their debut. She’s unexpectedly recruited by the brilliant but reclusive Fujitani to join Tenblank, where their rise to fame is complicated by personal secrets and industry challenges.

Satoh leads an ensemble that includes Keita Machida (“Alice in Borderland”) as guitarist Sho Takaoka, Jun Shison (“Yu Yu Hakusho”) as keyboardist Kazushi Sakamoto, and Yu Miyazaki as drummer Akane Saijo. In a commitment to authenticity, the cast underwent extensive musical training to deliver convincing performances.

Adding serious musical credibility, Yojiro Noda, frontman of acclaimed Japanese rock outfit Radwimps, has penned original songs for the fictional band.

The supporting cast features Erika Karata as Tenblank’s manager Miyako Kai, Pistol Takehara as Genji Kamiyama, Akari Takaishi as singer Yukino Sakurai (who performs Fujitani’s compositions), and You playing Momoko Saijo, Akane’s mother and confidante.

“Glass Heart” continues Netflix’s hot streak of Japanese content following “Bullet Train Explosion,” which has maintained a four-week run on the Global Top 10 Film (Non-English) list. The streamer’s upcoming Japanese slate includes “Last Samurai Standing,” the third season of hit thriller “Alice in Borderland,” and manga adaptation “10Dance.”

The series is directed by Kohtaro Goto, with cinematography by Kensaku Kakimoto and scripts from Mari Okada, Tomoko Akutsu, Shiho Kosaka, and Anna Kawahara. Star Takeru Satoh also serves as producer alongside Gô Abe.

The teaser showcases a live performance sequence featuring over 5,000 background performers captured by a 12-camera setup.