Netflix has added Hiroki Kazama’s One Year to Live, Buy a Man to its 2026 slate.
The upcoming feature is based on an award-winning 2021 novel by Toriko Yoshikawa. The story follows a 40-year-old woman obsessed with saving money who is given a terminal cancer diagnosis and, through an odd twist of events, ends up “buying” a young man down on his luck.
The film stars Ko Shibasaki, who starred in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2024 thriller Serpent’s Path, and Eiji Akaso, known for his work in the Kamen Rider superhero franchise as well as lead roles in recent features 366 Days and Kinki.
Directed by Kazama, known for features Silent and Buzzy Noise, the film is written by veteran screenwriter Yoshikazu Okada (The Last 10 Years, BL Metamorphosis).
Producers are Kasumi Yao and Tsutomu Hirabayashi for AOI Pro. Previous AOI Pro productions for Netflix include 2022 series He’s Expecting and upcoming feature My Crazy Feminist Girlfriend, which Netflix announced last month.
My Crazy Feminist Girlfriend, which is produced by Kei Haruna and Mio Morita, is based on a Korean novel by Min Ji Hyoung about a romantic clash between a former couple. The film is written and directed by Keiichi Kobayashi (Eternal Yesterday) and stars Mei Nagano, whose credits include Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey and Cells at Work!.
A release date has yet to be revealed for both titles but they are set to launch in 2026.
The third film on the upcoming slate is This Is I, which is due to begin streaming on February 10. The previously announced feature is based on the true story of Ai Haruna, who undergoes gender-affirming surgery by Dr Koji Wada to shoot for their dreams of becoming an idol.
The slate also included 13 series and eight anime titles as well as the complete World Baseball Classic, with 47 games to be broadcast live in Japan. Notable among the series is Human Vapor, first announced in 2024, in which Japanese and Korean creators including Yeon Sang-ho (Train To Busan) have rebooted Toho’s 1960 science fiction feature. It marks Netflix’s first-ever collaboration with Toho Studios.
The streamer has also forged a new agreement with Toho Studios that will double its production footprint and introduce large-scale soundstages. “This enhanced infrastructure will allow for more ambitious sets and expanded production capabilities, giving creators greater freedom to take on new creative challenges,” said a statement from Netflix.
Last week, Netflix announced a strategic partnership with Japanese anime studio MAPPA, known for hit franchises Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, in which it will work together on new projects with a global perspective — from story development to merchandise. Netflix will exclusively stream a slate of original MAPPA-produced anime titles worldwide.
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