A modern retelling of the classic 1887 Francis Burnett story, The Little Princess, about a precocious young girl of wealthy upbringing who one day finds her life turned upside down and all her privileges taken away when the family goes bankrupt. Cast into the role of a penniless servant, Seira fights on, never losing her pride, cheer nor compassion come whatever adverse circumstances. An inspirational and timeless story sure to be the purest and most heroic told this year.

Kyoko, a young woman with an unhindered spirit despite being physically bound to a wheelchair due to illness, and Shuji, a stylish and popular fashion magazine hairstylist, are brought together in a fateful traffic incident. Despite their confrontational meeting, they soon find themselves falling in love, with Shuji drawn to her courage and enthusiasm and Kyoko attracted to his ability to look beyond her physical limitations and into her heart. However, Kyoko’s protective older brother and her worsening condition begin to test the bounds of their love for each other and threaten to end their beautiful life together.

Angered by his boss, a strident and selfish production company employee, Takasugi, quits his job as a director and finds himself saddled by a 10 million yen ($100,000) debt. He decides to hatch a plot, conspiring with a former assistant director friend named Sonobe, to kidnap a very rich family’s beloved dog for ransom. But then a mysterious woman, Natsuko, shows up as well as the son of the family whose dog they plan to kidnap, both wanting in on the plot. Then things really take a complicated turn when Takasugi is marked by a real kidnapper to take the blame for a separate child kidnapping in this thrilling, humor-filled and moving suspense.

For generations, the blue-blooded Homonji family has been devoted to a pure and rigorous pursuit of knowledge in all forms, regardless of the powers that be or the fortunes of the aristocracy with whom they sympathize. But now, inheriting the pedagogic mantel of the family as its 89th master is Sharaku Homonji, a super genius with an IQ of 246, and a man with time on his hands. “Ah, I’m so bored. Isn’t there a puzzle I can solve?” Sharaku goes in search of “worthwhile” mysteries to crack, putting his super genetic brain to the test.

Kurogo has loved Kabuki ever since he was a kid, and the fact that his high school has a drama club but no kabuki club drives him crazy. So, naturally, he’s decided that the solution is to make his own club. Even if it means drafting other students, getting a faculty sponsor who knows nothing about the art, and “bending” some of the stricter rules about things like allowing girls to participate in what may become a classwide culture shock!

In an office, she can perform better than anyone, but when it comes household chores, she’s totally useless. She’s a single woman pushing 30 named Mei Aihara, and her room is a mess. Appearing one day at her doorstep is Nagisa Shigino, a much-in-demand “super domestic helper” who can do the cooking, cleaning and washing with masterful perfection. And Shigino is… a middle-aged man. For Mei, a woman who lives for her career, the encounter with Nagisa plants in her first-time thoughts of “marriage,” “family” and “future.” Gradually, something resembling feelings of “love” begin to germinate.

Nagi Oshima is a 28-year-old employee of consumer appliance maker, with silky straight hair and a peculiar personality, feeling she must try her hardest to “read the room” so as to interact well with others. But her striving to adapt to others leads her one day to hyperventilate and collapse. “I need to rethink my life!” she proclaims, physically and mentally exhausted. So she decides to give up everything and “reset” her life. She quits her job, terminates her condo lease, breaks off all contact with her boyfriend and everyone she knows, and goes on a solitary search to discover the “freedom” to enjoy her own life. This even means undoing her straight perm and letting her natural curly hair flow, something she’s always harbored a complex about. Moving to a new neighborhood and new life, however, presents both new and old challenges. She meets the man living next door, someone she might define as “too free” and re-encounters her boyfriend, from whom she’d hoped to escape. A romantic comedy straight from the heart that extolls the virtues of self-acceptance and living true to oneself.

Looking for a job, Hana gets work at the Andrews Department Store, but her boss hates her and gives her impossible work to do. However, her bubbly nature and creativity soon bring success to every job she is assigned, and the president even wonders if her mysterious charm can rally the company and pull them out of their financial difficulties. But the President and Ryou, his straight-laced son, have different ideas about running the company. Perhaps if she finds true love for Ryou, she can soften his hard heart. Anything seems possible with Hana’s never-ending optimism, which is the basis for this heart-warming and humorous story of the power of positivity!

Stepmom Akiko grows concerned when daughter Miyuki, who is about to graduate from college, seems content to work part-time at Bakery Mugita without looking for a “real” job. After Akiko lectures Miyuki about her tardiness to job-hunting, they begin researching companies together. But no sooner do they start when Miyuki drops a bombshell. “I want to get married!” sending Akiko and everyone including bakery owner Mugita into a frenzy.

This delicate love story transcends the spoken word as it depicts the lives of an aspiring young actress and a painter who lost his sense of hearing during childhood. As their relationship develops, the audience learns the true power of sign language and experiences the couple’s growth first-hand through the progression of their visual communication.