Exam Hell: Broken and Murderous

An unexpected love triangle, a seduction trap, and a random encounter are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.

Mitsuo Ichikawa receives a phone call from Mitsuo Ichikawa. Their names are pronounced the same, but spelled differently using kanji. They also graduated from the same high school. Back in their high school days, Mitsuo Ichikawa was like a subordinate to Mitsuo Ichikawa. Mitsuo Ichikawa is now a hoodlum and tells the other Mitsuo that he killed a woman. They become accomplices and build a new relationship.

Murakami Naoki is the most intelligent student at his high school, but he can't stop obsessing over a girl named Mizuno Haruka. He finally asks her out, and to his surprise, she accepts. After several months of a loving yet obviously doomed romance, it comes time for them to take the entrance exams for Tokyo University. What will happen to their relationship if only one of them is accepted?

Trapped in their New York brownstone's panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman and her young daughter Sarah play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders - Burnham, Raoul and Junior - during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.

Simon and Robyn are a young married couple whose life is going as planned until a chance run-in with Simon's high school acquaintance sends their world into a tailspin.

A secret admirer's crush on a high school athlete takes a fatal turn.

An illegal biological weapon K-55 is stolen from a university lab. The university lab can't even call the police because the secret nature of the weapon. The school lab then receives a message stating that the entire country is now being held hostage and they must pay a ransom of 300 million yen.

A high-schooler involved in turn-of-the-decade student movements works to escape his comfort zone and apply himself.

A young woman seeking self-improvement enlists the help of a renowned hypnotist but, after a handful of intense sessions, discovers unexpected and deadly consequences.

When Ben McCauley daringly introduces himself anonymously via email to his secret crush, he mistakenly sends a message to single mother Charley Anderson. Ben begins dating Chloe, but she never quite lives up to the e-mail relationship and anonymous friendship he develops with her co-worker Charley.

This work is a 12-year story of Mana, a woman who cannot accept the death of her best friend, staring at her as she tries to step forward while having deep sorrow.

When Aoi is gang-raped by her classmates and kicked out of her home by her own parents she sees no reason to continue living. Before she commits suicide, however, she receives an email on her cellphone from a man named Toshi addressed to a girl named Ai. The message simply thanks the girl for being alive, but this specific message has an effect on Aoi and she decides to keep on living. Without many options, Aoi resorts to everything from paid dating to porn to earn money and meets a lot of less than reputable characters. Throughout it all though she looks toward Toshi as her hope for happiness and the two form a relationship.

Keisuke and Shizuko grew up by the Kitakami river and came to fall in love before they knew it. Eighteen years ago, Shizuko was left an orphan and was taken in by Keisuke's parents, who had raised her as their own child. At the riverside when the cherry blossoms are falling, Keisuke, now enrolled in university, promises Shizuko that he will tell his parents about them at the start of the summer vacation. He then sets off for Tokyo...

Samantha Holt had the perfect life with a handsome fiancée and a future that couldn’t look brighter. But an unexpected turn on a dark lonely road puts her on a collision course with Bruce Miller, a devoted family man who descends into madness when he loses everything he ever cared about. One year later, Bruce decides to give Samantha the punishment he believes she escaped. Samantha has struggled with her own demons since that fateful night, and Bruce will take her struggles to the edge when he implements a demented plan to teach her a twisted lesson that may cost her the ultimate price.

After getting dumped by her boyfriend Kentaro, Tomita Momo, who works at a library, suddenly discovers the existence of her ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend Riko through his social media. She is intrigued by Riko, who is the opposite of herself in terms of fashionable sophistication. For "a certain reason," she goes to see Riko in person. Momo confronts Riko and asks, "Do you know what revenge porn is?" And "I want to get back the secret photo data of the two of us that he took... Also, haven't you been taken as well...". An ex-girlfriend and a current girlfriend. Now that these two unlikely lovers have met, their "secret complicity" is about to begin.

A struggling lawyer, Kenji Sakuragi, takes a position at private school Tatsuyama Gakuen to pay off his debts. Kenji decides to try to turn this hopeless school into one of the elite institutions in Japan to help rejuvenate his career. His barometer of success will be to get five of his students admitted to the prestigious Tokyo University the following year. But rather than cramming them with lots of general information, his down-to-earth class concentrates on unknown techniques for passing the entrance examination and how to live a good life in these turbulent times. His refreshing outlook and strategy may just be what is needed to turn around the future prospects of himself and his students and teach the rest of us a thing or two as well!

Kyoko, a newly-appointed English teacher at a rural but well-respected, prestigious prefectural high school, had spent her childhood and high school years overseas before returning to Japan. Because she lived abroad for a long time, she cannot understand the old-fashioned ideas peculiar to Japan and tends to be frank about what she thinks. On the eve and the day of the school entrance examination, various incidents occur. There is the spectre of someone attempting to wreck the examination for some motive. Everyone present is a potential suspect and the truth remains shrouded in mystery to the end.

At a high school entrance ceremony, high school student Kotoko Aihara, who isn't that smart, notices pretty boy Naoki Irie. She falls in love with him immediately. Kotoko initially doesn't express her feelings to him, but finally has a chance to tell him how she feels. Unfortunately, Naoki turns Kotoko down, saying "I don't like dumb women." One day, Kotoko Aihara's house is severely damaged by an earthquake. Until the house is rebuilt, Kotoko Aihara and her father decide to live with her father's friend. When Kotoko Aihara moves to her new temporary house, she is surprised to learn that Naoki Irie lives there as well.

Koizumi is a mysterious and attractive high school student. But what most people don't know about her is that she's a ramen master who is always on the lookout for great ramen restaurants. Everyday, she goes hunting for real-life places serving the best ramen dishes and delightfully eats the delicious noodles. The way Koizumi downs a giant bowl of ramen–more adeptly than any large man—will amaze and delight you!

Satomi Shinobu works in the Mobile Investigation Unit of The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The Mobile Investigation Unit conducts the initial investigation at all crime scenes. He works with Inokuma Yuki. They are a couple, but they keep their relationship a secret at work. They both hope to work at the #1 Investigation Station. One day, they meet beautiful Tachibana Kara at the site where a dead body was found. Kara appears at the other crime scenes involving grotesque murders. She shows an interest in Yuki. Satomi Shinobu thinks it's a bad sign for Yuki. To protect his girlfriend from danger, he struggles to find uncover the truth behind the serial murder cases and Kara’s identity.

Junko Sakuraba dreams of working in New York, but she currently works as an English conversation teacher. She's about to have her 29th birthday. Junko Sakuraba works hard to achieve her dream, but New York seem far away. She has also not dated in a long time. Junko Sakuraba attends a funeral held at a temple. During the funeral, she makes a mistake and throws ashes onto a monk chanting a sutra. She feels apologetic and embarrassment. Later, Junko Sakuraba's family deceives her into going on a blind date. The man she meets on the blind date is Takane Hoshikawa. Her date is the monk whom she accidentally threw ashes on.

In an otherwise mundane diner open from midnight to 7 a.m., there is no menu – but the chef cooks anything his customers want. Each episode is about different a different customer, as they find simple yet profound connections with one another based on their shared love of a particular dish.

Shin'ichi Sakurai is married to Kanako and they have a daughter named Kaori. Both, Shinichi and Kanako received only a middle-school-level education. Even though they don't have much money, they are a happy family. At work, though, Shin'ichi experiences effects of only having a middle school education. One day, Shin'ichi sees Kaori’s poor score for a national test. He freaks out and decides to improve Kaori's education. Thus, 41-year-old Shin'ichi begins studying with Kaori and instructs her for the upcoming middle school entrance exam.

Dako is a con woman. She stays at a suite in a luxury hotel and schemes to take money from vicious wealthy people like yakuza bosses and evil businessmen. She works with Boku-chan and Richard. Boku-chan is a sincere and timid young con man. Richard is a veteran con man. Dako is able to master knowledge from various professions in a short period of time and disguises herself as someone working in that field. Along with Boku-chan and Richard, they carry their plans using fantastic teamwork.

Natsu Takato is a 35-year-old popular screenwriter. She lives with her husband Shogo in the outskirts of Saitama. Shogo used to work as a TV station director, but he now supports Natsu by doing housework and working as her business manager. Natsu doesn't have a lot to complain about in her life, but she has a strong sexual desire that she cannot suppress. She spends nights with theater director Shizawa. Meanwhile, Natsu Takato senses her husband interfering with her script and trying to control her. Natsu Takato leaves her home and begins to live alone in Tokyo. She gets involved with two men.

A love story between Risa Shiroki and Hiroto Fukami. Twenty year old Risa Shiroki comes to Tokyo from her hometown in the countryside to attend university. Pretty and popular with male students, she has never had a boyfriend and dreams of having a sweet love. One day, thirty year old Hiroto Fukami appears in front of her. He is business man who appears to be gentle and looks perfect. As romance blossoms between them, Risa discovers Hiroto's dark past.

The Mobile Investigative Unit (known as "MIU") of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department attempts to solve cases within 24 hours. Detective Kazumi Shima is selected as a new member of MIU. He is intelligent, with excellent observation and communication skills. Yet, he does not trust other people. He is unable to find a partner in MIU and is ordered to partner with Police Officer Ai Ibuki, who works at a police substation. Ibuki applied for MIU, but he failed. He is in excellent physical condition, but he lacks knowledge and experience as a detective. Shima learns about Ibuki's background and he becomes more nervous. Finally, Shima has his first meeting with Ibuki.

Aoi Minase is in her 40's. She works as a popular writer of romance novels. She is also a single mother, who raised her daughter alone. Her daughter is now 20-years-old. Due to Aoi Minase's success as a romance novelist, Aoi lives with her daughter in an upscale high-rise apartment building. Aoi is worried about her daughter. Her daughter doesn't have a boyfriend. Aoi Minase believes this is because her daughter is an otaku, who enjoys manga and cosplay. Her daughter does want to fall in love.

Shibusawa Eiichi was born in 1840 to a farmer’s family. He grew up helping his family with work, which was to manufacture and sell indigo production and also silk farming. He left his hometown at the age of 23 and began working for the government. He later traveled to Paris and learned about banking. Upon his return to Japan, he helped build up the first modern bank in Japan. He eventually became a founder or supporter to about 500 companies and was involved with about 600 public services, including education for women.

When feisty college student Yuri is attacked at a party, she's saved by Oya Toshiomi, the underboss of a yakuza syndicate. Despite her obvious attraction to him, she convinces herself that she's not in the market for a bad boy type. But when they meet again, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him—kicking off a steamy and dangerous love affair that threatens to consume her, body and soul.