New Japanese TV drama Children of Atom will tell the story of an indie game dev

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-07-31 07:01 JST)

TBS has announced a new drama series called Children of Atom in Japan. Beginning in October, the show will air weekly on Sundays from 9:00 p.m. to 9:54 p.m. The series is set in the modern-day video game industry and depicts the story of a young genius game developer as he grows through interactions with the people around him.

The protagonist of Children of Atom is Nayuta Azumi, who is played by actor Kento Yamazaki. Nayuta is a genius indie game developer who works under the pseudonym John Doe. Since nobody knows his true identity, he is dubbed the “game industry’s Banksy.” However, a certain event caused him to leave the game industry and live a quiet life.

Meanwhile, the long-standing toy maker Atom had been searching for Nayuta. The company was on the brink of closing down due to various factors, such as the price competition with overseas competitors. In order to turn their situation around, they reorganize the company and decide to head in a new direction by becoming involved in video game development. But Atom has neither the funds nor the development knowledge that is necessary. In a last-ditch effort, they try to contact Nayuta in the hopes that he could aid them.

Kento Yamazaki is the only cast member of Children of Atom who has been revealed so far. According to producer Yoshihiko Nakai, the series will show the joy and conflict of the people who get caught up in the rivalry between companies in the game industry.

In the press release for the show’s announcement, it is mentioned that following World War II, Japan, which does not have many natural resources, was able to make itself known through its manufacturing and craftsmanship. The game industry is also referred to along these same lines. Japan is identified as a major force in gaming which has given birth to countless legendary games and acclaimed hardware, like Nintendo’s Famicom and Sony’s PlayStation.

They continued by saying that these days, gaming culture extends to people of all generations, and there are indie developers constantly popping up all over the world who are creating many gaming masterpieces, such as Minecraft. Children of Atom will depict the modern state of the industry as the show’s protagonist deals with the challenges he must face along the way.

Children of Atom is set to air weekly on Sundays starting in October.