Review by Dennis D. McDonald

I’m four episodes into this seven-episode series and am completely hooked.

Asura follows four adult sisters in Japan in 1979 who discover that their elderly father has been cheating on their mother for years. As the series unfolds, we get to know the sisters while exploring their relationships with one another and the men in their lives. It’s a complex and increasingly intricate web, but the story always seems to return to one fundamental question: How do we deal with the challenges we face in life? Do we fight, adapt, or simply accept and move on?

The four sisters have distinct and deeply layered personalities. The way these personalities are revealed is masterfully handled. The direction, cinematography, and acting are superb. Along the way, we glimpse both universally recognizable truths and—at least to this Westerner—inscrutably unique aspects of Japanese culture. All are beautifully presented.

To top it off, the English-language dubbing is probably the best I’ve ever heard in a Japanese movie or TV series. I usually watch Japanese media in the original language with English subtitles, but the English version on Netflix is very well done.

I’ll update this review once I finish the series.

Will this be popular in the U.S.? I have my doubts. Asian-focused dramas without much action haven’t historically performed well here—Sunny was canceled after just one season, for example. But at least we have seven episodes of Asura to enjoy!

Review copyright (c) 2025 by Dennis D. McDonald

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