The universal theme of friendship, in all its vulnerability, tenderness, and purity, is explored in this drama. The flow of seasons forms a thematic continuity to the action: the severity of youth in summer, the sentimentality of autumn, and the frustration of winter. Together, this group of boys cope with common adversity, face the death of a friend, and prepare to deal with the world of adulthood.

Two babies girls are born, one from a rich doctor's family, the other in the family of a fisherman. An accident occurs during the absence of the doctor, and his daughter is burnt and injured. Ignoring the advice of his wife to apologize for the wound, the fisherman decides to exchange the babies. So they raise Shinobu, the daughter of the doctor, while Chizuko, their real daughter, is raised in the doctor's family. Eighteen years later, their paths cross, their fate continues to be deeply intertwined.

Hana comes from a family that has been thieves for generations. Hana refuses to become a thief and she wants to live a normal life. She currently works as a librarian and she is dating Kazuma, who works as a public officer. She hears that Kazuma's family are all public officers. One day, Hana visits Kazuma's family. She discovers that Kazuma's family, including Kazuma, are actually all police officers. Hana gets involved in a case and falls into trouble.

What does it take to become the ultimate volleyball player? The smash hit manga spikes its way onto the TV screen for the first time! A smash hit manga spikes its way onto the TV screen for the first time! Kozue, a positive and cheerful high school girl devotes her entire energy toward her school volleyball team. Extremely severe practices designed by the strict head coach Inokuma, highly competitive matches against the toughest top players, friendships and rivalry among teammates with strong characters.... Can Kozue's genuine love toward volleyball make the impossible come true? --TV Asahi

Detective Ukyo Sugishita confronts crime on the basis of his own convictions. He has a partner that works for him in the Special Task Unit. For the first 7 seasons, Ukyo’s first partner is Kaoru Kameyama. He is a good-natured, hot-tempered, straightforward and somewhat scattered detective. Beginning in Season 8, Takeru Kanbe replaces Kameyama. Contrary to his predecessor, Takeru is a lanky, cool, conceited and confident detective. From Season 11 to Season 13, Ukyo’s partner is a young detective Toru Kai. Toru is a son of Deputy Director-General of The National Police Agency. But he became a detective by his own effort. And starting with Season 14, Ukyo’s current partner is Wataru Kaburagi, an elite bureaucrat who came to the Metropolitan Police Department on temporary assignment. As the first partner without any career of a police officer, he will face challenging cases together with Ukyo.

After participating to a previous show where they have to bet or be challenged to any kind of competitions, the losing members of the Gaki no Tsukai are selected to spend 24 hours in a setting which they have no knowledge of the theme nor the course of the events. They are exposed to various absurd and crazy situations nonstop for 24 hours and must refrain from laughing. If they do so, hang-men appear and hit the rule breakers with a weapon (the weapon varies every year).