Threads Email Print Bookmark story Copy link Dec 13, 2025 Mars has long been a fixation for humankind, imagined alternately as a utopia by 19th-century novelists, a homeland to menacing aliens by 20th-century filmmakers and an unforgiving cosmic frontier by contemporary science-fiction storytellers. NHK’s “Queen of Mars” three-episode miniseries, which premieres Dec. 13, marks the red planet’s latest appearance in pop culture and presents an ambitious and layered narrative with a multilingual and international cast. Directed by NHK veteran Takegoro Nishimura, the drama was made in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the broadcaster and adapted from an original novel commissioned from sci-fi writer Satoshi Ogawa. It represents a collaboration between NHK’s drama arm and in-house science team, with additional support from outside experts. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page. Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/12/13/tv-streaming/new-japanese-sci-fi-queen-of-mars-nhk/