WOWOW and Rakuten Jointly Develop IP: Launching the 'ALIUS Project' to Create a New Content Experience Interlocking Drama and Vertical Scroll Digital Comics

WOWOW Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & CEO: Hitoshi Yamamoto; hereinafter "WOWOW") and Rakuten Group, Inc. (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, Chairman & CEO: Hiroshi Mikitani; hereinafter "Rakuten") have announced the launch of the "ALIUS Project." This joint initiative aims to develop a new intellectual property (IP) and create a novel content experience through a multifaceted media mix that interlocks a live-action drama with a vertical scroll digital comic. WOWOW, which has produced numerous dramas since starting its original drama production project "Drama W" in 2003, and Rakuten, which operates the content label "Rakuten Content Central" handling everything from IP development to comprehensive content production, are teaming up. Based on the worldview of the original IP "ALIUS" co-developed by the two companies, they will produce two works: the serialized drama W-30 "ALIUS - Special Event Investigation File -" and the vertical scroll digital comic "Heterogeneous Avenger ALIUS." This interlocking of a drama with a vertical scroll digital comic is a first for WOWOW, and for Rakuten, it marks the first live-action adaptation of an original IP held by its "Rakuten Content Central" label. In this project, two stories will be delivered from different perspectives under the original worldview where "Homo Alius," a distinct human species with a different genetic sequence from modern humans (Homo sapiens), exists. The serial drama depicts detectives chasing the mystery of serial murders in the present day, while the comic portrays a young man's revenge set 15 years ago. When the massive conspiracy lurking behind each story is revealed, a surprising connection between the two works emerges. Various interlocking elements are integrated between the works, such as the comic's protagonist appearing as a key character in the drama. By simultaneously enjoying content across the different media of a serial drama and a vertical comic, audiences can expect new speculations, surprises, and profound emotional impact. I am very pleased to be able to deliver a fresh content experience to everyone through our first collaboration with Rakuten. The process of building a unique worldview from scratch between our two companies was a highly exciting creative experience. I am confident that through this project, WOWOW will transcend its traditional hard-boiled suspense genre and achieve a new evolution. Furthermore, we have welcomed Mr. Kuranosuke Sasaki to star in the serial drama. His overwhelming presence and delicate acting give deep reality and strength to this mysterious story. Please look forward to an unprecedented entertainment experience where two stories intersect. "Are there phenomena in this world that cannot be explained by our common sense?" When I came up with the idea for "ALIUS," which carries such a theme, I thought, "I want to work with people who excel at 'realistic' works," and proposed it to WOWOW. This is because I wanted to portray it not as an "entertaining magical story," but as a "story relevant to modern society" about "how we should face existence beyond our common sense" in the real world we live in. With the help of many people, I am very happy to finally be able to send this work out into the world. And with a new content experience interlocked with a comic! I hope as many people as possible will enjoy it. Story: Shogo Sano (Kuranosuke Sasaki) of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division is an isolationist detective who will use any means necessary to catch criminals. The existence of his ex-wife, Kaoru, who suddenly left him three years ago, has left a deep scar on his heart. One day, the body of a neurosurgeon with four knives stabbed into his throat is discovered in an underground parking lot in Tokyo. With many suspicious points in the victim's behavior, Sano embarks on the investigation alongside his buddy Anna Hazumi and Toru Kanzaki, who is on secondment from the National Research Institute of Police Science. However, the situation takes a sudden turn when a second victim is found. Incomprehensible traces left at the scene seem to encroach upon a realm that cannot be explained by scientific common sense. What eventually emerges is an unknown existence called "ALIUS." What is the hidden intent there? What is the criminal's motive? Questioning common sense, a shocking conclusion awaits beyond the intersection of terror and intellect. Broadcast/Streaming Schedule: Broadcast and streaming start in July 2026 (6 episodes in total) *Episode 1 will be broadcast for free. Cast: Kuranosuke Sasaki, and others. Director