TV series
An animated adaptation of six classical Japanese literature pieces, including No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) and Run, Melos (Hashire, Melos) by Osamu Dazai, Kokoro by Natsume Souseki, Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) and The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito) by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita) by Ango Sakaguchi.
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Checked Jul 22, 2026
Aoi Bungaku Series premiered October 10, 2009. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
An animated adaptation of six classical Japanese literature pieces, including No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) and Run, Melos (Hashire, Melos) by Osamu Dazai, Kokoro by Natsume Souseki, Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) and The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito) by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita) by Ango Sakaguchi.
Cast, crew and production details
Aya HisakawaShizuko
Atsuko TanakaMadam
Wataru TakagiHoriki
Mamiko NotoYoshiko
Romi ParkTsuneko
Tomoko KotaniShigeko
Yasushi Miyabayashiradiocaster
Ai Horanaiwife B
Nippon TVJapan
Hakuhodo DY Media PartnersJapan
Happinet PicturesJapanWatch options above are for the show and may vary by season or episode.
Episode 1
A high school student becomes lost and alienated. Despondent and aimless, he falls into a cycle of self abuse, depression and drugs that taints his life for years.
Directed by Kojiro TsuruokaWritten by Satoshi SuzukiGuest stars Aya Hisakawa, Ai Horanai, Atsuko Tanaka, Wataru Takagi, Yasushi Miyabayashi, Mamiko Noto, Romi Park, Masato Sakai
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 2
A high school student becomes lost and alienated. Despondent and aimless, he falls into a cycle of self abuse, depression and drugs that taints his life for years.
Directed by Issei KumeGuest stars Aya Hisakawa, Atsuko Tanaka, Wataru Takagi, Mamiko Noto, Romi Park, Tomoko Kotani, Masato Sakai, Ai Horanai
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 3
A high school student becomes lost and alienated. Despondent and aimless, he falls into a cycle of self abuse, depression and drugs that taints his life for years.
Guest stars Atsuko Tanaka, Wataru Takagi, Mamiko Noto, Romi Park, Tomoko Kotani, Masato Sakai, Komina Matsushita, Yasushi Miyabayashi
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 4
A high school student becomes lost and alienated. Despondent and aimless, he falls into a cycle of self abuse, depression and drugs that taints his life for years.
Guest stars Aya Hisakawa, Atsuko Tanaka, Wataru Takagi, Mamiko Noto, Romi Park, Masato Sakai, Miho Miyagawa
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 5
A forest bandit finds a beautiful maiden in the forest and takes her to be his wife, but she is more than she seems to be.
Directed by Miho HiraoWritten by Ken IizukaGuest stars Masato Sakai, Nana Mizuki, Taeko Kawata, Ai Horanai, Asami Yaguchi, Kiyoko Nagaki, Kiyoyuki Yanada, Yui Kano
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 6
A forest bandit finds a beautiful maiden in the forest and takes her to be his wife, but she is more than she seems to be.
Directed by Tetsuro ArakiWritten by Ken IizukaGuest stars Masato Sakai, Nana Mizuki, Taeko Kawata, Kiyoyuki Yanada
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 7
A young man lives in Tokyo as a renter with a widow and her daughter. He invites his childhood friend, a monk, to come live with him, hoping to help him. When the monk falls in love with the widow's daughter, it drives a rift between them. The story is narrated from two points of view, the man's and the monk's.
Guest stars Masato Sakai, Rikiya Koyama, Houko Kuwashima, Showko Tsuda
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 8
A young man lives in Tokyo as a renter with a widow and her daughter. He invites his childhood friend, a monk, to come live with him, hoping to help him. When the monk falls in love with the widow's daughter, it drives a rift between them. The story is narrated from two points of view, the man's and the monk's.
Guest stars Masato Sakai, Rikiya Koyama, Houko Kuwashima, Showko Tsuda
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 9
A playwright writes a play based on the story "Run, Melos", and deals with his own feelings of betrayal towards his childhood friend.
Guest stars Hidenobu Kiuchi, Masato Sakai, Ryusei Nakao, Tomokazu Seki, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Mikako Takahashi
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 10
A playwright writes a play based on the story "Run, Melos", and deals with his own feelings of betrayal towards his childhood friend
Guest stars Hidenobu Kiuchi, Masato Sakai, Ryusei Nakao, Tomokazu Seki, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Mikako Takahashi
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 11
Kandata, a cruel and evil bandit is executed and lands in hell. The one good thing he had done in his life was to not kill a spider he met in the city. The spider drops him a thread to climb up into heaven. His elation is short-lived, however, as he realizes that others have started climbing the thread behind him.
Guest stars Masato Sakai, Daisuke Namikawa, Mamoru Miyano, Kenji Nomura
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku Series
Episode 12
Yoshihide, the greatest painter in the country, is commissioned to draw his greatest work, an image of the king's country inside his mausoleum. In the despotic king's realm, Yoshihide can see nothing but the suffering of the commoners. He decides to make his last work a tribute to the country as it really is.
Written by Yuji Kobayashi, Atsuko IshizukaGuest stars Masato Sakai, Daisuke Namikawa, Aya Endo
Where to watch Aoi Bungaku SeriesEpisode information updated Jul 22, 2026
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