THE SEVEN, INC. has announced that it has planned and produced a live-action drama adaptation of Yugo Aosaki’s masterpiece mystery novel Rock, Paper, Landmines, which swept major literary awards and mystery rankings in Japan. The Prime Original drama series will premiere exclusively in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on November 13, 2026, on Prime Video. Stay tuned for the next level of quality entertainment from THE SEVEN, the studio behind global hits.
The original novel Rock, Paper, Landmines by Yugo Aosaki transforms universally known everyday games—such as “Daruma-san ga Koronda” (Red Light, Green Light) and “Concentration” (Memory)—into intense, high-stakes battles of strategy and deception by incorporating devilish special rules. Its innovative premise and gripping tension captivated readers, earning the unprecedented triple crown of the 37th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize, the 24th Honkaku Mystery Award, and the 77th Japan Mystery Writers Association Prize, in addition to sweeping all major mystery rankings, including the SR Mystery Best 10—a historic nine awards in total that set new records in Japan’s mystery genre. THE SEVEN proudly brings this masterpiece to the screen at the highest visual scale.
Leading this pulse-pounding battle of wits are two of Japan’s brightest young actresses. Nana Mori plays Mato Imoriya, a seemingly carefree and easygoing high school girl who reveals sharp instincts and a gift for strategy the moment a game begins. Mori has captivated audiences in numerous hit works, including 5 Centimeters Per Second (2025), Hirayasumi (2025), Enjo (2026), and the film National Treasure (2025), for which she won the Outstanding Supporting Actress Award at the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize. Aju Makita plays Kazahi Koda, Mato’s best friend—a caring and protective presence who watches over Mato as she takes on dangerous challenges. Makita was first recognized by acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda in the drama Going My Home (2012) at age 10, and has since appeared in numerous Kore-eda works including Shoplifters (2018). Her recent credits include Reboot (2026), Kingdom: Battle of Souls (2026), and Look Back (2026). The gap between their charming appearances and the ruthless psychological warfare they engage in behind their smiles is a must-see. The lineup of eccentric rivals challenging the duo will be revealed at a later date.
Producing the series is Akira Morii (Executive Vice President & CCO, THE SEVEN), who has propelled Japanese content to a global scale by producing worldwide hits such as Alice in Borderland and Yu Yu Hakusho. As a leading producer in the death-game and survival genres, Morii chose Rock, Paper, Landmines as his next major project. Directing the series is Kazuaki Seki, renowned for his stylish visual beauty and rhythmic direction in iconic music videos for Perfume and Sakanaction, as well as films like Kakukakushikajika (2025) and Beethoven Forgery (2025). He brings a sleek yet intensely suspenseful visual approach to the transformation of everyday games into life-and-death showdowns.
