NEWS

Ⓒ橋本エイジ・梅村真也/コアミックス ⒸTHE SEVEN
© Haro Aso,Shogakukan / ROBOT

THE SEVEN, INC. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Katsuaki Setoguchi; hereinafter “THE SEVEN”) is proud to announce that two titles it worked on—the drama Song of the Samurai (Japanese title: Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem) and the Netflix series Alice in Borderland Season 3 (Production Cooperation)—have achieved a major feat by earning numerous awards and nominations at two of the Asia-Pacific region’s most prestigious screen awards: the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2026 (AACA) and the 31st Asian Television Awards (ATA).

The Grand Final Winners will be announced at the respective award ceremonies: the 31st ATA on November 13–14 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and the AACA 2026 Grand Final on December 3 in Singapore.

Following its Grand Final victory for Best Visual or Special FX in TV Series or Feature Film for the Netflix series Yu Yu Hakusho at AACA 2024 (7th Edition), THE SEVEN aims to claim the top honor and sweep major categories across both awards.

【Asian Academy Creative Awards 2026 — National Winners (Japan)】

Song of the Samurai / Produced by THE SEVEN
-Best Actor in a Leading Role: Yuki Yamada
-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Go Ayano
-Best Direction (Scripted): Kazutaka Watanabe
-Best Cinematography (Fiction): Tomoo Ezaki
-Best Promo or Trailer

Alice in Borderland Season 3 (Netflix Series) / Production Cooperation by THE SEVEN
-Best Drama Series: THE SEVEN, Netflix, ROBOT
-Best Editing: Tsuyoshi Imai / THE SEVEN, Netflix, ROBOT
-Best Visual or Special FX in TV Series or Feature Film: Tomofumi Akahane / THE SEVEN, Digital Frontier


【31st Asian Television Awards — Nominees】

Song of the Samurai / Produced by THE SEVEN
-Best Drama Series: THE SEVEN
-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Go Ayano
-Best Director (Drama / Fiction): Kazutaka Watanabe
-Best Cinematography (Drama / Fiction): Tomoo Ezaki
-Best Editing (Drama / Fiction): Ryo Hayano
-Best Art Direction (Drama / Fiction): Hidefumi Onishi

Alice in Borderland Season 3 (Netflix Series) / Production Cooperation by THE SEVEN
-Best Drama Series (OTT): THE SEVEN, Netflix, ROBOT
-Best Actor in a Leading Role: Kento Yamazaki
-Best Actress in a Leading Role: Tao Tsuchiya
-Best Director (Drama / Fiction): Shinsuke Sato
-Best Cinematography (Drama / Fiction): Taro Kawazu
-Best Editing (Drama / Fiction): Tsuyoshi Imai, Masakazu Kaneda, Kazumi Wakimoto
-Best Art Direction (Drama / Fiction): Iwao Saito, Makoto Nakayama

Set in the turbulent Bakumatsu era, Song of the Samurai has created a sensation globally and domestically. Distributed worldwide in over 100 countries and regions on HBO Max, it reached the TOP 10 in 47 countries, while also taking 1st place in U-NEXT’s domestic First-Half Drama Rankings.

At AACA 2026, Yuki Yamada won Best Actor in a Leading Role and Go Ayano won Best Actor in a Supporting Role as National Winners, leading the title to represent Japan in a total of 5 categories—tied for the 2nd most categories won among all National Winners this year. Furthermore, at the 31st ATA, the series secured nominations in 6 categories, including Best Drama Series and Go Ayano for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Alice in Borderland Season 3, streaming globally exclusively on Netflix, achieved the historic feat of claiming 1st place on Netflix's Weekly Global TOP 10 (Non-English Series) immediately after release, bringing all three seasons into the TOP 10 simultaneously.

At AACA 2026, the series was selected as Japan’s National Winner for Best Drama Series—one of the academy’s highest honors—alongside two other category wins for a total of 3 National Winner titles. At the 31st ATA, it garnered 7 nominations, including Best Drama Series (OTT), Kento Yamazaki for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Tao Tsuchiya for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

■ Akira Morii (Executive Vice President & CCO, THE SEVEN / Producer, Song of the Samurai & Alice in Borderland Season 3)
“It is an immense honor to see both Song of the Samurai and Alice in Borderland Season 3—two projects into which we poured our heart and soul—receive such high acclaim at two of Asia’s premier screen awards. That the distinct world-building and visual aesthetics crafted jointly by our cast and crew resonated beyond borders fills us with great joy and pride.
Song of the Samurai winning 5 categories and Alice in Borderland taking Best Drama Series as National Winners at AACA is a testament to each team’s relentless pursuit of excellence. As we await the final results in November and December, we will continue delivering high-quality, world-class entertainment that captivates audiences across the globe.”

■ Yuki Yamada (Lead Actor, Song of the Samurai)
“Thank you so much for the AACA Best Actor in a Leading Role award and for selecting me to represent Japan.
I am thrilled, though when the producer first called me, it didn't quite sink in right away—the joy has been slowly washing over me. As I reflect on our shooting days, I overlap them with the Shinsengumi, where every single person pooled their strength together.
The protagonist says the line, ‘Let’s bloom to the fullest,’ and my fellow Chiruran castmates answered that call. I was saved time and again by them—I couldn't have done this alone. My deepest gratitude goes out to everyone involved in Chiruran and to all the viewers who watched it.”

Under its vision, “The Studio Shaping the World's Next Obsession,” THE SEVEN, INC. was established to create world-class entertainment from Japan. The overwhelming acclaim received at these two major awards, alongside our global hit records across streaming platforms, demonstrates that our vision is taking firm root.
Moving forward, THE SEVEN will continue to co-create with outstanding talent in Japan and abroad to deliver unprecedented visual experiences that transcend borders and languages. Taking our challenge at the upcoming Grand Finals as a stepping stone toward even greater leaps, THE SEVEN remains committed to pushing boundaries in the global marketplace.

Established in January 2022 with investment from TBS Holdings, Inc., THE SEVEN focuses on the development and production of high-end content for the global market, primarily in collaboration with international streaming platforms, serving as the core of the TBS Group’s global content business strategy. The company has consistently led the Japanese production industry through milestones such as its strategic partnership with Netflix, the production of Alice in Borderland Season 3, co-development projects with partners in the U.S. and South Korea, strategic alliances with leading VFX studios, and co-development with Walt Disney Japan.
In the strategic partnership between TBS Holdings and Hollywood-based major studio Legendary Entertainment announced this past January, THE SEVEN primarily leads the creative execution on the Japanese side. Acting as a “Cultural Translator” that unlocks the authentic charm of Japanese IP for world audiences, THE SEVEN strives to serve as a bridge between Japan and the global industry. Furthermore, working in close collaboration with its North American base, THE SEVEN US, INC., the company continues its ongoing pursuit on the global stage.