// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Chaser Game W say to its friend? "You're always one 'W' forward.
| Chaser Game W | |
|---|---|
 Official series poster | |
| チェイサーゲームW | |
| Genre | Romance, Girls' love |
| Based on | Chaser Game by Hiroshi Matsuyama |
| Written by | Yū Ohta, Atsushi Asada |
| Directed by | Yū Ohta, Masayuki Yamaguchi, Yoshikazu Igi |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Original release | |
| Network | TV Tokyo, Dub Corporation |
| Release | January 9 – November 9, 2024 |
Chaser Game W: My Evil Boss is My Ex-Girlfriend (チェイサーゲームW パワハラ上司は私の元カノ) is a 2024 television drama produced by TV Tokyo. It is a spin-off to the Chaser Game series by Hiroshi Matsuyama and features an original story centered around two ex-girlfriend working in the game industry. In 2025 it was adapted into a manga series written by Hoshiteru Hosaka and illustrated by Seiju Natsumegu. A film sequel to the drama was released in May 2026.
Plot
[edit]The series follows Harumoto Itsuki, a 27-year-old game developer who now has to work alongside her ex-girlfriend, Hayashi Fuyu, as the companies they work for collaborate on an upcoming video game project.
Characters
[edit]Main characters
[edit]- Harumoto Itsuki
- Portrayed by: Yūka Sugai
- A game developer at Dynamic Dream. Itsuki has been working at Dynamic Dream for fives years when she is given the lead for an upcoming project for the mega-title "Tenyo Sekai," a joint Japanese-Chinese production.
- Hayashi Fuyu
- Portrayed by: Yurika Nakamura
- The head of Vincent, a major Chinese content company that is a client of Dynamic Dream. She is also Itsuki's ex-girlfriend.
Supporting characters
[edit]- Aoyama Wataru
- Portrayed by: Kanta Sato
- A freelance journalist and Itsuki's friend from high school.
- Nanase Futaba
- Portrayed by: Hina Kikuchi
- Responsible for visual effects.
- Komatsu Risa
- Portrayed by: Hikari Kabashima
- A 3D animator at Dynamic Dream.
- Kubo Yuina
- Portrayed by: Nozomi Hanayagi
- The cinematic director at Dynamic Dream.
Media
[edit]Drama
[edit]Chaser Game W: My Evil Boss Is My Ex-Girlfriend was first announced on November 15, 2023.[1] Unlike the previous Chaser Game television series, which adapted the original manga by Hiroshi Matsuyama, Chaser Game W featured an original story that centered around two ex-girlfriends working in the game industry, though it continues to share the same setting as the original with both taking place at the fictional game development company "Dynamic Dream". The series was produced by TV Tokyo and directed by Yū Ohta, Masayuki Yamaguchi, and Yoshikazu Igi, with Ohta and Atsushi Asada writing the scripts. The series starred Yūka Sugai and Yurika Nakamura in the lead roles. It premiered on TV Tokyo from January 9, 2024, to February 27, 2024. The opening theme, "Midnight Girl", was produced by imase, who also appeared in the drama as himself.[2]
A second season was announced in July 2024, with the cast and staff reprising their roles from the first season.[3] The second season aired from September 20 to November 8, 2024.
Manga
[edit]A manga adaptation began serialization digitally through CyberConnect2 on March 13, 2025.[4] The series was written by Hoshiteru Hosaka and illustrated by Seiju Natsumegu. One volume was released as of May 8, 2025.[5] In July, 2025, CyberConnect2 discontinued the manga, taking down all chapters from digital storefronts. Series artist Seiju Natsumegu wrote on their personal Twitter account that they had not been informed of the decision ahead of time.[6]
Film
[edit]Chaser Game W: The Fellowship of Waterfish, a sequel to the second season of the series, premiered in theatres on May 15, 2026. It is co-produced by CyberConnect2 and Dub Corporation, and distributed in Japan by Nakachika Pictures.[7][8]
7 years after the events of Chaser Game W2, Itsuki and Fuyu live together with their daughter Tsuki, who is now a junior high school student. Despite the couple's best efforts to maintain a peaceful family life on the surface, Tsuki is acutely aware of their discomfort. One day, Tsuki gets into trouble and is rescued by Kozue, a taxi driver. After that encounter, Itsuki and Fuyu reconcile their true feelings for each other, and attempt to rebuild their love again, as a family.[9]
Novel
[edit]A novelization written by Hoshiteru Hosaka began serialization on January 9, 2026, with new chapters releasing every two weeks.[10]
Reception
[edit]Frank Hecker, a staff writer at Okazu, gave the first season an overall 7 out of 10, praising the performances of its lead actors, "Nakamura Yurika does an excellent job portraying Fuyu’s transition from office terror to a woman approaching her breaking point, while former idol Sugai Yūka acquits herself well in the less demanding role of Itsuki", while finding the show's epilogue "a bit rushed and hand-wavy".[11]
References
[edit]- ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 15, 2023). "CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama's Chaser Game Manga Gets 2nd Live-Action Show With Original Story". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ↑ "imase Takes on Dual Roles in Drama "Chaser Game W" – Theme Song and Soundtrack". niewmedia.com. December 26, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 16, 2024). "Live-Action Chaser Game W Series Gets 2nd Season in September". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ↑ チェイサーゲームW 1巻. Kadokawa (in Japanese). CyberConnect2. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ↑ ドラマ『チェイサーゲームW』公式コミカライズ『チェイサーゲームW』単行本1巻 5/8(木)発売！各電子書籍ストアにて配信中. Kadokawa (in Japanese). CyberConnect2. May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ↑ @Seiju_natsumegu (July 30, 2025). "【お知らせ】#チェイサーゲームW 漫画版の販売終了の件ですが 私自身サイバーコネクトツー側から、何も聞かされていない状態で 驚きが隠せないでいます…" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ↑ "菅井友香×中村ゆりかW主演「チェイサーゲームW」が映画化、5月に公開". 映画ナタリー. January 9, 2026. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ↑ "映画『チェイサーゲームW 水魚の交わり』が5月15日公開！ 原作者の松山社長と松島先生からのメッセージを紹介。いつふゆ愛用マグカップなど映画公式グッズの情報も | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-12.
- ↑ "映画『チェイサーゲームW 水魚の交わり』公式HP 5月15日（金）より全国公開！". 映画『チェイサーゲームW 水魚の交わり』公式HP 5月15日（金）より全国公開！ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-12.
- ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (January 8, 2026). "Live-Action Chaser Game W Series Gets Sequel Film on May 15". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ↑ Hecker, Frank (March 6, 2024). "Chaser Game W, Guest Review by Frank H". Okazu. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Official Chaser Game W TV drama website (in Japanese)