Key art for It's Strictly Business, a 2026 Japanese BL television drama

It’s Strictly Business

On AirTV Series🇯🇵EP 3

What happens

It's Strictly Business (Japanese: 営業ですから, Eigyou desu kara) is a Japanese boys' love television drama that began on BS Fuji on Thursday 5 November 2026 at 24:30, in a half-hour late-night slot. The 24:30 listing on the broadcast clock means each episode airs at 12:30 in the early hours of Friday and runs until 1:00.

Ashihara Ren, played by Sota Uemura, is a university student who wants to be popular. He pretends to be in a relationship with Kuji Issei, played by Rio Takahashi and described as the most handsome boy on campus, and treats the act as a sales strategy that will attract girls. The arrangement holds until Issei kisses him for real, and from then on it is unclear whether the relationship is still an act.

Uiko Miura writes, and Kozue Sasaki and Kana Urara direct. The Eigyou desu kara Production Committee is the credited producer. The drama adapts Miyuki Mitsubachi's manga of the same name, published by Hakusensha in its Hanamaru Comics Premium line. It is the first adaptation of Mitsubachi's work.

BS Fuji broadcasts new episodes on Thursdays. FOD holds an uncut version exclusively, and TVer offers catch-up from the following day, 6 November, for viewers who miss the broadcast.

CONTENT DETAILS

Native Title
営業ですから
Original Title
It's Strictly Business
Also Known As
営業ですから, Eigyou desu kara
Adaptation
Adapted from the BL manga 営業ですから by Miyuki Mitsubachi, published by Hakusensha in its Hanamaru Comics Premium line.
Themes
Key Themes
Fake RelationshipUniversity StudentsManga AdaptationUncut Streaming VersionLate-Night BroadcastPerformance Becoming RealCatch-Up Streaming
Country
Language
Japanese
Seasons
1
Episodes
2 / 10
Duration
About 30 minutes
Aired Start
Release Year

Where to watch It’s Strictly Business

FOD: exclusive uncut version,TVer: free catch-up after each broadcast,

Before You Watch

  • Start Date: Thursday 5 November 2026 on BS Fuji at 24:30.
  • Streaming: FOD holds an uncut version exclusively, and TVer streams the drama from 6 November.
  • Manga Adaptation: Adapted from Miyuki Mitsubachi’s manga for Hakusensha’s Hanamaru Comics Premium line.
  • Credits: A production committee produces, Uiko Miura writes, and Kozue Sasaki and Kana Urara direct.
  • Leads: Sota Uemura plays Ashihara Ren and Rio Takahashi plays Kuji Issei.

Reviewed by Renkaze

Picture this: you want to be popular with girls, so your genius plan is to fake-date the most handsome guy on campus. Totally logical. Nothing could go wrong. That is the wonderfully silly premise of It's Strictly Business, a new late-night Japanese BL that began on BS Fuji on 5 November, and I am already giggling.

A Sales Strategy With Cheekbones

Sota Uemura plays Ashihara Ren, a university student who badly wants to be popular. He decides to pretend to be in a relationship with Kuji Issei, played by Rio Takahashi and billed as the most handsome boy on campus, and treats the whole act as a sales strategy to attract girls. The Japanese title, 営業ですから, Eigyou desu kara, is exactly what an office worker says about an awkward chore: "It's just part of the job." Ren is not confessing anything. He has a plan, and the plan is filed under sales.

Then the Kiss Happens

The arrangement works fine until Issei kisses him for real. And just like that, nobody can tell whether the relationship is still an act. A fake couple only has to look convincing from the outside, but a real kiss cannot be judged from outside at all. So the question flips from "can they pretend well?" to "who is still pretending, and about what?" Fake relationship fans, this is your exact flavour of chaos.

What the Team Said

The quotes around this adaptation are adorable. Manga author Miyuki Mitsubachi said she never imagined her story being dramatised, and this is the first adaptation of her work. Sota Uemura said he was surprised by how closely Ren matched his own looks and personality. Rio Takahashi described the story as one of miscommunication and subtle emotions, and praised its visuals. Put together, it sounds like a cosy, small-scale romance about feelings that get misread before they get understood.

Thursday Nights, Two Ways to Watch

The drama began on Thursday 5 November 2026 at 24:30 on BS Fuji, which is really 12:30 in the early hours of Friday, in a half-hour slot. Ten episodes are planned. FOD has an exclusive uncut version, and TVer offers catch-up from the next day, 6 November. Uiko Miura writes, Kozue Sasaki and Kana Urara direct, and the Eigyou desu kara Production Committee produces. The source is Mitsubachi's manga from Hakusensha's Hanamaru Comics Premium line, if you want to read ahead.

Campus comedy, fake dating and misunderstandings, served as late-night Japanese BL in bite-sized half hours: yes, please. Mood: playful and flirty, with a bit of fluster. Set a reminder for Thursday nights.

Themes and Messages

Okay, the setup has a cheeky twist. Ren wants popularity, and the crowd he wants to impress is women. So the show turns a same sex couple into a kind of marketing aimed at the opposite sex. That is where the sales language in the title comes from, and why the plan gets called a strategy instead of a romance. I love how shameless that is.

There are two layers running from the start. On the surface, the two university students are putting on a show for everyone around them. Underneath, that show is the only project they share, so every day spent keeping it alive is a day spent together. Turns out pretending needs a lot of side by side practice. Uff.

Then the kiss changes what the project is for. The "business" stops being about the audience and starts being about the two people inside the act. Fitting detail: the drama comes in two versions, the BS Fuji broadcast and the uncut edition on FOD, a public version and a private one, just like the relationship.

Episode guide: It’s Strictly Business

2 / 10 episodes aired · EP 3
EP 1
05 Nov 2026
Aired
EP 2
12 Nov 2026
Aired
EP 3
19 Nov 2026
Upcoming
EP 4
26 Nov 2026
Upcoming
EP 5
03 Dec 2026
Upcoming
EP 6
10 Dec 2026
Upcoming
EP 7
17 Dec 2026
Upcoming
EP 8
24 Dec 2026
Upcoming
EP 9
31 Dec 2026
Upcoming
EP 10
07 Jan 2027
Upcoming

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When did it start?

On Thursday 5 November 2026, at 24:30 on BS Fuji. TVer catch-up began on 6 November.

Where can it be watched?

BS Fuji broadcasts it, TVer carries catch-up, and FOD holds an uncut version exclusively.

What is the uncut version?

FOD streams an uncut version of the drama exclusively, while BS Fuji airs the broadcast version.

Who stars in it?

Sota Uemura plays Ashihara Ren and Rio Takahashi plays Kuji Issei.

Who is behind the camera?

Uiko Miura writes, and Kozue Sasaki and Kana Urara direct.

Is it based on something?

Yes, Miyuki Mitsubachi's manga 営業ですから, published by Hakusensha in its Hanamaru Comics Premium line.

Where a title can be watched, and who is credited on it, may have changed since publication, as our disclaimer explains. Broadcast details come from pre-release announcements and may change.

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