Kimi to ita mirai no tame ni 'I'll be Back'

This superb series lasted for 10 episodes (like 99% of Japanese dramas, it was designed to be a short-lived story arc with a clear-cut beginning and end). It starred Tsuyoshi Domoto, one half of the popular "KinKi Kids" singing duo, as "Atsushi."

The story initially looks like a "Groundhog Day" re-hash, where the lead character is forced to repeat the same actions until he gets them "right" (e.g. mend the ties with his estranged father, stop his best friend from dying) but quickly strides off in its own direction. Why -is- Atsushi constantly re-living the same four-year period? Moreover, why are two other completely unrelated people suffering the same fate?

"Kimi to Ita Mirai no Tame Ni ~I'll Be Back~" (English: "For the Future We Had Together-- I'll Be Back") is one of those rare shows that builds in momentum with each episode, slowly revealing more of the plot, feeding you more of the answers, until finally the mystery is resolved in the final episode. It's drama with a sci-fi edge, and the interplay of three principle characters-- Atsushi (Domoto), Maki (Nakama, who later went on to play Yamamura Sadako in "Ring 0"), and Shirou Sano as the twisted Mayuzumi-- is convincing and genuine. The mood of the series is perfectly set with the haunting, mysterious soundtrack by the group Coba.