Arka Mukhopadhyay
Netflix has been stepping up its Asian content for a while, and Michihito Fujii’s gritty and somber political thriller series ‘The Journalist’ (alternative title: ‘Shinbun Kisha’) is another fine addition to the oeuvre. The storyline is the perfect fodder for thought for a disillusioned generation. After the eruption of a scandal surrounding a private school on a public plot, Nagoya-based journalist Anna Matsuda from Touto news sets out to chart the labyrinth of bureaucracy and corruption.
Nobody cares about the scandal after a while, but Anna comes to see glimpses of humanity amidst the vortex of lies, greed, manipulation, and misery. Based on a book by journalist Isoko Mochizuki, the show revolves around the titular journalist’s struggle against a corrupt system. However, after the first season’s cliffhanger ending, you may be curious about the possibility of a follow-up season. If you seek the prospects of a second installment, let us look for the truth.
The Journalist Season 2 Release Date
‘The Journalist’ season 1 premiered in its entirety on January 13, 2022, on Netflix. The first season packs six episodes with runtimes ranging between 45 and 57 minutes.
Now, here is what we can tell you about the prospects of a sophomore season. The series is a spin-off of the 2019 movie of the same name, also directed by Michihito Fujii. Building the story from the movie’s aftermath, Fujii envisions a gloomy epic in the series. After its release, the film won three Japanese Academy Awards, including Picture of the Year. The show’s first season has fared outstandingly well in the media.
Moreover, the material has potential room for expansion, the story is enticing, and the first season’s cliffhanger keeps the audience rooting. Need we say more? Although the ball is in the producers’ court, there is probably a second season on the horizon. But no official announcement has been made regarding the second season. However, if production for a new installment commences by Spring 2022, we may expect ‘The Journalist’ season 2 to premiere sometime in Q2 2023.
The Journalist Season 2 Cast: Who can be in it?
Almost all the central cast members whose characters remain alive at the end of the first season may reprise their roles in the potential follow-up installment. Ryôko Yonekura (Anna Matsuda), Shinobu Terajima (Mayumi Suzuki), Gô Ayano (Shinichi Murakami), Ryûsei Yokohama (Ryo), Tetsuji Tanaka (Tomoya Tada), and others will possibly take up their respective roles.
However, we cannot say the same about Hidetaka Yoshioka, whose character Kazuya Suzuki dies in the puzzle of the first season. Moreover, if the show returns, there may be some fresh faces. But it is too early to talk about it, given that a second season is yet to be announced formally.
The Journalist Season 2 Plot: What can it be About?
The first season ends on a high, after several lows. The finance ministry almost suppresses the news of the scandal, thanks to its news engineering wing CIRO and other ploys. However, Anna manages to convince Kurosaki to come out with the truth. Kurosaki takes the pen drive to Mayumi Suzuki, revealing the cover-up’s audio file. Convinced by the evidence, Anna’s superiors agree to her writing the news article.
Murakami spends days in delirium after being transferred to CIRO, especially when his boss asks him to alter the official file of Kohei Matsuda. Lies pile up one after another, and in the end, Murakami decides to follow his heart and go public. At the end of the first season, the trial coincides with the eruption of the pandemic. The government further restricts journalists. Ryo finds out that they cannot graduate since the university is closing its doors for the time being. Mayu loses the job offer, but the courage of Murakami shows us hope.
Several questions pang us at the end of the first season. If there is a sophomore installment, it may provide some closure for the ailing viewers. Hopefully, the plot will pick up from the aftermath of the first season, and we will have a grand opening with the trial. Murakami’s statement may change all equations. But let us not forget that it is the government Anna and Murakami are dealing with. Murakami may face a grave threat, and the ministry may very well blame him for the scandal.
However, as the first season ends on a hopeful note, we may expect a change. The viewers would also want to know whether Kohei wakes up from the coma. In addition, it would be interesting to see the course of Ryo’s journey under the guidance of Anna. The creators have worked the pandemic into the story, and we would perhaps see more of the impact of the pandemic in the prospective season 2.
Read More: The Journalist Ending, Explained
