10 Days Before Graduation, Held Hostage by His Teacher? The Japanese Drama '3-nen A-gumi'

On the day 10 days before graduation, Mr. Hiiragi Ibuki, the homeroom teacher who was ignored by his students, starts to say strange things after the morning greeting. “From now on, you are all hostages.”

At first, the students thought the teacher's strange words were just a joke, but after several explosions and complete isolation, they realize the gravity of the situation. The classroom windows are locked, and they cannot move to other floors. Furthermore, there are CCTV cameras installed in the classroom, making it impossible to avoid the teacher's gaze. The only space the 30 students have for 10 days is the classroom and the restroom. And the situation becomes more intense when they discover that the teacher has a bomb detonator on his wristwatch. Will the students be able to graduate safely?

The Japanese drama “3-nen A-ban (Mr. Hiiragi’s Homeroom)” is a mystery drama that aired in 2019, starring a large cast of young Japanese actors, including Suda Masaki, Nagano Mei, Imada Mio, and Mori Nana. If you've watched a few Japanese dramas, you might recognize many familiar faces.

With the unusual premise of a teacher taking his students hostage, the students experience more conflict than cooperation, even in this extreme situation. The teacher watches them and gives them special lessons every day. One can't help but wonder what the teacher is trying to teach the students by holding them hostage.

Actor Suda Masaki plays the role of Mr. Hiiragi Ibuki. Suda Masaki has appeared in dramas such as “Kasumi ga sugoku! Kyōyū Girl Kono Etsuko”, “Todome no Kiss”, “dele”, and “Kont ga Hajimaru”, and is one of the most popular actors in Japan. He is also a singer and has released several albums. In 2021, he announced his marriage to actress Komatsu Nana.

Unlike other students who resist and show aggression towards the teacher, the class president, Kayano Sakura, is almost the only student who is friendly towards him. She is also the student who quickly gave the teacher the answer he wanted regarding the reason for taking them hostage. One wonders what Kayano Sakura, who was particularly close to the friend who is no longer with them, knows.

Actress Nagano Mei plays the role of Kayano Sakura. Nagano Mei has appeared in films such as “Soshite Baton wa Watasareta” and “My Broken Mariko”, and dramas such as “Hanbun, Aoi.”, “Hakozume”, and “Kimi ga Kokoro wo Kureta Kara”, among others. Since taking on the lead role in “Hanbun, Aoi.” in 2018, she has transitioned from supporting roles to leading roles.

It is said that imparting lessons is a characteristic of Japanese dramas, and this drama exemplifies the quintessential moralistic drama. This is because it is a drama where a teacher uses an extreme method to convey the message he wants to give to his students by taking them hostage. In particular, using SNS, which has become a social issue, it makes viewers aware of what can happen if they misuse SNS.

The Japanese drama “3-nen A-ban (Mr. Hiiragi’s Homeroom)” is available on TVING, Wavve, Watcha, Hulu, Apple TV, Prime Video, and Netflix.