Ruri's Island (2005): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2005, Ruri's Island is a drama and family series.

What it’s about. Ruri, having been abandoned by her mother to a foster care facility, lives a life of reckless abandonment. When Nakama Yuzo, a kind man but for a trigger-happy temper, runs into Ruri he realizes that perhaps she's the child he's been looking for. Yuzo lives in Hatomijima, a small insland in Okinawa where the population is 49 and the average age group is 61. There are no children. The island has only one school - a primary school. If a child is not enrolled in the school, it will be closed. As a result, society will abandon the island and in a few years, it will cease to have any inhabitants. To save their island, the locals decide to bring in a foster child. Ruri is their candidate, and with her she brings the hope of the island's survival.

Who’s in it. Ruri's Island stars Riko Narumi as Ruri Fujisawa, Shunji Igarashi, Yutaka Takenouchi as Tatsuya Kawashima / Makoto Takahara and Ken Ogata as Yuzo Nakama, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 9.0/10, Ruri's Island sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Ruri's Island page.

If you liked it. Fans of Ruri's Island tend to enjoy Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Attack on Titan.